Letter to the editor

The ‘R’ word isn’t one that any of us like to hear. But rest assured, it is alive and unwell in the Columbia Valley. 

While you may be insulated from its worst forms, many of our friends and neighbours experience it on a daily basis. In particular, local Indigenous communities continue to put up with ongoing systemic racism which can often be perpetuated without us even knowing it. 

So, what can we do? Show up with an open ear and heart. Local events like the Salmon Festival, Orange Shirt Day, and National Indigenous Peoples Day are all opportunities to come together and learn. These events are put on by local Indigenous communities which, despite the fact that they continue to face the brunt of systemic racism, they continue to open their arms and hearts to the community to come together and learn, share, connect, and celebrate. 

We can reciprocate just by showing up with open ears and hearts. We also invite you to join us for the upcoming 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning course. This is led by local Indigenous educator Jenna Jasek, who is a proud Shuswap Band member with Ktunaxa ancestry. 

You will hear from incredible Indigenous leaders and educators which will ground your learning. And upon completion, you will receive a certificate from the First Nations University of Canada. 

We have made this as affordable as possible, but if cost is a barrier we are happy to offer this to you free of charge. Just ask. 

Support projects are Indigenous-led. As we all know, there is no perfect project that will serve everybody, but let’s do our best to extend the most support for any Indigenous person or organization who is willing to put themselves out there despite the racism they know they will face. 

With the local Columbia Valley Métis Association (housing) project on people’s minds, we would invite you to join us for the upcoming Métis Language and Cultural Learning course. You will have the opportunity to learn from the incredible Elder Marie Schoenthal who is so inspiring and engaging. 

She will offer you a deeper understanding of Metis culture and history while opening a window in your mind to the incredible depth of language and culture. And again, this is very affordable, but if price is a barrier, we will remove this barrier with no questions asked. 

We have also prepared a list of incredible Indigenous learning resources in advance of September 30 in partnership with dozens of Indigenous staff, advisers, partners and organizations. We invite you to review this and look at those resources that meet your needs: https://outdoorlearning.com/indigenous-learning-resources 

But mostly, we ask that you open your minds and hearts and take small steps in your own ways to deepen your knowledge and understanding, and in doing so, help the Columbia Valley as an entire community remove racism one person and one action at a time. 

Jenna Jasek, Duncan Whittick, 

Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network