From intergenerational trauma to resilience: Edmonton Chinese and Indigenous youth conference builds understanding
Two groups of youth gathered in Edmonton's Chinatown this weekend to help exchange ideas and share their cultures to build greater solidarity.
For the first time in-person, youth from the Enoch Cree Nation and the local Chinese community hosted a series of panels, discussions, and forums, all centred on anti-racism and resiliency.
"We wanted to come together to build understanding between our communities and really get to know each other and building that relationship between the youth and the elders," said Eric Au, Chinese Benevolent Association of Edmonton Youth Council chair.
On Saturday, both groups participated in cultural demonstrations with a powwow, drumming circle, martial arts, and Indigenous and Chinese dances.
The focus turned to anti-racism on Sunday, with discussions demonstrating how racism and intergenerational trauma have impacted Indigenous and Chinese communities in different and parallel ways. The event culminates on Monday with a youth action planning project to help both communities concretely move forward together.
"As we grow up and go through the school system, we get an introduction to Indigenous history and the issues that non-white people face, but really, the need to learn is not very satisfied," Au added.
Eric Au, Chinese Benevolent Association of Edmonton Youth Council chair, said the pair of youth groups hope to host more events like the cultural conference in the future (CTV News Edmonton/Jessica Robb).
Dreydon Thomas, Enoch Youth Advisory Council member, explained how the Indigenous reserve system and historical attitudes and policies surrounding Chinatowns across Canada share similarities.
"Chinatowns come out of segregation in Canada, and as new Chinese immigrants used to come here they were put in areas where white people did not want to be," Au said.
"Indigenous peoples, in general, we've been placed on reservations, but also Chinese people have placed, segregated or even pushed to building in Chinatown places. That's where our groups feel comfortable and feel more like a community for ourselves.
"It's important to recognize that these spaces that come out of racist policies and disadvantages to non-white communities also create a place where we can come together and celebrate our cultures."
The youth councils hope that having these "hard-hitting" and difficult conversations will pave the way forward for a better future.
"It can get scary at times," Thomas said. "Building these relationships kind of help us in being able to tackle even bigger decisions, questions, and bigger difficulties."
"It shows the level of maturity and level of support not only to us but to different levels of government that we are able to have these conversations."
Dreydon Thomas, Enoch Youth Advisory Council member, said while discussing anti-racism can be difficult at times, finding out about shared experiences builds trust and resiliency (CTV News Edmonton/Jessica Robb).
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Sixty-five people registered to attend the weekend conference, with proceedings open to respective community members and all Edmontonians.
"If we want long-lasting solutions and we want to connect with those people, it has to be together," Au said.
For Amanda Morin, Enoch Cree Nation councillor, this weekend's conference represents the start of something greater.
"Speaking as an Indigenous woman, we were taught from our history in residential schools and colonialism to not speak," she told CTV News Edmonton. "That spaces weren't safe.
"It's super important as an Indigenous woman, as a mom, as a grandma, as a daughter, a sister, a friend, to be able to create these spaces so that our youth can start breaking those cycles of intergenerational trauma and we now call it intergenerational resiliency, so we can overcome."
As she listened to the youth and elders tackle different issues and approaches to anti-racism, Morin said she was encouraged to see the youth gain more courage to speak and engage.
"It makes me really happy," Morin said. "If you create the space, a safe space, those difficult conversations are no longer difficult and you can find a lot of love and support there.
"As each of our generations come along, they're realizing how similar we all are as humans.
"Realizing that we are not alone in a lot of things we've gone through. Regardless of our race, we're all human and being able to connect and share gives us all hope."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.