tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345068262024-02-07T05:53:16.124-08:00WE MOVED TO WWW.LIBERATEDYET.COMWWW.LIBERATEDYET.COMRivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-26575830525599996882009-03-04T22:25:00.000-08:002009-03-04T22:25:12.658-08:00IMPORTANT: My Blog Has Moved!Hello readers of Liberated Yet?<br /><br />For a while I have been discussing the transition to my own website. I finally took the steps and have created my own website, and switched to wordpress. The website is now<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><a href="http://www.liberatedyet.com/">www.liberatedyet.com</a></span><br />Some new posts on my blog are:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.liberatedyet.com/index.php/politics/band-councils/a-letter-to-the-community">A Letter to the Community</a></li><li><a href="http://www.liberatedyet.com/index.php/politics/band-councils/the-amalgamation-was-broken-a-long-time-ago">The Amalgamation Was Broken A Long Time Ago</a></li><li><a href="http://www.liberatedyet.com/index.php/culture/coast-salish/traditional-singing-with-the-community">Traditional Singing With the Community</a></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.liberatedyet.com/">You can read more about it by clicking here</a>.</span>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-20676845176821544522009-03-04T22:23:00.000-08:002009-03-04T22:24:12.078-08:00A Letter to the CommunityMy name is Dustin Rivers. I am S<span style="text-decoration: underline;">k</span>w<span style="text-decoration: underline;">x</span>wu7mesh. I was raised in the communities of Eslha7an and Xwmelch’stn. I write to you regarding the Squamish Nation General Meeting on March 8th.<br /><br />In our community, we have a few members who benefit, but there are many of us who do not; some of us are in pain, then others do not care enough to change it. I see our nation being lead down a dark road. As a youth of this community I want to do whatever I can to make strong positive changes so we will be a stronger nation with a brighter future. It is my hope that all community members attend this upcoming General Meeting. I would like to see the kind of changes we deserve, the kind we need, and the kind we can bring in together. At the upcoming General Meeting, I will be motioning for a few proposals I am bringing forward. I have a dream of a brighter future.<br /><br />My elders and teachers have taught me to be informed about what happens in our community, to be apart of the decision making process, and give of myself to the community. I believe things cannot stay the same. I want to see change for the betterment of all. We all have stories and experiences of the inequality in our nation, but this can change.<br /><br />One of our current political leaders said to me once, “The role of our youth is to remind the older leadership of their responsibilities to the community, and to remind the older leadership about who they once were.” I too feel this is a role of our young people, and some things are so far out of line, we cannot be silent anymore. We must up and say no to the present state of things. We must say no to the unfairness. We must say no to the injustice. We can say yes to a better community.<br /><br />At this general meeting, I will be asking for the community’s support on:<br /><br /><strong>1. The creation of councilor “Term Limits”</strong><br />The Band Council elections are popularity contest. Large families are able to dominate positions at the table. The Council table does not represent the people fairly or justly. For many, this means some councilors are able to remain in their positions, attain power and control over years, and successfully aid in the inequality of our nation. The people are not equally represented at the Council table, and so it comes as no surprise that the decisions made are not supported by a majority of the people.<br /><br />The elections are based on the candidate getting more votes then the next person. It is not representative of the people. Most of the councilors elected in do not have majority support. This allows for decisions to be made in the support of their small base of supporters, and not support for all nation members. The politicians elected in are then controlled by their group of supporters.<br /><br />As a solution for this, we need new fresh and young leaders taking on the roles set before them. We need an opportunity for young leaders, and new leaders, to make the political decisions within our community. If term limits are created, the band councillors will not be able to make a “career” out of their position, and allow for others within the community to represent the people.<br /><br /><strong>2. The separation of Band Councillor Positions and their staff positions.</strong><br />The band council manages the affairs of the Squamish Nation, oversees finances, creates policy, outlines priorities, negotiates with outside parties for SN interests, and is the major decision-making power in our community with control over multi-million dollar budgets, and hundreds of staff.<br /><br />There is a deep inequality of powers with this governance system. Right now, 2 out of 16 Councillors hold “Department Head” level positions, one of which has been appointed by the Band Council to also be “Acting Band Manager”. 10 of 16 Councilors hold staff positions. The councillor with the highest attendance gets paid the least. The Councilors with Department Head positions have million dollar budgets, access to massive resources in knowledge, expertise, and staff, while the other councilors do not. In other elected councils outside our nation, council members cannot hold staff positions because of a “conflict of interest”. A conflict of interest is when an individual or group has an interest that might compromise their reliability or when it will benefit themselves. They become conflicted in the decision making process because they use their power at the Council table as politicians to support either their department, or use their department to support their political agenda’s.<br /><br />This is why I am asking for the separation of Councilor positions from staff positions. Let’s ask our political leaders to make leadership decisions for the people. Let’s require them work in a fair and equal way to make decisions. The present way is not fair or equal. We, the community, have to make it so. Otherwise the same things, where some benefit and other don’t, will continue to happen.<br /><br />3.)<strong>Calling a forensic audit to investigate where our money is being spent. </strong><br />In over 3 years, the Squamish Nation has not given a financial report to the people. We do not know where our money is being spent. Last year, the Squamish Nation had a budget for nearly $51 million. In 2002/3, this number was around $33 million, and we went into a $6 million dollar deficit which was never explained.<br /><br />The question for the community is: <strong>does this reflect what you see and experience in your community? Does this feel like a nation that spends <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$51 million ever year</span>?</strong> Then there is a question of, if the budget has increased nearly $20 million, where is this money going? We have a right as community members to know where this money is going, and have a say in where this money is spent. These are the reasons I say we deserve a forensic audit.<br /><blockquote><em>A forensic audit is procedures to identify if there has been any illegal, unauthorized or unprocedural use of Squamish Nation funds and assets, and establish the identity of those responsible. A forensic audit differs greatly from a “normal audit”, in that; trained forensic auditors will examine in detail each and every transaction. Background checks on individuals are carried out to determine if they are living beyond their means or have interests in companies/entities who received Squamish Nation funds.</em></blockquote><br />A forensic audit is done independently from the Squamish Nation to ensure authenticity. It is a fact finding mission. It is to investigate. If there is any wrongdoing, then it brings it to another level which will have to be dealt with later also. One of the things many have wondered about this is, “Will this mean the Band Offices, programs and services will be shut down?” The answers is <strong>NO</strong>. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The band offices, programs and services will NOT be shut down.</strong></span> It reviews past financial documents.<br /><br />I believe that if future generations are to step up and become leaders in our community, we need to have a strong foundation to work with. Having this forensic audit done will show our people where our money is bleeding out from, so we can put an end to it, and ensure a more sustainable future for our nation.<br /><br />This will all require a great deal from this community. I am asking you, as a someone who cares about his community, to support me in my proposals. I’m asking you to make a decision about whether you really want things to stay the same or if you want things to change. I also encourage you to come to the General Meeting with proposals for creating change.<br /><br />What do you think needs to stop happening, and what needs to start happening? The people are the power of this community, and if we come together saying “Things need to change”, we can do that. So I ask you, to come to the General Meeting, to take this opportunity to be a leader for a better future for our nation.<br /><br />Thank you for taking your time to read this<br />Dustin RiversRivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-9106304195828573782009-02-23T23:36:00.001-08:002009-02-23T23:37:35.321-08:00Something is About to Change<a href="http://www.liberatedyet.com">Liberated Yet?</a> is about to make a major shift. Get ready for it!Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-79930724318232828512009-02-23T16:30:00.003-08:002009-02-23T19:39:48.091-08:00What is the name that is big enough to hold your life?After reading <a href="http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2009/02/23.html#a2335">Dave Pollard's response</a> to Chris Corrigan's and Meg Wheatley's question of "<a href="http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/?p=1979">Big Question</a>", I thought about it myself.<br /><br /><small><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></small><blockquote><small><span style="font-style: italic;">From Meg: How do you call yourself? How do you identify yourself? And have you chosen a name for yourself that is big enough to hold your life's work?</span> I have a colleague who first suggested this to me. And he said, "So many of us choose names that are too small for a whole life." So, we call ourselves, 'cancer survivors;' that seems to be a very bold name, but is it big enough to hold a life? Or, 'children of abuse.' Or, we call ourselves 'orphans,' or 'widows,' or 'martyrs'.... are these names big enough to hold your life?<br /> <br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">From Chris: What is the name that is big enough to hold your life?</span> This is a name beyond who we are and who we have been - it is <span style="font-style: italic;">a name that we tremble to live into.</span> </small></blockquote>From what I understand, Coast Salish language's are built with less of an emphasis on nouns, but more verb-based. Very few things have "terms" for when you compare it to European languages such as English, or even comparing it to northern language's like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwak%27wala">Kwak'wala</a>. The vocabulary has more terms and words for actions, and few things exist that have "names for things". This also includes place names (village site, resource sites, historical sites, spiritual sites, etc). The names of people, called ancestrials names are the same.<br /><br />Some names mean "She Wears Two Mountain Goat Wool Blankets", or "Weaver of Mountain Goat Blankets", or "First Man to Appear", or "Travels Across the Inlet by Canoe to Gather Medicines". The ancestral or kweshamin are given to decedents of those who previously carried the name. That is what it is, to carry the name, but not own it. For one day, that name will be passed on. This inter-passing of time is a reoccurring theme amongst my peoples history and culture. The names themselves are passed on for distinct reasons. In some cases, elders of the village will note the similarities of the child and their ancestors that they remembered from when they were younger. It's from this connection it would be decided where the name would carry forth. In some cases, the names came with positions of prestige and responsibilities, and the person best suited to fulfill those would carry on the name of their ancestor. Then it could also be that the characteristics of an individual best suited the meaning of the name held by one of their ancestors.<br /><br />In one re-told case I know of, one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%E1%B8%B5wx%CC%B1w%C3%BA7mesh" title="Sḵwx̱wú7mesh">Sḵwxwú7mesh</a> was given a name by the community. He was a warrior who completed an difficult task for his peoples well being, as well as attained supernatural gifts from the Creator. This earned him the admiration and respect of his people, and they gave him a name to show this in honoring him, and his work. This could be how ancestral names are Created. Not by the will of a few, but by the members of a community.<br /><br />Imagine this. You are gifted a family heirloom stretching back thousands of years (yes, thousands!) to hold, to carry, and to cherish with respect. You have the strength of dozens of pas ancestors who once carried the name, and their legacy and achievements flow through you now too. It comes with a responsibility, to uphold the value of this, for your ancestors, for your family, and for future generations that will carry the name on too. Is this a name big enough to hold your life?<br /><br /><br />Titles and positions are tricky things. In some cases, they are used ferociously to create a front denoting power, superiority, and self-induced prestige. In other cases, they contain power of liberation and freedom from pre-determined definitions. In indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest though, titles and positions carry with them the implicit actions that apart of the title. It is simply not enought to "hold" that position, using it as a letterhead for life, but that it is a way of life. That what that position or title is, carries with it the way in which you inter-act with the natural world, with human systems like community, and with the circumstances that dictate your own existance. This ain't the same in Settler/Colonizer society. Unfortunately, many of our people don't realize this and either unknowingly or ignorantly adopt Euro-Canadian titles and positions, and use them in the same way as our colonizers forgeting from memory the nature of our ancestors roles in their community.<br /><br />So that's how I define myself, if I am to define myself. For proposals I write or events I am asked to speak at, what do I put for "titles" next to my name. Dustin Rivers - Amazing son, or perhaps, Dustin Rivers - Shitdistuber!. Both very true, but information you need to know for different contexts. What titles or positions do people assume on me? Up and coming leader? Role model? So twho am I? Activist. Artist. Community organizer. Cultural teacher. Traditional singer. Who knows!<br /><br />Naming things is a strength. In naming things, you can identify it, and then people can identify with it. It's a way to connect around something simple and complex at the same time. We name things to bring people together.<br /><br />My life purpose is big enough to hold my life. To bad it isn't a single word, and that could be my name. Perhaps one day I will be given an ancestral name, and that will be big enough to hold my life, and the lives of many before me, and many to come. In any case, we are defined by others and ourselves. It's just a matter of which is defines us more, and which one we let define us more then the other.<br /><br />My life purpose is:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I Am A Confident Man Who Gives Breath to the Noble Way As A Humble Emissary to Restore Balance to Community<br /></span></div>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-70076886549735118332009-02-22T03:13:00.002-08:002009-02-22T03:14:09.598-08:00A Note on Comments FormI have received emails from readers about the comments feed not working. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and I'll be making changes soon so the site works better.<br /><br />Thank You<br />Dustin RiversRivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-4766395809166709812009-02-21T02:08:00.002-08:002009-02-21T02:08:58.771-08:00Ben Harper Is My LoverI stumbled across this poem this evening. I just had to share it with all my blog readers.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ben Harper Is My Lover</span><br /></span><br />I ended up with two Africa classes this quarter.<br />It made me hate conquests of any kind.<br />Christianity and commerce.<br />Starbucks and European civilization.<br />It gave me even more reasons to justify Bob Marley.<br />Justify spending 13.50 on dreadlock shampoo.<br />Justify making a stand.<br />All the while<br />Having the option of changing into my red GAP sweater,<br />Reading my Bible,<br />And drinking the single, tall, caramel machiato<br />I'm so addicted to.<br />How can I hate a corrupt and powerful nation<br />Without hating a system<br />I have no intention<br />Of leaving?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.poetry.com/">Kelsey Parkhurst</a><br /><br /><br /></blockquote>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-87903813136416334512009-02-19T14:44:00.001-08:002009-02-19T14:57:40.524-08:00Invitation to Conversations on the Indigenous RevolutionI would like to invite members of the indigenous peoples community to join other indigenous people activists, scholars, historians, cultural and knowledge people, and members of our community to a conversation on the indigenous revolution.<br /><br />I want your deep engagement on dialoguing the “indigenous revolution”, what that is, why it is needed, what it can accomplish, and what it will potentially look like. This is a chance to dialogue on the opportunity surrounding the present and future state of indigenous cultures, societies, and nations. This is so we can come together toward identifying our potential as indigenous people and realizing untapped gifts for our peoples.<br /><br />The work of this session with move the conscience effort and desire of indigenous peoples in our community to simply begin the first conversations into strengthening our ties to our ancestors, to each other, and to the work we can do for the future.<br /><br />Difference of opinion do exist, but from this wealthy diversity that powerful new futures can emerge to better help our people. It is a hope to mix past experience, present realities and all our hopes and<br />dreams for the future into new path for our people.<br /><br />Where there is agreement, we can move forward. Where there is difference we can seek understanding, common ground, and workable compromise.<br /><br />None of this can happen without open, honest conversation and caring from each and every one of us.<br /><br />It's time to get to work... what are the issues and opportunities for... that you care about? ...what are your ideas, questions, recommendations, concerns, needs and desires for resolution and future directions... right down to the the level of implementation?<br /><br />This can happen in person, or through digital communication technology. The capacity exists for this dialogue to occur across distances and boarders.<br /><br />This is an invitation to you to join in a conversation that matters.<br /><br /><br /><br />If you are interested, contact <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dustin Rivers</span> at<br />dustin.rivers@gmail.com<br /><br />or visit www.liberatedyet.blogspot.com<br />for updates.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-77588481295410314522009-02-14T17:14:00.002-08:002009-02-14T17:16:33.231-08:00Singing Practices are Back On!Hey people,<br /><br />Just wanted to send out a quick message. Traditional Singing Practices are back on. Here is the deets:<br /><br />Monday's @ SN Youth Centre (older building)<br />**NEW TIME**<br />5:30PM<br /><br />Open to all our S<u>k</u>w<u>x</u>wu7mesh people, families, children, and people interested in learning our songs. Also encouraging our traditional singers to come join in the fun. We have a lot of fun and just jam out with drums for an hour an bit. Play slahal (bonegame) sometimes too.<br /><br />Email me at dustin.rivers@gmail.com if you want more info.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-48530533672011136512009-02-14T01:02:00.005-08:002009-02-14T03:11:39.179-08:00SingSoulGirl Brings It<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S6DeC50yMsA/SZam45KzJlI/AAAAAAAAAdk/hcAJGIAtgpc/s1600-h/inez.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S6DeC50yMsA/SZam45KzJlI/AAAAAAAAAdk/hcAJGIAtgpc/s400/inez.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302609107624339026" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Sto:lo songwriter and singer <a href="HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/INEZJASPER">Inez</a> brings a lot to the world in her latest CD "SingSoulGirl". Between the mixture of traditional bonegame chanting songs, or the ancestral ceremonial speak in <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">"Iy siiyam ti siiyaya</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Friends and relatives</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The work we are going to do today</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">is get our elders to speak to us young people</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">iy siiyam"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">followed by Inez's soulful execution in words</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">"walk through my door, have a seat, open up, listen up, hear the people speak". </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The album is this kind of identity conveyed through ancient melodies with smashed in beats to build what clearly expresses as pride, strength, and the sheer love for herself, her people, and what this is in a musical form.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The CD can be listened to here: (<a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/inez">Click Here</a>). I recommend #6 & #8.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What can I say: I'm a critic. I am sharply critical of forms of human genius like art, music, and word out of a deep appreciation of the best in the human mind. The contextual history of some of these artforms fuels my respect and admiration, sometimes to the point of an infatuation with that context, then what that artform actually produces. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hip hop is no exception to this. Born out of a need for ghettoized youth from America to build within themselves a mean to rise up in strength for their stories, their lives, their context in a racialized America. Of course, like all counter-culture and underground culture movement, corporate America desire to devour everything in its disgusting appetite produced a harmful effect on hip-hop to this day. As another favorite hip-hop group <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bluescholars">Blue Scholars</a> said, "I heard a few heads say Hip-hop is dead/No it's not,/It's just malnourished and underfed".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the reason I was always critical of native hip-hop. Still am to an extent. I always felt it lacked that same beautiful potential I admire about the artform being produced, and what I felt was imitation and culture envy among our indigenous youth. It's not meant to be a blanket statement across all who identify within that artistic label, but a common experience in social groups I live in. I have been to, heard, and experiences many talented native youth hip-hop artists who impressed me with style, lyrical content, passion, or what they were able to accomplish with the artform within their context by bringing it into a more personal transformation, then making it the opposite of personal to perform.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inez, I think you've changed the shape of my perception. (Don't worry, that's a compliment...haha). This album is not only uplifting in it's convergence of ancient culture with contemporary context, it speaks volume to the potential and talent of our young people connecting with ancient wisdom and culture. That is our context, is it not? That as indigenous youth we thick in this dirty mess of empowering concept of the world (that which is our culture) and contemporary forms of expressing very personal and individual intentions? This album raises the pride. It uplifts the soul. It an empowerment to Coast Salish indigenous youth. It's ambitious and bold, but it works.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Okay, I better stop now because I know Inez will most likely read this blog post on my Facebook page and it could go to her head...haha (Nah, she's to cool for that to have a lasting effect anyways). Maybe it's just infatuation with something new and fresh. All I know is, music hasn't made me this proud to be indigenous, to be born in this lifetime, and to be an indigenous born in this lifetime like listening to this CD tonight has.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">u siyam Sto:lo slulem welhaynexw slháneý-ullh. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">chen kwen men tumi na kílus slulem ti' sts'is. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">chexw exwa7t wenaxw iýím skwalwen-s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">[Respect and gratitude Sto:lo SingSoulGirl. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I am thankful to you for your beautiful singing today. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You give me pride & strength.]</span></span></div></div>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-28496914219666855742009-02-11T00:29:00.005-08:002009-02-11T11:26:45.020-08:00A Take On the Art of Hosting<a href="http://www.gandydancerproductions.com/videos/solution.mov">This 6 minute film</a> was shared to me by Chris Corrigan, who has his own blog here at <a href="http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/">Parking Lot</a>. He is a facilitator, organizing, and process-artist (still love that title Chris). He's been a major influence on my own life, and introduced me to idea's paradigms, and methodologies that already have an impact on the work I do with my community, but will do so even more in the coming year as I begin ramping up the dial on my community dialogue, youth empowerment, and decolonization projects. The movie is about a community of practitioners worldwide focused on the "Art of Hosting", which is about the art of hosting conversations that matter. A few months ago, I posed the question<br /><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"</span><a href="http://liberatedyet.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-conversations-matter-and-my.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What are the conversations that need to happen in my nation?</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"</span></blockquote><div><br /></div>I came up with wonderful harvests on that question, including conversations that need to happen between multi-generations, conversations that need to happen between our artists, conversations that need to happen between those who care about our community and those who need someone caring for them. The revolutionary act is in conversations. One of my favorite authors Paulo Freire taught me that in his book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". That in order for liberation to occur, the oppressed and the revolutionaries must act dialogically to achieve liberation, and that failing to dialogue with the oppressed is not liberation, but more oppression. He also said, "The oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors", and this became true for all the former-activists turned Band Councilor Politician/Businessman.<br /><br />The gift of conversations is both those conversing, but also those who can <span style="font-style:italic;">host</span> them too. And that is where there is the <span style="font-style:italic;">art of hosting</span>.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-60729882747748169332009-02-10T13:56:00.002-08:002009-02-10T13:59:48.580-08:00My Growing Dissatisfaction and MistrustI recently picked up a book on recommendation from <a href="http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/">Chris Corrigan</a> called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Theory-U-Leading-Future-Emerges/dp/0974239054">Theory U: Leading from the Future As It Emerges by C. Otto Scharmer</a>. In my up and coming work on community dialogue, emerging leadership, and break down barriers of systems in creative change, I asked him for suggested reading. The opening forward from Peter Senge nailed everything I’m experiencing with my world and my “anxiety about the future, growing dissatisfaction with and distrust of virtually all social institutions”.<br /><br />I am only part way through the introduction, but felt necessary to share something that sparked my thoughts, and to document my discourse throughout reading this book because I have a sense I will harvest and learn much from it. (Chris, I think it’s time I change my question I follow and harvest!)<br /><br /><br />My growing “anxiety about the future, growing dissatisfaction with and distrust of virtually all social institutions” is in nearly all things. <br /><br />I’ve become mistrustful of the Band Council governance system, to it’s whole machine operations. I once said to a friend, “I’m tired of working with that government and the Squamish Nation, and think I won’t anymore right now”, and his response was, “If everyone did that, nothing would happen”. I responded to that and said, “If no one does that, the same thing will keep on happening”. It’s a viewpoint of mine that the “Squamish Nation” is an illegitimate government<br /><br />I’m skeptical of the “traditional” leadership, what ever that is supposed to mean. What I believe is that the Amalgamation is more myth than fact. In the late 1800’s, the Indian Agents assigned who were the “chiefs” over the reserves, and these became the “hereditary chiefs”. Within the Canadian government, and the Indian Act, they became the controller of a government designated land base; the reserves. In 1923, someone signed an amalgamation for bring the 16 reserves under one body, the Squamish Nation. It has been done before in British Columbia where the government arbitrarily brought multiple reserves under one name to make it easy for control and oppression.<br /><br />I question the legitimacy of the old ways having precedence in modern times. Violence occurred every so often among our young people. What comes afterward is more fear-based response to increase policing and monitoring, and create a Police-guided security force to do their dirty work. I’m thinking, “Where are the elders in this?”. Some will say to outsiders that our culture is still alive, but is my mind crazy to deduce that if our young people were doing something they shouldn’t be doing, the community leaders, and the elders, would sit that person down and talk to them. That this type of justice was about restoring balance to the community. Within there lies the double standard because some will go after certain individuals presuming a “cultural” privilege to “teach” some young people, and to “judge” them worthy of said “justice”. Yes, you’ll go after them because it’s easier, convenient, and less difficult.<br /><br />Perhaps I’m out of line for calling on these hypocritical social institutions within our community. It may come from my need to contemplatively be critical of all of which does not make sense to me. Don’t worry, I do it to myself quite frequently. I also hold up supposed “traditions” and “teachings” the same way to see if they are true and valid, but most that they make sense. Maybe our community needs this kind of vigorous critical analyses because you “can’t change or heal what you do not acknowledge”.<br /><br />I’m told that this may be the role of the young people. To keep the older ones honest, and true, for they may have lost that sense of belief in what is right and wrong some time ago. Perhaps my knowledge of our history and culture, and my experience with our current community leads me to try to see if everything around here is true and honest. I know some of you will say, “Your in your head too much, need to come from you heart”, which I could probably debate with you for hours on whether that is true (that I need to come from my heart), I think many of the people who support me would be worried if I wasn’t thinking about these things. haha.<br /><br /><br />If all social institutions are failing, crumbling, and becoming so infected on what it’s supposed to be, what do we do then? <br /><br /><br />To put things in perspective, most social institutions worldwide are failing and crumbling. They are unsustainable. The Squamish Nation Band Council governance is unsustainable. 100 years from now, will we still make decisions (as a community) the way we are now?<br /><br />I have no answers here, just questions. Curious questions that I haven’t heard anyone else ask.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-78842090366280593052009-02-09T22:23:00.002-08:002009-02-09T22:47:27.661-08:00For All You "Dances With Dependency - Calvin Helin" FanaticsI came across a book review of <a href="http://www.spiritorca.com/home.shtml"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Dances with Dependency: Indigenous Success </i></span></a> <span style="font-family:Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.spiritorca.com/home.shtml"><i>through Self-Reliance</i> by Calvin Helin</a>. that can be <a href="http://www.indigenouspolicy.org/xviv-1/xviv-1-media.htm"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">viewed here</span></span></a> by Ethan Baptiste. I thouroughly enjoyed Ethan's breakdown by chapter of Dances with <span style="font-style: italic;">Dollars</span>.</span><b></b><br /><br />Let me first say, I have not read Dances with Dependency. I have been afraid to, simply because, I know I will be angry, annoyed, and fed up with it after a while resulting in me wasting my time and energy on an awful book when I already have a <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/865624?shelf=currently-reading">wicked reading list</a>. I have heard from many people whose opinions I cherish with the utmost humility, and what I can deduce is: this book is seriously dangerous.<br /><br />Perhaps you would think that my radical idealism and approach to politics would welcome such a "dangerous" book to the status-quo of reserve life. The thing that makes this book dangerous is not in the confusing thinking or assimilationist solutions, but in the possibility that indigenous people will believe in his idea's. Already the mainstream media, and government bodies have given him enough traction because his idea's espouse the same tireless thinking that has come out of those insitutions: indigenous people just need to smarten up and socially, economically, and political become apart Canadian business and politics.<br /><br />Aboriginal politicans and bussinessmen I've heard from have rigourlously championed this book as new, exciting, and a breath of fresh air to support their own simple intellectual idea's of great economic development for salvation.<br /><br />Here are some of my favorite parts of the book review, written by Ethan Baptiste:<br /><br /><blockquote>There is a growing problem in consultation, both at the Band and community level. Band Councils continually object to the consultation process, lack of communication and level of involvement their own governments are subject to, within consultations with the Provincial and Federal governments and industry. However, the very same Band Councils fail to improve their own consultation policies and procedures. Instead they opt to basically subject their own community members to a reconstructed version of the model imposed on them. Furthermore, an additional tactic learned by Band Councils is the control of the media, where censorship and information is highly regulated by the band and “local newspapers are being referred to as ‘newsletter propaganda rags' sent out by some Band Councils” (154). By now, it should be clear who those Aboriginal governments model and learn from.</blockquote><br /><br />Wow, is this guy from the Squamish Nation because this sure sounds like the current Band Council!<br /><br /><blockquote>I would like to take the author's discussion further. The underlying incentive to pursue the jobs-and-income approach is the direct quantitative results and statistical gains, which are both easily traceable. In contrast, the nation-building approach is one that is more difficult to gauge and qualitative in nature.<br /></blockquote><br />I know many eco-development junkies who espouse this but fail to think critically or wholistically, but it makes so much sense why they would fail to do so because of Euro-centric frameworks for evalutating success.<br /><br /><blockquote>Doug Sandberg believed that “part of the problem, if not the main one, is that many Aboriginal leaders have only limited education and business experience themselves” (159). This is a valid statement but needs some qualifying. I agree that there is a problem with the lack of education in leadership, but this problem is more ideological, not accumulative, as business operations are effected more by the source of that education. I will elaborate. Many uneducated leaders enter office with no formal training in business management. Therefore, much of their education comes from mentorship of non-native business experts or, simply, trial and error. This is fine, in what Helin refers to as the “real world”, but can be detrimental to Aboriginal communities. First, the validation of such expert's knowledge is never questioned, a skill gained through formal education. Second, experts are limited to only one Eurocentric mechanistic world view and theories, such as capitalism, individuality, and exponential growth, which have been instilled through a Western education system. Third, leaders begin to accept that Indigenous knowledge is backward and primitive and that progress can only be achieved through Western frameworks. Eventually, leadership becomes susceptible to any outside expert projecting such ideals or equally complex analysis. Especially, if they are coupled with complex graphs, projections, statistics and equally frightening dialogue, wrought with complicated terminology to instill apprehension in leadership to not appear backward or primitive.</blockquote><br /><br />I have said before that the Squamish Nation politicans agenda at the table is not guided by public opinion, or by their constituents, but by other interests who have more resources, power, and influence on their decision making, much of which is unrecordable and unaccountable to scrutiny by the community. Laywers, consultants, and business elite guide the interests of many, if not most, of the current politicans, and yet leave their <span style="font-style: italic;">consultative</span> process to business-like memo's to community members and authorative-approached dialogue meetings (You get the courage to stand up on the mic in front of 16 politicans, and the couple random non-nation members, sitting at a table at the front of the room and try and have...a diglouge? I'm sorry, that is not a dialogue, that is a bunch of monologues.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />For those who religiously favor Calvin Helin's "oh gee, why can't you be like us" road to success and his book <span style="font-style: italic;">Dances with Dollars</span>, then <a href="http://www.indigenouspolicy.org/xviv-1/xviv-1-media.htm">please read this book review</a>.<br /><br />For those who haven't read Calivn Helin's book, please stay away, and instead read either<a href="http://www.oupcanada.com/catalog/9780195430516.html"> this</a> or <a href="http://www.utphighereducation.com/product.php?productid=713&cat=0&page=1">this</a>. You'll actually learn something important, instead of learning more ignorance.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-42107777079088663702009-02-07T02:40:00.005-08:002009-02-08T02:33:52.630-08:00Idea: Oral History of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-ulh Events<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://liberatedyet.blogspot.com/2009/02/idea-coming-soon.html">T</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://liberatedyet.blogspot.com/2009/02/idea-coming-soon.html">he Idea:</a></span> A pot-luck feats of family and friends with Sḵwxwú7mesh oral history shared by speakers, elders, and those knowledgeable about the history of our ancestors. A mixture of language, culture, and gathering. Families are challenges to prepare dishes for a community potluck. Once a month gathering with fun games between story-telling for children.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-8423096939651178132009-02-07T02:31:00.003-08:002009-02-07T02:40:43.085-08:00Idea: Coming SoonStarting tomorrow I'll be posting different "Idea"'s. They are thoughts I have for projects, community events, notions, and spontaneous things that come into my mind. Maybe I'm asking for those interested in working on it with me. Perhaps I don't like doing things on my own (I think I might have to get over this because I'm slowly realizing that if I don't carve my own canoe, no one <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">can</span> take a journey with me.)<div><br /></div><div>So, when I post an idea, post your thoughts. Below each blog, it says " # Comments". Share your thoughts with me on my idea's. Have you thought of this idea already? Does this idea spark interest? Is this idea the coolest effin' thing you have heard of in a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is some fitting assurance for me, and for all idea-makers out there.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><blockquote>Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">- </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Aiken"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Howard H. Aiken</span></a></blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Aiken"></a><br /><br /><blockquote>Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">- </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Whitney_Griswold"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Alfred Whitney Griswold</span></a><br /></blockquote><br /><blockquote>Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">- </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Albert Einstein</span></a></blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein"></a><br /><br /><blockquote>All great ideas are controversial, or have been at one time.<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">- </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Seldes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">George Seldes</span></a></blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Seldes"></a>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-65344198585499489872009-02-05T16:30:00.003-08:002009-02-05T16:38:28.947-08:00Motivation for Politics<div style="text-align: justify;">There was a row of chairs facing an extended table at what was clearly design to be the front of the room. One long table, 6 rows of chairs, then more tables and chairs in the back. The people stair into the presentation. Co-learning? Collaborating with emerging leaders and ideas? Innovatively seeking engagement in participatory community governance?<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No. This was around 7 years ago when I started sitting in on the community meetings that involved the political decisions being made or at the forefront within our community. These were General Meetings, information sessions, and other meetings with community members. Since then, my political convictions have grown and been influenced by difference forces, although, I will never dismiss the original cause for my desire to create change, politically.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is politics? How do I define “politics”? I look at politics on two lights. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is one set of politics that occurs where individuals have to play a dance or words and actions to accomplish their own objective and agenda. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">“Quandary is, one doesn't generally get the chance to wield political power without the ambition to actively seek it. That same ambition often compromises the unselfish motives that began the quest.”</span> (BSG- Sine Qua Non) It’s where you say or do one thing to get another person to say or do what you want. It’s the devilous and pity politics that conquers most political institutions worldwide. It’s even more disastrous within indigenous communities with the band council governance structure for it places enemies and adversaries between families who become “have’s” and “have-nots”. This is contradictory to traditional indigenous governance with balance and harmony with all things connected being the founding principle.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other politics is where the direction on systemic, structural, and complex organization levels. Sometimes this political arena becomes rotten from true values of spirit of the people. In an extreme, dictatorships, dictatocracies (dictatorships in democracy), and other forms of political forms where the people do not comes first. The only time in the history of my people it has ever gone to this extreme is in the last 150 years with my people is with either the Indian Agent being the dictator, or their puppet quasi-Religious and government appointments “chiefs” dictating everything. This also comes in the form of political leaders guided by true values of the people. Operating from a place of humility in the way in which the people guide them, not them guiding the people. I place a great deal of standards in that our leadership should be defined by this kind of leadership-style: working with the people, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">not above or for them.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My great grandfather Andy Paull was a political leader in his time. Trained by to become a lawyer, but couldn’t join the bar for he would have to enfranchise. He later spent a great deal of his career working for indigenous people all across this country. The work he did, for the people, against an oppressors policies. He was taught by the traditional leadership at the time, and trained within his own family. He carried on the legacy of Xwupukinem- the warrior spirit that protected the people from things supernatural to human threats of enemy war parties. A legacy that goes back dozens of generations, and he carried on in his own way, defining it in a time where everything was completely re-defined.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My grandfather Frank Rivers was a political leader in his time. For at least 16 years he was a Band Councillor. Born to English, French, and Skwxwu7mesh heritage he envisioned a strong community. As Manager for the Misquito Creek Marina, he brought the number of wharfs up, and increased it’s profits by thousands, eventually hundreds of thousands. He worked with what he had to create something for his people. He used leases as a way to create some sustenance for our people to thrive and grow. He worked to see crooked leases, and bad land deals were righted from wrong. And he died young at the age of 45.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My grand-uncle Percy Paull was a leader in his time. A gentle and caring man, who carried on the legacy of Xwupukinem/Xwchtaal, he worked on the Band Council for many years. I’m told he was very wise, and a very caring man who was always there for the people.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My uncle Frank Rivers Jr. was a political leader in his time. For around 12 years he was a Band Councilor. From a young age he took an interest in our culture, and learned from the elders around at that time. He carries on the name Xwupukinem. Believing himself to be a warrior, he blockaded and protests when blockades and protests were the way to get things done for indigenous people. He stood for the rights of indigenous people, and knew this from his extensive knowledge of our ancestors.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My great-grandfather Sam Scow of the Kwakwaka'wakw nation of the Dła’ugwa’adaxw (‘Namgis) tribe of the T`sit`sałwalagame’ ‘namima. He was a hereditary chief and eagle position holder. He fought the potlatch ban, and believed in our culture and way of life. He went to jail at O’Calla Prison for 4 months because he passed an apple back in a potlatch.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My grandmother Marie Baker (Nee Jeffries) was a leader in her time. She believed in equality for all native people. She fought where she thought there needed to be a fight. She had the strength and audacity to speak her mind, and be honest and straight forward for it. She would do what needed to be done, and she would get it done. She believed and loved her family, and proud of her ancestry and heritage. She also had the funniest sayings... <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I’m so hungry I could eat the asshole of a skunk”, <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I have some good news and some bad news...”<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(After saying what the good news was)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“What was the bad news gramma?”<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Oh, there is no bad news.”<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From a young age, I have always been passionate about history. A kind of obsession. History shows us how we got to where we are today, and makes is so we can go somewhere tomorrow. With the legends of ancient times, or just my own family history. The legacy to uphold has always been strong for me, as well as many members of my family. The strength that I received from these heroes has been with me since then. They are the reason I want what I want, and do what I do. Not because of some self-guided interest involving me or just my family, but for world that looks like something ancestors could live in.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They are my heroes.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Except, all our heroes have something that becomes their weakness. The greater we place them up, the harder it is for us when they come crashing down. Maybe we need to change our perception, and as followers of great leaders, and followers of great heroes, be ready to catch them, hold them, and pick them back up when they fall. Yet we become so blinded by our own illusion of what we see these heroes as, we don’t want to see the other side to things. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All my heroes made what I perceive as mistakes. Learning about Andy Paull, you wouldn’t believe how many things I would disagree with him on, or how many things I thought was a wrong decision. We can make those conclusions in humility to understand and learn from them, but still respect the work they did in their time. It doesn’t mean we disrespect their work by changing the direction from something they may not have fully envisioned, but thats our dilemma of being born now. We have be placed in the responsibility of time. The decisions we make now will effect so many lives in the future. The things we build and create and destroy now will reverberate in the shapes of the hearts and minds of a people not born or thought of yet.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My hope is to never make the serious mistakes they made. As a person, as a leader. To be something more, in the hopes of making them proud of me, but also proving to myself it’s possible. Integrity. “To live to our highest ideals”.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you feel politics is not your thing, think again. Even the position of being not-political or apolitical, is still political. Your silence is complicit in the wrong doings that are allowed to go on. Those with the ambition will use your silence to support their selfish interests. People who do not have the interests of the community at heart. And unless you become political aware, we will all be lead astray and mislead. It’s that silence that makes you apart of the injustice. You can think your not apart of it, but you are more then you think.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope to create change. More important then that, I hope to produce more leaders. I inspire to create and build on what our ancestors thrived on. I intend to put a stop to the corruption, to the injustice, to the wrong doing allowed to go on by those who benefit from corruption, injustice, and wrongdoing. I want to raise the bar of what our young people are into something of empowerment and strength and knowledge. I look for ways to re-connect that which was broken by colonization.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But you know what, I’m going to do that my own way just like my heroes did in their time. I need to find my own way to do that, and define that for myself because these times are changing. “If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you have always got.” In these times where the oppressor will welcome you in with open arms, only to persuade you to join him, we need resilience and strength of vision to these abominable acts, the power to speak your mind, and trailblazers to be fearless to do what needs to be done.<br /></div>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-23137373176920446392009-02-02T01:14:00.004-08:002009-02-02T01:45:49.244-08:00"Is Decolonization Dead?"<a href="http://www.taiaiake.com/">Taiaiake Alfred</a>, a Kanienkehaka Professor of <a href="http://web.uvic.ca/igov/">Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria</a>, and <a href="http://web.uvic.ca/igov/index.php/faculty">Waziyatawin</a>, a Wahpetunwan Dakota Associate Professor and Indigenous Peoples Research Chair at the University of Victoria offer some insight in Taiaiake's blog responding to the question "<a href="http://www.taiaiake.com/43">Is Decolonization Dead</a>?".<br /><br />In Peace, Power, Rightiousness by Taiaiake, he speaks about fundamentals that will become the converging point in indigenous struggle to decolonization, and the colonists presumed right to be colonists in relation to power:<br /><br /><blockquote>Nowhere is the contrast between Indigenous and (dominant) Western traditions sharper than in their philosophical approaches to the fundamental issues of power and nature. In Indigenous philosophies, power flows from respect for nature and the natural order. In the dominant Western philosophy, power derives from coercion and artifice-in effect, alienation from nature.</blockquote><br /><br />In her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Remember-This-Decolonization-Narratives-Contemporary/dp/0803298447/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233566646&sr=1-3">Remember This!</a>, Waziyatawin in speaking about her upbringing in learning about her own existence and history, explains the historical practice in her peoples traditions:<br /><br /><blockquote>[B]ecause these stories were told in our Native language, they also teach more about how we look into the past, how we make sense of that past, and how we remain affected today. A broader significance of these stories, then, also stems from our ability to define our history for ourselves, shaping our historical consciousness in a way that inextricably links it with our sense of identity. The stories have a transformative effect in our contemporary lives because they help determine our sense of who we are and where we are going. Through gifted storytellers the stories are interpreted through the generations, and we come to understand the meaning of being Dakota. This understanding and sense of identity is one that transcends time, the changing world, and modern technology. It is what will carry us into the future.</blockquote><br /><br /><div>--------------------</div><div>As the paper notes, whether the question is meant be provocative to spur counter-arguments in a reverse psychology kind of way, it's too much to waste when the ever present need still exists. Decolonization, although sometimes trapped in the halls of academics, or caged in the hearts of indigenous youth, is right now like the water in snow quickly evaporating by a new bright sun. It's ready to transform, and take on new shapes, and new life as the water rolls down the sides of mountains, and peoples coming together like streams into a river. Only no one will predict the force of nature it will cause in the halls and minds of our present colonialism institutions, or in the hearts and minds of disillusion prey of colonialism: indigenous people in the first world.<br /><br />As my friend Kowboy Smitx said, <blockquote>"It's time to start striving towards living the way our Indigenous ancestors did."</blockquote> Although some feel the knee-jerk and ignorant need to remind you when entry-way dialogue about decolonization begins, "We can't completely go back in time and live like how our ancestors lived".<br /><br />Well duh!<br /><br />It's not about that. It's not about trying to be like them in a way that has us mimicking and pretending. That would be letting the colonizers, both past and present, off the hook. Colonization has, and is happening to us, and the only thing that is our fault, or wait, no, our responsibility, is our collective way reply to the assault on our ancestors, and by nature, our way of life.<br /><br />How much of our ancestors existence within social structures, philosophy of explaining the world, where our people are going, how knowledge is accessed and is held on to, in the fine woven images of art and culture, or words of creativity and emotion in native-tongue is past tense?<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That's where I derive my answer to decolonization. How much of that is past tense, and how are we going to make it present tense for ourselves, and for all future generations that decided, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><blockquote>"I am proud of my heritage. I am strong indigenous warrior for my people and will live to protect all that is sacred like my predecessors before stretching back thousands of years to ensure our way of life exists."</blockquote></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">tima tkwetsi7</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">That's the way it is.</span></div></div>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-74908639210339829362009-02-01T04:31:00.004-08:002009-02-01T04:34:42.037-08:00I Have Joined TwitterAfter barely any thought, and knowing that most of my friends are not on twitter (I did a search of my gmail contacts and it came up with 4 people!?!), I decided to do twitter.<br /><br />Don't know what I'm speaking about with all this "twitter" business? Where' here's a video on "Twitter in Plain English"<div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ddO9idmax0o&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ddO9idmax0o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />And <a href="http://twitter.com/DustinRivers">here is me</a>.</div>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-15591679015239285342009-01-28T16:59:00.005-08:002009-01-28T17:44:02.904-08:00How I Connect to the World<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S6DeC50yMsA/SYEHKjsrvfI/AAAAAAAAAdM/KE5mB-kyTGw/s320/Blog.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296522514727157234" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S6DeC50yMsA/SYEGTpALyBI/AAAAAAAAAdE/N8MR7NA14gA/s1600-h/Blog.png"></a>Vancouver has some of the most saturated and monopolized media in Canada. More then that, most of it doesn't follow many issues I care about, or uses sensationalism and violence to sell newspapers. There is a couple exceptions, but for the most part, I don't connect with Vancouver, BC, or Canadian media.<div><br /></div><div>Instead, I follow blogs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been an Apple-fanatic for years. Let's just say, I own my share of Apple products, and have convinced many family members to join too. In my Mail program, and mostly likely yours too, you "subscribe" to RSS (Real Sim</div><div>ple Syndication) feeds. It's a feed URL that I place in the program so that when a person who publishes content does publish it, it is automatically sent to me. It's changes the relationship in how we access media. Instead of me going to it, it comes to me, and at my choice.</div><div><br /></div><div>I subscribe to dozens of blogs. Art. Design. Life. Music. Photography. Politics. Technology. Some of these are RSS feeds from </div><div>media sources like The Georgia Straight, and magazines like Juztapoz, FADER, Democracy Now!, and others. Some are collective projects like the Wooster Collective that documents and preserves street around from around the world. I also have wonderful reads by friends like Chris Corrigan and Cliff Atleo Jr. who run their own blogs.</div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S6DeC50yMsA/SYEHK7sSr6I/AAAAAAAAAdU/VImo_uc42_8/s320/Picture+3.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296522521167966114" /><div>In a similar vein of media publishing, I subscribe to podcasts. A podcast is an downloadable rad</div><div>io show that uses RSS feeds to publish it's syndicated and episodic content. These range from music podcast from the Netherlands, to radio talk shows about Freelancer media design specialists. (One idea I've been working with is a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language podcast.)</div><div><br /></div><div>This is all the means in which 21st century individuals access knowledge, information, people, and stories. If we look back 20 years ago, it would of been through print, radio, or TV. If we go back 400 years ago (in my home territory) it was through social feasts and potlatching where family stories are shared in connection to ceremonies being conducted or through snewiyalh, the instruction of our young people in our strongest wisdoms and teachings. Where will it be 40 years from now, I wonder.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've had the most wonderful experience with this blog. In light of the recent controversy I created, it was wonderful to see feedback and comments come in, either through the comments section on this blog, or on facebook where my blogs are posted too. Some of you reading this are people from my community who enjoy reading my thoughts </div><div>on th</div><div>ings, or being updated to what is happening on our community. Some of you are allies and supporters of the work I do. And I know a couple of you are the RCMP, CSIS, or Police keeping a watchful eye one. (Haha, I know your there!) Aside from the last reader I mentioned, most people who contacted me and shared their support have given me a push to move forward in this thing called blogging.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope to integrate, and share the ability that can come from these new ways to access media. There is creation and there is accessing. There isn't as many people creating new media in </div><div>content (news, information, knowledge, stories) from indigenous communities. If I'm wrong about this, PLEASE leave a comment and tell me your blog! Haha.</div><div><br /></div><div>One idea I thought would be cool is if the SN Council posted on a blog what their weekly meeting's agenda would be, plus, after they are decided, all the motions passed. Even posting the Council meeting minutes in a pdf document to be viewable by the community. It could then make everything easily accessible, and events coming up could be shared with the community and accessible over the internet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other forms that I am no where near touching yet are vlogging (video blogging), vodcasting (video podcasting), web 2.0 content (content created by the users/viewers), or micro-blogging <a href="http://twitter.com/">(twitter</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a project I'm developing on community dialogue with a focus on youth empowerment. I'm imagining using new media forms as a means to teach and share our work with our community and the world, but also as a way to document the stories, feelings, and strength of my community. I hope to utilize all of the media forms mentioned in this blog post, and my experience in starting, running, and working on this blog has given me the inspiration to vision how it will all work.</div>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-43506540689499753882009-01-23T09:17:00.003-08:002009-01-23T09:51:44.859-08:00Revealed (Revised)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3216632080_f59a5c9926_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 581px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3216632080_f59a5c9926_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Click on image to enlarge.</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3216631932_0f20c44f66_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 581px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3216631932_0f20c44f66_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Click on image to enlarge.</span></span><br /></div><br />After my posting last week on the salaries for the SN Band Council and Band Manager, the least to say would be that it caused a bit of a controversy. There was a lot of good discussion I had with people in the community, both about the legitimacy or rightfulness for some of the politicians to be making that much. Overall though, most people were just straight up mad, disappointed, and frustrated at the elected leadership (or that's how I experienced).<br /><br />One important information I forgot to put in, which is my fault, is the salaries I posted are from April 2007 - March 2008. It is from last years fiscal. Effective January 1, the staff received their 6% raise, and the department heads received their 12-14% on top of that 6%. So two Band Councilors, Gibby Jacob (Department Head of Projects, Negotiation, and Development) and Krissy Jacob (Department Head of Communications), received a 20% on top of the salaries listed above.<br /><br />Another thing to point out is that some of these councilors do other work outside of their Councilor position. Speaking at events, opening events on our territory, attending meetings with other organizations, and such. For these, they may receive honorarium that is not included in the above spreadsheet. For example, sometimes other companies and corporation (Like VANOC, Fairmount, Concord Pacific, etc.) will sponsor some Band Councilors (Gee, I wonder who I could referring too) in hotel rooms, travel money, and such.<br /><br />The community doesn't know where this comes from or how much. For me, this wouldn't be that much of an issue if they were a Part Time councilor, but many are full time and get a full time wage, but do this other work during their normal council hours. Getting two cheques basically.<br /><br />As a point of reference, let's look at other politicians.<br /><br />Vancouver Mayor and City Council has a salary and total travel expenses budget over somewhere around $825,000. At least from 2006, Sam Sullivan was making $119,178. The councilors, at least in 2006, were payed around $54,453.<br /><br />That's the city of Vancouver with population in the millions and budgets in the hundreds of millions.<br /><br />I'm told the Mayor of the town of Squamish makes somewhere around $30'000. (Does anyone in the blogosphere have a source or link for this?)<br /><br /><br />Back to the SN Council:<br />One person remarked "They are basically running countries", which I responded with,<br /><blockquote>"I don't think they are "running countries". They are running a large-scale organization that delivers programs and services, along with some negotiation for legal cases related to government law (land claims). A "First Nation" is not a nation. We are the nation. The "Squamish Nation" is a Indian Act imposed governance system that has been used to supplant our people, remove us from the land for Colonial land development, and weaken our resolve to resist and fight for what is righteously and rightfully ours. To give you something to compare, the Vancouver City Councilors make $55'000. That the city of Vancouver which has a population in the millions and manages hundreds of millions of dollars in thousands of hectares of land."</blockquote><br /><br />The top five paid elected officials for the Squamish Nation are Gibby Jacob ($110,392), Byron Joesph ($105,835), Krissy Jacobs ($79,673), Ian Campbell ($68,025), and Bill Williams ($64,504). One worth of mention of Band Manager Glen Newman, an elected position, comes in at $60,053 in salary wages, but with $34,317 in Out-of-Town Travel expenses. I will note this is a person who is notoriously known by staff and community alike who is never at work. He is not doing his job, and thus the Band Council appointed Krissy Jacobs to be the "Acting Band Manager" in his stead, but he is still receiving pay.<br /><br />As for travel, the highest for Travel Allowances is Dale Harry (the sole upper Squamish councilor) at $10,251. After that, the rest all varry around $5000.<br /><br />For Out of Town travel, the previously mentioned Glen Newman is the highest at $34, 317. Then Dennis Joesph at $13,006, Dick Williams at 12,457, and Deborah Baker at $11,505.<br /><br />One that also looks odd is Ritchie Baker, who I will also mention is my uncle. His salary was $34,135, but under Other Remuneration, it's $34,530. I was told he's only a part time councilor, and the Other Reumeration was for work he was hired to do for the Squamish Nation, separate from his councilor duties.<br /><br /><br /><br />The simple reason for the inequality is because some of the councilors hold staff positions, with a couple holding really powerful positions as Department Heads. These have more control over information, resources, budgets, and staff. One councilor has dozens of staff to do their job, other other councilors have none. Some Councilors are aware of projects, developments and such before any of their colleagues, tell their "buddy's" on council about their plans to be prepared and ready to push through their plan. It's a deep inequality at the council table, and it's reflected in the inequality of their wages.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-54835841611025586212009-01-21T15:42:00.007-08:002009-01-21T17:04:28.323-08:00Comes from a Question<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3211363162_5f1b2d1c69.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3211363162_5f1b2d1c69.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Liberated Yet?, a weblog that uses self-publishing technology and the internet to publish content like text, images, art, and sometimes video and sound, is a tool I began as a means to accomplish a goal. This goal was originally designed to express my indignation as well as my idea’s, for many of the time those two are interconnected for me. I also set out with the goal to communicate with other individuals, both from my people, and the world. This weblog, once published, is put onto the internet and can be accessed by anyone in the world. With other internet projects, it’s also stored in databases forever. It was birth from two previous blogs that I tried out, learned from, then decided to re-imagine to create Liberated Yet?<br /><br />The name comes from a question about an idea. As an indigenous person who either out of passion and interest or circumstance learned the context for his existence. That context is he is colonized. Colonialism is not just a process, but a paradigm too. It is apart of the social fabric coming from European, and later Euro-Canadian or Euro-American dominance in the world through it’s ideologies and paradigms. It’s intend is to abolish a pre-existing set of ideologies, paradigms, and the people and land within those, indigenous people and land. Theft of land, breaking down of pre-existing local indigenous population, culture, and societies, are all hallmarks of colonization. I’ve discussed this on more detail before.<br /><br />The name of this blog comes from a question to an idea. Liberation, as a chant of hope, as a means to work to overcome dominance and control from something, as an opportunity to say an end to the oppression, is something I call a path for myself, and others, to see our indigenous people rise up. In some context, peoples have taken up liberation movements to rise up and out of oppression and foreign control. It comes from the word liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force. It’s something, I believe, our people had before colonization, and something we do not have now, but only if we can remain our ancestral memory and not the inoculated existence our colonizers gave us. So the question is really, are you liberated yet?<br /><br />Within my community, a nation of 7 villages and a population of over 3,000, communication is in a desire state. I understand it to be the focal point for any community to network and be cohesive in any sense, either as self-knowledge or to accomplish shared visions. If we look into the past, the level of community was much more cohesive because of the close quarters of living and harmonious lifestyles between branches of families, extended families, inter-tribal relations, and spiritual connection to ceremonies, traditions, and customs.<br /><br />Presently, the SN puts out a weekly flyer in North Vancouver and Squamish with ads, job postings, and the odd informational flyer. Decisions at the highest level are decided upon by the Band Councilors at weekly meeting where information on the decision to be made are mostly presented at those meetings. The inner-workings of said councilors in projects, committees, and negotiations are done and information of that is kept within that section of the SN. These effect things like what happens on our land, with development, trespassing, cultural significant area’s, and homes, and other things like employees, programs working to create, restore, to accomplish something for the population. Like I said, the information, from the highest order, is mostly kept within their ranks. In some cases, the happening of said initiatives are held secret from the community.<br /><br />The Squamish Nation Band Council is similar to all Band Councils in the regard of how it deals with community dialogue in issues of concern and opposition. Simply put, it doesn’t like it. Like all colonial institutions, this political system is adversarial in nature. It puts A vs. B. If something happens and information about something the community disagrees with, there is some resistance. Water-cooler talk, and gossip, and some level of indignant letter writing. I know that first-hand because I’ve taken part in this since I became interested in politics. Generally, they operate on this belief that if they wait it out, the opposition will eventually die down and they can get back to work. This tends to horribly bad for the future of the community because in some cases the guiding forces at the Band Council are foreign influences. The guiding interests in where we as a community should go does not come from the community. This create awful situations where short-term idea’s, or in some extremes, self-interested benefits, come from the politicians and many time, energy, and work is put into it.<br /><br />Within my community, we have no media. Before the Vancouver City election, it came out through a leak to the media that the Vancouver City council had given $100,000,000 dollars to the developers for the Olympics village. The secrecy of this cause a stir in the public and created a wave against the reigning Non-Partisan Alliance party. To keep politics of the society aware, understood, and investigated upon, there is a media to do that. A media to share the stories, information, and beliefs from all area’s of it’s society. Some parts of the world, it’s illegal to do that, and you will most likely result in death.<br /><br />In my community, there is nothing to keep the politicians honest. There is also no means to keep the public informed of the what is happening in our community, in our territory, in the rooms of the current political leaders.<br /><br />I have taken a stance before, but I do not identify as Squamish Nation. The Squamish Nation is an Indian Act governance structure imposed on the Skwxwu7mesh-ulh as a tactic of colonialism to fracture the people and usurp our land. I identify as my ancestors for thousands of years have identified: Skwxwu7mesh-ulh. The amalgamation of 1923 that was the de-facto formation of the Squamish Nation is shrouded in more mystery and myth then anything known by our people. If we are to take the thought that the amalgamation was the signing of a document by the then 16 “hereditary” chiefs of 16 Indian Act reserves as truth, it was exactly that. Indian Act chiefs, originally placed into power by the church then later the government after appropriating the historical governing system of “siyam”, formation a coalition to protect the reserves from being sold out.<br /><br />My land doesn’t end where the imagery line for the reserves starts. My land is thousands of hectares used and stewarded by my ancestors for thousands of years. It does not belong to me, or any one person, family, or government. It’s used for resources gathering, and carried in stewardship for future generations to have the same abilities as we presently do, and the same as our ancestors. This land was stolen from my ancestors, and remains so presently. At the moment the beneficiaries of that theft are still allowed to benefit off that criminal act. Yes, that’s you Canadian population.<br /><br />I don’t recognize the Squamish Nation Band Council as “my” government. My government was destroyed by the colonizers many decades ago. I recognize that the Squamish Nation, because of colonial constructs, has been able to assert and find a significant amount of power. This is through power of will in the people believing in this false institution, and through the power to wield many resources like money, people (staff), and legal authority.<br /><br />To think critically is to think of other possibilities. To question the status-quo, goes without saying, is a strong indicator of a strong society. To debate idea’s and positions is a way that we better find the collective wisdom to ensure the best possible choice for where we move forward as a people. As our ancestors asked of themselves, we must strive to live to our highest ideals. I mean, live, to them.<br /><br />It isn’t always the case to live to them always, or even that they agreed on the same values. Some think this gives them to the right to disposes others by veiled threats and attacks of betraying their cultural values, and thus betraying their ancestors. I don’t mean that by any means. I know I can be arrogant and sarcastic, but I still strive to live to my, decolonized, most important values. It’s why I question, it’s why I think critically, it’s why and how I care.<br /><br />Why do I feel the need to defend myself? Partly to educate some because the feedback I’ve received. But also to be firm, confident, and strong in my position, not just on this blog but as a person who cares about his community, his culture, and where those go into the future. I intend to be a strong member of my community in a way to help and create things for the better. I hope to find others to do the same. I wish to create change through alternative means, because the status-quo disgusts my integrity to create the change that by the current way. I want to find my place a leader, like all previous strong leaders in our community have, and hopefully create more leaders, not more followers. I want to have a strong community that can face the most serious threats and crisis.<br /><br />I want liberation.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-24553386697125664472009-01-13T19:50:00.007-08:002009-01-13T21:18:51.942-08:00It's Revealing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3378/3195225743_59c11cdc70_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 446px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3378/3195225743_59c11cdc70_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Above a list of the Squamish Nation Band Council and Band Manger with their salaries including Honoraria, Travel Allowances, Out-of-Town Travel Expenses, and Other Remuneration. It totals over$1,266,634. Take note that the top five in that list make over $100'000.<br /><br />The Squamish Nation has not had a report on finances in over 3 years, along with no General Meeting in that time also. It has borrowed over $25 million from the banks. $6 million was borrowed 5 years ago for the deficit the Squamish Nation created.<br /><br />Some (like Band Councilors) will say they don't like this information being out circulating in the community. I, and most of the community, will disagree with that. This is public knowledge for all band members to know. We have a right to know where our money is being spent.<br /><br />I'm not one to complain about money. At least, I try to stop "money" from being a nuance in my life. I don't see money as a negative or positive force, but just that: an energy force. It can do good and can do bad. I also know in this modern age, it's a resource. Money makes the world go 'round. It can accomplish many things in many area's. Which is why I can't help but feel that $1.2 million is wasted on these bozo's.<br /><br />I think there are many wonderful things that $1.2 million dollars could do for many things. Language revival for example. Or perhaps working on the abysmal self-doubt our youth have. Investing in artistic practice in our community. I mean, more then plaques and carvings. Musicians, painters, writers, performers, and the like. Or perhaps seed grants for community involvement. Or even a grant fund for community events (like pow wows, salmon celebrations, Skwxwu7mesh Day Festival, etc.). There's a brilliant idea for every one of our brilliant people.<br /><br />In November, the SN Band Council voted in favor of a 6% wage increase to it's 500+ staff members. In mid December it votes to another 12%-14% raise on top of that 6% for it's 12 Department Heads and it's 17 Senior Managers. Some of the Department Heads (Like Band Councilors/Department Heads Gibby Jacob and Krissy Jacobs) make over $100'000.<br /><br />The Squamish Nation has a budget of over $51 million too.<br /><br />Did I come from out of a rock or is $100'000 dollars a lot of money?<br /><br /><br /><br />Here's a better question: What is it that they do for our nation that deserves them to make $100'000. At what point do we as a community define leadership to make that much money? What is an acceptable salary for an elected official?<br /><br /><br />With that, I'll remind all Squamish Nation members that at the end of this year, it's election year. These politicians have allowed this corruption and debauchery to exist because it gives them power and money. Why change a system that benefits them?<br /><br />....Because it's the right thing to do.<br /><br />That's why.<br /><span class="status_body"><br /></span>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-54424219055554871062009-01-06T12:25:00.004-08:002009-01-06T13:23:52.089-08:00Diving In DeeperSearching for the "Need" In My Community<br /><br />With the rise of success in capitalist business for First Nations, some of the indigenous communities where those First Nations are have experienced some offsetting effects. It could be apart of a larger systemic issue of bad governance, but it could also be tied to the nature of 'capitalism'- or both. Either way, it's manifesting in a type of individualism that shrouded in a veil of traditionalism and a gluttony in a "what they can (or should) do for me" ethic.<br /><br />The individualism, which I see as a subcategory of capitalism, comes when self-guided interests guides individuals for their own, or very limited, benefit. That self interested approach is sometimes connected to our traditions, customs, and cultural knowledge in a way to prop themselves up and supplant others. Now we have a cultural elitism that pervades through the community where there isn't a successful succession of knowledge, empowerment, and traditions being passed on in a fluid of continuing motion. There's also this tactics, whether conscience or unconscious I don't know, where a person with cultural knowledge holds, not sharing it, for themselves. It's unfortunate, but in the elitism, you have to be from the right family to be apart of the culture.<br /><br />As a community that's in a First Nation that exceeds a budget of $41 million, you would think it would be a 'progressive' nation ushering creative and innovative ways to combat the social issues, while at the same time promoting it's people in all area's. Far from the truth with the shiny but decaying Squamish Nation. As a community, we have made many leaps forward with community and individual health, as well as major accomplishments in cultural revival. It goes without mention, but there are still things like language loss, land return, education, alcohol and drug addictions, violence against women, corruption and embezzlement, youth self-esteem, intergenerational trauma, and assimilation, as well as a several of other issues that are still present in my community.<br /><br />What could you do with 41 million dollars?<br /><br /><br />During the referendum on the Kistilano Land Settlement, which included 92.5 million dollars, it was outlined the priorities for how the money should be spent. Although the band council didn't agree with the creation of a Trust, instead wanting the $93.5 million to be moved into general source revenue, some of the main priorities for the Squamish Nation Trust were Housing, Land Return, Economic Development, and a few others. Housing is a big one for my people.<br /><br />As of right now, every year (or so years) around 15 houses are built for Squamish Nation members. When you turn 18, you can place your name on the housing list, when your name comes up, you get $120,000 to built your new house on the assigned lot. If anyone drives over the Lion's Gate Bridge, you'll see major housing developments. <a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Capilano+Indian+Reserve+5,+Capilano+5,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia&sll=52.05249,-97.119141&sspn=48.977073,135.351563&ie=UTF8&cd=2&geocode=FfWV8AIdrCOp-A&ll=49.321458,-123.133006&spn=0.012504,0.033045&t=h&z=16&g=Capilano+Indian+Reserve+5,+Capilano+5,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia&iwloc=addr">Here is a google image of the reserve as of late</a>. The idea is that eventually it will mostly become housing. This housing initiative has been going on since the mid 70's. The housing list also topples 1000 members. You sign up now, you'll get a house when your an elder.<br /><br />In my search of conversations that need to happen, it brought me to the question of "What is the needs in my community?". For the most part, because of the ineffective and inefficient governance system for program and service delivery, as well as support for community initiative, the people are left to fight for their needs. The same gluttonous and individualism that exists helps this "Go for what I can get" sentiment. We neither have the space, not the mindset to discuss what each of our needs as a community are, commit to working together to address those needs, and work in wise and creative action plans to succeed, both short and long-term.<br /><br />The immediate response to "What do you see as the need in our community?" is sometimes "Housing!". If we were to peer further into this, I wonder what other "needs" are deeper in this. Perhaps things like a need for community, a need for a home, a need to return home when they've never lived on the reserve before, a need to become involved and interest in finding their identity, don't have the initiative or education to attain the income they want or need to live in a house to their lifestyle, or a need to raise a family in a good environment. Those are all deeper issues then "I want my damn house!", and can be addressed in multiple ways then simply providing a family, individual, or otherwise with $120,000 to build their own house.<br /><br />The need, when broken down, goes to the heart of the community issues. It's when we as responsible community members see what the common needs are we can collectively work together to address those issues.<br /><br />Housing is just one example. I have my own take on the "needs" that "need" to be addressed, but don't know what others take on the same question is. Perhaps if people are interested in finding this out, approach me and we can work together to organize something in a way to gauge community interests and need, then self-organize around the common issues. I can't be alone in my thoughts forever, otherwise it will lead to self-destruction at the lack of growth or change. Do you want to see change in our community? Then let's damn do something about it.<br /><br /><br />Enough said.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-79266630775632742532009-01-06T11:47:00.004-08:002009-01-06T13:16:22.060-08:00What I See is ColonialismWhen this all started going down, I was going to make a post about supporting Palestine, but have backed out of that when viewing all the articles, blogs, facebook posts, saying basically the same thing I would. What Israel, the US, and Europe is doing to Palestine, I see as colonialism. What I see the Palestinian people doing is resisting colonialism. Displacing land, people, culture- cutting off from their nations own resources and then benefiting from them- destroying and committing genocide- all say colonialism to me. For those who haven't figured it out yet, I am anti-colonial, and see all the evidence to know that what Israel is permitted to do to the Palestinian is wrong. There is no simpler way of putting it.<br /><br />In an age of apathy, I wonder both on global and community levels of how someone creates change. In the apparatus created for Indians with reserves, band councilors, and Indian Acts, it's increadibley hard to accomplish any kind of change because you have to 'conform' to the system that's trying to eat you up. On a global level, there are forces at play larger then any single one of our consciencess can understand, and my response is to find like-minded individuals and say, do, and be heard for what ever we can.<br /><br />---------------------<br /><br /><h3><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/event.php?eid=54071897188">Vancouver Rally for Gaza</a></span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/3169833390_926c309325_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 301px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/3169833390_926c309325_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >(Photo by Dustin Rivers)</span><br /></div><br />Time and Place<br /><table class="info_table" border="0" cellspacing="0"><caption><br /></caption><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight: bold;" class="label">Date:</td><td><div class="datawrap">Saturday, January 10, 2009</div></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight: bold;" class="label">Time:</td><td><div class="datawrap">1:00pm - 3:00pm</div></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight: bold;" class="label">Location:</td><td><div class="datawrap">Vancouver Art Gallery</div></td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight: bold;" class="label">Street:</td><td><div class="datawrap">750 Hornby Street</div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/loewenstein01012009.html">Israel Has No Intention of Granting a Palestinian State: If Hamas Did Not Exist By JENNIFER LOEWENSTEIN </a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/29/gaza-hamas-israel">Gaza: the logic of colonial power by Nir Rosen</a></li></ul>Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-59328828787820423512009-01-06T11:39:00.002-08:002009-01-06T11:45:30.399-08:00Along with...In addition to my prospects to this year I forgot to mention a few other things I really really want to learn or do. Here they are, as of now:<br /><ul><li>Photography</li><li>Film</li><li>Web Design</li><li>Media arts in general</li><li>DJ'ing</li><li>Paint with Acrylics</li><li>Skip a sea-going canoe</li><li>Write a book</li><li>Teach and learn my language</li><li>Learn to play an instrument</li><li>Run a small-to-medium business</li><li>Meditation<br /></li></ul>If you know how to do any of these or can connect me in the right way, please do. My mother asked me if I would ever just focus on 2 or 3 things for a while, but I don't think it' possible for me to. I have interests. I have passions. I follow them.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34506826.post-43937230953212196362009-01-05T00:46:00.002-08:002009-01-05T02:09:29.561-08:00Back to WorkStarting today many are returning to work following the winter holiday vacation. Students are returning to school. Band Councilors return to the band office. I return to...well, same place I've been for the past 2 years.<br /><br />Over 2 years ago I left High School for good. It was a conscience choice of intelligent and well thought-out planning. The simple reason was high school was doing so little for me, I had better options, and was doing more in spite of it. Most respond with "What about getting a high school diploma? You will need it!". I respond to them with, "Well, if I ever need to get it, I'll go for it." Little to they know that I don't intend on any going for my "GED" or high school diploma. I just said "...if I ever need it..." to silence their worried attitude.<br /><br />It's not something you hear of when it comes to Indigenous High School Drop outs. I've been a static all my life, but who would have thought this Indian would have become part of the 60% Aboriginal drop-out rate. Well, I'm proud of dropping out and wish other native students who are or about to be in that position to leave school, look at it as a positive- not a negative. It's not the end of the world and your life is not ultimate doomed for the rest of it's existence.<br /><br /><br />The 2 years have been a journey into living life as a freelancer. I worked briefly in a full-time 30 hour job as an Arts Director, but upon reflection, can't handle rat-race type jobs. If I did it for a long time, and more then 8 months, I would probably become consumed by the "drive to work to pay for this car, pay for this car to drive to work" ethic that consumes so many. Wage-slavery much? Slavery for whom, by the way.<br /><br />What I want is a feeling that I'm accomplishing much with my tiny life, in ways that only I can define because I have 1.) a visceral need to be independent and 2.) egotistical overachieving self-righteous dream to be remembered for something. I value and need my freedom to "think" without controlling forces penetrating my behavior, attitude, or way of living and need my freedom to act without expectation and others pressure to be their expectations of me.<br /><br /><br />As of late I'm assessing all my talents and abilities, which can make me a living, and how will I use my privilege in sacrifice for others. When Christmas Holiday's came around, I realized how much I've been on vacation. I have so much control over my life. When to eat, when to sleep, when to shop, when to go where ever I want at what ever time. Some have to go to sleep at this hour because they need to be awake at this hour. Some have to eat between these hours and be back at work at this time. I have unimagined freedom as a 'freelancer'.<br /><br />I'm currently a self-employed Graphic Designer. Posters, pamphlets, business cards, promotional material, magazine and book design, etc are all within the domain of me for hire. I'm hoping to really venture into web design this year. I'm also hoping to work on this business soon so I can be more successful in achieving some consistency and stability to guide me in other area's of my life. This includes building a strong portfolio, promoting myself to prospective clients, and developing a strong work ethic. If I have to be a capitalist, I'll do my best to remain grounded in my principles and achieve some sort of good with that.<br /><br />I'm a traditional singer, who knows some of history ancestral history and ancestors culture. So there, I have knowledge and expertise that most don't and should give me an edge to hired for said resources, but I'll never market myself that way. For things like that, I let the Creator choose what comes to me, and use those resources in other area's that are personal. It's my utmost belief that our traditions, customs, and history are there for all my people and would never presume ownership to be used for self-interested means. It's a type of selfishness that plays of our peoples predicament as colonized people.<br /><br />I write for this weblog and have been published in a few small-time publications. I also intend to write a couple books in my life. My mother keeps asking me when I'm going to write my book about Skwxwu7mesh decolonization, and thankfully many thoughts about this are developing as the days go by. I don't have any training in journalism, although I am interested in learning more about this area to create new means for me to share media with the world and my people. I have some writing experience and knowledge, and could market this to create a living.<br /><br />Adding onto the above, I enjoy writing so much, especially Business Plans and Grant Proposals. There is something challenging and fun about trying to convince my idea is amazing, assuming the idea is actually amazing. To get a grant from the Squamish Nation Trust I had to write a Business Plan for my Graphic Design business. I learned a lot not having written a business plan before, and have since researched increasingly into it. I recently served on the UMAYC Initiative Youth Council through Heritage Canada and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centers. Going through 17 proposals covering spending over 2.47 million dollars really drives you into a state of immersion in timeliness, quantitative and qualitative results, budgets, work plans, cash-flows, and grant writing. You heard it from me people, I'm a grant and business plan writer for hire!<br /><br />All through High School I flourished in acting, drama, improv, and film. For 3 years I served on the improv team. For 2 years I was in the best acting program in North Vancouver (at the time). After my Film and Television class, I've never looked at film the same way and have always had an interest in it. Sadly, I never pursued this further. I really want to go into improv again because I miss it so much. I've done 1 or 2 acting outside of school, but so badly miss this.<br /><br />For the past year I've been studying and being trained in organizational development facilitation. Geez, I think I can call it that. It's really hard to define what it is, but through the inspiration of people like Chris Corrigan, I've learned tools like Open Space Technology, World Cafe, and Chaordic design, going with my already held True Colours, workshop facilitation, and public speaking expertise. I'm really interested in developing this more, through practice and mastery, into something to use both as a community organizing ability, and something to do for other communities and organizations.<br /><br />I'm an artist. Ha! First time I've self-identified as an artist and meant it. In May I received the YVR Art Foundation's Aboriginal Youth Scholarship. In May I'll be placing my first public art carving, a replica of an old Skwxwu7mesh spindle whorl, to be on display at the Vancouver International Airport for a year. I also have another major art project, that I'll be undertaking with my talented mentor Aaron Nelson-Moody, but won't say anything about that now. I'm presently working on a series of prints to be released soon featuring both traditional Coast Salish art and my contemporary art. This is probably my weakest area with "abilities for hire", but it's one of my newest passions. (Upon reflection, it's actually my first passion going back to when I was 3 years old drawing in the carving studio of Klathe-bie. So it's my first passion, just revived.)<br /><br /><br />Those are my abilities for now. In order, they are:<br /><ul><li>Graphic Design</li><li>Traditional Singer</li><li>Historian (Bah! Bad title!)</li><li>Writer</li><li>Grant and Business Plan Writer</li><li>Acting and Improv</li><li>Facilitator</li><li>Artist</li></ul><br />With the above talents, here a few things I plan to use them all to create in the new year:<br /><ul><li>Graphic Design + Writing + Facilitator = the first Skwxwu7mesh magazine</li><li>Traditional Singer + Historian = Singing Practices, Language stuff, and other cool community cultural events</li><li>Facilitating + Historian = Political Community Organizing. A new way of creative alternative change in our community.</li><li>Artist + Historian = Site specific guerrilla art.</li><li>Historian + Writing + Public Speaking = Spoken Word</li></ul><br /><br />For some reason I think I'm forgetting something. I probably am, but that's my best from memory talents and abilities.<br /><br />Some I look forward to developing the future which are mostly just interests and hobbies right now:<br /><ul><li>Photography</li><li>Film</li><li>Web Design</li><li>Media arts in general</li></ul><br />For 2 years now I've been on vacation. I've realized I'm a "freelancer". I am self-employed with multiple talents and abilities. I just need to discipline myself, market what I can and am willing to do, and enjoy life to the fullest.Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10599729710500015496noreply@blogger.com0