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.
Showing posts with label missing and murdered women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missing and murdered women. Show all posts
Yep, this is it. I carved all day. It was lovely but I am tired and my hands are sore.
I want to work on the mountains more, I was working on rounding my moon but I definitely want to define the mountains and maybe put a little snow on it.
One time when my daughter and I were going to one of her ballet exams, we had to cross the path of a marathon. I always remember we went past this one guy and he was singing to all the runners...
and when ever I am really feeling joyful, that little song pops into my head and that's what I was singing yesterday.
I was a hard day in someways but then it got awesome.
I was feeling really stressed. With the LNG being approved and fears that the Pipeline will be too I was feeling quite defeated. I have been working really hard on my blogs and painting and efforts to raise as much awareness as I can. When Christie Clark and Catherine Mckenna announced it was going ahead, it was like a punch in the stomach. I cried.
Anyways fast forward, I got to class and it's so wonderful because Justin brings food. I am very grateful for the fruit and muffins and coffee. It is really really wonderful and it really starts the day off right.
We spoke of Orange Shirt day and it's significance to remember the children who attended Residential Schools and how they were affected. We stood and held a minute of silence in remembrance.
Justin told us that next week is going to be hard. To prepare ourselves because we were going to be dealing with VERY difficult material, next week we deal with issues related to Missing and Murdered women. It is going to be very hard and I am nervous. I get teary thinking about it and it triggered me I must admit. But then he read a passage from Oh the Places you'll go. That made me happy. I love Dr.Suess. Such wise wise words. This is one of my favorite videos.
Shane Pointe was there and he opened with a lovely song and then we got into groups and had discussions about Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation.
I had done my readings and some research. They shared a great video with us. I need to find it and then I will share it but now I want to tell you about the afternoon and why it was AWESOME!
OH, first I should tell you we stopped for lunch and I was melting down. I was gifted though because I have made friends in this class and one of them stayed with me and listened to me and I felt so much better. THANK YOU FRIEND!! You know who you are!!
So after lunch Aaron started to show us how to sharpen our knives but before he did it Shane showed us some very very very special tools. He told this fabulous story about them but I can't do it justice so I will just show you them. They are truly amazing.
Here they are. Shane is not a tool maker, he is a carver. He told this really great funny story of how he wanted an axe and went to a dear family member to ask for one. Maybe I can get him to tell the story again...on video...I will ask...it was really good...I loved hearing it.
The great part about the story was it taught us about cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation and I will expand on that later but I want to show you what else made the day AWESOME.
So the image below is our first assignment. This isn't mine. I have to make something similar. I hope I can. I know I can. I have made the middle part already.
Okay, so that was my AWESOME day. It had sad and stressful moments and I was SUPER EXHAUSTED when I got home but I was SUPER HAPPY too!
I am really really excited about my future and what I can create.
Next week is going to be hard. Please send us love and light as we deal with this difficult subject but I am going to work hard this week to prepare myself.
Okay, so that's all for now. Have a great day and take care of yourself.
Well I was lucky. I can't believe I was actually able to capture these photos and video of Justin Trudeau and Sophie as they arrived with Prince William and Kate at the Kitsilano Coast Guard.
Yes, I did get caught up in the moment and I was overjoyed that I was actually able to pull this off. I just happened to get to the right spot and stayed there and I was blessed with a real show.
But lets put it all in perspective. While it is all wonderful and grand that these people have come to visit, let's remember they are just people.
No one is more important than any one of us. We are all equal.
But these people have power, inherited and it's been such a long time that everything is mixed up, forgotten, buried and dug up.
So it's time for us all to WAKE UP and learn about what was hidden from us. The TRUTH was hidden, dark evil things that people really don't want to remember but we must. We Must Remember it's the only way forward. So we have to learn.
These videos by Sharon Venne taught me so much. https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/listen-to-sharon-venne-speak-about.html
I wish we could shorten and animate all three so it would be easier for this generation to comprehend and retain. I'm visual. I like visual things, like videos...that's why these are great as is, I can't read alot, my eyes roll into the back of my head..and my brain says "No!!" Could be my ancestors asking for an oral story, not some written stuff.
"Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the UBCIC, stated “After an
intense three days of discussion and debate during our AGA; I put the
matter to the Chiefs-in-Assembly of my participation in the Black Rod
Ceremony. A clear majority of Chiefs felt, in the face of the Trudeau
Government’s hesitancy to follow through on their federal election
commitments and the Government of BC's intransigence on following
through with the Four Principles arising from the historic Supreme Court
of Canada’s Tsilhqot'in decision, the Chiefs-in-Assembly felt it would
not be appropriate for me to participate in a 'reconciliation' ceremony
at this time.”
Chief Robert Chamberlin, Vice-President of the UBCIC, said “Both the
federal and provincial governments are expected and called upon in
Canada to uphold the honour of the Crown. The Government of BC’s
fast-track ‘to the point of no return’ approach on Site C and the spirit
of the Conservative’s ‘stall and litigate’ tactic permeating the
Trudeau Government’s handling of T’aaq-wiihak, the implementation of
Nuu-chah-nulth Fishing Rights, are two recent examples of why First
Nations are heading to the courts to compel both governments to uphold
the honour of the Crown.”
Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer of the UBCIC, remarked “The
Trudeau Government and the Government of BC cite the number of First
Nation agreements, talk of the many issues that need to be addressed,
make promises of better times tomorrow in the name of reconciliation but
their actions today demonstrate the opposite. There is no true
recognition of Indigenous Title, Rights and the honouring of Treaty
Rights when it comes to Site C, Enbridge, Kinder Morgan or Lelu Island.
Just processes weighted down with the governments’ belief that our Title
and Rights do not exist until we win in court or negotiate a treaty.” Read more here http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/royalreconciliation
"With the deepening poverty of our communities, remembering the missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the ongoing negligence of Indigenous Child Welfare policies across this country, in good conscience, I cannot participate in the Black Rod Ceremony," Phillip said in a statement Monday Now we will have to see if they get the message and if they truly walk the talk. This tour is supposed to be about mental health. http://bc.ctvnews.ca/royals-vancouver-visit-puts-focus-on-mental-health-issues-1.3087838
Well if you want healthy people then there's a lot of work to be done and that means "Recognition of Indigenous Title, Rights and the honouring of Treaty
Rights when it comes to Site C, Enbridge, Kinder Morgan and Lelu Island and taking steps to End poverty and help the Missing and Murdered Women and their families.
There is a real crisis of the salmon that is being ignored. We must get the Fish Farms out and we must Stop the Pipelines and Tankers that will destroy our coast, culture and the lives of our future children's children.
