Attempting to achieve unity without diversity leads to conformity.

The teachings of the Haudenosaunee people emphasize a place for all people to seek shelter under the long boughs of the Tree of Peace. And it is no accident that we created the Two Row Times in “the spirit of all nations.” In the weeks to come we are following (5) different individuals and asking questions about their heritage and cultural identity to foster conversation and understanding among neighbours. Join us as we celebrate the diversity of our newfound friends!

Q1. What is the most racist thing you’ve ever witnessed?

Lucas Duguid: When I was very young, probably not even 10 years old, I was playing with some neighbourhood kids near the school where I grew up. Two older boys (who’s family emigrated to Canada from the Ivory Coast) joined us on the playground. I can’t tell you for the life of me what game we were playing but at one point there was a disagreement between one of the neighbourhood kids and one of the older boys. It seemed to escalate quickly until one of the neighbourhood kids blurted out the N word. The playground went pin drop quiet. No one knew what to do. No one said anything. It was a shocking and uncomfortable feeling.

Adrian Harjo: I think the most racist thing I have ever witnessed is a process thats still going on to this day. The forced Assimilation and demise of our First Nation’s culture and language to a more “Christian” aka American/Canadian way of life. To think that these great countries of ours only exist because of a racist idea known as the “Doctrine of Discovery” which suggest we as a people were “Godless Savages” and therefore gave the right to Kings and Queens to claim land they’ve never even been to, all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nicole Staats: My mothers side of the family would not allow me as a newborn baby to carry their last name because my father was an “Indian Outlaw”. I heard of this growing up and I never thought they liked me, or native people. It was kind of sad, I always looked for their approval it seemed and it caused a lot of false feelings of myself.

Jonathan Garlow: I’ve seen physical violence over racial prejudice. But it’s the insidious “quiet” racism that hurts the most for some reason. There was a time my family was ignored and not even served water at a restaurant in Hamilton. Having to explain to my children why we left without eating was one of the most painful racism based moments in my life. I can safely say we were discriminated against because we waited for 30 minutes and families on either side of us ordered food and when they started eating is when we stood up and left. I’m glad to say that restaurant is now out of business.

Q2. Why did you think it was racist?

LD: At that age my world view was pretty limited but I was well aware that what happened was wrong. I didn’t need a parent or teacher to tell me. The feeling it left in my stomach was as terrible as it was immediate. I felt sick for the older boys. I immediately told my parents when I got home. The person who uttered the phrase was of a Western European background. We lived in a quiet, working-class neighbourhood that was pretty nondescript. Looking back as an adult it’s easier to articulate the reasons, influences and motivations around the “why”…. but to be honest, what stands out in my mind to this day was how raw and terrible the feeling was in my stomach in that moment.

AH: Its been proven to be a very racist idea being that the UN is calling on the US and Canada to admit to their treatment of Native American and First Nation People’s be considered GENOCIDE!!–Doesn’t get much more racist than that folks!

NS: Shunning a child from the family because of their partial race is pretty racist to me…
We never felt as loved as the other kids around.

JG: We didn’t even get water!

Q3. What is privilege? How can it be applied to race? Who has it? Who does not? How can people with privilege affect society in ways people without privilege cannot?

AH: Privilege can be traced back to Sovereignty which was originally given only by the Pope, which meant they were chosen by God. This is also the reason for the iconic golden “Crown” Kings and Queens wear symbolizing the yellow-goldish “Orb” that always surrounds Jesus’ head. This meant, “We’re better then you, and we know it!”–White Goodman

NS: Privilege is something that you earn the right to have… In my opinion, When applied to race, privilege is something that not many aboriginal people get when growing up, my brother and I weren’t privileged enough to have the family last name because we had a native father, which then caused us to not get the same treatment as the others in that family right from birth…I also believe that a lot of white people are more privileged then most, and In society they aren’t judged as much and given more opportunities to advance because of their race, aboriginal people have to work twice as hard to get some of the privileges that white people have, right from birth..

JG: There are so many good articles online about privilege and the common message I’ve learned is that privilege is invisible to people who benefit from it and it’s not obvious until it’s gone. I think a simple example of white privilege is skin-tone products such as band-aids. A white person may never know the plight of a black person who is taught from a very early age that white skin is normal and dark skin is ‘ethnic’ or in the other category. Now multiply that tiny example by a thousand and that is what non-white people in North America struggle with on a daily basis.

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