So to be honest, I didn't know who Joseph Boyden was before all this started. I still haven't read any books, writings or heard any speaking or debates etc. It was only through this video that I heard about the ballet and I recalled sharing info on that in Facebook.
I think he cleared up a lot. I could relate to many things, I was sad that someone called up his 85 year old Catholic mom and asked her a bunch of questions without him knowing..that I could totally relate to and I'd be upset. That said it sounds like they've all been pulled closer and many people reached out.
This is a huge issue on Turtle Island- "currently so called Canada" and I think he cleared up the money stuff, said he shared that prize money of $5000 with the others, which is nice...
and I know how hard it is to document this info about Indigenous ancestry, it's hard. It has taken me 10 years to find my family the information in the archives. I totally understand about wanting to protect family and privacy and I think anyone should be able to understand that.
I have don't have the blood quantum and I was using label wrong.
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/10/labels-thanksgiving-truth.html
I am not connected to a band, or nation even though I want to be, that's why I signed up to the Reconciliation Carving Cohort at Langara, was to make more connections.
There's a lot of pain and denial in our family, names were changed to protect them from racism but it was a way of assimilation. Read this page about marriage à la façon du pays
""One of the problems of searching the native families is that they didn't always use the same name and the clergy didn't always record the name the same way each time. Hence Barra is sometimes Barry, Berra, Burra etc.
Fur trade society developed its own marriage rite, marriage à la façon du pays (after the custom of the country), which combined both First Nations and European marriage customs." http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~goudied/
Joseph Boyden admitted he spoke out of turn and that he had no place to speak about the Missing and Murdered Women...I don't know what he said. People make mistakes and get caught up in things.
I try to be careful, I don't want to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. We learn best from our worst mistakes sadly. We need to be forgiving.You need to be on a higher level and help others get up there with you. Don't let the pull you down, reach out a hand and help them up if you can.
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/11/forgiveness-signs-double-rainbows.html
It's complicated though.
I find it interesting how this whole thing is bubbling up! Great ready because it's going to blow! It has to right?
So we have to see the whole thing for what it was, was it about labels, blood quantum, money, funding, Indigenous rights, inequality, suicide, art, love, family, ....yes and so much more.
It's a good interview above, you should definitely listen to it. I send out love and light to his mom and his family and to him and the people who reached out to him.
We are all struggling with the colonialist legacy and it's not an easy ride.
If you got to the party late, read the rest of these important articles on this related link, where I tried to gather them together to give a true, fair, opportunity to get the full story and form your own opinion.
Indigenous Identity - the Joseph Boyden saga continues-Updated!!
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2017/01/indigenous-identity-joseph-boyden-saga.html
Here's what I can trace of my ancestry and it was really really hard. Sadly I still do not know my Gr. Gr. Grandmother Theresa Eliza Enos's maiden name- her Indigenous name. These things take time but sometimes the info just isn't to be found. Time will tell.
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/11/enos-poirier-ancestry-kalapuya-iroquois.html
Well I think this a question we are all asking ourselves really? Don't you agree?
Well, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know (who are you? who, who, who, who?)
Tell me, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who?)
'Cause I really wanna know (who are you? who, who, who, who?)
I have all these questions when I create my art and my stories and I think about what people will say and if they'll ask the same questions that are being asked.
Like when I wrote down my vision and painted and made a little video...is that all cool.
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2017/01/my-vision-salmon-woman.html
Or when I painted "Tail of Tears"
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/10/tail-of-tears-painting.html
See I rarely sell any of my work, most of it is gifted. This painting I have actually forbidden it ever to be sold.
That said when I painted all these other works I questioned where I stood in all of it. https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2015/10/mama-spirit-bear-cubs.html
After I painted it, I fell in love with it and couldn't sell it. I feel she watches over me. That said part of me questioned whether I am allowed to refer to her as Spirit bear...
Many of my works were created thinking that I could split any money made with the people, group, band, nation for the which the project/art was created...but I just haven't because I have so many questions...
http://savemycoast.blogspot.ca
http://zipolitazcv.blogspot.ca
Forest Fairy Tale
Pow Wow Photographic Project
This is video is over an hour but it well worth it!
And here's another weird thing, it's there so many times when I ask myself the same question, am I Indigenous ENOUGH to apply for this...what ever it is, a job, a course, funding, art residence, ....
I don't think I really ever thought much about my ancestry until Angel went to school. On the paper it said something about did I want her to be taught Aboriginal studies and asked what are ancestry. Supposed to check a box but I just check here and there and wrote that we were Metis, Songhees but nothing to prove it. This happened every year and no one ever really explained the differences...I don't think most people know..
That's why I wrote this blog post. "This isn't Dances with Salmon you know!!"
So many questions about labels, rights, cultural appropriation. It is all so relevant and important because it's all connected.
Everything is connected.
OTHER important links I would like you to look at please.
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/11/forgiveness-signs-double-rainbows.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/11/reconciliation-through-indigenous.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/cultural-appropriation.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/10/more-on-cultural-appreciation-and.html
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/01/16/oh-please-joseph-boyden-not-the-victim-in-indigenous-ancestry-saga-paradkar.html
