Caryl Szeto / Staff Reporter
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is being remembered after recently passing away. Some remember him positively, while others criticize his past actions surrounding the Oka Crisis, according to an article by National News.
On January 29, Mulroney passed away at age 84 due to a fall in his home in Palm Beach. He was the 18th prime minister in Canada, representing the Conservative Party. As he left behind a large and impactful legacy, there is a contrast between how he is remembered.
How Mulroney is Remembered
Some may remember Mulroney for his fight against apartheid in South Africa, which was a system of racial segregation and discrimination unique to South Africa. He stood against this system and rallied other commonwealth nations to speak out against it. Additionally, he helped free Nelson Mandela from imprisonment.
Others may remember Mulroney for his economic and constitutional impacts. He was the creator of the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord, which were referendums that tried to include Quebec in our constitution, unite our nation, and appease the provinces. While they both failed, Mulroney is the only prime minister to have made an effort in getting Quebec to sign the constitution. Mulroney also helped current prime minister Justin Trudeau with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, leveraging his relationship with the then US president Donald Trump. Finally, Mulroney was also known as the ‘green prime minister’ in recognition of his efforts regarding sustainable development and environmental protection.
Despite these positive impacts, many other Canadians may remember Mulroney in a negative light. During 1990, there was a 78-day standoff between the Quebec provincial government and the Kanehsatà:ke people. The government wanted to expand a golf course onto disputed Mohawk land. RCMP, the Canadian military, First Nations, the government and activists were all involved.
In the end, the golf course expansion was cancelled, and the federal government purchased the land. However, this land was not considered reserve land, and there has been no official transfer of the land to the Mohawks of Kanesatake. As activists reflect on these times of tension, they remember feeling like their rights were taken away by Mulroney. Ellen Gabriel is a human rights activist and artist from Kanehsatà:ke nation, and they feel that Mulroney was not concerned about the community.
“He refused to recall Parliament to sit. They basically threw our human rights out the window.”
Gabriel, human rights activist
Mulroney attempted to take action to address the concerns of the First Nations people. His government started the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. This was an inquiry on social, economic, and political challenges that First Nations communities face. While not all the recommendations of the commission were implemented, this was a good foundation for the government to rely on when addressing First Nation’s issues in the future.
Impact on Gleneagle Students
Gleneagle students can learn a lot from this article. By remembering Mulroney and his legacy, they can understand the impact actions have how people are remembered. The positive and negative choices that Mulroney made highlights how every person’s life is going to contain good and bad decisions. As Gleneagle Students grow up, leave school, and enter society as adults, they should be aware of the effects of their decision making. Hopefully, by thinking about the long-term impacts of their actions, they can leave a positive legacy and memory behind. Essentially, by considering how actions may be viewed in the future, students can try to make better decisions throughout their lives.
Furthermore, in modern times where reconciliation towards the First Nations people is essential in moving forward as a nation, we should understand the more recent incidents in our pasts, to prevent them from happening again in the future. For example, this article highlights the Oka Crisis, which is not a crisis emphasized in students’ history books, in the media or in Canada’s history. By remembering an incident where the government wronged the First Nations people, separate from Residential schools and early colonialism, students may understand the issues that First Nations face at a deeper level. Moreover, because the Oka Crisis is more recent event, students may relate to it more. In times where protests, social movements and social justice are being encouraged, we can look back on our past to learn from those before us.
Overall, this article highlights many different issues that Gleneagle Students can relate to. The controversy in Mulroney’s legacy teaches students to care about their actions and think about their long-term impact. This can help ensure a positive legacy that each of our students can leave behind. In addition, by recognizing a more modern issue that First Nations face, and one that continues to impact the Kanehsatà:ke people, Gleneagle students may relate more to the First Nation’s issues. They may understand, at a deeper level, the past, current, and future affairs that Indigenous people face.
Sources:
- Oka crisis and Mulroney Article
- Mulroney Legacy
- NAFTA information
- Details surrounding his death
- About Apartheid
- About the Oka Crisis
- About Royal Commissions