A Statement on the Incarceration of Geraldine Mason

The recent incarceration of Geraldine Mason reflects a long history of racism, colonialism and inequality in Canada. Provisions were introduced to the Indian Act in 1927 that allowed authorities to detain or incarcerate First Nations peoples for what Indian agents, Department of Indian Affairs medical officers, and other authorities deemed to be public health concerns. Introduced primarily in response to the ongoing tuberculosis (TB) epidemic amongst First Nations peoples, these provisions enabled the mass incarceration of Indigenous peoples in TB sanatoriums, racially-segregated federal Indian hospitals, and other health care institutions across Canada in the mid-20^th century. Compared to non-Indigenous patients, Indigenous patients received under-funded and sub-par care and were hospitalized for longer periods of time as hospital stays were used as yet another way to assimilate patients to Canadian society.

The TRC, the Final Report of the MMIWG Inquiry, and more recently, the Final Report of the Office of the Special Interlocutor all highlight the role that medical removal and medical incarceration has played in the disappearances of Indigenous women and children, including Indian Residential School students. The legacy of this history is present today. Indigenous Manitobans continue to have disproportionately higher rates of TB caused by the impacts of colonialism and racism on Indigenous health. The deaths of Brian Sinclair in Winnipeg in 2008 and Joyce Echaquan in 2020 demonstrate the devastating consequences of racism in health care. Ms. Mason’s incarceration is a continuation of the racist TB policies that were implemented under the Indian Act in 1927 and highlight on-going racism and under-investment in health care in our province’s north. Nearly 100 years later, the medical incarceration of Indigenous peoples in Manitoba must end.

Dr. Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Professor of History and Canada Research Chair, University of Winnipeg

Dr. Erin Millions, Assistant Professor of History, University of Winnipeg

Dr. Anne Lindsay, Riley Fellow, University of Winnipeg

On behalf of the Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis History Project.