by Rosemary Brown
Chapters and Chat recently read Reflections on Allyship by Andrea Menard and Marc Bhalla. Menard is a Métis lawyer and scholar whose father’s family had ties with the Red River settlement in Manitoba. She has extensive experience working with many First Nations and Métis communities. She holds a Master of Law from Osgoode Hall Law School and teaches there and at the Law Faculties at U of C and U of A, focusing on decolonization and systemic discrimination. At Osgoode, Menard met Marc Bhalla, who was working on a Master of Law in Dispute Resolution. Bhalla is bi-racial and a first-generation immigrant whose father was born in India.
Menar and Bhalla became collaborators in 2018 to develop the Authentic Allyship Project, designed to offer “practical steps to help allies understand the truth [and genocide] and Indigenous world view and how to support Indigenous communities.” Their projects include the development of curricula for law associations and faculties, a journal, and the book Reflections on Allyship.
This short book is a collection of essays introducing the authors and offering insights into what authentic allyship entails. While some of their ideas are similar to others we have discussed in the past, others offer fresh perspectives on the issue of allyship.
They discuss authentic allyship as a lifelong commitment, rather than “sporadic short-term actions.” It involves “consistency and integrity” and a willingness to examine oneself to decolonize oneself. It’s about unlearning “social dominance” and “re-examining one’s assumptions and knowledge.”
It is about following the lead of Indigenous peoples as they know what the solutions to their problems are. As an ally one should support these efforts. Starting points are the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the Calls for Justice from the Final Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.
Read 21 Things You Need to Know Abut the Indian Act by Bob Joseph and look for Indigenous content in the art forms one already enjoys: music, literature, poetry, theatre, film, etc. Learn from the Land and from Indigenous Elders. Learn about tribal courts and Indigenous Laws. Instil Indigenous knowledge and law in all systems.
Make it “socially unacceptable” to make anti-Indigenous and racist comments. Intervene when comments are being made even if Indigenous people aren’t present. Use humour “to get the message across.”
The list goes on. It is up to us as non-Indigenous peoples to take up the challenge of what Menard and Bhalla suggest if we wish to become “authentic allies.”
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