Indigenous groups offer condolences after Queen Elizabeth’s death, but colonial past leaves some conflicts in its wake | CBC News

Indigenous organizations in Manitoba offer their condolences to the royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, but some in the community remain at odds with the Crown’s colonial history of abuses against First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

The 96-year-old, who was Canada’s head of state and Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday afternoon.

The Assembly of First Nations and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs released a joint statement saying they were saddened by the news.

Cornell McLean, Deputy Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said First Nations have a special relationship with the Crown.

“We are two sovereign nations coming together to honor the treaties between us and we look forward to working with the new King as a contracting party,” his statement read, adding that the Queen’s family members are at this time are in our thoughts and prayers.”

AFN regional chief Cindy Woodhouse said the Queen has served “with distinction, wisdom, consistency and honor in times of peace and war.”

“As sovereign nations, the First Nations in the Treaty Territories in Manitoba hold the sacred treaty relationship with the British Crown in high esteem,” she said in the joint statement.

She expressed her condolences to the Queen’s son, Charles, “as he assumes his responsibilities as monarch, including maintaining contractual relations with First Nations”.

With a new monarch on the throne, Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand is hoping for good relations between the Crown and Canada’s indigenous peoples.

“I hope Queen Elizabeth’s compassion and professionalism will continue with the new king,” he said.

Though Chartrand never met her, he believes Queen Elizabeth showed respect and devotion to the indigenous people.

He expressed hope that King Charles “will carry the same torch”.

A complicated story

Despite the good wishes and deep respect of some Indigenous people for the Queen, the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous people has also faced strains and unfulfilled promises over the years.

On Canada Day last year, statues of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria were toppled in front of the Manitoba Legislature in response to the discovery of graves, believed to be unmarked, at the sites of several boarding schools belonging to Indigenous children were forced to visit them.

Boarding school survivor Belinda Vandenbroeck was there that day to give a speech in response to the discovery. She hadn’t expected the statues to fall so easily.

“I cried because I knew the story,” said Vandenbroeck, who attended an Anglican-run boarding school in Dauphin for a decade, in an interview on Thursday.

This story involves a one-way dynamic where the crown is taken from the aborigines, Vandenbroeck said.

She suggested that the monarch should no longer hold an important place in Canada.

“I don’t know if we can say we’re Canadian even though we still swear allegiance to the Queen,” Vandenbroeck said. “Why are we still doing this in 2022?”

Niigaan Sinclair, professor of indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba and deputy head of the department, said the relationship between the Crown and indigenous communities is complicated for a number of reasons.

“The Crown has committed terrible abuses against us as a people – was part of stealing our country, was part of passing horribly racist laws,” he said.

“But on the other hand, the Crown dates back to a relationship that was promising in its early days and provided many opportunities between our nations and the Crown to share lands and live together.”

Sinclair said that while he doesn’t believe the Queen has done many things for Indigenous communities, she has “continued a tradition of hope that people have had because of the many ways in which she has shown generosity.”