Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Monday, April 16, 2007

IQALUIT - A resident of Resolute for 28 years, Aziz Kheraj, who hails from Tanzania, east Africa, admits he has faced racism.

He said minorities everywhere contend with racism, and it's something he takes in stride.

"During the heat of a moment, people sometimes say things they don't really mean," Kheraj said. "They say racist comments, but at another given time they (say) totally the opposite. So what one has to do is weigh each incident in the context it took place."

Kheraj, a businessman and a former mayor of Resolute, said he has been known to make ethnic jokes himself. It all goes back to the spirit and intent, he said.

Ashley Paniyuk-Dean, currently living in Iqaluit, has taken part in a number of anti-racism conferences over the past several years.

She said she encourages people to celebrate other cultures and be aware of racism and discrimination in all its forms.

"Look at yourself, some of the actions and thoughts that you have," said Dean, who is in her third year of studies with the Northern Teacher Education Program.

She has travelled throughout Canada, to many destinations in the U.S. and to Germany, France and Costa Rica. While outside of Nunavut she has occasionally been introduced to others as an Eskimo - an offensive term - and some people still ask her about living in an iglu, she said.

Dean, whose immediate family lives in Rankin Inlet - her mom is Inuk and her father is of English, Swedish and Scottish ancestry but was born and raised in Yellowknife - has also lived in Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq and Arctic Bay.

Gaining fluency in Inuktitut, she said she has felt a connection with community members everywhere she has lived in Nunavut, although she admits that people who don't know her are sometimes unsure of her heritage.

She has even been mistaken for Spanish and French based on her looks, she said.

It's important not to be afraid just because a person has a different skin tone or practises a different religion, Dean said. Instead, she advises approaching the individual and asking questions to understand what sort of things you have in common.