The Aboriginal Newspaper of British
Columbia & Yukon
Published
November 13, 2000
The Skidegate Haida Dancers were in Edmonton on Oct. 13 to
perform at the Dreamcatcher 2000 youth conference at Grant MacEwan
Community College.
Photo Credit: Debora Lockyer Steel
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Photo Credit: Debora Lockyer Steel |
Native media watchdog group aims to educate
by Ronald B. BarbourBringing the ancestors home
by Troy HunterGrand chief appointed minister
by Troy HunterWalk sober and wave a flag
by Cheryl PettenWell-written, well-performed tragic tale
by Zoe Leigh HopkinsCourt action only way to advance cause
by Keith Matthew
Raven's Eye columnistThis is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the November, 2000 issue of Raven's Eye. If you are not receiving your own copy of Raven's Eye, then you have missed out on a lot.
Native media watchdog group aims to educate
By Ronald B. Barbour
Raven's Eye Writer
Sparked into action by derogatory remarks expressed by rock
music mogul Bruce Allen on a Vancouver radio station, a group
called One Voice Has Power has vowed to keep diligent vigil on
all forms media.
After Allen's Aug. 3 on-air rant, the group, spearheaded by Kat
Norris, began a information blitz calling for community action
by way of a demonstration in front of the offices of CFOX.
We've tried to shift the focus away from Bruce Allen," said
Norris. "In fact, more than anything, we're thankful to
him for providing the incentive to start looking at how to deal
with the big picture."
Norris said the big picture goes beyond the anti-Native spin
and negative stereotypes of Natives permeating mainstream media
coverage of First Nations' issues. Norris said Natives experience
invalidating behavior every day, while banking, shopping, even
hailing a taxi.
"We've all experienced that at one point or another,"
said Norris, "and we need to educate the non-Native communities
that we are here and deserve to be treated like everyone else."
While protesting the station on the basis that, by law, no station
or network is to broadcast material that is racist, discriminatory
or of a hateful nature, Norris mused that the demonstration was
"putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound." After considerable
brainstorming with other concerned individuals, including Pat
Gambler, who initiated a complaint against CFOX through the CRTC,
the idea of One Voice Has Power began to congeal.
The name of the group was chosen because it empowers the individual.
It reminds us all that, even individually, we do have the power
to affect change.
Norris was impressed that she has already received a number of
calls from people wanting to get involved with the group. Norris
is confident that the group might be the catalyst for some interesting
changes.
By Troy Hunter
Raven's Eye Writer
VICTORIA
Fourteen Haida ancestors were repatriated from the provincial
museum, placed in their own bentwood boxes and brought home for
reburial. They are the latest of many Haida remains to be returned
to their communities after long years stored in museums across
Canada and the United States.
"It started at the Royal British Columbia Museum. We approached
the museum first. That is something that we always stress, that
it's really important for the First Nations to do the initiations,"
said Vince Collison. "It's got to come from the community.
They are the ones that have to initiate that activity."
In all, the Haida have repatriated about 202 human remains.
There are still institutions, especially in the United States
and beyond, that have Haida ancestral remains. The Field Museum
in Chicago and the museums in New York are next on the list for
initiating repatriations.
"The numbers sound staggering but we have heard from other
First Nations some 5,000 human remains were taken away and still
have to be repatriated," he said.
"It's actually good that there are no laws in Canada concerning
repatriations because this way, we don't get stuck in a bureaucracy,"
said Nika Collison. "In the United States, there is the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and through
that process there is a lot of red tape and the museums end up
taking as long as they want."
The Skidegate community got involved in the repatriations in
February 1999. They worked with the Old Massett Repatriation
Committee and their initial work was repatriating ancestral remains
from the University of British Columbia's, museum of anthropology.
They repatriated six remains, four of which went to Skidegate.
The communities have been involved extensively in preparing for
the repatriations. Bentwood boxes, blankets, and mats were prepared
in order to respectfully re-bury the remains. The community members
are the ones that plan and give direction. Andy Wilson was the
overseer of the making of the bentwood boxes.
"The blankets were made by the school children. The bentwood
boxes were also a community effort headed up by Andy," said
Irene Willis. "The high school students came out and painted
the bentwood boxes. Weavers go in and weave mats. It gives us
that community place where we can all get together. Everyone
in the community has been touched by that one event. The Elders
share stories and through it there is a lot of goodness shared."
"It was really tough for us to figure out what we were going
to do because we didn't have a process for reburial in our culture,"
Vince Collison said. "We had to figure out a reburial ceremony
and also work out the issues of who is allowed around them."
He tells Raven's Eye that the youth especially had a hard time
working out the issues. There were a lot of issues that kept
coming up but it was the Elders who stepped in and guided them
through the process. One sticking point was where the ancestors
would be reburied. An Elder helped guide the process and allowed
every person present to stand and speak what was on his or her
mind. The decision was finally made to bury the ancestors within
the community cemeteries in order to protect the remains from
being disturbed again.
"The reason why we do this is because we think of them as
our grandmothers and grandfathers," said Lucille Bell, a
Haida from Old Massett.
The committee spoke about the importance of involving the community
in the whole process. It was mentioned that the museums are all
very busy and so if the First Nations are the ones to initiate
the repatriation process then everything will happen quicker
because the ball has started rolling. When the Haida sent a delegation
of 24 members to
Hull, Que. for a repatriation ceremony at Canadian Museum of
Civilization, there were others who were also Haida that came
out and joined in the ceremonies. This was a time of great pride
for the Haida, as well as a time to meet relatives for the first
time.
"Repatriation gives birth. It is even more than the main
focus which is bringing your ancestors home to rest and pay respect
to. It brings people together. There is a cultural surge,"
said Nika Collison. "People who were scared to dance were
out there so proud."
Grand chief appointed minister
By Troy Hunter
Raven's Eye Writer
VICTORIA
Premier Ujjal Dosanjh unveiled a renewed cabinet on Nov. 1,
with 16 changes, including six new members from the government
caucus and Edward John, grand chief of the Tl'azt'en Nation and
executive member of the First Nations Summit.
"My team will lay the groundwork for a new mandate focused
on the changing needs of today's families in health care, in
child care, in education, in environment and forestry, and in
the challenges of the new economy," Dosanjh said.
"It is particularly appropriate that I give special recognition
to Ed John, grand chief of the Tl'Azt'en Nation. Chief John
is joining my hovernment at a crossroad in our province's history,"
said the Premier.
Edward John was appointed Minister for Children and Families.
He is a lawyer, a gereditary chief, served as an elected councillor
of the Tl'azt'en Nation from 1974 to 1992 and as an elected chief
from 1990 to 1992. He is now the grand chief of the Tl'azt'en
Nation.
John negotiated the first child services agreement between the
Ministry for Children and Families and the Carrier-Sekani Tribal
Council. He served as a member of the tripartite British Columbia
Claims Task Force, which recommended the independent B.C. Treaty
Commission be established to facilitate treaty negotiations.
He was also appointed by the province to help implement the recommendations
of the Sullivan Royal Commission on Education in 1988.
John attended Notre Dame University and the University of Victoria,
where he graduated with distinction with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He received his law degree from the University of British Columbia
and practiced law in his own firm in Prince George from 1981
to 1993. He was an associate professor at the University of Victoria
from 1990 to 1997.
John has four children, as well as four stepchildren through
his marriage to Wendy Grant John.
Walk sober and wave a flag
By Cheryl Petten
Raven's Eye Writer
EDMONTON
People across the country will be celebrating addiction-free
living Nov. 12 to 18, during the 13th annual National Addictions
Awareness Week.
The goal of National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW), organized
by Nechi Training, Research & Health Promotions Institute,
is to provide information about and increase awareness of addiction
issues affecting people across Canada, while celebrating successes
in living addiction free. Communities across the country are
invited to take part in the week by organizing local events and
activities related to addictions recovery and healthy lifestyles.
This year, NAAW will officially begin with a Join the Circle
Rally and Walk Sober, to be held in Edmonton Nov. 13. Ceremonies
will begin at Edmonton city hall at 9 a.m., followed by a march
to Sacred Heart Church, where a hot lunch will be served, and
entertainment will be provided.
In recognition of this being the Year of the Unity of Nations,
this year's opening event will be different than in previous
years. Over 80 cultural groups have been invited to take part
in the march, carrying flags and waving banners, and celebrating
community healing. As well, a representative of each province
has also been invited to walk in the march, carrying with them
their province's flag.
Last year, more than 1,000 communities took part in National
Addictions Awareness Week. Based on the number of requests for
NAAW packages received so far, Darlene Auger, program coordinator
for the week, expects this year's participation could be double
that. Auger believes one of the reasons involvement will be greater
is because of invitations sent out to organizations that have
participated in the past, but haven't been involved in the last
few years.
"We sent them letters asking them to come back to the campaign
and join the circle again," Auger said.
Since NAAW first began as a national initiative, the focus of
the week has grown and expanded, Auger explained.
We're moving beyond sobriety . . . we're moving beyond the healing
of self, and beyond the healing of families and we're moving
now into the healing of communities," Auger said.
Another new feature of this year's NAAW will be a theme contest,
giving youth from across Canada a chance to come up with a theme
for next year's NAAW activities.
Since 1997, the theme of NAAW has been "It takes a whole
community to raise a child." This year will be the last
year for that theme to be used.
"We've been using that logo for the last four years, and
it's time for a change," Auger said."
The contest is open to youth groups, clubs or schools. Entries
will be accepted from groups consisting of at least five people,
with participants ranging in age from eight to 18. To take part
in the contest, each group must organize an event or activity
for this year's NAAW, coming up with a theme for their activity.
The group coming up with the winning theme will win $1,000, with
the entry coming in second receiving $500 and the third place
finisher receiving $250.
Although this will be the last year for the "It takes a
whole community to raise a child" theme, NAAW will continue
to use its main theme, "Keep the Circle Strong."
For more information about this year's NAAW, or Theme Contest
2000, contact Nechi Institute at 780-460-4304 or 1-800-459-1884.
You can also access NAAW information, order promotional items
or register to participate in NAAW on the web at http://www.visions.ab.ca
Well-written, well-performed tragic tale
The Unnatural
and Accidental Women
By Marie Clements
Co-Directed by Marie Clements and Donna Spencer
A Firehall Arts Centre Production
Firehall Arts Centre until Nov. 25.
Review
By Zoe Leigh Hopkins
Raven's Eye Writer
VANCOUVER
Marie Clements, playwright and co-director, has managed to
turn a true story of murder and tragedy from what is gruesome
and despicable at best into a beautifully presented and acted
play that is now premiering in Vancouver.
The play is inspired by the deaths of at least 10 women who died
in the 1980s after being given alcohol by Gilbert Paul Jordan,
a man who has been named in the news media as one of our country's
deadliest predators.
Jordan now walks free after having served six years for manslaughter
in the death of one of these women. The news items that still
run on TV and in the papers focus on Jordan and his life-long
career of crime, but all that is usually said about the victims
is that most of them were Native, alcoholics and lived on skid
row.
One would think that a play that is based on a true story that
is both enraging and terribly sad would be hopelessly dark, depressing
and bleak. But Clements has written dialogue that is playful
and engaging, even spurring laughter in the audience.
Clements focuses on the lives of the women, their humanity and
emotions, honoring them by rendering them as human beings who
lived and loved.
The women are portrayed by a talented cast that includes Gloria
May Eshkibok, Michelle St. John, Sophie Merasty and Columpa Bobb,
all of whom are award-winning, renowned theatre actors.
St. John plays Rebecca, a fictional character who is a young
woman in search of her mother on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Her character lives in Kitsilano in a lifestyle far removed from
the last known whereabouts of her mother.
Rebecca's story weaves through the play, finally connecting with
the rest of the women in an ending that builds slowly and puts
a stop to the tragedies.
We don't get as much personal history about the women who died
as we do about the character Rebecca, but we do gain insight
into their personalities. We watch them pass into the afterlife
and go on interacting with each other in a wonderfully surreal
and sometime sad, sometimes humorous, manner.
The characters are nicely varied and performances are as solid
as the writing, which combines monologue and dialogue, weaving
prose with conversation and song.
The writing style also reflects the presentation of the play,
which is beautifully designed to include projected video, images
and text. This, along with excellent use of the space in a multi-level
set creates a dynamic, visually interesting and thought-provoking
piece.
Court action only way to advance cause
By Keith Matthew
Raven's Eye columnist
These last couple of weeks has seen some important developments
here in the province and in Indian Country especially. The Gitxsan
have decided to pursue Aboriginal title within their territory
and that by itself is very significant for all Aboriginal people
across the province because both levels of government have been
daring us to 'prove title.' The Gitxsan have taken up the challenge
and, in my mind, it is just a matter of time before Aboriginal
title will be proven to be real to the feds and the province.
Once Aboriginal title is proven, it will change forever the relationship
between our Indian nations and governments and tilt the field
our way. Real negotiations instead of real estate transactions
will be the order of the day and compensation and revenue sharing
will have to occur. The governments will have no choice but negotiate
those important issues. The only real advances we have made in
our pursuit of the land claims question have been through the
court system.
Anyone who believes that any real changes will occur through
negotiation and not litigation is fooling himself and the people
who are depending on them to get the best deal for their people.
On the political front Grand Chief Ed John has accepted Premier
Ujjal Dosanjh's invitation to sit in the provincial cabinet as
an unelected representative and he will assume the position of
minister. He may be unelected, but that has happened 18 times
in the past and is a standard maneuver for getting people elected
in this province. The other unanswered question is where does
this put the treaty process and the loss of their most ardent
supporter and trusted advisor?
The NDP are making shrewd moves and this is one of their more
strategic appointments. Ed John has the respect of the First
Nations community in the province and will be a formidable opponent
for the government in waiting and Liberal leader Gordon Campbell
on Aboriginal issues. The provincial Liberal party has painted
itself into a corner on Aboriginal issues by maintaining a two-pronged
attack on the Nisga'a treaty with a court challenge and proposing
a referendum on treaty making in the province if they get into
power.
If the Liberals do win the next provincial election they will
succeed in uniting the First Nations communities like no other
government since the federal Liberal party and the then-minister
of Indian Affairs Jean Chretien when he introduced the infamous
White Paper.
The NDP have shot the first warning volley in what promises to
be an interesting provincial election. The election will probably
happen in the spring and jockeying around key issues is the order
of the day.
On the federal election side, the campaigns have largely ignored
First Nations issues and the leaders are focused on bread and
butter issues like health care and the economy.
For Aboriginal voters the choices are depressing to say the least.
The Liberals sacrificed Aboriginal rights in their fight with
the Mi'kmaq during the Burnt Church saga. They sided with the
corporate fishing interests and the non-Native people because
they need to regain seats that they lost when they cut programs
and the Employment Insurance program to East Coast fishermen.
The Canadian Alliance is a lost cause and a non-starter with
a majority of Aboriginal voters because of their 'equality for
all' simplistic solutions. The NDP and the Conservatives are
wasted votes.
As Aboriginal voters we are between the devil and the deep blue
sea. We can vote for the Liberals and get the same old, same
old which doesn't seem half bad, or the Canadian Alliance which
would strip all of our rights away if they were given half a
chance. Not much of a choice is it?
The Liberals are middle of the road and have been workable on
a host of issues that are important to our communities, while
the Canadian Alliance has taken a confrontational attitude born
out of the Western Canadian mentality of small town thinking
and red neck politics.
Times are a changing and as Aboriginal people we are in the eye
of the storm. That's the way I see it anyway -putucw.