This past week was just a perfect time for the NWT Human Rights Commission as a member working with commission staff and other commissioners.
We started with the NWT Teachers’ Association, who hosted a trade show at Weledeh School. It was one of the first trade shows since the pandemic began and everyone was excited. I enjoy trade shows because you get to see people who you don’t see often enough.
This year in particular was enjoyable for reuniting with people after a two-year pandemic ban on large gatherings. We explained the role of the human rights office staff to take in complaints and the commission’s new role to adjudicate issues in a restorative measure and passed out information and swag. All of our swag deals with issues of disability: jar openers, magnifiers for reading, Braille business cards, pencil holders for those with small or disabled fingers, to list a few.
Information pamphlets summarize the areas of discrimination people may experience from race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability and provide direction on how to approach the issue to resolution, with contacts for staff members.
Legislation calls for resolution under a restorative practices format, rather than an adversarial format. It is a means to find common ground for the complainant and respondent to work toward, deal with the issues of the complaint and reconcile how to forge a better and stronger relationship for the future. This will be better in terms of dealing with people that work and live close to each other.
To our pleasant surprise, there were teachers who discussed how restorative practices work in the educational field to deal with the ageless issue of bullying in physical, psychological and intellectual areas.
Off to the Dehcho
This week, we travelled with commission staff to Fort Simpson to see staff inform elementary, middle and high school students on human rights and the restorative means to deal with the issues that arise in their lives.
As members of the commission, we met with community officials. Again, we would meet with persons who had already embraced and implemented restorative practices in their workplaces. It was gratifying to know so many understood the issue of restorative process and implemented such. And it was wonderful to see people I have met over almost 50 years in the NWT. There were plenty of hugs.
On the night of Oct. 25, the NWT Human Rights Commission hosted a meet and greet. There was a draw for a canvas tent and stove as an enticement to bring people out. More than 50 people attended to sign draw cards, but were warned early they would first hear a few words from our chair about work done on the issues the act includes.
While the enticement was good, so were the conversations and referrals to commission staff on issues people have held close to their chest, wondering what to do about them.
Why is a human rights commission necessary? I can tell you that many issues of discrimination will continue to fester without the commission and its mandate. I saw this many times working as the executive director of the Native Court Workers that so many issues fell between the cracks of legislative authority — racism being a huge issue. There had to be a criminal offence in cases to adjoin the issue of intent for criminal law issues and in civil issues, there was no legislation to deal with such.
Surprisingly, the human rights legislation in the NWT is relatively new. It was only passed in 1999. There was a fair amount of defensiveness from GNWT departments telling elected officials such legislation was not needed. As the Native Court Workers, we requested this legislation since the 1970s, seeing discrimination issues continue unabated without it.
If the act didn’t exist, complainants would continue to endure the harmful effects of discrimination within the realm of limited governance compliance, particularly those who endure the now more “covert” forms, or understated racism and neglected issues of accessibility. At worst, issues of discrimination could become open and ugly as they have been in the past.
I am happy to be a member of the commission and continue to push its mandate into the public realm. We have a great chair in Charles Dent, who is very aware of the act and restorative practices.
We need such.