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November 9 2011

postawesome: I respect a place that recognizes Riel’s role in establishing the province. Metis history is sorely misrepresented in most places.  As a Metis person, I feel different walking around Winnipeg - where Metis history is clearly marked in art, buildings (even unassuming ones like the Louis Riel hotel), and discourse - than I do in Edmonton. I wish we could change that. At the very least, we could start recognizing people like Delia Gray in place names or building names.  Winnipeg has the largest urban Aboriginal population in the country, and it’s made clear through the presence of buildings like the APTN offices or the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs offices on Portage. The downtown based University of Winnipeg offers a number of programs that focus on Aboriginal issues. I am particularly impressed by the Urban and Inner-City Studies Bachelor of Arts program. There are definitely tensions in the city, as evidenced by Air Canada’s boneheaded move earlier this year. But I think, overall, Edmonton (which has the second largest urban Aboriginal population in Canada) could learn a thing or two about how to acknowledge it’s indigeneity from cities like Winnipeg.  It would be amazing if MacEwan, with its central campus, had an inner-city studies program similar to the University of Winnipeg. And if we had more leeway to pay for Aboriginal art in prominent places. And if we explored Indigenous-immigrant experiences in ways that challenged us, and made us think hard about how our city was (and is) built. It doesn’t always have to be neat and tidy, because our history certainly isn’t. But we should know who we are. And where we are going. And that requires us to roll up our shirtsleeves and do a little heavy lifting. And maybe some dancing. Because there are lots of reasons to celebrate, and I’m not interested in a damn thing that doesn’t involve a bit dancing to remind us why we’re alive.  So, as I wander around the streets of Winnipeg this week, I really feel like Edmonton is an Aboriginal city in denial. We need to change that.

postawesome:

I respect a place that recognizes Riel’s role in establishing the province. Metis history is sorely misrepresented in most places. 

As a Metis person, I feel different walking around Winnipeg - where Metis history is clearly marked in art, buildings (even unassuming ones like the Louis Riel hotel), and discourse - than I do in Edmonton. I wish we could change that. At the very least, we could start recognizing people like Delia Gray in place names or building names. 

Winnipeg has the largest urban Aboriginal population in the country, and it’s made clear through the presence of buildings like the APTN offices or the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs offices on Portage. The downtown based University of Winnipeg offers a number of programs that focus on Aboriginal issues. I am particularly impressed by the Urban and Inner-City Studies Bachelor of Arts program. There are definitely tensions in the city, as evidenced by Air Canada’s boneheaded move earlier this year. But I think, overall, Edmonton (which has the second largest urban Aboriginal population in Canada) could learn a thing or two about how to acknowledge it’s indigeneity from cities like Winnipeg. 

It would be amazing if MacEwan, with its central campus, had an inner-city studies program similar to the University of Winnipeg. And if we had more leeway to pay for Aboriginal art in prominent places. And if we explored Indigenous-immigrant experiences in ways that challenged us, and made us think hard about how our city was (and is) built. It doesn’t always have to be neat and tidy, because our history certainly isn’t. But we should know who we are. And where we are going. And that requires us to roll up our shirtsleeves and do a little heavy lifting. And maybe some dancing. Because there are lots of reasons to celebrate, and I’m not interested in a damn thing that doesn’t involve a bit dancing to remind us why we’re alive. 

So, as I wander around the streets of Winnipeg this week, I really feel like Edmonton is an Aboriginal city in denial. We need to change that.

  1. minusfortyfive reblogged this from inandoutofplace
  2. lacollision reblogged this from postawesome
  3. shakeitupbebe reblogged this from ayiman and added:
    Co-co-signed. Remember, remember the 16th of November!
  4. knightoftaurus reblogged this from ayiman and added:
    Excellent post. :)
  5. sukoon reblogged this from ayiman and added:
    that would be super super bad-ass. I didn’t even know that Edmonton came second!
  6. kitzykid reblogged this from ayiman
  7. ayiman reblogged this from maybeedmonton
  8. djgagnon reblogged this from maybeedmonton
  9. maybeedmonton reblogged this from postawesome
  10. inandoutofplace reblogged this from postawesome and added:
    OUR FOUNDER. WEST IS BEST.
  11. heartdashbeats reblogged this from postawesome
  12. postawesome posted this