A group of approximately 20 people gathered next to City Hall for a vigil in honor of George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter movement. A moment of silence was observed for eight minutes and 45 seconds, the length of time that Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd鈥檚 neck.
Irene McArthur, who attended the event and held a sign reading 鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Breathe鈥� said that Floyd鈥檚 death needs to be a wakeup call.
鈥淩ight then and there I knew it was time for change. Everybody knows, everybody鈥檚 seen it.鈥�
For her, the most difficult part was explaining what happened to Floyd to her sons.
鈥淢y two youngest sons watched that video, they were traumatized by it. 鈥淲hy is it like that all the time?鈥� they said. And I said, you know what, this is how it is. It鈥檚 a harsh reality son. It鈥檚 a harsh reality for Indigenous communities to face racism every single day, even as a young child. I had to explain all of that to him, it鈥檚 traumatizing for kids, it鈥檚 traumatizing for everybody and it has to change, it has to stop. The systemic racism is never-ending in Canada, in the United States, everywhere.鈥�
Linda Osachoff was another attendee. She said she drove an hour to join people in Yorkton, who are joining people around the world, to share solidarity and call attention to racism that exists in our country.
鈥淚 think we, as Canadians, often feel as if we鈥檙e kind and polite, and we鈥檙e not racists, that鈥檚 enough. But it鈥檚 very clear that鈥檚 no longer enough at all, we have to be very thoughtfully and purposefully anti-racist, and stand up to the injustice that exists against our black and indigenous brothers and sisters. Not just in everyday actions, but in policies and procedures that need to change as well.鈥�
Osachoff points to the lack of action on the report of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, and she believes that concrete action on that report is something Canada needs to do.
鈥淪o often, we can report and investigate and research an issue to death, but the follow up action is there, and we really need to start delivering on our promises.鈥�
Fred Slater was at the event holding a sign reading 鈥淏LM. Police the Police.鈥� He said that it was important to come out and speak out against injustice and oppression faced by black communities and indigenous communities in Canada, especially by peace officers, as they try to go about their daily lives.
鈥淚 hope that what people take away from this is that no matter who you are or where you come from, we can all just band together and unite as one against the injustice and police brutality that goes on. We can hold everybody accountable to the same measures no matter who they are and together we can get through this and have a brighter day.鈥�
It鈥檚 important to remember that racism isn鈥檛 a problem that only affects larger cities or other countries, but that it鈥檚 everywhere, including Yorkton, McArthur said.
鈥淚 faced it a lot in town here. I can walk in, and no one will acknowledge me. A non-indigenous person walks in, they get all the attention. They get greeted, people are kind to them. That鈥檚 got to stop. It鈥檚 a new age, it鈥檚 2020, it鈥檚 a diverse community, a diverse world. There鈥檚 still no acceptance of black people or First Nations people.鈥�
McArthur said that it was a great turnout for a small town, and she said that it鈥檚 a good start.
鈥淚t starts at home. Then it鈥檒l trickle to the schools. The teachers need to make that change too.鈥�
Encouraged by the young crowd at the vigil, she said that they will be the ones that make the world change.
鈥淭he young people are going to be the ones that change for us.鈥�
Two of the young people that McArthur spoke about at the event were Mallory and Morgan Johnson. The Esterhazy youth travelled to Yorkton to be part of the vigil, holding signs. Mallory said that their goal was to be part of the change, more than staying at home, but getting involved.
鈥淲e need a major change to stop this,鈥� said Mallory.
鈥淲e need improvement in the justice system throughout the world,鈥� added Morgan.
McArthur noted that in previous cases, like Tina Fontaine, Colton Boushie and Colin Stonechild, it didn鈥檛 make anyone change their way of thinking, instead focusing on victim blaming.
鈥淚f it was a non-indigenous man lying there, he would still be alive today, if it was a black man who did it to him, he would have been in prison in a minute鈥� It鈥檚 just a harsh reality, I鈥檓 not going to sugarcoat the truth, racism is alive and well all over the world, even in this tiny little town of Yorkton.鈥�
The value of these protests, said McArthur, is to wake up the world, and to make people aware of the racism that surrounds them and spur on real change.
鈥淭hey put Indigenous communities in a lower class and they think that鈥檚 normal. Right now, at this point, and from this moment on, it鈥檚 not normal.鈥�
McArthur hopes that with people spurred to action from Floyd鈥檚 death, there will be less of a need for these protests in the future, because she wants this to be the catalyst that spurs change in the world
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that this man changed the world. I hope people stop and listen now. It took a black man to be murdered in cold blood to make the world stop and say, enough is enough.鈥�
Osachoff said the vigil in Yorkton gave her hope.
鈥淲hat you have here is a solid group of people, each with a candle, and you know, it only takes one spark to begin to fan a flame of awareness and peace and hope for a better tomorrow.鈥�
Slater was proud to be part of the protest.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of us, I鈥檓 really thankful for the organizers and everybody who made this happen. I鈥檓 glad that we could be a part of this, and not just turning a blind eye and saying we鈥檙e doing enough as it is. I think we need to go that extra step and say that we鈥檙e with everybody.鈥�
Osachoff said there鈥檚 no reason to be divided, and that there鈥檚 every reason to come together.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all human, we all bleed the same color, and it鈥檚 got to stop,鈥� said McArthur.
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