Recent racist message a 'tipping point' for Indigenous Sask. MLA
Indigenous NDP MLA Betty Nippi-Albright hopes bringing attention to the racist comments she receives creates change in Saskatchewan.
Elected in 2020 in Saskatoon Centre, Nippi-Albright recently shared a racist message she received. She calls this a “tipping point” for her.
“I’ve deleted so many messages that were racist because I didn’t want to engage in those discussions,” Nippi-Albright told CTV News.
She said she receives roughly six racist messages each month.
Nippi-Albright decided to say something about them when she realized the backlash correlated with a recent stance that is critical of the approach the province takes when it comes to the sale of Crown land.
“I’ve been pretty vocal about the about Crown lands without meaningful consultation and the more vocal I become on that duty to consult, that’s where I’ve noticed I’m getting pushback and the racist comments coming up. That’s where I thought, I need to say something,” she said.
The fact that she’s a First Nations woman also plays a part in the backlash according to Nippi-Albright.
Rhonda Rosenberg, executive director of the Saskatchewan Multicultural Council agrees, saying some on social media think they have a right to make hurtful posts because not only is she Indigenous, but also because she's a woman which makes her “more open to attack.”
A good defence to this type of racist attack according to Rosenberg is for those who see the comments or posts, to stand up to it and call it out which can create a sense of solidarity.
Nippi-Albright is seeing that the negativity of the tweet she shared is turning into something very positive though.
“So when I see those posts of that encouragement from strangers, provincially as well as nationally, it gives me hope that I’m not the only one,” she said.
This isn't the first time Nippi-Albright has called out racism publicly since she was elected, in May she took to social media after racist insults were directed at her grandchildren.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.