Sometimes these days when I look at the horror that is Harperland I can't help feeling like that other Simon in Lord of the Flies.Who realized that The Monster the other boys were hunting with their wooden spears didn't exist. And that the real monster was THEM.Read more »
Continue readingTag: Idle No More
350 or bust: Chief Spence Ends Her Hunger Strike, But The Struggle Continues
* Chief Theresa Spence has ended her hunger strike today. Here is the press release issued by her and her supporters: * Daniel Wilson reflects on the legacy of Chief Spence’s hunger strike today on Rabble.ca: We can help give success a chance, as Chief Spence and Elder Robinson are
Continue readingMontreal Simon: My Thank You Letter to Chief Spence
Dear Chief SpenceI was so happy to hear that you will be ending your long hunger strike.Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence has decided to end her six-week-long hunger strike after members of the Assembly of First Nations and the Liberal and New Democrat caucuses agreed to back a list of commitments supporting
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Sun News Network pleads with anti-choice group to back its quest for ‘right to life’ subsidy
Sun News Network commentator back in the day complaining about how media outlets want the government to solve everything. This goes for Sun News Network and its financial problems too, it turns out. Below: Anti-choice Sun News commentator Michael Coren. As part of its full-court press to get the CRTC
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Erika Shaker rightly tears into the special brand of FAIPOF demanding that First Nations protesters focus solely on their own community leaders rather than recognizing broader and more systematic inequality: Much is being made of Chief Spence’s Escalade (although I’m unsure if she
Continue readingStop the Insanity: More Thoughts on Idle No More
Here is the link to the posting in reference in case you missed it the other day. | |||||||
Occupy The Parliament Buildings‘s photo. – I really like this photo. |
Last night I started off writing a very long reply to a comment, but then it wouldn’t let me post it as it was too long. Just before I had discovered that I was thinking that I had gotten carried away on the reply and that it was turning into a new blog post. I got lost in the reply in trying to scroll up and down to see what I had already included and not. Then I thought that chances were that I’d said all that needed to be said at that point in response to the comment of R.J. Pare (sorry don’t know how to make that accent-ague). So a decision was made for me… stop trying to make it a reply and change it into a new blog posting.
Here is the culprit that started this extra work (totally kidding; I really enjoy getting comments):
When they then took the time to see the aggressive and violent agitators in the movement they then realized that it has more in common with the recent history of First Nations violence [Oka & Caledonia for examples] than rights advocacy.
We can debate treaty rights and speak of various issues that need to be resolved – but once you use violence – you position becomes moot as society needs to be protected from such actions.
My Reply:
CENSORED NEWS: Whapmagoostui Youth Trekkers ‘We are true Warriors’
|
I did have some doubts about the genuineness of the INM movement at some moments surrounding Spence as well. Only because I didn’t feel that she was supposed to be a leader of the movement, but somehow the media was trying to put her in that position. INM was just emerging at the same time as Spence declared her hunger strike, and as such, people idled even less to get by her side and support her cause. Thereby, the media mistakenly jumped to it’s assumptions that she was the movement’s leader. The Spence/Attawapiskat issues are more complicated than what was being said at that time.
The INM Movement is bigger than Spence and Attawapiskat. It is gathering momentum every day it seems and is about all societal issues that are affecting all Canadians (especially First Nations), and it is about time that we all band together and do something about it. This ties into the Occupy Movement as well. We are all the 99%. There are more of us than them, and I believe that they might just be getting worried about now. Because we can hit them in the pocketbook, which is all they seem to care about.
Have you considered what type of blatant spending that goes on in the Canadian gov’t? What they may or not be able to say about any First Nations spending, would pale in comparison to the expense accounts of MPs. Remember Bev Oda, with the limo rides (even though there was a free shuttle available) and $15 glasses of orange juice? I have the dishonour of living in John Duncan’s constituency. Try that link to see what I think of him.
Jessica Ernst demonstrating flammable water |
I hope to be here to educate and I am very pleased that I have had a very good audience for this article and yesterday’s post about Jessica Ernst’s struggle with Encana over fracking. TY all – I doubled my views from the last 3 months in the last 3 days. Yippee; I am thankful for the interest/support 😉 However, I had less visits to the fracking issue which is showing promise and some sanity from some jurisdictions. More info on the Ernst case can be found at http://www.ernstversusencana.ca/. New York State just instituted a moratorium on fracking.
pic via Sandy Sjollema |
You look Canadian, and we need everyone’s support (all Canadians, Indians, Indigenous, brown, black, red, yellow, whoever, and their dog). Anyone who gives a crap about this earth and the preservation of our planet and environment in which we all need to survive (including the dogs and all other critters great and small); water, air, land.
The nationwide movement has united First Nations to talk about the issues facing their people and the passing of federal Bill C-45. First Nations have voiced concern with changes made in the bill, such as the removing of federal protection for several lakes and rivers and the management of reserve lands.
Then again, maybe you are a troll, but my key-strokes are not wasted as long as someone else reads this and takes a deeper look into the issues and informs themselves. Bill C-45 is a complex bundle of legislation that touches on all kinds of elements of Canadian values that should not be included in a “Budget” Bill as far as I’m concerned. It is a deliberate attempt by the CPC gov’t to try and slip injustices by Canadians without them paying attention. Well, guess what? I think he failed at that. Our Mr. Dictator Harper has been caught trying to put one over on us.
The blatant continual degradation of democratic procedure, has stirred up a hornet’s nest that he may or not have been expecting. Maybe he expected to just pass these things through without anyone noticing? A big bundle of crap, that no one would want to try and decipher? His mistake though was just that – Enbridge, FIPA, CNOOC, Budget Bill 5, 10 36, 45, HUT – caught all of our attentions. He just made the biggest mistake of his career; shot himself in the foot so they say. Previous Post – Canada Has Lost its Democracy
Check this out:
Same Thing is Going on in the UK
What is going on with all of our world leaders? Have they all lost their minds? Do you really think they can get away with this crap? It’s almost like they are wanting us to challenge them on their actions.
And in Australia:
Lost the link to what I saw on there. Will post it later if I find it again.
Anyway, the point is that the INM movement is going viral and global. This is going to be undeniable to all leaders in all countries if they don’t smarten up and stop the injustices being done to people Indigenous and otherwise, all over the world.
Stop the Insanity: More Thoughts on Idle No More
Does everyone realize that a reply to a comment can only be 4,096 characters total? Well I didn’t know that since I’m still figuring out how all this blog stuff works, but I am learning all the time and will get there. Here is the link to the posting in
Continue readingStop the Insanity: More Thoughts on Idle No More
Does everyone realize that a reply to a comment can only be 4,096 characters total? Well I didn’t know that since I’m still figuring out how all this blog stuff works, but I am learning all the time and will get there. Here is the link to the posting in
Continue readingbastard.logic: Idle No More: Baseless Stigmas Are An Unwelcome Distraction
by Sara Mai Chitty I wanted to let people know a couple things about my heritage as a First Nations woman, about what is being said about the Idle No More movement (and there is much more to be said), and what I feel is EXCEEDINGLY DISTRACTING from the other
Continue readingAlberta Diary: With no market for hate and right-wing drivel, Sun News comes cap in hand for public subsidy
More gruel, sir? The face of Sun News Network that Sun News Network would like you to see as they beg for public subsidies. Below: The real face of Sun News Network. Sun News Network, that fearless foe of state subsidies for the CBC, wants you, Dear Television Viewer, to
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Calling In The Backup: Chiefs Unite To Face PM Harper
This is Day 40 of Chief Theresa Spence’s Hunger Strike. She has reportedly lost 30 pounds while living on a liquid diet to protest living conditions and treaty infractions faced by natives across Canada. The Huffington Post featured this report by Canadian Press reporter Heather Schofield. OTTAWA – Top First
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: A Matter of Honor: First Nations Appeal to The Queen
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger Canadians following the ‘Idle No More’ efforts that have sprung up across the country by tuning in to the MSM will no doubt have a very shallow and generally bigoted account of what is happening and why. Part of the reason is that very few
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Norway’s experience with Big Oil offers lessons for Idle No More
by Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive, Jan 21, 2013: Norway’s experience with Big Oil offers lessons for Idle No More and other progressive movements determined to stop Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives from turning Canada into a petro-state. Earlier, I blogged about a new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week. – Dennis Gruending writes about the importance of Edgar Schmidt’s whistleblowing against unconstitutional legislation: Schmidt says that he has over a period of years raised concerns about what he considers the department’s flawed practices. He has done that through various official channels, up to
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Idle No More protests successfully wind up Alberta solicitor general
Alberta Solicitor General and Justice Minister Jonathan Denis, right, reacts to word of an Idle No More road blockade while Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell looks on. Actual Alberta politicians and commentators may not appear precisely as illustrated. Below: the real Denis the Menace before he popped a gasket and
Continue readingStop the Insanity: Some Thoughts on Idle No More
Well, I said I would create a new post about the Idle No More movement. Occupy The Parliament Buildings‘s photo. In response to some of the backlash against Chief Spence, here is a good article in her defense:Chelsea Vowel – Tells Where the Attawapiskat Money Went Here is a great
Continue readingStop the Insanity: Some Thoughts on Idle No More
Occupy The Parliament Buildings‘s photo. |
In response to some of the backlash against Chief Spence, here is a good article in her defense:
Chelsea Vowel – Tells Where the Attawapiskat Money Went
Here is a great documentary that talks about the history of when settlers first arrived and how the native were displaced, moved, restricted, and how some treaties came about. This specifically covers what happened and it still happening in Ontario and Quebec.
***NFB – INVISIBLE NATION – full feature*** (93 mins.) – This is a “Must Watch”. This should be taught in all schools.
Invisible Nation – Trailer (1:30 min)
Synopsis: Online release: November 30, 2012 The Algonquin once lived in harmony with the vast territory they occupied. This balance was upset when the Europeans arrived in the 16th century. Gradually, their Aboriginal traditions were undermined and their natural resources plundered. Today, barely 9,000 Algonquin are left. They live in about 10 communities, often enduring abject poverty and human rights abuses. These Aboriginal people are suffering the threat to their very existence in silence. Richard Desjardins and Robert Monderie have decided to sound the alarm before it’s too late.
Every Canadian should watch this before they post negative or racist comments on articles on the subject. If you can watch this and still say that the First Nations don’t deserve anything more than they already have, there is something very wrong with you.
And then there is this recent example of the treatment of a First Nations people in Manitoba. Shame on the Provincial government that flooded their reserve and then doesn’t properly relocate them. Shame on the Feds for not stepping in either. You have to read/watch this and click HERE to go to Causes and sign the petition.
Here is some more background information about the injustices done by the Canadian Government by trying to strip First Nations of their culture, and the Catholic Church for allowing cruelty to be perpetrated on these poor scared children. People need to be aware of what has happened before they should dare criticize Native people:
Feature: The Canadian Holocaust: Hidden No Longer – Kevin Annett – Unrepentant
Some more great wisdom:
The Old Mans Journal – A Call For Unity the Indigenous Spring of 2013 to Protect the Earth and Its People
There is so much out there on this subject, I’m sure there are many more good links, but I have to put a limit on it at this point… Now for my own words:
(originally posted on Facebook “Idle No More – Official” page on January 12th)
Here’s my take as of now….. It seems that things are getting a little muddled and the mainstream media loves to pick up on any weakness. I thought/believed/hoped that this movement was concentrating on Harper’s enacting bills that affect EVERYONE (all Canadians). In particular the gutting of environmental regulations, selling our resources to China, and the just all out exploitation of all resources, no matter what the environmental damage.
Now it seems to be getting confused with chiefs, and the hunger strike, meetings, etc. Yes, I realize that this is a Native driven movement, but it can’t become “Native” against “White”. What I want to see and what I believe will help everyone along is for this movement to be inclusive of all Canadians. As all Canadians respect clean air, land, and water. We all want wild spaces left wild and not contaminated. Spaces that support food/subsistence hunting and gathering.
What my hope was that through treaty rights and Indian Act laws, the First Nations would have a legal leg to stand on to challenge Harper on all these bills and regulations that he is making changes to without consultation with First Nations, which I believe is required.
What we all want is for Harper to back up and to be able to force him to reconsider what he is doing, because he is pissing EVERYONE off!!! All Canadians will back this movement as long as it is clear what we are really fighting for. The movement will lose support if it becomes all about renegotiating treaty rights and funding and all the issues that the government has done wrong. There is already an amazing amount of negative commenting that I have seen on some mainstream media articles (Ottawa Citizen, National Post). We should all know that people have been taught all those negative stereotypes about natives. That is going to take something special to get past for the majority of con supporters and urban dwellers.
The treaty rights issue is important but it is also HUGE. It can’t be dealt with quickly and the protests will die out before anything could possibly be changed. That way Harper will win, if it all dies out quietly. What we need is to concentrate on one battle at a time, starting with the highest priority, and something that can be attainable and measurable as a win.
I believe that that fight needs to be the issue of unbridled exploitation of the oil and gas development without regard for the environment. PERIOD. Let’s start there because it deals directly with the contamination and use of treaty territories without consultation, which shouldn’t be allowed. And it stands to be the most harmful and irreversible issue (to me anyway) that is the biggest threat to all Canadians and especially to the health of all nations in the north. Most Canadians also are now aware of the FIPA issue and CNOOC deals, and do not want to sell out our National resources to China.
I believe if we concentrate on the environmental oil and gas issues, we will have the support of millions of Canadians, no matter what colour they are. And that they will all stand behind the Native leaders if they have the intention of taking the Harper government to task in COURT on the issues that the newly rammed through Bills infringe on.
Care needs to be taken as to not cause any undo hardships on working Canadians. They need to get to work freely. Blockading access for regular-working-stiff/slave Canadian’s freedom of movement is not the way to go. It will only create backlash attitudes in those that you are trying to win over.
Now this is what I have wanted to see and what I have been advocating:
Kamloops News – Canadians Urged To Fight Omnibus Bill
From left, Shane Camille, Joe Meldrum and Randy Sam perform drum songs before the start of Friday’s march through downtown Kamloops. |
Excerpt:
Organizers of Friday’s rally repeatedly stressed that Idle No More is an inclusive movement, not confined to aboriginal issues. All Canadians need to understand the implications of environmental protections weakened by bills C-35 and C-45, the omnibus legislation passed in December.
“We’re being very cognizant of the fact that we have a lot of non-aboriginal allies,” said Lenora Starr, a march organizer.
Idle No More is all about making people understand the impact of the new legislation, she told the rally.
“We’re just really thankful that aboriginal people have the constitutional right to be able to challenge this legislation,” said Anita Strong, who joined the march. “The rest of us don’t have that.”
“There should be 5,000 people here, not 50,” said another non-aboriginal who didn’t want to give her name. “What they’re doing to Canada is appalling and unforgivable.”
The Mikisew Cree Nation has declared its intention to bring a constitutional challenge against Bill C-45, Good said. It would take 10 years to fight the case to the Supreme Court of Canada, but if the litigants can demonstrate that the legislation could cause irreparable harm that money could not mitigate, they could obtain a court injunction against the legislation as an interim measure.
“I think it should be a groundswell of Canadian efforts to repeal the act,” Good said. “My hope that the entire bill will be repealed and that, in the interest of democracy, it can be unbundled and Canadians can understand what it means.”
Ok, so let’s go. If there is legal standpoint to get an injunction, then we can at least delay the destruction of the lands for as long as we can drag it out for; the courts seem to allow those stall tactics. Ten years, ok. That will cost the government a few billion in tax revenues – billions more in lost profit to the oil and gas companies. In order to get their attention, it has to cost them money, as that is the only thing they hold dear.
All this talk about high level meetings and such just slows the process of protecting the lands, and gives Harper and Big Oil the idea that all they have to do is negotiate a bigger pay off to the native leaders. If they absolutely want to destroy and rape all the lands and water, then you need to hold out for a really big pay out so that you can move to where there is clean water (that might be an impossible challenge in itself). I do not recommend allowing your leaders the idea of biting at the golden carrot. It is a sell out to everything you hold dear and everything that other Canadians hold dear (at least most of us). To sell out would be to give up on the territories and would be the end of the natural world of the north. It would also be the selling out of our last hope to stave off the gluttonous big oil companies and the Harper pigs.
Spreecast – Idle No More – Where Do We Go From Here – Part 1
Via Geoffrey Rankin |
There are 3 parts to this presentation. You will find the other 2 at the link for Part 1. The Spreecast went down a few times during the broadcast, but it seams together without missing anything when you watch all 3 parts. Highly recommended. This was a great, spirited, informative, inspirational get together at UVIC on the evening of January 16th. Wait until they finally swing the camera around and so you the standing room only, and out into the hallway crowd that attended. It was awesome!!
Nathan Cullen – Describes What the Cons Consider Consultation
A quick 1:30 clip of Nathan Cullen, NDP, Leader of the House on December 5, 2012. His constituency includes the Central and Northern Coast including Kitimat where the pipeline is proposed to go to.
Continued….
In response to the comment by R.J. Pare below, I expanded on this posting with another post.
More Thoughts on Idle No More Click to go there.
Stop the Insanity: Some Thoughts on Idle No More
Well, I said I would create a new post about the Idle No More movement. Occupy The Parliament Buildings‘s photo. In response to some of the backlash against Chief Spence, here is a good article in her defense:Chelsea Vowel – Tells Where the Attawapiskat Money Went Here is a great
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Pulverizing Spence
Like, Pavlov’s dogs, the corporate media have bought the government’s line that native Canadians are lazy parasites. Michael Harris writes: Reading the media this week has been like having a picnic on the killing floor of an abattoir. By my count, Chief Spence has been fat-shamed, bitch-slapped, traduced and ridiculed.
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Randy Hillier, Then And Now
Tory MPP Randy Hillier has been taking some flack over on his Facebook page for condemning Idle No More protests after having having engaged in some highway blocking himself back in the day. Here’s his initial statement: McGuinty states”In our democracy, we do not direct the police, that would be inappropriate” Either Dalton does not
Continue reading