Sakewew High School made Battlefords history last year when they had April 4 declared "Day of Pink" in North Battleford.
The "Pink Revolution," as the movement is called, is a Saskatchewan-based initiative to "support diversity, promote awareness and take action to make our world a safer place." Launched by the school's Gay-Straight Alliance, the event has everyone at school wearing pink for a day. Last year, the event lasted only a single day, but 2012 will see a week of activities at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, John Paul II Collegiate and Sakewew.
This year, the school has created an entire week of activities lasting form March 28 to April 5 called the Pink Revolution Anti-Bullying Week. Sakewew came together with John Paul Collegiate, NBCHS, Chief Little Pine and Poundmaker to co-ordinate activities.
On March 28, Sakewew will have a kickoff presentation with Jessica Yee, a self-described "multiracial indigenous hip-hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter!"
Yee has a wide range of experience in aboriginal justice, HIV/AIDS and gender equality organizations. She is the founder and executive director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, the first and only organization in North America run by and for indigenous youth. She is also currently serving as the first chair of the National Aboriginal Youth Council at the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network as well as the International Indigenous HIV/AIDS Working Group.
She is, furthermore, the first North American youth representative at MenEngage International Alliance for Gender Equality and the North American co-chair for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She also sits on a number of national and international boards and collectives including SisterSong Women of Color for Reproductive Justice, Women on Web/Women on Waves and Maggie's: Sex Workers Organizing.
After Jessica's presentation, the school will show "Bully," a 2011 documentary about bullying.
March 29 will see the school raising a pink flag at City Hall at 10 a.m. Later in the day there will be a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. to commemorate the victims of bullying, suicide and violence. Yee will again speak before the vigil at 7:30 p.m. at McKitrick School and there will be a showing of the film "Prayers for Bobby" at the North Battleford Library. The Emmy-winning film, starring Sigourney Weaver, concerns a strictly religious mother coming to terms with her son's homosexuality. The film will be shown again at 2:25 p.m. the next day at Sakewew, followed by a "Pink Prom" in Saskatoon. Graduating students from Sakewew are invited to a prom where everyone wears pink.
April 2, the school will hold a pink bake sale at noon. The following day will see a workshop on gender, sexuality and homophobia at 10:40 a.m., and the week will conclude on April 4 with a Pink Day March and concert, which will depart Sakewew at 10:30 a.m. The march will go to NBCHS and John Paul II before making its way to the Chapel Gallery.
At noon, the school will have arrived at the Chapel Gallery, where they will watch a performance by Kate Reid, a lesbian "guitar playing, harmonica-slinging singer songwriter and bona-fide storyteller" based out of Vancouver. Reid has more than 20 years of combined experience teaching and working with at-risk youth, as well as children, youth and adults with behavioural, developmental, physical and mental challenges and mental illness and autism. She regularly performs at schools.
Reid Stewart, Sakewew's vice-principal, says he was "inspired" by the students who had organized the events for the week, and proud they had produced such an ambitious slate of events without help from adults. The press release for the event, created by the Sakewew High School Gay Straight Alliance, confirms this sentiment, stating the event will "serve as an important example of how adults can learn from young people about building a better world."
