A conference held in Winnipeg this week to address racism in the city has come under fire after representatives from Manitoba's First Nations and Metis communities say they were left out of the discussion.
The two-day One Winnipeg summit, which was held at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights on Thursday and Friday, was organized after a Maclean's story in January labelled Winnipeg "Canada's most racist city."
The article was written partly in response to the murder of Manitoba teen Tina Fontaine, whose death made national headlines and re-ignited calls for a national inquiry into Canada's nearly 1,200 missing and murdered aboriginal women.
The sold-out conference drew activists, authors, speakers from Canada's indigenous community and members of the U.S. civil rights movement.
Winnipeg's mayor, Brian Bowman, called the event "one of our most important endeavours in Canada today."
However, David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation, and leaders from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs say they were not among those invited.
"For the mayor to exclude us boggles my mind,” Chartrand said. How do you call it racial inclusion if you don't include everybody?"
Bowman has denied the accusation, saying the summit was open to everyone.
Thursday's event was free of charge and many of the sessions were livestreamed on its website.
Tickets to attend the event on Friday cost $50, or $25 for students, which left some community activists to hold their own free discussion outside the venue. One attendee, Saskatchewan native Joey Reynolds, fundraised so he could attend the summit in person.
He was optimistic about the event because change "can happen."
"I believe in faith, Reynolds said. Faith is hope, and hope is opportunities.”
The ideas generated at the summit will be used in a report to be issued by city hall early next year.
Out on the city's streets, Kimberly Harris, who is homeless, says she experiences racism every day.
She said instead of congregating at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, attendees needed a first-hand look at its effects.
"They should come out on the street and watch it," Harris said.
Winnipeg is home to Canada's largest aboriginal community.
With a report from CTV’s Jill Macyshon
