Page 53 - Walking_The_Red_Road

Given how often comments like these emerged in our various sessions, racism and stereotyping seem to be common experiences in our community.
Our youth were also interested in exploring racism and a bus trip to an Idle No More rally provided an opportunity. Equipped with audio recorders, the youth interviewed each other during the bus ride. This is another example of how we piggybacked research onto community activities and supported our youth to choose how they wanted to gather and share information. Following the road trip, they also conducted interviews with community members.
My dad was the only Aboriginal student in Gravenhurst high school. He dropped out because he was bullied. He resorted to alcohol and drugs. They called him half breed.
Lazy, drinking, not smart enough.
[Some people say]...we are too proud of being Aboriginal. I mean some of the stuff we wear, or stuff that represents us. It is all about mainstream. They are totally against us.
In North Bay the racism is underlying. In Timmins it’s more in your face.
A community member shared a story about her encounter with a parking attendant when she visited Toronto for a conference.
“Are you Indian?” and I said “yes.”
The first thing he said, “Oh, you people like to drink.”
I did not like that very much. I asked him where he was from, and he said “Iran.”
I said to him, “Oh, you people are like the terrorists, and you like to bomb people.”
He said, “Oh no no no, we do not do that! We are not all like that.”
So I asked him, “How do you get the nerve to say that about me, when you know nothing about me?”
New immigrants that come to the country need to learn about First Peoples here, and that should be mandatory.
This story offers many lessons. It suggests that stereotypes of Aboriginal peoples may be widely and strongly held, so much so, that this newcomer either arrived with the perception and/or acquired it easily. It also reflects the very comments our community members report experiencing here in North Bay.
Echoing the views of others, the story teller believes education is key. Many community members believe that “not knowing” is the root of the problem and that educating children throughout school and educating the general public are critical. As one participant said, “... if you were to talk to some [non-Aboriginal people] face to face, that is when you have an open and honest communication with people...”
As well, in this case, the storyteller spoke up and challenged the parking attendant. For some community members, speaking up directly goes against their ways. For others, it is part of a growing movement of Aboriginal peoples, “taking a stand for generations to come.”
Walking the Red Road | REPORT OF THE URBAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES THRIVE PROJECT | 53
,, ,,