In a program dubbed the “Native extremism program” by the Mounties, a covert surveillance operation targeting legitimate political Indigenous organizations in the 1970s has been unveiled in recently declassified RCMP Security Service files. These files affirm that the Canadian government in the mid-1970s greenlit covert wiretaps on the National Indian Brotherhood, now known as the Assembly of First Nations. The surveillance encompassed various methods like informants, wiretaps, and countersubversion tactics.
First Nations leaders, such as Georges Erasmus, have long suspected state monitoring. The released documents, totaling nearly 6,000 pages, reveal that Indigenous political activities were under scrutiny as early as 1968 due to concerns about radical influences. The Security Service shifted its approach in 1973 after a non-violent youth group occupied the Department of Indian Affairs in Ottawa, leading to an intensified surveillance effort.
The program expanded beyond suspected radicals to monitor hundreds of Indigenous individuals and over 30 legitimate political groups. Intrusive surveillance techniques included paying informants, physical surveillance, and liaising with various entities to gather intelligence. The documents depict a disturbing pattern of disruption tactics, such as orchestrating drug raids, cutting funding to dissident groups, and impeding international activists’ entry into Canada.
Legal experts and Indigenous leaders condemn the program as a violation of democratic principles, emphasizing its racist undertones and its impact on Indigenous rights and privacy. The Security Service’s actions were characterized by a paternalistic attitude towards Indigenous communities, justifying surveillance under the guise of protecting them from external influences. The program’s legacy continues to fuel suspicion and calls for further investigation even five decades later.
Despite the revelations, the RCMP declined to comment on the historical operations, stating that the organization has evolved and is committed to improving relations with Indigenous communities.