HUMBOLDT — The first in a series of events to educate Humboldt businesses and the general public about taking action on reconciling with First Nations will take place next week.
A lunch and learn on how to begin meaningful work to move forward on reconciliation hosted by the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce, City of Humboldt and Carlton Trail College will be held online at noon on Tuesday, May 25. Those wishing to participate must pre-register with the chamber at 306-682-4990 or admin@humboldtchamber.ca. It is free of charge.
Brent Fitzpatrick, the chamber’s executive director, said that awareness of Indigenous issues and the need for action isn’t well known in Humboldt, yet within less than a decade, the around one-third of Saskatchewan’s population will be Indigenous.
“Businesses in our area have to become aware,” he said. “They have to become educated on the history and those aspects of Indigenous culture that are important.”
Two people from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner will be presenting at the lunch and learn.
Rhett Sangster, the office’s director of reconciliation and community partnerships, is originally from Tisdale. He went to Ottawa in 2000 to become a foreign service officer and has spent the majority of his career working on issues of international conflict and peacebuilding. He spent three years posted as a diplomat in Turkey, led a successful effort to improve dialogue and cooperation between Afghan and Pakistani border officials, and co-ordinated Canadian international policy on mediation, peace processes and the effects of war on women and girls.
Amy Seesequasis, the office’s director of public education, is from the Beardy’s & Okemasis’ First Nation. After earning a Bachelor of Arts with a major majoring in Indigenous Studies in 2011, she has worked for the Correctional Service of Canada, as well as for the Department of Native Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. She is also a manager – and dancer – for the Creeland Dancers, who specialize in a fusion of Métis jigging and square dancing.
Fitzpatrick said that they’ll talk about the next steps, how can non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples move together forward, effectively.
“I think that it's not about blame, it's just about learning and that's what we need to do,” he said. “That's why I'm so excited about this, because it just gives us an opportunity.”
The plan is for another session around National Indigenous Peoples Day in June and then some more in the fall. It is funded with a $10,000 grant from the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s Training and Employment Network, which aims to support communities and companies to integrate Indigenous, immigrant, youth, and women workers into the local workforce.
