Chippewas of Saugeen, R.R.1, Southampton, Ont., N0H 2L0
(519) 797-2781
Chippewas of Nawash, R.R.5, Wiarton, Ont., N0H 2T0
(519) 534-1689
FINAL DRAFT: September 12, 1993
TOWARD A DEFINITION OF RACISM
PREAMBLE
This preamble and definition is based on continuing discussions
between staff of the Saugeen Ojibway and staff of the following
supporters of that First Nation's fishing rights:
Anti-Racism and Discrimination Alliance of Grey-Bruce
Catholic Church (Hamilton Diocese)
CAW (Port Elgin Educational Centre)
Central Mennonite Committee
Project North Circle (Wiarton)
United Church of Canada (Hamilton and Toronto Conferences)
The definition is an attempt to distill the essence of a number of
definitions supplied by these and other groups (including the World
Council of Churches and the United Nations). During the
distillation, emphasis was placed on the practicability of the
definition -- it had to help us identify racism in Canada in 1993.
Hence we have added a "checklist for racism."
The definition below does not try to deal with the ideology of
racism or whether it consciously motivates racial acts. Nor does
it deal with the idea that race itself may be a social construct,
having no basis in biology. The definition of racism below simply
recognizes that racism exists and that it does harm to its targets.
It tries to define this harm in a practical way, much as the
definition of hate literature does in the Criminal Code.
SEMANTIC AND HISTORICAL SHIFTS IN MEANING OF THE WORD "RACISM"
The popular usage of the word "racism" refers to actions that
result from any attitude of comparison of one group to another
group with negative or destructive results. The definition below
recognizes the semantic shift in the vernacular by defining racism
as an "action."
It is necessary to consider another "shift" -- this one in history.
Here is how the Saskatchewan Conference Church Society Committee
put it in their report, Beyond Ethnocentricity:
"Power is at the root of racism. [Alliances for those seeking
power or in power are] made stronger first by exaggerating the
differences between those with power and those without, and
then by assigning values to these differences. The assigned
values are made to stick and eventually to become part of the
'natural' order of society. ...
"Once the situation has jelled and powerful and powerless
alike have begun to 'breathe' such attitudes, then it is safe
as a precautionary measure against change to do two things:
to stress the flexibility of the situation by pointing to
carefully selected 'token members' of the powerless who have
entered the ranks of the powerful; and to verbally minimize
the still all-important differences and to insist that all are
equal. Whereas initially, it was important to stress the
differences, it now becomes advantageous to stress the
sameness -- the equality of all -- in order to effect the same
racist ends."
This theme of "equality for all" (in the context of institutional
or systemic discrimination) is picked up by Judge Murray Sinclair
in the report of the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry:
"Systemic discrimination [defined as the result of racial
prejudice] involves the concept that the application of
uniform standards, common rules and treatment of people who
are not the same constitutes a form of discrimination. It
means that in treating unlike people alike, adverse
consequences, hardships or injustice may result ... it is
clear that operational policies applied uniformly to
Aboriginal people sometimes have unjust or unduly harsh
results. The reasons may be geographic, economic or cultural.
However, it must be acknowledged that the application of
uniform policies can have a discriminatory effect."
>From Judge David Fairgrieve's decision in the Saugeen Ojibway
fishing trial:
"The Band's fishing income is a crucial part of its
subsistence economy, and the limited access caused by the
quota produced greater deprivation and poverty and contributed
to increased unemployment and poverty, individually and
communally. The quota had a serious adverse restriction and
constituted an infringement under sec. 35(1) [of the
Constitution].... The native fishery was seen as just one
part of the commercial fishery. No special regard was given
to the Band's fishery operation, quite apart from the question
of any constitutional priority. ...
"I accept the defendants' submission that the evidence
established that the effect of the Ministry's quota system has
been to allocate to non-native fishermen the vast
preponderance of fish available for commercial harvest. The
failure to regulate the recreational fishery in accordance
with the same conservation plan has had the inevitable effect
of shifting a greater share of the resource to that user
group. In neither respect has the Crown demonstrated that the
plan ... recognized that s. 35(1) required that priority be
given to the aboriginals' stake in the fishery resource. ...
"The quota restrictions do not meet current constitutional
standards and are, accordingly, unenforceable against the
defendants."
DEFINITION OF RACISM
RACISM is any communication, action or course of conduct, whether
intentional or unintentional, which denies recognition, benefits,
rights of access or otherwise abrogates or derogates from the
constitutionally recognized rights and freedoms of any person or
community on the basis of their membership or perceived membership
in a racial, ethnic or cultural community. The fostering and
promoting of uniform standards, common rules and same treatment of
people who are not the same constitute racism where the specificity
of the individual or community is not taken into consideration.
The public dissemination of any communication or statement which
insults a racial, ethnic or cultural community or which exposes
them to hatred, contempt or ridicule also constitutes racism.
For further information,
contact Lenore Keeshig-Tobias or David McLaren
PHONE: 519-534-1689 FAX: 519-534-2130