Peter Crnogorac
Northern News Services
Friday, February 2, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Members of two women's groups want to meet with a senior federal official accused of sending a "racist and sexist" to 31 people using government e-mail.

The Native Women's Association of the NWT and Status of Women Council have also written to Industry Canada Minister Maxine Bernier demanding that she fire Michael Hurst from his job as director of Industry Canada in Yellowknife.

"We want to ask him to come and talk to a group of women and tell us why he did it," said Denyse Nadon-Holder, executive director of the Native Women's Association.

The association was forwarded a copy of the e-mail by an unnamed citizen last week.

It contains four pictures, three of naked non-Aboriginal models, and the fourth of an older aboriginal woman leaning toward the camera, holding her shirt up to expose her breasts.

The e-mail asks recipients to "pick Miss Northwest Territories." A comment on the e-mail reads "...check out the last one, it'll knock your socks off."

Andrew Hanna, media relations officer for Industry Canada in Ottawa, said the department is investigating.

"Unfortunately, we are not permitted under the Privacy Act to discuss specific details of this investigation," he said.

"But an internal investigation is under way to gather all the facts and appropriate actions will be taken once the investigation is concluded."

Hurst did not return messages from the Yellowknifer for an interview on Thursday, but CBC News reported that he admitted he "had made a mistake."

He did not provide the news organization with any additional information.

Sharon Thomas, executive director of the Status of Women Council of the NWT, said the groups are asking for Hurst's dismissal because of his position of authority within the community.

"(The e-mail) was totally outrageous," she said. "It was racist and sexist, and we don't think he should be a director anymore."

Thomas said women held a sharing circle at the Native Women's Association office Tuesday morning.

"Many of the women decided to invite Hurst to a sharing circle to discuss his actions," she said.

Cindy Villeneuve, a Dene woman, said she would like to say she feels about the e-mail.

"The aboriginal woman in the e-mail looks like she has had a rough life, and to make fun of that is not right," she said.

April Bekale said she wants to know who the 31 people are who received the e-mail.

That information has not been released by Industry Canada.

"We don't know that yet," Bekale said. "I'm worried it's doctors, lawyers, judges and other powerful people. If they're sending these types of e-mails, does it show how they really feel about aboriginal women?"

In December 2005, a South Slave Divisional Education Authority official apologized to recipients of e-mail jokes about aboriginal women and seniors that were considered "sexist" by MLAs and the Native Women's Association.