Racism and Intersections of Identity

Author: Hinano Rosa

In September 2006, 60 Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiians) came to Edmonton, Alberta to participate in the 5^th Gathering of “Healing Our Spirit Worldwide.”   Our collective purpose was and is to share the experiences, resilience and challenges confronting Indigenous peoples across the many paths of life and across many parts of mother earth. The Gathering was and is to recognise and strengthen our resilience to empower all of us, offering new and old teachings to our lives and futures.

Coming from a sovereign Nation that is colonized and illegally occupied, we clearly understood the effects of colonialism but were deeply troubled by the story of Residential Schools/Industrial Schools in both Canada and the United States.  For many of us this was the first time we had ever heard of such a story, as little was known of Canada by a vast number of us.  On the last night of this conference was where I met my future wife, Doreen Waskewitch.

Doreen is a Nehiyawak from Onion Lake Cree Nation that sits on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan.   Her father, the late Edmund Waskewitch was a First Nations man originally from Kehewin but moved with his family to Onion Lake when he was a child, and her mother Hazel Fox (Gladue) is Metis from the settlement of Fishing Lake. Hazel’s grandfather originally comes from St. Paul De Metis. Doreen embraces both sides of her heritage.

I moved here to St. Paul on January 28, 2008.   I left Hawaii and arrived in Edmonton to -40 degree weather.  Prior to the move I had visited here on 3 separate occasions.

My first visit in October 2006 was the first time I experienced racism in St. Paul when Doreen and I went into a store (unnamed) and the clerk followed me around.   I turned to ask if she was following me and she stated, “I’m sorry sir, but your people tend to shoplift here.”  At which I replied, “I’m from Hawaii.”  She said, “I thought you were different because of your accent.”  I later told Doreen what had happened and she said that’s how it is here.

Throughout my 10 years as an immigrant and a permanent resident of Canada I have experienced racism from all sides.  My position as Executive Director of Mannawanis Native Friendship Centre, me being from Hawaii (therefore not Native) and that I can sing has allowed me to access mainstream society.  These definitely have allowed me to move in circles that would be considered “White privileged.”  It has allowed me to speak on Indigenous issues around tables that would have dismissed me.  Many of my discussion on these tables have been met with eyes rolling back (not again) or silence to allow me to finish and be done with it.  It leaves a feeling of disconnection.

It is a Kanaka Maoli custom that we acknowledge the original people on whose land we step on and ask for permission to do so.  Marrying a Nehiyawak does not automatically translate in acceptance.  My favourite saying is, “Sitting in a chicken coop doesn’t make you a chicken.”  I have had the privilege of being and working on Reserves as well as participating in ceremonies and other cultural practices and activities.  The four things that contribute to this is my skin color, my wife, that I am from Hawaii and I am the Director of Mannawanis.  At any given time one of these allows me to access Indigenous people.  The fact that I am not indigenous to this land has not been lost on me.  I am still an outsider that married a Nehiyawak.  It too leaves a feeling of disconnection.

Being a permanent resident and not being a Canadian makes me an outsider.  I often wonder how other immigrants deal with this.  I often ask them what do they do or where do they go after work as I don’t see them in our community.  Being Indigenous but not of this land makes me an outsider and I am reminded constantly.  Where do I sit?

As a Kanaka Maoli I can only sit with the Indigenous People through respect and responsibility but I am actually a Canadian by Treaty.  It has been a difficult task walking this fine line.  The Indigenous want their story told, the non-Indigenous European descendants want to dictate how it should be told, and the immigrants want to enjoy the benefits by not getting involved.

Ekosi maka,

 

Hinano Rosa