T-shirt, check. Selfie, check. Now to slightly stretch it out so I can wear it in public. I was drawn to the Strong, Resilient, Indigenous tshirts primarily because of the 2016 Wildfire. The Indigenous communities in this region were beyond resilient, resourceful and there for us. We evacuated to Fort McMurray First Nation #468, who within minutes of the first evacuation alarm had reached out offering shelter. You will hear similar stories in Fort McKay, Janvier, Fort Chipewyan and Conklin. Open doors and arms welcomed the exhausted residents of Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek and later Anzac for hours, days and in many cases weeks. I am so proud to be Indigenous, when times are beyond difficult, our resilience and strength shines the brightest of lights. Thank you to all of the First Nations, Metis and Rural communities. Never too late to be grateful. #woodbuffalostrong To order your own, go to Spreadshirt
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Recently, I was introduced to the Bigstone Empowerment Society, a group of members from my First Nation who have three big objectives: 1) Repatriate our Nation's artifacts; 2) Build resilience amongst our membership through language and cultural retention; and 3) Empower our Nation's young adults and youth, instilling an interest in future leadership. For so long I have felt on the periphery of Bigstone Cree Nation. My grandmother was Maggie Auger and my mosom was Harvey Gladue. However, as an off-reserve member, my only interaction has been when my health benefits have expired (Bigstone is the only First Nation in Alberta to bring their health benefits in house, so I'm not complaining about that, but just goes to show how complicit I have been in my civic duty). I am always so proud to tell people that I am a member of Bigstone Cree Nation. We are the largest First Nation in Treaty 8, one of the biggest land masses in Northern Alberta and have a long and proud history. Councillor Anderson's recent resignation letter from the Bigstone business holdings brought to light something I was completely unaware of: Bigstone has significant business holdings. While I agree with her stepping down, I have to ask, who will replace her?
I'd like to at least know the annual profit or loss of each of these business venture, whether or not they distributed dividends, essentially I'd just like to be informed. Those dividends should go to those in need (member households with single incomes, or members without incomes). The last membership meeting in early March was apparently really informative, but due to the snow storm I arrived late and had a very brief opportunity to speak with the remaining council members who were present. With another membership meeting being called in Wabasca for March 28th, I have to point out that the frequency of Band membership meetings is indicative of one thing, an upcoming election. So here is my commitment: next time, I'll be leaving earlier from Fort McMurray, next time, I'll be asking a lot of questions. Bigstone members - You should too! Everyone else - You should too! (with your own First Nation, Metis, Inuit or Canadian politicians!) Civic participation is defined as: individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. It can also be defined as citizens working together to make a change or difference in the community. In closing, thank you to the Bigstone Empowerment Society for providing a venue where those of us Nation members, the up and coming political, or social, or cultural, or entrepreneurship leaders:
When I was looking into background on this statue, I quickly realized that the statue was removed on February 4th. Which makes this post incrementally paseé, however the act of the removal is still being debated, so I'll throw my two cents into the ring. When I looked at the debates, a fundamental question arose: "do I consider the removal of the Cornwallis statue historical negationism or revisionism"? Negationism (denialism), is the illegitimate distortion of the historical record. It is often imprecisely referred to as historical revisionism, but that term also denotes a legitimate academic pursuit of re-interpretation of the historical record and questioning the accepted views. Negationism presents a re-interpretation of the moral meaning of the historical record (often negating the experience of the persecuted, shining a more positive light on the persecutor). For example, historical negationism is the denials that mass genocides had ever occurred, this has happened with three major historical atrocities: the Armenian genocide during World War I, the Holocaust and Japanese war crimes during World War II. Denying that these cataclysmic events ever took place is illegal in Canada, and is an assault on truth and understanding. Comprehension and memory of the past are crucial to how we understand ourselves, our society, and our goals for the future. Intentionally denying or distorting the historical record threatens communal understanding of how to safeguard democracy and individual rights. (Sound familiar? Cough... cough... Sen. Lynn Beyak). On the other hand, there is historical revisionism which is the re-interpretation of a historical record, based on new information, societal guilt or the evolution of philosophy. In the situation of the Cornwallis Statue, would it have been better to have clarified, re-done, or replaced it. I believe yes. Leaving something blank, with no explanation of why or something to recognize it was there and why it was taken. Case in point, the Berlin Wall went on a tour last year. Four pieces made their way to Jakarta to be apart of an art installation and share the universal message that accompanied the taking down of the berlin wall, that we are better together not apart. Perhaps Cornwallis could go on a tour as well? I'd welcome it here perhaps with different artistic interpretations? Then people would know why it was removed. The "why" is the important part, the "why" is how we change the world for the better. One of my go-to books for the history of Fort Chipewyan, the oldest settlement in Alberta, is Dr. Pat McCormack's Fort Chipewyan and the Shaping of Canadian History, 1788-1920s "We like to be free in this country". Fortunate to have had Dr. McCormack as my Indigenous Health professor in University, I first had got to see her passion for Fort Chipewyan and telling its history. More so, the people of Fort Chipewyan and how continuous Euro-Canadian settlement starting in 1788 impacted Indigenous societies in the area. The Indigenous societies themselves were made up of "highly diverse citizenry - culturally, ethnically, racially, and linguistically" (pg. 210) who stood up for their nationhood and "did not placidly accept" (pg. 210) Canadian colonialism. Fort Chipewyan had always been more than just a trading post and a transhipment point. From its earliest days, it has also been a local industrial centre, where craftsmen, some of them skilled tradesmen, and other residents manufactured items for post use and for sale to Aboriginal hunters. (pg. 133) It was also the social gathering centre for the North, tea dances (both Cree and Chipewyan) would bring people in, as well as the opportunity to play hand games. Ralph and I traveled to Fort Chipewyan a few weekends ago to see the winterfest handgames tournament. One of the judges, who's nickname was Blinky, explained that handgames are a way that people would settle their differences, sitting across from one another, communicating, in a jovial environment ultimately resulted in positive relations. Dr. McCormack describes them as a "display of group affiliations and intergroup boundaries within the broader social community". I'm not sure if she is suggesting that it:
Fort Chipewyan Winterfest 2018 I lean more toward the latter, akin to Blinky's explanation that handgames are a form of dispute resolution. In terms of traditional laws, there are many other examples all throughout Dr. McCormack's work. Having such an in-depth account told from the perspective of Indigenous people (allyship) is such a gift to developing a better understanding of Indigenous societies and how they have prevailed despite colonialism or capitalism. Very much looking forward to reading her other works:
Notes:
When working on or within the traditional territory of an Indigenous Nation (essentially everywhere) there is a respectful protocol to follow. The long struggle by Indigenous Nations for the simplest form of respect has been tough, but through it all this basic protocol has survived and thrived. An example I could most relate this to is the protocol that is expected in Asian business dealings. You wouldn't leave your international business relations to chance, so why would you do so with Indigenous Nations? Etiquette is important, not only in business but also in every day dealings. At the very least, I recommend that everyone get to know the appropriate greeting (either in advance or at first meeting). If you haven't had a chance in advance be sure to ask the appropriate greeting and go with what is told to you. The act of asking in itself is respectful. This past Friday, I had a wonderful lunch with a wonderful Dene Elder and he told me that Edlanet’e (which you may be introduced to) is a question (how are you?), so be prepared to respond to the response (Ɂasost’ıl’e sı̨). Another option is hóʔą (which means "welcome"). If you want to familiarize yourself with Indigenous greetings (especially the pronunciation), check out these amazing resources: Smart Phone Apps:
Athabasca Tribal Council - Cree App (google play & apple store) Cold Lake First Nation -Dene App (google play & apple store) Websites/FB Groups: Denesułiné Hedarúlden (Let's learn Denesułiné) Dene Language Learning #CreeSimonSays Cree Language Resources |
About me
I grew up in Athabasca, AB and have spent the majority of my life in Northern Alberta or Montreal, PQ. My husband has been in Fort McMurray since the 70s and continues to love this town and all that it has to offer. We are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending our summer weekends quadding and camping. As Opimian members we thoroughly enjoy wine pairings and tastings and are working on our wine collection. Ralph is a carpenter by trade and has framed more houses in Fort McMurray than I could count and knows the city inside and out. I work all throughout the region from the NWT to Janvier for the tribal council. My passion is doodling and photography which is featured throughout the website (various mediums), writing, Indigenous studies, and learning in general. Categories |