[PJB]

One school, two grads
Jeanette Stewart, Saskatchewan News Network
Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2007
LEASK -- This community is polarized after graduation ceremonies broke down along racial lines -- one of non-aboriginal students and a second of mostly First Nations students.

In January, the 16 Grade 12 students at Leask Community School started organizing a ceremony for their class independently from the students who attend what is known as the Storefront program. It's an alternate program allowing adults to return to school and earn their high school diploma. Both programs usually hold a shared graduation ceremony.

"They made us feel pretty cheap," said 21-year-old Storefront graduate Jackie Bird, who is from nearby Mistawasis First Nation.

"It got to where the native students . . . wanted to come with us so they did," Bird said. "All the white kids are still having their own.

"They're trying to say it's not a racial matter, but it's kind of right in your face."

The students in the Grade 12 class grew up together and wanted their own ceremony to recognize that, said parent Myles Robins, who headed the committee that appealed to the school division for a separate ceremony.

"You graduate with people you don't know. It's not really the bonding experience," said Grade 12 graduate Tyler Hubbard after classes got out Monday afternoon.

Robins said, in past years, the combined ceremony focused more on the adult learners than the Grade 12s. The separate ceremony is set to go ahead on May 18, although officials from the Prairie Spirit School Division only participated in the May 4 Storefront ceremony, which honoured 15 Storefront grads and six students from the Leask Community School.

Three weeks before the May 4 Storefront grad ceremony, six graduating First Nations students said they were pulling out of the Grade 12 ceremony and joining the Storefront graduates, Robins said.

Robins couldn't explain why they did it, but said it was "devastating" for their classmates. The remaining 10 students took a vote and decided to go on with their separate ceremony.

Parents of the First Nations students would not comment on why they pulled out of the separate ceremony.

There has been an "ongoing dialogue" with parents over a "difference in opinion" over which programs should be included in the ceremony, said Evelyn Novak, the Director of Education at the Prairie Spirit School Division. "We've been meeting with parents around that and giving reasons why we want to be inclusive of all our students."

She said she and other superintendents of the school division attended the Leask Community School grad on May 4 and will not be attending the other ceremony.

Novak said students don't have to attend the official graduation ceremony to be recognized as having graduated from high school.

Students of the Storefront school said they were just happy to graduate and have their ceremony on May 4, but were confused over why a group that has been included in the past had to be separate this year.

Parents of the Grade 12 graduates holding a separate ceremony point to Warman and Saskatoon high schools, where graduates of alternative programming aren't usually included in graduation ceremonies.
"We did a lot of research," Robins said. "Warman has a Storefront, (and) they had their own ceremony. There are adult learning programs in Saskatoon ... they have their own ceremony.

"This has not got anything to do with racism or discrimination or anything like this," he said. "We feel so bad it has turned into that with some people."

Others in the surrounding communities think it's important for everyone to be included in the ceremony.
"If you can't graduate together, then why have a graduation," said Alma Primeau, a justice worker at Muskeg Lake First Nation.

Primeau said when people graduate they set an example for others. A graduation ceremony recognizes students' accomplishments and encourages others to go back to school.

"I can't say it is the age, and I can't say it is racism but to me that's what it is," Primeau said of the decision to hold separate ceremonies.

Many people in town were hesitant to talk about what happened. An employee at the Leask Hotel called it a "headache in the community."

However, Robins said people in town have been supportive of the Grade 12 graduates. He said a community bottle drive raised more than $1,000 for the grads.




© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007

[canucker]

I don't know about "racist", it seems more like age discrimination. At least they are having a community dialogue regarding the issue, hopefully it will come up with a solution that will appease both sides in the future.

Link?

[otobuilder]

it may seem like age discrimination but there could be other events not highlighted. They must have valid reason to do this, perhaps they should have solved it privately.

[Daovonnaex]

What's up with the topic title? The way it's phrased makes it seem like most racist things are not, in fact, sad.

[icekarma2752]

truth is racism runs rampant in sask and man,...regrettable but true...to this very day there are ppl from saskatoon who actually applaud the actions of the saskatoon police force for driving natives out of town and stranding them resulting in some of them freezing to death

[PJB]

icekarma2752 wrote:

truth is racism runs rampant in sask and man,...regrettable but true...to this very day there are ppl from saskatoon who actually applaud the actions of the saskatoon police force for driving natives out of town and stranding them resulting in some of them freezing to death

You are correct. There is rampant racism in both SK and MB but it occurs on both sides of the fence. Natives are the first to scream racism when things don't go their way.

[xerxes]

It doesn't sound explicitly racist, I think it just looks racist by default.

[Daovonnaex]

xerxes wrote:

It doesn't sound explicitly racist, I think it just looks racist by default.

It's arguably endemic of institutional racism in Canada which dooms indians to life as second-class citizens.

[icekarma2752]

PJB wrote:

icekarma2752 wrote:

truth is racism runs rampant in sask and man,...regrettable but true...to this very day there are ppl from saskatoon who actually applaud the actions of the saskatoon police force for driving natives out of town and stranding them resulting in some of them freezing to death

You are correct. There is rampant racism in both SK and MB but it occurs on both sides of the fence. Natives are the first to scream racism when things don't go their way.

yes...the reality is natives are the most racist...ironically whites are the least racist for the simple reason we have the most awareness of it

[icekarma2752]

PJB wrote:

icekarma2752 wrote:

truth is racism runs rampant in sask and man,...regrettable but true...to this very day there are ppl from saskatoon who actually applaud the actions of the saskatoon police force for driving natives out of town and stranding them resulting in some of them freezing to death

You are correct. There is rampant racism in both SK and MB but it occurs on both sides of the fence. Natives are the first to scream racism when things don't go their way.

actually i forgot to mention PJB i used to drive cab in regina ages ago...and the horror stories i could tell you....

[icekarma2752]

Daovonnaex wrote:

xerxes wrote:

It doesn't sound explicitly racist, I think it just looks racist by default.

It's arguably endemic of institutional racism in Canada which dooms indians to life as second-class citizens.

institutional?? i dont think so..natives get some pretty awesome breaks...and i have no objection to it BUT heres the catch..i want those same breaks too

[PJB]

icekarma...I hate Regina with a passion. It is a city that shouldn't exist except for all the damn government jobs there.

[icekarma2752]

PJB wrote:

icekarma...I hate Regina with a passion. It is a city that shouldn't exist except for all the damn government jobs there.

you got that right regina is the classical example of the failure of socialism...give me saskatoon any day of the week...and strangely enough moose jaw is a nice little city

[PJB]

icekarma...Saskatoon is a beautiful city but it is getting taken over. Never been to Moose Jaw other than driving around it. Prince Albert is a hole but I like good ole Yorkton. Not all that big but has pretty much everything.

[icekarma2752]

PJB wrote:

icekarma...Saskatoon is a beautiful city but it is getting taken over. Never been to Moose Jaw other than driving around it. Prince Albert is a hole but I like good ole Yorkton. Not all that big but has pretty much everything.

ok..you have me at a disadvantage..ive havent been to yorkton since i was a child...and yes..if you hate regina..why would you like prince albert?? but seriously moose jaw is a nice,clean,friendly city..and yes saskatoon is being over-run by the native gangs..but if you avoid those areas you'll be ok