As many of you are well aware, we are in a different era.
Norms that have been around for many, many years are now being challenged.
Statues are being taken down.
The NFL Washington team is dropping its 鈥淩edskins鈥� name. So too the Edmonton 鈥淓skimos.鈥�
There are thousands of examples that we鈥檙e sure you can think of. Minorities, whose voices have been ignored for a long time, are starting to be heard.
Here, in Squamish, our old N.W.A.-inspired nickname 鈥淪quampton鈥� has become the subject of much debate.
So what are we to 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鈥檙e not wrong.
No, the term 鈥淪quampton鈥� was not made with bad intentions.
But, first, let鈥檚 add some context.
聽We are an outdoors town. 麻豆社国产prides itself fon its outdoor recreation. We are 鈥淗ardwired for Adventure,鈥� and, for a time, we called ourselves 鈥淭he Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.鈥�
However, It鈥檚 no secret that in North America, the outdoors hasn鈥檛 been a very diverse place. Minorities have generally been underrepresented when it comes to outdoor recreation.
In the U.S., , according to a 2011 University of Wyoming report commissioned by the Park Service, and only about 1 in 10 is Hispanic 鈥� a particularly lackluster embrace by the nation鈥檚 fastest-growing demographic group.鈥�
Here in Canada, in 2018, the CBC reported an 鈥渁dventure gap鈥� that showed minorities are less likely to pursue outdoor adventures.
This year, the CBC reported that the outdoor recreation industry is 鈥渇acing its own reckoning with diversity and inclusion.鈥�
No, not every person of colour will be offended by our 鈥淪quampton鈥� moniker. But for every person who isn鈥檛 offended, there may be another who quietly thinks to themselves that they are not welcome in our town, nor in our outdoor spaces.
People around here often say they are accepting of others from different backgrounds and viewpoints.
If they are serious about it, it may be worth thinking about how 鈥淪quampton鈥� sounds to some, even if it was created with good intentions. We鈥檙e not saying that 鈥淪quampton鈥� 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 this is too much to ask 鈥� that鈥檚 fine. And perhaps understandable. But let鈥檚 admit, in that case, that diversity is not our priority.
