A two-day workshop, organized by the Ts’iyanne Buts’udilhti’ Friendship Centre Society, challenged assumptions of local people and encouraged participants to reflect on the different ways that racism manifests in Burns Lake.
“In the Burns Lake community, we have seen issues around discrimination and racism, but we know that these acts derive from fear of the unknown,” said Deanna Brown-Nolan, President of the Ts’iyanne Buts’udilhti’ Friendship Centre Society.
Held at the Lakes District campus of the College of New Caledonia on April 21-22, the workshop challenged participants to think of what racism looks like, what it feels like and where it comes from.
Workshop facilitators Carla Lewis and Pauline Goertzen said that, most of the times, racism manifests in subtle ways in Burns Lake.
“You probably won’t see any racism on the street or in the store; you’re going to see it when you’re camping with friends,” said Goertzen.
However, racism can have significant impacts to First Nations such as making it harder for them to get a job.
Furthermore, Goertzen said there are some places and events in the Lakes District that are supposed to be opened to everyone, but some First Nations don’t feel welcomed there.
“There’s native events and non-native events,” added Lewis. “There’s not a lot of intermingling.”
After stressing the need for a culturally safe and inclusive space in the Lakes District, Goertzen said a new cultural centre is now being planned for Burns Lake.
The proposed new centre will be a First Nations-led space, but it is intended to be inclusive to everyone in the community. The proposed building will include a ceremonial space, as well as accommodations and restaurants.
“There’s currently a feasibility study underway with stakeholders to build this centre,” explained Goertzen. “One of the main objectives of the workshop was to work out how do we make the cultural centre truly inclusive so that people from all backgrounds feel welcomed there, and feel safe to go there.”
Goertzen, who’s the Economic Development Director for Lake Babine Nation, has been facilitating anti-racism workshops in the Burns Lake area for over 16 years.
Through brainstorming sessions, games and group dynamics, Goertzen made participants question what makes people discriminate against others.
One participant said treating other people with respect is a personal choice.
“All we [First Nations] want is the respect from other people; that’s all we ever wanted,” he said. “To show other people how to live and love is the best gift you can give anyone.”
The Ts’iyanne Buts’udilhti’ Friendship Centre Society is an urban First Nations organization located on Eighth Avenue in Burns Lake. Although its board of directors is comprised of First Nations from many of the local nations, the organization is not identified with any of the nations in particular.
The society received provincial funding earlier this year for the delivery of anti-racism projects.
All discussions during the workshop were filmed. The society intends to produce a film called ‘inclusive spaces’ to raise public awareness about inclusion and opportunity in the Burns Lake area.
