Smithers Bridging Committee History

2000

• Part of the Northwest Regional Network of OARH (Organizing Against Racism and Hate)

• 2000 - 2020: Involved in Safe Harbour Initiatives

• 2020 to 2024: Smithers Anti-Racism Bridging Committee is part of Resilience BC

2001:

• Social Planning Council Issues Forum - May 25, 2001

2002:

• Social Planning Council Issues Forum - May 10 and 11

• Cross cultural relationships, especially Indigenous/non-Indigenous, identified as a top community priority

2003:

• Bridging to the Future - Creating the Future We Want for our Children and Youth

• April 25, 26 in Smithers and Witset - Speakers and Food

2004:

• Bridging to the Future - Creating the Future We Want for our Children and Youth

• May 6, 7 in Smithers and Witset - Storytelling, Children’s Festival which included music, dancing, a community feast & youth activities

2005:

• Festival of Nations - A Celebration of Culture

• June 22 - Witset Multiplex - children’s activities. Interpretive hike, feast style dinner, music and dance variety show

2006:

• Festival of Nations - A Celebration of Culture

• June 22 - Witset Multiplex - Children’s Festival of Nations. Highway of Tears art display, multicultural dinner, music and dance performance, paddle pledge

2007:

• Festival of Nations - A Celebration of Culture

• June 24 - Smithers Secondary School - Cross-Cultural Dialogue, Pow Wow group, outdoor multicultural feast, music and dance performance, Paddle Pledge

2008:

• Festival of Nations - A Celebration of Culture

• May 16 - Smithers Secondary School - Invitation to Dialogue: Creating a process to respond to racism in the community of Smithers and surrounding areas

2009:

• Response to Racism

2010:

• Festival of Nations - A Celebration of Culture

• June 11 - Children’s Festival, food, performance

• Finding Our Place - Stories in Movement Workshop

• Finding Our Way - Dialogue and Film

• Created and Aboriginal Liaison Officer with the Town of Smithers

2011:

• Finding Our Way - Dialogue and Film

2012:

• Talk by Dr. Waziyatawin, “What Does Justice Look Like?”

• Embrace B.C. Youth Dialogues

• Making Waves Workshops -movement with community members

2013:

• Festival of Nations

• Feb 12th - A Celebration of Wet’suwet’en History - display at Northwest Community College

• Feb 14th - Taste of Nations - Smithers

• Feb 16th - Storytelling of Nations - Smithers

2014:

• Taste of Culture Dinner

• Bookclub - Unsettling the Settler Within, Paulette Regan and Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

• Response to Racism - facilitated presentation of 2 individual stories of racism to a multi sector team - December 10th

2015:

• Taste of Culture Dinner

• Worked with S.D. 54 and the Smithers Library to bring Richard Wagamese for school and community presentations in Smithers and Witset - February 12 - 14.

• Dancers of Damelahamid - November 26th

2016:

• Acknowledging Territory Information Booklet /Smithers Bridging Committee Information Guide developed and distributed

• Work on Anti-Racism Protocol ongoing - documenting incidents of racism

• Culture Days - October 1st and 2nd - cultural information, acknowledgement, welcome and storytelling

2017:

• Hired Valerie Laub to collect, tell/perform stories related to racism

• Presentation entitled SKIN at Old Church on March 23, 2017 as part of OARH (Organizing Against Racism and Hate), event

• Continuous feedback on and distribution of the Acknowledging Territory Information Guides

• Sponsored 2 seats at Molly Wickham’s course for women and self empowerment

  Provided funds for a drumming/dancing group for a Truth and Reconciliation event at the Library June 10th

• Facilitated Witsuwit’en 101 at the Old Church. Received a grant from the Wedzinkwa Community Forest corporation for anti-racism outreach to our community.