Dispatches from the Prairies
1/ I ran into a Black man in Duck Lake, Sask. We stopped to say hi and talk. It is that rare to run into a Black person in the town of 600 people. He is among the growing number of Black professionals moving into small Prairie towns. #canpoli #skpoli
2/ We also stopped to talk to each other because of our shared humanity in a place that Black people inhabit, but rarely accounts for their existence. #canpoli #skpoli
3/ Now, the question is : will he stay in Duck Lake? In the last 110 years, there has been various times in history, when Black people who come to live and work in the Prairies end up leaving. It happened with the first Black pioneers in Sask. Some stayed. Some left. #canpoli
4/ In the early 20th century, not all the Black pioneers stayed in Saskatchewan. Many faced discrimination. Some went back to the United States, while others went to Alberta. The Canadian government discouraged Black immigration under pressure from the public. #skpoli #canpoli
5/ In fact, Wilfrid Laurier's government introduced an order in council in 1911, which stated that province was not suitable for black people. In the 60s, many Black families left Saskatchewan as well. #canpoli #skpoli
6/ A story that stuck with me from one of those families. The parents decided to leave after their young son came back from school, and said he wanted to be white. They said they realized they had to leave because their child was face with invisibility. #skpoli #canpoli
7/ Twenty years ago, as a Black person when you saw a Black person on the streets in #Saskatoon...even blocks away, you waved at each other. In disbelief, curiosity, and mostly the 'I see you'. That's how I felt in Duck Lake. It's that feeling of surprise and joy #skpoli #canpoli
8/ I have travelled in the four corners of Saskatchewan. I have seen Black people in La Loche, Melfort, Batoche, etc. I have a sense times are changing. Saskatchewan has changed a lot in 20 years. Going forward, I am curious to see how things evolve. #skpoli #canpoli
9/ This is the Prairies. Duck Lake is a historical métis community. It is next to the Beardy's & Okemasis First Nation. I have written about the relationships between Black and Indigenous communities on the Prairies. I will write more about it. An important topic #canpoli #skpoli
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