In the midst of a hot June 29 afternoon, students from U of T, Ryerson and York University marched on Queen’s Park to demand better quality of life for First Nations peoples. The rally was part of the First Nations National Day of Action, in which protests and demonstrations took place at locations across the nation, including Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
The peaceful demonstration in Toronto started at King’s Cross Circle, but the large contingent of student groups and other supporters quickly moved to the front lawn of Ontario’s parliament.
Numerous speakers took to the podium throughout the afternoon to speak about issues concerning the Native community, with notable emphasis on the topics of equal access to postsecondary education, fair land claim settlements, safe drinking water, protection for Native women and children, and the eradication of poverty.
Two documents took centre stage: the Kelowna accords, which seek to improve First Nations education, health and living conditions, and the as-yet unratified UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which states that indigenous people have the fundamental right of unrestricted selfdetermination and requires compensation when these rights are violated.
A coalition of the University of Toronto Student Union and U of T’s Native Student Association organized the Toronto rally. Sandy Hudson, UTSU VP equity, said that UTSU helped lead the demonstration because it was the union’s responsibility to advocate for all students, and because First Nations rights is a topic that concerns all Canadians.
John Croutch, president of the Native Students Association, argued that government funding for Native students does not keep up with mounting costs.
“The government hasn’t cut back, but it hasn’t increased funding either. But everything else goes up due to inflation,” he said.
According to Croutch, Native students face daunting obstacles to their education before they even reach the post-secondary level. The public school system needs to be made universally accessible, he said, adding that the quality of education should meet the same standards across different economic and cultural constituencies.
Activists pushed Queen’s Park to recognize Native rights as a national concern affecting Canadians everywhere- from students in Toronto to farmers in Rama. “It’s important not just to students,” said Hudson, “but to everyone. We need to unite on these issues.”
Other demonstrations took place from coast to coast, including the highly publicized Six Nations blockades at Caledonia, where a land dispute has split the community, a CN rail blockade at Deseronto that paralysed a multibillion- dollar freight line, and protests against Olympic-related land seizures in British Columbia.
At a local level, Croutch acknowledged that U of T has taken steps to address Aboriginal students’ needs.
“The adjustment to big city life is tough, and Native students also face cultural differences,” he said. First Nations House, which Croutch calls “a port in the storm” for Native students, has existed since 1992 as a place to find academic counseling, cultural activities or just a familiar community.
