Showing posts with label day of action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day of action. Show all posts
May 29, 2008

Politically Idle: Working Who's Agenda Phil?

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.
by Rivers on Thursday, May 29, 2008 | 3 comments
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April 28, 2008

Brief Thoughts from Beyond

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.
by Rivers on Monday, April 28, 2008 | 0 comments
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