Hundreds turn out to support Val-d'Or Native Friendship Centre's action against racism

As an Anishinaabe woman and the executive director of the Val-d'Or Native Friendship Centre, Edith Cloutier has witnessed the lasting impact of racism directed at Indigenous people in the Abitibi region. But as she looked forward to a week of action against racism, Cloutier was feeling optimistic and grateful to get back to hosting an in-person event that brings communities together.

"Change is slow when we talk about transformation in a society," she told Quebec AM's Peter Tardif. "But what's important is that we are moving forward, and that everyone is respected in the way we move forward."

On Thursday, Cloutier joined hundreds of students, teachers, Indigenous people and their allies as they took to the streets of Val-d'Or, 500 kilometres northwest of Montreal, to take part in the annual Gabriel Commanda march. The event pays tribute to the Anishinaabe prospector who discovered Quebec's largest gold deposit, at a time when Indigenous people were largely excluded from the mining industry.

"We've been holding this march for over 20 years, and for the past two years we couldn't gather to walk," Cloutier said. "We're very excited."

Throughout the past week, the friendship centre and its partners — which include the city of Val-d'Or, the local library, university and CEGEP and an Indigenous knowledge research network called Dialog — have held public meetings, training sessions on discrimination and an interactive forum on reconciliation.

This year, the Montreal Canadiens Childrens' Foundation and a former Habs' right-winger, Georges Laraque, joined in as well, inspiring the 2022 theme of "In sport, as in life, racism has no place."

Laraque says his horrible experience as a Black minor hockey player in Quebec is what drives him to educate parents and encourage young people to speak out when they hear racial slurs or witness discrimination on the ice or elsewhere.

"Racism against a Black person, against First Nations, it's the same thing: it's racism," he said. "I fight for equality for all. That's why I got involved."

Laraque spent the week chatting with students over Zoom, urging aspiring athletes to follow their dreams, and sharing his story of how perseverance and determination in the face of racism led to a career in the NHL.

"Every day, when I was going to the rink I would get called the N-word," said Laraque. "And there was no program like this. I just had to be strong."

Cloutier says the friendship centre struck up a relationship with the Canadiens after the team's children's foundation paid for a Bleu, Blanc, Bouge refrigerated outdoor skating rink which opened in downtown Val-d'Or in February.

Cloutier says the two organizations "slowly walked a path of reconciliation." Before joining in on the week of action, the Canadiens showed an interest in learning more about Anishinaabe history and traditions and asked for the friendship centre's input on the territorial land acknowledgement presented before home games at the Bell Centre.

Cloutier sees sports as a way into the hearts and minds of young people but also as a vehicle to bring a message of inclusion to a larger audience.

"We know how connected the Montreal Canadiens are with their fans — and a lot of Indigenous fans, also," said Cloutier.