BRIDGING

The history of Indigenous and settler communities is intimately tied to the sharing of land, as is the legacy of racism and colonialism that continue to divide Saskatchewan residents. While we’d originally envisioned bridging youth from rural towns and neighbouring reserves through sharing physical space,  the virtual environment of a Zoom workshop offered the possibility of common territory in which to gather and build community connection. Through this work, we aimed to inspire youth to take leadership in anti-racist action, model how the arts foster strong relationships and healthy communication skills, and initiate inter-community comfort and dialogue.

Thus, during the coldest months of the year, when programming is often put on hold due to poor winter driving conditions, there was an excited and curious energy as Respond to Racism artists Kris Avarez, Judy Wensel, and Zoey Roy met online to bring together students from Indian Head High School and Nakoda Oyade Education Centre. By offering a range of creative explorations, we were able to identify what types of online games, art activities, and virtual tools worked best to engage students. We learned which activities invited participation from those who were less inclined to show themselves on screen or speak out loud. Online work was supplemented with old fashion package exchanges led by the artists, allowing for ongoing connection between virtual sessions.

From the onset some youth showed hesitancy to participate, refusing to show their faces during sessions and not engaging during discussions. One of them in particular would turn on her camera, but face it towards the wall. As the sessions continued, the group started building trust, opening up and participating. At one session, when the youth were asked to show their environment, this student showed the group not just her room, but also her face. She took time to explain the things in her space, while engaging with her peers and the artists, thereby building new relationships. Taking the time to build this type of trust is an important aspect of this program and gives us confidence in our ability to carry the project forward in 2022.