Dec 4th, 2019 Guest Lecture: Amanda Myers Facts about Amanda Myers: - Kitaay Bizhikikwe means really old buffalo - 2000 years before anishinaabe people moved to southern Ontario - There is a J Treaty with the USA that states that Natives are able to cross the border - freely - Canada is the only place in the world that tells people who they are; they have a status card Lecture - The original people of turtle island (north America) - Over 600 nations across Canada and over 60 distinct languages and within those distinction there are subgroups ex 3 different dialects in her group (anishinaabe people) - Each nation carries its own language, worldview and systems of knowledge o In London there are 3 communities and they are within a 30 min time distance; therefore, you will not be able to tell where you are BUT each community is very different - The Canadian Gov. has created “other” created the perception of what it is to be indigenous o Ex medicine wheel; English construct, their language is a verb-based language and English is noun based This construct removes their teachings, human connection by categorizing it based on north, south, east and west BUT the medicine wheel doesn’t acknowledge 4 direction only but they acknowledge people who came before and in the middle there is (you) understanding of yourself and customs – it reflects who you are, where you came from etc… o The original treaty specified that natives and Europeans are equals but today within the structure of the gov. there is a department called “Indian affairs and northern development” ; symbolic because they have no voice even though the agreement was so coexist in parallel with each other and not to interfere with each other’s affairs or tell each other what to do o - No hierarchy, governing structure, each clan has a responsibility ex a martin she creates solutions for her people, strategist and If lets say the bird clan with a conflict then they would go to bear to reconcile between them two Each clan has its own responsibilities ex bear = protector and “Canada’s indigenous people” “Canadas first nations” o These imply ownership, implying they do not have the capacity to govern themselves; the gov knows exactly what they are doing and have been told by leaders not to do it but they continue o Even the word Indian it is still being used, but that’s not who they are or what they want to be called. Indian (1800s-1960); imposed by the gov Native (1970); beginning of reclamation movement Aboriginal (1980’s); national discourse in aboriginal rights- Canadian constitution act Indigenous (2000’s); international discourse – UN declaration on human rights - - - Treaty o Every part of Ontario has a treaty o The treaties made prior have not been fulfilled They spend about 100 years in court The only one that was settled; they got 100 acres of land that was rightfully there’s o the money that indigenous people get is actually their money; there are millions of dollars that is tied into the bank of Canada when the settlers came to America -the indigenous people gave them money because they had no use of it; and over time it was added into the Indian act; they don’t have a say in what happens to their money or how much they get ex water crisis in the indigenous community – in the north you cannot even shower with that water intergenerational trauma; steams from the fact that indigenous people cannot self-govern themselves and even the land they own they must as permission The Indian Act o The Gov. agreed to the Indian Act because the assumption was that the indigenous people will vanish o Apartheid, Holocaust took note from the Indian act because the genocide was successful o The Canadian gov. will not say a genocide occurred but will admit to a cultural genocide; yes we did remove language and culture o Within the act it stated that the children must attend residential school 50% never made it out Most died because of abuse, neglect, or malnourished Not allowed to speak language, if you had a brother or sister in the same school you could not communicate with each other etc… most survived-on oatmealmost times it was rotten when there is severe sexual abuse, physical etc… o you can have status but not have band rights ex tuition support – even if you are a status Indian but you don’t belong to a community you will not get funding How do we reconcile? How do we heal: Education and Allyship o After the residential schools the youths are like 16 years old They don’t know how to socialize with others, they become alienated So, when asked why do natives have the highest suicide rate in the world? It has a lot to do with residential schools o They were not so long ago, the last one closed in the 80’s o So how can you have a healthy community without a healthy family, or parents who do not know to be parents… - - o What does an Ally mean? An active, consistent, and challenging practice of unlearning and reevaluating, in which a person of privilege seeks to work in solidarity with a marginalized group. It is NOT an identity. It is a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/ or groups It is NOT self-defined. You cannot call yourself an ally without putting in the work. In fact, you cannot call yourself an ally. You can practice allyship, but ally is a label loaned to you when you build meaningful relationships with marginalized individuals and groups. And it is a label that can be taken back if you violate thee terms and conditions, Indigenous women: o Responsibly for water, life and they always know water has spirit and needs to be cared for and it’s for the benefit of the people as a whole o Act of allyship because you acknowledge your part, your connection with water therefore when indigenous people speak up you will better understand their culture Customs o Until today indigenous people do not write things down because it is disrespectful to the spirit o Stories are more powerful than written words; words tell you themes and ideas, but they do not tell you the real story Readings 1. Ally Bill of Responsibilities 2. Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign - - - Represents the first agreement between Europeans and American Indian nations of Turtle Island aka North America. Outlines a mutual, three-part commitment to friendship, peace between people and living together forever "as long as the grass is green, as long as the rivers flow downhill and as long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west” Emerged o In the 1600’s when the Dutch settled in Morden day Albany o The leaders of Haudenosaunee called a meeting with the Dutch to decide on how they are going to live together with the settlers o They were in agreement of living together and treating each other as brothers Wampum belt o Used to represent the agreement and as a record of the events instead of using a paper and pen like the Dutch did to have record of the agreement o Represents that concept of being equal “we recognized you as people and that we were equal” o Made out of white and purple beads; White beads = truth One purple row represents sailboat Sailboat are the Europeans, their leaders, their gov, and their religion Aka White brethren Other purple row of beads represents canoe Canoe are the native Americans, their leads, their gov and their way of life aka religion Aka ongwahoway “ the rows representing travelling the road of life parallel to each other and never merging with each other In between the two rows of purple beads are the three rows of white beads First row = peace Second row = friendship Third row = forever Travelling through life in peace and harmony and also with the circle of life including animals, water, plants. Etc. respecting all elements of life Also not passing laws on governing the other, telling each other what to do o The Haudenosaunee (all the nations; the word they use to describe all nations) have never violated this treaty but the Europeans have ex passing law that try and change them, how they should conduct their spirituality and political and everyday life.
