Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 60 • Issue 24
Book a way to preserve and pass on memoriesgather of growing up in Churchill Hundreds at Thompson City Hall in support of Black Lives Matter scarred for life. What am I supposed to do, allow The protest movement four people to beat me to against police brutality death before the justice and anti-black racism system will see my face sparked by the killing of and come to my help? George Floyd by a Minne- Four people attacked me apolis police officer who and I was charged. Nothkneeled on his neck for ing happened to the people nearly nine minutes ar- and I lived my life as a rived in Thompson June convict for three years.” Also addressing the 5, when a few hundred people gathered at Mac- crowd was Deon Howard, Lean Park in front of City who said harassment he Hall for a rally in support suffered at work was dismissed by his superiors. of Black Lives Matter. “People in power would The crowd, which included representatives of say terrible things based all three levels of govern- on my race or the fact that ment as well as Thomp- I’m transgender,” said son RCMP detachment Howard. “I got to a point members and ordinary where I couldn’t take it citizens of all racial back- any more. When I tried to grounds, heard from sev- reach out for help, I was eral Thompson residents given the runaround. The who shared their experien- people in power said terces of being discriminated rible things, they gaslightagainst because they are ed me and they made me feel small. They made me black. Joseph Onwu, who feel like maybe I’m not came to Canada from worth anything.” Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Karen O’Gilvie, who Nigeria in 2013, said he ended up with a crimin- moved to Canada from Joseph Onwu was one of several Thompson residents who spoke about their experiences with anti-black racism at a al record that was later Jamaica seven years ago, June 5 rally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. expunged because he de- says she and her family Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham racism. fended himself when at- have experienced racism how much he must have political system, isn’t people can work together Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. “You are standing up tacked by a group of white in this country and in thought about his life and broken,” she said. “It was peacefully. “I feel good standing for the underdog, you are Thompson, though there the contributions he must built this way and that is people in Winnipeg. BY“My IANhead GRAHAM For all the weather write things youposihave ‘Oh, just as very safe when people say standing haveI’m made in bad, this right?’ world was here seeing all you people, upharsh for the opwhatnot we aare here to thing fight swallow have also beenthat many was smashed to EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar on the wall, my phone tives that helped them to and in that moment it against today. We stand seeing all these young pressed, the people whose Though she’s now written when I get through.” need tonothing capture because them for thought that was exciting findIsomewhere said if it peoplejust here. don’t see bears, voices deMeulles haven’t been heard, with everybody who is should broke so I grabbed a deal with the negative Imeant a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would of the colour of his skin saying we will not accept no buildings burning, I and unless that is done, weapon to deter them interactions. ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because will be lost if they startedanymore, throwing that the don’t “To see say,no‘Those people have moved to Churchis sad.” cars burning. things don’tback change,” he this system “Whether we live in and that they and I went to my neighAddictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. Churchill-Keewatinook there has to be change, not I don’t see no police with said. “Black people have bour’s place, begged for the United States or not, Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for Aski SheNDP also has reputation I was probably sitting should is quite “I miss the shoreline, MPa Niki Ash- cats, nice words, not just taking tear gasjust andleave,’ that’s the way been speaking for years.I their phone and called whether we know the Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I the The issue is that miss they ha911,” Onwu related while young man that died or ton said that systemic ra- a knee for a photo op. Sys- it’s supposed to be.” ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though Fred Ntwari, who came ven’t been heard. Their fighting off tears. “When not, it should affect us that cism in the United States temic change is needed for always thought she would you know what, this his- tory I would tell people herjustice.” on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and in Canada is not an spurred there to be to Canada from Burundi voices haven’t been heard. 911 came, guess who a life was snuffed out in and and do. tory, this stuff that’s in my hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go, Elder Jack Robinson, as a child, reminded the It takes people of different they arrested? I was the the manner that it was,” accident. “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s true, is it?’ I’d go, since Hudson aBay Rail- about they Bay,” she says. “When I go “Thenotsystem, whethcrowdthat thatsoitwhy wasdon’t importskin tones to stand up and who the delivered prayer one arrested. Up to this said O’Gilvie, who works felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, have the option to do that? back home, standing on the way suspended operations day nothing happened to as a teacher and is also a er it’s the police system, to open the rally, said it ant to have a broad co- be courageous like you are said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out those people and I was church pastor. “I imagine the justice system, the was proof that different alition speak out against for things to change.” on BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve alat that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories bea lot of skill in university cause she always tells her and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always writing and SWEEPING, confidence in LAWN hounded her, ‘Please, just POWER MOWING, my writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it AERATION, DETHATCHING & SPRAYING clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought,
“Gravel on your lawn? Gotta be gone.”
you? You’ve got to be really old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually I did all that before I was 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” Looking back, some of those experiences are things she might not do again. “I did some pretty bizarre stuff like fuel hauls into the high Arctic at -35,” said deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn on me until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
“It used to be a really thriving large community and it’s just dwindled down to such a small population now,” deMeulles says. Though she’s not there any longer, her parents and her sister and other family members still are. “My cousin owns the hardware store there,” she says. Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”
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