The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) – announces that it is developing its own action plan to address discrimination and racism. The action group against racism created by the Legault government is composed solely of members of the party in power and has little credibility in the eyes of First Nations leaders. Premier Legault has publicly stated that he does not believe in “systemic racism”.

The AFNQL recalls that the issue has been the subject of many consultations over the past few years and that several avenues for solutions have been presented:

• Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec (Viens Commission), whose report was made public on September 30, 2019.
  National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG, 2019)
• the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC, 2015)
• the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007).

The AFNQL will make its action plan public by the end of September, 2020.

Among non-Indigenous Quebecers who have an opinion of First Nations in Quebec, this opinion is good in eight out of ten cases (81%). The Léger survey results from August 2020:

• Admit that they have little or no knowledge of the issues and realities of First Nations in Quebec (58%).
• Consider that the relations that non-Indigenous Quebecers have with First Nations in Quebec are poor (53%).
• Almost all non-Indigenous Quebecers (92%) think that First Nations are subject to racism or discrimination in Quebec.
• 80% of respondents consider that First Nations people face additional obstacles in the different facets of their lives.
• 70% of those who have an opinion are of the opinion that, currently in Quebec, First Nations are not treated on the same footing as non-Indigenous Quebecers in social structures.
• 91% of respondents believe that the Quebec government has an important role to play in achieving and maintaining equality between First Nations and non-Indigenous Quebecers.