WESTERN PRODUCER — Western Canadian society has a wall running straight down its middle, dividing the world into Indigenous and non-Indigenous spheres.
Breaking that wall down is in everyone’s interest, according to Kendal Netmaker. The Saskatoon-based Indigenous entrepreneur, author and consultant told the Canadian Crops Convention his priority is removing that wall.
“We need to knock it down so that we can begin talking again,” he said. “That invisible wall is hurting us all. I grew up near Cut Knife (Saskatchewan) where there were many farms, many rural communities and didn’t know people from them. We’re better than that. All of us are better than that.”
And among the benefits for rural Western Canada will be better relations, closer economic ties and possibly a nearby willing workforce, he said.
Following his presentation, he spoke to Gord Gilmour of Glacier FarmMedia, and Karen Briere of the Western Producer. .
