May 17, 2008
Band Council Corruption and the 2010 Olympics
International Cry reminded me of the band council system and the ways power has changed of the years with it. What's true for many indigenous peoples is how the band council system replaced the Indian Agents. While this is kind of true, prior the Squamish Nation band council, the Christian Missionaries set up puppet-chiefs by making selected men in each of the communities chiefs. These "chieftainships" eventually merged with the culture, and created the hereditary chieftainship we have now. In 1923, these chiefs amalgamated and created the band council. Why would the government allowed a supposed "traditional" government exist at a time when they were trying to assimilate us? Well, it wasn't that traditional. Now it's traditional, because it's been in existence for nearly 100 years and many "traditions" like the hereditary chieftainship system come from it. But in 1923, a hereditary band council (doesn't that sound awful? lol) was created. It wasn't until amazingly huge amounts of corruption that a vote of non-confidence came from the membership and a elected council was put in. Not surprisingly, some of these corrupt "hereditary" chiefs got back in.What's becoming the problem is the influx of money coming from the government or own source revenues. The more money in play, the more power exists. The more power, the more grab and fight for it. This now, a select few within the Squamish Nation have this power. Some of these people of power weren't even put in place by any of the people, but by those who hired them (the band council). Now we have more power grabbing, and consolidation of power, holding back of information from the people, all out of fear.
The 2010 Olympics is an example of this. In the early stages of the Olympics bid, there was no actual dialogue with the people. The politicians didn't seek out the people, discuss what agreeing and allowing the Olympics into our territory fully meant. Then next from this, there was no dialogue on what would be negotiated for. The lead negotiators for the band council have never talked to the people, never heard from the people, never listened to the people. Which is why unsurprisingly the Squamish Nation, and the Four Host First Nation, have negotiated diddley squat for co-operation.One of the tactics the band council likes to use is the reference the late Joe Mathias. I'm too young to know or remember Joe, although the Mathias family and mine are closely related. Some of these politicians act like he was some sort of messiah to our people and that he always knew what was best. But Joe Mathias's dreams were not shared by all of our people. Let alone that, from what I know about him, of his protégé's, and of what he was, if he was still around, the corruption will still continue and he would be in it with the rest of them. Hard to say because you can't argue with the dead, but pulling this tactic of trying to somehow convince us a dead leader wanted is odd. Did he want this corruption? Did he want nepotism?
If we call upon this supposed “vision” of his, what of other ancestors and their “vision” for the future. Did our ancestors die, bleed, and struggle, so we can become capitalists? They wanted us to raise children to dream of working for multi-national corporations that feed off accumulation of wealth. To dream of being millionaires, showing our excess of wealth to our neighbors and families. To dream of individualistic manipulation of culture for ones own wants and needs. They want to pull "this person dreamed" card, what the people now have never heard of that dream, and maybe they don't agree with it.Now that we have passed the 2 year countdown mark, I'm being told that a few million dollars are coming our way, to the Squamish Nation. The main components of the Olympics were things like Sports and Culture, Business and Tourism, and Lands. There was a notice in the awful flyer that is put out in Squamish Nation reserves about the 2010 Sports and Cultural fund. Community and sports groups from Squamish or Lil'wat can apply for up to 1'000$ for cultural or recreational use. There was also things like the wood taken from the Eagle Ridge Bluffs was given to the Squamish Nation and the carvers are having a go at it. Then there was the Olympian land deal in Whistler for a few hundred fee simple hectares. Some things being proposed for this land is condos, a golf course, and parking lots. Expected to make millions apparently.
Then there is of course the politics around this. In the early staged I mentioned, it was a few politicians of the 16 member council that went for the Olympics. They went back to the council, and they voted and approved. I think it was unanimous, but I'm not sure. Following this, there were half a dozen or more "agreements" signed between VANOC, Provincial government, and Four Host First Nations. All these different agreements related to differe
nt areas in what the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation were negotiating for. Note though that none of these agreements were discussed with the people, nor have any of the people seen these documents. Perhaps only the politicians involved, their staff, and a few other staff technicians.Then we have the blatant cultural appropriation with things like the Olympics mascots, or more recently the disgusting disrespect for our people in giving native names to four different VANOC board members. The ceremony to do this was done in closed doors, out from the public, away from the community, and no one even knew about it. Everyone learned about it from the mainstream news sources.
Along with this, different politicians, their families and friends, and some high ranking staff, have enjoyed the pleasure of traveling to Athens, Beijing, Germany, New York, and a few other places. The Band Council of the Squamish Nation pays some of these trips for, while corporations related to the Olympics pay for other trips. Corporations like Four Seasons and such. When the budgets do come out for Squamish Nation expenditures, these kinds of travel arrangements are left out. Let alone the "honorarium" they receive from these engagements. Here is where moneys not coming through the normal Squamish Nation channels. Some of these politicians get paid from other sources, like VANOC, or other corporations. But the people will never know.
All in all, all this money, all this prestige, all this corruption, has greatly damaged my people. Never in my extremely short lifetime have I seen this much corruption and disregard, nor have I heard of it every being this bad before. Things are really ugly. So if you want to put a face to "No Justice on Stolen Land", put a face to what this 2010 Olympics has caused. What this will mean for our future progeny and the legacy we leave them of lands developed, culture non-existent or has just become co-opted by colonial forces (Aboriginal tourism, marketing, economic development), a governance that's corrupt up the wazoo, and a nation in shambles.This is the Olympics dream.
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Declaration of War
Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First of all; We (meaning A.I.C.S.) did not write this declaration.
It was written by Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Spiritual people.
We do however support, and we encourage others to support, each and every word written here.
Elders don't get around the internet like we do, so they are only partly aware of all the exploitation going on. Support those who wrote these words making it known to the exploiters - we know who and what they are, we do not approve, we are watching, and we are notifying others. Above all else, BOYCOTT the fakes and make sure your friends do not fall victim to them!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the Lakota Summit V, an international gathering of US and Canadian Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nations, about 500 representatives from 40 different tribes and bands of the Lakota unanimously passed a "Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality." The following declaration was unanimously passed on June 10, 1993
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declaration of War
WHEREAS we are the conveners of an ongoing series of comprehensive forums on the abuse and exploitation of Lakota spirituality; and
WHEREAS we represent the recognized traditional spiritual leaders, traditional elders, and grassroots advocates of the Lakota people; and
WHEREAS for too long we have suffered the unspeakable indignity of having our most precious Lakota ceremonies and spiritual practices desecrated, mocked and abused by non-Indian "wannabes," hucksters, cultists, commercial profiteers and self-styled "New Age shamans" and their followers; and
WHEREAS with horror and outrage we see this disgraceful expropriation of our sacred Lakota traditions has reached epidemic proportions in urban areas throughout the country; and
WHEREAS our precious Sacred Pipe is being desecrated through the sale of pipestone pipes at flea markets, powwows, and "New Age" retail stores; and
WHEREAS pseudo-religious corporations have been formed to charge people money for admission into phony "sweatlodges" and "vision quest" programs; and
WHEREAS sacrilegious "sundances" for non-Indians are being conducted by charlatans and cult leaders who promote abominable and obscene imitations of our sacred Lakota sundance rites; and
WHEREAS non-Indians have organized themselves into imitation "tribes," assigning themselves make-believe "Indian names" to facilitate their wholesale expropriation and commercialization of our Lakota traditions; and
WHEREAS academic disciplines have sprung up at colleges and universities institutionalizing the sacrilegious imitation of our spiritual practices by students and instructors under the guise of educational programs in "shaminism;" and
WHEREAS non-Indian charlatans and "wannabes" are selling books that promote the systematic colonization of our Lakota spirituality; and
WHEREAS the television and film industry continues to saturate the entertainment media with vulgar, sensationalist and grossly distorted representations of Lakota spirituality and culture which reinforce the public's negative stereotyping of Indian people and which gravely impair the self-esteem of our children; and
WHEREAS individuals and groups involved in "the New Age Movement," in "the men's movement," in "neo-paganism" cults and in "shamanism" workshops all have exploited the spiritual traditions of our Lakota people by imitating our ceremonial ways and by mixing such imitation rituals with non-Indian occult practices in an offensive and harmful pseudo-religious hodgepodge; and
WHEREAS the absurd public posturing of this scandalous assortment of psuedo-Indian charlatans, "wannabes," commercial profiteers, cultists and "New Age shamans" comprises a momentous obstacle in the struggle of traditional Lakota people for an adequate public appraisal of the legitimate political, legal and spiritual needs of real Lakota people; and
WHEREAS this exponential exploitation of our Lakota spiritual traditions requires that we take immediate action to defend our most precious Lakota spirituality from further contamination, desecration and abuse;
THEREFORE WE RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
1. We hereby and henceforth declare war against all persons who persist in exploiting, abusing and misrepresenting the sacred traditions and spiritual practices of our Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.
2. We call upon all our Lakota, Dakota and Nakota brothers and sisters from reservations, reserves, and traditional communities in the United States and Canada to actively and vocally oppose this alarming take-over and systematic destruction of our sacred traditions.
3. We urge our people to coordinate with their tribal members living in urban areas to identify instances in which our sacred traditions are being abused, and then to resist this abuse, utilizing whatever specific tactics are necessary and sufficient --for example demonstrations, boycotts, press conferences, and acts of direct intervention.
4. We especially urge all our Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people to take action to prevent our own people from contributing to and enabling the abuse of our sacred ceremonies and spiritual practices by outsiders; for, as we all know, there are certain ones among our own people who are prostituting our spiritual ways for their own selfish gain, with no regard for the spiritual well-being of the people as a whole.
5. We assert a posture of zero-tolerance for any "white man's shaman" who rises from within our own communities to "authorize" the expropriation of our ceremonial ways by non-Indians; all such "plastic medicine men" are enemies of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.
6. We urge traditional people, tribal leaders, and governing councils of all other Indian nations, to join us in calling for an immediate end to this rampant exploitation of our respective American Indian sacred traditions by issuing statements denouncing such abuse; for it is not the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people alone whose spiritual practices are being systematically violated by non-Indians.
7. We urge all our Indian brothers and sisters to act decisively and boldly in our present campaign to end the destruction of our sacred traditions, keeping in mind our highest duty as Indian people: to preserve the purity of our precious traditions for our future generations, so that our children and our children's children will survive and prosper in the sacred manner intended for each of our respective peoples by our Creator.
Wilmer Stampede Mesteth; (Oglala Lakota); Traditional Spiritual Leader & Lakota Culture Instructor; Oglala Lakota College, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Darrell Standing Elk; (Sicangu Lakota); President, Center for the SPIRIT, San Fancisco, California, & Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Phyllis Swift Hawk; (Kul Wicasa Lakota); Tiospaye Wounspe Waokiye; Wanblee, South Dakota
Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First of all; We (meaning A.I.C.S.) did not write this declaration.
It was written by Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Spiritual people.
We do however support, and we encourage others to support, each and every word written here.
Elders don't get around the internet like we do, so they are only partly aware of all the exploitation going on. Support those who wrote these words making it known to the exploiters - we know who and what they are, we do not approve, we are watching, and we are notifying others. Above all else, BOYCOTT the fakes and make sure your friends do not fall victim to them!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the Lakota Summit V, an international gathering of US and Canadian Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nations, about 500 representatives from 40 different tribes and bands of the Lakota unanimously passed a "Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality." The following declaration was unanimously passed on June 10, 1993
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declaration of War
WHEREAS we are the conveners of an ongoing series of comprehensive forums on the abuse and exploitation of Lakota spirituality; and
WHEREAS we represent the recognized traditional spiritual leaders, traditional elders, and grassroots advocates of the Lakota people; and
WHEREAS for too long we have suffered the unspeakable indignity of having our most precious Lakota ceremonies and spiritual practices desecrated, mocked and abused by non-Indian "wannabes," hucksters, cultists, commercial profiteers and self-styled "New Age shamans" and their followers; and
WHEREAS with horror and outrage we see this disgraceful expropriation of our sacred Lakota traditions has reached epidemic proportions in urban areas throughout the country; and
WHEREAS our precious Sacred Pipe is being desecrated through the sale of pipestone pipes at flea markets, powwows, and "New Age" retail stores; and
WHEREAS pseudo-religious corporations have been formed to charge people money for admission into phony "sweatlodges" and "vision quest" programs; and
WHEREAS sacrilegious "sundances" for non-Indians are being conducted by charlatans and cult leaders who promote abominable and obscene imitations of our sacred Lakota sundance rites; and
WHEREAS non-Indians have organized themselves into imitation "tribes," assigning themselves make-believe "Indian names" to facilitate their wholesale expropriation and commercialization of our Lakota traditions; and
WHEREAS academic disciplines have sprung up at colleges and universities institutionalizing the sacrilegious imitation of our spiritual practices by students and instructors under the guise of educational programs in "shaminism;" and
WHEREAS non-Indian charlatans and "wannabes" are selling books that promote the systematic colonization of our Lakota spirituality; and
WHEREAS the television and film industry continues to saturate the entertainment media with vulgar, sensationalist and grossly distorted representations of Lakota spirituality and culture which reinforce the public's negative stereotyping of Indian people and which gravely impair the self-esteem of our children; and
WHEREAS individuals and groups involved in "the New Age Movement," in "the men's movement," in "neo-paganism" cults and in "shamanism" workshops all have exploited the spiritual traditions of our Lakota people by imitating our ceremonial ways and by mixing such imitation rituals with non-Indian occult practices in an offensive and harmful pseudo-religious hodgepodge; and
WHEREAS the absurd public posturing of this scandalous assortment of psuedo-Indian charlatans, "wannabes," commercial profiteers, cultists and "New Age shamans" comprises a momentous obstacle in the struggle of traditional Lakota people for an adequate public appraisal of the legitimate political, legal and spiritual needs of real Lakota people; and
WHEREAS this exponential exploitation of our Lakota spiritual traditions requires that we take immediate action to defend our most precious Lakota spirituality from further contamination, desecration and abuse;
THEREFORE WE RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
1. We hereby and henceforth declare war against all persons who persist in exploiting, abusing and misrepresenting the sacred traditions and spiritual practices of our Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.
2. We call upon all our Lakota, Dakota and Nakota brothers and sisters from reservations, reserves, and traditional communities in the United States and Canada to actively and vocally oppose this alarming take-over and systematic destruction of our sacred traditions.
3. We urge our people to coordinate with their tribal members living in urban areas to identify instances in which our sacred traditions are being abused, and then to resist this abuse, utilizing whatever specific tactics are necessary and sufficient --for example demonstrations, boycotts, press conferences, and acts of direct intervention.
4. We especially urge all our Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people to take action to prevent our own people from contributing to and enabling the abuse of our sacred ceremonies and spiritual practices by outsiders; for, as we all know, there are certain ones among our own people who are prostituting our spiritual ways for their own selfish gain, with no regard for the spiritual well-being of the people as a whole.
5. We assert a posture of zero-tolerance for any "white man's shaman" who rises from within our own communities to "authorize" the expropriation of our ceremonial ways by non-Indians; all such "plastic medicine men" are enemies of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.
6. We urge traditional people, tribal leaders, and governing councils of all other Indian nations, to join us in calling for an immediate end to this rampant exploitation of our respective American Indian sacred traditions by issuing statements denouncing such abuse; for it is not the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people alone whose spiritual practices are being systematically violated by non-Indians.
7. We urge all our Indian brothers and sisters to act decisively and boldly in our present campaign to end the destruction of our sacred traditions, keeping in mind our highest duty as Indian people: to preserve the purity of our precious traditions for our future generations, so that our children and our children's children will survive and prosper in the sacred manner intended for each of our respective peoples by our Creator.
Wilmer Stampede Mesteth; (Oglala Lakota); Traditional Spiritual Leader & Lakota Culture Instructor; Oglala Lakota College, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Darrell Standing Elk; (Sicangu Lakota); President, Center for the SPIRIT, San Fancisco, California, & Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Phyllis Swift Hawk; (Kul Wicasa Lakota); Tiospaye Wounspe Waokiye; Wanblee, South Dakota