October 23, 2008
Conversations with Tim
I posted "Dustin thinks SN band councilors need term limits. 8 years sounds good to me? Retroactive 20 years ago. lol." on my status-update on my facebook profile. My friend agreed with me and we had a fun discussion for all to see. I thought I'd share the conversation with you all since I liked it also.
Tim: I totally agree with you Dustin. You will make a good leader someday, keep up the great work. We are watching you with pride.
Tim: I wish we can have a General Band Membership Meeting.
Dustin: It just makes sense to me. Most have been there for some time now and, from what I hear, want to consolidate power within their department or themselves even more. Just by-pass the people all together. It's interesting how now the SN band council treats "the people" how the government treated the SN band council. Anyways, I could go on and on (...and will do so soon!) but it's a simple governance law that should be in place to keep things in check.
Tim: I think we need a new group on this subject here on facebook. The Squamish Peoples Voice - Then we can all go there and brainstorm some ideas on how we can make a positive change for the good and make a change at voting time. The time to vote is coming near, we should rally the communities for change of the old guard!! :)
Dustin: Funny you say that Tim. I'm going to be releasing a call out for a Skwxwu7mesh community magazine as a mean to bring us together and dialogue about these issues more. I'm "imagining" a leadership forum for the community to really discuss topics like the status-quo of leadership, how we define leadership, what politics means and what is politics ... supposed to produce, and the role our leadership should play in our community. I think there are a lot of myths about our history and about the current governance structure. All we need is some dialogue among us and then move into action planning to co-create the kind of nation we can believe in and the kind of nation we can be proud of.
Tim: Wow Dustin! That is an excellent idea. You touch on some very good points about the leadership roles. They say they are following tradition but what tradition is that??? Is it European tradition or our old ways tradition??? I noticed they don't have nothing written in stone to prove stuff.
Dustin: That's what I mean by myth. The amalgamation is a point of contention among some but it's so shrouded in myth. They say their representative of the 16 chiefs of the 16 reserves but who are each one of them responsible to? I mean in actual hard terms, who are they responsible to. That when they do something, their actions and be answerable to ... Read Moresomeone. Some would cry "The people!", but obviously that's not true otherwise things wouldn't be allowed to get THIS bad. They are not responsible to their constituents because when's the last time any of them have gone back to their families or the people who voted them and said, "Here are the decision I have to make, what are your thoughts on the matter?" "What would you like me to do in council?" "What are your thoughts on this discussion we're having at the council table?
No, their political objective for 4 years is made up of entirely their own making.
Tim: and their own agenda
Dustin: That too! lol
Tim: I don't think the Council should have one family dominance on Council. Should be shared fairly amongst other families of the Nation and proper representation for each Reserve such as a Elders Council even a Youth Council. 85 % of our population is below age 25.Our Youth is our future and strength.
I couldn't agree more Tim. I think this is one of the conversations that need to happen. Things like :
Tim: I totally agree with you Dustin. You will make a good leader someday, keep up the great work. We are watching you with pride.
Tim: I wish we can have a General Band Membership Meeting.
Dustin: It just makes sense to me. Most have been there for some time now and, from what I hear, want to consolidate power within their department or themselves even more. Just by-pass the people all together. It's interesting how now the SN band council treats "the people" how the government treated the SN band council. Anyways, I could go on and on (...and will do so soon!) but it's a simple governance law that should be in place to keep things in check.
Tim: I think we need a new group on this subject here on facebook. The Squamish Peoples Voice - Then we can all go there and brainstorm some ideas on how we can make a positive change for the good and make a change at voting time. The time to vote is coming near, we should rally the communities for change of the old guard!! :)
Dustin: Funny you say that Tim. I'm going to be releasing a call out for a Skwxwu7mesh community magazine as a mean to bring us together and dialogue about these issues more. I'm "imagining" a leadership forum for the community to really discuss topics like the status-quo of leadership, how we define leadership, what politics means and what is politics ... supposed to produce, and the role our leadership should play in our community. I think there are a lot of myths about our history and about the current governance structure. All we need is some dialogue among us and then move into action planning to co-create the kind of nation we can believe in and the kind of nation we can be proud of.
Tim: Wow Dustin! That is an excellent idea. You touch on some very good points about the leadership roles. They say they are following tradition but what tradition is that??? Is it European tradition or our old ways tradition??? I noticed they don't have nothing written in stone to prove stuff.
Dustin: That's what I mean by myth. The amalgamation is a point of contention among some but it's so shrouded in myth. They say their representative of the 16 chiefs of the 16 reserves but who are each one of them responsible to? I mean in actual hard terms, who are they responsible to. That when they do something, their actions and be answerable to ... Read Moresomeone. Some would cry "The people!", but obviously that's not true otherwise things wouldn't be allowed to get THIS bad. They are not responsible to their constituents because when's the last time any of them have gone back to their families or the people who voted them and said, "Here are the decision I have to make, what are your thoughts on the matter?" "What would you like me to do in council?" "What are your thoughts on this discussion we're having at the council table?
No, their political objective for 4 years is made up of entirely their own making.
Tim: and their own agenda
Dustin: That too! lol
Tim: I don't think the Council should have one family dominance on Council. Should be shared fairly amongst other families of the Nation and proper representation for each Reserve such as a Elders Council even a Youth Council. 85 % of our population is below age 25.Our Youth is our future and strength.
I couldn't agree more Tim. I think this is one of the conversations that need to happen. Things like :
- "the status-quo of leadership"
- "how we define leadership"
- "what politics means and what is politics supposed to produce"
- "the role our leadership should play in our community"
i feel like my spirit went to sleep for a number of years, because i became lonely for conversations of this nature. These types of conversations awaken that spirit in me, and inspire me to become more involved on a community level, in a deeper way, but specifically with our people.
btw... Dustin, i think you and Madonna are in the same category of seeming human, but not being human at all. : )
I am definitely interested in a tea house series... as a means of discussion and where to go with our collective feelings/thoughts/energies. i am willing and interested in an ongoing dialogue with our people. i think the times they are a changin', and i want to be standing with you all while we witness the coming together of our families, in a good way.
i have been given signs that it is time, and i want to help my daughter have a better connection to our people then i have been struggling to bring into our lives.
I feel like every person i get to meet from our nation has put a piece of my fragmented spirit back into my corpeal being.
huy chewx wa for being part of that synergy.
t'uy'tanat