Library taps Fort William First Nation member to lead reconciliation efforts

By engaging in dialogue with “patience and love” the library’s new senior advisor for Indigenous relations hopes to strengthen the relationship between the library and Indigenous communities in the city.

Stephanie MacLaurin has been brought on to work with community partners in achieving the goals in the Thunder Bay Public Library’s relationship-building and reconciliation action plan.

“I’ll be building relationships with Indigenous community organizations and non-Indigenous as well. I’ll also be working at helping advise management on decolonizing the library and the services that they provide,” MacLaurin told Newswatch in an interview.

She said she is excited to start working on action plan items that are directly linked to her home community, Fort William First Nation — including bringing the Thunder Bay Public Library to the community.

“I can envision a path forward. It will take some conversations with the community and the library. I couldn’t envision exactly a time frame or how long that might take. I do see support from both the library and my home community as well, so I think that’s part of why I’m looking forward to it so much is having support from both angles,” MacLaurin said.

When asked if she foresaw any challenges to her role as a liaison to both the Indigenous Advisory Council and organizational partners she said one of the biggest challenges is opening up the dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

“I think it takes a lot of patience and love to engage in conversations like this, so I’m looking forward to that aspect, but I believe fully that there will be challenges around that and with respect and care. As I said, love, I think that can overcome a lot of the challenges when you’re engaging in such complex and convoluted conversations,” MacLaurin said.

CEO Richard Togman said MacLaurin will strengthen the community’s knowledge of Indigenous relationships.

MacLaurin’s role isn’t just external relationship-building. Inside, she will be curating programs focused on bringing Indigenous knowledge perspectives to the library patrons.

“Stephanie will be supervising a whole new suite of programs focused both on programs that appeal to the Indigenous community themselves and also bridging programs that bring both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together to learn about Indigenous culture, engage in practices to build that mutual understanding and education. That is the foundation of the library,” Togman said.

“We know that there’s a lot of work to do around reconciliation, so some of these programs will help in that effort. Things that are more traditional, like beading workshops and moccasin creation programs, but also some more innovative stuff that she’ll be developing over the course of her first year in the role.”

MacLaurin holds a double honours bachelor of arts in political science (pre-law) and Indigenous learning, as well as a master’s degree in Indigenous governance. She has worked in fields of lands and governance, political science, and mental health. She also taught in an aboriginal law and advocacy program for four years. – tbnewswatch.com

article website here

…Stephanie MacLaurin has been brought on to work with community partners in achieving the goals in the Thunder Bay Public Library’s relationship-building and reconciliation action plan….

Once again, I have to ask the question; Who decides when we have reached peak reconciliation? When we are fully reconciled?  How will we know?  Are there boxes on some form that get chackled off or is it just a feeling that someone at some point in the distant future will get and declare reconciliation is complete?

As I see it now, this reconciliation process is a one sided money pit for taxpayers that will go on forever.  There is no reason for the Indigenous Community to give it up.  Why would they?

…advise management on decolonizing the library and the services that they provide…

Banning of books and censorship.  Rewriting history.  Turning libraries into disinformation/propaganda centres.

Libraries are becoming obsolete.  The days of all of the information and knowledge available to humans being stored inside a brick and mortar facility controlled by a single person  are long gone.

Today, the local libraries have become a hangout for the unhoused/addicted/mentally-ill community or as it is now called ‘Community Hub’.

When my children were young, we used to go to the Waverley Street library. My children would play and take home some books.  Today, I would not bring my children to any of the library branches. The place now has an agenda and I do not like it.

Also, where is the funding for this job coming from?  The story does not mention that.   Who is paying for the ‘decolonizing’?   Yes, I know its the taxpayer but which taxpayer?  Yes, I know there is only one taxpayer buy what pocket is that money being taken from?

Is the creation of the job tied into any present or future funding of the library?    You know, like the Indigenous Design Concepts of the Unhoused/Addicted/Mentally-ill resort village being built in the Kan River Park?

The way I see things now is that if you want money from the Federal Government, there needs to be an Indigenous tie in somehow.  No Indigenous, no money.