SNOBELEN: Trudeau’s trip to Tofino was a lot of things, but it wasn’t out of line

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It’s kind of hard to get too excited about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vacation adventure with Tofino.

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All kinds of people expressed shock and horror that Trudeau flaunted the national holiday he was proud to create. Going to Tofino on the first National Truth and Reconciliation Day (and flying over the indigenous communities who had invited him to participate in the ceremonies) was probably not the most brilliant thing the prime minister has done.

But it sure wasn’t out of line.

Trudeau and his ilk believe that everything is gesture. Saying that you are a feminist is just as, if not more, important than doing things that respect the power of women. Saying you’re an environmentalist doesn’t require you to turn off the lights or lower the thermostat (or avoid flying in a private jet to Tofino).

In other words, it is what you say (or symbolize), not what you do.

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Trudeau is not out of step with a large group of people who have found the grand gesture to be an easier road than the long and difficult road to perform with intention. In fact, it is perfectly in tune with current fashion.

Facebook friends are incredibly more efficient than the hard business of maintaining real relationships with real people. Sticking a heart into a post or, for the truly committed, retweeting a smart banner is as morally uplifting as donating time and energy to a cause.

It’s hard to find fault in the age of the grand gesture. Heck, those massive WE Day rallies were way more fun than donating time at a local food bank.

And truth be told, the people who have solved the gesture issue are better people than me. They sure are safer.

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I’m not sure I understand how nature works. I have no idea how to save the planet (or how gas prices will go up). But people who have a Green Party shirt know exactly how I should live.

Hell, I’m so caught up in the past that I actually worry about paying off the debt. How awake is that?

And despite years of visiting reserves, meeting with First Nations leaders, discussing methods of sharing natural resources, and the kindness of many people who have shared their perspectives, I still lack a particular wisdom when it comes to the path. to follow for all Canadians. I just know we have to keep trying.

Which brings me back to the king of the grand gesture and that inopportune flight to Tofino. Never mind.

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If Trudeau had attended a ceremony at the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Nation instead of flying (why are environmentalists so quiet about this?) Straight to Tofino, nothing would have changed. It would have been just another empty gesture.

Trudeau and company are all sizzling, no steak (cowboy interpretation: all hat, no cattle).

This is the minor fault of the grand gesture. Nothing is done.

Years turn into decades and there are still warnings of boiling the water. Serious negotiations stall and the courts are left to render impossible dictates. And while the sad legacy of residential schools and the search for graves occupy public attention, building a foundation for the future of all nations in Canada is still bogged down in assimilation-based legislation.

Building a better future for the next generation of Canadians is serious business for serious people. Trudeau might as well be in Tofino.