| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/18/2008 11:27:11 PM | Runs With Wolves thanks for the both your posts
In its early life the young tree may have been broken with threads of connection to its roots for survival. The tree survives with a slight bend or break where it may have been impacted causing it to be weak.
Your grandfathers metaphor shares a lot of wisdom, I fear though some of the trees may have survived and stand strong, they just don't realize it roots were actually stolen and what little remains of these trees are no longer the forest he knew. | |
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 9:05:54 AM |
Your grandfathers metaphor shares a lot of wisdom, I fear though some of the trees may have survived and stand strong, they just don't realize it roots were actually stolen and what little remains of these trees are no longer the forest he knew.
I hear you mountain, on the same note, I beg to differ. I have said that the language carries with it a philosophy, a way of being and so do the lands. There are insurmountable odds against the revival of language for all nations; a few are working diligently with what resources available to teach the language in the communities and the schools. A nation is not a nation without land and as a result, most of the traditional territories that come along with ‘Land Claims’ are still being negotiated in the courts today.
Humans are not static by nature, we move and we adapt what is best for our survival. We’ve all moved from where we were to today regardless of the obstacles. How we move into this century is up to you and I and how we view each other. Our sources n foundation as First Nation Peoples is there. We strongly identify as a separate nation and yet living side by side. We know non-natives are not about to leave our home country, we do need to share and start treating each other like human beings that do understand what is being done.
The forest he knew is visible in all that I see…. | |
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 11:12:37 AM | ^^^^Runs With Wolves , yes you are quite right saying all people should get along with each other.
Sadly that has never been the case with few exceptions noted. Historically a more superior people, by whatever means, if only more brutal, has always taken over another culture and dominated. The plight of the Canadian First Nations is not much different, though losses have been severe at least they were for most part not massacres in Cananda.
To amalgamate cultures is difficult to say the least and as Christianity has proven in the Americas it was very successful in removing the cultural bases of many a people and where they were not persecuted they remained humans living within their lands but without a home or purpose. The evolution would call this failure to adapt repeated over and over, and it is. We may be able to restore some of the languages lost, some of the traditional ways, but from what I've seen much of it is turning into a stage show for tourism. The best example are the Polynesians shows in Hawaii. LOL
Apologies are nice, unfortunately they cannot resolve the human tragedy of the deeper psychological trauma that ails most aboriginal races. The signs we see in all too well in the substance abuse and the peoples inabilities to find their way combining their traditional ways into a changed world. Even when land resources and their management are returned as best as possible the people are not coping well. One of the most recent and possibly most horrid examples are the people in our arctic. Communities are literally destroying themselves with rape even incest rampant, suicides and substance abuse despite efforts to keep communities dry. Much of the reasons are that the old ways to sustain themselves have become unnecessary and there is little else to do. The people are obviously not able to adapt and make the "jump" into different life style without the suffering we see. Perhaps a step the aboriginal people further south went through already, maybe not in quite the same way, but the outcome seems much the same. | |
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 12:33:26 PM |
Communities are literally destroying themselves with rape even incest rampant, suicides and substance abuse despite efforts to keep communities dry. Much of the reasons are that the old ways to sustain themselves have become unnecessary and there is little else to do.
Totally disagree with your summation. I could understand your perception and how you come to your conclusions about what you might want to call the demise of the traditional Indian. I too have travelled to other nations not of my people and have literally experienced my vehicle being searched for alcohol upon entrance to a drug and alcohol restriction zone reserve. There is nothing more humbling then to experience what needs to be done for the sake empowering a people.
As much as we defend our legacy here with you, we fight and at times contend with the internal politics of our own people. The healing that needs to happen and is happening as a result of the intergenerational effects of the Residential Schools and having been colonized and deported from our homelands. The healing is a constant struggle with each community and nation at different stages of redevelopment from each other. To blanket your experience Mountain to all of us is causing a fracture and a stalemate in this dialogue. Then again, this is reality.
Our leaders recognize their own healing is requiring attention and it is common knowledge with our people. I know that you know this to be true. Lateral violence in the workplace within the small reserve communities is a direct result of First Nation political refugees coming into the city. Some individuals and leaders on reserves don’t want to begin to heal with what little design they have on power and toxic influences they expose leaving their people chaotic and powerless. These negative influences is work we as First Nations need to do as a people and is recognized and not necessarily left dormant as you perceive it to be.
The people are obviously not able to adapt and make the "jump" into different life style without the suffering we see.
Agree, it is inevitable that suffering is happening. I’ve witnessed it on my home reserve and here in the city. I was in the DTES yesterday at a women’s center. I ate lunch with the women that were there for their daily rituals. I knew for each of them there was a story not all of would comprehend but it was there. I knew in my quietness, I am one of them with my own story.
To make jump would mean to acknowledge what has been done and what forms who we are today. For a lot of our people, to breath with dignity with immediate survival needs accomplished is a daily struggle. There is a long path from survival to knowing where you came from and the history of what brought you to your place in this time and day. It is not as easy as you might see your world.
Perhaps a step the aboriginal people further south went through already, maybe not in quite the same way, but the outcome seems much the same.
Navajo’s have encountered the struggle we are going through and they did it with a strong determination of knowing and keeping their language. Which brings us back to square one…
The Formal Apology made by your government. | |
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 3:07:10 PM | Runs With Wolves = I applaud you. You are a very wise woman and you are also a very courageous woman. You've shared some things that most people would be afraid to, and you've done so without defensiveness, without resentment or bitterness. You have maintained a strength of spirit and are therefore much 'easier' to read than someone like me = esp where emotional topics are concerned.
I am one whose ancestors are guilty of the travesties done to First Nations People and I am one who is truelly sorry for their absolute barbarism and ignorance. Were it up to me - I would give you back the keys. We (our government) is incapable of making up for what was done - but they can sure as hell do a lot better than they have.
The Powow at which I witness the Elders doing the Forgiveness Dance was almost 15 years ago... Well before Any apology was even considered. For what it was worth I spoke to one of those elders and made my sincere apologies for my ancestors. At the same time I am saddened at the fact that so many feel that just because it was then and not now we should all just forget about it. Very sad, some just don't get the depth of what was done .. I'm sorry .
I think 'we' could learn a lot about healing this country, if we could just Listen to each other and Love our differences rather than continuing to do the wrong thing.
As for "it" being in the past/ history .. whatever! That's easy to say when you're the thief (or your ancestors are)! Healing begins when Both sides acknowledge the wrong and their roles = victim And offender(s).
Runs With Wolves - You keep on healing, we need more like you. You are a beautiful, courageous woman and you can teach us so much. Please take care of you, and thank you.
A.S.is
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 3:39:09 PM | | But what did the Canadian government official say right after the appology? ........................something about the "poor work ethics" of First Nations People. Nobody else heard that part? What? | |
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 3:46:27 PM | ^^^runs with wolves
we may differ in our understanding the events surrounding the issues for the reasons that you look out from within and I look in from the outside.
We agree in that we both recognize much wrong, much to be done and that things could and should be different; for that I trust that we respect each other as it should be knowing the past cannot be changed. The apology stands as acknowledgment, a symbolic gesture as was smoking the pipe over the burial of the tomahawk at dusk while all eyes will focus on a new dawn. | |
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| Canada formally apologizes to the Indians...
Posted: 6/19/2008 7:31:40 PM |
Well before Any apology was even considered. For what it was worth I spoke to one of those elders and made my sincere apologies for my ancestors. At the same time I am saddened at the fact that so many feel that just because it was then and not now we should all just forget about it. Very sad, some just don't get the depth of what was done .. I'm sorry .
Your sense of acknowledgement validates that I have been heard. Thank you…
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