First Indigenous Woman As Canadas Governor General Faces Removal Over Language

[Economy 52,861]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/10/quebec-mary-simon-indigenous-governor-general-removed-canada-french

 

 

A big healing milestone symbolically was achieved between Canadians and First Nations when the first person of indigenous descent in Canadas history (Mary Simon) was appointed the role in Government of Governor General. For those that do not know, the Governor General reprents the Presence of the King or Queen of England and he or she must sign new bills on their behalf. They technically have the power to prevent new laws from passing if they refuse to sign tho it rarely occurs as such a move would make your party likely to replace you with someone else

 

In any case her position may prove short lived in some in Quebec have it their way. They say her lack of fluent French speaking breaks the bi-lingual rule requirements for government and are seeking her removal

[Economy 52,861]

Quebec is so extra when it comes to their demands with language.

 

We literally have to have a french side on every product even tho almost no one outside Quebec speaks that as their main language

 

At my warehouse we have these products that come from the US that didnt come with a french side and we have to literally pay people to glue a label on each product 1 by 1. Sometimes we have to cover important product instructions because thats the only spot available to cover

 

Talk about hurting productivity and hurting peoduct safety for something no one is even gonna read

[Fatigay 21,211]

Canada is a bilingual country, so everything tied to the government must be bilingual. 
 

1 hour ago, Economy said:

even tho almost no one outside Quebec speaks that as their main language

That’s the problem. 
It’s not normal that the % of bilingualism is only high in the south of Quebec and far-east of Ontario (Ottawa). English speakers in Canada make almost no effort.
 

Why should WE have to speak English while everywhere else they just know “bonjour” and “oui oui”

 

I should have made this post in French so you’d have to google translate it

[LOVEDRUG 11,271]

49 minutes ago, thierryrreiht said:

Canada is a bilingual country, so everything tied to the government must be bilingual. 
 

That’s the problem. 
It’s not normal that the % of bilingualism is only high in the south of Quebec and far-east of Ontario (Ottawa). English speakers in Canada make almost no effort.
 

Why should WE have to speak English while everywhere else they just know “bonjour” and “oui oui”

 

I should have made this post in French so you’d have to google translate it

i'm not canadian but as someone from a region with significant bilingualism, this is a huge part of the issue. the speakers of the non-english language are the ones expected to make all the effort whilst the english speakers just kick back and wait for them to learn english.

never been to quebec but i relate to their frustration. you shouldn't have to learn another language just to understand the government that claims to be representing you.

[Maxine Puth 9,053]

2 minutes ago, Melancholia said:

i'm not canadian but as someone from a region with significant bilingualism, this is a huge part of the issue. the speakers of the non-english language are the ones expected to make all the effort whilst the english speakers just kick back and wait for them to learn english.

never been to quebec but i relate to their frustration. you shouldn't have to learn another language just to understand the government that claims to be representing you.

Surely there should be an exception for First Nationers though like this woman. Ideally knowing an actual native language and English would be sufficient regardless of knowing French. 

[GoldenPonyboy 2,434]

45 minutes ago, Maxine Puth said:

Surely there should be an exception for First Nationers though like this woman. Ideally knowing an actual native language and English would be sufficient regardless of knowing French. 

As much as it is sad that this targets an indigineous woman, we cannot just make an exception to a constituional right to help another minority group. Just like we shouldnt limit the rights of indigenous groups to make a statement for another. 

[Bronco 25,180]

1 hour ago, thierryrreiht said:

Canada is a bilingual country, so everything tied to the government must be bilingual. 
 

That’s the problem. 
It’s not normal that the % of bilingualism is only high in the south of Quebec and far-east of Ontario (Ottawa). English speakers in Canada make almost no effort.
 

Why should WE have to speak English while everywhere else they just know “bonjour” and “oui oui”

 

I should have made this post in French so you’d have to google translate it

I'm not going to wade into the politics of Quebec & Canada as a whole. But I do think more should be done to support bilingualism in predominantely english speaking countries because speaking multiple languages should never be seen as a bad thing. 

But I am going to highlight the irony of two collonial identities fighting over importance to the detriment of the people who lived there first. How many non-indigenous folks in Canada as a whole speak any of the indigenous languages? 

[Bronco 25,180]

7 minutes ago, GoldenPonyboy said:

As much as it is sad that this targets an indigineous woman, we cannot just make an exception to a constituional right to help another minority group. Just like we shouldnt limit the rights of indigenous groups to make a statement for another. 

I mean let's not start saying either collonising party is a minority in a country they both stole & then worked to eradicate the indigenous population. 

According to the data I found, the province with the highest % of indigenous speakers is Quebec. 20.9% consider an indigenous language as their mother tongue there. But there's no requirement in Quebec for politicians to speak Cree/Inuktitut/Ojibway etc despite the 20.9% figure being comparable to the % of 21.4% native French speakers in Canada according to the last Census. 

Only 2 provinces even recognise any indigenous languages. 
 

[RudraCNG 15,510]

This reminds me a bit of my country. In my "region" we have our own, non-imposed language but the central goverment does not bother to protect it even when it's an official language in our territory. And bc of that and people coming here and expecting us to speak the "important" language we're gradually losing our own language.

[GoldenPonyboy 2,434]

13 minutes ago, Bronco said:

I mean let's not start saying either collonising party is a minority in a country they both stole & then worked to eradicate the indigenous population. 

According to the data I found, the province with the highest % of indigenous speakers is Quebec. 20.9% consider an indigenous language as their mother tongue there. But there's no requirement in Quebec for politicians to speak Cree/Inuktitut/Ojibway etc despite the 20.9% figure being comparable to the % of 21.4% native French speakers in Canada according to the last Census. 

Only 2 provinces even recognise any indigenous languages. 
 

Legal rights for indigenous peoples are distinct from the constitutional rights of french people. Also Quebec is not the only population speaking french. Acadiens in New brunswick were systematically marginalised by the english majority for years. The failure of the federal gov to uphold indigenous righhts do not mean french people get to loose theirs. 

[dit 46,738]

Didn't the French lose the war to the Brits? Why so many concessions. You are a minority language in Canada with lots of rights and protections. This seems SO over the top and nit picky. 

[Bronco 25,180]

30 minutes ago, GoldenPonyboy said:

Legal rights for indigenous peoples are distinct from the constitutional rights of french people. Also Quebec is not the only population speaking french. Acadiens in New brunswick were systematically marginalised by the english majority for years. The failure of the federal gov to uphold indigenous righhts do not mean french people get to loose theirs. 

So you think because white collonisers treated other white collonisers badly it's fine for the indigenous population to not be represented in government? 

Like this appointment would put an indigenous person in a position of power so heavily responsible for the systemic racism experienced by indigenous people at the hands of Canadians & French Canadians. 

You're literally arguing that French settlers have more rights in a nation they stole simply because other settlers stole it from them than the indigenous people both settler groups stole from and then sought to systematically destroy. 

[Maxine Puth 9,053]

1 hour ago, GoldenPonyboy said:

As much as it is sad that this targets an indigineous woman, we cannot just make an exception to a constituional right to help another minority group. Just like we shouldnt limit the rights of indigenous groups to make a statement for another. 

“We cannot make an exception to a constitution right” y’all don’t have amendments up there? Anyway, I don’t really care to argue this. In simple terms, this can be summed up as “immigrant Canadians who speak two colonial power languages mad Indigenous woman can only speak one” and it’s not really hard to figure out who’s side I’m on. Let the woman lead, maybe she can teach everyone about real Canadian indigenous culture while she’s at it. 

[GoldenPonyboy 2,434]

19 minutes ago, Bronco said:

So you think because white collonisers treated other white collonisers badly it's fine for the indigenous population to not be represented in government? 

Like this appointment would put an indigenous person in a position of power so heavily responsible for the systemic racism experienced by indigenous people at the hands of Canadians & French Canadians. 

You're literally arguing that French settlers have more rights in a nation they stole simply because other settlers stole it from them than the indigenous people both settler groups stole from and then sought to systematically destroy. 

This appointment does nothing for indiginous people when most communities are still asking for clean drinking water. Instead of making a symbolic appointment the gov should work on those issues instead. The gov can make further reperations whitout infringing french peoples constitutional rights. Two different issues that dont need to be pitted against eachother. 

 

[GoldenPonyboy 2,434]

22 minutes ago, Maxine Puth said:

“We cannot make an exception to a constitution right” y’all don’t have amendments up there? Anyway, I don’t really care to argue this. In simple terms, this can be summed up as “immigrant Canadians who speak two colonial power languages mad Indigenous woman can only speak one” and it’s not really hard to figure out who’s side I’m on. Let the woman lead, maybe she can teach everyone about real Canadian indigenous culture while she’s at it. 

Section 1 provides any exceptions to any charter right if it is justifyable in a just democratic society. 
 

we also have to remember that part of her symbolic role is to sign off on legislation. Federal legislation need to be in both official languages and both versions are valid on their own right. As it stands she is singing off on laws she cant read. 

French canadians and indiginous communities can both take the governement to court to ensure their rights are being respected. 
 

personally, idc if she is there or someone else, it is a symbolic role that is meant to represent the monarch in canada and should be abolished in any case.