By Mario deSantis, October 11, 1998

Justice Ron Barclay has recently stated [1] " that racism is a grim reality in Canada and in Saskatchewan. It exists openly and blatantly in attitudes and actions of individuals. It exists in the fears, in the prejudices and stereotypes held by many people and it exists in our institutions in the criminal justice system " In his ruling, Justice Barclay accepted the testimony of Dr. John Hylton [2]who provided many studies supporting the social and economic marginalization of Aboriginal people.

John White, Deputy Minister of Justice, has stated that Justice Barclay was "dead wrong" in his assessment [3] and commented that his department is working hard to rid itself of the stigma of racism by providing several programs including $350,000 to help Aboriginal organizations deal with family violence.

Mr. John White's remedial programs to get rid of racism follow the traditional approach to solve cultural and social problem by policies reflecting relations of dependency [4]. When Justice Ron Barclay states that " widespread racism has traveled into systemic discrimination of Aboriginals in the criminal justice system" he means that we must look inwardly and take actions to get rid of outdated mental models and cultural biases against Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people have been dehumanized, exploited, put into reservations and their children forced to attend the infamous government residential schools[5]. Mainstream society has deprived Aboriginal people of their culture, has destroyed their lives, and now mainstream society feels confident and righteous in labeling them as lazy, poor, uneducated, dirty, and drunk! [6] Machiavelli [7] is not dead, his teachings survive in our mental models and in the actions of our patriarchal governments and businesses!

The increasing use of "sentencing circles', the $350,000 to help with family violence, an Aboriginal court worker to assist natives facing charges, and a tripartite policing agreements covering 70% of the province's reserves, are only temporal and cosmetic programs [8] in the fight against racism. Racism is the result of our prevalent patriarchal and mono culture [9] to see the world as the struggle for the survival of the fittest. This culture has alienated man from nature and until we don't change this view and learn to live in peace with our fellow man we are never going to get rid of racism. We, mainstream society, require transformational changes supporting the building of healthy human communities [10] in government [11], business [12] and education [13] where people appreciate their diversities and work cooperatively.

In order to understand the sociological implications of racism against Aboriginal people and our consequential need to change our worldview [14] and mental models [15], I find relevant to quote the feelings of Humberto Maturana [16] on the insensitiveness of our patriarchal society and the feelings of Chief Seattle [17] on the white man: "Our European culture is one of patriarchy, and patriarchy has appropriation (or ownership) as central ... appropriation of land, of fertility, of objects of all sort, of life itself. So, in patriarchy, control and hierarchy and negation become conserved, and humanness becomes incidental. Yet within our culture, I think we continue to live a love-based childhood, and that patriarchy becomes impressed on us only as we grow into adulthood. This results in a fundamental schism for us, memories of humanness coexisting with the negation of humanness. That this is so can be a compelling awareness, for in recognising this, we have the possibility of a different world, a world based in love, mutual respect and care, where the experience of the other is one of acceptance simply because he or she is a human being. That is a world based in humanness, and that is a world I, personally, prefer." ---Humbert Maturana

"Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. The white man's dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father's graves and his children's birthright is forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert." ---Chief Seattle (Sealth)

ENDNOTES/REFERENCES

[1] Judgment dated July 17, 1998 in the Queen's Bench Judicial Centre of Yorkton, by Justice Barclay J.

[2] Dr. Hylton is Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Saskatchewan Division. Dr. Hylton is an expert in Aboriginal issues and has many publications to his credit.

[3] Article "Racism claim overstated", by Randy Burton, The StarPhoenix, July 22/98 THIRD PAGE

[4] Judgment dated July 17, 1998 in the Queen's Bench Judicial Centre of Yorkton, by Justice Barclay J. page 14

[5] "The Canadian Revolution", by Peter C. Newman, Penguin Books, 1995, pages 436-437

[6] "Attitude Towards Aboriginal Peoples and Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada", by J.W. Berry & M.Wells, Psychology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

[7] A classic of the Western tradition, Machiavelli's The Prince has influenced political and philosophical thought since its publication four centuries ago. Political power, Machiavelli taught, has no limits. It leaves no room for the sacred, and it subordinates right and wrong to success. http://www.yale.edu/yup/books/machiavelliF97.html

[8] Article "Judge, studies declare racism widespread in Saskatchewan", by Dave Margoshes, The Vancouver Sun, Section B, August 29, 1998

[9] "A Conversation with Elisabet Sahtouris", Copyright 1995 by Scott London http://www.west.net/~insight/london,london@rain.org

[10] THE THEORY OF LIVING SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES A CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY OF LIVING SYSTEMS (Living Systems: Principles of Organization and Building Sustainable Human Communities), by Mario deSantis, September 1998, http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantis8/desantis8.html

[11] NEED OF TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN SASKATCHEWAN: Healthcare reform and Authoritarian Management, by Mario deSantis, September 1998 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantis12/desantis12.html

[12] NEED OF TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN SASKATCHEWAN: The Learning Organization, and Knowledge Economy, by Mario deSantis, September 1998 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantis10/desantis10.html

[13] NEED OF TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN SASKATCHEWAN: The biological origin of cognition and implications for Education, by Mario deSantis, September 1998 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantis11/desantis11.html

[14] THE THEORY OF LIVING SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES A CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY OF LIVING SYSTEMS (Premise, From Reductionism to a System Perception of Life), by Mario deSantis, August 1998 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantis6/TLS2.html

[15] EXAMPLES OF MENTAL MODELS IN SASKATCHEWAN HEALTH CARE AND RACISM, by Mario deSantis, July 1998 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantis3.html

[16] Interview with Humberto Maturana, by David Mendes, February 1997

http://www.northnet.com.au/~pfell/visit.html

[17] The following are two of the many sites referring to Chief Seattle:

http://www.dawn21.com/Journal21/PrecGaia.shtml http://www.webcom.com/duane/seattle.html#2nd