My Langara Reconciliation Carving Journey: Indigenous CBC asked "What does Reconciliation mean to you?"

This was my comment on Indigenous CBC

What I have heard is many many "Canadians" still have no idea what really happened in the Residential schools, the true scope of it, how it affected and is still affecting so many people. They do not know that the children had to go or their parents would be jailed, they do not know that as soon as they got there, their hair was cut, and they were beaten if they spoke their language, that they were molested and never learned to parent. Then when they went home they couldn't speak the language, felt lost, didn't know how to care for their children and that has led to more problems of their children being stolen again by the welfare systems or put in jails.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_agent_(Canada)

http://www.sicc.sk.ca/archive/saskindian/a73feb03.htm
Also Read The Survivors Speak so you can hear actual accounts of what happened. Google it to get the pdf, I can't get the link to work right.

This isn't true for all of course and many were/ARE amazingly resilient precious souls that survived and overcame these horrific crimes again children. It was a WAR ON CHILDREN...FOR 150 YEARS. It didn't happen hundreds or thousands of years ago, it is Canada's life time.

Re-Think Canada...the last school closed in 1996, that is very recent... More children died in the Residential schools than the actual war...think about that? How do we reconcile with that?

The schools are really slow to teach what happened and older people in there 50's 60's they just don't want to go there. It is really sad, causes big arguments and that's just in non-indigenous or indigenous families that are in denial that they are part indigenous. And that's a big part of it, people were scared to even acknowledge it because of the consequences.

Everyone is reconciling with something as my instructor Dr. Justin Wilson says, in my Reconciliation Carving course. In the course we have dealt with really difficult issues but in the afternoons we carve so it's like art therapy. We need a lot more art therapy, a LOT more education about the TRUTH, and people need to realize a lot of BC is Unceded Territories...so recognizing treaties doesn't work for some and then because they ignore (Christy Clark and greedy corporations) treaties it's a bunch of bs.

And here's the gist of it, children keep taking their lives...if we don't reconcile it will continue. I pray people will take it upon themselves to actually educate themselves. It's not easy, I thought I knew the truth but it was just a tiny bit, then I got a glimpse, it was horrific, it's like the holocaust.

https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/10/labels-thanksgiving-truth.html

https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/10/i-want-suicides-to-stop.html

And this is the Truth, it's about land, Canada stole the land, the took the land put the people on reserves, sold it to settlers , and they don't want to give it back and if you fight it your kids end up in the welfare system or you go to jail...so Canada's wonderful legacy (Vomit) will continue until people learn, accept and take action.... can we do it, I don't know.

Do I want us to, of course, for my child, our children and children's children...but if we don't ....think about the consequences...it's not positive...it will be dark...I know I know,....you don't want to go there...I hear it all the tiime and you know what else...I think history is just repeating itself.. over and over... to post or not to post, if I post this truth, what will be my consequences....but if I don't then I am guilty of letting this evilness continue

Okay so remember I talked about Art Therapy. This week we are supposed to have a 3 page story an some designs for our panel ready. These are just some sketches I was fooling around with...I had a vision...

This is what I wish had really happened.

Okay...let's go back in time....

Imagine a mother and her kids out happily picking berries..

When all of sudden the Indian Agent appears out of nowhere...

Poor mom!!

Then something magical happens, she starts to transform...into a GREAT BIG BEAR!!!

and she grabs that Indian Agent...

and she gobbles him all up!!

She burps! The Indian Agent is in her belly all mortified, pouting and mad!!

The kids are relieved and happy and they dance around mom!! Hurray!! Yea Mom!!!

Suddenly, she puts her paw up and with a big claw to her mouth excuses herself.
She wanders away and takes a big poop. She poops out that nasty evil Indian Agent.

She's safe, the kids are safe and everyone is happy.

I wish that is what really happened.

Here's are some other designs I have been playing with. They are based on another vision I had about the caterpillar and the moon. I have a story, I will share it later.

I haven't figured out how to work the woman into the tree yet...

This was actually the first sketch of the whorl

And just one last comment...some think it's not their problem or that it's just the children that were affected and stuff like that but I heard something really sad the other day and I just don't know what to do but share it with you. Apparently an elder died. I don't know if they passed away or actually died by suicide. What I heard was she had moved out of her home into her brother's home and was living on the couch. Her own son was heavily addicted and was stealing from her. Imagine being her. Imagine that's your mom, your sister, aunt, grandma, child,...imagine

And I am sure this isn't an isolated incident, it's happening in indigenous homes and non-indigenous. There's a lot of pain, abuse, sadness and we have to face the truth and reconcile and make our so called government accountable...the suicides must stop. We need healing, compassion, love, we need WATER and to STOP KILLING OUR MOTHER with mining, pipelines, fish farms, LNG. We need to cut the head off the black snake like Alice in Wonderland did to the Jabberwocky.

Here's a sketch I did for that.

Sending out love, light, peace and prayers for a better future for all of us and Mother Earth.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Indigenous CBC asked "What does Reconciliation mean to you?"