WE MOVED TO WWW.LIBERATEDYET.COM

IMPORTANT: My Blog Has Moved!

2009-03-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hello readers of Liberated Yet?

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

www.liberatedyet.com
Some new posts on my blog are:

A Letter to the Community

2009-03-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

My name is Dustin Rivers. I am Skwxwu7mesh. I was raised in the communities of Eslha7an and Xwmelch’stn. I write to you regarding the Squamish Nation General Meeting on March 8th.

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.

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.

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.

At this general meeting, I will be asking for the community’s support on:

1. The creation of councilor “Term Limits”
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.

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.

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.

2. The separation of Band Councillor Positions and their staff positions.
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.

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.

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.

3.)Calling a forensic audit to investigate where our money is being spent.
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.

The question for the community is: does this reflect what you see and experience in your community? Does this feel like a nation that spends $51 million ever year? 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.

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.

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 NO. The band offices, programs and services will NOT be shut down. It reviews past financial documents.

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.

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.

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.

Thank you for taking your time to read this
Dustin Rivers

Something is About to Change

2009-02-23T23:36:00.001-08:00

Liberated Yet? is about to make a major shift. Get ready for it!

What is the name that is big enough to hold your life?

2009-02-23T16:30:00.003-08:00

After reading Dave Pollard's response to Chris Corrigan's and Meg Wheatley's question of "Big Question", I thought about it myself.

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? 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?

From Chris: What is the name that is big enough to hold your life? This is a name beyond who we are and who we have been - it is a name that we tremble to live into.

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 Kwak'wala. 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.

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.

In one re-told case I know of, one Sḵwxwú7mesh 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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

My life purpose is:

I Am A Confident Man Who Gives Breath to the Noble Way As A Humble Emissary to Restore Balance to Community

A Note on Comments Form

2009-02-22T03:13:00.002-08:00

I 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.

Thank You
Dustin Rivers

Ben Harper Is My Lover

2009-02-21T02:08:00.002-08:00

I stumbled across this poem this evening. I just had to share it with all my blog readers.

Ben Harper Is My Lover

I ended up with two Africa classes this quarter.
It made me hate conquests of any kind.
Christianity and commerce.
Starbucks and European civilization.
It gave me even more reasons to justify Bob Marley.
Justify spending 13.50 on dreadlock shampoo.
Justify making a stand.
All the while
Having the option of changing into my red GAP sweater,
Reading my Bible,
And drinking the single, tall, caramel machiato
I'm so addicted to.
How can I hate a corrupt and powerful nation
Without hating a system
I have no intention
Of leaving?

Kelsey Parkhurst

Invitation to Conversations on the Indigenous Revolution

2009-02-19T14:44:00.001-08:00

I 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.

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.

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.

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
dreams for the future into new path for our people.

Where there is agreement, we can move forward. Where there is difference we can seek understanding, common ground, and workable compromise.

None of this can happen without open, honest conversation and caring from each and every one of us.

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?

This can happen in person, or through digital communication technology. The capacity exists for this dialogue to occur across distances and boarders.

This is an invitation to you to join in a conversation that matters.

If you are interested, contact Dustin Rivers at
dustin.rivers@gmail.com

or visit www.liberatedyet.blogspot.com
for updates.

Singing Practices are Back On!

2009-02-14T17:14:00.002-08:00

Hey people,

Just wanted to send out a quick message. Traditional Singing Practices are back on. Here is the deets:

Monday's @ SN Youth Centre (older building)
**NEW TIME**
5:30PM

Open to all our Skwxwu7mesh 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.

Email me at dustin.rivers@gmail.com if you want more info.

SingSoulGirl Brings It

2009-02-14T01:02:00.005-08:00

Sto:lo songwriter and singer Inez 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

"Iy siiyam ti siiyaya

Friends and relatives

The work we are going to do today

is get our elders to speak to us young people

iy siiyam"

followed by Inez's soulful execution in words

"walk through my door, have a seat, open up, listen up, hear the people speak".

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.

The CD can be listened to here: (Click Here). I recommend #6 & #8.

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.

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 Blue Scholars said, "I heard a few heads say Hip-hop is dead/No it's not,/It's just malnourished and underfed".

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.

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.

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.

u siyam Sto:lo slulem welhaynexw slháneý-ullh.

chen kwen men tumi na kílus slulem ti' sts'is.

chexw exwa7t wenaxw iýím skwalwen-s.

[Respect and gratitude Sto:lo SingSoulGirl.

I am thankful to you for your beautiful singing today.

You give me pride & strength.]

A Take On the Art of Hosting

2009-02-11T00:29:00.005-08:00

This 6 minute film was shared to me by Chris Corrigan, who has his own blog here at Parking Lot. 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

"What are the conversations that need to happen in my nation?"

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.

The gift of conversations is both those conversing, but also those who can host them too. And that is where there is the art of hosting.

My Growing Dissatisfaction and Mistrust

2009-02-10T13:56:00.002-08:00

I recently picked up a book on recommendation from Chris Corrigan called Theory U: Leading from the Future As It Emerges by C. Otto Scharmer. 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”.

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!)

My growing “anxiety about the future, growing dissatisfaction with and distrust of virtually all social institutions” is in nearly all things.

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

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.

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.

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”.

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.

If all social institutions are failing, crumbling, and becoming so infected on what it’s supposed to be, what do we do then?

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?

I have no answers here, just questions. Curious questions that I haven’t heard anyone else ask.

For All You "Dances With Dependency - Calvin Helin" Fanatics

2009-02-09T22:23:00.002-08:00

I came across a book review of Dances with Dependency: Indigenous Success through Self-Reliance by Calvin Helin. that can be viewed here by Ethan Baptiste. I thouroughly enjoyed Ethan's breakdown by chapter of Dances with Dollars.

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 wicked reading list. 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.

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.

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.

Here are some of my favorite parts of the book review, written by Ethan Baptiste:

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.

Wow, is this guy from the Squamish Nation because this sure sounds like the current Band Council!

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.

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.

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.

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 consultative 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.)

For those who religiously favor Calvin Helin's "oh gee, why can't you be like us" road to success and his book Dances with Dollars, then please read this book review.

For those who haven't read Calivn Helin's book, please stay away, and instead read either this or this. You'll actually learn something important, instead of learning more ignorance.

Idea: Oral History of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-ulh Events

2009-02-07T02:40:00.005-08:00

The Idea: 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.

Idea: Coming Soon

2009-02-07T02:31:00.003-08:00

Starting 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 can take a journey with me.)

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.

Here is some fitting assurance for me, and for all idea-makers out there.

Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats.
- Howard H. Aiken

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.
- Alfred Whitney Griswold

Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.
- Albert Einstein

All great ideas are controversial, or have been at one time.
- George Seldes

Motivation for Politics

2009-02-05T16:30:00.003-08:00

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?

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.

What is politics? How do I define “politics”? I look at politics on two lights.

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. “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.” (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.

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, not above or for them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

“I’m so hungry I could eat the asshole of a skunk”,

“I have some good news and some bad news...”

(After saying what the good news was)

“What was the bad news gramma?”

“Oh, there is no bad news.”

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.

They are my heroes.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

"Is Decolonization Dead?"

2009-02-02T01:14:00.004-08:00

Taiaiake Alfred, a Kanienkehaka Professor of Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria, and Waziyatawin, 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 "Is Decolonization Dead?".

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:

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.

In her book Remember This!, Waziyatawin in speaking about her upbringing in learning about her own existence and history, explains the historical practice in her peoples traditions:

[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.

--------------------

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.

As my friend Kowboy Smitx said,

"It's time to start striving towards living the way our Indigenous ancestors did."

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".

Well duh!

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.

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?

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,

"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."

tima tkwetsi7

That's the way it is.

I Have Joined Twitter

2009-02-01T04:31:00.004-08:00

After 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.

Don't know what I'm speaking about with all this "twitter" business? Where' here's a video on "Twitter in Plain English"

And here is me.

How I Connect to the World

2009-01-28T16:59:00.005-08:00

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.

Instead, I follow blogs.

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

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.

I subscribe to dozens of blogs. Art. Design. Life. Music. Photography. Politics. Technology. Some of these are RSS feeds from

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.

In a similar vein of media publishing, I subscribe to podcasts. A podcast is an downloadable rad

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.)

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.

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

on th

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.

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

content (news, information, knowledge, stories) from indigenous communities. If I'm wrong about this, PLEASE leave a comment and tell me your blog! Haha.

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.

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 (twitter).

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.

Revealed (Revised)

2009-01-23T09:17:00.003-08:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge.

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).

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.

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.

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.

As a point of reference, let's look at other politicians.

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.

That's the city of Vancouver with population in the millions and budgets in the hundreds of millions.

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?)

Back to the SN Council:
One person remarked "They are basically running countries", which I responded with,

"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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Comes from a Question

2009-01-21T15:42:00.007-08:00

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I want liberation.

It's Revealing

2009-01-13T19:50:00.007-08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Squamish Nation has a budget of over $51 million too.

Did I come from out of a rock or is $100'000 dollars a lot of money?

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?

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?

....Because it's the right thing to do.

That's why.

Diving In Deeper

2009-01-06T12:25:00.004-08:00

Searching for the "Need" In My Community

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.

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.

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.

What could you do with 41 million dollars?

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.

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. Here is a google image of the reserve as of late. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Enough said.

What I See is Colonialism

2009-01-06T11:47:00.004-08:00

When 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.

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.

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Vancouver Rally for Gaza

(Photo by Dustin Rivers)

Time and Place


Date:	Saturday, January 10, 2009
Time:	1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location:	Vancouver Art Gallery
Street:	750 Hornby Street

Along with...

2009-01-06T11:39:00.002-08:00

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:

Photography
Film
Web Design
Media arts in general
DJ'ing
Paint with Acrylics
Skip a sea-going canoe
Write a book
Teach and learn my language
Learn to play an instrument
Run a small-to-medium business
Meditation

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.

Back to Work

2009-01-05T00:46:00.002-08:00

Starting 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.)

Those are my abilities for now. In order, they are:

Graphic Design
Traditional Singer
Historian (Bah! Bad title!)
Writer
Grant and Business Plan Writer
Acting and Improv
Facilitator
Artist

With the above talents, here a few things I plan to use them all to create in the new year:

Graphic Design + Writing + Facilitator = the first Skwxwu7mesh magazine
Traditional Singer + Historian = Singing Practices, Language stuff, and other cool community cultural events
Facilitating + Historian = Political Community Organizing. A new way of creative alternative change in our community.
Artist + Historian = Site specific guerrilla art.
Historian + Writing + Public Speaking = Spoken Word

For some reason I think I'm forgetting something. I probably am, but that's my best from memory talents and abilities.

Some I look forward to developing the future which are mostly just interests and hobbies right now:

Photography
Film
Web Design
Media arts in general

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.

A bunch of unrelated bits...

2008-12-31T00:42:00.004-08:00

Some tidbits, most of which are unrelated, but still enjoyable for your viewing and reading pleasure.
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Diary of a Self-Help Dropout: Flirting With the 4-Hour Workweek by Chris Hardwick (Blog: Nerdist.com) at Wired.com. For a proud high-school drop out who's been on vacation for, hh I don't know, 4 years now-- this blog made me laugh and remind me, "Hey, I'm a freelancer too, and that's okay". Next thing to add to the "List of Things I Procrastinate On": Figuring out all my talents and which can make me money.
Advertising from Australia to do what? Oh yeah! ATTACK NEW ZEALAND. Ah, I hope the place I've been dreaming of visiting since I realized other cultures around the world exist isn't colonized by the Aussies. Very funny ad.
I have taken an interest in photography. Especially with the purchase of a Nikon D90(Phenomenal camera). It's a DSLR camera with 760HD video camera abilities also. It's amazing, I love it. To prove it's amazing, check out this video, and these photo's. My Flickr profile is also here, although it's quite bare right now. (Looking for people, things, and places to photograph so hit me up if you have idea's.)
I finished Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto by Taiaiake Alfred. Review to come soon, but in the mean time, I strongly recommend this to all indigenous folks who want some inspiration for creating change in your community or being an indigenous leader in the 21st century. Both will have deep questions and answers in the book.
The Squamish Nation wants to be a partner in building a casino in our community of St'a7mes. What do you think my thoughts on this are? I created a facebook group to organize with my community for the upcoming leasing approval votes. More on this soon!
Dave Pollard, whom I met this past summer at the art of hosting retreat on Bowen Island (I will read your book soon Dave!) through Chris Corrigan, wrote this wonderful three part piece, well, about the good stuff. Not Going To Happen is about, well, sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. In reality, it reminded me that I focus on other folks faults too much, and this makes it hard for me to love them. Ha! Isn't that an insight! It's really about relationships, the limiting beliefs we tell ourselves about relationships, and what life could be about should we choose to change our glassess. Read it: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3. For all my young friends especially: please read it!
Israel has been trying to exterminate the Palestinian people for 60 years now. They launched another massive strike this past week. Come out to the Vancouver Rally for Gaza and say no to this war.
Stickhandling his way through aboriginal politics says Globe and Mail about Squamish Nation collaborator Tewanee Joseph. Go ahead, read some garbage propaganda about the myth of Aboriginal participation in the 2010 Olympics and I'll reveal the reality in due time.

That should be good for all. If you went through all my links, you are a dear friend and deserve something in return. As for the rest of you, get back to being on "Winter Vacation", I know I ain't. 2 Years Vacation, going on 3. Back to work starting tomorrow for me.

Ian on Consumerism and it's Effects

2008-12-25T01:39:00.003-08:00

Around the time I posted this, joined a facebook group called "People Against Christmas Inc.". Earlier today the groups creator message this to the group. I couldn't agree more.

Happy Sol Invictus Everyone! lol

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To members of People Against Christmas Inc.
One of the challenges (and sources for learning) of being a human being is the understanding that we are all connected in some way. During this period of what is termed Christmas in the European tradition I have seen much dischord and fragmenting of our understanding of being connected. From the degeneration of our ties, we come to fill the niche with external sources and of course, this is at great profit for the ones who own the majority of wealth and power.

"With power comes reponsibility" is an often repeated axiom which bears little resemblance to accepted practices of retail and consumerist philosophy. In the interest of providing a forum for my resistance to being led further from the communal well-being of myself and my fellow beings, I began this group and invited many to join. It has been a welcome sight to check on this page and see the contributions of our perspectives on what this time of year is truly about.

I personally believe that we have changed our yearly cycle at the Winter Solstice and have already begun our journey back to the days of light and growth and renewal. I cannot think of any better way to celebrate this return than by spending time with family and friends to remember our past, dream our future, and share our present (not so much presents) as we reforge the ties between us. I extend this sentiment to all in the hopes that we discover how we are interconnected.

Be Well,

Ian

Light Reading

2008-12-24T13:26:00.004-08:00

In the recent update of my blog, I have a little side section showing you the current books I'm reading. To remember all the books I want to read, have read, and currently reading, I use Goodreads.com. You will see here all the books I want to read. And here is all the books I have read.

Here are the books I am currently reading:

The Colonizer and the Colinzed by Albert Memmi
Na'cha'uaht gave this book to me as a "Festivus" present. Last year it was Trinity by Leon Uris, and year before that it was The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley. I made it about half way through Malcolm X, and never really started on Trinity, but I will Na'cha'uaht. For now, the Colonizer and Colonized is the most pressing and intriguing one to read.

Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Mars trilogy was recommend by Chris Corrigan. I also read online somewhere that the economic system thought of in the series was strikingly similar to the potlatch system on the Northwest Coast. Then and there I was intrigued. The first book I read by Robinson was one of his latest, "The Years of Rice and Salt". That book blew me away and introduced me to a whole other thing. Green Mars, the second in the trilogy, continues on the story of a number of the early colonists of Mars, their decedents, and the large forces at play within a barren world becoming not so barren. Great read.

Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto by Taiaiake Alfred
This is the second book I have read of Taiaiake's books. His most recent book Wasase, was potent in shaping my better understanding of my context as an indigenous man living in a colonized Canadian world. Peace, Power, Righteousness is shaping up to speak more closer to home then I thought it. In the second edition of the book, he shares deep critical insights into how our culture has become colonized, and where the true path as an indigenous man with profound belief in what his ancestors fought is made clearer. I am almost done this book and am forcing my mother (a band councilor) to read it. haha

Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview by Richard E. Atleo
I read the first chapter last night and the bases for his assumptions or interpretations are so striking apt at what I could understand within the bases of my culture. Although Coast Salish and Nuu-chah-nulth cultures are very different in many ways, they are both cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast, and bear a lot of similarities. His analyzes will provide deep insight to look within my own history and traditional cultural institutions to help form a more defined basis for a Skwxwu7mesh decolonization movement.

The Truth About Stories by Thomas King
Very funny and refreshing book. The reminder of some of the basics that all North American's need to know are illustrated so well in this wonderfully written book. "The truth about stories is that we are all stories." say Thomas King, something 3 chapters later, I finally figure out. I know look for stories in all things and see the world in a different light. I hope to do a book review of this when I'm finished.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Barely even started, but I have read some of his poetry and really enjoy his use of words to highlight the written word.

So, those are my currently reading list. If you have book to recommend, please pass it on. I buy or borrow books all the time. Actually, if you want to borrow a book, let me know, and I'll be happy to share.

Can we still be cousins?

2008-12-23T15:09:00.003-08:00

In the below article titled "Cousin Marriages Okay by Science", it reveals some interesting facts. Mainly, that the myth about child defects in cousin related births, is not backed by scientific evidence. For anyone from a native community, this should come as a celebration, no? Hahaha. Okay, time for some jokes:

Q: What did the native couple say to the divorce lawyer?

A: Can we still be cousins?

Laugh you ass off, my cousins do. Haha

Within any native community, especially in Canada with it's strange blood-quantum designation of band membership, many family have inter-related marriages. Now, I'm not suggesting first or second cousins unions, but more like 4th or 5th, with the occasional 3rd. One of the problems is lack of knowledge of who your extended family are (because we've become somewhat assimilated), so sometimes there is hook-ups between sort-of distant relatives.

One some levels, especially among the older crowd, it's looked upon as taboo. As my great great grandfather put it, "We don't go with our cousins. We're not dogs who hump our own." (Go ahead, laugh again. lol). That quote has been "passed down" now and many among my family say the same, which ironically, have other members of the family who had kids with cousins. I'm a bit exempt from this as my parents are not related. I know my family tree quite well and can honestly say I can go between 6-8 generations back on multiple sides of my family. I won't name names, but there are many within my family who are related and dating and who some have children together.

My point is, it happens. Many families are related to each other, one way or another. For some it goes back generations, some just a few.

Within Squamish Nation membership laws, you most often have to marry a cousin within your nation for your children or grandchildren to be band members. It's because the laws are blood-quantum based, like most Indian Act bands. Both my parents are registered Squamish band members, thus making me a full band members. My younger sisters only have one Squamish parents, thus they are half. If I have a kid with a non-native, my grandchildren could still be Squamish band members. If my sisters have children with a non-native, their grandchildren will not be band members. Funny eh?

Now here's my personal view, and don't hate me for it (Let's be honest, if you hated me for my views, you wouldn't read my blog...haha). I've never cared for the taboo about cousins marrying, especially in native communities. I never suggesting first cousins, or second cousins or anything like that, but as a term for survival, we need to marry our own. Now, that isn't a race thing for me, but a cultural thing. We need strong children to be raised with parents who come from a strong indigenous background, and in some cases, a strong Coast Salish or Skwxwu7mesh (or whatever nation applies) background. Having a parent from a very different socio-political background will have a different effect on how our children are raised. It goes back to values and where the kids with their values from. To accomplish that, we would have to marry our distant relatives.

With the level of assimilation inflicted and chosen by our past ancestors, many of the old customs don't exist anymore. We are not as connected to our larger family as we once were, and thus, we either don't know our cousins at all, or don't even have a relationship with them. It's not on the same level as general Euro-Canadian society where in many cases, they don't even know any of their 3rd cousins are. If our families were raised in tight-nit circles with many the branches of the family knowing each other, then it would be a different story. But if you never knew the person, and then you find out your related, I don't really care.

Over-all, I'm just laughing about this. It makes me laugh, because it's funny. For the good dinner conversation on the reserve about this person and that person hooking-up, even though they are related, I have a good argument to make now: science doesn't back you up.

The reserve can now celebrate, you damn hillbillies!

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Cousin Marriage Okay by Science
By Brandon Keim

In an age of sexual liberation, marriage between cousins remains taboo, at least in the United States — and from a scientific perspective, laws against the unions are a socially legitimized form of genetic and sexual discrimination.

That argument, raised Monday in an editorial in Public Library of Science Biology, may turn the stomachs of people raised to disapprove of any form of incest. But dispassioned analysis suggests that cousin marriage is no more troubling than childbearing by middle-aged women.

"Women over the age of 40 are not prevented from childbearing, nor is anyone suggesting they should be, despite an equivalent risk of birth defects," write zoologists Hamish Spencer and Diane Paul. Bans against cousin marriage, they say, should be repealed, "because neither the scientific nor social assumptions that informed them are any longer defensible."

Thirty-one states outlaw marriage between first cousins, making the United States the only developed country in which the practice is regularly banned. Most were passed in the Civil War's aftermath — not, say Spencer and Paul, to reduce the chance of defects caused by combinations of deleterious genes, but as part of a radical expansion of government authority over private lives.

"Unlike the situation in Britain and much of Europe, cousin marriage in the U.S. was associated not with the aristocracy and upper middle class but with much easier targets: immigrants and the rural poor," they write.

CousinmarriagemapBut their argument is far from consensus: in Forbidden Relatives: The American Myth of Cousin Marriage, Kansas State University anthropologist Martin Ottenheimer argues that the bans were driven by now-discredited 19th century research on birth defects among children born to first cousins.

Whatever their motivations, the laws are not supported by science. According to the National Society of Genetic Counselors, birth defects are 2 to 3 percent more common in children born to first cousins than among the general population — a real risk, but not enough to justify the bans.

"It's a form of discrimination that nobody talks about. People worry about not getting health insurance — but saying that someone shouldn't marry based on how they're related, when there's no known harm, to me is a form of discrimination," said Robin Bennett, a University of Washington genetic counselor who led the NSGC study.

Precise statistics on cousin-union frequency in the United States are hard to come by, she said, but discrimination and ignorance have serious consequences.

"I'm aware of people who have been afraid to tell people that they're in love with their cousins, who've become pregnant and potentially terminated a pregnancy based on false information," said Bennett. "Or they didn't marry the person they loved because of their concerns."

"The laws against cousin marriage are archaic, outdated and counterproductive," said Ottenheimer.

Repealing these laws doesn't seem likely in the near future: Gay marriage remains a more pressing issue. But anyone who wants to fight for cousin marriage won't have to fight against science.

"Ultimately it's a political question about what you allow individuals to do, and what that says about the structure of society," said Spencer.

Citation: "'It’s OK, We’re Not Cousins by Blood': The Cousin Marriage Controversy in Historical Perspective." By Diane B. Paul and Hamish G. Spencer. Public Library of Science Biology: Vol. 6 Issue 12, Dec. 22, 2008.

Images: 1. Emma Darwin/Darwin Day Celebration 2. Charles Darwin/WikiMedia Commons (Charles married Emma, his first cousin, shortly after returning from his expedition aboard the Beagle.) 3. Map of U.S. cousin marriage bans/PLoS Biology

Defining Family

2008-12-22T03:29:00.003-08:00

In traditional Sḵwx̱wú7mesh society, a family was a group of multiple nuclear families that through kinship create an extended family. The children of your uncles and aunties were your brothers and sister, your first cousins. Your parents first cousins were your uncles and aunties as well. The house of the family would typically be a home made out of large cedar beams holding up a slanted roof in a long shape, called a longhouse. Each quarter of this longhouse was the area of different sections of the family. The large family would then occupy a large longhouse home. The size of this could grow to huge portions with some longhouses holding up to 11 “families”, all apart of the same kinship. This was the basic formation of a family and it’s home.

In traditional Sḵwx̱wú7mesh culture, there is an automatic respect for those older then you. Brothers and sisters, even just a year older then you, you would respect. This social establishment extended to all those older.

For each household and family kinship, a single man would be more respected then others. The qualities of this man, held in esteem, placed him in the trust and admiration for he would be someone they follow his leadership. He was gifted with qualities in the traditions of his people, the essential value of generosity, and above else, carried his family in high esteem. Not a boss above all, but a man holding his family up. This was a siyam.

Raised in close quarters, this family was a tight extraction of the over-all society. During the warmer seasons, this family would travel as a group to resource gathering sites or be invited to other village festivities. Leading to winter months, the family with collaborate and work towards building enough resources to use during the colder winter months.

Things have definitely changed.

In modern Squamish reserves, a family sometimes lives in a big square house, sometimes with multiple branches, sometimes not. As the children grow older, they move out and start there own homes, and their children start there homes, eventually leading to smaller nuclear family occupied homes. Often these houses can sometimes be across larger distances, and not close to each other. As a result, these branches of the family rarely see each other.

For each family, there is rarely a single man the family respects enough to follow and guide. The old tradition of “grooming”, a custom that was often hereditary, ceased to happen and thus produced less and less strong male leaders to be a host, an organizer, a guide, for his family. Instead influences in foreign structures produces chairmen, bosses, controllers. The halting of that tradition also produced no strong males at all.

Separated from each other, the over-all family doesn’t see or interact with each other that often. Some family members intuitively know each other, but most of the cousins only kind of know each other. Eventually, some whole family branches don’t even know the other exists. During some yearly events like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Birthdays, the family may get together. In many cases, different people in different branches are only acquainted with each others. No deep friendship or understanding. No common interests.

The two above definitions don’t truly exists. Some families may have some of the first, and some of the second, in different levels. There is not “traditional Skwxwu7mesh family” in modern times, and there is not fully modern family like the above defition (at least I hope not, otherwise I don’t really consider them Skwxwu7mesh). Colonization drastic change of the family make-up of the old family ways, breaking the connections, differs from one family to another. Primarily the connection to each other from cousin to cousin, from one branch to another, is the largest difference. I say colonization both in the development of modern homes and travel, but also colonization in the systemic changes to our culture into an assimilated Euro-Canadian one.

Decolonization is the task of creating ways to grow in the direction of something resembling our ancestors.

I bring up family because, although I don’t celebrate the Roman Holiday, the feelings of family and togetherness has hit me. Perhaps it’s the cold and almost uninhabited streets that make me think people are at home, perhaps with their family. This reflection on family leads me to inquiry both about the make-up of my family, about my definition of family, and what my vision of a decolonized future could look like for family.

I come from one prominent family within my community with a history of either political involvement through my uncle and grandfather being a band councilor, along with my great grandfather being a prominent leader in his time, or through members of my family being included in different parts of the community. I come from one of the largest families for my people, thus making it prominent, but also “characters” from the family that also who are remembered and respected for their commendable forthright attitude. I could elaborate further for I come from many other families, but these are my two most immediate heritage angles. I come from the Rivers and the Baker family, and I’m damn proud of it.

It’s my firmest belief that I’m not a human on a spiritual journey, but a spirit on a human journey. That before this life, I had a choice of the environment I would be taking on, but not knowing what was intended for me to be here. My connection to the guide who knows what my intention for being here shows the beauty in me, and the beauty in it’s creation. I choose this family, and I’m so grateful for everything I have from this family.

I also picked up traits from different sides of my family. I think I received my straightforward attitude from my mothers side as so many on this side going back generations were like this. I feel that I attained my humility and grace from my fathers side for the achievements and wisdom these achievements that were brought with, are commendable and memorable. I picked up my sick dry dirty humor from my northern bloodline. I found my inspiration for political valor for service of the better good from my homegrown ties. I have a lot to be grateful, especially for who I am what has shaped me.

I guess to define family, it stems from the values held most important. Some individuals hold very few values, but over the years I’ve understood there are some things I believe in that I hold myself to. Integrity is living to our highest values, which makes it my most important value. Openness is something I wish for because I believe in the sharing of knowledge and understanding. I think that stems from my personality trait to try to understand everything. The righteousness to stand up and not be seated is something I hold myself to. Seated in ignorance, or perhaps apprehension of disturbing things, but the choice to not do something when injustice continues is my value. I think my loyalty to be there, in need or desire, again comes back for it’s something I wish for, and thus believe in others. These are probably my main values.

Ha! I’m starting to see a pattern between what my values are and what I search for myself in the world. Ironic eh? Haha.

A few weeks ago when learning some new vocabulary from my language, I started finding our words for things like “honor”, “respect”, and “teaching”. One word that comes to mind is snewiyalh, a word that means to pass on the teachings to another people. Kind of like advice. It’s used primarily in the upbringing of young children around puberty That snewiyalh is taking the guidance you received either through other people or through the experience of life itself and sharing that with another. It strikes me now in speaking about values that snewiyalh is actually a value, yet the English language has nothing to really compare it too. “Advice”, “learning”, “teaching”, don’t fit when looking deeper. Ha! Another insight. But you can see from the inquiry into this single word the possibilities of other important words in my language. I know a few words that are values. How many English words for values do you know? This list has 375. I only know 3 in my language! Now that is an area to decolonize in my life.

Now I see the types of values including ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (political, religious) values, social values, and aesthetic values, come from both the internal request of the world to the self, and from the external forces that influence us as we grow. So with a Western world influencing us more and more, our requests or search from the world differs quite differently from our ancestors because of the environment they lived there lives.

I also see that how we define family stems from the values we hold to, and if our values are determined by those internal and external ways, and decolonize those internal and external ways, my definition of family would differ so much from everyone else. It’s also revealing to me now that this is also why in the assimilation to a more individual nature, different members of the family will have different definitions of family.

Over this time of slumber and reflection in winter months, I implore you all to search for what your values on family are, and to see what you want in creating ways to grow in the direction of your dreams. What is it you can create, promote, or allow to happen in your life to move towards a place of those values. What kind of family do you want and how can you create that, especially if you understand what your values are.

Now I’m amazed because when I first wrote this blog post, I didn’t realize I would learn something through this personal inquiry. I sure learned something. I also now have a clearer path into my vision of decolonization. I’ll be looking to create ways to grow in the direction of something resembling my ancestors, and what their values might of been.

"Handshakes"

2008-12-20T18:20:00.001-08:00

Some news for my people about the Squamish Nation,

Many people from my community, mostly Squamish Nation staff were shocked and irritated to learn about recent decisions by the Squamish Nation Band Council. To start things off, back in November, the Squamish Nation approved a 6% wage increase for all SN staff. This past Wednesday, they pasted another wage increase for the 12 Department Heads, and 17 Senior Managers within the Squamish Nation. The increases are on top of the original 6% which is set to take effect January 1st. The increases amount to another 12% for Department Heads, and another 6% for Senior Managers. This brings the total to 18% and 12%.

Then on Thursday, the two co-chair, Bill Williams, and Byron Joseph, made and "executive decision" and approved a $2000 "handshake" for all Department Heads on top of the previously mentioned raises.

Currently 10 out of 16 Councilors hold staff and councilor position. A few of these councilors' staff positions are Department Heads and of course the wage increase includes them. The SN employs nearly 500 people.

When looking at the financial statements, you'll see that most Department Heads make between $65'000 to $120'000 a year on salary. Senior Managers are around the same.

As one community member said to me, "The money going into one of their raises could be enough to pay for a job for our youth. Our young people don't even make as much as their raise is." Another person remarked, "Why are the Department Heads getting raises when I know many of them don't even come into work or do there job".

This comes at a time when the rest of the world is entering an economic recession.

The Squamish Nation's chief net revenue comes from reserve leases. Places like Park Royal Shopping Centre, the Lynnwood Marina, as well as other area's. With the stringent Indian Act laws guiding Indian Reserve land values, many of these leases are 99 years leases to get the most benefit for the land values, almost on value with that of fee-simple land in the over-all market. As the Canada starts to see a decrease in the housing market, and land value dropping, the Squamish Nation decides to spend more and massively increase wages.

Third Year and Going Strong

2008-12-11T05:14:00.004-08:00

"Capitalism is the new religion. Christmas is a mass consumer ritual. God is now the Free Market. The capitalists are the High Priests. Every day, the masses gather in capitalism's new cathedrals (malls and shops) to honor their God. And every day, they sacrifice themselves on the altar of Work. It's the same routine as the Christians used (during the Crusades and the Dark Ages), we just can't see it because of all the razzle-dazzle."

This is my third year of not celebrating Christmas. A friend sent me the above quote, and I couldn't help by let out a sly sigh and giggle at the absurdity of this time of the year. As my friend Na'cha'uaht reminded me today, "Winter is a time for rest, reflection, and renewal." Except for some reason stress, anger, and wasted time are the hallmarks of two out of 4 weeks of December (or 4 out or 4 for some). At first I didn't celebrate it because I'm not Christian and wanted to rebel against my non-existent but still present Christian upbringing. Now my reason is simple: it's just stupid.

With regards to gift giving, I'll be more traditional and leave it to potlatching. Only with the rise of consummerism in our communities has the "gift giving" part of potlatching gone down when it used to be about real gifts of significance and quality. So, I will spend the same ammount of hours at the mall as I would any other month, this is a month to work and reflect for me.

Little Known Facts About the Squamish Nation

2008-12-08T11:04:00.004-08:00

The Squamish Nation is an Indian Act organization with rules and guidelines mostly designated from the Indian Act, and some custom codes. It administrates programs, services, and economic development for it's status Indian membership, comprised of about 3400 members. It was imposed on Sḵwxwú7mesh, The-People-of-the-Sacred-Waters, in the early 1900's, but solidified in 1923 with the amalgamation. The amalgamation was the joining of what used to be separate reserves held in trust by the Department of Indian affairs for separate Sḵwxwú7mesh families. The Squamish Nation is not the nation of the Sḵwxwú7mesh people. It's an administration that is responsable to the Department of Indian Affairs, not to Sḵwxwú7mesh indigenous principles, values, or laws. Here are some little known facts about the "Squamish Nation".

It's annual budget is over 51 million dollars.
11 million comes from Federal funds.
40 million comes from own source revenue.
In 2003 it's budget was just over 33 million.
In 2002-3 it incurred a 5 million dollar deficit.
It has borrowed over 30 million from the banks since December 05.
The band council's yearly budget exceeds 1.5 million dollars.
More then 50% of that is on councilor wages.
The highest payed Councilor makes over $100'000.
10 out of 16 Councilors have staff positions.
5 new councilors were voted in in the last election.
In the last 3 years, the Band Council has payed for trips to Germany, China, New Zealand, Italy, and places in Canada.
The highest payed employee in the Squamish Nation earns over $200'000 yearly.
They are a Human Resources "Consultant".
I guess that means they are not really an "employee".
They are the only First Nation in Canada that elects it's band manager.
The Band Manager doesn't usually come to work.
So a Band Councilor is the "Acting-Band Manager".

If my people are not outraged by the situation with our people, then they are simply ignoring what is going on.

Conversing with the nation

2008-12-07T02:48:00.004-08:00

Since September, I have had a question follow me around like a shadow. "What are the conversations that need to happen in my nation" not only placed in the position to host some wonderful conversations, but also put me through struggles to understand the dimensions in some of the darkest area's of my nation. Dark area's where injustice is the air and it's wind are embezzlement, corruption, and political manipulation of the firm kind.

Despite that, I've also realized many area's where my people haven't convened together to hold space in deep thought and feeling about very important issues. It comes back to the most important question of "Why host conversations that matter?"

I think when I say "hosting conversations that matter", I'm speaking about delving deeply and meaningfully into area's of our society that we may either think of individually, or carry short conversations between one or two other people, but don't. The problem is we are separated and individual in our thoughts to either revive, remodel, or transform the present situation of things. These things range from all kinds of area's like the violence among indigenous youth, to the effect of salmon health on community health.

So in searching for "What conversations need to happen", I'm looking for the focal point or "issue" of that question and conversation. Many years ago, the Squamish Nation had a couple general meetings and decided on an agenda that would be followed for the next few general meetings (each subject being devoted to a General Meeting). We never got further then number 5, mostly because the way the conversations are hosted in SN General Meetings. The highest issues were things like Finance, Housing, Children and Community Safety, Land, and others.

I think those are labels for the deeper issues. I want to find the conversations that need to happen in all of the issues in the community. I find those through the questions that come to mind that would be posed to the community, or the stakeholders (individuals who have a stake in any given issue) that should be brought together to convene about something. For me, so far, it's been about one of those two.

Here is a few of the conversations that I think need to happen in my nation:

Inter-generational Dialogue between Youth and Elders
Community: Artist in Dialogue
Youth in Dialogue: Violence
Is one form of leadership intrinsically better than another? By what criteria can we discern a leader of quality? (Taken from Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto by Taiaiake Alfred)
The Need in Indigenous Media
Confronting Salmon Health and Community Survival
What 'time' is it in our nation?
Towards a Sustainable Legacy from the 2010 Olympics
The Ghosts of Economic-Development Future
Reflections on the Mother Language

Quite the list eh? The way I've been inspired or thoughts given rise to these questions is as wide ranging as the conversations themselves. I think some of these require different types of hosting for different types of conversations. Some are based out of need to either do something or do something different, where some are based out of a need to reflect and find understanding among many. Anyways, they are all extremely important. I'm interested in finding others from my community who are interesting in any of these dialogues and would want to help me organize.

My weakness and where I will ask for what I want is I need help. I desperately need help from others to see these through. If you don't know what that help will be or look like, it doesn't matter to me. I just need the feeling of "I'm not alone in my thoughts".

But I also want to know, what conversations do you need to host?

Iran: A Nation of Bloggers

2008-12-07T02:33:00.002-08:00

I stumbled upon this wonderful infographic about Iranian bloggers. The mixture of graphic design and film highlighted the display of information and narrative. It's amazing. I remember reading a few months back that Canadians are some of the most likely to read Blogs with something like 30% of the population saying they know what a blog is and read it. It's starkly higher then other places, so I do what I do with this blog.

I have also noticed the number of people commenting to me in person that they read my blog. I am not always the most consistent blogger, but I do what youth and people all around the world (like in Iran) are doing. I'm taking the ability to spread information and narrative (media) to the world, including my own people. Indigenous peoples & media is something sorrowly needed and desperately needs to be confronted.

In any case, enjoy the wonderful short film.

Iran: A nation of bloggers from Mr.Aaron on Vimeo.

Announcing Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Traditional Singing Practices

2008-12-02T16:22:00.002-08:00

Skwxwú7mesh Traditional Singing Practices
Mondays 7-9PM
SN Youth Centre (Older Building)

Traditional singing practices are open to the Skwxwú7mesh community. This is a community event for those interested in learning the traditional songs, our native language, or some of the history. Learn the songs for ceremony, celebration or games like slahal. Come learn your heritage, culture, and take pride in your people. Every Monday starting at 7PM.

Song, language, history

Every Monday
@SN Youth Centre

If you have any questions contact

Dustin Rivers
dustin.rivers@gmail.com

Jackie Gonzales
jackie_gonzales@squamish.n

et
604-312-2432

Review The Daily

2008-11-25T22:47:00.003-08:00

The seasons are changing, and so is my blog. Along with all these changes, I've been drawn to look at some of my writing from previous months. Some of you may be new readers and haven't ventured into my archives. Don't worry, here are some of my favorite posts that I've edited (damn grammar skills just not where I want it yet). Enjoy!

The next thing I want to spend some time doing is re-looking some of the posts from the two blogs I used to write on and published that gave birth to Liberated Yet? They were called "en nta7awn i nekwelten" and "My Actions And Secrets". It will be exciting and refreshing to go back into the past and look at who I was back then, where I was coming from things, and how my ideology and idealism have been shaped over the years. Hey that's a good blog post right there: "The Forces That Shaped My Ideology and Idealism"

Findings of the Band Council Meetings

2008-11-23T16:48:00.003-08:00

Every Wednesday, the 16 elected band councilors of the Squamish Nation meet to pass motions put forward by staff, the community, or councilors themselves. They operate on Roberts Rule of Order. Community members are allowed to attend, unless Council motions and passes to have an "in-camera" session. I attended last Wednesday's meeting, and here are my findings. :)

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There is a disconnection between some politicians from the grassroots community level, in huge ways. The positions or views expressed from some councilors made it apparent to me when they discussed the issue and what their concerns, thoughts, and idea’s were regarding issues. The paradigm they followed showed this disconnect and don’t think where the people come from, don’t think about what the people will see on the issue. Their time on council (read: many terms) has created this disconnection. 

Council members who hold high ranking Staff or Department Head positions have more power then their elected colleagues. A handful of councilors hold staff and department head positions, and they are all senior members of council. Control of finances within their department, the knowledge and information coming from their staff position, or weight in decision making in what will or won’t do are all indicators they consolidated power within themselves. This balance of power is unequal on the council table, and has not been determined by the people. They are able to control and dominate more of the Squamish Nation. 

Newly elected council members worked to create change from the status-quo and founded new policy within the Squamish Nation, but this same policy can be thrown out when, it seems like, the senior councilors want to. 

Decision making, dialogue around issues, research, and power dynamics in Band Council governance is not known by the general community. The people that know how the band council works are the ones who work within that system. For the 60 something people who run every 4 years in the elections, all but the current or past council members know how the system works. Our people don’t know and didn’t decide how our own governance works. Who created or choose to operate on this system? It sure as hell wasn’t the people.   

The system that they operate under is following oppressive colonialism values. The voice of opposition is not respected, is silenced, or discounted quite quickly. There is no open discussion around the issue at hand and those who offer any kind of dissent on an issue are scorned for their “malcontent” behavior. Thus, if you put something forward strong enough, fast enough, efficiently enough, it can be passed through without any kind of open discussion around the issue. Even if what is being proposed is an extremely bad idea, or even if it’s something morally wrong like helping support corruption, benefiting individuals with nation resources, or consolidating power within a few. So what the established politicians want is for you to be silence and agree with their genius plan. You are not supposed to voice out concern, because that is bad. Geeez, why does this sound like Residential School to me.   

Money is the major force on the council. The majority of the band council’s time, energy, resources, and innovation is spent on money. This detrimentally determines the focus of the 4 year term politicians and means a greater part of their focus is not on issues the community want addressed. Issues like homes, language loss, community violence, health, and education. If they changed their focus in time and energy to the issues, there could be more change within our community. I am not speaking of simply forming a committee and discussing the issue, but putting wise thinking into wise action. That they actually work on the ground to change the issues at hand.   

Some councils view the people are a group of whinny cry baby’s who just complain, complain, complain. This arrogance was apparent among some of the council members in the way they viewed the community’s voice on issues. I found this view to be quite startling because it means they are so arrogant, anything the community addresses or shows concern about, is disregarded or overlooked. This reminded me of the same arrogance shown from senior council members shown to the newer councilors. 

The last thing I discovered after this meeting is that the levels of corruption, the power dynamics between band councilors and some senior staff is weak and unstable. That is all I will say about this. ;-) :-)

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Attended last week’s Band Council meeting was a great experience for me. Observing the Band Council was a revealing and a learning experience for me. The irony, hypocrisy and the "special" treatment of "special" individuals was revealing. Learning how they work will help me understand the massive system at work that is causing so many problems for my people, when something so much better is possible and achievable. After last weeks meetings, I’ve decided I will be attending every meeting I can between now and the Winter Holiday Break, with weekly updates on my findings. I also highly suggest any our people from my community to join me and attend. Come see for yourself how it works.

Till next week,
Dustin Rivers
Aboriginalism Systems Specialist Consultant

The Colonial Legacy In These Lands

2008-11-22T17:21:00.003-08:00

The following below was a speech written for the 100 Years of South Asian Presence in Canada Celebration at a panel at the Vancouver Public Library.

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mi chap uuys. siiyam, siiyay, s’ekwi7tel. nilh kwens spukwm-uystn nina7min sna. chen wa ten ens ta Skwxwu7mesh. Chen-t xway na tl’a xwmelch’stn uxwumixw. chen kwen men tumiyap tl’a itti.

My name is Dustin Rivers. I’m here to speak to about the myths of my peoples colonial legacy, especially in these lands. First of all, I would like to welcome you all to occupied Skwxwu7mesh territory. As guests in someone else's home, I welcome you on behalf of my people.

I also welcome you to occupied territory. I say occupied because that’s what my people live under. We never surrendered our lands, or our right to exist as a nation. We have an imposed form of government -- that of the Indian Band Council -- on my people, and we’ve been disposed from our ancestral lands. It is why I welcome to you occupied Skwxwu7mesh territory.

Perhaps some you didn’t realize that our view of colonization is still existent in our lives and memories. It’s one of the most prevalent myths in this country. That colonialism happened, has ended, and now we all live together as multi-cultural peace-loving Canadians. It is the strong myth taught in schools, in the media, and is shown in the current engagement of Canadian politics. I will say it: colonialism continues to this day in my peoples lands.

The intent of colonialism is to change our culture, to change our relationship to the land, and change our way of governing ourselves. Historically they had many ways to accomplish this. To undermine our culture by stripping us of our language and knowledge was Residential schools. By attempting to assimilate us into the dominant Canadian society, we would then be stripped of our connection to our land.

Land stewarded for generations by our grandparents, and their grand parents, and their grandparents. Laws were passed and vast resources were put in to installing reserves for my people. After that, a foreign form of government was placed and imposed on us. Whereas before we had our own laws to govern our communities, our resources, our laws, but it was felt that their form was better suited to control us.

From the beginning of our relationship with the Euro-Canadian society, we were always looked at something “in the way”. In the way of progress or expansion, but it was always held that indigenous people were the problem in the way of their progress.

Even to this day that view is maintained. A very deep example for me is the 2010 Olympics. The 2010 Olympics Organizing committee celebrates it’s accomplishment of Aboriginal involvement in the planning of the games, and subsequent benefits from the games.

Is there a connection between this and access to hectares of land for ski jumps or the appropriation of indigenous culture for profit? Is there a maintained view that by giving the First Nations, that is the band councils, some, largely insignificant benefits, they will agree to us doing the same things we’ve always done.

That with the 2010 Olympics games, we’ll have unparalleled opportunity for development of our lands and this will lead to some sort of salvation from the historical colonial legacies created by the last wave of colonizers. That we believe like they do: our lands are rich opportunity to exploit for greater resource and economic development. Business as usual in stealing the land, undermine culture, and change our relationship to the land.

The legacy of colonialism is one of myth. In the schools, Canadians are not taught that colonialism did not “win”, and the indigenous peoples did not “lose”. That we, the indigenous peoples, have been conquered, and thus the land belongs to them now. Can we really talk in terms like this when the colonialism is still not over and people are still resisting the colonial monster.

In the schools, they don’t teach you that we are indigenous nations, with our own laws of governing ourselves, with our own leadership, with our right to exist as nations. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise when Canada’s racist legacy creeps up saying we have received a lot from the government in past decades, and that we have “special rights” unequal with the Canadian society. What we are asking for is to be on equal level, on a collective level, to that of Canadian society. Nation to Nation as it was supposed to be.

When I was in high school, in the part of the history class where we learn about the racist policies against South Asian immigration to this country and this area of the country, the text book gives you examples of the views point of all the people at the time. The viewpoints of the racist White settlers, of the South Asian immigrants coming to this country. I remember my teacher, a White guy, saying he notices how sometime the text book will have some bias. He says how he noticed the book doesn’t give the view point of what the native people thought of the whole thing. Particularly with the climate Vancouver was in around the Komagata Maru. He asks me candidly if I had any thoughts about what my people may have thought of the whole thing. I laughed and said “Well, umm, you were all immigrants to us. You still kind of are.” He didn’t like that response that much.

Some say that the actions of their ancestors should not be reflective of their lives. It was not them who stole our lands, but people hundreds of years ago. It was not them who placed my grandparents in residential school, it was someone else.

But crimes like genocide, theft of land, and destruction of culture have not perished. In a legal sense, when criminals are brought to justice, neither they nor their families are permitted to continue to benefit from the profits of their criminal enterprises. Settlers continue to benefit from this crime.

And the actions of Canadians past has left us all with a legacy that all people from this land, both indigenous and non-indigenous, have a responsibility to make it right. So it stands that for non-indigenous to take root in this country legitimately, they would have to move beyond the Canadian myths and deal with the debt they have incurred and deal with indigenous peoples honorably.

We have a future ahead of us and our relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous does not have to be the same as it has been in the past. That this country Settlers want to be apart of, can change the connection my people have to the rest of Canadian society. That future generations of indigenous peoples will be born into a world where the legacy we have created is one where we’ve worked together in solidarity to rectify the sins of colonialism's past. This would mean supporting us in our fight for self-determination, for our journey to reclaim our culture, our language, our art, and our struggles.

Thank you all.

References from the Chief

2008-11-21T13:32:00.004-08:00

"Whether we agree with it or not, the Olympics are coming."
- Ian Campbell

This was my favorite quote from Wednesday's Band Council meeting. haha

Indepedent Review...haha

2008-11-19T09:47:00.003-08:00

I'm sitting on the Band Council chambers at the Squamish Nation band office. Today is a beautiful day. It's a beautiful day because I'm sitting in on today's meeting to "observe" how the band council works. Think of me as the voyeuristic nature filmmaker watching the animals in the wild. Will today be dealt with a ferocious ravaging of prey, or perhaps a delicate birth of a baby draff? Either way, it shall be interesting.

The Mission: Observe and learn about how the band council works
The Cover-Story: I've been hired by the people to do an indepdent review of band council proceedures and methods for doing business. Today I will be obsvering the band council in their weekly meeting to assertain the truth about how they work.

So, I thought I'd share this with all you, my blog readers, many of who are my people, and I'll post my "indepdent" findings.

Hahaha

Building Solidarity

2008-11-17T00:18:00.005-08:00

Between the South Asian Community and Indigenous Community

South Asians first arrived in Canada at the end of the nineteenth century, and by 1908, approximately 5,000 were reported to be resident in British Columbia. That year, the Canadian government introduced the Continuous Journey requirement seeking to prohibit further South Asian migration into the country. In 1914, Gurdit Singh, a Punjabi, chartered the Komagata Maru and a group of 376 South Asians passengers sailed to Canada to challenge this racist law. Although they were forced to return to India, they dealt a serious blow to the ‘Keep Canada White’ policies of the white settler society.

A group of South Asian academics, activists and community groups have come together to organize a week-long series of events in November (17- 23), 2008, to mark over one hundred years of South Asian presence in Canada, and to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Continuous Journey requirement. These events will pay homage to the struggles waged by South Asian communities in the past, celebrate our achievements, and build alliances as we face the challenges of the 21st century.

Dr. Sunera Thobani, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, and one of the organizers of the event, stressed the importance of recognizing the Aboriginal community, whose land we all use. "It's really important that we have a dialogue in this country that builds solidarity between the South Asians and the Aboriginal people, because they are still struggling for their rights," she said. Thobani said that South Asians and the Aboriginal community have both been racialized in different ways, and by helping end racial discrimination towards other communities, the South Asian community can help end discrimination towards itself.

On Friday the 21st at the Vancouver Public Library at 6:30PM, I will be speaking alongside Kabir Joshi-Vijayan, a Toronto Grade 10 student from the Toronto Haiti Action Committee. He will give a keynote talk on the "The Myth of the Model Immigrant." Joshi-Vijayan is a coordinator of the Toronto Haiti Action Committee, and also a co-producer and co-host of a radio program.

I will be speaking about racist and colonial legacy for indigenous peoples on this lands and working to build solidarity between the indigenous community and the South Asian community in working together in our struggles and against the forces that marginalize our communities.

http://southasianevents.blogspot.com/
http://www.thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2008/11/17/SouthAsianEvent/

Carving a Spindle Whorl Part 1

2008-11-09T23:58:00.007-08:00

Last spring I was awarded the YVR Art Foundation Scholarship. This helped me buy carving tools, research money, and take some time to focus on my Coast Salish art practice and to pick up carving again. Years ago I started carving with Jody Broomfield, a close relative of mine, but put it down, and now, am picking it back up again. This time I'm apprenticing with Aaron Nelson-Moody or Splash as everyone knows him. He is also my brother-in-law (his wife is my first cousin, which in my culture is my sister).

I'm currently writing the Coast Salish art article at wikipedia and will share a tid-bit about what Coast Salish art is:

Coast Salish art is an art is an art unique to the Pacific Northwest Coast among the Coast Salish peoples. It also differs from other Northwest Coast art in that it is more minimalist and straight forward. A believe in the overexposure of spirit images would weaken the spiritual powers of the beings portray made, and as a result very few pieces were produced. The art form is used in carving spindle whorls, house posts, welcome figures, canoes, combs, and bent wood boxes.

One of the most studied Coast Salish art form is the "Spindle Whorl". Whorls were placed on the wood shafts, the spindles, and the loose strands of wool were spun. Some of the circular spindle whorl would be plain, but others would have elaborate designs and beings depicted.

The conceptual artform has been a staple among many Coast Salish artists in their contemporary art. I felt it was an equally intriguing place to start on learning Coast Salish art and how to carve. As part of the art grant, I will be carving a replica of an old Sḵwxwú7mesh spindle whorl that may have belonged to my great-great-great grandmother ta7a Skisí7. What little information we know about the spindle whorl is that it was sold in front of the St. Paulls Church in Eslha7an for a bottle of milk and some bread.

The original piece and carving mentor Splash's replica depicted above.

It is now housed in the Burke Museum in Seattle Washington. As a learning tool, I decided to replicate this spindle whorl, both because of the historically value to my heritage, but also the creative and learning value the piece has to teach me. It's an incredible detailed piece with special nuances in depth and layers. Something that can be said about the best of Coast Salish art pieces. In my interpretation and replication, I will enlarge it 2-3 times so visually it was be easier to see the detail (and easier to carve. haha).

Lately I've taken my pencil, and my paper, and been drawing like crazy. Human beings, sea-lions, thunderbirds, sea-serpents, and eagles. I'm working on the "basics" like size in shapes, the proper formline, and layering of shapes.

Flat-design art and carving art differ in what you want to achieve so it takes a different way of thinking when working with either medium, but one does come from the other. The spindle whorl I'm carving right now, measuring approx. 7.5 inch, is my own creation. As you can see in the photo, I'm carving away the wood. What my current task is to create a slant emanating from the centre and slowly extend to the outside, but keeping it balance and even all the way around.

This isn't my first spindle whorl, but it feels refreshing and fun to pick up the carving knife and the wood again. There is something meditative about slowly working your away at it in slow and precise pressure. Gradually taking away the shards of cedar until the shape you desire emerges from the block.

The soul is a open ocean and the emotions command the volatile or ease of the waves, and this becomes ever more present in the strokes you take when carving. As you think, your body becomes filled with intense emotion from stress or happiness, and your knife takes this and applies it to the wood. So a check in balance is carefully watched. It's this intuitive self-reflection I enjoy so much. Paying attention the emotions, adjusting them accordingly, and watching the results come through.

The design that will go on here has been thought up, but not sketched out yet. All I can say for now is that it's a Thunderbird and human face. There's a story about how the knowledge of how to attain the spiritual shaman power came to my people from the Thunderbird, and another story of how the Thunderbird showed us the proper way after the Flood. Either way, my knowledge of tribal history and understanding of my people spirituality guide me in my creativity, which makes it so damn easy because all I have to do is ask myself "What story and the values expressed in that story, have a lot of value for me today?".

As I progress on this piece, I'll post updates and harvest on my blog what comes from the process.

A Few Changes

2008-11-05T15:42:00.002-08:00

Just a quick post to my readers.

I have made a few changes the the blog in the past 2 days. The most noticeable is the header (above) featuring the main design element of Coast Salish art: the Coast Salish eye. I wanted to display something integral to our culture and represents the basic fundamentals of a beautiful art form.

The next change is some of the fonts. The blog title font has been changed to Helveltica CY and the text font is Arial. The font colour for blog text is not black to contrast the white background and then of course there's the major addition of blue! Right now I'm really interested in the colours red and blue, but thought to stay away from Red on this site for a few reasons, but I wanted to add some colour to the blog.

The other features are the side bars. I always wanted to create a Flickr profile and finally got around to accomplish that, especially since I have my own digital camera now. On the right is a slideshow playing photographs from my Flickir account. The main photographs I took so far are from my canoe journey in the summer from Alert Bay to Cowichan on Tribal Journey's 2008.

Above the slideshow is a brief introduction about the blog. What is there now is only temporary and and more extensive write up will be soon. The links below are to my Wikipedia profile, my Flickr profile, and my DeviantArt profile. The last one is empty right now but as I build my portfolio in art, it will be added to DeviantArt.com.

I have added my Delicious feed. Delicious is a social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks. Websites, articles, pdf's, images, and other such things will be logged on my Delicious feed and shared with you all. Enjoy seeing what I'm reading or looking at and find some interesting reads.

I have fixed my RSS feed and now added a widget for more features. You can connect to your different RSS Feed Readers or easily connect with the link. I use my Mail account (Mac Computer) to read all my RSS feeds or my RSS Feed Reader application on my iPhone. That mean's I read your blog everytime you post, and you can read my blog everytime I post.

Series is unders contruction. Once a month I'll be doing a series on a specific subject, broken into different parts. This is still being written but will begin soon.

Categories is an easy way to find blogs on what I feel are the main subjects of my blog. The subjects (as they are now) are:

Art
Business
Community
Culture
History
Land & Enviroment
Language
Law
Politics
Religion/Spirituality
Science
Society
Story-telling
Technology
War

Fifteen subject's is a lot but from these category groups you'll find posts developing in all of these area's. Most likley, some will have more blog posts then others, but I hope to develop a well-rounded and large repitoire of articles. This is currently unders construction.
sdaf

Video: Paper or Plastic?

2008-10-26T16:01:00.001-07:00

I had to share this with you all. I can't believe how interesting the times we are living in and going towards. Cell phones, GPS, internet, and now this is a pretty neat thing. Imagine what the world will be like when I'm an elder. haha

Conversations with Tim

2008-10-23T16:40:00.002-07:00

I posted "Dustin thinks SN band councilors need term limits. 8 years sounds good to me? Retroactive 20 years ago. lol." on my status-update on my facebook profile. My friend agreed with me and we had a fun discussion for all to see. I thought I'd share the conversation with you all since I liked it also.

Tim: I totally agree with you Dustin. You will make a good leader someday, keep up the great work. We are watching you with pride.

Tim: I wish we can have a General Band Membership Meeting.

Dustin: It just makes sense to me. Most have been there for some time now and, from what I hear, want to consolidate power within their department or themselves even more. Just by-pass the people all together. It's interesting how now the SN band council treats "the people" how the government treated the SN band council. Anyways, I could go on and on (...and will do so soon!) but it's a simple governance law that should be in place to keep things in check.

Tim: I think we need a new group on this subject here on facebook. The Squamish Peoples Voice - Then we can all go there and brainstorm some ideas on how we can make a positive change for the good and make a change at voting time. The time to vote is coming near, we should rally the communities for change of the old guard!! :)

Dustin: Funny you say that Tim. I'm going to be releasing a call out for a Skwxwu7mesh community magazine as a mean to bring us together and dialogue about these issues more. I'm "imagining" a leadership forum for the community to really discuss topics like the status-quo of leadership, how we define leadership, what politics means and what is politics ... supposed to produce, and the role our leadership should play in our community. I think there are a lot of myths about our history and about the current governance structure. All we need is some dialogue among us and then move into action planning to co-create the kind of nation we can believe in and the kind of nation we can be proud of.

Tim: Wow Dustin! That is an excellent idea. You touch on some very good points about the leadership roles. They say they are following tradition but what tradition is that??? Is it European tradition or our old ways tradition??? I noticed they don't have nothing written in stone to prove stuff.

Dustin: That's what I mean by myth. The amalgamation is a point of contention among some but it's so shrouded in myth. They say their representative of the 16 chiefs of the 16 reserves but who are each one of them responsible to? I mean in actual hard terms, who are they responsible to. That when they do something, their actions and be answerable to ... Read Moresomeone. Some would cry "The people!", but obviously that's not true otherwise things wouldn't be allowed to get THIS bad. They are not responsible to their constituents because when's the last time any of them have gone back to their families or the people who voted them and said, "Here are the decision I have to make, what are your thoughts on the matter?" "What would you like me to do in council?" "What are your thoughts on this discussion we're having at the council table?

No, their political objective for 4 years is made up of entirely their own making.

Tim: and their own agenda

Dustin: That too! lol

Tim: I don't think the Council should have one family dominance on Council. Should be shared fairly amongst other families of the Nation and proper representation for each Reserve such as a Elders Council even a Youth Council. 85 % of our population is below age 25.Our Youth is our future and strength.

I couldn't agree more Tim. I think this is one of the conversations that need to happen. Things like :

"the status-quo of leadership"
"how we define leadership"
"what politics means and what is politics supposed to produce"
"the role our leadership should play in our community"

Thanks Tim. I hope we can work together soon and co-create some interesting conversations about these issues.

Why Conversations Matter and My Conversations that Matters

2008-10-23T00:18:00.006-07:00

Last month I was invited to participate in the Art of Hosting on Bowen Island. There can be a lot to say and even trying to write about it felt overwhelming (that's my explanation for why I haven't done it on here yet. haha). One harvest I took from the four day week on Bowen Island is a question I now carry around with me in my bag, in my books, in my mind. It's a question I pose to discover more knowledge or information. To become wiser in the matter.

After answering four questions (Chris, what were those questions again?), I came up with the following question:

What are the conversations that need to happen in my nation?

One of the observations I stumbled upon a few years ago was the extend the "want for change" within my nation went to. People will talk about the injustices, failures, or mishaps that exist either in their jobs as SN employees or community members. We also discussed change at the Art of Hosting on Bowen Island realizing that "change" is something that people only really want when there is a crisis for it, when the need comes face to face with us and we then demand change immediately. What about the change we didn't see coming, the change we each didn't decide on, the change that came and went and we didn't even realize things changed but they really did. It’s just that that kind of change packed with nuanced emotional charges is one kind that seems to stay at what I call the "Water-cooler chat" stage.

It remains in a place of with people on a somewhat informal level but very little rarely happens. I partly think it's because people don't care "enough" to do anything. I partly think it's fear based attitudes that keep us in situation, and that means both direct fear based attitudes from those afraid to lose power and fear based attitudes from those afraid to trailblazer and be a leader.

My understanding of this is because there is no dialogue. The idea of the oppressed dialoguing really came from reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed (which I'm thinking needs another read soon!) about the relationship between the revolutionary and the oppressed. If we dialogue with each other about these issues that are important to us, we can gather important pieces to create action and good work. There are some of the things we can gather from having important conversations and dialogue about important issues:

We can find connection to others who feel or think similarly as us. We then don't feel like the freak in the crowd for going against the grain and that our idea's and tasks don't feel so overwhelming gigantic. We can connect with others and garner hope that something can change.

We gain a better understanding of the other factors or information that play in some issues. Sometimes some people have limited understanding of all the things happening around some issues, for what ever reason, which tends to lead to no action or action one part that deeply upsets the other, and for what I believe is a just reason.

One example I think of is SN General Meetings. It needs 100 people (When I think about, I believe it’s 10% of the voting membership which would be closer to 200 people) to be an official band meeting and get enough to pass motions and such. Either way, it still turns into a shouting match between the pissed off angry band members and a handful of elected politicians. Two sides with a line drawn down in between. For the past 3 or 4 years barely anyone comes to the general meetings and as a result have not been able to make quorum in that time. Thus, there has not been a general meeting in years. (What they are supposed to accomplish, I have no idea. Then again, barely anyone knows what our governance is supposed to accomplish.)

One sentiment that has been coming out lately is the core group of members who continue to attend the general meetings and blame the rest of our society (the silent majority) for not attending. Strange they don't hold the system responsible, but that's another story I guess. What's revealing about this is that there is no dialogue between these core group of members who attend the general meeting, and the rest of our society who feel the general meeting accomplish nothing, even when we do get quorum.

No important action planning or just plain old action can happen with out the important dialogue first. If there is no awareness of an issue, and community change on that issue is either not likely to happen or be met with resistance. The Band Council knows this quite well which is why they don't let the people know about ANYTHING it does. Important conversations opens the group to gain a better understanding and awareness of where everyone else is coming from and become more aware of the issue at hand. From that place, we become more educated about the situations, issue, idea, proposal, or whatever, and can then make adequate or wise decisions about how to continue.

Important conversations matter and conversations take all kinds of forms. I enjoy acting and improv and always found forum theater and theater of the oppressed an excellent dialogue form between a community and the issue at hand. Media has always been a way to produce mass dialogue on a grand scale, and alternative media developed out of the need because corporate media became so ridden with not having the dialogue. Perhaps society has forgotten how to have conversations that matter.

This is where my thought came for my question, "What are the conversations that need to happen in my nation?". I keep this question like a scientist keeps a theory and just follow where it can go. Look for information to gather in my note book, contemplate on the thoughts that surround the question, and look inquisitively into what can happen when this question is answered.

I will share my findings with you soon, but I'm interesting to hear from you.

What conversations do you think need to happen in your nation?

SN Politicans as Actors....Or Are They Directors?

2008-10-22T21:00:00.005-07:00

The Squamish Nation is governed by 16 elected council on 4 year terms, along with a one elected band manager. The idea, or so I'm told, is that the band manager is like an office manager but for all the departments. The Squamish Nation has around 11 or so "departments". This covers area's like education, health, family services, recreation, land use and development, fisheries, and a few others. Within those departments are sections covering subjects like culture, language, youth, elders, and so on. The 16 elected council members decide and vote on the direction the Squamish Nation goes in designing policy and over-all vision in which way the nation can decide things.

Within the band council, they follow a strict Robert's Rule of Order governance structure. For those who don't know Robert and his Rules for Order, I'll explain a bit. It was constructed out of US military and in a time where there was little in organizing people or organization in ways on how to make decision. It was consider a far leap forward because nothing like this existed in Western society for a way to govern groups. It follows voting procedures like majority rule, and, like most European structures, is adversarial. If a majority controls the group, everyone else must abide and thus power balances can easily be developed and remain for long periods of time.

In most cases it's akin to power use in "oppressive" ways. Paulo Freire said "The oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors" have become oppressors from being the oppressed. I believe the SN throws a bit of the language in there but that seems really redundant to use our language in something so in contrast to the values of the culture that language comes from. In a very sad way, the SN has become quite tactless in their abuse of our culture.

What I have now learned from having a mother on council for nearly 3 years is that not one single person in the whole Squamish Nation, include the 70 or 80 people who ran in the last election has absolutely no idea how the Squamish Nation Chief & Council operates. Let me reiterate and be clear about this.

The governing procedures in the way the SN Band Council makes decision, designs policy, conducts business, manages the Squamish Nation 500 employee's, 70 million dollar budget, and 3500 members, is not known by anyone, except, the ones who have been in council.

Take a moment to think about what that means.

Seriously, take a moment.

For me, that's quite sinister idea for any nation. When the people don't know how their government runs, who's really running the show? The people or the ones who's setting the rules for the show. Who's the actors and the directors in this wonderful play called politics. I get the feeling the Squamish Nation likes to treat the people like objects.

In High School we spent a considerable amount of time in Social Studies and History class learning about how Canadian governance systems work. From municipal, to provincial, to federal, to things like the justice system and economic systems. Yet we don't know anything about our own nation. That's a startling scary fact when considering those in power can create or manipulate the rule-book in their favor. Maybe the script for this political play was actual written by someone else, and not even one our own people with a few revisions by some corrupt politicians.

All I'm saying is, we know nothing about how our nation is run, and the day after someone get elected in, they are at a loss on how to accomplish anything in their time there. It's a backwards system for decision making on issues that are really important and effect many people, many sacred things, and our the future. As it’s become apparent lately, the SN Band Council wants to by-pass the people, "Consult" us like how government or corporations "consult" the band council, and leave all the powerful decisions to them. We're not involved in the decision making all at. I would call it anti-democratic, but I'm not advocating a democratic system either. What it really is,

is anti-indigenous.

How do you do a public speaking workshop

2008-10-22T20:55:00.002-07:00

For many years I've been "public speaking". When I was young I began by being a "Speaker" in traditional ceremonies and events and it easily moves into every where I need to get in front of a group of people and say something they will listen to and understand. I've spoken at protests, rally's, conferences, and other events. Most of my friends will know that public speaking is not hard for me.

As apart of the Tool for Social Change workshop series, I will be running a 2 hour workshop in Public Speaking. I have run workshop but rarely "design" them. I am interested in your thoughts on this.

Any thoughts on how to design a 2 hour workshop for 30 participants on public speaking?

Thanks in advance blogosphere.

Instant Grant Program...A Cool Idea

2008-10-04T02:43:00.004-07:00

Instant Grant Program from Steve Lambert on Vimeo.

They raised $100 each. Together they had $1000 in cash. Then they gave it all away in the park.

generosityfoundation.org

Brilliant, fun, idea. I imagine this would be cool to do with native youth inspiring their long dormant creative edge (Dormantcy depends on length of time spent in school.) Maybe I'll appropriate this idea and do it myself. :)

From the Federation's website:

How It Works

We all learn art in school. Every kid loves to draw at some point. People get fascinated with the details of their new camera, or spend free time writing poems. But eventually, there’s a not a teacher telling you how great your are, or the camera gets put away, or you just plain get busy and stop. Years could go by before you start again, if you ever do at all.

The FSNUA aims to re-inspire creative thinking and action in everyday people by removing a small barrier and providing encouragement. We give small, unsecured grants in the form of $10-$60 for creative projects thought up on the spot by everyday people. In the past this has included a merchant marine, two 10 year old girls, a US soldier on leave from Iraq, an accordion player from Alaska, and around 40 others. We funded their new paintings, drawings, knitting, and photojournalism projects, and the repair of one accordion. Projects that may not have happened had they not come across 10 people in the park to support and inspire the thought.

Beyond the small amount of money, the project encourages people to see themselves as something other than workers or consumers even if it just for the length of time required to apply for the FSNUA grant. We also hope to re-inspire dormant desires to create while presenting an example of generosity without an ulterior motive.

No Elections on Stolen Native Land

2008-09-28T11:19:00.006-07:00

(Photo's from the entrance to Xwmelch'stn village where Liberal campaign signs were taken down. I would like to be neutral and show Conservative, NDP, and Green signs ripped down too, but they didn't have the nerve to put signs on our reserve. haha)

Silly Season has indeed begun. Am I voting in this election? No chance.

Coming soon: Why I Don't Vote

Splotlight: The Sound of an Underground

2008-09-26T12:52:00.003-07:00

I recently downloaded a wack loack of Irish Rebel Music. I became inticed by the lyrics and emotional power of resistance in this music. A lot of it sings to my soul especially in the paralles between my struggle in indigenous communities. While surfing the internet, I came across a short documentry. It is a documentry on Irisih Rebel Music and captures some beautiful songs and interviews about the reason for it and what it is for. I thought I'd share this for you all.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

I Care About Learning, And That Is Why I Left

2008-09-12T10:58:00.006-07:00

With my new iPhone, I installed an RSS reader (Learn what RSS is by clicking here) and get prepetual updates from my favorite blogs, websites, and other web publications. Over the past few weeks I decided to do this over reading the bland myranderings of a coglomerated Canadian media (both in Vancouver, and Canada as a whole). Blogs and citizen media present an amazing way to communicate with the world in an easy access and free resource. Hey, it's why I do it!

Here is a quote from a blog I read this morning called Life Without School. They have different unschooling parrents and sometimes unschoolers blogs about all things unschooling related. In today's post A Look at Interest-led Learning, I really appreciated this quote.

Public schoolers look at life and learning differently than we do, and that's why they come to this conclusion. To most everyone in our society, learning is scripted and preprogrammed by someone else. Learning is like a machine you enter, have things done to you, and when you come out the other end, you are "educated." Some of those prescripted things are fun, some aren't, and if you could possibly refuse to partake in some elements, you would come out "defective."

I dropped out of high school when I was supposed to be in grade 12. Stange eh? In all actuality, I was more like in grade 10, 11, and 12. I had only 32 credits, where I needed 80. I was becoming more lost in terms of things with my life. My instincts and sense of self where at a contractdiction to what was actually happening to me. Something felt off. I attended a Leadership Conference hosted by the BC AFN where the facilitator posted an idea that stuck with me ever since.

If you are not in a place of contributing or learning,
move to a place where you can contribute or learn.

It struck me so hard. I started ditching classes more and attended other conferences, speaking at schools and youth forums, attended ceremonies, being apart of First Nation Youth Caucus's. Although my paradigm of "learning" hadn't completely changed by then, it begun the process. It wasn't until he passed on a book called The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education. Simply put, it changed my life. It has changed my family. Hopefully, it will change my community.

I rebelled and was at odds with the establishment of the school since grade 8. I was indignant (at age 13!) about the treatment of my people (native youth) and our education. I've cared deeply about education since I was in grade 6. And by education, I mean what we learn, how we learn, and how that knowledge is used. I only now realized I lacked the self-confidence or self-esteem to effect real change at the time. It's different now.

But that quote just reminded me of what's really at play in the hearts and minds of schools and parents who were schoolers. As the school season starts, or the process of eliminated passion, inquisitiveness and talent from our young people begin, I am happily reminded of the strong choice I made for myself, and how damn right I was in that choice.

Series: Tribal Journeys Photo Essay

2008-09-12T00:19:00.004-07:00

Coming next week is a two week series profiling this summers Tribal Journeys 2008 to Cowichan. This was my 3rd Tribal Journey's where I traveled with my northern 'Namgis relatives where-as previous journey's have been with Coast Salish. It marked a huge inspiration point in my life and an epic tale. A friend said it best when he remarked "This has to the most positive thing happening in for our peoples on the Northwest Coast right now."

Tribal Journey's is an annual event where indigenous poples of the Pacific Northwest Coast traveling in their sea-going canoes to a host nation. Along the journey, communities along the way host the traveling canoes and continue in the trip. Sea-going canoes, mostly made in traditional dug-out style, traveling in oceans and sea's. Nations all along the coast bring their stories, languages, traditions, songs, dances and personality as an indigenous cross-culture event takes place. Each stop along the journey, village host the traveling canoes with welcome and food where all paths and routes converge on host territory.

To remember the ways of ancestors, to learn from the teachings of the ocean and canoe, to practice our ancient way of life, we travel by pulling canoe.

This is Tribal Journeys.

Here I Stand

2008-09-05T17:37:00.005-07:00

Skwxwú7mesh territory from the ocean.
People of the water & the rivers.

The weather is changing, I can feel it. The moment one season transfers to another. It's not that abrupt, but the air smells different, the warmth feels almost unique compared to the summer heat we were getting used to, and you just can't walk around with a light T-shirt and shorts anymore.

This past summer has been an experience after another. I accomplished many dreams and lived a life of purpose for many weeks. It also charged me to accomplish my wildest dreams possible and things to come in the future.

This past busy summer also meant I could only do light (read: no what so ever) blogging. It's a goal to really develop Liberated Yet? Into a cool indigenous-youth media project, but it never fulfills itself and I also seem to lack to determination to see it come through as things come up. Nonetheless, I work hard to express myself how I can, truthfully, and with dignity.

The latest developments worldwide, and within my own community, are startling and chilling. Yet despite what could be obvious hopelessness, I maintain many faith and hope in what can be done. I'm not talking just about politics here. I'm speaking of creating a world worth saving and a world worth creating. I'm talking about saving the world. Haha

As I've now climbed to the peak of one mountain, the behemoth of my existence is peaking up next. Starring me in the face as I reminisce the journey of climbing the first. Here I stand, in meditation, gearing up to work my way on a path not layed out for me, but the road not chosen. It is not a path I wish to climb fast so reach the peak, but road of my own to pass as a journey. What plays out on not the easy road, but the right road, is not of my choosing. The challenges and tests of what comes next on the land, is up to the Spirit in the Sky.

U siyam

So a new season begins, a new journey for myself. I'll be sharing and announcing some new projects I'm about to embark on and invite you all to share with me, as I share what I've been taught with you all.

'Namgis Tribal Journey 2008

2008-08-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

On July 18th, 2008, the 'Namgis nation set out with it's people and friends to travel in their sea-going canoes, down the coast of Vancouver Island to the Tribal Journey's gathering in Cowichan territory. This is a short presentation of some of Dustin Rivers' photographs from the journey.

'Namgis Tribal Journey's 2008 to Cowichan Territory - Part 1

2008-07-21T18:12:00.007-07:00

From July 18 to July 28, we left from Alert Bay in traditional sea-going canoes. Every year a different Northwest Coast indigenous nation host the gathering called Tribal Journey's, and canoes from all over the coast travel. Here some photo's from the first half of our journey. We land in Duncan/Cowichan territory on July 28th. They are expecting over 80 canoes.

Our Collective Reply

2008-06-25T17:52:00.005-07:00

On June 11th, the Canadian federal government issued the apology to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada for the policies of assimilation with the residential schools system. It was a historic day for Canada, as well as living Residential School survivors, and their decedents. The Residential schools in Canada were operated for decades by Christian churches aimed to assimilate indigenous people into the dominant White society. Language, culture, history, and everything connected to our very being was deemed, wrong. It was from the House of Commons in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized.

Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, "to kill the Indian in the child." Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.

- except from the apology text

When talk of the apology came up a few weeks prior to the announcement of the apology, I began to wonder what it would be like. Just a few months prior, the Australian government issued a similar apology after a new government came to power. Their apology was for the Stolen Generations, a similar policy engaged by the Australian government to “civilize” the indigenous people there. Their apology lacked in many regards, and their opposition leaders response was expected and appalling. Expected from a conservative political party, but non the less, appalling for their ignorance and deem absolved of sins.

When the government of Canada issued it’s apology, I was returning home from a trip performing my culture in Los Angels and Seattle. Sharing our ancient songs and dances to people around the world. Same songs and dances that our ancestors danced, and their ancestors. Some pre-dating the Flood time. It was with pride that I was able to come home and say we were doing such a wonderful thing for our people, but also humility that I was thankful for the opportunity.

Also at the time of the apology, my grandmother traveled to Ottawa with other Sḵwxwú7mesh elders, and my auntie accompanied her. She witnessed first hand the apology, sitting in the upper balcony above Stephen Harper. My s7el tiyaltalut (grandmother Audrey Rivers) who attended residential school for 10 years at St. Paull’s Residential School in North Vancouver, was alive and there to see the government apologize for what they had stolen from her and done to her and her people. She’s a woman of strength and humility also, in an inspiring way, was humbled to be there and welcomed the apology. This is woman who experienced horrific things, seen atrocious acts, and felt the decimation of a livelihood on her culture and language. She has forgiven the nuns for what they did to her, and she forgave the government for what they tried to accomplish. She let it go, believing it’s time to move forward, and move on.

I shocked a few friends when I said I welcomed the apology, and fully accepted it. I don’t have any “Anti-Canada” rhetoric or inflammatory language to throw back at something I believe was long over do, and somewhat genuine. I accepted the apology for all the elders who are still alive and will be able to feel the effects of the government apologizing for what they did. I welcome the apology for step taken to move forward by many parties.

For my great grandmother
For my great grandfather
For my great grandfather
For my great grandfather
For my grandmother
For my grandmother
For my mother
For my auntie
For my auntie
For my uncle
For my uncle

My initiation reaction is to accept the apology, and as I said, it was a historic day. When reality comes back though, it was that: a day. The morning after the apology I was asked to speak on CBC Radio as an indigenous youth and what my thoughts were on the issue. I spoke of how it’s a good step to move forward, but in reality it will have very little effect. The residential schools were a monumental force in recent memory of indigenous people and of course it’s effects are still present, extremely strong. The apology may have come and gone but the Canadian government’s lack of response to it’s own apology to change policy is not surprising and expected.

The apology won’t give me my language.
The apology has not returned my land.
The apology does not recognize my nations right to be an autonomy people.
The apology does not give me my dead grandmothers back.
The apology does not restore balance to mine and many other dysfunctional families.
The apology does not end the continued racism on indigenous women, men, and people in this country.

There is much the apology does not do. “Thanks for saying sorry, but now can you give us back our land?” My non-Indigenous friend discussed the apology with me also, curious as to my response. He asked, “How is it that a people can move forward when they see their culture as traditions from the past?”. I responded with, “The residential school was something meant to ‘break the connection’. To our land, our language, our people, our everything. Moving forward does not mean turning back the hands on a clock, but picking up the tools my ancestors used. The same tools that worked for thousands of years, and still have relevance today. This means more then just “cultural” icons like songs and dances, and phrases in a dead language, but really living a lifestyle that is non-colonial.” I continued with, “The place that our societies, indigenous nations and Canadian civil society, can move forward is in the relationship dynamic of our peoples. The Indigenous-Settler relationship.”

A few years ago when I attended High School, I lamented about the abysmal instruction or curriculum on indigenous peoples history, and particularly Residential Schools. One single paragraph was dedicated to Residential schools. The British Columbia education system, and that of most of the world, is obvious inadequate. I understand more now that indigenous children and youth need to learn our own history. Simply put, a war two parts of “Canada”, happening on the other side of the continent, has little to do with my people. Learning about origins, reserve systems, and residential schools is entirely relevant. It’s this allowance of ignorance that breeds to the awful understand, but also the continual assimilation of indigenous people.

Schools to this day are entrenched in assimilation, but it’s not race based anymore, just culture-based. The bells, the desks, the teacher-dictators, and the slew of Euro-style educational paradigms dictate the epitome of “educated citizens”. Perhaps if settlers learned more about indigenous peoples existence, there would not be this silent racism among land reclamation and nation-identity. All indigenous history in public education is merely a point of view from European colonization. Anything else is only “information you need to know, so you can get the jist of colonization.” From colonial existence in an occupied country. What ever is talked about indigenous peoples political, societal, or religious, is all ‘past tense’. “The Kwakwaka’wakw people potlached during the winter time. These ceremonies were about the distribution of property and displaying ones wealth.” Wrong! So, so, so wrong! The potlatch is not about just “distributing ones property”, it is about giving of ones self to your people. About the supreme generosity we learned from the Creator when the Creator gave us his gifts. Language, conscience thought, song and dance. We potlatch to this day and it has the same meaning it did for our ancestors.

It’s something children and youth need to be raised with, simply to understand the predicament of our existence. To learn why that boys mother could never love except with a bottle or a fist. Realizing the connection in why that girl, and all her cousins, were sexually molested by their uncle, who also happens to be a so called “hereditary chief”. Why the pain of motherhood forced the alcoholic mother to flee in despair, leaving a legacy of abandonment, but only carrying on the path her grandmother did with her children too. Seeing the reasons a father and a son could never truly love each other, because one lacked the proper human responses to being human.

Connecting our historical trauma to the mission of colonization is a power point to make our people powerful again.

The generations to come are leading to a time when Residential schools with not be in recent memory. It’s why I tell my friends my age that this generation, the one I’m apart of, will play an instrumental role in the shape of the future. It will be our response to the act of residential schools, that will have the same intergenerational effects on indigenous peoples. Simply because our parents and grandparents could never have achieved what we’re capable of now. The sacrifice and decisions of our predecessors, to keep our culture alive by bringing the potlatch underground, by remembering the language they were raised with, knowing how to hunt, gather, and be on the land. That point in our history is having less and less of an effect on our lives as generations continue to come, except that we are either making a choice to become more colonized, or decolonizing more.

While some of the more liberal politicians will speak of “moving on”, I’m not so quick to join their failed bandwagon. Gibby Jacob of the Squamish Band Council speaks of how “If we don’t quit victimizing ourselves, we don’t release ourselves from the prison we keep ourselves in.” Playing the blame game in a reactionary stance like so many of our angry uncles, aunties, and past movers and shakers did created little in the path for future generations. Warriors act, fools react. The reactionary stances and tactics of band councils, FN political organizations, and FN politicians is an example of foolishness. I don’t believe in ‘blaming” anyone, of “victimizing” ourselves or anyone. The thought of holding something responsible though, is something worth considering. When we can identity and hold responsible the colonial forces in our lives and where they come from, then we can build that connection between an indigenous existence, and an indigenous person living a colonial experience.

Holding it responsible, not blame. We hold politicians style of deceit and lies in band politics responsible by dissolving a stupid political system and re-institute indigenous governance. We don’t allow ego-department heads to be “Intellectual Property Rights” dictators with our culture, history, and language, but actively learn and share our culture with OUR people. We restore balance to our community by coming together to creation action, not always reacting to the latest outrage.

The other liberal politicians will forgo any sort of real political change in our sense of belonging and move towards misguided ideas of “development” and “progress”. It’s why the AFN whines for more money, and why the 2010 Olympics is destroying the Squamish Nation. It’s where multiple court wars of attrition drive First Nations in to bankruptcy.

I wish to introduce an action, built in sustaining a way of life as an innovative path for our generation to accept our rights, our way of life, and our possibility to be empowered nations. Rooted in indigenous values, not with pompous lies of “traditionalism”. Think of it as a collective chant of a generation shouting a collective chant.

This action, what is it? It is this:

Searching out other like-minded people to create change in our nations.

It’s where we’ll decolonize the psychological effects of colonization, we’ll reconnect the disconnect like our land, spirituality, and history, to re-learn and breath life into a dead (almost extinct) language. This will be our generations collective response and action to the past few hundred years of occupation, oppression, and tyranny on all parts. They say sorry, and we reverse the damage of Residential school, reserves, Indian Act, colonization.

The Journey

2008-06-25T10:34:00.002-07:00

Over the past few weeks, it's been a fantastic time with my family and friends. I've been quiet from blogging, after my stint in blogging frequently, to now try to reconnect, in many ways. I've been to Los Angeles, Seattle, and head to Alert Bay, British Columbia soon. For those who don't know where that is, it's right here. On my grandmother's side I come from Namgis heritage. Directly out of the T`sit`sał’walagama’yi clan. More on this travels to come soon.

I'm also going to be traveling this summer on Tribal Journey's 2008 to Cowichan territory. I leave from Alert Bay on July 14th to land there on the 27th. Tribal Journey's started in 1989 and 1993 with the paddle to Bella Bella, BC. A challenge was put forth to sea-going indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast to revive and construct our ancient sea-going canoes and travel on our ancient sea highways. Our peoples responded and years later, there are hundreds of traditional cedar dug-out canoes. Every year a different nation hosts the Tribal Journey's, and the other nations travel along the coast to the host territory destination. It's a time to celebrate everything about being bakwam or stelmexw (Word for indigenous person in Kwak'wala and Skwxwu7mesh).

This year, I'll be traveling with my northern people, the Namgis. It will be a fun trip and I am highly looking forward to it. I am no where near prepared for this trip, but I will work hard from now till then.

This coming July, I'll also be turning 19 years old. (Shocking for some of you eh?). I'm still contemplating this, and what it means for me. More on this to follow.

The other announcement I have is I recently bought a Zoom H2 Digital Recording Device. It picks up amazing sound. I'm looking forward to starting new projects through Liberated Yet, as well as some other language projects. Very exciting work. This voice recorder will let me record the language, music, history, and even my own thoughts. (That's a hint of what's to come of it for you all too!)

Thanks everyone for reading my blog. I look forward to sharing more of my history, thoughts, and projects with you all. I'm looking towards a new direction for Liberated Yet? and I am always encouraged by people visiting, reading, and leaving comments on my website.

Thanks you all
Dustin

George Carlin

2008-06-25T01:12:00.003-07:00

"Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians," he explained in a routine that challenged all the premises of today's half-a-loaf reformers. "Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here... like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody: 'The Public Sucks. Fuck Hope.'"

Nisga'a Pay Taxes

2008-06-01T23:59:00.004-07:00

With one minute left, I had to post this. On this day, June 1st, the Nisga'a people now pay taxes like every other Canadian. Status cards are useless to them. This was apart of what they gave up in their final agreement.

No sarcasm, no backhanded remarks, no jokes. I'll just leave that information with my brothers and sister, and that's all.

Reconciliation and What We Give Up

2008-06-01T23:48:00.002-07:00

This a response to my friend Chris Corrigan's latest post Reconciliation, peace and generative relationships. I started writing a reply on his blog, but I'm unsure after writing it if it's all directed at him, or someone else? Hmmm, interesting.

------------------------

I, like you, am curious how this plays out. My gut reaction was a skeptical one. This talk of "reconciliation," on all parts, feels utterly a lie. I didn't see it coming from indigenous peoples, at the very most, Indigenous politicians MAYBE, but mostly from governmental perspective on the issue. I find all the dialogue on reconciliation is a topdown conversation between First Nations and Canadian government. What more is I'm finding we, the indigenous peoples, are being requested or in some cases, forced to surrender or "compromise" more of who we are and what we own. That's the painted veil of "Reconciliation".

In this whole game, I see nothing coming from the Canadian civil society or Canadian government to compromise itself, or radically change itself. I say radically because what has been required of indigenous people in this country is freaking radical (pre-contact to early colonization, then contemporary colonization). I don't see either of those factors changing itself into something more balanced with power. I say power because that's the dynamic of this. Indigenous peoples power and Canadian government power. In the relationship between those two, the Canadian government wields way more power over us, and is rarely letting go of that. The only factor, so far, willing to concede partial truths is the Courts. Only with an adequate risk assessment is a government willing to commit to something meaningful.

As for Canadian civil society, I see little happening in reconciliation, and I fear very little solidarity building coming from this. Canadian civil society, either out of arrogance in their ignorance, or deep-rooted racism, is not willing to face up to the facts that their existence is predicated on the colonization of indigenous peoples, to this day. Arguments of "That happened a long time ago. Get over it." Or "That wasn't my ancestors who did those awful things to your great grandfather, my parents just immigrated here." Are things that pop up frequently. The absolving of guilt on their part is uninspiring. Will they admit or realize that in order for them to live their lives, have what they have, and be who they are, it is all built on something stolen or plundered. "Their" Canadian economic resources (our indigenous land), their economy (our indigenous land), and their existence as a people.

I don't see reconciliation accomplishing anything but asking us to give up more. We've compromised enough already.

But I will also say this...

I think that this will and can bring meaningful resolution to those who are still alive. I heard the stories from elders themselves of what happened in the residential schools and I seen the effects it had on my family, directly. For those alive, it can bring closure. I say this, because my grandmother said it to me.

The information gathered, could be useful. It depends on what is produced. Although I'm critical of the intention behind it, and can't help but feel myopic about the idea of doing this, I hope that something can come out of this.

I have more news to follow on this coming up about things related to this. In the meantime, I will do my best to wait, listen, and see what comes out of this. Although while I'm waiting, I intend to have idea's to do something I feel is necessary and a need in my community. Create a new legacy to the residential school system: where a generation feels up to the task of ridding ourselves of it's diabolical influence and start living healthy empowered indigenous lives.

Chent ímash naḿ kw'acht lhen si7l

2008-05-31T14:32:00.006-07:00

Yesterday I was busy working this proposal for a grant I sent into the Squamish Nation Trust. After I finished, I went to my grandmother'. She wasn't home yet, but my auntie also lives there so I went some some time with her. When my grandmother came home, I visited with her for a bit also.

My grandmother has been one of my greatest teachers in life. Her and a half a dozen or so other elders taught me most of what I know of my language. I'm extremely grateful for what they have given me, and choosing me to carry the knowledge. Anyways, when I'm with my grandmother I'll usually ask her how to say something in my language, or something about our culture, or something. Sometimes she won't know, or can't remember. She doesn't use the language every day so after years of a lifestyle like that, you will forget. It's the same with learning the language. If I don't use what I learned the previous day over and over again in the next while, I'll forget it. Interestingly enough, my grandmother will drop me a seed, and I'm finding that it happens in the space of language. When we are immersing ourselves, even for a moment. Here is what I can remember of a conversation we had. I know a tiny amount of our language, so I used what ever I knew. Here is one of the conversations:

Myself - "nuuw7 ta7a."
Audrey - "Kweplelhk!"
"i7kwa7i, chexw ma halh"
"na chan, ashan ta nu?"
"yewawn halh. chen kwis txwnchach'awtxwnit skwu7 sata7 siyamtnat."
"ah"
"nu chexw wa chanem?"
"Naḿtuy7"
"Stam ti "Naḿtuy7"?
"Vancouver - Vancouver is Naḿtuy7. That's what my grandmother called it."

Translation:
"Hey ta7a/granny."
"Oh geez. You scared me."
"It is me. You are looking good."
'I am, what about you/how are you?"
"Very very good. I am visiting with auntie Sheryl/Siyamtnat."
"ah"
"Where are you coming from?"
"Vancouver."
"What is the word "Naḿtuy7"?
"Vancouver - Vancouver is Naḿtuy7. That's what my grandmother called it."

I never knew this word before. Neither did my auntie. So you heard it from me my friends, the word for Vancouver in Skwxwu7mesh snichem (language) is Naḿtuy7.

EDIT - Actually, now that I thought about it, it makes sense and I figured out the translation. Naḿ translates to "go", and tuy7 translates to "to go across a body of water." So where my grandmother was saying a noun or was saying a verb, I'm not sure. I like the word as a verb. Naḿtuy7 translates to "Going to the place across the Water". haha.

Chent ímash naḿ kw'acht lhen si7l = I went to go visit my grandmother.

Siiyam: What Are You?

2008-05-31T13:04:00.008-07:00

Slhxi'7elsh was a man who dedicated himself to be a leader for his future children. He committed himself to being strong, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, intellectually. This commitment brought him before the face of the Three Transformer brothers, and his commitment to his wife and child would not falter. He defied the will of the Creator in doing so, and so as a testament to his fearlessness, he was transformed into this monument for all future generations to remember.

A siyam is....

an organizer

an innovator

a provider

a gift giver

a host

a facilitator

a dialoguer

a space holder

a conductor

a respected

a mentor

a teacher

a creator

a healer

a liberator

a proposer

a leader

"...the best talker - not chairman".[link]

a person "who says the most wise things".[link]

....to be continued.

I've discussed the merits and dysfunctions of our political system and the best we currently have to offer in that regard. The status-quo of leadership. Except now young people in all our communities are asking for a change to that status-quo. A manifestation of a new kind of leadership. Based on what, who, where - we don't know. Some do. For my people, I'm proposing a revelation of siiyam*.

For if we continue of this path of pity politics and oppressive ways, we will never become a powerful nation. We will walk wrecked on a beaten path imagined by our ancestors. Instead I'm saying, let's grow. Let's say to our future that we can build a world where their talents are cared for. Let's imagine a world of unbeknown empowerment of all our peoples. Man, woman, child. Brother, sister, cousin. Mother, father, uncle, auntie. Granddaughter, grandson, grandmother, grandfather.

Let's build a world of respected people.

*In Skwxwu7mesh language, one of the many ways to pluralize a word is to lengthen the sound "aye" in words signified by the Latin letter "i". Siyam is singular, siiyam is plural.

Dealing With a Demon

2008-05-29T15:54:00.005-07:00

(Note edit)

In a departure from my usual political polemics and diatribes, I want to move into different areas in my blog.

Up until a few months ago, I lived on the reserve. I've NEVER(edit) been a drinker of alcohol and never done any illegal drugs. It’s a confident choice I made from an early age, quickly learning the deadly effects of that lifestyle. I still partied with my peers, brothers, sisters, cousins, and friends from my community. But after a while, everyone knew who I am, and that I don't have any want or need to do drugs or drink, and from what their drunken honesty has told me, some of them respect me for it.

I recently talked with friends about how I want to create change in my community through alternative means. The traditional formats for change have been exhausted and fail. Most are rooted in colonial ideals or colonialism. This ranges from the political-weaving of the band council, to "economic development" type of actions. Over the years, I've come to notice that drug and alcohol addiction are directly related to how happy and accomplish the person feels. You have a job you love, friends and family who support you, and meaning in purpose in your life, you’re less likely to find those things in an addiction. With parent abandonment, intergenerational alcohol addiction, high unemployment rate, feelings of inadequacies related to "Education", and a multitude of other reasons, a lot of people turn to drugs and alcohol. Even the "successful" ones who make the money have it.

Across all our reserve, drugs are a real demon. It's an ugly disease destroying so many good people, and wreaking havoc on the life of a community. I talked with a friend who confided in me that they think the drug problem is becoming worse and thinks something should be done about it. He talked about a few past initiatives to deal with this issue, some of which I participated in.

With that, I'm inviting you all to a dialogue about these issues. On this blog, I want to open it up for comments, ideas, thoughts, and proposals to actively work on something. I'm intending to start the discussions and see where it takes us, to move forward and hopefully address this problem, and the wider issue that begs us to look deeper in to.

Here is a few ideas’ that I've seen, heard of, or thought of:

Community Action:
A few months, or years ago, a 30 or so people from my nation took the streets on the reserve in a rally to put an end to the drug dealers. Back then, we knew of 6 or 7 within the reserve I lived on. That was to the help of a few youth who used to be a user but wanted to create good change in the community. Elders, children, youth, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, all walked with our drums and ancient songs, through the village to let the community know someone was doing something about it. It was taken a bit further when a few politicians from the band council joined us.

With our drums, we walked around the village to every house that we knew was dealing drugs. At 11AM on a Saturday morning, the drug dealers had to wake up to hearing our roars of chants and traditional songs. We told them we didn't want it anymore, and that they either had to get help and stop dealing, or leave. The pressure from the politicians helped a bit in that respect. The faces on some drug dealers was shocked and shaken. In all possibility, some of then could of been high when we got there. But it was a kind of direct action that was necessary, and needed.

It’s now been a year or so since this action, and there are more drug dealers. On the street I grew up on, there is approximately 5 drug dealers. It’s becoming so accessible to the young people, and anyone who wants it. There are also other parts of the village where I imagine there is just as many drug dealers.

Hereditary right:
I read in a Nuu-chah-nulth newspaper a while back where the Tribal hereditary chief for one of the tribes, went to the drug dealers house with a group of supporters, telling them they can choose to stop dealing, and attended a treatment program, or be expelled from the community. Using a right he had as the head chief of the tribe, he could expel them from the community.

A similar initiative occurred to end the violence against women in Nuu-chah-nulth communities. They marched through every community along the coast, although they didn’t go the doors of the abusers. (THAT would be powerful.)

Reward for Snitching:
When I traveled to Tulalip for the canoe journey a few years back, I noticed one of the signs they have posted in their community. Posted on the sign, it said, “10’000$ reward for anyone who can lead to the arrest of a drug dealer in the community.” I imagine people would easily rat the drug dealers out for 10’000$.

Rivers Idea:

I think the community march with our traditional songs is powerful. It speaks volumes. But let's get larger numbers. Let's get everyone who wants and end to this problem to come out. And let's not just do it in one of 7 com

munities, but all, day after day, or perhaps week after week. Instead of 30, let's get 300 or 700. Imagine that! Drug dealers waking up to 500 people singing our spiritual songs, asking them, tell them, we want a healthy community.

If they are one of our people, we tell them we will do everything we can do help them with their addiction, or employment or education or life. We will provide the help and resources to help them become a healthy happy person again. They can choose to stop dealing and drugging, or be forced to leave the community, and have all their privileges will be stripped.

We put a time on it, say 5-10 years, when they can come back, and be welcomed back into our community. If after their first strike, they deal again, we remove them for good. Complete expulsion from the community. But there's a question in this: how do we enforce the expulsion, and what the consequences of they do come back after they have been removed.

I think direct action from a community level is powerful to anyone or anything, especially in numbers. What ideas or proposals do you have? Perhaps it doesn’t have to be a “I can solve the problem” kind of idea, but maybe, something that can we start from to work on together.

Thanks you

Politically Idle: Working Who's Agenda Phil?

2008-05-29T14:35:00.004-07:00

Today is May 29th, 2008. 11 months ago, on June 29th, the AFN launched their "National Day of Action". This year, it's the "National Day of Action Against Aboriginal Poverty". A day launched to "to reach out to Canadians, to invite Canadians to join with us on this very special day for our people." They present something to encourage the government to listen to the plight of Aboriginal peoples.

Largely they will go unnoticed. Last years went unnoticed except for the actual action with railway blockages in Ontario, but otherwise just small protests in this city or that.

The Assembly of First Nations, a Conservative-government funded organization, was created out of political organizers fighting for many things for indigenous peoples across Canada. But under the leadership of Phil Fontane, it's gone now to obscurity to disgrace. The AFN claims to represent the interests of First Nations, but every year they have their annual meetings and it's all "First Nations" meeting. That is what it is. A organizations for "First Nations". But have our political leaders been co-opted and beaten to come down to a government fund agency. There is little aspect of anything respectable or trust worthy of the AFN now, and it's Grand Chief Phil Fontane.
I've said it before: Phil Fontane is a tool. He really hasn't done anything for indigenous people and he doesn't seem he has a plan what so ever. The election in 2009 should be interesting, but only in a way that watching seaguls fights over scraps down the river. Oh wait, that's not that interesting. But ultimately, the AFN will be here again to fight for these million dollars, or that million dollars.

His latest mission has been this "fighting against Aboriginal poverty". He joined up with MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY to accomplish these tasks. While I think most agree that poverty in our communities is a massive barrier and problem, his plans for defeating it or overcoming it are quite weak and also rooted in colonial idea's of "economic independence". With the massive PR-push for the DIA's "Economic Development" initiative from the late 90's to now, many first nations are becoming corporations in the hopes that by creating capitalists jobs, economic opportunities, and financial wealth, somehow the real issues will be fixed. Never mind the terrible political structures of most First Nations, the intergenerational trauma and legacy of residential school, and of course the land issue, making money is the real game, and only game, to fix these problems of poverty.

In a fantasy world, the AFN is connected to indigenous people. It works from the bottom up, organizing and listening to what is happening on the ground. It’s paying attention, and coordinating accordingly. No, that’s just a fantasy. The reality is the AFN is becoming more and more disconnected from the people. In their last assembly in Halifax, they had a daylong golf tournament before the actual conference took place. The boys wanted to go out and play golf. He comes to the media now, calling for a "Day of Action", looking for grassroots support. The AFN has no real connection to any of the actual problems taking place. While glaring problems are arising now across this country, they and Phil have little to say or do about it.

Phil comes to the stand, looks at the podium, to the camera, to the audience, asking frailly for a National Day of Action. Perhaps we will wait next year and find him again standing in the same sport asking for the same thing. No sustained action on anyone’s part, just pathetic attempts at whining.

So on this May 29th of 2008, I do not participate in a day of action I can only call stupid, I read some literature, write articles, and look to plan events in my community.
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." said author George Orwell.

Traditional Games Festival!

2008-05-28T13:58:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine passed this along to me. Sharing the info with anyone interested.

Gilakas’la Nał’na̱mwiyut! Greetings Relatives!

The ‘Na̱mgis are inviting all Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw tribes
and our Mowachaht relatives to a festival of
Traditional Games!

Starting Canada Day July 1st - 2nd
Alert Bay Big House and Soccer Field

Games to be featured:

Alax̱wa (Lahal)
Xwaxwatsa̱ma (Indian Baseball)
K̕aḵ̕ap̓a (Bow and Arrow Shooting)
Sa̱kap̓a (Spearing Kelp with Salmon Berry Spears)
‘Mama̱x̱wsa̱ma (Stone Putting)
Ḵaḵaxa̱ta̱wa (Throwing Willow Hoops)
(proposed games to date)

For more information call:
Yvonne Wilson namgisdiva@gmail.com
Don Svanvik (250) 974-5819
William Wasden Jr. (250) 974-5403 wallaboy67@hotmail.com
Bill Wasden Sr. (250) 974-8108 Bill_Wasden@hotmail.com

Small entrance fees to enter competitions and prizes will be awarded to the winners. A healthy concession will be available with reasonable prices. The Big House will be available for sleeping as well as patrolled tenting in the surrounding area. All proceeds will go towards the ‘Na̱mgis canoes traveling to Duncan for the Tribal Journey 2008. Please come and support!

Gilakas’la - Hope to see you here!

Aligning with the Vision

2008-05-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

Chiyakmesh (Cheakmus) Lake

Over 30 days ago, I asked myself a question. "In decolonization, liberation, and resurgence, what are the habits that I need to create or foster, and the ones I need to relinquish and dissolve, in order to be a "good" leader, for myself, my family, and my people?" This came from an invitation from Chris Corrigan at Parking Lot. Chris mentions he writes in his book about his observations and exploration into these kinds of questions. I didn’t do that for this one, but for future excursions into my thoughts, I probably will carry along a way to record everything. This question came as I was beginning to understand more and more of myself as I moved off the reserve, out of my fathers house, and started to look deeply at the person I want to be. The things I want to do. And what I want to have happened when I do those things.

Decolonization is an interesting thing. It's becoming something quite larger then most thinks it is. Largely an "indigenous youth" notion, it's encouraging to see it expanding more and more. A sad understanding of our current political leadership is how they once to were the leading rebels of discontent and dissident, but in reality they failed to accomplish something that was quite larger; the real enemy of our peoples.

Colonialism.

So they became co-opted and coerced and now deal business in colonial ways. Decolonization asks and requires something different of us. It asks of us to act in accordance to our indigenous principles, worldview, and values. Not to claim "Traditions" or "traditionalism" as tools to feed our egos of power, manipulation, and fear. The real essence of what our way of life is, not just our culture. It is about abandoning the colonial influences on our lives, our families, our communities, and our nations. It is working to move beyond the assimilated and into something more.

There is something about decolonization that is very individualistic. It's because it starts with me, then my friends, then my family, then the community. But first it must start with me. Now, trying to restore balance to our indigenous way, something that is about collective, communal, and group-strength, plagues me as ironic. We're trying to achieve something in a way that works on the individual, to eventually accomplish something that is collective.

In my relationships, I've contemplating the gift and responsibility of being honest or truthful. It's a rare thing to find people who do speak truthfully of themselves, their feelings, and their thoughts. But they also carry the responsibility of what that will have effect on. I think back to what it was like ago, because that's the inspiration for my decolonization. In the long ago, large extended families lived in longhouses. Sometimes these things went on for 900 feet long. In these dwellings, multiple branches of families lived together. No hard walls, no "private-personal" areas, but communal collectives. This thought brings to believe that in order to live in balance with so many individuals in a large house like this, their had to be a level of respect for each others to be open. You need to be open and not afraid to be open in this kind of environment.

This kind of openness does require respect. First it is a respect for the individual to be open, and two, respect for the other individual to be open. In this kind of environment, there is a trust there that no matter what feelings are coming, what words, thoughts, or anything happening will be respect. In this, people are not afraid to tell their brothers and sister they think something they are doing is questionable. They are not afraid to be confident in their beliefs. They are not afraid to express themselves. Imagine that. Your brother, sister, cousin, or someone acts a fool, does something wrong, is being disrespectful, and in this level of openness, you can sit down, discuss with this person openly your feelings, their feelings, and restore balance again. Isn't that beautiful, something worth fighting for?

Of course, the disconnect came with residential school. The Christianizing of our people has created a fear in discontent, a fear of any sort of rebellion, a deep-rooted fear. This started with the residential school children, then continued on with their children, their grand children, and their great grandchildren. Here is where dysfunction comes from. This is where rooted hurt and pain continues to linger. For leaving it inside, not restoring balance, just rots the relationships and dynamics of our families. Can we see the disconnect between now and then?

I recognize my own disconnect. I have the same fear, and nothing like what happened before exists in my or any family I know of. These behaviors of fear are innate in us because of the way we are raised, and the way our parents were raised. So perhaps this is where decolonization can begin. I can be fearless and courageous enough to change my perception of "truth" and "honest", in order to be more open with my friends and family. Perhaps even my own people.

My grandfather Frank Rivers was a councilor on the Squamish Nation band council for many years until his untimely death. He worked on many projects like Park Royal, the Plaza, the Misquito Creek Marina, and many others. I never knew him because my father was around the same age I am when he passed away. All I know is his legacy left by his children and my grandmother. I hear from them stories of him and what he did. Back in the day, the band councilors would come to the table to meet. It was here that idea’s; objectives, and reasoning were hashed out. In the name of “Making the Best Choices for the People”, disagreements of heated would be hashed out. But there was something back in these days, and even going back to the long ago, where our leaders could go to war over idea’s, thoughts, plans, in the name of doing the best for the people, but afterwards, leaves as brothers and sisters. In the council table it was war, but at lunch it was brotherhood. There is something very strong about leadership like this. The ties of family-lines and brotherhood were brought us together as a people, but recognizing the need to challenge individuals and their beliefs. I can’t say the same occurs now at the council table.

During the Christianizing of indigenous peoples, there was a notion imbedded of “speaking out against”. Historically, it’s tied to Lucifer and his rebellion against their God. That rebellion against the church was somehow connected to satanic reasoning. Ironically Jesus is a figure in their history that is depicted as a rebel. But here is you can see where the threads of discontent start to become strict solid wire. That we now have a level of fear in rebelling against our brothers and sister, our leaders, our friends, and the fear of “speaking out against” or “being against”. It’s a travesty within our culture because there now exist no accountability for people who abuse our culture for their own gain, false claims of “leadership”, or straight up failure to be a “Good person”. It’s this fear that allows teenagers to beat each other to a inch of life, or the death of our youth. It’s a strangling terror in stepping our and doing something worthy of legend, like trailblazing.

I was raised with this fear. Raised without the tools to honestly discuss the issues at hand and restore balance. Fear dominated our choices growing up, leading us to do a pathetic mechanism to flee. It exists with me today, but I identify it, and then work on doing my life differently from then on. This is what I see as decolonization.

I believe integrity is living with the highest vision of our self. It’s something I strive for: to be a man of integrity. In our cleansing rituals, my people take spiritual baths in the glacier cold water. It’s a purifying action to sacrifice something of this world for something of more then just this world. But the act is quite hard when you’re young. Your mind keeps telling you, “You do not want to f#$%ing go in there. Seriously man, it’s freezing cold. Look at how cold it is. You do not want to go in.” These impulses try to dictate us. Although some of intellectuals would like to think our minds are the highest function of our reality, it’s undoubtedly smart at deceiving us. The reality is, going into that water tests you. It trains to work against those impulses. The disciplines in making thought become action. Here, it’s taking a bath in cold water. Tomorrow, it’s getting off the couch to do some carvings. The next day, it’s saying no to that drink of alcohol. In other cases, our mind tells us things that really are not true, but we tend to believe. “You will never accomplish that.” “They don’t really like you.” “You work really hard.” “You have to be silent.”

The habits and behaviors I exist will be hard to control or overcome. But everything is difficult until it becomes easy. (On some occasions, the try attempt is easy, thus passing the difficult part.) When climbing a mountain, one can stop and feel the insurmountable goal of reaching the top, or keep putting one foot in front of the other, always moving, no matter how slow it seems. Life really isn’t about the destination though; it’s about the journey. If it was about the destination, what’s the purpose of life and death? Haha. Maybe going slower for now will reveal other wisdoms or knowledge.

My habits that I must change and become:

Be honest. This is about being honest to myself for what I need to do, and honest with the ones and things I care about. We have to be able to overcome those tendencies and work in a place of honesty, to restore balance all over.

Live with my highest vision of myself. I must work every day to align myself with my own vision of myself. No matter how many things I write or create, I must “be” what I want to see in this world.

Being committing and disciplined. I must live with the integrity to commit and disciplined to follow through. To do this, I must carefully examine the promises I make so I know full well what I’m committing to. (Note: this doesn’t make take lots of time on every decision, just be aware of your decisions and know that you will commit your best to them.)

Honor my gift. It’s my personal belief that every one of our young people is born with a talent or gift. This ranges from all kinds of things. Spiritual, intellectual, physical, humor, wisdom, whatever. The problem is our elders and leaders don’t pay attention and nurture these gifts, and we let school kill these. By the time adulthood comes, most of these gifts have been greatly destroyed or wrecked. I’m grateful to know my gifts and I need to honor them. The ancestors and Creator gave them to me for a reason, and I, and everyone else, needs to honor them because of that. Any gift from our Creator must be honored. If we don’t, it may be lost, or it may have been a waste.

I think those are good for now. With the current state of things for our peoples across the world, it’s coming to a crossroads point where we need to organize, or meet the end. Meet the end as in becoming something unrecognizable to memory of our ancestors, or die in a way that we’ve warped ourselves by allowing our past become our destiny (Residential School-Indian Act-Colonization legacy). So my dream is decolonization, and this is above is one part of the path on that mountain climb.

Chief Kiapilano and the Squamish™ Nation

2008-05-25T11:26:00.004-07:00

Yesterday at around 10:30 Gerald Johnson, who calls himself "Chief Kiapilano" went to the Squamish Nation band office trying to "evict" the elected band council and the staff at the office. I'm told he was joined by a few other protestors, most of which are non-Skwxwu7mesh. I am unsure of how many were Skwxwu7mesh, but I think it was just a few. I also heard reports he was joined by Kevin Annett.

For the past while Gerry Johnson has been going by "Chief Kiapilano", claiming to be chief of all the Squamish people. He says it's his birthright and that he is the head chief. A few weeks ago him and a few others tried to evict numerous church's in Vancouver for being on "Squamish Nation Territory". He also likes to be known as "Royal Hereditary Sovereign Chief Kiapilano". I also heard reports of him trying to evict newspaper reporters/writers who wrote articles about his friend Kevin Annett.

I am Skwxwu7mesh, a "band-member" of the "Squamish Nation". I grew up on in two Skwxwu7mesh villages, Xwmelch'stn and Eslha7an in North Vancouver, British Columbia. I've also studied the history of my people in regards to the hereditary chieftainships, but by no regards consider myself an "expert". I've just been able to deduce a few things and understand the complexity of the situation.

I've reported on my blog a few times about the hereditary chieftainship system. A shorter explanation is that the hereditary chieftainship system was originally created by the Catholic Church to convert the mass population in the numerous communities and villages. Historically, my people were not that stratified and organized in it's political system. Prior to contact, each family had a "siyam", or a respected person. This was not a "bossman" or "chairman" like position, but simply someone who was respected by the community and people followed because of the character this person had. Their status among the community could be raise through a few ways like, distribution of family wealth in potlatching, conduction of spiritual ceremonies, or display of cultural values and principles. August Jack Khatsalano, a "siyam" born in the late 1800's, and died in the 1970's, was regarded as one. He potlatched a lot during his time, passed on the knowledge of our ancestors, and conducted mask and spiritual ceremonies in our longhouse. He said in his book "Converstations with Khatsalano", siyam means a person who is "...the best talker - not chairman, (our people) have no chairman -- but man who says the most wise things".

To what I mentioned earlier, the Catholic Church went around creating "chiefs" over each of the villages. Later after the passing of the Indian Act and the designation of the reserve, the Indian Agents assigned a chief to each of the reserves. This is where the current "hereditary chiefs" come from. They are chiefs of the different reserves in Skwxwu7mesh territory. In 1923 these hereditary chiefs signed the amalgamation and became a single "Squamish Band" or "Squamish Nation". I will point out, it wasn't black and white. Many of these hereditary chiefs were in fact siyam. They followed our traditions, practiced our ceremonies, and lived strong indigenous lives, but at the time the government would only listen to the band council and so many bought into it.

In the 1980's, a non-confidence vote occurred on the corrupt band council of the time. For decades the band council was hereditary, but changed in the non-confidence vote and the election codes were changed to create a 16 elected band council. This is the current governing system of the Squamish Nation. 16 elected band councilors for the 16 hereditary chiefs. A few of the hereditary chiefs have positions on the elected band council.

Gerry Johnson is not a hereditary chief. Nor is he a siyam. He has never once given a potlatch, in distributing his family wealth to the people. He has never once had a ceremony to take on this name he claims. He does not work with his people. He does not have the support of any of our elders. The "hereditary" position could belong to his family, but birthright and living by our custom are both needed.

He claims to be chief of all the Squamish Nation, but no where in history of my people has such a title or position existed. There has never been a singular chief of all the Squamish Nation. 16 chiefs, for each of the villages, and before that, multiple chiefs for each of the longhouses in the villages.

The Squamish Nation band council first distanced themselves from Gerry Johnson, but now discredit him.

Although I don't support the band councils way of governance, Chief Kiapilano's claims are false. He cannot "evict" who ever he wants. He cannot go around demanding authority for some birthright he may or may not have title too. He is simply another Skwxwu7mesh fed up with the current status quo of politics with my people.

Squamish™

2008-05-23T17:47:00.002-07:00

LOL!

Check this out!

http://www.jointhefederation.org/2008/05/23/squamish™-nation-territory-claimed-by-sovereign-hereditary-siyam-kiapilano™/

This made me laugh!

The Beast

2008-05-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about it today while I was out for a walk.

In one possible scenario, a good leader awakens, becomes a band councilor or band manager, and manages to create some reform. But for me this still leaves out a big part of the struggle. This struggle against the corruption and greed of the politicians goes beyond our own petty disagreements or even our own petty desires of "equality, fairness, etc.".

It goes on to the big beast of an enemy our people have been fighting since day 1: colonialism. And no reform of the system we have engaged right now, albeit good reform, will put us in a position to defeat that beast.

Mainly because one of the things our ancestors failed to see and do was a strategy the people. An achievable strategy that could tear down what was in our collective path? That thing is bringing the people together, to mobilize, in collective strength, and work together to defeat these things.

I'm realizing now that this is the reason no reform will work. Not now, not in a 100 years. We have to mobilize together, as the people. If we reform the system, we leave the people out of it, and we continue on wallowing in our defeat from assimilation. We create conditions of complacency. Yeah sure, we may produce a few good leaders, just like the previous one did. But as we have seen, even these good leaders are not impervious to co-optation and corruption.
But a people? A people organized and revitalized in a great society with all our collective strengths working together. That cannot be compromised. A single soul maybe, but a collective people, perhaps not.

That's where we have go. That's where we need to be right now. If we want to achieve something for our people, it'll be bringing them together to fight this beast.

Band Council Corruption and the 2010 Olympics

2008-05-17T14:47:00.001-07:00

International Cry reminded me of the band council system and the ways power has changed of the years with it. What's true for many indigenous peoples is how the band council system replaced the Indian Agents. While this is kind of true, prior the Squamish Nation band council, the Christian Missionaries set up puppet-chiefs by making selected men in each of the communities chiefs. These "chieftainships" eventually merged with the culture, and created the hereditary chieftainship we have now. In 1923, these chiefs amalgamated and created the band council. Why would the government allowed a supposed "traditional" government exist at a time when they were trying to assimilate us? Well, it wasn't that traditional. Now it's traditional, because it's been in existence for nearly 100 years and many "traditions" like the hereditary chieftainship system come from it. But in 1923, a hereditary band council (doesn't that sound awful? lol) was created. It wasn't until amazingly huge amounts of corruption that a vote of non-confidence came from the membership and a elected council was put in. Not surprisingly, some of these corrupt "hereditary" chiefs got back in.

What's becoming the problem is the influx of money coming from the government or own source revenues. The more money in play, the more power exists. The more power, the more grab and fight for it. This now, a select few within the Squamish Nation have this power. Some of these people of power weren't even put in place by any of the people, but by those who hired them (the band council). Now we have more power grabbing, and consolidation of power, holding back of information from the people, all out of fear.

The 2010 Olympics is an example of this. In the early stages of the Olympics bid, there was no actual dialogue with the people. The politicians didn't seek out the people, discuss what agreeing and allowing the Olympics into our territory fully meant. Then next from this, there was no dialogue on what would be negotiated for. The lead negotiators for the band council have never talked to the people, never heard from the people, never listened to the people. Which is why unsurprisingly the Squamish Nation, and the Four Host First Nation, have negotiated diddley squat for co-operation.

One of the tactics the band council likes to use is the reference the late Joe Mathias. I'm too young to know or remember Joe, although the Mathias family and mine are closely related. Some of these politicians act like he was some sort of messiah to our people and that he always knew what was best. But Joe Mathias's dreams were not shared by all of our people. Let alone that, from what I know about him, of his protégé's, and of what he was, if he was still around, the corruption will still continue and he would be in it with the rest of them. Hard to say because you can't argue with the dead, but pulling this tactic of trying to somehow convince us a dead leader wanted is odd. Did he want this corruption? Did he want nepotism?

If we call upon this supposed “vision” of his, what of other ancestors and their “vision” for the future. Did our ancestors die, bleed, and struggle, so we can become capitalists? They wanted us to raise children to dream of working for multi-national corporations that feed off accumulation of wealth. To dream of being millionaires, showing our excess of wealth to our neighbors and families. To dream of individualistic manipulation of culture for ones own wants and needs. They want to pull "this person dreamed" card, what the people now have never heard of that dream, and maybe they don't agree with it.

Now that we have passed the 2 year countdown mark, I'm being told that a few million dollars are coming our way, to the Squamish Nation. The main components of the Olympics were things like Sports and Culture, Business and Tourism, and Lands. There was a notice in the awful flyer that is put out in Squamish Nation reserves about the 2010 Sports and Cultural fund. Community and sports groups from Squamish or Lil'wat can apply for up to 1'000$ for cultural or recreational use. There was also things like the wood taken from the Eagle Ridge Bluffs was given to the Squamish Nation and the carvers are having a go at it. Then there was the Olympian land deal in Whistler for a few hundred fee simple hectares. Some things being proposed for this land is condos, a golf course, and parking lots. Expected to make millions apparently.

Then there is of course the politics around this. In the early staged I mentioned, it was a few politicians of the 16 member council that went for the Olympics. They went back to the council, and they voted and approved. I think it was unanimous, but I'm not sure. Following this, there were half a dozen or more "agreements" signed between VANOC, Provincial government, and Four Host First Nations. All these different agreements related to different areas in what the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation were negotiating for. Note though that none of these agreements were discussed with the people, nor have any of the people seen these documents. Perhaps only the politicians involved, their staff, and a few other staff technicians.

Then we have the blatant cultural appropriation with things like the Olympics mascots, or more recently the disgusting disrespect for our people in giving native names to four different VANOC board members. The ceremony to do this was done in closed doors, out from the public, away from the community, and no one even knew about it. Everyone learned about it from the mainstream news sources.

Along with this, different politicians, their families and friends, and some high ranking staff, have enjoyed the pleasure of traveling to Athens, Beijing, Germany, New York, and a few other places. The Band Council of the Squamish Nation pays some of these trips for, while corporations related to the Olympics pay for other trips. Corporations like Four Seasons and such. When the budgets do come out for Squamish Nation expenditures, these kinds of travel arrangements are left out. Let alone the "honorarium" they receive from these engagements. Here is where moneys not coming through the normal Squamish Nation channels. Some of these politicians get paid from other sources, like VANOC, or other corporations. But the people will never know.

All in all, all this money, all this prestige, all this corruption, has greatly damaged my people. Never in my extremely short lifetime have I seen this much corruption and disregard, nor have I heard of it every being this bad before. Things are really ugly. So if you want to put a face to "No Justice on Stolen Land", put a face to what this 2010 Olympics has caused. What this will mean for our future progeny and the legacy we leave them of lands developed, culture non-existent or has just become co-opted by colonial forces (Aboriginal tourism, marketing, economic development), a governance that's corrupt up the wazoo, and a nation in shambles.

This is the Olympics dream.

Historical Quote #1

2008-05-11T08:57:00.008-07:00

“The Indians have really no rights to the lands they claim, nor are they of any actual value or utility to them. I cannot see why they should retain these lands to the prejudice of the general interests of the Colony, or be allowed to make a market of them either to Government or to individuals.”

- Joseph Trutch,
British Columbia's Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works in 1864

Have things really changed all that much? Has the colonizers objective change? Has their been any compromise on the Colonial side considering how much our peoples have given up and and continuing to be asked to give up more?

About

2008-05-07T23:51:00.002-07:00

Dustin Jeremy Daniel Rivers is a Sḵwxwú7mesh and ‘Namgis of the Kwakwaka’wakw or Kwak’wala-Speaking-Peoples. Dustin was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He was raised in the Xwemelch’stn and Eslha7an villages of Sḵwxwú7mesh-ulh.

Dustin’s father is Kevin Rivers a Sḵwxwú7mesh. His paternal grandfather is the late Frank Rivers of French, English, and Sḵwxwú7mesh decent. His paternal grandmother is Tiyaltelut (Audrey Rivers) (nee Paull), daughter of the late Sḵwxwú7mesh indigenous man Xwupukinem-t/Xwchtaal-t (Andy Paull).

Dustin’s mother is Deborah Baker of Sḵwxwú7mesh and 'Namgis ancestry. His maternal grandfather is Dickie Baker of Sḵwxwú7mesh and Kwagu'ł, as well as English ancestry. His maternal grandmother is the late Shishalh and 'Namgis Tl’akwagilaogwa “Up-To-Her-Hight-in-Copper” (Marie Baker nee Jeffries). His great-grandmother is the late Woł’ge’niga (Catherine Jeffries nee Scow). On this side he is a descendent of the late 'Namgis Chief Tl’akwa “Copper” (Sam Scow) of the T`sit`sał’walagama’yi clan.

He descends from many great and strong ancestors. It is from these roots he connects to his culture, heritage, birthright, and knowledge.

School Sucks

2008-05-07T13:08:00.001-07:00

A few days ago a friend took me to a class she was teaching it. She just finished doing once a week classes in a high school with grades 9/10’s. Art class. The project they were working on was doing a tile with an art piece and a word to go with what they did their art on. My friend decided to use Skwxwu7mesh snichem, but didn’t know how to read/pronounce most of the words she was getting from the book, and so she asked me to come for her last class and help out.

High school is a freaky place. It was startling to be back in one of those teenager prisons. Only a year and half ago I took the opportunity and strength to leave. I never looked back and still to this day think it’s the best decision of my life. Other would disagree, and are quick to give me a 10-minute lecture on the spot. But they don’t know what they don’t know.

I left because I was starting to realize things that were beyond my comprehension level. I starting to discover decolonization, where I became aware of the nuances of the oppressive colonial education system. It was here I started to see the authoritarian disciplining, the ridiculous excuses for reckless power on teachers behalf (no matter how utilitarian it may seem). I started to feel there had to be something better.

And there was.

A friend passed on some good words and I took the necessary steps to rid myself of that awful way of looking at learning. Even still I do my best to deschool those habits, behaviors, beliefs. I’m getting better. I now love things that school taught me to hate. Like reading, writing, running, and such. I also look at the world as a place of learning, that all that information and knowledge is valuable, even if I don’t have a piece of paper to prove it. I can prove it other ways, if I need to “prove” it anyone at all.

What became clear when returning to the high school was how right I was. After I decided I leave, my younger sister were curious. At first, like most people, it was shocking and sounded stupid. Throwing away my future. Sabotaging my opportunities. But I had something most “adults” don’t; an ability to dialogue with people my own age. Adults, because of the way they understand young people-older people relation dynamics, have become accustom to adults serving as authoritarian figures. I didn’t and so I could discus the merits and choices I was making. They listened, and wanted to learn more. I then passed on the same names of authors, articles, books and such and they quickly came to the same conclusion I did.

Schools need to be abandoned, and so they dropped out of school, and into life.

So we’re all three “high school drop outs”, which, I see as a positive. It’s curious how we’ve all developed being unschoolers, with my second youngest sister working and gaining a lot of experience and learning different subjects on the side. My younger sister went through difference phases of weird sleep schedules to endless sloth mode to someone who now learns where learning can be done. She is also starting to volunteer and learn more about gardening.

They are 14 and 16.

Bringing it back to the high school I visited, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It all came back to me, but what was more shocking was seeing these kids who are 14, 15, 16. Supposed to be the same age as my sisters. I’ll be the first to say that my sisters, all of them, are incredibly intelligent mature and stunning beautiful women. But I thought, these kids were the same age as my youngest sister, and my youngest sister can carry a conversations about politics, the world as it is, or massive amounts of random information and knowledge. She’s awesome for it. But it was a sharp contrast between these children and my sister. The maturity level, the knowledge they had possessed, and the interests they have.

It was then I knew I was right.

2010 -Hereditary Chief sets the record straight

2008-05-02T11:00:00.002-07:00

A friend passed this on to me. Expect for me "to set the record straight" again over this by the end of next week.

------------------------------------

NORTH AMERICAN Indigenous Caucus Affirms
Support for Unprecedented Indigenous Participation
in 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Hereditary Chief Sets the Record Straight

By Grand Chief Edward John and
Lea Nicholas-MacKenzie

(Vancouver – March 6th, 2008): A meeting of Indigenous leaders and
activists preparing for an upcoming United Nations conference voiced
support for the Four Host First Nations continued work with the Vancouver
2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Organizing Committee (VANOC) to
achieve "unprecedented Aboriginal participation" in the 2010 Winter Games.

An excerpt from the resolution reads as follows: "Participants affirmed
their support for the unprecedented level of Indigenous participation in
the 2010 Olympic Games…."

Members of the North American Regional Indigenous Caucus were gathered in
Vancouver, in the traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, to
prepare for the 7th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues in April 2008.

On February 23, day two of the event, some caucus members introduced a
short text condemning the 2010 Winter Games, and linking the Games to the
death of an elder from the Squamish nation. Other members disagreed. As
the caucus operates through consensus, the co-chairs (Grand Chief Edward
John and Kenneth Deer) asked to hear from Coast Salish leaders from the
host First Nations.

Hereditary Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish Nation welcomed the
delegates to the traditional territories of the Four Host First Nations
(FHFN), and thanked them for the important work they are doing on behalf
of all Indigenous Peoples.

Chief Campbell then took the opportunity "to set the record straight"
regarding the involvement of Coast Salish and Interior Salish Peoples in
the 2010 Winter Games.

The 2010 Winter Games are being held within the shared traditional
territories of the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) ~ the Lil'wat, the
Musqueam, the Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh. The four have formed the
non-profit Four Host First Nations Society, and established the FHFN
Secretariat to coordinate their collective efforts as host Nations.

Chief Campbell said he is "working closely with Squamish Hereditary Chiefs
Bill Williams and Gibby Jacob to bring life to the vision of the late
(Squamish) Chief Joe Mathias, who insisted that the Coast Salish Peoples
must be full partners" in the 2010 Games. "We are not sitting idle. We
are not passive. We are not assimilated peoples," he said.

Chief Campbell, who was raised by his grandfather, explained that, as a
Hereditary Chief, he is responsible for bringing forward the traditional
knowledge and language of his ancestors, and adapting to a modern context
based on this strong cultural foundation.

The Chief further explained that the Squamish Nation used the opportunity
of the Games to raise awareness about their traditional territories,
protect their territories and develop wildlife management plans.

This included identifying the wild spirit places in the territories, and
informing the Organizing Committee that they could not undertake
development in those areas. He noted: "We didn't wait or ask permission
to protect our territories… and we will not ask for anyone's permission to
do business in our territories."

Interviewed after the event, Chief Campbell noted that "the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples upholds the Indigenous
right to self-determination.

"When other Indigenous Peoples come to our territories and claim to speak
on our behalf, they are not respecting this fundamental right."

Tewanee Joseph, the Executive Director of the Four Host First Nations
Society, who attended the event with his two year-old son, added "our
whole focus for the Games is for our children. We are focusing on their
future and opportunities for them."

He also shared a message of being inclusive, and noted that "everything is
not perfect in British Columbia or in Canada. We have challenges every
single day as First Nations peoples. But the only way to resolve them is
by working together."

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Regional Chief Wilton Littlechild shared
his extensive experience with Olympic Games, and noted that the AFN has
signed an MOU to support the work of the four host nations.

"Since the Games in Calgary in 1988, the IOC and governments have learned,
and it is really quite incredible what is being done here," said Regional
Chief Littlechild. "These 2010 Games have, by far, the largest Indigenous
participation at every level."

Interviewed after the Caucus meeting, the Regional Chief said that: "Since
its inception, the AFN has fought at national and international levels for
the principle of respect for traditional territories. It is very
significant that the traditional and shared traditional territories of
these nations are being recognized and respected by the Olympic partners."

He added that "(the Four Host First Nations') partnership with VANOC and
the IOC, and your involvement in decision-making at the highest levels,
provides a model for harmonious relations between Indigenous Peoples and
other jurisdictions. The right to be involved in decision-making
processes regarding issues that may affect the territories, rights and
interests of First Nations Peoples is a principle that the AFN has firmly
asserted over the years."

The FHFN have signed a protocol with VANOC that formalizes the
relationship and sets a very high standard not only for participation, but
for true partnership. The protocol includes FHFN involvement in
everything from the opening and closing ceremonies to employment,
marketing and procurement. In addition to the protocol, the Squamish and
Lil'wat nations have negotiated legacy agreements which include many
benefits for the members of the nations.

During the caucus meeting, one participant stated that "a few Indians
dancing around in the Opening Ceremonies will not do anything for the
downtown east side."

In response, Chief Ian Campbell noted: "We are participating in every
aspect of these Games from the opening ceremonies to representation on the
VANOC Board of Directors."

"The opening ceremonies are important to us, and our songs and ceremonies
are very sacred. I don't want to hear anyone belittling them or
disrespecting them in our territories," said Chief Campbell. He added:
"Our songs are our laws and protocol. They are the land. I am a yuni-lead
singer responsible for our sacred songs. This is taken very seriously and
is a responsibility which my elders have bestowed on me."

Furthermore, regarding the initial draft resolution which linked the death
of a Squamish Nation elder to the 2010 Winter Games, the Chief explained
that he has spoken with the family, and they have asked that others cease
using her name and respect the Squamish Nation protocols.

"In our tradition we go into grieving for four years. We don't mention
the name of the deceased, or their ancestral names, until such time as
their memorial takes place. The family has asked me to ask those of you
who would use her name to respect this protocol," Chief Campbell said.

Following the discussion, caucus members agreed to develop a new text that
could be included in the meeting report. The resulting consensus text
(relevant 2010 Games text in bold) is as follows:

Participants affirmed their support for the unprecedented level of
Indigenous participation in the 2010 Olympic Games in British Columbia,
Canada. Participants also noted that the 2010 Olympic Games can provide
an important opportunity for Indigenous peoples and the world community to
promote human rights and address the human rights record and actions of
Canada on the local, provincial, national and international levels.

It should be noted that one of the principal reasons for Canada to vote
against the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was that
they opposed the provisions on indigenous rights to lands, territories and
resources (Article 26) and the principle of free, prior and informed
consent. Canada's and British Columbia's policies fail to recognize
Aboriginal title and Indigenous free, prior and informed consent.

"Participants also expressed outrage that indigenous persons and
activists, including indigenous elders who stand up for indigenous land
rights and assert their free, prior and informed consent are often
criminalized and jailed.

Hereditary Chief Campbell and other FHFN members expressed satisfaction at
the result after the meeting, stating that it is important that people
appreciate what is Games-related and what is not.

Chief Campbell noted that they had been looking for an opportunity to
counter the "misinformation being circulated" by non-Salish individuals
who are opposed to the Games and "falsely claim to speak for the
Indigenous people within whose territories the 2010 Winter Games will take
place."

- 30 -

For additional information, contact:

Grand Chief Ed John: 604.926.9903

Lea Nicholas MacKenzie: 778.327.5778

Chiefs or Kings

2008-04-30T01:29:00.005-07:00

Everyone fights to be chief, but no one wants to be the leader. Do they not know what it means? Organizers of the family, conductor of spiritual ceremonies, feaster of ones wealth to be distributed.

For my people, the hereditary chieftainship system is anachronistic. "The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order. One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time." Dare I shout "Tear down this band council. Dismantle this adversarial colonial way of our people deciding." But then what do we turn to? The "hereditary" some say. But is the hereditary traditional?

Yes.

But whose tradition.

Long ago, not too long though, they came through to convert. Easier said then done. Easier made by divide and domination. Selected individuals out of the small crowds, then they are now placed on the mantle of chiefdom. Later the Indian Agents ratify, legitimize, and okay this brilliant system of control. This, becomes the hereditary chieftainship system, the band council system, the present day. 16 chiefs, from 16 church selected, for 16 Indian Agent designed reserves.

So ANACHRONISTIC I say. These chiefs don't live in the same neighborhood as their constituencies. They don't even live in the same house. Nor even the same villages. For some, their villages are long gone. Either to water, to colonization, or to obscurity. So if they have no connection in a meaningful way to represent, to guide, to leader, what legitimacy do they have to real, awesome, dangerous power.

Chief, they tell us to call them. Even those that word is Irish in origin. Chief, like President, or Lord, or King. But all those are boss-man, commandeering the strength of the people through command. But not the leaders of old. Wise-men, gentlemen, generous men. If group decides to go on canoe journey, who best to lead the family. Who best to see all gifts of family. Who best in knowledge of ancestral ways. Who displays the values of our civil society.

Then we must ask ourselves, blind, deaf, and complicit in the terrible power they command and wield over themselves, our resources, our future, why do we still follow something so wrong, so old, so illegitimate of our respect and trust. Something so foreign, in it's commanding breath of individualistic egotism. Something so foreign in it's control of the peoples finances, culture, governance, and life.

We call them chiefs, or shall we call them kings. Kings of their own wretched legitimacy. Will we still follow them? Or is it even about following. Maybe, perhaps, it might be....

about always being their for your constituency, your family, your friends, your tribe, your nation, your way of life.

Brief Thoughts from Beyond

2008-04-28T23:21:00.004-07:00

I'm writing this as the Kanienkehaka are being besieged by the Ontario Provincial Police. I'm also watching the news with everything circulating this "Truth and Reconciliation Commission", and the head judge of the commission being announced. I'm also sadly disappointed about the Assembly of First Nations future attempt at...well, whinning. May 29th, 2008 is the set date for another one of it's "Day of Action", except this one with the added "against poverty."

Last years June 29th Day of Action was met with lukewarm response with a few actions taking place in major cities. It's was mostly peaceful except for a few Mohawk blockades on roads, highways, and rail lines. But what's sadly disappointing his the lack of real leadership on the AFN's part, and, really how disappointing their best can do; Phil Fontane. Every so often I see him in the news, or in an article, but his lack of vision and leadership is becoming myopic for many indigenous youth.

Startling even more is how much this brings to mind, how much indigenous people in this country, do not know what's going on. We do not know what's going in the doors of band council meetings, in the cross country or cross-sea's dealings between these politicians and other officials, and we don't know about the kinds of social, political, and economic thoughts and idea's our people can and are putting forward. Maybe it's me, and no one is suggesting anything. But as we become devoid of our own peoples voice, we naturally have left, the Colonial Settler states. In it's ignorant media, education, and leadership. Canadian civil society depresses me with it's racism and prejudice, and it's lack of understanding of our issues. But I guess actually looking at these issues around their citizen legitimacy and such is, well, pretty darn to hard to look at.

Of course all this talk about "reconciliation" is one sided. The indigenous peoples are unequivocally assumed to give up something, to rise to the standard of it's Settler counter-part. What has Settlers, the Canadian state, or Canadian civil society given up for our people? Have they had to compromise, over and over and over again, like we have. With our rights, with our existence, with our relationship. Where has their law been changed to become more align with our own. We're force to change our ways to the way colonial law decides our rights and fight within their courts to get decision on by them about us. Or we are asked to defend our position on "why we are from here" and "do you have proof for that". Shall we ask instead, "Why should you be allowed to stay here, on our stolen indigenous land."

So you can see why I'm skeptical of the Assembly of First Nations, or the Four Host First Nations, or any other political structure based of colonial paradigms and ideals. And why I'm apprehensive about this "Truth and Reconciliation Commission". I believe it is good for people like my grandmother who are alive and get something about it. But this question of the residential school system, it's effect on our peoples, on my generation, is something larger. We need to really ask ourselves, what is going to be our generations response to this massive assault from the past on our peoples today and from here on. I'm afraid that the longer we wait, or ponder these things over in negotiations, land claims, protests, we're going to slowly loose. Loose what? Loose our existence, in a meaningful way.

My faith in our political leadership has been trampled.
My faith in our elders resolve to deal with these issues is trumped.
My faith in the system is non-existent.

But my faith, in something else, is still strong.

If we are to act in a meanful way on these issues, it will take a fearlessness not seen since our ancestors. Something so powerful and...dangerous.... to create a lasting effect just as powerful or more then the residential school system, the colonization, and it's ensuring result.

URGENT: OPP attacks Mohawk Protest at Tyendinaga

2008-04-26T09:46:00.002-07:00

Pig yelling at observers as he and pals wrestle protester on the ground

Special thanks to Sketchy thoughts for compiling the below information

Lots of news about the unfolding confrontation between Ontario Provincial Police and the Mohawks of Tyendinaga - this is a series of different pieces, several from the colonial media:

URGENT CALL: FRIDAY APRIL 25TH 2008- MOHAWKS OF TYENDINAGA UNDER ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE SIEGE - SHAWN BRANT ARRESTED ON FAKE WEAPONS CHARGES ON CULBERTSON TRACT - OPP CRUISERS AND VANS SURROUND – 20 DOWN BY TRAIN TRACTS ON DESERONTO ROAD AND BRIDGE ST.

MNN. At 2:45 pm. today, Friday, April 25th, 2008, Shawn Brant was arrested for an incident that happened on Monday on Slash Road. He was attacked by Deseronto citizens who were trying to run our blockades. He had no weapons whatsoever. The OPP are trying to make Shawn out to be the leader there. He is not.

DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF SHAWN BRANT, POLITICAL PRISONER.

The Ritiskenekete have slashed OPP cruisers windows and chased them off Deseronto Road.

APTN and support from Six Nations, Kahnawake are on their way. Anyone who can go there and help should call 613-391-5132 for information.

There will probably be a raid of the illegal Thurlow Quarry that the Mohawk took over a year ago.

Shawn Brant was taken to Napanee.

Needed urgently: deer meat, fish, non-perishable food, water, Camping equipment, communications equipment, fuel, gas, propane, mobile phones, phone cards, rain coats, gas masks, towels, soap, wet wipes, tooth bushes and tooth paste, bear spray, gloves, work shoes, boots, runners, socks, radios, two-way radios, hand held radio, flashlights, tents, lanterns, wood for the fire, cooking utensils, plates and silverware, first aid.

To go there on the TransCanada Highway 401, to #49 to Slash Road, to Deseronto boundary.

Or Marysville Road south to Bayshore Road, turn left all the way to the quarry.

Runners should be dispatched to go there to carry information from the site to supporters. Supporters should contact OPP, Ontario government, band council chief to stop this aggression and attempted blood bath.

All nations council meeting tonight. OPP heat is going on at the quarry. Need help now.

Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News

Dan 613-919-1354; Rotiskenekete 613-849-1314 – 613-827-4991 email davidrmaracle@aol.com

From the Kingston Whig-Standard:

OPP clash with Mohawk protesters; Police make several arrests near disputed quarry north of Deseronto
Posted By W. Brice McVicar; Luke Hendry

Several Mohawk protesters were arrested here yesterday following a wild skirmish that ended in a tense, armed standoff.

Dozens of heavily armed Ontario Provincial Police officers clashed with Mohawk protesters just north of the Thurlow Aggregates quarry, which Mohawks have been occupying for more than one year. The standoff began peacefully with officers and Mohawks talking quietly after the arrest earlier in the afternoon of Mohawk protest leader Shawn Brant on charges unrelated to yesterday's melee.

But the scene erupted in violence about one hour after the encounter began, with police wrestling with protesters who began swinging punches at the officers. Several arrests were made before police radios crackled a message that an armed individual inside the quarry was spotted taking aim at police and police jumped for cover behind cruisers, drawing automatic weapons and sidearms. No shots were fired, however, and protesters who had been arrested and handcuffed were taken away to waiting vehicles.

The wild turn of events began shortly after a protest spokesman agreed to answer questions for reporters.

Mohawk spokesperson Jerome Barnhart said the standoff unfolded after Brant was pulled over by OPP on Deseronto Road earlier in the afternoon. The routine traffic stop, Barnhart said, resulted in "a couple of charges. One was with a weapon - a spear - which is just blasphemous as this is our [fish] harvesting season here.

"We feed our families for the year at this time and to confiscate that as a weapon is outrageous," he said. "If Mr. [Julian] Fantino, [OPP commissioner], wants to go about it this way. ... Well, we have a lot of reinforcements coming. Bring it on."

Barnhart said the OPP were only trying to "put the screws" to the Mohawks to prevent those reinforcements from arriving.

Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte band council convened an emergency meeting yesterday evening to discuss the turn of events, but Barnhart dismissed the authority of the band.

"This is Mohawk business. It has nothing to do with Mohawk band council. It's the Mohawk people and the nation," he said. "This is Mohawk nation business and we mean business."

As Barnhart was meeting with reporters, OPP Staff Sgt. Steve Flynn informed the Mohawks that if they remained on Deseronto Road, they would be arrested. He advised them to return to the quarry or be charged and taken into custody.

"If you stay here, you'll be arrested. If you go back to the quarry, you'll have sanctuary," Flynn said.

Flynn's comments saw many Mohawks making their way slowly toward the quarry, though some remained behind and hollered at the approximately 20 officers gathered at the intersection of Deseronto Road and Bridge Street.

"I can't guarantee your officers safety if they come on Mohawk land," bellowed Dan Doreen, who led the blockade earlier this week on the outskirts of Deseronto.

As one woman walked past the officers, north to where her vehicle had been left parked, she looked toward police and said, "Get your guns ready."

Moments later, officers wrestled a number of protesters to the ground amid shouts of "stop resisting." In a cacophony of shouts, jeers and orders, protesters told their family members to leave the scene, OPP officers shouted directions and protesters argued as they were handcuffed.

Just as quickly as the violence erupted, Mohawks who had remained at the quarry responded. An all-terrain vehicle carrying two individuals raced toward the scene and, seconds later, word spread among the officers that someone had a gun.

After the radio message warning of a gun, officers with sub-machine guns took aim at protesters both to the south and to the north where a motorhome was parked at the intersection of Deseronto Road and Lower Slash Road. Officers said they believed there was an individual with a gun inside the battered RV.

By nightfall, a tense calm had descended on the scene as police widened a secure perimeter back some 500 metres from the quarry.

From the right-wing Toronto Sun:

Mohawk standoff 'Could make Caledonia look like nothing', says protester
By JOE WARMINGTON, SUN MEDIA

Tensions were mounting last night as native protesters and members of the OPP tactical squad were in a standoff at a protest site in Deseronto.

This came just hours after about 10 people were arrested and two police officers were taken to hospital.

As of late last night the conflict had not been resolved at a scene which included lit fires in fields and vitriolic threats.

Among those arrested was Shawn Brant, who organized the blockade of the Montreal-Toronto CN rail corridor last April and June. Brant, who was arrested during a traffic stop yesterday afternoon, faces assault, weapons and drug charges, police said.

The OPP asked protesters to leave the site or face arrest.

"We're not moving anywhere," protester Jason Maracle said. "They're going to have to kill every God damn one of us to get us off our land. We're not moving. I guess if they want another 1990 scene, then OK, I guess we'll have one."

OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino last night said the dispute is not a land-claims issue. "This violent criminal activity occurred outside of any legitimate protest and will not be tolerated," he said. "Police officers being assaulted and injured for doing their utmost to keep the peace and protect the law-abiding community is unacceptable.

"We're trying to keep this from escalating."

While Brant was being arrested, supporters arrived at the scene and clashed with police, resulting in two officers being taken to hospital with minor injuries, police said.

Hours later, police clashed again with protesters and 10 people were arrested "for various offences including assault police." Six remain in custody and four young people were released.

Protesters inside a quarry protest site told the Sun last night they were "worried" a confrontation was imminent. "We are surrounded here," said protester Mike Brant. "They are sending the media away so we are worried they are going to take us all out."

He said they were concerned police were going to "come in the dark with guns" which would be unfair because "we are not doing anything. All we are doing is sitting here holding out land. There is nothing wrong with that."

The OPP said they were concerned when officers spotted a "long gun" pointed at them from within the quarry. Native protesters deny this.

Protesters have controlled the quarry since March 2007

"If we don't get this settled down soon, this is going to make Caledonia look like nothing," said one native protester who asked that his name not be used. "Six Nations protesters are on their way and so are the people who have been at Caledonia. This has nasty potential."

Several witnesses confirmed the OPP had up to 150 officers and 50 vehicles already on site in this town, 50 kms west of Kingston, near the Mohawk Territory.

Sun Media's Pete Fisher said he was told by police that "they couldn't guarantee my safety" and he reported that he had never seen a bigger native protest scene. A whole field was set ablaze.

From the Hamilton Spectator:

Six Nations group forces closure of Highway 6
TheSpec.com - Local - Six Nations group forces closure of Highway 6
John Burman and Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
CALEDONIA (Apr 26, 2008)

More than 100 Six Nations residents forced the closure of the Highway 6 bypass at Caledonia late yesterday to protest OPP action against Mohawks occupying a quarry near Deseronto, Ont., earlier in the day.

The OPP closed the bypass "in the interests of public safety" after a large gathering of natives on two overpasses above it.

Native spokesperson Brian Skye told reporters the Caledonia action was taken because of the situation between the natives and the OPP near a quarry in Deseronto, in eastern Ontario.

There was a tense standoff there, where natives oppose plans for development on lands they claim. It escalated when police spotted what appeared to be a gun among the demonstrators.

There were at least 10 arrests there.

Skye said he has seen e-mailed photos from Deseronto with armed police "pointing guns at women and children."

"There's been an escalation of OPP personnel advancing on the people of Tyendinaga," Skye said. "They are being pressured by an armed force and the people of Six Nations are showing their support for their struggle to reclaim their territory."

Skye said the Six Nations want the OPP to stand down in Deseronto.

Around 8:30, natives in Caledonia began discussing the possibility of extending the blockade to Argyle Street, one of two main roads in Caledonia, depending on what happened in Deseronto.

Last night's closure of the bypass is the first time in almost two years that a road has been blocked in the Caledonia land claims dispute. Argyle Street was blocked for more than a month following an April 2006 attempt to remove protesters from the disputed Douglas Creek Estates subdivision.

Skye wouldn't say if the blockades had been sanctioned by the traditional Confederacy or the elected band council.

Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer said last night the move brings back bad memories.

Trainer was on her way to a community prayer meeting in support of peace in the town, attended by about 70 people including MP Diane Finley and MPP Toby Barrett, when the blockade happened.

Caledonia resident, Marg Walker, 49, was watching the blockade from a vantage point on Highway 54.

"This is not right ... The people of Caledonia have already been through too much. What right do they have to block traffic? If I did that, they'd arrest me."

Constable Paula Wright, spokesperson for the Haldimand OPP, said cruisers were used to block either end of the bypass as "there is potential for public safety to be compromised."

The bypass was closed at the Argyle Street intersection on the west side of town and Green's Road on the east.

Wright said the OPP is urging everyone "not to jeopardize peace" and to "be patient."

Negotiations to settle the dispute have been grinding on since the summer of 2006, but tensions in Caledonia have eased considerably in that time as well.

The OPP in Deseronto said they saw a "long gun" being pointed at them from a location inside an occupied quarry, which protesters have controlled since March 2007. Those occupying the quarry said they had no weapons there.

An order was issued to all police on the scene to take cover and guns were drawn by officers crouching behind their vehicles. No shots were fired. At least 10 people were arrested, including Shawn Brant, who has been under a court order to stay away from any protests after being involved in last June's aboriginal national day of action which saw the closure of Highway 401 in the area.

And again, from Mohawk Nation News:

MOHAWK URGENT CALL FOR ASSISTANCE from Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
2008-04-26 | Stop attack on Mohawks !

Tyendinaga Mohawk Aserakowa [War Chief] speaks from the front line – “We’re not leaving”. OPP: “We’re coming in at dark to take you out!”

MNN: MNN Mohawk Nation News Aserakowa 613-243-4993 still at the quarry.

(Ed. Note. Just received. UPDATES to follow.)

Shawn Brant was doing a media interview with APTN News in Tyendinaga on Deseronto Boundary Road. Ontario Provincial Police came along with an outstanding assault charge. They arrested Shawn. They hauled him off to jail. Then the OPP closed both ends of Deseronto Road. The Aserakowa came down to see what was going on.

Steve Flynn of Aboriginal Response Team ART of the OPP showed up. We talked. Flynn told the Aserakowa about Shawn. By then we had men at both ends of the road. He talked about opening the road. Flynn said, “You walk away and we’ll walk away. Okay?” Both Flynn and the Aserkowa agreed.

“We will get in our cars and you’ll get in yours”, said Flynn. It turned out to be a set up. The Rotiskeneketeh started moving off the road. Suddenly about 10 OPP jumped about 5 of our guys, threw them in the ditch, beat them up and arrested them. They hauled them off to jail. No reasons were given for the arrests or assaults. The OPP is certain not operating on an honorable nation to nation model. It is not even offering the kind of fiduciary protection for indigenous rights as it is supposed to, according to the supreme Court of Canada.

Since when have the colonial institutions ever acted to protect Indigenous people?

After behaving like thugs and beating up our guys, the OPP pulled out their weapons and pointed them at us. For our safety, we retreated back to the quarry. We didn’t want to get shot.

Once we got there cops swarmed us from every direction. They were everywhere as far as we could see, armed to the teeth with their guns pointed directly at us all the time.

Then they came over with loud speakers, told us to come away from the quarry, down the hill, with our hands up in the air “where we can see them”.

We told them, “F**k you. This is Mohawk land. We’re not leaving”. They raised their weapons and aimed at us again.

“You’re going to have to shoot us”, we told them.

Then there was more build up. They told us they are coming in at dark to take us out. They are moving Mohawk people off Mohawk lands at the end of a gun barrel.

The Mohawks are unarmed.

The OPP have SWAT Teams, ambulances, dogs and we can’t see if they ships in the water.

Arrested are Clint Brant, Steve Hill, Dan Doreen, Shawn Brant and Mac Kunkel. We don’t know where they’ve been taken.

Six Nations people have closed down three roads. Akwesasne guys are on the International Bridge. In Kahnawake there will be closures.

They will be coming after us at about 8:30 pm EDT, as soon as it gets dark.

We’re not moving. We know that.

We don’t know what’s going to happen. This is Ipperwash, 1990, Gustafsen Lake, Six Nations, the list goes on. If they harm any of those guys at Tyendinaga, there’s no saying what will happen.

The message from the men is that we will defend the land. That’s our duty according to the Kaianerekowa, Great Law of Peace, the law of Turtle Island.

SEND URGENT OBJECTIONS TO PREMIER MCGUINTY OF ONTARIO; PRIME MINISTER STEVEN HARPER; JULIAN FANTINO COMMISSIONER OF THE OPP: tell them to call off their thugs and stop breaking the peace. They have a obligations under international law to resolve any disagreements peacefully. They have an obligation to keep the peace, not to break it.

LIVES ARE AT STAKE.

MNN Mohawk Nation News
Subject: RED ALERT IN CALEDONIA!!!!!!!!! FORWARD OUT ASAP!

Ok everyone-

Just got a phone call from Jacqueline House at Six Nations. In protest to what the Canadian govt. and OPP armed officers are doing at Tyenindega, the Six Nations have now BLOCKED the By-Pass road at Caledonia!!!!! 3 Men have been arrested and have been jailed at Tyenindega.

Jacqueline House stated that all relatives with connections to people at these Reserves, PLEASE CALL and try to mobilize help to the area ASAP.

Thanks everyone, please, PLEASE keep our relatives in your prayers, Bluejay

I've contacted the OPP to let them know that badge or no badge, they are not absolved in the eyes of our Creator for that which they do.
This activity will be monitored by the world.
Dieter of Germany

FOR INFORMATION CALL:

(1) 518-358-3660
Warchief: (1) 613-243-4993
Jan Hill (1) 613-961-8515 613-827-1547
Dan (1) 613-919-1354
Rotiskenekete (1) 613-849-1314; (1) 613-827-4991
OPP Easter Headquarters (1) 613-284-4500 L.G. Beechey Chief Supt. Commander Eastern Region
R. Don Maracle (1) 613-396-3089 Cell (1) 613-391-9249

Once a Black Robe, Always a Black Robe

2008-04-08T21:26:00.003-07:00

The St'at'imc Runner, February 2008 issue
Report by Kerry Coast.
Printed in The St'at'imc Runner, February 2008 issue

[Note: This was not written by me.]

Former church minister solicits Survivors' stories, misuses names. Some Residential School Survivors have shared stories of abuses they suffered in the church-run schools. When a personal disclosure is given in confidence, it should be kept private.

Kevin Annett is a former minister with the United Church. Annett, who has recently claimed that he is Metis, runs a website called "Hidden from History," and has made a film called "Unrepentant." He had a radio show on Vancouver's Co-operative Radio station. (Vancouver BC) Also he has started an organization he calls the "Truth Commission into Genocide in Canada."

The subject of all of these media programs is the genocide against native people, but specifically the Indian Residential School system. Much of the accusations he makes against the church and Canada in regards to their role in covering up the horrors of residential schools can be verified by Survivors. However, Annett has used peoples' private disclosures without their consent, he has misrepresented people on radio and in print, and has betrayed the trust of many Survivors by using their stories in various ways without their permission.

James Craven, a professor of economics at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, talks about the abuses of trust and truth being carried out by Mr Annett, who has recently taken to calling himself "Eagle Strong
Voice." According to Craven, a long time friend of the late Elder Harriet Nahanee from Squamish, Annett published her testimonies that she had told him, but without her knowledge or permission. Before her
passing, Nahanee circulated a letter to this effect. The late Kitty Sparrow also wrote a similar letter about her experience with Annett. It is unclear why someone would do these things to people who have surely
had enough suffering for one lifetime.

There may be a clue in that the subject of the movie "Unrepentant" quickly turns from that of Survivors' stories to the story of Kevin Annett. Yet that story remains something of a mystery owing to contradictory claims and reports. Annett claims that he was dismissed from United Church ministerial duties when he started asking his
superiors what was being done about residential school crimes. Another dissident minister from the same church contradicts that, saying Annett never mentioned residential schools until well after he had been
dismissed.

Survivors desperately want to be heard. They want to tell their story to someone. A person who claimed to be seeking justice from the church and Canada, and had himself been a self-appointed representative of god in
the United Church, would be in an ideal position to gain the trust of a wounded soul. James Craven's mother, a Blackfoot woman, was victimized at a residential school in Idaho, and actually committed suicide
because, as she put it, the demons had come home to roost. "The thing that really gets me going is that the cause is sacred. The things he says about murder and genocide are true. That's why you don't want him
involved with this cause - because the cause gets impeached with him," explains James. "In my protected opinion, he exhibits the characteristics of malignant narcissism and psychopathology."

Helen Michel is a Carrier Sekani woman who suffered terribly in residential school. She met Annett some years ago, and disclosed to him some stories of residential school impacts in her home reservation community. "Kevin said a lot of things on the Co-Op radio, apparently he said we said those things, but he twisted around our stories. No one's ever given him permission to repeat their stories, he just uses what he can get. When we confronted him about it, he started saying I and my husband were RCMP informants." Annett claims on his website that he believes Helen and her husband Frank are undercover agents from a division known as "RCMP-E," and that their codenames are "Redman 1 and Redman 2." Annett has also stated on his website that Michel assaulted him in public by running into him with a scooter. No charges have come before a court on this alleged incident.

Mrs Michel spoke about these experiences to this newspaper because she wants other Survivors to be warned of what has happened in the past. "We've been working on human rights and land rights issues for 20 years.
He made our credibility go downhill after we started hanging out with Kevin, and we soon found out we weren't the only ones."

Civilized Liberated Yet?

2008-04-06T23:14:00.002-07:00

The Matrix is older than you know. I prefer counting from the emergence of one integral anomaly to the emergence of the next, in which case this is the sixth version.

- The Architect (Matrix:Reloaded)

As some of my readers may have noticed, I've updated the blog again. I kind of liked the design of the previous one, but disliked the colours. I like the cleaner, whiter, sleeker design here, although I was tempted to go with the traditional West Coast black and red. But, I went with white here.

The photo above is called Nch'kay. It means "Dirty Face" or "Grimy One" in my language. The mountain, along with Mt.Baker, were the safe havens during the flood.

Feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!