Regina - Thursday, December 19, 2002 - By: Stu Innes

Editor's note: Stu Innes is responding to the story that appeared on this web site Tuesday, December 7, 2002, The Only Good Indian . . . Below are comments from another reader As I see it you are right on re: Mr Ahenakue. I think that he finally reached the flash point and all of the built up frustration finally let go. And of course with a hungry news hound handy what else could be expected. Victor Cote I was just reading your statements regarding the Ahenakew issue. I, like many in our society, have formed an impression of the situation based on my own unique perspective. It is the perspective that I want to comment on more closely than what may seem like the meat of the matter to many others including perhaps yourself. You have stated that an aboriginal oratory might differ from some other oratory and I have no concept of that. I would think that each individual oratory would reflect a perspective and nothing more or less than that, it still would be based to a degree on our experience which would ultimately include our family and cultural upbringing. Having said that I still do not think that the concept of an aboriginal oratory label holds any substance for me. What does hold substance is individual perspective based on experience. I believe that unfamiliarity is often mistaken for prejudice by both the minority individual as well as the majority individual.

Consider an individual who walks into a room full of strangers of a different culture. This would be un-nerving to a certain degree to the minority individual almost certainly resulting in behavior that would be significantly different from that were the individual walking into a room full of "same culture" strangers.

This uneasiness might even be mistaken by the person themselves as a feeling of prejudice and result in additional feelings of guilt! Now we have an anxious person filled with self doubt and guilt about their own racial biases who will be interacting with a room full of majority strangers.

What impression will the room full of majority strangers have of the minority individual?

Of course we end up with many variables in this scenario depending on the interpersonal skills of all those in the room. The nutshell version is that sometimes people with cultural differences have difficulty bridging cultural gaps simply do to unfamiliarity and inexperience with people from other cultures, in my humble opinion and in my limited experience.

I also think many of us or perhaps all of us harbour "little" prejudices such as - farmers only work half the year and so on about how much they are worth to society - or - government employees and their managers can be counted on to do the work of at least half the same number private sector workers - and so on and so on but many of us or perhaps all of us know for certain that these "little' stereotypes are just stereotypes and based on minimal information and more significant entertainment value from a time past when less politically correct humour was always taken with salt and recognized for what it was not, in addition to the attempt at humour that is was.

Getting back to Mr. Ahenakew and anyone else who may have made a statement that was in no way humourous as it related to a prejudice I believe we must remember that there is no way to determine the depth of the statement and that to take it at face value only demonstrates that we have chosen to ignore our own "little" stereotypical perceptions and instead have chosen to think the worst of Mr. Ahenakew with the majority having absolutely no first hand knowledge of the man or the situation beyond what the media have chosen to portray.

I will not judge Mr. Ahenakew or his taped statement on that basis nor do I believe any taxpayer dollars ought to be directed toward a police investigation no matter how many "personally offended" individuals or groups demand it.

This in particular after Mr. Ahenakew has made his best effort to publicly apologize and has removed himself from all political and cultural activities.

If some folks are not satisfied with his efforts they must see a much clearer image in the mirror than I.

Do I know Mr. Ahenakew? - No Am I a Canadian Indian ? - No Do I know any Canadian Indians or Metis - A few but I never bothered to call them up to chat about this because it really doesn't have any more to do with them than any one else I know (since prejudice is not limited to one cu ltural group or two).

Should we as individual Canadians do anything about this? - Try to learn about other cultures with friendship, respect and natural curiosity - most folks will share their cultural information with you were you to demonstrate an interest, in my humble opinion and in my limited experience.

Or you could try writing a short note to an internet audience with the hope of bringing as many cultures as possible just a tiny bit closer to understanding each other.

Stu Innes

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