Mayor Mark Heyck wants to make it awkward.
Jessica Davey-Quantick/NNSL photo
At the Stand Up to Racism vigil on Aug. 31, he called on Yellowknifers to take inspiration from a campaign in Edmonton to stand up to discrimination.
In that city last August, a group of men yelled racial slurs from a car at resident Jesse Lipscombe. Instead of staying silent, he confronted the men directly. After a video of the events went viral, Edmonton mayor Don Iveson worked with Lipscombe, encouraging people to share stories of confronting discrimination via social media. Thus, the #makeitawkward campaign was born.
“It's important that people step up and speak out when they hear comments,” he said. “I think there is a somewhat sensitive way to call people out on those kinds of things without crossing that line into bullying territory. Whether social media is involved or not, I think it's important for people to play that role of saying, 'That's not OK.'”
Heyck said he was impressed with the number of Yellowknifers who attended the rally - about 100 people braved a rainy and windy evening in Somba K'e Civic Plaza.
“Certainly we're not perfect, and we recognize that,” said Heyck. “I think ... by and large Yellowknife is a very inclusive welcoming space for people of all races and religions.”
On top of promoting the #makeitawkward campaign, the city has budgeted $35,000 in 2017 for staff training on the history and legacy of residential schools, with matching funds approved in principle for next year.
Heyck said so far about half of the city's staff has received the training, which will continue until 100 per cent of staffers have attended the full-day session.
“Being a municipal government, you're the level of government that's closest to the people,” he said. “So we felt it was important that as a first step in reconciliation that we educate our staff on some of these issues.”
So far, the city has spent around $25,000 of the budgeted amount to hire local facilitators for the training, which takes place in Dettah.
Heyck said staff are getting the message.
photo courtesy of Mindy Frost-Greene
“I've heard again and again ... they thought they understood the issue but the way the training is put together it just opens their minds,” he said. “I know of some individuals who were somewhat resentful that they were being made to go through this, and then they went through the training session and came out with their eyes wide open to a lot of the issues that a face Indigenous peoples in Yellowknife. So I think it's been extremely valuable.”
He thinks it's a positive sign that education programs and awareness campaigns like #makeitawkward are starting to gain traction outside of government agencies.
For instance, registration opens on Sept. 30 for the first #makeitawkward summit in Edmonton in February, bringing together individuals to learn how to make positive change.
But Heyck was quick to point out education alone won't solve problems faced by marginalized communities.
“It's not enough to educate,” said Heyck “But that's the first step in terms of making sure that our workforce is well aware of all these issues.”