Introduction
Although Canada is often praised for its politeness and multiculturalism, especially compared to the US, it has its own legacy of violence and oppression of Indigenous and Black people to contend with, a legacy that continues to have ramifications today. There is systemic racism in Canada, and the nation’s history is filled with it. This claim will be supported by analyzing two films, The Skin We’re In and Two World’s Colliding, and show how racism in Canada has been shaped by colonial policies and that the racism problem exists in all institutions, including the police forces.
Racism and Colonialism
Racism and colonialism have long shaped Canada's attitude towards its Indigenous People, and this is portrayed in Charles Officer film, The Skin We’re In, a documentary that focuses on racism in Canada (The Skin We’re In 01:15:15-01:44:03). Cole provides personal experiences of the racism he has suffered under police officers. He has been arrested several times for calling for the end of police brutality, stopped more than 50 times by traffic police and witnessed Black people being harassed by law enforcement officers (Cole). One thing that stood out in the documentary is how examples are provided, showing clearly how racism in Canada is wide spread although it is a subject that is rarely talked about.
Just like Cole, Tasha Hubbard addresses the issue of racism in Canada in Two Worlds Colliding, focusing on the treatment of the Indigenous People by the Saskatoon Police Force. Although the documentary is centered in Saskatoon, it provides a wider view of the relationships between Native and non-Native Canadians (Hubbard). In the film, police officers arrest innocent Indigenous People, drive them out of town, and leave them stranded in the middle of nowhere. Some of these men, such as Lawrence Wegner and Rodney Naistus, froze to death. One thing that stands out in the film is the cruelty meted out on the Indigenous People and how the police officers go unpunished. All these examples show how racism is deeply rooted among other police officers. They arrest Indigenous People who have not done any wrong and drive them out of the city, leaving them to die.
In Canada, there is no official record of the number of people killed in encounters with police or national data tracked by police services across the country on race and ethnicity (Cole). Information that would identify and eliminate racism within law enforcement is conveniently lacking. However, according to Cole, Blacks, Indigenous People, and other racialized People are at a much higher risk of dying from police brutality (Cole 4). Systemic prejudice and racism are rooted in a country founded on the violent dispossession of Indigenous People from their lands to ensure unhindered access to colonizers. When it comes to Blacks, they have experienced violent slavery for over 200 years.
Blacks and Indigenous People experience two forms of systemic racism in Canada. Blacks have been subjected to slavery and apartheid. Indigenous People experienced colonial policies, which evolved into institutional racism. One of the most disappointing things is that people have learned to live with it. For many Indigenous people, police brutality and certain fatal interventions by the police are a constant occurrence.
This reality has resulted in many adverse effects. Black and Indigenous people in Canada cannot call the police when they need their help since the police will start harassing them. A perfect example of this is when Cole recorded a confrontation between a Black man and several Toronto police officers. The Black man had called the police officers for help, but he was treated like the suspect (Cole). The police patted down his pants and searched him even in his crotch area.
Systemic Racism
Systemic racism is a problem throughout Canada, in all institutions, and also in the police forces. For Blacks or Indigenous People living in Canada, they are not only subjected to racism but also police brutality and their lives are marked by unequal life chances, limited access to health and education, impoverished lifestyles and high probability of imprisonment (Hubbard). The lives of Black and Indigenous People matter and need to be be respected in Canada, and as such, police brutality and systemic racism must end.
Conclusion
The Indigenous People has been stripped of everything: their language, their culture and their territory ((Two Worlds Colliding 01:20:35-01:49:01). Indigenous and Black people today suffer from underfunding of education on reserves, medical deserts, crumbling housing and lack of clean water. The consequences are real: broken communities, higher rates of suicide, homelessness and drug addiction, among others. The remedy for this state of affairs is first, to recognize it, and secondly, to eradicate it by adopting a zero-tolerance policy for racist or discriminatory treatment of people who interact with an institution. This means that laws and policies must be regularly reviewed to ensure that their application is fair and impartial. The entire nation must act speak out against the systemic violence and racism against the Black and Indigenous People in Canada by the police. The police should be protecting all members of the society instead of perpetuating racism.
