May 5, 2007
In the name of the ALMIGHTY BILL! (Williams)
Settler folk want to be consultedRed folk want to make money.
The little kid just wants to live, like an Indian.
Welcome to the 21st century. It's 2007 and in this day an age, First Nation's are now recognized by.....drum roll please..... Billboards.
Yes, yes, Billboards. From Vancouver Island, to Tsawassen, to Kamloops, and maybe soon, the Lower Mainland. Locals will probably have heard of the great race by the Squamish Nation to build 13 billboards, each of which would be located near Lion's Gate Bridge, Second Narrows Bridge, and Burrard Street Bridge. It's assumed to generate millions of dollars a year, to fund what the Puppet government (Indian Act government) calls "housing, programs, services, and cultural programs." Bill Williams, chairman of the band council is quoted saying, "We are in a dire situation." (What ever dire means.) Like casino's in America, these massive billboards are a hope at a "quick-fix" to the problems within the community.
Let's get things straight. It's the Squamish Nation, not the Sḵwxwú7mesh, planning to errect this billboards. The Sḵwxwú7mesh, the Indigenous people who the band council government was forced upon in the late 1890's, and early 1920's, were never met with to discuss this problem. It was an idea put forward by the band council's white Capitalist consultant.Just like most projects taken up by the Band Council, we read about it in the major news outlets. And even then, it's half true and skewed. From Eaglerdige Bluffs, to Porteau Cove, to Billboard signs, we knew about it from the Province.
In this discussion of capitalist effigy, this discussion isn't really about anti-billboards. It's really about the larger, anti-capitalist discussion. Economic development is the latest INAC-sponsored initiative to "solve the Indian problem". In the 90's, it was "capacity development". And both offer no real freedom or liberation for our people.
Money, ladies and gentlemen. Money is what the chief's wants, and money is what they'll get.
They tell us they'll use to money to solve our problems. They tell us they will comprimise to get their money. Conditioned to believe in the Colonial system. I'll give the chiefs this, and this only: the oppressor can never liberate themselves. Only the liberated or those seeking liberation can liberate the oppressor. The action's taken up by the Squamish Nation, not only on Billboards, but on it's initiatives tell us of an age where our people should praise a money of community. Capitalism over Indigenousism. Lest we forget that our way of life, the stelmexw way of life, was inherently anti-capitalist. The potlatch, the distribution of wealth, no the rise of one man with lots of money.But the oppressor, the puppet, the chief, will argue they are acting in the interest of the people, of the nation members, of the tribe. But that's the idea isn't it. Acting in the interest, and making action to prevent opportunity for resistance. Oh no, no no. The band councils do not want any kind of opposition. (It limits "progress" they will tell me). So, our culture, our powerful ancient culture that is at the edge of annihilation with the decisions being made by the pragmatic and collaborator politician's.
To the chiefs:You are leading down a path that destroys our future. The posterity will remember "Our Chiefs sold our land." Oh wait! I'm so sorry. I forgot.
They are not our chiefs.
The posterity will remember, "The politicians sold our land. The collaborators made money." So with the conditioned beliefs of meetings, negations, litigation, and, politics, we are lead into a future of disillusion. A future of being plugged in, asleep. They must forget who we are. Who Indigenous are. What is to be Indigenous. For I've heard histories of my peoples. To my understanding, Indigenous put people before money.
Now, the next argument:
To the Settler folk:
Where do you ever get the right to tell us what we can or cannot do. The mere mention of colonization should bring up something. For 200 years White folk have been telling us what to do with our people, with our land. And the tiny little plot of reserve land we have left, (from the territory your living on that is stolen), you try and tell us what we can or cannot do. You cry about "making the scenery look ugly". Well, glass, cement, and green lawns are just about as hideous.
I've mentioned it before. The Royal Proclamation of 1763. BC is stolen land. KKKanada is stolen land. Your municipalities can do nothing. Your Province can do nothing. And the KKKanadian state who still oppress us with the Department of Indian Affairs dictates to us what we can or cannot do. What would you say if we the people kick out the false governance, then we decide to build something the people decide, and you against dislike it. What then? What will you do when we take away your dog park? What will you do when we take back what's ours.Community relation's, and working together right? Well, no justice on stolen land.
To the Sḵwxwú7mesh:
Resist. The Band Council government does not want opposition. If they know people are concerned about this, they will fall. The people should, and can be, in charge, not the politician's put in power by the colonial state. Our people have a history of resistance. Only since colonization have we taken the pacifist approach. Peace, in the western sense, has never worked for us. When we realize that some things need to be protected, we will realized we have to act. Our children must know that some collaborated, and others resisted.
Links worth checking out for more information:
http://www.stopthebillboards.ca/index.php
http://thetyee.ca/Bigstory/2007/04/13/BridgeSigns/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070505.BCBILLBOARD05/TPStory/National
http://www.nsnews.com/issues07/w040807/042307/news/042307nn2.html
http://www.nsnews.com/issues07/w040807/042307/news/042307nn2.html
The Shar: You hit it on the nail. Capitalism is the seed of all evil. Are you going to join The Council when you're older to right what has been wronged?
OldManRivers: Never.
I made a vow prior to the previous elections that I would never, ever, run in the Indian Act band council election. This direct form of colonialism and imperialism must be opposed and resisted.
It's an evil system. A system that corrupts (I've seen it happen). It's a adversary colonial apparatus of competition. Between who belief they are right, and those who want to make what they belief is right, happen. Squabbles, fights, and confusion. And in this race to "create change", even in the best of all intentions (because these politician's are human, but are apart of a dehumanized government), it's a race for power. And mass quantities of power corrupts very easily. The symptoms are there. One gains more power, and one starts to disconnect, out of fear. Fear of loss of power because it's a loss of what they belief is right. Then become disconnected from their constituents, and disregard them. Quell opposition and resistance.
No my cousin, I will never run for that office.