Hamilton Indigenous Housing

Witness Blanket Display Yesterday the Wesley Multicultural Group had a presentation on the horrific events that happened at the Native Residential Schools in Canada years ago.   We were invited to attend the presentation at the Hamilton Central Public Library I was impressed with their upscale boardroom on the fifth floor.  I and 30 group members were also glad to see former UNH’s and current HPL staff member Lorraine Brown as our presenter.   Lorraine greeted us with open arms and warned us certain topics we are about to hear will be upsetting.   The two hour presentation/lecture started with a slide show of images of native children in the residential schools, Lorraine continued by explaining how the Canadian government at the time forcibly removed the children from their families and why it was done.   Lorraine did an excellent unbiased lecture on the subject as I watched the reaction and questions from the other members.  After a coffee break we al...

Picture this:   Over the weekend a small group of tenant native elders who must use a walker to move about decided to sit in front of the KMHC building on a nice summer evening, chatting among themselves and enjoying the weather.   Seems ok right!   Well the KMHC office personnel think differently there is a tenant notice on the bulletin board in bold letters “No Loitering” in the front entrance and suggest tenants sit where the park benches are located at the courtyard.   As I’ve said in the past the courtyard is located at the far south end from the building, a distance especially for tenants who have a disability.   What’s insulting about the notice (judging by the writings I know who wrote it) the tenants are referred to as loiterers.   Since when are native elders who pay rent considered vagrants!     Personally I have no problem with tenants who wish to sit at the entrance area as long as they keep the volume down and don’t block the entranc...