Chima Akuchie

Interview Response

Yes

Chima said that he will support anything that involves Indigenous rights not being taken away. He added that there has been a lot of talking and now it is time to take action. He would like to know why they were promised this if this promise was not fulfilled. If elected, he would bring this up to council and ask why this has not been done. He feels that it would be good for the elders and the community to have a space where they could meet.

Survey Response

I recently spoke with members of your group who visited me, and I agree this project has been delayed far too long. My focus will be on cutting red tape at City Hall, and ensuring Indigenous leadership guides the process while the City plays a supporting role. Calgary made a promise it’s time to deliver in a respectful and practical way.

Erin Averbukh

Interview Response

Yes

Erin was unsure why Fort Calgary was renamed The Confluence and feels that Calgarians may have been upset that this change was made without public consultation. She thinks the City may not have given the land because they were worried that some Calgarians would be upset that they were not consulted on this decision either. She does not think that people have been told why the land has been transformed from Fort Calgary to The Confluence. One of her major platforms is transparency. The City needs to explain why things are being changed. People need to be informed about why decisions are being made. They deserve an answer.

She believes that there is a narrative shift happening in terms of truth and reconciliation. For instance, friends of hers who are Indigenous have told her to remove the land acknowledgement from her website because it does not represent all Calgarians. She believes that people who are not Indigenous are getting frustrated that they are also not being acknowledged or brought into the discussion. She feels that we do a lot for truth and reconciliation but clarified that she could be wrong about that. However, she wants to be a non-partisan councilor–if a group comes to her saying they want something to go to council, she will present it, regardless of her position.

Devin Elkin

Interview Response

Yes

Devin was unsure why this was not acted on if a commitment had been made and was interested to know more about the details of this commitment. He reiterated that City Council needs to stop performatively saying that they will do things. He said that, if elected, he would ask why this had not been acted upon if a commitment was made.

Landon Johnston

Interview Response

Uncertain

Landon says he “has his own take on truth and reconciliation.” (He has a First Nations Status Card.) He thinks that people have a lot of resentment and fatigue with our current truth and reconciliation efforts. He has been talking to First Nations people about reconciliation. The main thing he has heard is that people want to be treated equally.

Before voting to give land to Indigenous people, he would talk to elders and people about how the land should be allocated. He wondered if maybe the land was not given for this project because the current Council members felt that they were forced to make this choice–maybe they didn’t believe in the choice being made. This is not reconciliation. Reconciliation is talking, forgiving, and finding common ground–it is not high level people making decisions. The people he has talked to tell him that they think that our current truth and reconciliation efforts have gone too far and people are feeling left out. We need to find common ground and we don’t find common ground when things are forced upon us.

However, as it relates to the land that was committed to Indigenous Gathering Board, he clarified that, if they were promised the land and a contract was signed, the land should be given. Going back on their promise will only foster resentment. It is an issue to not follow through on a promise. If a promise was made and broken, he would fight to correct that injustice. That said, if it had not been agreed upon, he would not have voted to give this land to the Indigenous Gathering Board without first hearing that it is what his constituents wanted. He does not want to make decisions without first talking to his constituents if elected.

Sunjiv Raval

Survey Response

Yes

It can only be done when indigenous band and government work together both communities to benefit equally

Ryan Stutt

Interview Response

Yes

Ryan said he would love to know the reason why, if it has been agreed to twice, this has not been done already. He seemed concerned that this could be allowed to happen. His strategy is to make it an issue—to be vocal and ask why this has not been done yet.