A gathering of Indigenous youth in the lower mainland is seeking a new location, following allegations of racism against its planned host.
On February 24th, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres kicked off a three days of meetings at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver.
After dinner on the second day of meetings, a respected Cultural Advisory in urgent need of a restroom sought the closest one in the hotel.
But, hotel staff repeatedly denied their requests to use the restroom, resulting in a humiliating public incident.
After initially dismissing the incident, management eventually issued a brief apology labelling it a misunderstanding, and saying the employee was only doing their job.
But the Association says the incident was a discriminatory refusal of basic needs rooted in systemic anti-Indigenous racism.
In an effort to protect members from further discrimination, the Association cancelled all remaining activities and departed the following day.
Now, they are looking for a new host for their Gathering Our Voices: Indigenous Youth Leadership Training Event, which had been set to take place at the hotel from March 22nd to the 25th.
That event intends to bring together over 1,000 youth, who the Association says they can’t in good conscience allow to take place at the venue.
They are also calling for Hyatt to issue an apology, and amend policies, procedures, and training requirements to address Indigenous-specific racism.
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