A 21 year old aboriginal man who burned a five year old girl with cigarettes and a lighter, permanently disfiguring her face, was given a sentence of 15 months. Fifteen months is his punishment for abusing a little girl. The Judge took into account that 21 year old Bellemare is an aboriginal and “the lingering effect of residential schools had to be taken onto account.” He must be considered one of the “collateral victims of residential schools and of the cultural genocide that the Atikamekws of Wemotaci experienced.”
Bellemare is being excused for this abusive behaviour because his grandparents were residential school “Survivors.” Is abuse now hereditary? A genetic and epigenetic condition? He was not in a residential school; nor were his parents. “There are some specially unique circumstances that are involved with aboriginal persons that can be traced back to colonialism and residential schools.”
I see the actions of this judge as reinforcing paternalism and the infantilizing of Aboriginals by excusing behaviour as if the Judge were talking to a two year old who didn’t know better and needed his protection. If he only treats Aboriginals this way, is this not racism?
Why this need to victimize or be a victim? I don’t understand this behaviour at all. Perhaps because my people, the Jewish people, over the past two millennia have been exiled, persecuted, prosecuted, demeaned, dehumanized, ghettoized, murdered and put into gas chambers. As far as I am aware, we have moved forward, acknowledging the horror, sharing our stories but not excusing horrible behaviour.
Bad things happen. The story of Job is the quintessential classic story about bad things happening to good people. I suggest that what ultimately matters is our response to these horrible events over which we had no control. We can become bitter and wallow and complain and excuse our behaviour or we can become better and stop living and reliving the past while choosing to look forward to the future. We can spend our time and money on asking ourselves what can we do to make things better and then do it!
In therapy there comes a time when the reason for the unacceptable behaviour no longer matters. There comes a time when one must refrain from excusing abuse because of events that took place generations previous. How many generations have to pass before we say it is time for the past to stop interfering with the present?
In 2008 then Prime Minister Stephen Harper invited aboriginal leaders and survivors of residential schools to the House of Commons for a formal apology:
"Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm and has no place in our country. The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly. We are sorry."
Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, responded to the apology to cheers from the viewing galleries. "Never again will we be the 'Indian problem. Today is the result of the righteousness of our struggle."
Apology given. Apology received.
That was eight years ago. Since then we have been through "Truth and Reconciliation" which led to the seminal report; “Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future” which is “the culmination of thousands of hours of heart-wrenching testimony heard in more than 300 communities over a span of six years, from more than 6,000 indigenous women and men who were abused and lived to tell their stories.” The result of all this consultation was numerous excellent recommendations –for moving forward.
Yet, we are still apologizing for those actions and for actions of the British colonizers! When does the apologizing end and choosing life begin? When do we choose to be better as a result of past experiences instead of bitter?
Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Bennett said recently, "We have to start with the children — protect the children — that's what child welfare is supposed to be." Really?
Here we are in the midst of another enquiry into missing and dead aboriginal women, yet Bellemare abused an indigenous little girl, disfigured her for life and he got off with more a less a reprimand. How does that speak to the importance of aboriginal children and women?
When do we stop justifying the unjustifiable? When does the behaviour of an Aboriginal take precedence over past experiences of the group? When will the First Nations stand up and declare that each person is responsible for his or her own behaviour?
