'We shouldn't be forced to move to certain areas of the classroom': U of M Indigenous students
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Chance Paupanakis, national executive representative of Circle of First Nation Métis and Inuit Students with the Canadian Federation of Students, said the "It's okay to be white" messages have prompted meetings with other student groups at the University of Winnipeg to talk about how to handle the issue.
"My fear is that this will turn into something much more violent," Paupanakis said.
This isn't the first time university students in Manitoba have dealt with racist messages on campus. In December of 2016, stickers and posters promoting white supremacy started appearing at Brandon University.
"I think that this was an intimidation tactic and it's working to a certain level, but it's also resulted in an even bigger push-back," he said.
Paupanakis, who is also the former co-president of the University of Manitoba Indigenous Students' Association, said the tension on campus was felt long before the posters went up last week.
"I've been dealing with this for three or four years," he said.
"I have students coming to me saying, 'I don't feel safe,' and they feel like their existence is being questioned."