As many of you know, we are in another age.
The standards that were delighting existed now are being challenged.
The statues are being removed.
The NFL Washington team is giving up its so-called “red skins.” The same goes for Edmonton’s Eskimos.
We are bound to be able to think of thousands of examples. Minorities, whose voices have long been ignored, are born to be heard.
Here in Squamish, our former N.W.A. nickname, “Squampton”, has a lot of debate.
So what do we do?
There are some who say that there are bigger problems in the world. That haggling over issues like nicknames and offensive terms are really distracting from the greater issue. They’re not wrong.
No, the term “Squampton” is not made with bad intentions.
But first, let’s get some context up.
We are an outdoor city. Squamish is proud of his recreation. We are “under pressure for adventure” and, for a while, we call ourselves “the recreational capital of Canada.”
However, it is no secret that during North America, the outdoors has not been too varied. Minorities are underrepresented in outdoor recreation.
In the United States, the New York Times reported in 2013: “Only one in five visitors to a park across the country is never very white,” according to a 2011 University of Wyoming report commissioned through the Park Service, and only one in Ten visitors are Hispanic, unclear support from the population of the country running through the demographic.
Here in Canada, in 2018, the CBC reported an “adventure gap” that showed that minorities are less likely to pursue adventures.
This year, the CBC reported that the outdoor recreation activity “faces its own diversity and inclusion.”
No, neither of us can be angry through our nickname “Squampton”. But for anyone and everyone who is never very angry, there is another person who silently thinks that he is never very welcome in our city, nor in our outdoor spaces.
If they are serious about it, it may be worth thinking about how “Squampton” sounds to some, even if it was created with good intentions. We’re not saying that “Squampton” must be erased from our history, but rather than name-calling those who raise concerns about the phrase, there should at least be some effort made to understand a different viewpoint.
If it’s too much to ask, that’s fine. And perhaplaystation understandable. But let’s admit, in this case, that diversity is never our priority.