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31 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M arch 14,2019 insidehalton.com 1276 Cornwall Road, Unit C, Oakville Ontario, L6J 7W5 T: 905-845-0767 • F: 905-845-5552 •www.haxelllaw.com • lawyers@haxelllaw.com Personal Professional Service at Competitive Rates Buying? Selling? Re Call us for a quote at 905-845-0767 ext. 223Jameson Glas GOLDGOLD 905-845-0767 ext. 223Jameson Glas J.M.C Concrete Interlocking LTD Oakville's Favourite Patios & Driveways! DIAMONDDIAMOND LIKE US ONAsk for John www.jmcconcrete.ca 905-878-8595 • stamped concrete • interlocking • exposed aggregate • flagstone • french curbs • retainingwalls • garage floors • free estimates DIAMONDDIAMOND Indigenous education must become the job of everyone in so- ciety -- beyond just teachers -- if we want to truly make strides in the relationship between Ca- nadians and Indigenous people, Anishinaabe professor and writ- er Niigaan Sinclair told an Oak- ville crowd on Monday, March 4. The University of Manitoba Native studies professor and Winnipeg Free Press columnist was in Halton Region for two days of professional develop- ment seminars with the Halton Catholic District School Board. Sinclair, the son of well-known Sen. Murray Sinclair, spoke to about 200 members of the public at Holy Trinity Catholic Second- ary School on Monday evening -- the event was co-sponsored by Halton's public and Catholic school boards. Titled "We All Have a Role to Play," his wide-ranging talk touched on the governments of Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau; Indigenous mascots of sports teams; and problems with re- presentation in the media -- with the central theme that bet- ter understanding of Indigenous issues is a job for all Canadians. For Indigenous people to feel that their culture is valued, they need to see accurate representa- tions of themselves in their day- to-day lives and in pop culture -- a responsibility that touches all aspects of society, said Sinclair. "Ninety-eight per cent of my day ... proves that Indigenous people don't matter," he said, pointing to a lack of coverage for Indigenous issues in the main- stream media -- particularly in Toronto, where the majority of Canadian media companies are headquartered. "Nothing is more problematic than Toronto reporters pretending they're not affected." The latest census lists Toron- to's Indigenous population as 23,065, but a 2018 study by York University and St. Michael's Hospital said that the census is not reaching the city's entire In- digenous population; that study's lowest estimate is some- where between 45,000 and 73,000 Indigenous residents in that city. While admitting to being a Winnipeg Blue Bombers season- ticket holder, Sinclair said that professional sports -- particu- larly when it comes to teams with Indigenous mascots -- have not always made Indige- nous people feel welcome. "The purpose of sports is to go into someone else's territory through violence and penetrate the last place they're trying to protect. In football, they steal your land and do a little dance. On the sides of (their) helmets they have decapitated Indian heads, dressed in red, like blood ... You're not honouring me, you're triggering me." In his Winnipeg Free Press column published on Tuesday, March 5, Sinclair wrote that in trying to circumvent the courts for SNC-Lavalin, Prime Minis- ter Justin Trudeau has flouted the promise of ethics and princi- ples that helped him win the election. Monday night, he sur- mised that Trudeau may have started out with good intentions, but had been swayed by the forc- es of politics. "I'm not quite sold on this prime minister being corrupt, but I certainly am sold on this prime minister being naive," he said, noting that this govern- ment has shown more interest in Indigenous issues than any of its predecessors. On provincial politics, Sin- clair heavily criticized the Ford government for its last-minute cancellation of sessions to cre- ate reconciliation-based curric- ulum in July -- the sessions, set to begin July 9, were cancelled July 6. Sinclair said that many of the participants had purchased plane tickets to Toronto with their own money, and were al- ready on their way when the ses- sions were cancelled. Improving education on In- digenous communities and top- ics was one of the Truth and Rec- onciliation Commission's calls to action. "If you commit to reconcilia- tion and the calls to action, you have to do it in the classroom, the hallways, the intercom and the sports fields. If you put it as part of your school plan ... you can make sure it can't be cut on a Friday," he said. "If we treat In- digenous education like it's an ornament, we treat it like some- thing optional." Sinclair said that within 24 hours of the cancellation, he had received numerous calls from Ontario school boards looking to spend money on planning In- digenous-based lessons while they felt they still could. Sinclair also didn't hold back on providing advice to the Cath- olics in the audience. "I don't know how the Catho- lic Church can have a leg to stand on with Indigenous peo- ple," he said. "When people within your own faith are giving you a bad name, why don't you do something about it? When the pope doesn't apologize (for the harms caused by residential schools), but he apologizes to ev- eryone else, he doesn't have a leg to stand on." Sinclair, who isn't religious, said that many Indigenous Cath- olics are losing faith in the insti- tution. "The relationship is not re- turned. At (what) point do peo- ple give up on the relationship?" 'WE ALL HAVE A ROLE' IN RECONCILIATION, NIIGAAN SINCLAIR TELLS OAKVILLE CROWD SAIRA PEESKER COMMUNITY 'WE MUST MAKE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME IN EVERY ASPECT OF SOCIETY' Dr. Niigaan Sinclair told an Oakville audience Monday night that everyone must make indigenous people feel welcome in every aspect of society. HCDSB photo "I'm not quite sold on this prime minister being corrupt, but I certainly am sold on this prime minister being naive." - Niigaan Sinclair SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM