Justin Trudeau ‘all talk no action’ for indigenous rights, says Rise documentary director
HE’S one of the most popular people on the planet, but Canada’s Prime Minister has failed in one key area, according to a new documentary.
JUSTIN Trudeau is all looks and no action.
And while many may look at the Canadian Prime Minister as someone who comes to people’s aid, there’s one group still waiting for that help to arrive.
That’s the view of First Nations activist and TV host Sarain Carson-Fox who said Mr Trudeau’s good looks distracted people from the fact that he hasn’t kept any of his promises when it comes to his country’s indigenous people.
Spreading to news.com.au during her visit to Australia this week, Carson-Fox said the Canadian PM wasn’t as great as the world thought he was.
“To be blunt, our Prime Minister has made a lot of promises to the First Nations people, but we are still waiting for action,” she said.
The young activist said it was ironic given Mr Trudeau actually got into office on the back of the indigenous vote.
Carson-Fox took Mr Trudeau on his historic first visit to an isolated indigenous reserve last year, as part of her powerful SBS Viceland documentary Cut Off.
The PM heard from indigenous youth on suicide epidemics, a lack of access to clean water and infrastructure breakdown all taking place in the Shoal Lake 40 community in Ontario.
While she said he was moved and promised to help, nothing has been done since.
Just two per cent of Canadians identify as First Nation with more than half living on reserves, many without adequate facilities and infrastructure.
She said they were still waiting and while she knows her assessment of her PM was blunt, the truth was people couldn’t get past his looks to see he wasn’t doing much at all.
In her new documentary, Rise, which goes to air on SBS Viceland tonight, she travels to indigenous communities across the Americas to meet people protecting their homelands and rising up against colonisation.
Carson-Fox also visits the front lines of some of the most prominent indigenous rights protests and exposes the current struggle many face.
But while she was critical over Canada’s lack of action on helping its first people, Carson-Fox said the country wasn’t the only one.
Australians may look to Canada as a leader in indigenous rights, but Carson-Fox said both countries shared similar issues.
She also pointed out that just because Canada had signed treaties with its first people, it didn’t mean things were better there.
Carson-Fox said both countries shared a lack of indigenous representation, while issues such as alcohol and drug abuse remained too high.
The now 29-year-old, who lost her own father to suicide, said part of the wider problem was the narrative on indigenous issues needed to change.
“Indigenous culture is often seen as less than,” she said.
“Not enough stories are being told from our own perspective.
“Rise tells the story of indigenous resistance from an indigenous person.”
She also said Rise showed how the loss of indigenous sacred land made people feel like their rights weren’t being respected, leading people to lose hope.
Rise, airs tonight, at 9.30pm on SBS Viceland.
Cut Off is available to stream for free on SBS On Demand while Rise will also be available after broadcast.
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