Reconciliation

Ward 11 in the City of Calgary is one small corner of Treaty 7 land. As immediate neighbours of the Tsuut'ina nation we recognize all of Ward 11 resides on the traditional territories of the Tsuut'ina, the Blackfoot confederacy, the Ĩyãħé Nakoda nation. As neighbours we are stewards to the prosperous and just future for all Indigenous Canadians including the Metis, Inuit, displaced, and urban Indigenous who live across Calgary and in Treaty 7 territory.

When I was in Jr. High, students were bussed in from the Tsuuti’ina nation. From this we were exposed to hoop dancers, Indigenous artists, round dances, and bannock. What we were really part of was a system of racism and oppression. Bridging the gap wasn’t easy. You were told by older students that the ‘indians’ were lazy, poor students, and you had to watch your back because they would fight with you for no reason. I struggled. I watched them struggle. At the time I didn’t have the skills to build a bridge between our communities.

Fast forward to adulthood, when I’ve taken concrete steps towards understanding the truth about our history and the narrative we’ve been told as settlers. I’ve been fortunate enough to have learning opportunities from Indigenous leaders in our city on land acknowledgements, smudging, Indigenous economic prosperity, the intention of treaty, the Indian act and the repercussions, have read the Truth and Reconciliation 94 calls to action, and most impactfully, I have been involved in a blanket exercise.

If you’ve never had a chance to be part of one. I want to change that. It changed me. I was able to reflect on my junior high years and see the years of generational trauma manifest itself. I saw children who were on their way to adulthood who had no one to believe in their abilities, this is the system they were still a part of. The narrative, the stereotypes, the racism. I felt and feel deep shame over my contribution to this. 

Calgary has received the White Goose Flying Report. I believe the calls to action from the White Goose Flying Report must be championed by this next council. I would be happy to lead a recommitment call with the new council group and recommit administration to making progress on the specific calls to action.

There has been a call for a dedicated Indigenous gathering place in Calgary. It is time to honour the commitment and move forward on finding a location in Calgary.

I am in favour of supporting Indigenous led justice and harm reduction. We must acknowledge the distrust in colonial systems like health care and law enforcement. This must be accomplished through budget allocations.

Things specifically I want to accomplish in Ward 11 are:

• Strengthening the relationship with the Tsuuti'na nation as direct neighbours. This includes bridging the relationships between nation leaders and community leaders. 
  

• I want to support community associations and other non-profits in Ward 11 in their reconciliation work so they understand that their actions and decisions are part of a just future. This can include land acknowledgement training, participating in blanket exercises, or shared events and learning opportunities.
  

• In Ward 11 I would like to host a Neighbour Day celebration bringing together Treaty 7 Nations and neighbourhoods. This could be a city wide effort and I would work with colleagues to bring this forward.

​Reconciliation is an ongoing process. I am committed to unlearning my biases I’ve been taught. I'm committed to learning about ways in which we can support Indigenous teaching and leadership into our systems, services, and solutions.

Kourtney