Such anti-human actions, of course with a green light from the Canadian Medical Association, show a kind of racial apartheid and have been strongly protested and criticized by the First Nations, however, Western institutions that claim themselves to be defenders of human rights, remain indifferent to this issue.
Of course, the abuse and exploitation of indigenous peoples in North America, especially in the United States and Canada, is deep rooted in those societies despite the fact that historical works on Canadian aborigines as well as archeological investigations in the northernmost part of the Yukon province, show that the First Nations are the main owners of this land and have been living there for about 1000 years.
In 1497, an Italian investigator and explorer John Cabot under the commission of Henry VII, King of England established a British colony after reaching the shores of Newfoundland. About 40 years later, a French sailor named Jacques Cartier stepped into the mouth of the Saint Laurent River near Montreal and established a French colony. The natives of this land, who were culturally hospitable enough, welcomed the white Europeans. But the First Nations in Canada, who had always lived in peace and tranquility, were no longer happy with the arrival of the Europeans who were thinking of colonizing and started violating their rights.
After the establishment of Canada as a country in the 19th century, even the government there called the native peoples uncultured and in order to familiarize them with modern culture, separated aboriginal children from their families and tribes and sent them to church-run boarding schools or adopted by white families. The main goal was to make the new generations of the Frist Nations completely alienated from their own culture so that they would accept the white Europeans as the owners of civilization. In the process, tens of thousands of children from hundreds of tribes were sent to such schools, and were allowed to return to their families only after they could complete high school.
With the passage of time, it became crystal clear that the forced removal of indigenous children from their families and the banning of tribal activities, not only distanced them from their culture, but also had destructive effects such as sexual abuse. About a decade ago, a research and review committee set up on the separation of First Nations children published new details of mistreatment, sexual and physical abuse of Aboriginal children away from their families and tribes. According to reports, George Manuel, one of the attendees to such schools in the 1920s, said that all the native students suffered from hunger, with schools being cold and unsanitary in the winter.
Also, students were exposed to measles, influenza, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases and many died. Over the past years, the discovery of mass graves belonging to missing indigenous children whose deaths were not declared are glaring example of the ordeal of the children separated from their families over a century ago. Some of the bodies belonged to children as old as three years, with no details of the cause and time of their deaths. Canada's indigenous communities, had for years, been requesting the federal and state governments, to identify mass graves in boarding schools, but to no avail as the Canadian authorities, despite their claim to be the upholders of human rights, avoided such requests. After the revelation of the tragedy with the discovery of mass graves, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to speak of his shock and distress and called this issue a painful reminder of a dark and shameful chapter in Canadian history.
Although it’s too little and too late, the international community needs to stand up to condemn human rights violations by the Canadian government. The media have their own role in this regard and should not only highlight the shortcomings of Ottawa and the plight of Aboriginals in the country rather also defend the rights of native peoples in official and unofficial areas.
The Islamic Republic of Iran can take the initiative and, through consultation with progressive countries, disgrace those who falsely claim to be the defenders of human rights, such as Canada, and prevent the occurrence of similar crimes against the First Nations.
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