Alberta Health Services (AHS) has put an employee on paid leave after she allegedly used a racist slur to describe the principal of a school on Alberta's Blood reserve. The government worker is accused of using a word that describes First Nations women in a derogatory manner and the head of AHS said the employee could be terminated.
Ramona Big Head, the principal at Tatsikiisaapo'p Middle School, alleges Renee Martin used racist language in a misdirected text message and wants her fired. Ms. Big Head provided The Globe and Mail with a screen shot of the alleged text exchange and Ms. Martin's follow-up apologetic e-mail. Ms. Martin, according to Ms. Big Head, sent the messages to another employee at the Kainai Board of Education.
Sarah Hoffman, Alberta's Health Minister, pledged punitive action. "I am angry and disappointed that a public employee would use such hateful and racist language. This is totally unacceptable and there will be consequences."
Ms. Martin did not return e-mails seeking comment Thursday. AHS is investigating whether the text is authentic. If the AHS employee did use offensive language, punishment could range from retraining to being fired, Dr. Verna Yiu, the president of AHS, said in an interview.
"This is absolutely not acceptable," she said. "I'm absolutely in shock."
Dr. Yiu said she does not know how long the accused employee has worked with the government agency. It is standard, she said, for employees to be put on paid leave, rather than unpaid, during investigations.
The alleged correspondence comes at a time of growing recognition of racism against Indigenous people in Canada.
The federal government has vowed to implement the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has launched an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and Wednesday marked the 21st annual National Aboriginal Day, which the government has changed to National Indigenous Peoples Day.
But eliminating racism is a slow process.
The alleged text landed Monday, after the first day of a two-day workshop on the Blood reserve, about 200 kilometres south of Calgary. At the gathering, Ms. Martin's colleague discussed an experiment the school board could use to evaluate students' reading abilities, according to Ms. Big Head. The principal considered the method unethical and voiced concern. Ms. Big Head said she was assertive, respectful, and did not raise her voice.
Ms. Martin allegedly sent the racist remarks after leaving the workshop, according to the screen shot.
"[My colleague] got yelled at today, and we held hands and burned rubber on the highway. Overall, uneventful," Ms. Martin allegedly wrote around 4 p.m.
The Kainai Board of Education employee responded: "What?!?! By who?"
Ms. Martin allegedly replied: "A rabid squaw. Ramona bighead. She didn't like the example she used about a reading program."
Then the board employee asked whether she was the intended recipient of the text: "Do you know who you sent this to?"
Blood officials asked the AHS employee and her colleague not to return.
Ms. Big Head said Ms. Martin has not apologized to her. Ms. Martin sent an e-mail apology on Tuesday to the person who received the texts.
"I wanted to reach out because I'm ashamed and embarrassed about what happened. I realise my comment was inappropriate, disrespectful, and hurtful to you, the Kainai Board of Education, the participants, your community and all First Nations and Indigenous people including those who I call my friends," Ms. Martin wrote, according to a copy of the e-mail provided to The Globe. "I'm actually really struggling with this because this is not part of my character, the values and beliefs that I hold or even how I have behaved in the past (those who know me would be shocked and disappointed and so they should)."
In the 331-word note sent from a Gmail account, Ms. Martin called her comment a "form of micro-aggression" and said it "doesn't matter that it was intended for someone else or that it was taken out of context."
"I shouldn't be using those words or perpetuating their use and the stereotype that goes with it. It was wrong and I do know better," she added. "I do apologise for my behaviour knowing that it may not be accepted."
Ms. Hoffman said the text is a reminder about how far Canadians have to go when it comes to eliminating racism.
"When you see it so head on in black and white – I don't think you can be surprised that opinions still exist like that – but it is certainly disappointing from health care workers, any public sector workers," she said.
Ms. Big Head said the alleged incident is about more than just an insult against her.
"This is about systemic violence and racism within this country," she said, comparing the word she was called to slurs against blacks and homosexuals.
"In this day in age, you do not use that terminology."
Carrie Tait