Saskatoon reports find racism is a big concern for the aboriginal community

Two city-led reports released today offer some encouraging signs, but also paint a stark picture of the challenges faced by aboriginal people living in Saskatoon.

The findings flow from an environmental scan of programs and services for aboriginal people in Saskatoon, and from an urban aboriginal community gathering held last summer.

The two reports uncover some common themes.

One of them is racism, and the impact it has on urban aboriginal people.

The City of Saskatoon’s director of aboriginal relations said that some of the stories people told revealed both subtle and overt racism in the system.  

"Right from medical personnel who were diagnosing people based on stereotypes right through to discrimination in the allocation of housing,” said director Gilles Dorval.

Dorval will table the reports today with the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee. While the findings suggest there is much work to do, Dorval said there were some examples of success, and cited the work police have done in the city to rebuild a level of trust within the aboriginal community.

He said that the responsibility does not just lie with institutions like local government or the health care system.

Dorval also called on individual citizens to stand up, and speak out when they see injustice out on the streets.

"We need to, as individuals, take some responsibility in helping each other create a more welcoming environment."