Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

In December 2015, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released their 94 “Calls to Action” calling on all forms of government to begin the process of Reconciliation. The Lethbridge Indigenous Sharing Network (LISN), which is a network of Urban Indigenous Agencies, came together to start discussing Urban Indigenous issues in Lethbridge. In 2016, Alberta Culture and Community Spirit and Native Counselling Services, led the LISN through a series of strategic planning sessions, which resulted in the creation of a community based “Urban Indigenous Community Plan”. Of the recommendations in the plan, reconciliation was considered a main priority to be addressed. In September 2016, a reconciliation sub-committee was formed consisting of many stakeholders and the process towards creating a “Reconciliation Implementation Plan” commenced. The reconciliation sub-committee collaborated with appropriate members of Lethbridge City Council and administration and consulted with Elders from the Blackfoot Confederacy to come up with a plan. The plan, approved by Lethbridge City Council in June 2017, provides recommendations for municipal action as specified in the TRC, as well as actions that the broader community can take, through various agencies, organizations and individuals. The speaker will elaborate on the specifics of the plan, which also will be highlighted during various events at Lethbridge Reconciliation Week, September 18-23, 2017 Speaker: Roy Pogorzelski Roy Pogorzelski, a traditional Métis from Saskatchewan, is the director for the Iikaisskini (Low Horn) FNMI Gathering Place at U of L. He has worked with several municipalities to create a National Equity and Inclusion Guide, facilitated human rights training in Europe, instructed courses at the First Nations University of Canada and at the U of L and chaired the Reconciliation Committee for the City of Lethbridge. Melanie Joly, Canadian Heritage minister, recently appointed Pogorzelski to a four-year term as a director for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Pogorzelski was the Inclusion Consultant with the City of Lethbridge and in that role was recently invited to represent UNESCO Canada for the City at the International Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ICCAR) meetings in Kenya. In addition to being a U of L senator, Pogorzelski is a member of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce where he serves as co-chair of the Aboriginal Opportunities Committee. He is also a member of the Alberta Provincial Hate Crimes Committee and a founding member of Lethbridge Rotary Club Mosaic. Moderator:   Kristin Krein Date: Thursday, Sep 14, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

In December 2015, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released their 94 “Calls to Action” calling on all forms of government to begin the process of Reconciliation. The Lethbridge Indigenous Sharing Network (LISN), which is a network of Urban Indigenous Agencies, came together to start discussing Urban Indigenous issues in Lethbridge. In 2016, Alberta Culture and Community Spirit and Native Counselling Services, led the LISN through a series of strategic planning sessions, which resulted in the creation of a community based “Urban Indigenous Community Plan”. Of the recommendations in the plan, reconciliation was considered a main priority to be addressed. In September 2016, a reconciliation sub-committee was formed consisting of many stakeholders and the process towards creating a “Reconciliation Implementation Plan” commenced. The reconciliation sub-committee collaborated with appropriate members of Lethbridge City Council and administration and consulted with Elders from the Blackfoot Confederacy to come up with a plan. The plan, approved by Lethbridge City Council in June 2017, provides recommendations for municipal action as specified in the TRC, as well as actions that the broader community can take, through various agencies, organizations and individuals. The speaker will elaborate on the specifics of the plan, which also will be highlighted during various events at Lethbridge Reconciliation Week, September 18-23, 2017 Speaker: Roy Pogorzelski Roy Pogorzelski, a traditional Métis from Saskatchewan, is the director for the Iikaisskini (Low Horn) FNMI Gathering Place at U of L. He has worked with several municipalities to create a National Equity and Inclusion Guide, facilitated human rights training in Europe, instructed courses at the First Nations University of Canada and at the U of L and chaired the Reconciliation Committee for the City of Lethbridge. Melanie Joly, Canadian Heritage minister, recently appointed Pogorzelski to a four-year term as a director for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Pogorzelski was the Inclusion Consultant with the City of Lethbridge and in that role was recently invited to represent UNESCO Canada for the City at the International Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ICCAR) meetings in Kenya. In addition to being a U of L senator, Pogorzelski is a member of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce where he serves as co-chair of the Aboriginal Opportunities Committee. He is also a member of the Alberta Provincial Hate Crimes Committee and a founding member of Lethbridge Rotary Club Mosaic. Moderator:   Kristin Krein Date: Thursday, Sep 14, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

During a white nationalists protest rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA on August 12, 2017, a 20-year-old man allegedly accelerated his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a woman, Heather Heyer, and wounding many others. This particular conflict over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert Lee from Charlottesville had been brewing for months, but since the founding of the nation, racial tensions have been present. It can be argued that the confrontation by the white nationalists in Charlottesville, where Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, was not a fluke as this is the tension the city was founded on and it has long been an ideological battleground. Judging by the response of both protestors and national leaders to the violence on August 12, the history of racial conflict continues to be at the epicentre of the nation’s future. But is the violence in Charlottesville part of a larger movement? Has KKK, white nationalists/supremacists and Nazi sympathizers been emboldened by mixed messages from President Trump in condemning the violence? Is the violence likely to escalate? The speaker will examine the evolving history of racism in the southern USA and give perspective to how the current violence fits into that narrative. Speaker: Dr. Lynn Kennedy Dr. Kennedy received her BA (Hons) from the University of Western Ontario in 1993. In 1994 she completed her Master's Degree in history at Queen's University in Kingston, and then earned a Masters of Library and Information Science at UWO in 1995. In 1999 she once again returned to the University of Western Ontario to begin her PhD. Her doctoral dissertation, "Partus Sequitur Ventrem: Meanings of Childbirth and Motherhood in the Antebellum South," was completed in 2004 and received the 2005 Lerner-Scott Prize for the best dissertation in US Women's history from the Organization of American Historians. Dr. Kennedy’s research interests focus on the Southern United States before the Civil War, particularly on the link between domestic relationships and broader social and political structures. Her book Born Southern: Childbirth, Motherhood & Social Networks in the Old South was published in 2010. Her current book project examines the use of gossip in forming social communities among elite whites in the antebellum South. Her class offerings include courses on Slavery & Abolition, the American South, and the history of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Moderator:   Bev Muendel-Atherstone Date: Thursday, Sep 7, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

During a white nationalists protest rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA on August 12, 2017, a 20-year-old man allegedly accelerated his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a woman, Heather Heyer, and wounding many others. This particular conflict over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert Lee from Charlottesville had been brewing for months, but since the founding of the nation, racial tensions have been present. It can be argued that the confrontation by the white nationalists in Charlottesville, where Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, was not a fluke as this is the tension the city was founded on and it has long been an ideological battleground. Judging by the response of both protestors and national leaders to the violence on August 12, the history of racial conflict continues to be at the epicentre of the nation’s future. But is the violence in Charlottesville part of a larger movement? Has KKK, white nationalists/supremacists and Nazi sympathizers been emboldened by mixed messages from President Trump in condemning the violence? Is the violence likely to escalate? The speaker will examine the evolving history of racism in the southern USA and give perspective to how the current violence fits into that narrative. Speaker: Dr. Lynn Kennedy Dr. Kennedy received her BA (Hons) from the University of Western Ontario in 1993. In 1994 she completed her Master's Degree in history at Queen's University in Kingston, and then earned a Masters of Library and Information Science at UWO in 1995. In 1999 she once again returned to the University of Western Ontario to begin her PhD. Her doctoral dissertation, "Partus Sequitur Ventrem: Meanings of Childbirth and Motherhood in the Antebellum South," was completed in 2004 and received the 2005 Lerner-Scott Prize for the best dissertation in US Women's history from the Organization of American Historians. Dr. Kennedy’s research interests focus on the Southern United States before the Civil War, particularly on the link between domestic relationships and broader social and political structures. Her book Born Southern: Childbirth, Motherhood & Social Networks in the Old South was published in 2010. Her current book project examines the use of gossip in forming social communities among elite whites in the antebellum South. Her class offerings include courses on Slavery & Abolition, the American South, and the history of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Moderator:   Bev Muendel-Atherstone Date: Thursday, Sep 7, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Racism is a serious world-wide issue and recently it was on display in Lethbridge, proving that racism is still alive in this community, despite efforts on many fronts to the contrary. Grad students from a local high school organized a “Cowboys and Indians” themed graduation party held off campus and images of students wearing headdresses, war paint and feathers was shared on social media. Many indigenous peoples were upset by the theme and event, which they say illustrates the brutal history of colonization and minimizes the importance of indigenous cultures. Some of the students involved apologized for the theme saying that the event was not intended to be a racist party and that they were very sorry about their actions while apologizing to the aboriginal communities. Although the event was privately held and only attended by some grad students, the school later called an assembly to address the concerns. Dialog among the school and students are continuing, but what is the take-away from this incident? Are children and young adults being conditioned that racism is acceptable? Should parents largely be responsible for their children’s cultural behavior or should schools also play a prominent role? How can schools and the wider community use this incident to further cultural understanding and inclusion? In the context of racism, the speaker will offer hope that this incident may be an opportunity to grow respect for indigenous and other cultures by all Canadians. Speaker: Dr. Linda Many Guns Linda Many Guns received her Ph. D. from Trent University Faculty of Indigenous Sturdies in 2013. Previously, she had earned her MA at Carleton University and her BA at Saint Thomas University, New Brunswick as well as a Baccalaureate of Laws (LLB) in 1996 at Common Law University of Ottawa. Linda Many Guns has been teaching at the University of Lethbridge since 2008 in the Native American Studies Department. Her areas of expertise are: Indians & the Criminal Justice System, Native American Women, Family and Community Development, Aboriginal Law and Aboriginal Development. Moderator: Kristin Krein Date: Thursday, June 22, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Racism is a serious world-wide issue and recently it was on display in Lethbridge, proving that racism is still alive in this community, despite efforts on many fronts to the contrary. Grad students from a local high school organized a “Cowboys and Indians” themed graduation party held off campus and images of students wearing headdresses, war paint and feathers was shared on social media. Many indigenous peoples were upset by the theme and event, which they say illustrates the brutal history of colonization and minimizes the importance of indigenous cultures. Some of the students involved apologized for the theme saying that the event was not intended to be a racist party and that they were very sorry about their actions while apologizing to the aboriginal communities. Although the event was privately held and only attended by some grad students, the school later called an assembly to address the concerns. Dialog among the school and students are continuing, but what is the take-away from this incident? Are children and young adults being conditioned that racism is acceptable? Should parents largely be responsible for their children’s cultural behavior or should schools also play a prominent role? How can schools and the wider community use this incident to further cultural understanding and inclusion? In the context of racism, the speaker will offer hope that this incident may be an opportunity to grow respect for indigenous and other cultures by all Canadians. Speaker: Dr. Linda Many Guns Linda Many Guns received her Ph. D. from Trent University Faculty of Indigenous Sturdies in 2013. Previously, she had earned her MA at Carleton University and her BA at Saint Thomas University, New Brunswick as well as a Baccalaureate of Laws (LLB) in 1996 at Common Law University of Ottawa. Linda Many Guns has been teaching at the University of Lethbridge since 2008 in the Native American Studies Department. Her areas of expertise are: Indians & the Criminal Justice System, Native American Women, Family and Community Development, Aboriginal Law and Aboriginal Development. Moderator: Kristin Krein Date: Thursday, June 22, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

BikeMaps.org is a project that collects reports about cycling collisions and related data and presents the information on an interactive online map and through visualized data (bar charts). More importantly, it also provides information about near-misses, hazards, and bicycle thefts. What makes BikeMaps.org so interesting is that in addition to the official police reports, it collects information provided by cyclists themselves. This is valuable because the data provided by police reports are often very limited and don’t show everything happening on the road and trails. BikeMaps.org began at the University of Victoria in October 2014. In partnership with the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), BikeMaps.org received $930,000 from the Public Health Agency of Canada to bring the project to more Canadian cities. It wants to help government planning and infrastructure development for cycling, and it also hopes to encourage more people to get on their bicycles. The speaker will give perspective to how this project works and the almost endless possibilities it may entail for bicycle commuters and recreational riders alike. Speaker: Karen Laberee Karen Laberee is the Executive Director of BikeMaps.org and has been part of the team since the project began in 2014. She has managed many aspects of the project and has been heavily involved in community outreach and engagement. Prior to the creation of BikeMaps.org, Karen worked at the Spatial Pattern Analysis and Research (SPAR) lab in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria on a wide variety of research projects. In her personal life, Karen has gained considerable experience volunteering on numerous boards that support amateur sports or community initiatives. In addition to being mom to a bike-crazy family, Karen can be found running the trails around Victoria. Moderator: Tyler Stewart Date: Thursday, June 22, 2017 Time: 7 - 9 pm Venue: Lethbridge Public Library Community Room, Main Branch, 810 – 5th Ave. South Free admission, everyone welcome Many thanks to BikeBridge Cycling Association, Lethbridge for helping arrange this presentation

SACPA is proud to present this session as part of the Gordon Campbell Memorial Speaker Series. China is achieving Great Power status based on its economic prowess, its political clout and its increasingly capable military. With the US under President Trump seemingly less willing to lead, China has shown a willingness to take onto itself a much more prominent role. President Xi Jingping and President Trump have, surprisingly, found much common ground, both on trade issues, but also in dealing with the dangerous question of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capability. What does a rising China mean for Canada, and for the international community? What are the benefits and what are the risks of a prosperous Chinese state and a mature or possibly declining United States? Issues ranging from the South China Sea to the Korean Peninsula will be addressed. Speaker: Gordon Houlden Professor Gordon Houlden is the Director of the China Institute, Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor of Business at the University of Alberta He is also Adjunct Research Professor at China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies. Professor Houlden is a former Canadian Foreign Service Officer, with 22 years working on Chinese affairs for the Government of Canada, including 5 China postings. He has also served on the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre, a federal Crown Corporation. Under his leadership, the China Institute has focused on contemporary China studies, with an emphasis on Canada’s trade, investment and energy linkages with the People’s Republic of China. Moderator:   Trevor Page Date: Thursday, June 15, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

SACPA is proud to present this session as part of the Gordon Campbell Memorial Speaker Series. China is achieving Great Power status based on its economic prowess, its political clout and its increasingly capable military. With the US under President Trump seemingly less willing to lead, China has shown a willingness to take onto itself a much more prominent role. President Xi Jingping and President Trump have, surprisingly, found much common ground, both on trade issues, but also in dealing with the dangerous question of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capability. What does a rising China mean for Canada, and for the international community? What are the benefits and what are the risks of a prosperous Chinese state and a mature or possibly declining United States? Issues ranging from the South China Sea to the Korean Peninsula will be addressed. Speaker: Gordon Houlden Professor Gordon Houlden is the Director of the China Institute, Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor of Business at the University of Alberta He is also Adjunct Research Professor at China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies. Professor Houlden is a former Canadian Foreign Service Officer, with 22 years working on Chinese affairs for the Government of Canada, including 5 China postings. He has also served on the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre, a federal Crown Corporation. Under his leadership, the China Institute has focused on contemporary China studies, with an emphasis on Canada’s trade, investment and energy linkages with the People’s Republic of China. Moderator:   Trevor Page Date: Thursday, June 15, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary

Canada has a long and sometimes forgotten history of accepting refugees dating back to its founding. This history connects with present-day refugee approaches and challenges that are in contrast with the emerging policies and attitudes south of our border and in many other countries. It is not only Canada’s reliance on a provision in the 1976 Immigration Act that allows for groups of individuals to privately sponsor refugees that makes Canada a possible model for other countries, but our distinction as an accepting and supportive home for refugees. Refugees to Canada indeed come from war-torn, discriminatory and poor countries throughout the world. Canada resettled 60,000 refugees from places like Vietnam and Cambodia between 1979 and 1980, for example, including about 34,000 who were privately sponsored. Nearly 300,000 refugees have resettled in Canada since the late 1970s.That extraordinary effort helped Canada win the 1986 UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award in recognition of the collective work of the government and residents. But, refugees from other places have also enriched Canada for a very long time. It is those streams that will be discussed here as forming a fundamental part of our country and communities. Speaker: Dr. Susan McDaniel Dr. Susan McDaniel is Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Global Population and Life Course, Prentice Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, Director of the Prentice Institute and Professor of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. Dr. McDaniel relocated to Lethbridge in the summer of 2009 from the University of Utah where for two years she was Professor and Senior Investigator in the Institute for Public & International Affairs. She had previously taught at the Universities of Alberta and Waterloo. An internationally known sociologist/social demographer, Dr. McDaniel is the author of many books and research articles. She has been the recipient of many awards and honours: She has long been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and last year was awarded the Ingrid Speaker Medal by the U of L for Outstanding Research. She is a frequent advisor on social and science policies both in Canada and around the World. Dr. McDaniel serves as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Canadian Council of Academies (CCA). Recently, the CCA has been asked by the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice to do assessments related to Medical Assistance in Dying. Moderator: TBA Date: Thursday, June 8, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea) RSVP is not necessary