City council received two submissions at its meeting Monday regarding the importance of stomping out racism and discrimination.

“If you think racism isn’t alive and well in Whitehorse, you are wrong,” says the submission by four First Nation community members on behalf of the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition. “We face it every day.”

The written submission says the four have many, many examples of being treated poorly because of the colour of their skin.

“Assumptions are made about us when no one knows who we are,” says their submission.

“We have been harassed in stores, we have received substandard treatment in the emergency room.

“We have been treated rudely by people who work for the city and the Yukon government when using public services like the bus.”

Dianne Nolan, Fritz Andre, Larry Smarch and Bill Bruton authored the submission.

They said as proud members of a variety of First Nations, they want to stand up to racism and make a healthier community for everybody.

“We are hoping members of city council want the same thing,” they said.

“We want to be a part of building safe spaces to learn and change, and a safer city. We are willing to help by sitting on any kind of committee or group that gets formed.”

There was also a submission by Fumi Torigai, who wrote there has been a surge of anti-Asian racism since the beginning of theCOVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

In fact, the debate on systemic racism against people of colour rages on across the country, he told council over the phone.

“These racist attacks and overt discriminations all come from the same source – namely, ‘us and them’ mentality,” Torigai said.

“This divisive mentality, which always accompany stereotyping of some sort, must not be allowed to spread like virus among us. We must counter this mentality with love and respect, compassion and kindness, toward our fellow citizens.”

Torigai told members of council if you simply quietly wish racism to go away, it will not happen.

“We must raise our voices, much louder than those voices of hatred, to eliminate racism and discrimination from our society,” he said.

Torigai said tackling racism takes leadership, and he commended council for steps it’s taken.

Examples are initiating the Vulnerable People at Risk Forum, strongly supporting the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement and painting a crosswalk in rainbow colours.

The community expects council to show continued leadership, and not sit on past accomplishments, he said.

Torigai said there are voices in the community that want to be heard. He suggested the city organize a town hall meeting to hear those voices.

“The true leadership lies in not just leading but also listening.”

Torigai supported the recent call by Whitehorse resident Mike Gladish for council to reactivate is Advisory Committee on Racism and Discrimination.

Gladish appeared before council last month to make the request.

The committee was formed in 2013 but was suspended in 2017, Gladish noted.

“Whitehorse is not immune to hateful acts, discrimination or public policies that may be based in a racist history,” the former city councillor said in his April 19 address to council.

Whitehorse and Dawson City submitted an anti-racism resolution to the Association of Yukon Communities (AYC) for consideration at its May 8 annual general assembly.

The resolution commits the AYC to providing its members with anti-racism and other related training and education on an annual basis.