Justice Minister David Lametti says Ottawa is building a foundation to allow local legal systems to thrive alongside the Canadian justice system.
Lametti made the comments Thursday at the new Indigenous Space on Parliament Hill, where he announced $1.5 million in federal funding over three years to help Métis Nation governments develop an Indigenous justice strategy.
“When justice is part of a spiritual tradition, when justice is part of a community or a nation’s tradition, it will work better,” Lametti said at the first press conference ever held at the Indigenous Space.
Rehabilitation over punishment
The federal government’s plan to introduce Indigenous-led justice systems, which is included in the Prime Minister’s mandate letter to Lametti, is aimed at addressing the over-representation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.
Although they make up only about five per cent of the population, First Nations, Inuit and Métis people make up 28 per cent of all federally sentenced persons and 32 per cent of the prison population, according to Canada’s Office of the Inspector General of Prisons.
“We know that Métis overrepresentation in the criminal justice system is a serious and complex problem rooted in systemic racism and the legacy of colonialism,” said Cassidy Caron, president of the National Council of Métis.
Cassidy Caron, president of the Métis National Council, said she wants to revitalize Métis restorative justice systems. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
The National Métis Council, Métis Nation of Ontario, Métis Nation of Alberta, Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of British Columbia and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (Women of the Métis Nation) will use the funding to offer new programs , policy and legislation to reduce the number of Métis people behind bars.
Caron said they will also work on revitalizing traditional Métis legal systems with an emphasis on restorative justice – rehabilitation instead of punishment.
“He’s reassuming jurisdiction over the criminal justice system for the Métis Nation,” Caron said.
Lametti welcomed a new period in the Confederation
In Call to Action 42, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on federal, provincial and territorial governments to commit to the recognition and implementation of Indigenous justice systems.
The $1.5 million is part of $11 million set aside in the 2021 federal budget for consultation on the Indigenous Justice Strategy.
The money is spread over three years, so the plan is unlikely to be ready before the next federal election.
Lametti said the federal government was laying the groundwork for what he called a new period in Confederation “where … we really live by this idea of partnership.”
Caron said the strategy will remain a priority for the Métis Nation regardless of whether there is a federal election in the next few years.
“We will move forward on this regardless of what government is in place,” she said.
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