November 11, a day to remember, a day to mourn, a day to ask, why?

On November 11, at the 11th minute of the 11th hour, Canadians all over the world stop what they are doing and honour those who have fought, those who have come back, and those who have never returned, with two minutes of silence. Today, most of us will take in a ceremony at a legion or cenotaph somewhere in this vast country. We wear our poppies proudly until today, when we will lay them on the cenotaphs, or pin them to a wreath. We owe so much to these men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It makes my heart warm to know children understand as much about our Veterans as I did as a child, as it is one thing we make sure we pass down to future generations. However, it does sadden me as well. We are not passing down all the truth to future generations. I am sure many of my own generation are unaware of the additional sacrifices paid by our First Nation Veterans who have fought side by side with their countrymen and women. While they enlisted and fought side by side during the wars, we all know they were not allowed that equality back in their own country. But what many do not know, as a reward for fighting, the Canadian Veteran's Settlement Act allowed Canadian Veterans (certain Veterans) returning home to buy land at very, very cheap prices. However, many of the Native soldiers who were fortunate enough to return home, were not only not allowed to buy the same land, but usually were not even told about the program. Instead, many returned home to their First Nation communities to find the government had seized huge portions of their reserve land to compensate non-native soldiers. Whole First Nation communities still mourn the loss of thousands of acres of land they were forces to surrender, as if they had lost a war. When these soldiers returned, many did have the option of getting the vote in Canada. Remember up until the 60's First Nations people were not even allowed to vote in their own country. Many feel this was the point we first became Canadian. Anyhow, a vet returning from the war could get the vote, if he were to become white. He had to give up who he was, where he came from, basically forget who he really was, in order to be Canadian. Many did this and in doing so, were not longer considered First Nation/Indian by the government. By society, that was a different story. How could one fit into a society if society did not want one there in the first place? Over 5200 First Nations people have served our military. Many are still waiting to receive even the basic benefits non-native veterans receive and have received for many, many years. Is it because prior to this year we were not even considered human? After all, the Canadian Human Rights Act did not apply to anyone living in a First Nations Community until this year. As we honour those brave soldiers today, on November 11, it is a day to remember, a day to mourn, a day to ask, why?

The Bear Facts

First of all, I apologize. This is so off topic. I must start by saying I am by no means against hunting. It has long been a means for my ancestors to survive for thousands and thousands of years. I for one, do not partake in the annual hunt as hundreds of thousands of folks in Canada and the US do each year. The closest I get to hunting for my own food, is fighting over the marked down steak at Superstore with twenty other hungry bbq warriors. My fish either comes in a beautiful garment made of beer, flour and a few other ingredients...or laying on a cedar bed with a quilt of dill, red onions and little bit of olive oil. I do, however, love the wilderness. When I am out walking through the woods, trail or no trail, I always keep one thing in mind. No matter how much I feel at home surrounded by the trees and animals, I am trespassing in their backyard. So when I read an article like the one on the CBC website August 14 "12 killed bears were a threat to public", I am sadened. As the urban sprawl continues throughtout Canada, we have to keep in mind, for every foot we expand, two feet are taken from the homes of wildlife. We take our garbage, dump it right in the middle of the bear's livingroom and when they come around because of all the food smells, we consider them dangerous and kill them. We all seem to suffer from the not in my backyard mentality. News for everyone, it is the bear's backyard as well. Over the past number of years, the number of bear attacks are increasing. Are the bears to blame for this? Or are we to blame for taking away the bears territory. Now I know, a lot of people are going to disagree with this and say that we are human, the bears are animals, we have a right to the land. I can not remember seeing a story about a group of bears clearcutting a forest to make way for a new bear mall. I can not remember a story of a new bear open pit mine opening up. And I sure as hell ca not rememeber a story of a group of bears wanting to bury toxic chemicles in the Canada Shied area. I ask you, who is the smater being, us or the bears?
Speaking of woods, have you ever noticed how unhealty a forest of only one type of tree looks? Let's say for example, you take a wood lot and cut down everything but red spruce. Notice what happens. The ground cover starts to change. Eventually there will be no low ground coverage to hide the small animals, no will there be anything for the small animals to eat. Everything will be covered with a blanket of moss, with an occassionla fern. Is t his a healty forest? No. So what does this tell us? In order for a forest to be healthy, there needs to be a large mixutre of trees, some softwood, some hardwood, and all the various ground covers. When forests are mixed like this, you end up with a more balanced environment. Hmm...sounds a lot like us. Let's take our lesson for the day from trees. If we have only one homogenous group of people living together, is this a good thing? How boring would that be if everyone was the same? Would we survive? Probably. Would we thrive? Probable not. Would we be missing something? Absolutely...what that is, is for you to figure out. I know. (I guess this was not as off topic as I thought)

The meanings of Privileged language

I will be quick and to the point. I am very curious about the language not only society chooses to use but that of the media. I can remember seeing many protests or picket lines around Nova Scotia over the years. As a matter of fact, from what I recall, quite a number of them have been public civil servants (you know, the whole" I pay your salary" jobs..trust me, I can not stand this saying either). Now the issue I have here is the language used to describe these picket lines...just that PICKET LINE, or even more rebellious, how about protest ( a little more powerful sounding that demonstration). How many of us have heard of these picket lines not letting anyone through? no vehicles, no bodies. How many of us have heard of folks getting a bit, shall we say, roughed up by these lines? How many of us have heard the tongue lashings these folks throw out on these picket lines. So my question is, why do we chose such soft language to describe these lines, but when the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation near Nelson House, Manitoba, forms a picket line, WHICH, keep in mind is blocking vehicles only and letting people through, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, aka the CBC, runs the headline "Natives blockade norther Manitoba dam project"?? BLOCKADE?? That sounds more like a demonstration to me.
By the way, if you are wondering what exactly are they demonstrating against, no, it is not that it is sacred ground. No, it is not over land that was stolen. It is over promised jobs. Now, for those of you who say they are protesting over jobs that were promised to Natives...WRONG..they are protesting over jobs that were promised to LOCALS, it just so happens that locals in this situation happen to be from a First Nations community. Just the same as if the dam was being built in Guysborough (or fill in the blank with any small town Canada or US name) and most of the jobs were promised to said town. Now, if said town were upset and decided to demonstrate against what was promised, I am damn sure the CBC would not use the word "blockade" in the headline...CBC...smarten up, or is that too much to ask, after all, I pay your salary

Opps, they did it again

For a long time now I have been talking about the bias and racist reporting coming form newspapers across the country. Many people look at the paper and just don't see the things myself and many others do. It is so easy to see, and I would like to thank Lynn Barr-Telford from Statistics Canada for calling the Canadian Press to task on such an issue. On July 22, 2009, papers across the country reported on a study recently released. The article was entitled "Native poverty, jail linked" The article goes on to link Native poverty as a result of high incarceration rates. However, according to Stats Canada, "Our analysis did not examine income levels, and the word poverty did not appear in either our news release or in our report" as per Barr-Telford's letter buried on page A7 Opinions section (I would put a link to the letter, but I can not seem to find it on the Chronicle Herald website) Since the word "poverty" was nowhere in the study...OR the press release, why did Sue Bailey of the Canadian Press feel it was her responsibility to embelish the story? Is this what we can expect from the empolyees of the Canadian Press? I do think this has helped prove my point. While I am on it, should the papers also need to print a retraction instead of hiding it on page 7????

Honour killing...question for you

Not much to say, but one question to ask yourself:

• Gabriela Babineau smothered her child, 3 years old, 1995
• Susan Smith strapped her two toddlers in the car and pushed it into a lake. For nine days she told the world they were kidnapped by a black carjacker. Why? Her boyfriend didn't want kids
• Eric Crutchfield killed his 6 year old daughter with a shot in the back
• Socorro caro shot and killed her three sons while they slept
• Feb 2002, Texas, mother drowns her 5 children in the tub
• Marilyn Lemak, Chicago, smothered her 3 children...with her bare hands
• Manuel Gehring, killed his children and buried the bodies "somewhere" along the highway, never been found
• Mohammad Shafia, allegedly killed his daughters in Kingston

This is just a very small list of children who lost their lives by their parents own hands. In 97 alone 62 children under the age of 12 were killed by their parents. My question is, why is it that only one of them has been automatically been deemed, by the public and the press, and honour killing?
This is a horrible crime, makes me sick just thinking about it, but please, do not make judgments until all the facts are known

Fuck off, we're full??? Racsim and facebook

This morning on facebook I was invited to join a group called "FUCK OFF, WE'RE FULL---> Canada. First I apologize for the language, it was theirs...not mine. Now don't get me wrong, I tried to stay off of Facebook as long as I could, and as my children can attest, I managed to stay off for a LONG time. However, it is a great Forum to discuss issues of the day. It is also a great place for the whole privilege piece to come into play. This group is all about how immigration is ruining Canada (remember, a country that is made up of approx 95% immigration). I have decided to copy my one and only posting to this group here, as I am sure it will not be on the site for vary long:

First of all, the only reason I joined this group was so I could post here. Once posted I will be leaving.

1. The national anthem was FIRST written in French, not English, wow...and you call yourself Canadian. It was not even proclaimed the national anthem until 1980, and the Englis version was not approved until 1968 by the Senate

2. For those of you who say immigrants should learn our ways...how many of you have been to a sweat? A sundance? Even smudged? I take it the silence means very few.

3. For those of you who say immigration should stop, remember, 95% of Canada's population is immigrants, from the past 400 years.

4. For those of you who say that stuff was in the past (treaties, etc) get over it. I say stop celebrating Canada Day, Confederation was in the past...GET OVER it

5. The problem here is something called privilege. When someone feels something is being taken from them (ie, jobs) what they are really saying is "hey, that job should have been mine.... but it was TAKEN away from me.. I deserved it." Why? Because I have privilege and when I did not get that job, it is unjust because a piece of that unearned privilege has been taken away. (if you honestly do not believe in this whole concept of privilege, you have just proved to yourself it does indeed exist, because EVERYONE else knows it is there. If you do not see it, you got it

5. As for the whole taking jobs thing. I hear people whining about immigrants working at corner stores, driving cabs, etc Are these the jobs they are taking away? APPLY FOR THEM dumbass! At the same time, please keep in mind that those immigrants that are working at the cornerstore, or driving you around in a taxi, could be much more of a hero than you. Chances are, they could easily save your life, as they are probably doctors, but due to our racist policies, are unable to practice.

So I have been a little busy, does not mean the attitudes are gone

So it has been a while since I last wrote anything. Does this mean there has been very little to write about? Does this mean the whole systemic racism thing has solved itself and no longer exists? A quote from the editorial section today: "We are a Christian country, pioneered by mostly Christians. We always said the Lord’s prayer in school and saluted the flag every morning. It seems to me that we are letting minorities take over what we stood for for hundreds of years" (Heaven help us *in response to the atheist ads in the bus) see article here First of all, Mr. Rafuse, we are not a Christian country, we are a forced upon Christian society. Christianity was not on this soil until the likes of Champlain, Cartier, and the boys landed on the shores and thought the best way to take over, I repeat TAKE over, was to get the folks living here for well over 13,000 years to become saved. Saved from what I ask? Saved from the physical, mental, and sexual abuse that was delivered daily like communion? Saved from unholy act of speaking your own language? Saved from peace and closeness with the Earth that came with our ceremonies? What exactly was Christianity saving us from? So, you are upset because "we" are letting minorities take over what "we" stood for for hundreds of years. Let me ask you Mr. Rafuse,...how does it feel? Think long and hard about that. Remember, you are talking around 400 years of what "we" stood for. For the First Nations that number is well over 13,000 years of what WE stood for. So when I am told by folks like you "that was the past" "that was so long ago. get over it" "treaties mean nothing", I say to you Mr. Rafuse, that thing you stood for, for hundreds of years, that was in the past... GET OVER IT

Why is it still ok?

So, I was walking to the library at Acadia University the other day and came across a cardboard box that had been placed by RedBull. This was for a doddle contest. If you look closely you will see the drawing that I found most offensive. It shows a First Nations character in "full Indian headdress and war paint", pointing a gun at the White Sheriff. This picture is wrong on so many levels. First, the stereotypical portrayal of First Nations, and second, as the violent aggressor. If we look back in time, the opposite is true, the oppressor on the other side, the mass murders, the genocide all prove this true. As I scanned the box, I did not notice any other groups being stereotyped. I did not notice the Muslim being portrayed as a terrorist, as this would be racist and wrong. I did not notice the US president being portrayed as a primate (remember the New York Times..even they did not get this one), as t his would be racist and wrong. I did not notice an Asian person being drawn with those eyes from the days of Bugs Bunny, or the facial characteristics that were once drawn of those of African descent, as all this would be racist and wrong. So why is it, that First Nations, and stereotypes are still fair game? Why is it that schools across this country, and the US, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities, as well as professional sports teams, can get away with using stereotypes and likenesses of First Nations people and culture? And to those who say it is done as an honor, out of respect, I say go to hell! I dare you to ask a First Nations person if they are honored with the Washington Redskins, The Atlanta Braves (remember the tomahawk chop!!!), the Cleveland Indians, the Seminoles, the Warriors, the Redmen.. not to mention the mascots!!
A letter has been sent to Red Bull asking for the removal of these offensive boxes from all Universities. An apology has also been asked for. Will they be removed? Will the apology surface? I say no. After all, this is the same company that sets up on school grounds and offers its addictive, potentially lethal products to kids for free. Why expect anything different from a company with no morals.

Inclusion, not just for school

When you mention inclusion in schools to most parents, the conversation always falls to the outdated “Special Ed” classroom. Parents look at this in one of two ways: This is so great for my child, or my child will suffer from this. From my experience, the latter is usually the parent of a child who would not have fallen into the category of “Special Ed”. These parents fail to see the benefits of inclusion in the classroom. If these parents would get the opportunity, as I did, to see 60 elementary students forming a circle around one child (who without inclusion would not have had the opportunity to go camping) and cheering her name as she climbed a tree, they would see the benefits that all children get from inclusion.
When society thinks about inclusion, I believe this is the topic that is at the front. However, inclusion goes far beyond the classroom, and far beyond abilities. First Nations (FN) have never been included in mainstream society. As a matter of fact, when it comes to FN, the opposite holds true, exclusion. For many years, up to and including today, the Federal Department that is in charge of the “health and welfare” of FN people, the Department of Northern and Indian Affairs, employed very few FN people. Decisions are made without consultation of First Nations people themselves over and over again. Relocations such as James Bay, bending of their own rules, as in the case of Indianbrook Fisheries, mandated two year elections (the main reason very few enterprises will negotiate with FN governments), Residential schools ( I use the term schools lightly, prisons fits better), have all done nothing but help build a distrust of Mainstream society in FN communities. A lack of understanding of FN issues, life, culture, and society, from mainstream Canada has led to mistrust, cultural stereotypes, animosity, and sometimes hatred from mainstream Canada towards FN people. So, where do we go from here?
Education is the key. A strong understanding of the lives of FN people. An understanding of what it is like to be a stranger in the land your ancestors walked on for thousands of years. An understanding of the system we have to navigate constantly to get through this life. A willingness to forget all the things you THINK you know, and replace it with things you DO know. A willingness to see that Canada has a system set up that has two sets of rules, one for FN people and one for the rest of Canada. A willingness to understand that if we live in our communities, we can not start a business, as we are unable to build equity in homes we are not allowed to own, unlike mainstream Canada. A willingness to understand that the drug and alcohol abuse is a mechanism to deal with the pain and hurt mainstream Canada caused with Residential schools (and remember, not just the survivors are hurting, three generations and counting are suffering due to the abuse their grandparents and great grandparents suffered) A willingness to let our voices be heard in decisions that affect us (for the first time in the history of this country, June 11, 2008 was the first time a FN organization was invited, no, allowed in the House of Commons)
It is time for inclusion of FN in the Canadian society, but mainstream Canada, please remember, we do not want you to say we can be included, we do not want your permission to be included, we just want it to happen.

Nothing like a good old fashion drug raid to bring out the BEST in people

This past week we have seen the arrest of a First Nations band manager for possession, trafficking, and weapons offences. While scanning through readers' comments, it appears the accused's actions speak for a whole race. Amazing the number of racists events like this bring out. Some of the posts I read include: "Reserves breed drug use", "Corrupt politicians", "What do you expect", "Bet he plays the Native card","typical, those people will defend him", "The sad part about this is you will most likely see this guy back in business soon. Most likely going to see the native card pulled on this. I wonder if drug trafficking is mentioned in the treaty. .", " Chief must of been sleeping on that day or nursing a hang over"," No wonder First Nation's people are in such dire straits", The list goes on and on. So why is it the actions of one individual, guilty or not, are representative of a group? Let's look back at the recent events in Halifax involving two families heavily involved in the drug trade. There were almost daily shootings, one in front of the Children's Hospital. These two families are located in the same area. I did not recall seeing any comments stating the actions of these groups represent the actions of all white folk. Saying something like that would be , well, just plain silly. So why is it, the actions of individuals of colour, African Canadian, Latino, First Nations, to the dominant society, seem to represent the group as a whole? Racism at its finest