ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 2016

BRIDGES: Phase 2 Finding Common Ground in
Prince Albert
BRIDGES, (Building Relationships Interculturally through Dialogue and Growing Engagement in Saskatchewan) is
a provincial partnership between the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, the Aboriginal Friendship Centres
of Saskatchewan (AFCS) and the Saskatchewan Association for Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies
(SAISIA). The three organizations are acutely aware of the challenges posed to all Canadians by the legacies of
colonialism, including legal restrictions and residential schools, and the need to break down stereotypes and
build relationships. As a country, we are just beginning to embark on the long-term process of reconciliation.
Establishing trust takes time and can be achieved by getting to know each other, learning about norms, protocols
and traditions, sharing cultural practices and values, and seeing each other as community members with a
common stake in the future.
Made possible by a grant from SaskCulture’s Multicultural Initiatives Fund to AFCS, the project is about removing
barriers to connections so Indigenous and newcomer participants can learn about each other, identify individual
and cultural similarities and differences, and see each other as allies. This strengthens the fabric of communities,
so people are able to plan for the future and resolve issues as they arise. During Phase 1: Blueprints for BRIDGES
with research through literature, interviews and consultations, the partners recognized a need and desire to
offer opportunities for communities to learn and engage in BRIDGES activities that can be demonstrated to have
a positive impact on participants and their communities. Phase 2: Pilot Project Common Ground was created in
partnership with the Prince Albert Multicultural Council (PAMC), the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre of Prince
Albert (IMFCPA) and the YWCA of Prince Albert, with Karen Cay as project coordinator.
To accomplish phase 2 of this project, local partners planned two series of monthly gatherings from September
to March; one aimed at the staff/organizational level, with the three local partners, and the other at a social/
community level, to get people to connect. The first community gathering was Tapestrama, PAMC’s yearly
celebration of cultural diversity in September. There were some interactions between newcomers and long
term First Nations residents at the festival. The October gathering was the friendship centre’s annual round
dance that, with fantastic guidance from Elder Stuart Amyotte, took on a multicultural ambience and provided
a good way to introduce people to Indigenous culture in a relaxed social atmosphere. The December potluck
supper included PAMC student presentations about their home countries and impromptu speakers representing
Cree, Métis and Dene cultures. In January, Cay experimented with an activity of Talking Tables: one on one
conversations between a First Nations/Métis person and a Newcomer on topics such as “what did you enjoy as a
child?” and “what are your hopes, your family, and your fears?” Intense and enthusiastic conversations ensued,
leaving participants emotional from the connections with people they had seen as very different. Intercultural
Storytelling with Word, Music and Dance provided an opportunity to share traditional stories and personal stories
resulting in real understanding beyond misconceptions transmitted by media and social media to a common sense
of both suffering and wonder. The Intercultural Shindig was the final event of the pilot project with performers,
games, and a potluck supper.
“[Misunderstandings] are based on perceptions of both group. The best way to overcome dehumanization is to
learn about each other,” explains Karen Cay, Project Coordinator. “Then “them” becomes “us”, and there is no
racism/discrimination in us.”
Dr. Joe Garcea, a political science professor from the University of Saskatchewan, helped to design a process to
assess the impact of each activity. A positive outcome could be participants choosing to work together on other
community action projects. This will assist the provincial partners to create a framework to support intercultural
connections across the province. We intend to establish a set of criteria for local projects that we can offer
funding and training support through the Education and BRIDGES Coordinator in BRIDGES phase 3.
The BRIDGES partnership shares a belief that a welcoming community is one that encourages and promotes
positive aspects of cultural diversity and seeks out commonalities in humans by developing intercultural
relationships. We hope that Common Ground will serve as a model for education, understanding, and interaction
between newcomers and Indigenous people.
30 Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan