By Sadie Hunter

IN THE LOOP

HUNTER: Participating in active reconciliation

Jan 31, 2023 | 11:39 AM

THIS WEEK, CITY COUNCIL will consider a request for $10,000 to support the 2027 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).

The request is a small amount in comparison to the $500,000 approved by council in September 2022, which would come in the form of facilities, staff time, and a potential cash contribution. This approval is a significant vote of confidence in the strength of the relationship between Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) and the city.

The bid also received provincial endorsement and the relationship received provincial recognition a couple of weeks ago with the presentation of the 2022 British Columbia Reconciliation Award, in a ceremony at Government House in Victoria.

“The relationship we have built with the City of Kamloops is fostering meaningful connections and dialogue leading to initiatives that have had a great benefit to both organizations,” said Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir in a TteS press release. “We are honoured to be recognized for charting this path together and hope to be an inspiration to other communities with similar potential for collaboration.”

The relationship between the City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc was also recognized by the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) in May 2022.

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There are many collaborative initiatives between the city and Tk’emlúps including community-to-community meetings, recreation, celebrations, and service agreements for fire protection, transit and sewer. The city also hired a full-time archeologist and provided support for Tk’emlúps following the announcement of potential graves being found near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

This is a small list of the ways the two communities work together. On a government-to-government level the two communities have also established a number of working groups to focus on specific areas of interest including cultural heritage and recreation.

In no way am I suggesting there isn’t more work to be done, or things which could be done better, but that there is an active willingness to learn from each other and work together. From personal experience, I can say without hesitation, the desire to elevate TteS and support meaningful reconciliation is genuine and heartfelt. This partnership has grown through a transparent process committed to acknowledging and celebrating Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc culture, values, and history.

Reconciliation is not a transactional process where actions are performative to check off a box or meet an expectation. What I’ve learned about true reconciliation is that it requires a paradigm shift where we (settlers) examine our unconscious and conscious biases and the colonial systems which have shaped the lenses through which we view the world. Colonial systems and constructs forced on Indigenous people have had, and continue to have, detrimental impacts, the depths of which we are just coming to understand.

I say all of this as a descendant of Irish/Scottish/English settlers with my own work to do towards reconciliation. My sister is Indigenous and the differences we’ve experienced moving through the world as a result of the assumptions and biases of others is astounding. Reconciliation is the responsibility of each of us, and not of those who have been impacted by colonialism.

This request for $10,000 is intended to assist with expenses related to hosting the NAIG selection committee this April. The funds will contribute to transportation and special expenses required to get things ready for a visit. It’s a small but meaningful way to reaffirm the city’s commitment to supporting the bid and partnership.

On the community level, we can all support this bid and, hopefully, the NAIG by being loud champions and supporters. We can support the partnership and work of reconciliation by committing to doing our own work to shift colonial paradigms.

As individuals, we can’t implement each of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 Calls to Action and fix them on our own, but we can do our part to learn our history of residential schools, and listen, truly listen, to the stories being told by survivors, so we can begin to make small changes in our daily lives to become better allies and deepen our relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

Other ways we can individually work towards reconciliation, and inclusive relationships, is to read books by Indigenous authors about their experiences, volunteering to support Indigenous communities and organizations, supporting Indigenous art, music, and businesses, and attend cultural events like the Kamloopa Pow Wow.

This is a responsibility each of us, as settlers, must be responsible for and not place the burden on others to teach us about.

As I mentioned last week, being the Tournament Capital is about more than sports. Let’s put our community spirit and our hearts into winning the bid, hosting these games, and reconciliation.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.