Reconciliation Should Not Rebuff Sir John A. MacDonald Canada’s Father of Confederation

Reconciliation Should Not Rebuff 

Sir John A. MacDonald

Canada’s Father of Confederation

By: Robert P. Wells[i]

September 11, 2018

 

The first stage of the journey towards the healing of Canada occurred when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada published their finding, as of December 18, 2015. The commission verified that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, as the original peoples of this country and as self-determining peoples, have Treaty, constitutional, and human rights that must be recognized and respected. 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada believes that for Canada to flourish in the twenty-first century, reconciliation must be based on the following principles: It is important to recognize, Reconciliation is a process of healing of relationships that requires truth, sharing, apology, and commemoration that acknowledge and redress past harms. Reconciliation requires constructive action on addressing the ongoing legacies of colonialism that have had destructive impacts on Indigenous peoples’ education, cultures and languages, health, child welfare, the administration of justice, and economic opportunities and prosperity. Reconciliation must create a more equitable and inclusive society by closing the gaps in social, health, and economic outcomes that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples. All Canadians, as Treaty peoples, share responsibility for establishing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships. 

Few Canadians are aware of the history of Canada’s First Peoples. Treaties, Indian Reserves, and the lasting harmful effects of the Residential School system. This ignorance is no accident: Canadian law banned expressions of Indigenous Peoples culture from 1885 to 1951.  

The first Residential Schools opened in Canada in the 1870s. Residential Schools were the morbid decision of government and churches; a collective, calculated effort to eradicate Indigenous language and culture. The last Residential School closed 1996 in Yellow Knife.

The Constitution recognition of Indigenous Peoples and Ontario, as the Crown, has a legal obligation to consult with Indigenous peoples where it contemplates decisions or actions that may impact Indigenous Peoples or Treaty Rights. Ontario is committed to meeting its duty to consult with First Nat

People who demonize Sir John A. Macdonald by today’s values is to misjudge him: unjustly taking his life and work out of context. They would do well to heed the words of the late novelist James Baldwin; “Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” 

The Dominion of Canada would not exist without our Father of Confederation – Sir John A. MacDonald. People who judge the man by today’s standard is to misjudge him. His political career ran parallel to some of history’s most significant racial and territorial conflicts.

In 1844, when MacDonald was first elected, racial slavery in the U.S. Deep South was near its peak.  The infamous Trail of Tears was still in progress; displacing thousands of Indigenous peoples from their land, in a manner unfathomable to British North Americans (i.e., Canadians).  Texas was an independent nation.  California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah were a part of Mexico.  The states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, although dominated by American settlers, were still well within British territory. 

Manifest Destiny was in full swing:  the American belief that control of the entire North American continent, by any means necessary (no matter how bloody or ruthless), was the United States' "destiny." 

In Europe, nations were not merely divided by language and culture.  No, in their limited exposure to diverse peoples and cultures, the English and Germans and Italians and French considered themselves not one European race but many different races.  Racism, although evil, was typical.

In Japan, foreigners were outright forbidden.  In India, caste prejudice condemned millions to a lifetime of hopeless poverty.  In Mexico, Peru, and throughout Central and South America, racism and Indigenous persecution tormented entire people groups in ways unimaginable to 19th century British North Americans.

Brazil, with the worst record of all, had more than ten times the number of African slaves and would hold on to this accursed practice 23 years longer than the United States.

This was the world in which MacDonald lived.

By 1865, the U.S. had crushed half its own states, conquered a considerable portion of Mexico, annexed Texas, opened Japan up to trade and foreign influence by bombarding its ports, won much of the Pacific Northwest through intimidation and the threat of war with British North America, and violently ended slavery by sacrificing a million lives -- in sharp contrast to Canada, where the first and final abolition laws had peaceably been in place 71 years and 31 years, respe

 Although our history is messy and full of humanity's evil -- as is the history of every nation, people, and culture -- and our great Father of Confederation was far more peaceful, tolerant, and humble than our international peers.

British North America -- although rural, rugged, and isolated -- was the freest country in the world at that time, even before Confederation.  Neither Brits nor Americans enjoyed the spectrum of political and economic liberties we enjoyed.  We were still a long way from universal suffrage, but we were well ahead of the rest of the world in pursuing and providing opportunity and representation for all Canadians.

So then why was Confederation necessary? 

On March 30, 1867, a heavily militarized and unquenchably imperialistic United States' purchased Alaska from Russia, taking control of the entire 1,518,800 tip of the continent.tip of the continent.

Was Cana

The British Empire made it clear that, if the U.S. wanted war (which was likely), she had no intention of defending her remaining fragmented and underdeveloped North American colonies.

The situation was dire. Only one man could unite the diverse provinces, and had he failed in his task; it is almost sure the United States would have absorbed Canada.

 More than any other early Canadian, we have Sir John A. MacDonald to thank for Canada -- and the freedom, order, and good governance that has led to 150 years of peace and prosperity. 

Was he perfect?  Of course not!  Is Canada?  We, too, still have a long- way to go.  However, despite our faults and past wrongshonouring -- and rememberinhonouring -- and remembering.honouring -- and remembering.

However, let us rem

 

In his own words: "We are a great country, and shall become one of the greatest in the universe if we preserve it.  [But] we shall sink into insignificance and adversity if we suffer it to be broken."

[i] This writing is-in-part “plagiarisms” from various papers, most notably that from MP, David Hunt.

 

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