Norval Morrisseau Blog

Posted March 27, 2010 By móniyáw

Before I first met Norval Morrisseau, several events took place, the significance of which I did not recognize.

My father, Paul Edwards, was a kind and generous man who taught me, by his own example, to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This Golden Rule was the philosophy of life by which he chose to live.

Dad owned and operated a small cutlery shop located on the edge of an area known as “Skid Row”, in the downtown eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia. As a merchant in one of the poorest urban communities in Canada, encounters with people needing some kind of assistance was almost a daily occurrence.

. . .

As I got to know Norval better, I learned that this is how it was with him; as if our meeting was expected or meant to be.

Two things quickly emerge when I meet someone deeply spiritual from an aboriginal culture: the first is the genuine friendlyness and warmth that you can feel, the second is the sense that a chance meeting was expected or somehow mean to be.

You can read the entire blog post here.

Categories: Culture, First Nation
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“. . .alcohol basically changed my life forever. . .” — Actor Adam Beach

Posted March 25, 2010 By móniyáw

OTTAWA — Actor Adam Beach knows about the heartache of losing both parents at an early age and says their spirit guides him now as he carries on raising three children as a single father.

“For me, alcohol basically changed my life forever,” said Beach, 37, told an audience of about 100 people Thursday at Carleton University.

The actor who appeared in Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers and the TV series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Big Love has been in Ottawa filming a TV movie, The Stepson.

“When I lost my parents, I lost my support. My mom was hit by a drunk driver when I was eight years old. She died in a ditch, she was eight-months pregnant. And then two months later, my dad drowned,” said Beach, adding his father was believed to have been drunk at the time.

. . .

“Losing a parent who is supposed to teach you, guide you and is supposed to be a reflection of you, I didn’t have that. So, my only reflection was the people I met, people who would tell me information and then I would make my choices on what I wanted to do.”

A worthwhile read for anyone who is trying to decide what road to take in life. You can read the entire article here.

Categories: Arts, Culture
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Will the new law intended to end discrimination lead to greater tension?

Posted March 24, 2010 By móniyáw

MONTREAL — Kahnawake, the Mohawk community of 8,000 on Montreal’s South Shore, could see its population double as a result of a proposed federal law that aims to end discrimination against aboriginal women.

If passed, Bill C-3 would amend Canada’s Indian Act and extend Indian status to the grandchildren of First Nations women who married non-First Nations men.

Currently, only grandchildren of First Nations men who marry non-First Nations women are granted Indian status and such accompanying rights as tax exemptions and money for education.

. . .

Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl has said he has no idea how much it will cost to end gender discrimination in the Indian Act and has announced no new funding.

“We’ve been warning people about the McIvor decision” and what it could mean for Kahnawake, said Joe Delaronde, a Mohawk band council spokesman.

“The pot of money will stay the same but there will be more demands on it,” Delaronde said. “There will be shortfalls.”

Under federal law, aboriginal communities receive funding based on Ottawa’s band-member registries for education, health care and other services.

The rules around funding are complicated, this “sound bite” does not completely explain the complexity of the rules around those who qualify for funding. A number of bands will struggle to meet the demands placed by the needs of new members, but it is hard for a group that has complained of unfair treatment and discrimination in the past to now ignore the needs of others.

The full article is here.

Categories: Rights
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Government needs to take a stand and protect Aboriginal women at risk

By móniyáw

The head of a national Aboriginal women’s group urged a police task force looking at the deaths of missing and murdered high-risk Manitoba women to review suspicious deaths as well.Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell, president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), was in Winnipeg on Tuesday to speak about violence against women.

RCMP headquarters in Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Police Service announced a seven-officer joint task force this August, bolstered by two civilian analysts. It’s reviewing 84 unsolved deaths and missing persons cases where foul play is suspected, dating back to 1926.

The task force does not have a mandate to examine deaths that are initially classified as suspicious but are not ultimately determined to be homicides.

For example, the task force is not examining the April 2009 death of Nicole Daniels, 16, who was found in a Transcona parking lot with a condom in her pocket and high amounts of alcohol in her system.

. . .

The organization estimated as of November 2008 there were 510 cases of missing or murdered Aboriginal women and girls, and put that number at more than 520 by early this year.

Corbiere-Lavell said leadership of Native communities – who are mostly men – must treat the issue of violence against women as a governance issue, not a social problem.

She said violence against First Nations is not simply an “internal problem” for the community.

The limited scope of the task force makes sense when you consider there is a larger problem that goes beyond Winnipeg and Manitoba. The government needs to take action and begin working to protect Aboriginal women at risk in Canada. From the short sentence given to Nicole Daniels above, the reader might decide this is the story of a teenager who drank too much, but the real story is much more disturbing and begs the question: why are the authorities not investigating the case of Nicole Daniels as murder? A young girl of 16 years is found dead, bruised, with large amounts of alcohol in her system and the authorities say the case is closed? Why does the Winnipeg Free Press feel it is necessary to mention that Nicole had a condom in her pocket?

You can read the full story about the task force here and learn more about Nicole Daniels here.

Categories: Crime, Women, Youth
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Can you spot the real Indian?

Posted March 23, 2010 By móniyáw

Who gets to decide who’s a real Indian? Should it be the federal government, with its complex, constantly changing rules about racial purity? Or should it be natives themselves?

The debate is going to get even messier in the wake of the legislation recently introduced that tinkers yet again with the definition of status Indian.

. . .

For their part, aboriginal leaders complain that it’s not up to the government to define native heritage.

“It is fair and just that Indian status will be restored to those who lost it because of inequality in the Indian Act,” Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, declared after the legislation was tabled.

“But the real problem is the Indian Act itself. The government of Canada should not be able to decide who is and who is not a First Nation citizen.”

It is the right of any nation to identify its citizens, said Atleo. True, but no other ethnic group in Canada is entitled to specific rights and benefits based on race.

And the notion that the state should provide special benefits to certain natives, in perpetuity, just because they’re status Indians sticks in the craw of many Canadians.

There’s a glimmer of hope, however. The Gitxsan First Nation in B.C. wants out of the whole reserve system. And, go figure, they want to pay taxes just like everyone else.

How would you define who qualifies under the Indian Act? How long should the state provide special benefits to certain natives?

The Gitxsan First Nation is taking a step in a very different direction from the majority of those who qualify under the Indian Act, eventually won’t benefits end for future generations anyways?

Read the full post here.

Categories: First Nation, Rights
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Student appeals for First Nations University funding

By móniyáw

I am 26 years old and currently starting my PhD in Community Health in St. John’s Newfoundland. I would like to stress the significant impact that the professors and classroom style that First Nations University of Canada has had on my education and life-skills success. This university is important because it recognizes the fact that not all students learn in the same ways, but it actually moves beyond this recognition and adapts so that they can learn. I know that some students attend to learn more about their own culture. I attended hoping to learn more about their history, and ended up with the realization that it is our history. I witnessed students that I had previously heard making racist remarks about First Nations people, take classes there and then stand up against the racist remarks after having completed the semester.

Hopefully the egos, attitudes, and politics around First Nations University can be set aside to build an institution that works to help Aboriginal people build an education and a future. If the doors cannot be kept open at FNU under improved management, then the government needs to put together a coehesive and meaningful strategy to help Aboriginal people across Canada.

Read the entire blog post here.

Categories: Education, First Nation
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St. Thomas University working to address the needs of First Nations

By móniyáw

Chris George, director of aboriginal education initiatives at STU, is just getting his feet wet as he manages $1 million in provincial funds not only to attract native students to the university, but to help them complete their educations.

“There seems to be a large (number of dropouts) after the first and second year. Part of the job is to diagnose the problem and then try to find solutions to it,” George said. (more…)

Categories: Education, First Nation, Youth
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Phil Fontaine Speaks Regarding First Nations Relationship with the Crown

Posted March 22, 2010 By móniyáw

Phil Fontaine has spent so many years on the stump, it barely seems to phase him. So, when he was invited to address a top-notch conference on treaty rights and resource development last week, he barely seemed to break stride.

Dressed in a dark blue T-shirt and slacks, Fontaine slowly laid out his modern-day views on treaties.

While aboriginal people have had a special relationship with the Crown for more than 100 years, the recent recession and current recovery process are redefining the relationship, he argued.

Historically, First Nation leaders and the government have sought a “peaceful coexistence” that’s been based on a sharing of the riches of Mother Earth, he said. (more…)

Categories: Business, Environment, First Nation
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8,000 Sacred Drums Gathering – Edmonton – Spring equinox

Posted March 19, 2010 By móniyáw

Title: 8,000 Sacred Drums Gathering – Edmonton – Spring equinox
Location: Dawson Park, Edmonton
Link out: Click here
Description:

8000 SACRED DRUMS GATHERING again this Spring Equinox 2010.
======================================================
Again, the Otomi Toltec elders of Mexico will be holding annual ceremonies to gather as many sacred drummers together all around the globe to continue the fulfillment of their 500-year old prophecy with the powerful intention to open healing of our blessed earth mother and Human Family -. You can join us in this gathering, to be together in the Otomi Toltec Sacred Land and/or drumming wherever you are at this time!

Let us join together with all indigenous nations around the world in calling for peace – for dignity – for justice – for healing.

**OTOMI TOLTEC PROPHECY
According to a Sacred Prophecy revealed at the Otomi Ceremonial Center by the Otomi Toltec Elders:

<<The day when the sounds of 8,000 Sacred Drums join together will be the beginning of the real healing of Mother Earth and Humanity. It is time to unify ourselves to rediscover the seeds of the Four Directions – to reactivate cosmic energy, heal historical wounds. It’s time to respect life, liberty and the dignity of Our Peoples>>

The first great ceremony was held March 21, 2004 in Temoaya, Mexico. Drum circles joined around the world on the Spring Equinox. This Ceremony comming from the Otomi Toltec Spiritual Tradition will continue each year.

PRINCIPLES:
- To seal and to heal each wounded vortex of our Mother Earth. To heal our Peoples and Relatives.
- To identify and to activate the Indigenous energy centers at sacred places. This is our duty.
- To plant and to strength consciousness of love and respect for our Mother Earth. This is everyone’s work.
- The Indigenous ancestral recommendation is to create and to practice our ancient culture of Peace and Life. This is fundamental.
- The recognition and use of the energy and healing properties of our sacred instruments

We’ll join indigenous nations around the world in calling for peace – for dignity – justice – for healing-. With the previous request of the people interested and the agreement written by the Otomi Toltec Elders, you can also do one for your area there too! It’s open to everyone… every organization.. every band/tribe/first nation, school, native housing complex, friendship centre, street, house, park, community centre, gathering.
* * * * * * * *
*All these ceremonies will take place with the previous agreement written of the Otomi Toltec Elders, just for honouring the protocols and guiding principles of this Sacred Ceremony comming for this Indigenous Culture and Ancestral Spiritual Tradition.
* * * * * * * *
Looking forward to drumming with you all again…
With Love, Peace and Respect.
We’re all related.

Council of Elders and Wisdomkeepers of the Otomi Toltec People

Categories: Events
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Very Angry Native

By móniyáw

Right now I’m owning the title/stereotype/image/whatever you conjure up in your mind about “angry Natives” because along with the usual colonial-type affronts to our people and communities, there are some notable racist extremities happening across Canada as of late. Initially I felt like there was just way too much going on to even write a single post about — but I thought to at least round up a few of the points of why I’m so flippin’, screaming, ANGRY that may shed light on what some of you may not be aware of yet.

Powerful post you can read here. I have begun to notice a new generation of Native descent youth who are speaking out about these issues — you can read more about Jessica Yee here.

Categories: Education, First Nation, History
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