Inuit and former diplomat Mary Simon on Monday became the first Indigenous woman to represent Queen Elizabeth II in Canada, pledging to work for
"reconciliation"
in a country rocked by the residential school scandal.
"It is with humility that I am ready to become Canada's first Indigenous Governor General,
" she said in her first official speech Monday during the Senate installation ceremony in Ottawa.
Read also: Canada: Mary Simon, an Indigenous governor at the head of the country
“I will strive to build bridges between the diverse origins and cultures that reflect the uniqueness and promise of our great country,”
said the 74-year-old Inuit, who is committed to
“representing all Canadians”.
Gray hair bobbed, dressed in a black dress, Mary Simon was sworn in in a sober ceremony and followed unlike usual by only 44 guests, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, due to the pandemic.
Referring to a
“historic day”
for Canada, the new Governor General added that reconciliation, far from easy, required a
“daily effort”.
His assumption of office comes at a crucial time for Canada, faced with the dark pages of its past and its policy of assimilation.
Tens of thousands of Native American Indian, Métis and Inuit children were forcibly conscripted into residential schools from the late 19th century to the 1990s, cut off from their families and culture.
Thousands never returned.
Referring to this reconciliation with indigenous peoples, Justin Trudeau said he was
"looking forward to working"
with Mary Simon
"to build a better country for everyone"
.
“We need people like Mary Simon, because we need people who build bridges and bring us together,”
he added.
"Two worlds"
Born in 1947, this Inuit native of Nunavik (northern Quebec), who was Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs, then to Denmark, has defended the rights and culture of her people all her life. Speaking in English, Inuktitut and a little French, the former activist for indigenous rights recalled that she had learned to live between
"two worlds"
. Often attacked since her appointment on her non-mastery of French, one of the two official languages of the country, she has once again committed to learning it.
The new Governor General, who has made the defense of the Arctic one of her workhorses, also spoke of the climate crisis.
“Canada is disproportionately impacted by climate change because the Arctic is warming faster than almost anywhere else on the planet,”
said the fifth woman to officially represent Elizabeth II, Canada's Head of State. Her appointment is a very political gesture since she has above all protocol functions: she is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, officially promulgates laws and summons or dissolves Parliament.
For Thierry Rodon, professor of political science at Laval University in Quebec,
"this is one more step towards symbolic reconciliation".
But
"the Governor General has no power over public policy so it will not change the issue of access to drinking water, the decolonization of the relationship established by Indian law, the primacy of economic development. on indigenous rights ... ”On
Thursday, Mary Simon spoke with Queen Elizabeth II by video conference. She is appointed for five years and succeeds Julie Payette, who resigned in January after accusations of harassment in her office.