From September 2016 to April 2017 I attended Langara Reconciliation Carving Cohort. This was my online journey- a collection of research, thoughts, feelings, work and anything that would aid me and others to help the next 7 generations.
ABOUT THIS COURSE This course will help you envision how Indigenous histories, perspectives,
worldviews, and approaches to learning can be made part of the work we do
in classrooms, organizations, communities, and our everyday experiences
in ways that are thoughtful and respectful.
In this course, reconciliation
emphasizes changing institutional structures,
practices, and policies, as well as personal and
professional ideologies to create environments
that are committed to strengthening our
relationships with Indigenous peoples.
For educators, this means responding to
educational reforms that prioritize improved
educational outcomes for Indigenous
learners. In addition, educators must support
all learners to develop their knowledge
and understanding of Indigenous people’s
worldviews and cultures as a basis for creating equitable and inclusive
learning spaces.
To support these goals, teachers, administrators, young
people, school staff, and researchers will learn from Indigenous Elders,
educational leaders, and culturally relevant learning resources as part of
their experiences in this MOOC.
For others who want to build their own competence and the capacity of
those around them to engage in relationships with Indigenous peoples based
on intercultural understanding, empathy, and respect, this course will help
get you started in this process.
Yesterday was really f*cking hard for me. I am not going to beat around the bush and I am sorry if the language disturbs you.
It's about time we all got really disturbed there is so much nasty stuff going on and has gone on. People have had a peak into the evilness of Residential Schools but nobody wants to go there(with their mind). I am talking about people who didn't attend or have no relatives that attended.
We saw and heard really HORRIFIC things yesterday.
They tried to prepare us...but I didn't really have the tools to be ready for what was coming. The elder (while he hates to be called that) -I'm going to call him Wise One- he had prepared himself in a special way because he actually lived this through this and so did his family.
I cried, cried, CRIED! I WANTED TO GO OUT SIDE AND SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to puke out all the evilness and hurt.
I made it through, and I was only a bystander, I didn't experience this personally but it felt like it. I have great empathy for these friends, these loving souls, when they hurt I hurt.
We were told not to take this stuff with us. Don't pick up someone else's bundle(?) baggage, I was told to think of it as going on a a long canoe journey. Some parts would be very VERY hard and we would have to STRUGGLE through but once we did, we would get to the next village and people would be there to feed and care of us.
So I survived, I came home, I was safe. It never happened to me. It just felt like it did. HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO EVIL TO OTHERS????????????????
They learned, they learned it when they were children. I have always said, "monsters make monsters", if you never learned love then how can you give, but it goes deeper.
It has to do with people feeling superior. They used to believe the that Indigenous people were not human. They had deep GREED in their core and when they saw all this land, they wanted it and they figure out how to take it for themselves. They would KILL THE INDIAN!!
Isn't that horrible. I KNOW you probably don't want to read this, maybe you won't but if you do, then you are brave and you have a heart and soul and your willing to be enlightened.
Do you see I mentioned the term Indigenous.
Someone is my class enlightened me yesterday.
You see I didn't realize I wasn't using some labels/terms correctly.
First Nations, Metis, metis, Inuit, Aborignal, Indigenous...do you know the difference and WHY they are important but why they shouldn't be.
First Nations is a term and all these terms were created by the government, they define the person by the amount of blood they have...if you are 51% then you are can have status and you get a card saying that, If not, you don't.
I will break the rest down in a bit.
But the reason it's all so important is that it comes down to land rights, it is the INDIGENOUS people that were living here before the Europeans(Settlers) came and killed them with disease and Residential schools, it was and IS their land.
Residential schools were horrible evil systems that ripped children away from loving, abundant homes and forced them into violence. Propaganda promoted the idea that they were doing some huge favor but in reality it was the government RIPPING THE OFF OF THEIR LAND. And it is to this day.
But it's been buried. Hidden, they don't want us to know this dark nasty evil secret BECAUSE they are STILL doing it.
There are so many Indigenous people in the Child Welfare system and Judicial system it's programed that way to keep them out of the way, WITHOUT RIGHTS, KNOWLEDGE, HEALTH, JUSTICE so that their land can continue to be STOLEN, DESTROYED, POLLUTED, SOLD.
It's true. Sadly it is really true but everyone is in denial because it's too F*UCKING ugly to acknowledge.
I am sorry for venting here but I am OUTRAGED and so should YOU!
You know in a PERFECT world we don't need labels, labels are really horrible and cause so many problems BUT that said INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MUST KEEP THE LABELS OR THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLOIT THEM AND THEIR LAND.
I know, I know I am yelling with my big font but I feel like I need to wake everyone up because we have been lost in the dark and now it's time to find our way out of the forest.
So who is considered First Nations- this is the conversation I had yesterday because I was told I was using the term wrong when using it to refer to myself. (I said I had First Nations in me...) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations
This is what Wikipedia says, it's a very long article, I have glanced through it but will read it more in detail later and you should too.
Now if you look on the Government of Canada website this is what it says, "First Nations people" refers to Status and non-status "Indian"
peoples in Canada. Many communities also use the term "First Nation" in
the name of their community. Currently, there are 617 First Nation
communities, which represent more than 50 nations or cultural groups and
50 Aboriginal languages.
According to the 2011 National Household Survey, more than 1.4
million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person, or
4% of the population. 50% percent are registered Indians, 30% are
Métis, 15% are non-status Indians and 4% are Inuit. Over half of
Aboriginal people live in urban centres.
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada's (AANDC's) responsibilities
and its partnerships with First Nation people and communities range
from negotiating land claim and self-government agreements to providing
social services, education and economic development. These activities
support AANDC's mandate and vision, and help to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations people. READ MORE HERE https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100013791/1100100013795\
This this the take away from that article but please read it all.
"Bottom line: First Nation people have done much to reclaim
their identity by striving to become independent and
self-sufficient. This is a good way to go about things for now. Perhaps the biggest problem with all of this is that we fight
over it and people's feelings get hurt. I have always maintained that we
should call people what they want to be called, and if I make a mistake
when I refer to someone's name, I ask that they please "guide me gently
to a higher understanding" like the elders do. I never meant to offend
anyone and I hope we can teach each other about these things in a good
way."
Today, CBC Aboriginal will be renamed CBC Indigenous, and CBC's Aboriginal Digital Unit will become the Indigenous Digital Unit.
While we understand that there is no truly all-encompassing term,
Indigenous is fast becoming the preferred way to refer to First Nations,
Inuit and Métis peoples.
In adopting this change, we join the ranks of many individuals,
groups, organizations, universities and governments — both nationally
and globally — who have chosen to use the term Indigenous.
Aboriginal vs. Indigenous
In 1982, the Canadian government adopted the legal term "Aboriginal
peoples of Canada" in the Constitution Act, referring to the
Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
While the term Aboriginal increased in popularity in the '80s and
'90s, Indigenous began to take over, often chosen by Indigenous people —
as opposed to designated by someone else.
And while I am lost and trying to figure this out and people are upset because someone used a term that they feel is incorrect, people are fighting about who's who, how much blood makes you qualify for a title, the title is only important because it's a way for the government of Canada to categorize you and decide who it can abuse...
People are fighting within families, people denying they have any Indigenous blood when the truth is we are all indigenous to this earth but you can't say that because then you may have more rights or NO RIGHTS and it's a real sad F*cking mess.
So this THANKSGIVING think long and hard and hopefully promise yourself to educate yourself and your children and family about all of this, go gently if you must but have the conversations...
What was that Thanksgiving really about. It was giving thanks because the Indigenous peoples living here before the Europeans arrived to take over and claim what was NOT theirs, they were giving Thanks because the Indigenous people saved their "starving" asses.
This painting is a complete lie, but look how powerful it was. Media is POWERFUL. SOCIAL MEDIA IS POWERFUL. ART IS POWERFUL. Embrace it and share the TRUTH.
But we have never been taught that. Instead through art and written words and violence we have been fed a horrific concoction of lies and those lies were fed to each generation and they will continue unless you TAKE ACTION now and ENLIGHTEN yourself.
DON'T BE FOOLED any longer.
Because if you don't, if you don't, we face a much darker future. That's the Truth. Indigenous people have something deep inside that says 'PROTECT MOTHER EARTH' and they will do what they have to to do it.
The governments have tried to "kill " that in them, they are still trying but it's STRONG! IT'S SO STRONG, so there is hope, I feel it.
I feel sad and mad and go through so many emotions, and I have had to do so much research and I am learning new things all the time about my history, my family's history and deep inside a little voice, I am sure it's my Great Great Grandma and my Great Grandma, and my mom, they are pushing me, pushing me to find and learn the truth and to share it. And that's what I am doing, the best way I know how.
Last night when I got home, I felt traumatized. I took a long bath and I had a vision. I saw things that encouraged me, a story, maybe it's a series of paintings, maybe it's a carving...some how I need to do them and share them.
It's weird I can not really find a stat on how many Indigenous people were here before contact with Europeans, I remember reading that in South America or maybe Mesoamerica something like 9 million indigenous people died of disease, you see, they don't want us to know so this info is not easy to find and that tells you something right there. The fact that all their art, clothes, homes were destroyed or stolen shows they were trying to wipe them all out and they are still trying...and it goes back to greed.
My final point here is ART is POWERFUL! Tell your story through art. What every injustices you have suffered or are suffering, put your energy into art and tell it and hopefully it will survive, and it will tell the TRUTH many many years from now.
Tell your story and tell the truth, not some trumped up shit that has been fed to us through a lying government and people who were sick, sick their minds and souls....who CREATED A WAR OF 150 YEARS AGAINST CHILDREN!! And it is still going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just in a different format. The time for Truth is now and if we are to Reconcile let it be with our families, friends, people you meet on the street, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the power of SOCIAL MEDIA to tell the Truth, share it and let's give thanks this Thanksgiving that we have to power to access it.
Please use that power, use the power of art, let's reconcile with ourselves, let's reconcile with the truth how ever dark and ugly it is and let's change it, change it for a better future, for our children and children's childrens future.
Because if we don't...if we don't ....I don't want to think about that future...it's too dark and too scary...just like the past we just came from and the present that so many INDIGENOUS people are living RIGHT NOW!!
There's so much more I want to say, like we need some of these for John A. MacDonald- A-standing for ULTIMATE A-HOLE but I actually have to get ready because I am going to share a Thanksgiving dinner with my family, and this doesn't usually happen for us.
In fact it's been 12 years since I've been to this family member's home.. I am going to give thanks, thanks that we will be together, thanks that we have food to eat and we are safe, thanks I have not suffered as others have, thanks that I have the ability to learn and share the truth, thanks that I am an artist and create and hopefully I can share a message that will live on long after I am gone. Thanks that I can share the truth and others will hopefully learn and end the evilness that is happening NOW and prevent it from happening again in the future. That's what I am giving thanks for this Thanksgiving.
I explained what we were doing ...that I was learning to carve but that we were learning about many things related to Reconciliation- like residential Schools, Cultural Appropriation, First Nation Culture, Traditions and things of that nature.
They asked what I wanted to get out of the program...was I going to try and sell these carvings?
I explained that "if we learned to carve well enough, we would be making two panels, one for the Children of Residential Schools and one for the Missing and Murdered Women" but when pressed a bit I explained further about I mentioned things I have studied and how deeply connected they are : colonialism, land rights, Dakota Pipeline, the Pipeline that they want to put here, fish farms and the LNG...but in the end..I realized..."I want the suicides to stop!"
It took me a bit to figure this out but that is where I am with this. I want the suicides to stop and I am trying to learn everything I can and share it and I am trying so hard to enlighten everyone...so the healing can happen.
It's not easy and I have no clear answers...I am taking it step by step, I am going through tons of emotions, I cry a lot but I am trying to paint and occupy my mind to cope. The carving in class helps. We deal with really heavy issues and in the afternoon it's like art therapy, we get so into our projects, it frees our mind from the upsetting things we felt in the mornings.
Talking about this is very very hard. It's hard but we need to know and understand and we must teach our children and families. We Must!!
When I mentioned on the FB Suicide Awareness Board/ I was taking the course, someone said I was brave. I thought that was odd, I didn't feel brave. But truth is, you have to be brave to face this horrible darkness, to empathize and understand and learn. If you are not brave you will turn away. I don't want to turn away, I want to let people know I am trying, I want to be there for them, to let them know they are not alone and together we can work are way through this.
That said, it's going to be a very long healing journey and really it's a battle. I don't like to use those words because words have power. If anything I hope to be a "Wellness Warrior" and that we can take on the government and the people that deny the truth and show them and hold them accountable.
Mostly though I want to share and enlighten because when we enlighten others we can heal and so can they. Read on though... there is a lot of material here, I hope you will do your own research and create your own blogs/newspapers/films/paintings/art about this and help heal, we must, if we want the suicides to stop. For our children and our children's children, I send love and light.
"Reconciliation is about not saying sorry twice. That is why the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s top call to action is child
welfare equity and reform, and implementation of Jordan’s Principle. The
evidence of the discrimination is profound, and so is the evidence of
the harms to children. It is wrong, indeed immoral, for governments to
suggest there is any excuse for continuing it, so the most important
question is “What are we going to do about it?”
This is where I hope
Bryce’s story and ours diverge. Bryce’s warnings were met by an
indifferent public, and children died as a result. One hundred and
sixty-three thousand First Nations children are depending on you to make
sure their unequal treatment stops. The future of the country depends
on a citizenry that stands up against injustices when governments stray
from fundamental values such as equity, justice, freedom and respecting
diversity. As Bryce showed us, it is about standing up for the right
thing when others like Scott are sitting down. http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2016/the-long-history-of-discrimination-against-first-nations-children/
Shannen Koostachin, a youth education advocate from of the
Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario, had a dream: safe and comfy
schools and culturally based education for First Nations children and
youth.
Many First Nations schools receive less funding per student than
provincial and territorial schools, and zero dollars for things like
libraries, computers, languages or extracurricular activities. Many also
do not provide a safe and appropriate learning environment, and may
pose serious health concerns, including mold contamination, high carbon
dioxide levels, rodent infestations, sewage, and inadequate or lack of
heating.
Shannen worked tirelessly to try to convince the federal government
to give First Nations children a proper education. Unfortunately, she
passed away in a car accident at the age of 15 before her dream could
come true. But it did. On June 22, 2012—the day Shannen would have
graduated—construction started for a new school in Attawapiskat. The new school opened in August 2014 (CBC).
Shannen remains an important role model for Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal children and young people who continue to carry her dream
for safe and comfy schools for all First Nations children in Canada. https://fncaringsociety.com/shannens-dream
#BecauseOfHer
For 10 years the community had been fighting to get a school. In November, 2007, the government walked away on a commitment to build a grade school. This is when Shannen and her Grade 8 classmates decided to fight back.
Using tools such as Facebook and YouTube, their Education is a Human Right campaign spread like wildfire.
Within months, their heartfelt plea had inspired thousands of students, teachers and church groups across Canada.
The children of Attawapiskat became the face of a generation of forgotten first-nation reserve children and Shannen became their voice. She had moxie. She challenged government ministers and spoke at rallies and youth conferences.
At 14, she was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize. In December, 2009, the government finally agreed to build a school.
APTN - NEWS Attawapiskat family facing ‘agonizing’ wait for answers months after death of 13-year-old girl
Canadians need to know what is happening to these young people,” said Angus. “Sheridan is just one of 600-plus Cree youth in my region who have thought about, attempted or succeeded in suicide since 2009. And this is from the inquiry the communities had to do themselves to find answers.”
Angus said Indigenous Affairs and Health Canada often deny requests for suicide and mental health counselling from these communities.
Despite sitting a mere 90 kilometres from a De Beers diamond mine, Attawapiskat is one of the country’s poorest First Nation communities. The First Nation, which sits near where the Attawapiskat River flows into James Bay, has made national headlines in the past over the dire state of its housing.
Sheridan suffered from several medical ailments, including asthma, which were aggravated by mold in her home, according to records obtained by APTN National News.
In the winter of 2014 the sewage link-up to her home failed, triggering a backup that made the home unlivable despite attempts to contain the smell and disinfect the premises using air fresheners and bleach. The backup also aggravated the mold and Sheridan was hospitalized in Timmins, Ont., where she was given Ventolin and steroid medication, according to records Read More here
Charged with Racial Discrimination, Canada’s Government Fought Dirty and Lost
"How did the battle play out for you? What were some of the tactics outside the courtroom?"
Within 30 days of filing they cut all our core funding, so the Caring Society doesn't get any government money. That came very quickly. Then they tried spending millions to get the case dismissed on legal technicality. I know from the government's own documents that they decided to follow me around, monitor my moments. I'm not sure what I'm more embarrassed about—that they followed me around so long, or how boring my life must be that they couldn't find even one scandal. I just thought it was so sad, because if I was a government, and someone was accusing me of racially discriminating against children, I would focus on that. Are we doing it? And if we're not, let's put the evidence before the court to show we're not doing it.
"And because the feds fund services on reserve, and child welfare is provincial jurisdiction, sometimes they'll fight between each other about who should pay for services for a First Nations kid, and in the process they're denied or delayed services just because they're First Nations... Health Canada recently spent $32,000 fighting a teenager in court over a surgery that would give this girl a chance to eat and talk properly. And the bill is still growing. To me, I think that's why people like me pay taxes—so a young girl can eat and talk without chronic pain." http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/charged-with-racial-discrimination-canadas-government-fought-dirty-and-lost
‘Brutal’ poverty plagues London like few other cities across our region
One of many startling statistics to come out of Kerr and Smith-Carrier’s research, the high number of people living in extreme poverty is “appalling,” said Helene Berman, academic director for Western University’s Centre for Research on Health Equity & Social Inclusion.
“It’s another reminder that we can’t be complacent,” said the Health Sciences professor who was a member of the Mayor’s Poverty Panel, which last spring came out with a slew of recommendations to tackle poverty in the city.
“We need to be shifting the conversation and stop asking why people can’t get out of poverty and instead ask what are the social and structural barriers,” said Berman. “We need to look at issues like racism, homophobia, the social and structural inequities that make it very difficult for people to access the services out there.” Read More here
Who will Save the Paiges? WTF when will it Change!
"Poor Poor Paige! This is such a sad and disturbing story but doesn't surprise me. The DTES is plagued with issues like this. Much of it stems back to social assistance and lack of funding and services. The system treats people like dirt. And if you happen to be aboriginal then it's often less than dirt because you are stigmatized. Somehow people think it's their fault. Enough already!!" Read More here
“The professional indifference that plagued her life — that prevented
her from receiving a minimal standard of child protection, a minimal
standard of health care and even a minimal standard of education
services — must be the product of a system that has effectively
discounted the value of girls like her.”
"Turpel-Lafond said the investigation is among the most troubling her
office has ever conducted, but it is sadly not unique. She estimates
there are about 100 to 150 aboriginal youth similar to Paige in the
Downtown Eastside. " Read More here
