Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 05/99) - Three Yellowknife youth can honestly say they made a mark against racism.

Rae Braden, Janet Wong and Natasha McCagg met every Saturday over the past few months to plan and divide up duties for their masterpiece -- A Show of Hands. The finished product is a wall at the Yellowknife YWCA that is covered with paw prints.

"We had over 100 people dip their hands in paint and place them on the wall. We thought we would only get around 40," said McCagg.

"The people that stamped the wall range from six-month-old babies to seniors. I'd like to think it signifies a community effort to stop racism."

After getting the word out by plastering bulletin boards and using local media outlets to let people know they were looking for hands, Yellowknife responded. On Oct. 14, legions came to show their support.

McCagg said one of the most touching points during the day was when a seven-year-old girl told her about a book she had read. It was about four different coloured cats that all got along.

"She told me the story about the cats getting along and asked, 'So why can't we?'" said McCagg.

"She understood what she was doing when she placed her hands on the wall. She knew that people came in different colours, just like the cats."

McCagg's team was one of three from Yellowknife to take the nationally supported Stop Racism Youth Challenge.

Crystal Gaudry is the NWT co-ordinator for the challenge, which is a Canada-wide project targeting youth from all cultures to do their part to bring an end to racism.

"Racism is fear. I understand it to be fear of others who are different," said Gaudry.

"For some, it's easier to be fearful of others than to spend the time to try and understand and accept others for who they are and what they believe in."

The submission deadline for challenge projects was Tuesday. The two other Yellowknife teams produced videos.

One team took cameras around the community asking people to give their opinions on racism. The other is a video documenting racist views portrayed through television, documentaries and music.

The submissions will be judged nationally in Toronto, at which time 10 teams from across Canada will be chosen to travel through two communities to give their presentation on ending racism.