The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has begun hearing the case of a man who alleges the indigenous names and symbols used by some Mississauga, Ont., hockey teams demonstrate institutional racism and promote stereotypes that shape how indigenous people are viewed in society. Brad Gallant has brought a complaint against the City of Mississauga, saying it should not provide funding to teams with racially insensitive names and logos, like the Mississauga Chiefs or Lorne Park Ojibwa. He also wants the city to remove banners featuring the teams’ names and logos from municipal buildings, arguing they contribute to a harmful and discriminatory environment. Gallant’s lawyer, Jeremiah Raining Bird, says the complaint is largely about “preserving a safe environment for (Gallant’s) children, an environment in which they don’t feel ashamed and don’t have to defend themselves against things they can’t control.”Gallant’s complaint says that in Ontario, there are seven teams with racially insensitive names or logos, and five of them are in Mississauga.

Source: thestar November 21, 2016 18:22 UTC