Re: Government failing evacuees, letters, July 7
No, words at Niagara Falls city council disparaging Indigenous Peoples weren’t “out of context.” Not “misconstrued,” “misinterpreted” or a “split hair” as per the mayor, discrediting his apology.
The ex-chief administrative officer wasn’t simply reporting what he heard. He repeated racist comments seeing Indigenous people as unhoused.
Saying the comments represent what residents think only exposes how those who amplify them think. Not all residents think this way — not all are racist.
To amplify this racism so casually is the problem. Statements by the Kashechewan, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Chiefs of Ontario and Niagara Regional Native Centre explained the harm.
They reinforce stereotypes and ignore that all Indigenous peoples have every right to be on their land. They aren’t a blight or burden.
Settlers are ignoring treaty obligations. Niagara Falls chose to host evacuees, it wasn’t unilateral.
This is “on-brand” for Niagara officials. The Niagara Falls and Pelham mayors defended the ex-regional chair for buying a signed copy of “Mein Kampf,” justifying it as a collector’s item, oblivious to its connection to the genocide of Jews.
After regional council and municipalities expressed “support” for Ukraine and Israel, most councillors refused to do the same for the many more Palestinians killed (ongoing), saying it’s out of bounds and divisive, oblivious to racist double-standards.
The only way to see the comments as out of context is also the only way to see the ex-regional chair’s autographed hate literature as just a collector’s item: being oblivious to the racism around us.
Saleh Waziruddin, St. Catharines, member of Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association
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