Context

Understanding racism

These Standards are designed to address racism at a systemic level, through the collection and analysis of personal information in connection with specific functions, programs and services of PSOs to identify and monitor potential racial inequities.

Racism consists of ideas, beliefs or practices that establish, maintain or perpetuate the superiority or dominance of one racial group over another. The OHRC notes that racism differs from prejudice in that it is tied to the social, political, economic, and institutional power that is held by the dominant group in society (OHRC, Policy and guidelines of racism and racial discrimination).

Systemic racism occurs when institutions or systems create or maintain racial inequity often as a result of hidden institutional biases in policies, practices, and procedures that privilege some groups and disadvantage others. In Ontario, systemic racism can take many forms, such as:

• Officials who single out members of Indigenous, Black, and racialized groups for greater scrutiny or different treatment;
• Opportunities shared through informal networks that exclude Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals; and
• Lack of public attention and policy concern regarding social, health and economic problems that disproportionately affect Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities.

Throughout Canada’s history including prior to Confederation, colonial practices, including the oppression of Indigenous peoples and the enslavement of people of African descent, have entrenched public attitudes, beliefs, and practices that continue to negatively impact Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals and communities in social, economic, and political life. The exclusion and devaluing of different groups is also evident in Canada’s history of discriminatory immigration and citizenship policies, including restricted admission for Jewish people at the height of the Holocaust; the Head Tax on Chinese immigrants; and the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, among many other examples.

The legacy of this history impacts Indigenous, Black, and racialized groups by perpetuating the advantages and institutional power of the historically dominant group (White individuals with higher socio-economic status). The negative consequences of this legacy are compounded over time and transmitted intergenerationally. Systemic racism continues to result in racially inequitable outcomes across public sectors such as education, child welfare and justice. Racist ideas and practices persist in a variety of forms, including anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism (see glossary for definitions of these terms).

Understanding anti-racism

Anti-racism is a proactive course of action to identify, remove, prevent, and mitigate the racially inequitable outcomes and power imbalances between dominant and disadvantaged groups and the structures that sustain these inequities. It recognizes the historic nature and cultural contexts of racism, and focuses critically on systemic racism.

Anti-racism aims to ensure the absence of unfair treatment, which includes exclusionary or discriminatory practices. The Standards set out requirements to collect, analyze and report information to help assess whether there is fair treatment and equitable access to public services and programs, such as:

• policing services;
• bail processes;
• high quality education and healthcare; and
• supports and services for the well-being of children and families.

Anti-racism for Indigenous peoples is distinct from anti-colonialism

Anti-racism for Indigenous people must be understood in light of the ongoing impact of assimilative policies and laws on Indigenous people, and the prevalence of anti-Indigenous racism in Ontario. However, it is important to recognize that anti-racism is a distinct component of the larger struggle of anti-colonialism for Indigenous peoples. One reason that anti-racism does not fully capture the experiences of many Indigenous communities is that it tells only one part of the story.

The other part of the story is based on the fact that Indigenous peoples were here long before the coming of Europeans. This reality grounds their claims for self-determination and for recognition of Indigenous sovereignty, laws, and governance structures. Indigenous peoples have a unique legal status recognized constitutionally.

Anti-colonialism, therefore, is broader than anti-racism because it includes recognition of Indigenous peoples’ inherent rights and sovereignty, constitutionally protected Aboriginal and Treaty rights, and right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Understanding Canada’s colonial history and its ongoing impacts

Throughout Canada’s history, successive governments have implemented laws and policies aimed at devaluing and destroying Indigenous identities and cultures within Canada. The federal Indian Act and the Indian Residential Schools^{footnote 1[1]} are just two examples. The result of this history of colonization and policies is that in many Indigenous communities within Canada, people experience extreme poverty, housing shortages, lack of access to clean drinking water, health issues, lower life expectancies, lower levels of educational attainment, limited employment opportunities, racism, violence, over policing, under-policing, and over-victimization.

Without an understanding of the historical context and current realities facing Indigenous communities, there is a danger that these socioeconomic indicators could be misunderstood as a reflection of Indigenous peoples’ own choices rather than as a direct consequence of assimilative policies and laws aimed at cultural genocide.

This means that in some cases there are different considerations that must be taken into account when decisions are being made about an Indigenous person’s liberty (i.e. consideration of the Gladue principles)

The impact of research and data collection on Indigenous communities

Within this colonial history, Indigenous communities have had an extremely difficult history associated with research and data collection. Indigenous people have been the subject of non-consensual medical and social experiments without regard for their human rights. In addition, the government of Canada assigned names and identification numbers, and collected data to control the movement of Indigenous peoples, limit access to services, and monitor Indigenous populations.

Many Indigenous people and communities are understandably suspicious of government data-collection efforts. There may be an unwillingness to disclose Indigenous identity, especially in cases where particular groups of government or law enforcement workers have had a significant role in enforcing assimilation and other punitive laws and policies.

Care must be taken to ensure that Indigenous-related information is collected according to appropriate policies and protocols, and that the information is managed and used in ways that benefit Indigenous communities. Anyone responsible for collecting information must also be trained to understand the causes of the deep mistrust that Indigenous people and communities have of government systems, personnel, and information collection efforts.

Respecting Indigenous identity and self-identification

Customarily, Indigenous communities across what is currently known as Canada may not self-identify as belonging to one pan-Indigenous group. Instead, Indigenous identity may be tied to an individual’s clan, community, nationhood, or language family.

This is an important consideration when collecting information about Indigenous identity. The Standards contain a specific question and allow for flexibility in the way Indigenous people choose to self-identify. This question is distinct from the question about race, which is designed to collect information about how Indigenous people may be racialized by society.

Applying research and data collection as anti-racism tools

For centuries, government-led data collection, analysis and measurement processes in Canada has been centred in Eurocentric perspectives. Properly applied, the Standards provide a way to use data for anti-racism purposes, grounded in an understanding of the historical context and the current realities facing Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities. Public accountability and community involvement are core aspects of the Standards and will help to ensure that the information gathered serves the racial equity intentions of the ARA.