Coming back to Edmonton, NDNs and violence

Tansi Edmonton
Well it is good to be back in Edmonton, I moved to Vancouver from here 26 years ago due to the extreme attitudes of people here. I was a young First Nations, and I was tired of the negative attitude Edmontonians had towards Native People, and tired of the sucker punches, assaults, and derogatory remarks because of my heritage. I was seen as a drunk, or only in jail. Sadly enough, my twin brother told me last year and this year, that people still see Native people in the same darkness, so the choices and attitudes of people determine our relations in the past, present, and future.

I walked Whyte Avenue last night a day after my son's wedding to reminisce about the times I strolled this famous strip, and much has changed since the days of my youth. The place was not as violent as I read today about former stabbings and fights last year. My brother told me to not hang around that area, but for me I saw no reason to leave, till this morning when I read comments, and former articles about the actions of various people.

Ultimately people will blame many factors for their actions, but it all boils down to ones ability to make either a good or wrong choice when dealing with confrontations, anger, emotions, and self control. Raising children to be responsible children is an arduous task that takes in many factors of life, history, religion, beliefs, and understanding our place in the universe and the wholeness of time. I am proud to say that my son has made wonderful choices due to his own understanding of the factors I mentions, and how his mother and I raised him to believe in his potential instead of settling with life. Sure he gets influenced by others, the media, and the government and gets angry; mad at aspects of life like us all, but it is how we control our action which defines our character. Believing in the Great Mystery of life and how it defines us, speaks to us, will help us in our relations.
Life is a highway of moderation. Earthlings will experiment with the highs and lows of life, and we as humans must live the rest of our life with the consequences of our actions. So no matter how opinionated we are, blamable we are we are not the judges of life on planet earth, only the participants in the wombs of time.

We can watch all the sports we want, it may incite our anger, emotions of madness, boil our blood, but pulling a knife, sucker punching a fellow human is the result of one persons choice and how he/she wants to continue his/her life. Goodness and Evil is real in and around us. Make no mistake, God is real, and so is the Devil. I am not a religious person, but history tells us this grand old story of human conflict, it all depends how we read and live life, remember life and how we want to exist in the hereafter.
So I will continue to walk the streets of this life regardless of how violent and hurtful people can be to each other. If we give love, we get love, if we give hate, we get hate. Violence begets violence, so make your choice in sharing life or condemning life, but we are all in the same canoe floating on the universe's river of energy. How we use that energy defines how we live and die. Today, I still live in Vancouver, while my son and my brother moved back to Edmonton. Will I, God only knows because it saddens me that after 26 years in Vancouver where I realized my potential in life and I still am working on it, nothing has changed in this oil capital when it comes to our relations. So some of you Edmontonians, you can do better than pulling a knife, or calling out a derogatory name! Miigweech! Happy New Year Edmonton worlders from a Vancouver worlder. I am coming back to this neck of the woods again to begin my next film project, so, I look forward to meeting you Edmon-chuks again. 2 learn more about moi, see http://groups.msn.com/TheDonaldMorinWebSite Take care, God bless you all

Email reply sent to CBC regarding October 16th article, but published here due to CBC not often publishes my words

Email reply sent to CBC regarding October 16th article, but published here due to CBC not often publishes my words
link was at: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/10/16/native-prisoners.html#skip300x250My Reply belowThe audacity of Stockwell Day to quote "[that he ]will consider the findings of Sapers' report...[and then says that]...there is no evidence of systemic discrimination against native offenders in the prison system."Well Mr. Day, the evidence is in the report itself, in the federal statistics regarding the federal prison system, and in the systemic nature of the Canadian racial legislative system of the Indian Act, the deploring justice institutions, and the systemic nature of a colonial mindset which has existed for the last two hundred years, and then some.Get your head out of the sand Stockwell Day, and do something good for a change.

Christmas In Edmonton

Merry Christmas World, my son is married, and my twin brother is out of the hospital. I am truly blessed
Ciao

Calgary to Vaccinate their 2000 homeless

1. Living around the outbreak in Vancouver, I understand the trepidation people have regarding this outbreak. But at the same time, I will not take up the offer the local health board is doing to prevent catchng this latest flu.
   
   As long as I take care of myself, eat well, drink lots of water, and take my own medicine, I will not allow these people to vaccinate me with "God Knows what they have" in their little kits. For all we know, it could be some subverted scheme to create a new killing virus and the homeless, the dispossed, and the poor are the lab rats to begin this New World Order eradication of less fortunate people. R we to trust everything we see in the media, the government reports, and other venues of dis-information? We are in a New age of cladinstine initiatives, global conspiracies, and the eventual releasing of data and material technology and hyper aesthetics, which are designed to control the masses and elevate the few in power. Watch your back, reality is being twisted Regarding this outbreak, I saw one of Globe and Mail's headines which is;
   
   Six foreign health workers condemned to death in Libya(Comment16)
   
   Five Bulgarian nurses, Palestinian doctor convicted of deliberately infecting children with AIDS virus; ruling sparks outrage..."
   ... We live in dangerous times!
   

Guns can protect women: Advocate: From Vancouver Metronews front page Dec 19th. 06

"Guns can protect women: Advocate"
While I agree with the notion that women would be able to protect themself if they have the right tools/weapons to defend themselves, modelling ourselves after the United States is not the answer. While guns do not kill people, only people who abuse the use of guns; arming ourselves like a Canadian Rambo or slick hotshot will only create more anger, strife, and petty arguments over egos, territory, or material assets, which could escalate into someone losing their cool and simply pulling out a gun and pulling the trigger.

I think it is pretty arrogant of Sharon Gregson to position herself as some sort of femme gunslinger, which is signified on the Canadian Firearms journal. Self-Defense comes in alternative forms, so perhaps a debate will bring out other options, but Sharon, guns are not the answer. To be a microcosm of the arms conflict only exacerbates the global problems we as humans have with weapons that kill, just because someone can pull out a gun and pull a trigger or point it at a criminal. Criminals will always threaten our personal safety if we give then the opportunity to fight back like arat once we corner them. Gun or no gun, criminals are opportunists and will find away to evade the bullet if they use trickery to disarm their opponent

Chubby Harper Correcting History, by allowing Farmers to buy back expropriated Mirabel land!!!!

Old Chubby Harper and his "correcting a mistake of history" is a falsidity of expropriated proportions. I only see this latest media ploy as a vote grabbing initiative to continually appease the Eastern Conservatives hoping to keep thier dying government in power. While Canadian Time Magazine is totally wrong in naming him man of the year, Harper is totally out of control in his appetite for consuming more power in a season of cultural correctness, and consumer richness. Meanwhile, the poorer folks of this land continually eat cake while those in power eat steak, pronounce their grandiose schemes to appease agricultural fields of broken dreams. Now if King/Queen Steve Harper would only honour the first people of this continent and give back what was stolen from the first people, he may lose his grip on power, upset his Mirabel farmers near Montreal, upset his Delta resident's constituents near Tsawwassen, but he would gain respect from the majority of Canadians who wants Canada to resolve the land claim shuffle/problem. He would gain more votes by having a more honest relationship between the first people of this continent and the euro-Canadian descendants who are the results of two nations coming together and immigrants travelling to new lands to find their dreams. If only their dreams did not trample on my ancestors, then maybe Canada would be a more respected country today. And what about the Mohawks near ? The Monks in the area sent the Mohawk away, to only steal the Mohawks land from them and sell it to the farmers in the area. If anything Chubby Harper can correct that History there and correct the history in BC. So Chubby Harper, get your appeasing brain out of your ass, and correct the true history of Canada, you arrogant Basterd!

Comments from Globe & Mail article of Dec. 7th, 2006 on New Brunswick Court ruling

Dan Van Gageldonk and all the other dissatisfied Canadians, Well; sorry to disappoint you all, but out here in and around Vancouver, the early governments of BC did steal the land from the First People of this territory. Unceded territory, do you and your prejudiced minds know what that means? Fiduciary responsibility. Do you know what that means? IN fact all you Canadians who disagree with the new ruling, Why not climb on your big ship and head back to your ancestor’s homeland and fight for your former territory, since, then you will know the land claim shuffle. We, as native people have every right to re-claim what was stolen, tricked and cajoled from our ancestors, our relations, and realign our soil, wood, animals, marine life, self-esteem and self factualization as the first people of this territory, who helped your ancestors to survive in the first winter during contact. IN return, your ancestors became turncoats, liars, and schemers. Not much different from today’s' capitalist expansionists. Otherwise, does your research, get your heads out of your stereotypical ass, and do what is right for our future generations. Miigweech, All my relations!

Racism In Canada; In reference to Globe & Mail Article Nov 9_06

Racism is not owed by any particular race, but by the systemic ideologues, who define how we live and die in a democratic society. As a Native person, don't bother telling me something we as Canadian Indigenous people already know when it comes to how the judicial, economic, cultural, and political systems attempts to contain us as a people.
For example, I left Edmonton in 1980 as a young native man to realize my potential in life instead of settling with where the foster parent system and society wanted us young "Indians" The powers to be, societal and judicial institutions at the time only seen us (Indians) as drunks, dead or just jailbirds.

Twenty Six years later, my twin brother, who now lives in Edmonton and is a lawyer adamantly told me in the fall of 2005, that the police, prosecutors, and judges still see Native people as drunks, dead or just jailbirds. From recent reports regarding the current status of native people living and dying in Canada, nothing has changed in the 26 years, since I moved from Edmonton to Vancouver for those very reasons, my brother mentioned in 2005. The small societal advancements that did happen since then is the result of the work of our Indigenous activists and warriors, plus some of our community society and business leaders, and the mercy and works of truly good non-native people, who felt that the apartheid two tier system of life in Canada is unacceptable.

Comments on article about conditions of incarcerated Canadian aboriginals a 'disgrace': ombudsman

Email reply sent to CBC regarding October 16th article, but published here due to CBC not often publishes my words
link was at: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/10/16/native-prisoners.html#skip300x250

My Reply below

The audacity of Stockwell Day to quote "[that he ]will consider the findings of Sapers' report...[and then says that]...there is no evidence of systemic discrimination against native offenders in the prison system."

Well Mr. Day, the evidence is in the report itself, in the federal statistics regarding the federal prison system, and in the systemic nature of the Canadian racial legislative system of the Indian Act, the deploring justice institutions, and the systemic nature of a colonial mindset which has existed for the last two hundred years, and then some.Get your head out of the sand Stockwell Day, and do something good for a change.

Two views on the Fishery comments by Harper to Calgary Herald

I wrote an earlier comment to this issue, (It follows this Globe & Mail Posting) just when the globe & mail posted the article about Harper's letter to the Calgary Herald. As a First nations Metis (Descenta of the first people), I disagree with any form of funding based on race, particularly with aboriginal filmmakers which the original comments were using as an analogy to Harper's letter. However, after some thought and meditation on my life and point of view, I would have to agree with AFN's Chief Phil Fontaine, and all the other native people who will stand up against Harper's provocative letter. Equality is important to all of us, but in a systemic society such as Canada, it is a misnomer, when it comes to hidden intentions, clandestine meetings and political maneuvering to accommodate the economic interests of industries, and ultra right wing conservatives. The old school wants society as it was before, where 'the good old boys' run the country, [most] women are put back into the kitchen, and minority groups, and NDNS put into their place and just settle with life. Well, good old boys from Calgary and any other conservation bastion, your political and business life will not last long, and we have many great leaders who lead by honesty, humility, and respect. Let's not forget that before Cartier, Cabot, Columbus or Captain Vancouver found themselves here after wandering the 'flat earth' The First people live a life which involved a fair amount of commercial relationships. While “paper money' was not used, other forms of commercial transactions were utilized to provide for the community and families. Just because today capitalism changed the commercial role of native people, that does not mean we can not continue creating commercial relationships with others. It is the narrow mindedness of people who still see their world in terms of black and white, instead of seeing the shades of gray which make up much of the demographics of a country. Get with the 21st century folks!

FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH

Original first comment on Harper issue, not published by Globe & Mail:

As I have always stated in my private and public discussion avec Native and Non-Native relations, I do not entirely agree with funding based on racial defined polices. Unfortunately, I relatively agree avec S. Harpers comments about opposing racial divided programs. I have a short conversation avec Bill Hurst formerly of Telefilm Canada and disagreed avec Telefilm's decision to place my film proposal into just the aboriginal funding envelop as opposed to the English and French envelops. My feature film "7 Fires 4 U...Kitchi Manitou screenplay at the time was a narrative which contained Aboriginal, English and French language to represent Canada's main identities as a microcosm of the Canadian landscape.I told Mr. Hurst that I disagreed with the notion of funding aboriginal and Non-aboriginal filmmakers on the basis of race. Funding based on race is just another continuation of the segregation and apartheid positioning of native people in Canada. While with the fisheries department the criteria of its infrastructure are quite different, its allocation of fishing districts and seasonal placement is based on the value of race. In closing, Even though affirmative programs in the United States and equity employment programs in Canada even out the opportunity boards of employment and economic potential, racial divisions will only increase the anxiety and temperament of Non-Native North Americans everywhere.

NDNs, Stolen land, Greedy Chiefs/Moonyasses & the Iron Horse in Caledonia of Turtle Island

Considering that the owners of the "iron horse" ploughed across the first continent with much disregard for the first people of this continent, they carried settlers, and rifle men to take over the land, carry disease, kill the buffalo, and involve themselves in other nefarious development. I fully support blocking off the iron horses path to help bring a resolution to the Caledonia theatrics of war and peace. IN this Age of Terror, the manipulated masses will say, write and support whatever the cultural authoritarian rules propagate in the media. All people; who are considering their place in our present Age of Terror time or the end of these times; should refute this Affirmative Culture propaganda and begin the revolution now. People power can work if we all stand together and get rid of all of the consumerous capitalistic developers and the developers which initiated this stand-off.

Land development destroyed the land and her people:
(1492 - 1595 during first contact) + (1595 - 1695 with the colonial wars,) + (1695 - 1795 colonial wars, romantiziation of NDNs in Novels) + (1795 -1895 Fur trading schemes, kill off the buffalo, NDN wars,) + (1895 - 1995 New NDN wars , The NDN ACT, Reserve System Slums,) + (1995 to 2006, Gustaferson, Ipperwash, Sun Peaks, Buffalo Lake, Downtown East Side, Vancouver) = {to the culmination to KKK arriving to Caledonia propagating their "...the Final Solution pamphlets propagating over five hundred years of racism and hate.}

All because Canada's First People re-appropriating back thier own land from Euro-Canadian land developers.)

SO NOW NOTHING HAS CHANGED, as the same social, economic, and politcal factors are being utilized to expand the territory of the New coporate adn governtmental cultural Terrorists, who currently controls the Free World today, but not forever. Amen, miigweech, all my relations.

The RightTo Blasphemy (Published in Globe & Mail)

As a first nations person, I take offence to the notion of the Right To Blasphemy "." We should all be ashamed to think that we have the right to make fun of our Creator, and the prophets who came before us. IN an increasingly cynical world, where the historicity of religion is pushed aside in favour of democracy and freedom of expression, we should walk gently on this earth, as we get closer to the end of this age. The Islamic people have every right to defend their beliefs, while us westerners should not be so smug in the notion of democracy and the freedom that comes with our life.Shouldn't re have some more reverence and respect to the Great Mystery of life instead of publishing our proclamations, our indignant caricatures of people who spent their life getting closer to their Creator? Shame on all you democratic lovers of life and expressions. Our public and secular life is being overshadowed and influence by entities, whose duty is to cloud our minds, our spirits, and our words.
No doubt Earth's Creator has a sense of humour, but not to the point of making fun of the Great Mystery of life and the prophets who came after the creation of this world. Christianity and Islam may be two different angels, but let's not rub mud in the face of what we don't know, but only hear about through images and the written word.

Alberta's Cheques and skeletons in the closet

With respect to Klein's Santa Claus moment, I congratulate the Alberta government in sharing a bit of the wealth to its citizens. Now if only the Alberta government would resolve the indifference to the Class action suit initiated by former Native and Métis Foster children (Wards of the crown) who were physically and sexually abused under foster care in Alberta's jurisdiction in the last century. Then perhaps I would have more respect for the oil province. As a former Albertan, I left Alberta for BC in 1980 because at the time, people in that province only saw Native people (Indians) as either drunk or in jail. Last year, my twin brother R. Morin mentioned to me that judges, police and prosecutors still see Native people in that perspective so has life improved for Alberta First Nations people? Maybe for the ones who receive their rebate, but Alberta still has a few more skeletons in their closet to reveal, before I can respect the crown's representative, and their two bits they are giving back to the people. Ralph Klein, it's commendable to see you offering back these rebates, but clean out Alberta's closet and give compensation and restitution to those foster children who were screwed by the foster care system. I was one of them, and I want closure, so that I can finish my life with dignity and respect. You should do the same. Miigweech, all my relations

Métis Leaders say vote Liberal

Submitted to CBC Website "Your views"
Due to the possibility , that the article may not be posted due to many reasons, here it is!

With respect to the National Métis group’s statement, I disagree with their political positioning. With the current election promises, polls, discussions, debates, and grandstanding, we as a people must do what is best for everyone, particularly for the most dispossessed people of our country, We must go beyond regional politics, race politics, historical politics, Métis politics and utilize this current opportunity to create real social, economic, cultural, and political change in this country.
The current Status quo only capitulates dominant society into the on-going destruction from capitalist expansionism, and the under-mindment of cultural and socially conscious groups who want a better world for the following generations. Am I an NDPer, Green partier? No, I am with the Creator, nothing more, and nothing less. Economic marginalization through lobbyists, political persuasion, grant and loan payoffs only will create economic divisions between the people who strive to obtain and define there material and capitalist worth. Are we to emulate what we desire materially or spiritually? I find I enjoy life more when I am content with a roof over my head, food in the fridge, and the love of others, than what popular culture pushes in our faces in the media, and educational and cultural apparatuses of this world system.
Be grateful for our breath, our life, and what we should strive to be, instead of what others want us to be. Miigweech, all my relations

Original article may be seen at http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/06/elxn-metis-liberals.html