THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
Oshki Camp Members Richard Peters and Johnny Hawke in Toronto Ontario Regional Branch of Aboriginal Affairs hand in their Status Cards and emancipate from Indian Act. Not to be mistaken as freeing the Crown from its obligations.
Oshkimaadziig Unity Camp would like to extend a very heartfelt Chi Miigwetch to all our supporters who have helped to sustain our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing since the lighting of this Fire.
Your Prayer’s, Ceremonies, Donations, Knowledge and Love has been so influential into helping this Prophecy unfold. We are all the Seventh Fire People.
We continue our reclamation at Council Rock aka Awenda Park and are very much determined to reestablish our Anishinabek Governance System, Emancipate from the Indian Act, Coldwater Land Claim Settlement and Uphold our Nation to Nation Agreements with the Crown.
We are freeing ourselves from the System that destroys our Earth and who we are as Earth People along with the Illegal Colonial Policies that wish to see us Assimilated.
For Those who support us “In Spirit” and who ask what they can do to help, We humbly ask that you keep offering your Semma, not for us but for our people and our Earth and those Future Generations. As we make this transition to re-establish ourselves as a Nation and utilizing our Territories to become Self Sufficient your Support is still welcome and very much appreciated.
How You Can Help is, we would greatly appreciate any donations of: Gill Nets, Compound/Cross Bows, Hunting Supplies, Chainsaw, Tarps, Firewood, Non-perishable Goods, Trapper Tents/Tipi’s, Help in Organizing Events.
If you would like to donate any monetary support so we can obtain these things we can do so by our Oshkimaadziig Camp Paypal Account.
Contact
Camp Cell 416 806 6929
Richard or Johnny or Greg
ANISHINABEK MEN REMOVE THEIR INDIAN STATUS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday June 11, 2012
TORONTO- Two young men from the Anishinabek Community of Beausoleil First Nation located on the southern shores of Georgian Bay near Penetanguishene On, will be handing in their Status Cards at the Ontario Regional Indian Affairs Branch in Toronto today in an attempt to emancipate themselves from the Indian Act.
“Being chained to the Indian Act is not representative of who we are as the Anishinabek Nation. By agreeing to these status cards we are agreeing to accept policies that are in breach of our Nation to Nation Agreements we have with the Crown.” explains Richard Peters one of the Anishinabek Men.
The two Anishinabek Men are also currently reoccupying their people’s Traditional Territories where for the past three months they have established reclamation encampments in Coldwater On and Awenda Provincial Park in opposition of their communities acceptance of the Coldwater Narrows Experiment Settlement Offer which calls for the Abosolute Surrender of their Traditional Territories.
” We are not Indian we are Anishinabek with agreements with the Crown. Through this action we are publicly announcing our emancipation from the Indian Act and reject the representation from any Indian Act governed entities that claim authority over the Sovereignty of the Three Fires Anishinabek Confederacy. We acknowledge that the Indian Act Band Chief and Councils are modern day Indian Agents who are accountable to the Canadian State. This action is not to be mistaken as an extinguishment of our entitlement to the established Treaties. We will be taking future arrangements where treaty entitlements and lands are not to be withheld or governed within this illegal Indian Act Band system.” explains Johnny Hawke.
The pair are reestablishing Anishinabek Clan Governance and Traditional Indigenous Alliances at these camps. They will be rescinding their Indian Status at 1pm at the AANDC Regional Offices 25 St. Clair Avenue East Toronto, Ontario.
For more info Contact
Richard Peters/Johnny Hawke
1 416 806 6929
ANISHINABEK ENCAMPMENT MOVES INTO PROVINCIAL PARK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday May 9, 2012
ANISHINABEK ENCAMPMENT MOVES INTO PROVINCIAL PARK
Organizers of an Anishinabek Awareness Encampment that has been occupying Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum for the past three weeks have announced today their camps relocation in Awenda Provincval Park located in Tiny Township.
“We didn’t want to create any issues with the town of Coldwater where the museums Board of Directors have asked us to leave. We wanted to remain obligated to our peace and felt that any alternative actions would’ve sidetracked our message.” explains Kai Kai Kons, one of the camps organizers.
The organizers have been calling their initiative the Oshkimaadziig Unity Camp where they say they want to mobilize and educate all people on the Nation to Nation Relationship the Crown has with Sovereign Indigenous Nations as well as their Intertribal Agreements. They also wish to see the Crown held accountable for breaching such agreements.
“We choose Awenda Park because of the ties we have to this area. This is one of the Gathering places where our Hereditary Chiefs and People would meet to have Council. It is one of five gathering areas woven in the Ojibway Friendship Wampum Belt which we have with the Six Nations Confederacy.” explains Kai Kai Kons.
Organizers of the Camp say their initiative is a result of First Nations accepting Canada’s Land Claim Settlement Offers which breach the Constitution and the established Nation to Nation Agreements.
“There is no avenue for us to opt out of these illegal processes and to assert our Sovereignty. We wish to remain who we are and abide by our teachings and agreements set out by our ancestors.” explains Memeskwaniniisi another of the Camps Organizers.
Park Warden and OPP Emeregnecy Response Team plain clothed officers are closely monitoring this peaceful cultural gathering.
The Camp is providing various initiatives which include, Reestablishing Anishinabek Clan Governance, Intertribal Alliances, Ceremonies, On the Land Survival Skills, Decolonization Workshops
Oral History and various teachings from Elders and Youth.
The Camp is located at 400 Awenda Park Rd, Tiny Twnshp, ON at the corner of Awenda Park Rd and All Port Rd look for Signs and Flags
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT ON SITE
416 806 6929 705 790 4377
JOHNNY or GREG or RICHARD
NATIVE CAMP ASKED TO LEAVE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday April, 25 2012
NATIVE CAMP ASKED TO LEAVE
Coldwater Heritage Museum Board of Ditrectors have requested to the organizers of an Anishinabek Oshkimaadzig Camp to pack up and leave the Museum’s property as soon as possible in a show of good faith after setting up camp without permission.
The Camp has been set up for over a week by three Anishinabek Men who are trying to bring an awareness of the 1764 Niagara Treaty Belt, 24 Nations Belt, Two Row Wampum, the One Dish One Spoon Belt and the Ojibway Friendship Belt where they feel Canada’s Specific Claims Policy along with the Indian Act are in breach of these peace agreements as well as the Canadian Constitution.
” Our intention was not to cause any disruption between the residents of Coldwater or the members of the Four Communities in the Coldwater Land Surrender. Our intention is to raise awareness that an absolute surrender of our land title is an absolute surrender of our Sovereignty. As of yet our lands have not been surrendered. ” says Memeskwaniniisi one of the camp organizer’s
” In a show of good faith we will leave only if the illegal occupiers of our traditional territories also leave until a resolution to this fraudulent surrender as been resolved using an approach that is reflective of our peace agreements represented in the expressed belts and Canada’s Constitution.” We only want to establish a partnership with our neighbours and enhance this museum with factual historic facts of this area and mobilize our people who only want to uphold our end of the peace agreements. We Will not Surrender or leave.” says Kai Kai Kons another of the camps organizers.
A meeting today between OPP Aboriginal Response Team, Museums’ Board of directors and the Camp was held to establish a partnership with the Museum. a Second meeting to come to a resolution to this issue will be held tomorrow at 1pm.
OPP are closely monitoring this situation. The Camp is calling out to all supporters to join the encampment and help uphold the peace agreements.
SITE PHONE
416 806 6929
FACEBOOK UPDATE PAGE: Oshkimaadziig Camp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/388413234531990/394117680628212/?notif_t=group_activity
CALL OUT
An Oshkimaadziig Camp has been established on the Coldwater Heritage Museum, in Coldwater On. Oshkimaadziig in the Anishinabek Language refers to the New People of the Seventh Fire Prophecy who will pick up the things left behind to light the 8th and final Fire.
We are here to educate the world about our Intertribal Agreements as well as the Nation to Nation Agreements we have with the Crown
which the Crown has failed to recognize since the inception of these agreements.
Without Indigenous Consultation Canada continues to impose its laws and policies such as the Indian Act and Specific Land Claims Policy, just to name a few which circumvents the 1764 Niagara Treaty, 24 Nations Belt,
Two Row Wampum, the One Dish One Spoon and Ojibway Friendship Belt which are all based on Peace, Coexistence and Non-interference.
These so called solutions Canada has for Indigenous People across Canada only serves to single handily and undermine our Sovereignty our Culture and very fabric of our being.
We are calling out to all the Nations represented in these Belts and other Indigneous and Non-Native Allies to gather here to unite and mobilize to be heard as one voice.
This camp is not intended to cause friction with our friends of Coldwater. It is intended to strengthen the relationships that is reflective of these belts.
This camp is not representative of Indian Act Governed Communities but a collective voice of brothers and sisters that seek to work together.
The Camp is located on 1474 Woodrow Rd., Coldwater, ON , right side of Highway 12.
We are accepting donations of Firewood, Non-perishable Food, Traditional Medicines, Water, Porta-Johns and anything that can help.
CONTACT:
ON SITE: 416 806 6929 RICH GREG OR JOHNNY
Open Letter to Representatives of the Crown
Anishinabek Confederacy to Invoke our Nationhood
Kai Kai Kons, Loon Clan, Three Fires Confederacy 88 Ogema Miikaan, Chimnissing Anishinabek Territory, L9M 0A9 705 247 2120 jonnhawk151@hotmail.com
Re: Opposition of Canada’s current Settlement Offer for the Coldwater Narrows Experiment and the Specific Claims Policy in assertion of Anishinabek Sovereignty and Western Great Lakes Confederacy Belt
To: Representatives of the Crown including Chippewa Tri Council Indian Act Bands
I am writing you today because of the lack of proper communication, consultation and the unsatisfactory representation for the voice of the Sovereign Anishinbek Peoples who have been affected by this Experiment. I have asked to attend some of your meetings to voice what I wish to address but your secretaries say this letter would be sufficient enough. I am asking that you acknowledge in proper documentation and send me a letter back that you are aware that I Kai Kai Kons, known by the Canadian State as Indian # 1410167801 is opting out of the Specific Claims Process and will not accept any decision or outcomes financial or other using this process in regards to the Coldwater Narrows Experiment.
I am writing you today in assertion of my individual responsibility as an Anishinabe of the Loon Clan who sits amongst the Council of Faith Keepers within the Anishinabek Three Fires Confederacy of Gchi Mishki Mnissing.
It is by this expressed Sovereignty and the 1764 Treaty of Fort Niagara that I am obligated to reject any policies, acts, laws or settlements of the Canadian State that are in breach of this contract. It is in this letter where I am informing all concerned parties that I will be upholding this established peace contract by not participating in this illegal Specific Claims Policy process regarding the Coldwater Narrows Reserve Experiment that has been proposed to the Chippewa Tri Council.
The Coldwater Narrows Reserve Experiment was enforced upon my family in the 1830’s where lands and assets were misappropriated which also allowed for colonial policies to start being illegally enforced on us. The continued imposition of the Indian Act and other illegal policies and the withholding of our assets and lands demonstrate that this Experiment is still being enforced on us today and that no justified settlement has been achieved.
Chiefs were made to believe by the Crown that they were signing documents that acknowledge our title to the Land and Sovereignty, it is in this time today where I can read and understand your ways and will not sign any papers a second time which would make this theft and imposition of your laws legitimate. I will not surrender and become a subject of the Crown or Canadian citizen. I wish to remain obligated to our peace.
The 1764 Treaty of Fort Niagara establishes our alliance with the British Crown where the Canadian State is its current Representative. In this Agreement the Crown offered us the Western Great Lakes Covenant Chain Confederacy Belt and The Twenty Four Nations Belt where we as those Twenty Four Nations accepted and exchanged with the Crown the Two Row Wampum Belt. By agreeing to this our Nations and the Crown accepted a nation-to-nation relationship rooted in a policy of peace, non-interference and coexistence.
Accepting Settlements under the Specific Claims Policy, the Specific Claims Action Plan the Specific Claims Tribunal or through the Canadian Judicial System coerces our Nations to be subjected to the same abuses that are in these Specific Claims.
EMANCIPATION FROM THE INDIAN ACT:
It is also in this letter where I am publicly announcing my emancipation from the Indian Act and reject the representation from any Indian Act governed entities that claim authority over the Sovereignty of the Three Fires Confederacy. I acknowledge that the Indian Act Band Chief and Councils are modern day Indian Agents who are accountable to the Canadian State. These Indian Act Bands failure to assert our Sovereignty and to properly communicate and consult with our people in regards of this settlement exemplifies who they really are accountable to.
Neither I nor my interests are to be represented by Crown Representatives or these Bands. This is not to be mistaken as an extinguishment of my entitlement to the established Treaties. I personally will be taking future arrangements where treaty entitlements and lands are not to be withheld within this illegal Indian Act Band system.
RESOLUTION:
I, Kai Kai Kons, known by the Canadian State as Indian # 1410167801 will be representing my own Individual Responsibility as a Conscious Sovereign Person of the Anishinabe Nation. My interests will be represented through the Anishinabek Confederacy to invoke our Nationhood/ACTION. I am calling on the Crown to honor a fair and justified resolution to this historic injustice for those citizens who choose to uphold the Covenant Chain organized through ACTION which includes:
• The recognition of ACTION; Anishinabek Confederacy To Invoke Our Nationhood as an organization that represents and asserts the Sovereignty, Rights, Treaties and Territories of those Anishinabek Peoples who choose to be represented by ACTION.
• The immediate settlement of this grievance by working with ACTION to provide us with proper restitution using a process that is reflective of the 1764 Treaty of Fort Niagara. We should not have to waste our financial resources to negotiate or settle this through a biased Canadian Process or in the Canadian Judicial System. Just as it is not fair for your Nation to waste financial resources when we negotiate on our terms through Blockades that can disrupt the economy.
• To see 10,000 acres of land where healthy Crown Lands are to be transferred immediately to our possession for the replacement of stolen lands at no financial cost and not subject to provincial or federal jurisdiction recognizing our Sovereign Title to those Lands.
• Financial Compensation for members of ACTION for the assets that was misappropriated and benefited by the Crown and its Subjects from 1836 to the present.
• The Prime Minister of Canada to Apologize on behalf of the Crown to the Anishinabek Communities for the Crowns fraudulent documents that were cause of the invalid surrender of the Coldwater Narrows Reserve and enforcing this failing experiment on our peoples.
I will respect the Chippewa Tri Council Communities decision to make a final surrender of their title to the lands and their right to be a sovereign people in regards to accepting this Specific Claims Policy and this Settlement; however I state that I am not to be represented by these Crown entities. I do not want to jeopardize the outcome of their decisions as a conquered colonized people so I will wait until they seek their own resolution and are compensated to their satisfaction before I uphold any agreements between our two Nations.
In the Spirit of the Covenant Chain and Peace
Kai Kai Kons/Johnny Hawke Anishinabek Loon Clan Faith Keeper Council Fire Three Fires Anishinabek Confederacy Anishinabek Confederacy to Invoke our Nationhood/ACTION
Night Hunting Banned in Moose Deer point
Video by Johnny, Article by Sarah Frank of North Star Newspaper
MOOSE DEER POINT – One Moose Deer Point First Nation member is concerned he’ll be forced to stop hunting at night. George Williams, who was raised in the First Nation, was given a notice last month stating members should only hunt during daytime hours.
The notice was given to all of the First Nation members as a result of “numerous inquiries/complaints from the membership,” the letter states. According to the notice, the Moose Deer Point council has sought the assistance of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to investigate and help enforce the issue within the First Nation’s territory.
Williams, who’s been practicing night hunting since he was a child, said he prefers to hunt later at night, for safety reasons.
“There are no people walking around the bush at that time,” he said. “Safety is always the number one priority.”
The traditional hunts on the First Nation begin on the Harvest Moon in October, and run until the end of December, said Williams, who usually heads out to hunt around 10 p.m.
“If there are special events going on, and people are out later, I wait until 1 a.m.,” he said.
Hunting, said Williams, is essential to maintaining a traditional diet – usually composed of deer, bear, moose and fish. During his night hunting excursions, Williams said he typically nabs four deer each year – enough to feed him and his family for the winter, and to share with some of the other elders from different First Nations.
Williams said hunting the deer also comes in handy for elders’ ceremonies – for which he sometimes supplies meat.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 15,” he said, noting if his right to hunt at night is taken away, he may not be able to secure enough food for the winter.
Banning his right to hunt at night, is taking away one of his birth rights, said Williams last week.
While First Nations have the right to self-governance, Williams isn’t sure whether or not council is breaking any rules by restricting night hunting.
According to Marci Becking, a communications officer with the Union of Ontario Indians, it’s not unusual for First Nation’s to have different by-laws.
“The MNR ban night hunting in general,” she said. “But on traditional land night hunting is allowed as long as safety and conservation rules are followed.”
Becking also said that in the case of Moose Deer Point, there might be specific circumstances leading to putting the rule in place – whether or not it is legally enforceable is a grey area. Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs media relations representative, Phyllis Bennett, also wasn’t sure if banning night hunting on the First Nation imposes on treaty rights.
“I thought it would be a relatively easy answer to find,” she said last week. “Turns out it’s not.”
Rhonda Williams, band administrator for Moose Deer Point First Nations, said she wasn’t prepared to comment on the issue and directed the North Star to Barron King, the First Nation’s Chief, who didn’t respond to requests for an interview by press time Tuesday.
According to Williams, any major policy changes or issues that are important to the First Nation’s members, are usually communicated more thoroughly.
Now, he’s having a hard time understanding why he’s been given the notice without further explanation.
“(Council) never met with the community, there are no reasons..” said Williams. “I’m not the only one who’s upset, but no one else wants to speak out because they’ll be black-balled – like me.”
Under the Robinson-Huron treaty, signed in 1850, First Nations members have the right to hunt, fish and gather in a manner consistent with previous historical practices.
Shawanaga
According to Adam Pawis, head councillor with Shawanaga First Nation, if there are issues that affect or change a First Nation member’s inherent right, the community should be consulted.
Pawis said he hasn’t heard any complaints regarding night hunting from Shawanaga residents.
“We do hunt here, and we do spearing at night,” he said. “If someone has a bear bothering them in the night, by all means, we have no problem with people in our community taking care of that themselves. There are no safety concerns.”
Pawis said each First Nation has their own rules – but they aren’t meant to restrict the birth rights of First Nations members.
Pawis said it’s not unusual to get mixed messages from both federal and provincial governments regarding Aboriginal rights.
At Shawanaga, Adam Good works as a consultant, sometimes helping to ease communication between First Nations and provincial and federal government.Shawanaga is only one of four First Nations to have a consultant.
“Federal governments have no idea how to consult with First Nations,” said Pawis, noting that any major issues pertaining to First Nations people or land requires meaningful consultation with First Nations officials. “It’s an afterthought, it’s been happening for hundreds of years. (Government) still have this old-school dogma that we’re just poor native people.”
Next Williams isn’t sure what to do next. If he has to, he’ll plan a protest, he said.
“I don’t want to do that,” he said. “I’d rather solve this the easy way. I think other people, from other First Nations, would support me on this.”
“Band-Aid” Resistance in Attiwapiskat
By Johnny Hawke
The Mushkegowuk Community of Attawapiskat is making headlines in the media where they have declared a state of emergency regarding their housing crisis where any response has only provided shelter for the massive public opinions on tax payer’s rights,corruption, third party management, accountability, sovereignty, and civil disobedience, while the real issue of housing gets left out in the cold.
I am not going to repost the overwhelming news articles that is already out there or rebut the misconceptions on this issue which has been flooding broadcast, print and social media but to question our Nations approach on asserting our autonomy when these kinds of circumstances appear to flare up.
First I would like to give respect to this community by acknowledging their strength of living in these third world conditions. In no way am I disrespecting our brothers and sisters by posing these critical observations as I’m personally not physically helping this specific crisis other then adding my view point in the usual “in solidarity” fad created by social media.
Some may think it is not my place to make such comments because I am doing so from the comfort of my own home but I feel reflecting on this issue can help our collective resurgence movement by exposing such illusions for those of us who are not only internet warriors but who also genuinely engage in actions to assert our way of life and who recognize that all of our communities are in an emergency crisis.
The Illusion of Third Party Management
The Canadian Government has sent in an accountant to enforce Third Party Management in response to this crisis in Attawapiskat where the leadership of the community has kicked out this modern day Indian Agent. Third-party management is when the federal government forces a band to turn over control of its cash and day-to-day operations to an independent manager. This has happened due to concerns of the Bands alleged mismanagements practices in response to their request of government assistance.
While I applaud the action this Band has taken in banishing the accountant from their community we must not make the mistake in believing that our communities are free of the era of the Indian Agent or are not currently under Third Party Management. By physically not having a government agent within our communities managing our finances does not mean we are not in third party management.
Chief and Council are accountable to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and not to our peoples. Chief and Councils still need permission from the Canadian State to conduct the majority of its own affairs. All Bands goverend by the Indian Act are actually in third party management.
If Indian Act governed Chiefs forbid the imposition of Third Party Management and kick out Government agents let us not fool ourselves. We either banish the Indian Act system and authority of Canada out of our communities as a whole or fall victim to “band-aid” solutions where the leaders of this type of “band-aid” revolution is and continues to be the oppressor.
I know we need to force Canada itself to be accountable to treaty obligations but when we call on them to do this when we are in a vulnerable situation we can only expect them to take advantage of the situation and have us make further surrenders.
Mismanagement
Mismanagement in our communities will always happen in this current system we are governed by because it is the intention of the system. The way of life most of our people are trying to emulate is that of our advesaries, which is based upon competition, profit, resource exploitation, individualism. The government wants the “Indian Problem”gone and making us in their own image is a way of doing this, rather then the old failed way of straight up killing us.
Our communities expect the benefits of living in a society that nurtures the social wellbeing of the people and environment and retaining our distinct culture and rights but expect “our fairs share” where we want to live like the popular global, overconsuming capitalist society. Mismanagement will always be present unless we return to ways that are more managable for the earth and its peoples.
Any resources that are allocated within most of our communites are directed to everything but developing a sustainable economy.We continue to respond to crisis in our communities by allocating funds to our housing, educational, social, cultural, infrustructure services where these crisis are not the effect of coruption and undefunding but because we have no economy and relationship with our territories which would provide for these things.
Accountability and Transparency
This crisis has caused the usual uproar from Canadian Tax Payers, their Governments and Anishinabek people demanding accountability and transparency from both the Canadian Government and Indian Band leaderships which is setting a precedent for the imposition of the Governments proposed Bill C-7, the First Nation Accountability Act.
The imposition of the Indian Act and any government policies breaches our Nation to Nation Agreements we have with the Crown which are based on non-interference and co-existence whereas these acts are illegal by Canada’s own constitution. Bill C-7 will demand Indian Bands to publish their finances and if these demands are not met, treaty entitlements also known as band funding will be withheld.
While mismanagement and corruption is a reality in our communities it is only our own responsibility and right to implement structures to provide Accountability and Transparency to our own people in a way that does not compromise our autonomy. Canada and the tax payers have no business in our business other then paying the rent and abiding by our agreements. Any imposition of laws that suppresses our people’s freedom only accomplishes the same thing to the Canadian tax payer. It is only through respecting our sovereignty that they themselves can remain as a free people.
A majority of Chiefs including the leaderships representing Attawapiskat have stated they have no problem with giving in to the tax payers and government demands by making their financial information available. Bands Finances are accessible anyways for any tax payer through Access to Information where the Canadian Tax Payers Federation have already accessed finance information from Aboriginal Affairs but added their own numbers to the data and gave a fictional report to the media.
If Bill C-7 is implemented it would create another illusion where this illegal act is already imposed. Any adoption of the First Nations Accountability Act by Band Councils and the continued access to information to any of our business discredits any claims of sovereignty and is illegal.
If tax payers demand the books to be opened, those books first need to be the history books. While opening the “books” to the tax payers would in fact help to educated them in how much they are in still arrears and how their governments are the true beneficiaries to tax payer’s funds and how they the tax payer’s benefit more from the distribution of our treaty entitlements, I still oppose any adoption of laws enforced by these governments over our nations.
We only want to be treated equal
Another thing that has come up in this crisis and in our collective demands, which I have to question, is when our people say; we want to be treated equally, we want our fair share of the resources and our own independence. I feel we need to reevaluate who we are and what we are trying to achieve because when we only want to be treated equal and our fair share of the resources then we are seeking a final colonization and assimilation of who we are.
The resources that are allocated to our Nations do not even translate to what was agreed upon in the treaties and any benefits that are given are the profits that are made from industry which is destroying our territories and our distinct way of life.
The way any industrialized country like Canada operates is by exploiting all the resources in a territory and when everything dries up, the town withers and dies and people leave. This is a suggested solution for many Canadians for the people of Attawapiskat, to finally assimilate into Canadian culture and move away from their Country. If this is the case then Canada should follow their own advice and by the rough economic times they are experiencing, they should be the first ones to get up and move away from our Continent.
The majority of our people want only to be treated just like everyone else but fail to realize we are in fact already treated so. The majority of the world’s population is being oppressed and do not have control over their own affairs. As well the majority of our Anishinabek people are no longer distinct, our communities are the same flag waving, hockey loving, beer guzzling, Jersey Shore watching, SUV driving, bling blingin, overweight, diabetic, attention deficit disorder, hyper active, hyper sexed, oil and facebook addicted, Tim Horton culture. The only difference is we watch american idol and snooki on a flat screens in our substandard houses where this popular culture helps to passify our warrior spirit from getting up to reclaim our resources so we can have proper living conditions.
I am confused to what our people want, we want to have everything our oppressors have but we want to still claim our distinct Anishinabek “way of life” which is in direct conflict of what most of our people are emulating. This leads me to my next frustration.
Civil Disobedience
Chiefs seem to make threats of Civil Disobedience in the media when we are not getting “our fair share” and do not state if they will be the ones initiating this approach and usually distance themselves from any major assertive actions taken by their own people.
Headlines of Attawapiskat have caused noise makers and Chiefs across our territories to hijack Attawapiskat’s media attention for their own campaigns. While their issues are similar and relevant and these actions would unite our people forcing Canada to deal with us properly, I doubt that Chiefs do not really want to resist capitalism which is the cause of our collective injustice or are dedicated to engage in anything revolutionary, otherwise they would already be doing so.
Any calls to “protest” from these Chiefs then sounds very similar to what I have been hearing from the majority of people within the Occupy Movement, which is not anything revolutionary but just a reform of policies within the capitalist system, fighting for “our fair share” in the system that keeps us oppresed.
The very terms some of these Chiefs use exemplify their mindset and one of these words is Civil Disobedience. This is the wrong term to be using to assert ourselves because by accepting this term and placing it on ourselves we then accept the expectations and consequences of whose society we are being civil and obedient in. When we engage in any action where we assert our Sovereignty and defend our Nations and Territories it is just that, an assertion of our way of life. We are not the ones participating in Civil Disobedience; Canada is the only party guilty of this term by their own definition.
The Peaceful Protest has also come to be the current standard approach by our communities engaging in what they call “civil disobedience” which have led many misconceptions for our people. Many of our peaceful protests condemn the use of weapons for defense but claim we are our own Nations. Many of these protests start out as peaceful marches, and glorified powwows but when it ends up pissing off the aggressor and our people start getting attacked the peaceful people call in reinforcements and then expect the shunned warrior societies to come to their defense which then discredits their rhetoric. Some say that peaceful protest does work for instance the HST Tax protests in Ontario Kanada. This gave a false image that victory was achieved by peaceful protest, where it appeared the HST was not implemented on our Nations. In reality we still pay taxes under other names and policies and what wouldv’e happen if our people peacfully brought the economy and traffic to a hault for more than one day? The idea od the peaceful p
rotest is when “younger brother” goes and pisses of the neighborhood bullies and gets his ask kicked and then “older brother” has to come in a fight off the bullies.
There are grassroots Anishinabek people who live and have died or are dying for our distinct Anishinabek way of life and who are not about to engage in “civil disobedience” or “peaceful protests” for policy reform of to increase the funds that will only go to a system of mismanagement that destroys our territories and keeps us oppressed.
The Marginalization of the Crisis
As long as we keep up the “Day of Action” protests, write in our blog rants, lobby for more funds, continue this “Band-Aid”Resistance, we will continue to blind ourselves from the real issue. If the real cause of our wounds is dealt with by a “band-aid” we can expect to see the same issues “flare up” again next winter, next quarter or at the next throne speech in an endless circle of dependency.
The Community of Attawapiskat is not unique there are many of our Anishinabek Communities throughout Turtle Island that are facing similar crisis. While most arm chair quarterbacks sit back in the comfort of our own homes and complacency of our oppression, fighting every single issue that hits the headlines by posting links or writing blogs such as this, the opportunity to make revolutionary change is awaiting as we continue to work within the unsustainable environment that we are dependent on.
The solutions to our injustices are right in front of us but are we ready to resist the things keeping us oppressed? If we have a distinct culture that has provided for our well being for millennia and demand our adversaries to respect our ways, why not trying to find solutions within the things we speak and fight so hard for?
I may not be contributing to helping the crisis in Attawapiskat but will be enforcing my own rhetoric to help contribute to the collective movement as my own community is about to accept a land settlement offer where they will be putting a “band-aid” on their own individual emergencies. I will be resisting a pay off and continue the fight so my children can have a sustainable future accessing a sustainable economy to my territory. I am aware that all our communities are in emergencies, under third party, are subjected to war and some of us will not be fooled by band-aid solutions.
Comics in this rant have been used with permission by Kaneinkeha:ka Artist Adam W. Martin. Website
Adam W. Martin is Kanienkeha:Ka from Six Nations of Grand River currently living in Regina, SK. He also contributes to Eagle Feather News which posts a pdf version of their newspaper which can be viewed online as well as Windspeaker. His comics are also available online at Rank Comix and I suggest you take a look at his own site, to see his other style of artwork.
LEST WE FORGET: FEEDING THE OGITCHIDA SPIRIT
By Johnny Hawke
In this rant I will start to “decolonize” my writing style where from now on I will refer to our original “Indigenous” People of Turtle Island as “Anishinabek”, which is my peoples own term for ourselves. It is a multidimensional word that when broken down or spoken with its full intent it translate to, “Lowered from Above” and “Good Natured Beings”. The words Indian, Aboriginal, Native, Indigenous and First Nations are not our own descriptions of ourselves and in our decolonization process reclaiming our own words and using them as our new form of weapon is just as important as reclaiming our territories. If specifically I need to use the names of a particular Nation, I will use their own names they give themselves and will make it clear if I am talking about my own particular Anishinabek People but in this War Cry I will use “Anishinabek”, to refer to our whole Turtle Island Family of Red People.
By Johnny Hawke:
During this time of year as the trees nourish pulsating red colors of the fall season and shed into the white emptiness of winter, our Anishinabek Peoples fulfill various forms of a ceremony that honors the ancestors. In this time ancestors come to show themselves through dreams or in our physical reality reminding us that their spirits too need to be fed. This also helps to remember our history. The Feast of the Dead celebrates the lives of our ancestors and also serves to feed those spirits who have no one left on this side to speak for them as well as to help those spirits who are stuck in between worlds so the can pass on.
My Uncle Ephraim Marsden Jr WWII Gunner Artillery:July 1 1921 - Nov 11, 200
This is also a time of year when the Canadian and American people come together to honor the sacrifices of their Veterans who fought in the World Wars and other Global Conflicts. Many Anishinabek People on Turtle Island have volunteered in the Canadian or American Armed Forces for their own reasons where some say it was to serve their country, fight for freedom and to honor the treaties as military allies.
In my own Anishinabek Peoples language our word for Warrior, Soldier or Veteran is Ogitchida which means Big Hearted. In this time of year America and Canada take the time to remember and honor their Veterans and our Anishinabek Peoples come together to do the same.
As we feed the spirit of our Ogitchida who served in these “white man” wars we need to incorporate some truths in these contemporary ceremonies so we may remember how things came to be.
This time of year is soaked in military patriotism and nationalism of these colonial states. I do not intend to disrespect those Ogitchida who participated in both World Wars and other global conflicts but as we absorb ourselves in this shared military history of these oppressors most of our Anishianbek begin to think we are of the same country, flag, and anthem of the colonizers.
Some of our own people who choose to assimilate and call themselves American or Canadian have the free will to do so but for others who see themselves as Sovereign Anishinabek we deserve the very freedom that our Ogitchida fought for. The current ways we honor our Ogitchida only helps the Colonial State brainwash the minds of our Anishinabek People, it is our younger generation who needs to change these patterns and speak our history to feed the hungry spirit of Ogitchida.
Most of our own people say our Veterans fought to serve their Country, Fight for our Freedom and to Honor the Treaties as allies but this is only half truth. If you ask any Anishinabek Veteran or listen to family stories, the most common reason that they volunteered was to get away from the reserves and the dictatorships of Canada and America. They had rather go to War then to stay on the reserves, they were not obligated to fight but most of them lied about their ages and volunteered to enlist.
The Anishinabek Veterans who we honor in these Remembrance Days were of the generation of the Residential Schools, where they were forcibly removed from their communities and custody of their parents. They were sexually and physically abused at these schools and had their culture and language prohibited. Back at home the adults on the reservations had to seek permission if they wished to go off the reserves. Government Indian Agents made all the decisions for the community. These policies have since been reformed but still are in existence in Canada and America enforced on our Anishinabek Nations. These Veterans were fighting for freedom but only returned to face the same kind of enemies they were fighting over seas.
Canada and America have Nation to Nation agreements with our Anishinabek Nations where we are allies and where these contracts are based on peace, coexistence and non interference. Throughout the centuries our people have been subjected to wars, where our women and children were killed by these same Armed Forces that some of our Ogitchida served for. Bounties were placed on our Peoples and we were hunted for our scalps. We were sold as slaves to other countries. Germ Warfare through the distribution of smallpox was carried out on our people where hundreds of thousands of our people were killed.
Millions of Anishinabek People were killed at the Hands of European Nations. Wounded Knee Massacre 1800's, Mass Burial Site
It is obvious that we have been subjected to Genocide and these same policies enforced upon our Anishinabek Peoples are still in existence today as we stand alongside our “allies” every Remembrance Day to honor Wars of the past that was to liberate other Nations from oppression. Even though that these “allies” won these world wars, we are still being faced to a lesser degree, the same kind of things that would’ve occurred to us if the “enemies” won any of those world wars.
War is still being waged on our Anishinabek Peoples and we need to express this in a way on these types of Veteran Occasions and share our other Military histories and embrace our own forms of Nationalism or we can continue playing blind and perpetuating our own self assimilation.
In 1990 the Canadian Armed Forces were sent in to the Kanenkehka Community of Kanehsatake. These people were standing up to protect their burial grounds from a golf course development. Their own Warrior Societies stood beside their people to defend them and the land.
Our Anishinabek People are currently still enlisting in these Armed Forces. The Wars of these modern day have all been to take away other Nations around the globe lands and resources away. Our own people are now doing the same thing to other Nations that was done to us all around the World, under the flags of Canada and America.
Recently these Armed Forces assisted and even help give arms to citizens of other countries to liberate themselves from the Dictatorships. This contradicts their actions to what they are doing to our Nations
When we decide to stand up and defend ourselves through our own “Warrior Societies” our own Militancy is denounced by the majority of our own people. This is how confused we are and this needs to stop starting with incorporating our Military history on our own continent, our relationship with the colonial states and recognizing our Grassroots Ogitchida Societies.
I come from a family of Ogitchida who have participated in white mans wars and also in the defense of our own Nationhood right here on our own soil. In no way am I disrespecting those Brave Hearts who made the ultimate sacrifice in the White mans wars. I am just sharing what also needs to be included and sharing of what we need be watchful off as we honor and remember.
Our Ogitchida Spirit needs to be fed, Lest We Forget.
Illustration by Zig Zag of Warrior Publications, kindly borrowed to make a point
“You’re afraid to bleed. I said you are afraid to bleed. As long as the white man sent you to Korea, you bled. He sent you to Germany, you bled. He sent you to the South Pacific to fight the Japanese, you bled. You bleed for white people, but when it comes time to seeing your own churches being bombed, and little black girls murdered, you haven’t got no blood.” – Malcolm X Message to the Grassroots Speech Nov 10 1965
OCCUPY STOLEN LANDS
By Johnny Hawke:
The recent international explosion of the Occupy Movement is an ongoing series of demonstrations that were started in New York City in the Wall Street financial district. The movement is mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, government corruption and corporate influence over government. The movements slogan, “We are the 99%”, refers to the difference in wealth in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population.
While Indigenous People around the Globe can identify with the Occupy Movement it’s our world view and Institutions as Indigenous Nations that conflict with the global elite and these wealthy developed countries where we have always been united as a collective movement defending our territories, rights and people from this common enemy, some more extreme as others.
As Indigenous People of Turtle Island who are actively involved in our “Indigenous Resurgence Movement” where we have many allies in other movements and identify with other struggles we must ask ourselves some key questions before we assimilate within another movement or attempt to “decolonize” another.
• If we want to be respected as Sovereign Nations and follow fundamental Nation to Nation Agreements such as the Two Row Wampum and Covenant Chain where we are Allies and not subjects or citizens of another Country are we breaching these laws when we attempt to change another Peoples way of governing themselves? Are we then stepping into another Nations vessel and attempting to change its direction?
• How can we unite our Movements to fight against the common enemy when the main goals of this Movement is to gain equality and a fair share in a Globalized System that will still be oppressive to Indigenous Nations and the Earth? They need to realize that it is their whole system that needs to be replaced
We must not confuse creating alliances and including our concerns with this movement with assimilating into another Nation through this Globalized Activism. Although we have the same enemy we are not trying to reform and change our own Institutions that we are trying to revive nor are we trying to colonize other Nations way of life. The Occupy Movement represents the voice of the oppressed people living in a global system and governance structure in various countries and it is their capitalist, consumerist ideals that is not working for all earths peoples.
Some Indigenous Peoples are participating in the Occupy Movement to include our concerns and are coming head to head with the privileged white demographic of this movement where they are facing the same old colonial attitudes from a majority of these “comrades.”
The privileged “white” majority of the so called 99% are now finding themselves on the same side of injustice as other ethnicity groups and classes but in an attempt to keep their own issues at the fore front under the guise of “color blindness” and equality some of these “privileged protesters” are accusing other races of divisiveness for addressing their own concerns where a new term is making its debut in our circles as “Left Colorblindness”
Left Colorblindness: “Left colorblindness is the belief that race is a “divisive” issue among the 99%, so we should instead focus on problems that “everyone” shares. According to this argument, the movement is for everyone, and people of color should join it rather than attack it. “Left colorblindness” claims to be inclusive, but it is actually just another way to keep whites’ interests at the forefront.
It tells people of color to join “our” struggle (who makes up this “our,” anyway?) but warns them not to bring their “special” concerns into it. It enables white people to decide which issues are for the 99% and which ones are “too narrow.” It’s another way for whites to expect and insist on favored treatment, even in a democratic movement.” – Joel Olsen
If the “privileged” majority of the so called 99% begin to exploit this movement like everything else they exploit on this globe maybe they are justified in doing so because this is actually something they own, they are the cause of most of these Global Issues. So obviously they need to own this movement because it is a part of their own decolonization process as a people.
If we look at our shared history, revolution is inevitable in achieving freedom. When the ancestors of Canada and the U.S.A came upon our shores looking for freedom from their Oppressive Imperialist Societies they found it through us and without the help of our Indigenous Nations they could not have achieved freedom. The freedom that they do gain only seems to be for a short while where they create a new society which seems to always be consumed by the same old enemy, themselves.
In the French and Indian Wars, American Revolution, War of 1812 and the countless wars we have been involved with where our People had to take up arms to defend our way of life we have created alliances with those citizens who were fighting for their freedom from their colonial oppressors. Though this is a common war against a common enemy we must remember that we are our own Indigenous Nations and through manipulation of making this a “colorblind everyone” war we must not be fooled into becoming their subjects in whatever new society that will be created, we must learn for our past.
The best thing we as Indigenous Peoples can do is continue doing what we have always been doing, upholding our end of the covenant chain or take back what is ours.
Occupy Stolen Lands: Some of our Indigenous Peoples participation within this movement is trying to get our concerns heard and asking the colonizer to respect our distinct issues. I choose to participate in this as an ally on our own turf by upholding our end of the Covenant Chain exercising our Rights and asserting our Indigenous Sovereignty and reviving our Indigenous Institutions by any means necessary.
The very abandonment of these fundamental Nation to Nation agreements by Canada and the U.S can be seen as a renege to our established peace and treaties which is also a disengagement of their established legitimacy within our Continent. In any circumstance we need assert these agreements for all that they encompass or occupy our traditional territories and bring the economy to a halt and taking control back of our resources. I feel before we commit to an alliance and make significant changes alongside this movement we need to allow them to first decolonize or else we can expect to live through the same colonial patterns of the past which is so a part of their track record and actions.
“Whites who are sincere should organize among themselves and figure out some strategy to break down the prejudice that exists in white communities. This is where they can function more intelligently and more effectively.” – Malcolm X Young Socialist magazine 1965
DECOLONIZING “TRADITIONALISM”
The Spiritual Ceremony of honoring a Chief with an Eagle feather Headdress and the sacredness of giving a Spirit Name where Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was bestowed the name by the Blood Tribe as Chief Speaker obviously exemplifies how we attach "Traditionalism" on to Colonial Institutions where we fool ourselves keeping ourselves oppressed by using our Spirituality or "Traditonalism" as a form of Colonization
“Traditionalism, the movement to restore the social, cultural, and political integrity of our communities by restoring ancient models of governance and social interaction, has degraded into a laughable form of self-centered New Ageism, a ceremonial show or smokescreen behind which the dark abuses of the colonial master on a personal and collective level continue.”
– Taiaike Alfred in his book Wasase Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom
By: Johnny Hawke
Through my own Decolonization process I have been engaging in my Anishinabe Peoples own Institutions to remove the colonial influences in my life. One of these tools I have been using is through the healing approaches of our spirituality where I have come to identify colonial attitudes embedded in our own Indigenous institutions which are creating a synthetic resurgence of our collective Identity.
I have established relationships and met many of our people who have been influential in the revival of the spiritual aspect of our Indigenous Institutions which has become an expressed ideology known as “Traditionalism.” This Traditionalism is viewed by those who embrace it and those who oppose it as something that is separate to our collective day to day modern Indigenous identity. The attributing of our peoples way of life and all the things that make us who we are as being “Traditional” limits the goals of what we are continually trying to achieve.
Traditionalism though it is centered on Indigenous Spirituality like everything within our communities still has colonial attitudes attached and we must acknowledge that “Traditionalism” is a significant approach to of our shared Decolonization Process but is not the whole movement itself. Traditionalism when used as an approach to replace existing colonial institutions in our communities mistakenly creates an illusion that something western has been replaced with something authentically Indigenous but most time those same colonial values still exist.
This rant is a call out to those who are conscience of the illusions that are disguised as our own Indigenous Institutions and the attributed colonial behaviors that follow so we can create awareness for those who are ready to reclaim their identities and start their own Decolonization Process.
Things to be aware of within Indigenous Spiritual Institutions on your Decolonization Process:
Traditionalism, Hierarchy and Elitism: Spirituality is the center of our Indigenous Being and in our history our Spiritual Institutions were subject to changes where another world view was introduced which affected these things and also where our Spiritual Institutions made illegal by our oppressors which forced us to keep these things hidden underground, where these things were almost lost. Now we are seeing a resurgence of our Spiritual Societies and Ceremonies thriving. With this we should not be so ignorant to believe that our Spiritual Societies are not exempt of the colonial stains which have infiltrated our other Indigenous Institutions. We need to be conscience of this and correct oppressive behaviors within our various societies as we are seeing a majority of our people return to our ways where they are doing it through our Spiritual Institutions.
Although our spiritual societies play a significant role in our decolonization process traces of colonialism is still entrenched in them instilling passive values which are making us submissive to our oppressor. We must also not make the mistake that “Traditionalism” or our Spiritual Institutions is the only thing there is to our Identity. We also have our own political, judicial, warrior, hunting, medicine, economic societies to reestablish.
The Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge is a contemporary movement of the sacred Midewiwin Society of the Anishinabe. Historically the Midewiwin, sometimes referred to as the ‘Grand Medicine Society” or the “Good Heart Way” is the original spiritual institution that keeps the sacred knowledge, songs and ceremonies for the Anishinabe people. Members of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge are initiated into the various levels of the Midewiwin. Today the Three Fires Society is one of many leading spiritual institutions where Anishinabe peoples are returning to our own Anishinabek Identity. This returning to our spiritual ways is commonly known by various Indigenous Nations as “Traditionalism”
My friend who has been involved with the Three Fires Midewewiin Lodge for most of his life and who is a prominent person who holds a specific degree in this society has helped me with some issues in my healing. He has helped me to understand some things with our Spiritual Societies. I didn’t ask to use his name in this article so I will leave it out in respect but will share what he described to me.
“Our Midewiwin Society has undergone three major changes since it was given to us by Creator. The coming of the white people to Turtle Island introduced a whole different world view which is based on monetary values. This made some of our people within earlier centuries concern themselves with providing our spirituality for the exchange of goods of the white man and not out of the good of the heart. The second major change was when we had to keep these things hidden and where some stuff was lost. However these ways can never be lost because Creator gave us the ability to dream where we can retrieve these things. We are in another major change where we are seeing our Spiritual Societies return to our people.”
As he helped me to understand some things he also told me that there are two kinds of people who enter to the lodge.
“Some people enter for the healing they need and some enter sincerely because the spirit calls them to do this spiritual work.””
This helped me understand a whole lot because through my own colonial values that have been embedded in my upbringing I automatically assumed all the people who followed this way were all healed as I put them up on a pedestal and attributed them as “holy rollers” because they were following these ways. These colonial thought patterns that mainstream society conditions us to make also make a small number of people involved in this work to place themselves up on that same pedestal as well.
In our Indigenous worldview we are all equals and have our own roles to play within our community where respecting the free will of every entity in creation is understood. Today’s utilization of our spirituality is sometimes creating a hierarchy and elitism by some people who identify themselves as “traditional” or “initiated” or “sober” and some place themselves above others who may be on another level of their own healing journey, or who play a different role within the community.
This egotistic attribute employed by some is a western value that is not based on Indigenous teachings of humility. Although ego is a human condition and affects all races, colonial thought patterns and values that our people have adopted through assimilating into mainstream culture seem to be intensifying such colonial behaviors which affect our Spiritual Societies.
The individualistic ego behavior is creating elitism, hierarchy and belittlement which turn some of our people away from their individual decolonization process, healing and at times even against our own Indigenous Identity. In my experience and opinion some people who have certain issues who follow our ways make it seem that our ways are personally belong to them because of their seniority in the “Traditionalist” movement or because their families followed our ways longer than others. This creates a feeling that we need to seek them out for permission in everything “Traditional” that we invoke.
Our Medicine Societies and Ceremonies entrap non-natives and even our own people in a small box believing that this romanticized “spiritual” world view is all there is to our Indigenous Identity. Sometimes the “Traditional Healing Movement” is a barrier itself to healing and Decolonization.
These Spiritual Institutions also serve as a place where our people are flocking towards for healing and where a percentage of the people within these “societies” still retain deep internal unhealthy issues which affect their behaviors. Some of these people who are not well are giving the perception that they are spiritually healthy by belonging to these spiritual societies. They need to be told that they are representing these spiritual societies and are turning others a way.
At the same time I would like to acknowledge and honor those spiritual people who are out there who are true to the teachings and are representing what it means to be Anishinabek having a Good Heart and who really have a connection with the Spirit.
Powwows: Inter-tribal Gatherings that included Political, Military, Economic, Social and Ceremonial Societies of our Nations has now been replaced by the Pan-Indian Traditional Gathering of Powwow. Powwow has become a “Traditional” Gathering that showcases and has been a benefit of the reemergence of our Songs, Dances, Arts and Crafts. Some Powwows serve as Competitions for Dancers and Singers involving prize money and some are Traditional centering on honoring communities through song and dance.
As a “Traditional” Dancer and sitting with a few Drum Groups over the years I have noticed that other aspects of “traditional gathering” are not present. I observe at Powwows where community members who want to particpate by providing the “traditional” act of “giveaways”or other “specials” seems to be marginalized by the Powwow Community because it takes too much time away from the singers and dancers. I have also observing Egotistic behavior and honorarium issues within drum groups and dancers which has also made me question if our values and teaching are being compromised just for the showcasing of our culture.
Also Politics, Militancy or too much Ceremony seem to be unwanted at Powwow but organizers allow Colonial Armed Forces and Police Agencies to participate. At a few Powwows I have also noticed people who are coming from communities who are engaging in either an occupation or blockade or protest, who come to seek support are turn away from Powwow MC’s who tell them Powwow is not the place for Politics or Militancy.
In Powwow there are many teachings. One of these come from the Grandfather Drum Teachings which is used at the Powwow by most Indigenous Nations. One founding teaching says that the “Big Drum” was given to all Indigenous Nations by a Woman. During a time where all tribes we at war with each other this Woman was given a vision. In her vision she was given a “Big Drum” along with seven inter-tribal songs to teach to all the Nations so all Nations can sing and gather together to end the inter-tribal wars that was destroying the people. Teachings say that only Men can sit at the drum and Women are not because of the power of Creation that they hold.
There is a new phenomenon happening where Women are sitting and singing and carrying the Drum breaking this “Traditional” taboo. These Women Drum Groups who are doing this are being asked to leave Powwows by a majority of “Traditionalists” involved with Powwow.
The teaching that these Women Drum Groups are sharing to why they sitting at the “Big Drum” is that they are reclaiming the drum because most Men are forgetting their responsibilities. We are no longer standing up to protect our territories, the earth or are respecting our women or standing up to protect our Nationhood to defend the Peace. The Grandfather Drum is being carried by a generation of Men who are abusive to themselves or their people is the message these Women Drum Groups are sharing.
If it was through Women that gave Men the Grandfather Drum in the first place to end inter-tribal wars to create peace between our Nations and are so powerful for being close to Creation, why we using “Traditionalism” to shut out a message that needs to be said?
Is there acceptance of the evolution of a new kind of Powwow? or even the rekindling of the spirit of what our “Traditional” gatherings used to be about? We now divide ourselves in specific circles to gather as Chief and Council, Medicine Societies, Powwow, Blockades, Ceremonies, Occupations, Fish and Hunting Camps, Economic Conferences. How is Powwow reflective of what our culture is as a whole? How is it nurturing our spiritual reemergence if it only concentrates on only a certain social group within our Nations?
Traditional Elders: I often am told by “Traditional Elders” that my place is either silently standing behind the women, tending the sacred fire when protecting our people, rights and territories or that occupations and blockades are only a “Mohawk thing” and I must do things in a good way. I choose to believe that our people’s responsibility to protect our people, rights and territories is not just a responsibility of the women. If our teachings tell us anything it is to walk beside and not in front or to place anybody behind you and if someone is a threat to your well being it is your right to defend yourself.
Any direct actions that challenges the State authority is almost always opposed by “Traditional Elders”. Our “traditionalism” then preaches on values that makes us complacent and passive which tells us not to be the physical warriors we once were ready to defend our well being.
What is a “Traditional Elder” ? Many Old People in our communities are not active in our spirituality but possess knowledge and have a background in Fishing, Hunting, Construction or fluent in Anishinabek Language and know our Rights. This “Traditionalist” movement seems to identify and place certain people with spiritual knowledge in high regards over other “Elders” who are not spiritual. People use terms like I get my “teachings” from this “Elder” which creates unnecessary divisions and a childish possessiveness over “Elders” and “teachings”
Cultural Appropriation: We are a part of a new Generation of Indigenous Peoples that has been brought up with “Traditionalism” where more aspects of who we are is now acceptable within our communities. We are now in a time where we are regaining those things that were taken away from us but as we still retain colonial values we are now exploiting our cultural knowledge and relics.
We are seeing our communities use symbols and relics of our culture such as Headdresses. In the past, some traditions required each feather to be earned until enough had been acquired to fashion a headdress. Nowadays, this type of tradition seems to be irrelevant and the main requirement for wearing a headdress is to take advantage of a good photo op.
We have Indian Princess Pageants in a culture that never had theses things. We are using Teachings, Ceremonies, Language and placing Cultural logos on Colonial Institutions, Policies, Bureaucracy, Self Governance, Land Claim Settlements fooling ourselves that we are progressing and reclaiming our identity. We are now being are own oppressors by utilizing “Traditionalism” and placing it as a guise over Colonial Institutions.
“Culture never comes into play with our current leaders. We did some small things, but it was just, how would you say, a display? Like we had elders opening meetings, but were they there to negotiate, or advise or make decisions? Of course not. The elders were just brought in to do their prayer song, and then they were escorted right back out the door.” – Wasase Indigenous pathways of action and freedom
Superiority: As a new Generation of Warriors organize to defend our rights, territories and people there is a lot of criticizing from the older generation of Warriors.
Some of our “Traditional” Elders in our Spiritual Intuitions were a part of the generation in the 60’s and 70’s that was a part of our spiritual resurgence and warrior societies where AIM was influential in this process. I have been told many times of these Elders that this was the last generation of warriors of moral standing. Although great work came from this generation which us younger generation are thankful and inspired by they must also acknowledge that we too are also a new generation part of a new warrior movement that has brought hope and change through Oka, Gustufsen Lake, NYM, Ipperwash, Burnt Church, Grassy Narrows, Kanenhstaton and also through the many Artists who are bringing our message and truths out in the open through various mediums.
The moral standing of our contemporary movements should not be criticized by our Elders who were of AIM generation.
People who call themselves “Traditional” and judge our young generation of Warriors as being immoral need to for sure address their own colonial attitudes and stop placing themselves above others. Sometimes these Elders forget that they were too Armed for Defensive Actions . AIM although they have their place in our history is not the beginning and end for our Decolonization or Warrior movements. Superiority is also an issue for those who have been participating a lot longer in the struggle.
As our people begin to reclaim our Indigenous Identities “Traditionalism” which was initiated in a resurgence movement in the 60’s and 70’s where AIM was an influential force and centered themselves on Spirituality and where today’s Traditional Elders were a part of this generation we as a younger generation must learn and speak out from the mistakes and current colonial behaviors that are dividing us which sometimes comes from our Elders and Spiritual Societies as well. We must not exempt our Elders and Indigenous Institutions from colonialism because they are represented as being organically Indigenous.
New Ageism and the Non Native Experience:
Non Anishinabek People from other races are participating in a movement of their own where they are learning from our ways and starting their own healing process as a people who are realizing their own Capitalist Society is destroying everything. Sometimes this movement is referred to New Ageism which is a melting pot of global spirituality because their own ways have been oppressed and lost. They are flocking to our Spiritual Institutions to learn from us which is a good thing but they are also bringing their colonial attitudes with them.
I recently attended a sweat lodge before I went out fasting where I was seeking guidance from the spirit to help me in my own decision that my community is faced with. A non native participant of the sweat and an acquaintance who happens to be an A.A Sponsor to numerous people made some comments to me at this sweat as if I was one of his people who he sponsors and made me feel belittled.
He vaguely knows who I am and what I am about and only knows me as an acquaintance through ceremony because his girlfriend is herself on a healing journey and involved within the Three Fires Midewiwiin Medicine Society. Anyways he told me that he was very worried about me and that he was glad that I attended the sweat and am back on the healing “path”.
He was worried about me because of my apparent anger issues and prejudged my attendance at the sweat and my fasting with his own opinion where he suggested I needed the healing which offended me. He was referring my apparent anger issues to videos I posted on a social networking internet site where I shared some how-to videos on self defense trap maneuvers in guerella warfare which apparently offended him.
In any Society some of the people need to be providers and some need to be warriors to protect the people and territory from threats and active training is a part of this. The resurgence of our warrior societies is just as important as our medicine societies. This non native person viewed my training as something angry which caused him to overreact through worrying which affected his wellbeing and where made it seem that he was above me. This is a perfect example how a narrow mindset can cause assumptions which causes problems.
This person participation and preaching on Anishinabek Healing is a good step but is a waste of time if he still possesses and clings on to mainstream attitudes. He thought I needed healing for anger issues but choose not to inquire why those videos were relevant in my path. If those videos were on hunting which is also a violent activity I wonder if he would’ve thought I still needed healing for my perceived anger issues. Sill after explaining to him why these man-trap videos are important and speaking my peace with him he still chooses to force his belief system onto my free will.
Non-Natives who want to cloak themselves in Indigenous “traditionalism” need to decolonize themselves of their western attitudes when choosing to take up our “ways” otherwise they are just playing make belief and can cause damage. Do I have to share what happened to the non-native capitalizing by conducting sweat lodge ceremonies in a New Age Texas Retreat?
Many issues are created when Non-Natives embrace “Traditionalism” where you can find numerous social impacts by doing a search on the internet all you have to do is type in, “New Age Healing.”
In this article I just wanted to address some things that need to be acknowledge as we reclaim who our Indigeneous Institutions. Although critical on some aspects in “traditionalism” I am very spiritually centered. I now encourage those who are on a “healing journey” or Decolonization Process if your are conscience of colonial values hiding within our own Institutions it is our responsibility to speak up and change it for the good of others and our future generations
I will leave this article with a quote from Dr. Wendy Makoons Geniusz who is from the Anishinabek Nation and is director of American Indian studies and assistant professor of foreign languages at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. She teaches courses in traditional American Indian cultures and the Ojibwe language and is also an author.
“Because of the colonization process, many of us no longer see the strength of our indigenous knowledge. Our minds have been colonized along with our land, resources, people. For us Anishinaabeg, the decolonization of gikendaasowin (Anishinaabe knowledge) is also part of the decolonization of ourselves.”
A NATION SHRIVELS IN COLDWATER
By: Kai Kai Kons
“”Father, If you white people forget your transactions with us, we do not. The Lands you have just now shew to us belongs to you. We have nothing to do with it; We have sold it to our Great Father the King, as was well paid for it. Therefore make your mind at easy. There may be some of our young people who do not think so; They may tell your people that the Land is ours but you must not open your ears to them, but take them by the arm and put them out of your houses.” – Chief Yellowhead, Coldwater – Narrows Reserve In Response to Land Sold for Military Roads in and around Barrie to Penetang
A History of the Chippewas of Lake Huron and Simcoe Research from Department of Anthropology University of Western Ontario
1764 Niagara Covenant Chain Belt
There have always been divisions in our Anishinabek Communities regarding the broken promises that our “Leaders” have accepted with the Crown. In the mid 1700’s Anishinabek Odawa War Chief Pontiac organized an Intertribal campaign to rid Turtle Island of the British as a result of their broken promises. Pontiac’s people agreed to give up arms under the 1764 Niagara Covenant Chain belt which proclaims each Nations right to Sovereignty.
This belt since its foundation has been broken many times by the British Crown however our Indigenous Nations who accepted it continue to assert its peace and alliance that it embodies but fails to uphold our own Sovereignty which the belt also represents.
Today just as in the 1800’s history seems to be repeating itself. I am one of those youth just as in the past who feel that these lands that we were displaced upon including our Sovereignty is not for sale.
COLDWATER NARROWS RESERVE BACKGROUND
“The Coldwater Narrows Experiment was established in the 1830’s by the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Sir John Colborne, in an attempt to create a self-sustaining farming community for the Chippewas of lakes Huron and Simcoe.
Between 1830 and the 1832 the three Chippewa First Nations settled on the reserve. Two of the First Nations under Chief Yellowhead and Snake settled at Coldwater near Lake Huron. The reserve was approximately 10,000 acres in size and ran in a narrow strip of land, approximately 14 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, along an old portage route between Lake Simcoe and Matchedash Bay on Lake Huron.
Over the next six years the First Nations constructed a road which ultimately came to be Ontario Highway No.12. The community cleared the land and prospered as farmers. They built schools, houses, barns and mills.
The Chippewas of Coldwater Narrows lobbied for six years in an attempt to secure title deeds and self management of their lands. Although they were not successful in obtaining deeds, arrangements were made in 1836 to transfer management of their reserve and ownership of the property.
During the same period the Coldwater Narrows Reserve was allegedly surrendered by the Chippewas for sale by the Crown to non Aboriginal settlers. A surrender document was signed in Toronto on November 26, 1836 when Chiefs were tricked into signing the document they thought was for Land Title and Self Government.”
– Fact Sheet Coldwater Narrows Specific Claim http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/al/ldc/spc/nws/cnfs-eng.asp
AN OFFER HAS BEEN MADE
Artwork by Zig-Zag used with permission
In a Press Conference regarding this Claim held in May 2011 the Government of Canada, the Chippewas of Rama , the Chippewas of Georgina Island , the Beausoleil First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash announced they have reached a major milestone in talks to resolve the outstanding specific claim in south-central Ontario.
Canada has tabled a settlement offer and the four First Nations have agreed to take this offer to their members for a vote. The proposed settlement includes approximately $307 million in financial compensation to resolve the claim.
The First Nations also have to right to purchase 10,000 acres on a willing seller, willing buyer basis. The fourth First Nation was added as a beneficiary when Canada researched that a small number of people left Coldwater and amalgamated into the Nawash Band located near Wiarton Ontario.
The Coldwater-Narrows specific claim was originally submitted by the CTC on November 4, 1991. After this submission was rejected by Canada, the CTC asked the Indian Claims Commission (ICC)* to hold an inquiry. The ICC has been facilitating discussions between the parties since that time.
Subsequently, the CTC revised its allegations, additional historical research was undertaken, and Canada conducted a review of the revised submission and new evidence. Canada accepted the CTC’s claim for negotiation under the Specific Claims Policy on July 23, 2002. Consultants have been working on this for 30 years.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Divide and Conquer has always been a tool used by Colonials who employ greed and power to create divisions. Divisions are always a part of our communities however on this offer we are already seeing divisions.
Artwork by Zig Zag used with permission featured in Warrior Publications
If our communities decide to accept this offer some of the funds from the settlement will rightfully have to go to loans that the First Nations had taken out to pay for consultants and lawyers. In the offer the communities can purchase up to a total of 10,000 acres of land on a willing buyer and willing seller basis. The process of this settlement and its distribution of funds along with adding lands to a reserve will be governed by Canada’s oppressive Indian Act.
– The financial compensation that will be distributed will be split up between the four reserves. So the pay out to individual community members from each of the four First Nations will vary in amounts due to each reserve’s population numbers which is creating bitterness amongst the people.
– Chief and Council of these First Nations suggest putting aside some funds to benefit future generations. The majority of community members want all the “people’s money” to be distributed and feel they can be responsible themselves for their own future generations share of the funds. There is animosity towards leadership on this is suggestion.
– A small minority from these communities reject this offer because they feel the offer does not respect and honor their Nation’s Sovereignty. Their Independence was also taken away along with those lands and retaining their Autonomy has not been addressed in this offer. This minority does not give authority and chooses not to be represented by Indian Act Band Leadership but wishes to represent themselves as Sovereigns and reestablish their right to be an Independent Nation.
Utilizing Canadian judicial system and other institutions that are not neutral grounds for a Nation to Nation relationship in this settlement does not exercise their Sovereignty and creates an unbiased outcome.
Chief and Council and the majority of people do not hold these people with these views as a legitimate voice for their people and visa versa for this minority. There will always be “Hang- around the Fort Indians” surrendering what little they have just as there will be a small group trying to remain free and retaining their right to be an Autonomous Indigenous People. Each group has their right to do as they see fit to be safeguards for their land, rights and future generations.
ANISHINABEK VALUES
“I agree with you. If Nations want to speak on Sovereignty and getting respected as a Nation than it’s up to them to start acting like a Nation. The Mohawk Nation has been doing this for a long, long time. It’s a hard road but if you’re into your morals this is the road to go.” – CTC Lawyer Allan Pratt on exercising Sovereignty within this Claim
Artwork by Zig Zag used with permission
We have been passed on our Anishinabek Teachings through our Elders, Oral History, Ceremonies and Midewiwiin Society and through other mediums. We have been told our rights and original way of governance by our Political Leaders both by Hereditary Chiefs and contemporary Indian Act Chiefs. Warriors have also fought to protect these things. Our People have fought and died and sacrificed so much for the following values:
– To be the care takers of the Earth and Waters so that the next Seven Generations coming can enjoy these things given to us by Creator/Creation.
– We have a Clan system that we organize under and use for our Governance.
– We are our own Sovereign Nation with our own Laws and Customs where we never surrendered.
– We say we are all equal, one people and one community.
If we accept this offer for financial compensation our future generations most likely will not benefit and we may not see useful lands where we can exercise our hunting, gathering and fishing traditions. We will have surrendered to everything that makes us Anishinabek.
Remember in these negotiations we should have negotiated out of the Indian Act since our Independence was taken away when signing those fraudulent documents in the 1800’s.
Are we really living up to every thing we preach when we accept this offer?
Chiefs who preach on Sovereignty could have lobbied to negotiate on neutral grounds instead of in the Canadian System. We then wouldn’t have expensive lawyer bills to pay.
Knowing that Coldwater lands are out of the question to be replaced there is a lot of unoccupied Crown Lands in our old territories which they can transfer over and where we wouldn’t have to purchase back. It’s called negotiating.
We say we are environmentalists keeping the future in mind at every ceremony we attend or conduct. Why is it only okay to play “Indian” and dress up on weekends but wrong when a small minority wants to continue the struggle to retain who we are. The struggles are still the same as in AIM’s time and during the OKA crisis. Playing by their rule and utilizing their Courts don’t seem to be assessing injustices correctly.
If we accept this offer remember we were all one community at one time. Why is it we continue to embrace the reserve system which will create unfairness when we receive our funds. If we are all equal shouldn’t all beneficiaries get the same amount of compensation?
To most tolerance and respect of other people’s beliefs seems to be only “reserved” for those who choose a more complacent conservative colonized way of life. It’s when you start standing up against injustice and rocking the canoe that your beliefs than become intolerable to those who think we are living in Peace and Freedom. Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, American Indian Movement, Native Youth Movement, Dudley George all were people involved in fighting for our rights and land and the majority of their people had a hard time tolerating what they were doing because of fear of repercussions of the oppressors.
OPTIONS You are free to do as you please as it is your right but where is the representation and freedom for those of Sovereign Mind?
Option One: Vote yes and surrender the Coldwater Narrows Reserve and any future chance of being recognized as a Sovereign Nation without being governed by the Indian Act. This claim is in our favor to regain our Independence so in voting yes we wouldn’t have a right to bring up this issue in any future litigation. With our compensation we can purchase back stolen land which we were displaced onto in the first place.
Option Two: Negotiators working for First Nations are reporting that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s federal government is moving to cut off specific claims negotiations, a move that one source said could cost First Nations — and at the same time save Canada — billions of dollars, due to the failing capitalist world economy.
Several negotiators say they were told that if a First Nation rejects the government’s final offer, the negotiations will be shut down and the only recourse will be to take the claim before the Specific Claims Tribunal. But the tribunal cannot award more than a total of $250 million each year for all the claims it hears. And the legislation phases out the tribunal after 10 years.
So if we vote no to renegotiate or further litigate playing by their unfair rules in their system we would loose a chance of seeing this amount of money 308 million. What the government is doing is not negotiating but still holding guns to our head but using divide and conquer and financial terrorism. If we vote no we could very much loose this amount of money and have to settle for less.
Option Three: Don’t accept any money and make it known to the Government and Chiefs that you are not accepting any money. Its ok for others to accept the offer but those who want to disband have that right to keep trying to retain those sacred agreements that founded Canada and acknowledges our Nationhood . Organize Option Three in our Sovereign Territory.
“They [the First Nations] have invested a great deal of time — in some cases, decades — getting this far in the process. And they have been promised justice. The Prime Minister himself in 2007 announced a policy called ‘Justice At Last’, which many of us are now calling ‘Just For Laughs’ in honour of the comedy program. The promises that the Prime Minister made in the summer three or four years ago are being dishonoured. And First Nations are very angry,” he said. “I can tell you that the claims community, the professionals and the First Nations who are in claims across the country, are in an uproar and outrage. I’m not going to make any predictions about what may happen, but I will remind– I would remind the federal system that when Justice At Last was announced, it was in response to a Senate committee report called ‘Negotiation or Confrontation: It’s Canada’s Choice.’ And Canada’s pushing First Nations back, away from reconciliation. And as the Senate predicted, it will be some form of confrontation that will be the result. That’s my prediction.”
– Allan Pratt CTC Lawyer and Consultant
GEORGE’S STORY
By Johnny Hawke
We are Nations. We have always been Nations
We have voluntarily entered into a relationship of friendship and protection with the Crown, which we have for two centuries referred to as the Covenant Chain. In placing ourselves under the Crown’s protection, we gave up none of our internal sovereignty.
We have never concluded any Treaty with the Dominion of Canada, nor have we ever expressly agreed to accept the Dominion of Canada in place of Great Britain as the party responsible under the British obligation to protect us.
We retain the right to choose our own forms of Government.
We retain the right to determine who our citizens are.
We retain the right to control our lands, water and resources.
We retain our rights to those lands which we have not surrendered.
We retain the use of our languages and to practice our religions and to maintain and defend all aspects of our culture.
We retain those rights which we have in Treaties with other Nations, until such time as those Treaties are ended.
We retain the right to choose our own future, as peoples.
The only process known to international law whereby an independent people may yield their sovereignty is either by defeat in war or by voluntary abandonment of it formally evidenced. Our Nations have never yielded our sovereignty by any formal abandonment of it. We have never been conquered in war by any power on earth of which there is a record or tradition
-Union of Ontario Indians Anishinabek Nation Declaration
I recently visited George Williams a fellow Warrior, Hunter and good friend of mine from Moose Deer Point First Nation this weekend. I went up to his community to bring fish nets and to help his family with ceremonies they were doing for him and to also organize our own enforcement to counter outside agencies who are imposing Canadian Laws on our Nation.
George Williams is Potawatomi of the Sturgeon Clan; he is 62 years old and has been a hunter, fisherman and trapper all his life. It is his knowledge as a hunter, trapper and fisherman that he is sharing with me to ensure these traditions and rights are passed on to our people.
Left to Right: George Williams and Johnny Hawke
INAC Chiefs in 1923 were pressured into ceding our peoples Hunting Territories and Fishing Rights under the Williams Treaty (no relation) therefore my community has not retained our traditions and rights in the aspect of Food security which is the founding basis of a Nations Sovereignty. Also living on a secluded small Island there is not much to fish and hunt so I am taking every effort to get out on the land and embrace my inherit right as an Anishinabe. My friend George is helping me to become that hunter and trapper. He says everything that makes a Warrior comes from being a Hunter.
George is one of the very few Elders who is not passive and exemplifies our peoples fighting Warrior Spirit. He still Lives off the Land and embraces our Spiritual teachings. Most Elders that I have come across including many of our Anishinabe people only seem to consider certain people of Spiritual hierarchy to be a legitimate “Traditional Elder.”
Most “Traditional” Elders or Spiritual People I have counseled with have given me advice that we shouldn’t show up waving “fierce looking flags”, wearing fatigues, or balaclavas when it comes to protecting our land and rights. Some of these people speak on tolerance of others but at the same time denounce their own people who choose to enforce our Sovereignty by any means. It seems some of our people can tolerate Canadian agencies fierce forces and laws imposed on our people in the name of “friendship” but cannot tolerate their own people enforcing our original laws.
In my own experience some Elders and Spiritual People have told me and others to walk away from the frontlines of a blockade when we are protecting our territory and some even say that we are not warriors. At the same time some people who I here talk like this show up at powwows looking just as fierce in their regalia playing “Indian” on the weekends. George is not one of these Weekend Warriors he lives every aspect of being Anishinabe.
George is no Medicine or Holy man or is initiated into a Lodge or a part of a particular spiritual Indigenous sect but still embraces our teachings devoutly. By some he is not a legitimate “Elder” in the “ pan-Indian Traditional” sense however he passes on hunting skills to his people and in kindness provides what he catches to the communities. George is not an angry person he is just as kind hearted as those ancestors who welcomed the new comers onto our continent so long ago. He can be seen driving around his community with a Warrior Society emblem on the side door of his truck with a bow in the back decked out in camouflage ready to get a moose for the people, or fiercely defend his Nation and Territory when the time arises.
George's Grandson Myiingan in Camo standing in front of George's Truck
In July 9, 2009 three men from the Muskoka region were convicted after a 16-month undercover operation by Ministry of Natural Resources investigators.
George Williams was convicted of possessing and transporting an illegally killed bear, selling whitetail deer and breaching a probation order he was on at the time of the offences. He was given a $4,100 fine, received a five-year hunting license prohibition and was placed on two years probation.
Anthony Williams son of George Williams was convicted of having a loaded firearm in a vehicle, hunting whitetail deer during the closed season, possessing and transporting an illegally killed bear, possessing a bear gallbladder and breaching a probation order he was on during the period that some of the offences were committed. He was fined $2,500, received a two-year hunting license prohibition and placed on probation for two years.
The court heard that between September 16, 2004, and December 1, 2005, undercover conservation officers investigated reports of illegal hunting activities and were sold fish and game meat contrary to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. The officers were guided to hunt moose, deer and bear during the closed season.
The investigation led to eight people being charged with a variety of offences. Five of those charged pleaded guilty and their cases were heard in 2006. The investigation also led to charges being laid by the OPP against David Stock a Mohawk man from Wahta Mohawk Territory for firearm related offences which resulted in an earlier jail sentence and a lifetime prohibition against possessing firearms. The case was heard by the Honourable Justice Harpur in Ontario Court of Justice, Barrie, on June 22, 2009.
Anishinabek People taught Conservation to these newcomers and still honor our own natural laws in working with the environment. It is Industry and White collared Capitalists and Politicians that should be locked up for what they are doing to our Continent.
“The Ministry of Natural Resources came in undercover to the Reserve looking for a hunting guide. They found out I was a hunter through the grapevine and so I was more than willing to take them out on our Reserve. They said they were Metis and had rights to hunt. ” explained George.
“I warned them about their handguns and told them that if they got caught they need to take responsibility for their own actions. I didn’t know they were undercover agents. They killed a bear out of season illegally by their own laws using handguns and rifles. They broke their own laws just to place charges on me to stop me from hunting.
This was an entrapment on our people. I am just Anishinabe providing for my family and trying to help our people who want to go out on the land to exercise our rights. They don’t want us to do that and they keep enforcing their laws by trying to incarcerate us any way they can.” explains George.
The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI says it is a political advocate for 39 member Indian Act Bands across Ontario. The Union of Ontario Indians delivers a variety of programs and services, such as Health, Social Services, Education, Intergovernmental Affairs and Treaty Research, and does this with approximately 70 staff members. The UOI is governed by a board of directors and has a Grand Council Chief and a Deputy Grand Council Chief that carry the day-to-day leadership responsibilities.
During George’s time in court he couldn’t find any support from his own people or leaders to assist him with court costs, organizing rallies helping him to defend our Sovereignty and Rights and creating an awareness of what the MNR did. He had to retain a Legal Aid Lawyer for his defense and suffer these illegally imposed consequences because he only had a legal aid lawyer who wasn’t up for a fight against the Crown and obviously the Crown would never consider his Diplomatic Immunity as an Anishinabe from the provincial laws placed on him.
These Modern Chief Organizations who claim to be Political Advocates on behalf of our Anishinabek Nation, a Nation which is more than 39 INAC “Indian Bands” continues to give authority to the Canadian Judicial System. They continue to give authority to this foreign Judicial System as avenue for settling our grievances and continue to embrace the Indian Act to impose its authority on our Nation. This is also where they get there authority to be legitimate leaders in the eyes of Canada when we have our own Anishinabek Laws, Clan Sytem Governance and Nation to Nation Relationship that they so much preach about.
Recently the UOI created a Declaration of the Anishinabek Nation for their organization which is a good thing and historically correct but doesn’t mean anything if they do not live by it and enforce it.
In most instances these leaders of these individual “Bands” denounce their citizens from representing their Nation in actions when certain struggles arise. They do not assist in legal costs when our people are faced with charges regarding our rights. The common support that is mostly given is a “Chief” posing for photo opts to the media waving a finger at the Government while the grassroots people continue to be locked up and fight for our rights. If there happens to be any success these leaders along with the passive spiritualists who don’t want anything to do with stirring the pot make statements to the media or at community gatherings like it was a collective fight of our Nation as a whole.
Stories like these go unheard and the majority of times our people face charges that breaches our Nations Sovereignty and Canada’s own Constitution which protects our Aboriginal Rights. We need to organize to help tackle these issues where Indian Act Band Political Advocates fail and denounce our actions.
During my friend George’s court struggle I was wrapped up in a struggle of my own fighting to protect the waters of my home that was being threatened by a DumpSite that would’ve sat atop an aquifer in Simcoe County, ironically Ontario Ministry of Environment approved this and Indian Affairs was no where to protect our interests and our Chief and Council showed no support. I was also assisting another community regarding getting their treaty acknowledged. I wish I had the time to help my friend George but here I am now.
I am not involved in the mainstream media as most of my journalistic colleagues are because my voice is too strong for certain publications advertisers. I organize underground and hope you can share this story and help. This article will be followed by a video and will be the start in creating awareness in what has happened so that others won’t face the same kind of things and to educate and create a buzz in helping us appeal these charges and help get George compensation and an apology and our Sovereignty honored.
Our privileged euro Canadian setter allies seem to know how to get exposure in the media when they need to especially when they are speaking for us in urban areas so maybe if you are a privileged ally and are reading this maybe you can contact me and help us get some things started and network with us.
If you are Anishinabe and would like to help organize our own enforcement to deal with these agencies come meet us in the communities where we organize. It is there where we know who we are organizing with for our own safety and security.
Our own Anishinabe Passive People who claim to be tolerant of other peoples beliefs criticize some of our own people who fight for our rights in certain ways calling us s “media seekers” looking for 15 minutes of fame.
I would like to say to those arm chair quarterbacks who most likely are Indian Bureaucratic Uncle Tomahawks. Who do you think provided your moose meat and pickerel dinner that your eating at your Council Meeting right now? To some of us it is not all about our names in the papers its about getting the struggle in the papers and getting our grievances some attention. Some of us “bandana” wearers actual work for the people. Before and after blockades there are people like George in the background of our communities providing for the people and living Anishinabe.
“We need to organize ourselves so when stuff like this happens we are not fighting this is in the courts alone and when they send any of their officers on our territories we need to be ready to come together from all communities to force them out. I don’t accept their laws on our people. I am trying to appeal this and looking for a written apology and compensation for my destroyed property. ”
-George Williams Potawatomi Nation Sturgeon Clan
Waking The Sleeping Giant
By: Johnny Hawke
“Since the arrival of the Europeans and Christianity, Nana’b’oozoo’s kin and neighbors had forsaken him and espoused new heroes and heroines, new values, everything. Not only was he neglected, he was now regarded as no more than a “trickster” and a “fool” by many of the people he had served. Spurned and scorned, hurt and humiliated, Nana’b’oozoo, taking his Grandmother with him, moved out of the lives of the Anishinabe.”
– Basil H Johnston , Scholar, Historian, Anishinabe Nation
Sleeping Giant, Thunder Bay Ontario
My people the Anishinabe held in high regards Nana’b’oozoo, Original Man, our Teacher so much so that when we greet each other we use his name. Nana’b’oozoo was half spirit and half man sent by Creator to wander the Earth to name all things and to learn lessons clearing the path for his descendents, the Anishinabe. Nana’b’oozoo lived amongst our people from the time we were created until the coming of the Europeans. Our Elders say that Nana’b’oozoo left our people because we were turning our backs on him.
Before Colonial Policies were enforced on our people, we had a Nation to Nation relationship with the Europeans and it is in this time where we started exchanging our lifestyle for their capitalistic values and became dependant on their products, this is the time when Nana’b’oozoo left our people. Nana’b’oozo lying down on the ground fell asleep and turned himself into an island to protect an underground Silver Mine and is still their sleeping over top of the mine and waiting for the people to awaken his spirit. Today Nana’b’oozoo can be seen sleeping on the shores of what is now known as Thunder Bay, Ontario.
We are in the time of the Seventh Fire Prophecy and are about the light the Eighth and final fire. We have a choice in the Eighth Fire in our prophecies where we can either choose to destroy ourselves with the “White Mans” values and products, where the Earth will play a part in cleansing herself of the Human Race, which is now happening, or we can return to our original instructions and light an ever lasting Fire of Spiritual Balance working in harmony with the Earth. It is of urgency that we awaken the Sleeping Giant that is the Anishinabek Nation for the benefit of all Earths People.
My name is Kai Kai Kons, Young Hawk of the Anishinabe Ojibway Nation and am 26 years old and am of the Bird Clan, a Clan recognized for our voice and leadership. My English name is Johnny Hawke and I reside on Chimnissing Anishinabe Territory some of my people who accept Colonial Authority also call all our home Beausoleil First Nation, Christian Island, Ontario Canada. We are located on the southern shores of Georgian Bay, two hours north of Toronto, Ontario.
As I become a man with an ever more increasing responsibility to retain our Sovereignty and to stand up for the Earth I am writing this article for the young ones who are coming up behind me and who choose to walk this path of Resistance and Resurgence. I want to share what I have observed this far in our struggle and in my own life as an Anishinabe. I am not writing this article as an ego trip or as some veteran in the movement as I am quite fresh. This article is not a how-to-do it yourself manual. I am just sharing some frustrations and barriers we need to watch out for as we as a Nation struggle to retain our Sovereignty. If our youth are our future then consider this article a living frustration from a youth who is trying to put our teachings into place finding that our worst enemy is ourselves.
I am very much rooted and have been brought up in the responsibilities of my Clan and as a Man being that Fire Keeper and Provider. I have been rooted in our Anishinabe Ceremonies, Spirituality, History and Sovereignty by my family. I have been active in the defense of my own and other brother and sisters Indigenous Territories enforcing our Sovereignty from the encroachment of Colonial Governments and Corporations standing on the frontlines for the past few years of my young life.
I am a multimedia artist with a College Diploma in Broadcast Journalism. I am a writer, musician, traditional dancer, painter, videographer and carver and like everyone else I have my faults and am no Saint. I try my best to walk the way of Okijida, to have a “Big Heart” and to walk an Anishinabe way.
With the education, dedication and skills I have I can make a comfortable life for myself through participating in a capitalist society but I choose not too and I dedicate my lifestyle to walking this path of Resistance and Resurgence waking this Sleeping Giant up. Some may call this the Indigenous Resistance Movement, American Indian Movement, Native Youth Movement, Okijida, Activism or Warrior Society what ever it is it is a global movement where oppressed people are waking up along with an angry Earth Mother to cleanse and reclaim ourselves. The following is not only my story but our story.
“Sometimes they have to kill us. They have to kill us, because they can’t break our Spirit. We choose the Right to be who we are. We know the difference between the reality of freedom and the illusion of freedom.” – James Looks Twice/ John Trudell
Disrobing the Modern Small Pox Blankets
The White Man has infected us with Capitalism by disguising his institutions with our cultural symbols and placing them within our communities so he no longer has to kill us out in the open but rather we destroy ourselves internally. These institutions are the modern day smallpox blankets in which we need to disrobe of as quickly as we can, replacing them with our own original socio political institutions in order for us to remain as Anishinabe.
The following institutions are painted to look like our own but exploit our cultural symbols so we are fooled into believing that these things belong to us. Underneath they are still colonial and benefit only the “white man” for his capitalist agenda. Beware of the following as you try to make change within our Indigenous Communities and I encourage you to see beyond the smoke and mirrors even if it is dressed up with our culture.
Indian Act First Nations: In the Northern Part of Turtle Island our Indigenous Nations are subjected to the Indian Act enforced by the British Crown under the governance of Canada. The Act including the elected Chief and Council system is a system imposed on communities in our territory. It is in breach of our inherit Sovereignty, Treaties, Canadian Constitution, Royal Proclamation, the Two Row Wampum, 1764 Niagara Covenant Chain Belt and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which acknowledge our title to our Lands and Rights including our Sovereignty. In order to retain our Sovereignty we need to reject the First Nation Reserve System, Chief and Council and most treaties. Most treaties which ceded our lands and rights are invalid because they were signed by Chiefs who were given authority by the Government in their Indian Act system and not the by our people and our system. The very existence of INAC Chief and Council and our Reserve Communities today and their day to day operations are not only breaking Canada’s own law but our own laws and Sovereignty.
AFN/Chiefs/Union of Ontario Indians: These types of Chiefs organizations claim to represent our People however the leadership is elected only by Chiefs and they are funded by the Government. They want to embrace Capitalism over our own Traditional Indigenous Economic Systems so in turn they become hypocrites in advocating for our Culture, Rights, Treaties and Sovereignty. You can’t advocate for our Cultural ways and then not put them to use for what they encompass and teach. They consistently advocate the Governments for more funds which are never seen on a community level only through a bureaucratic nepotistic funding structure where assistants to the assistants are hired to create a failing economy, while our children continue to starve. They also ask the Colonizers for our Sovereignty when we already have it and just need to enforce.
Anishinabek Police Service: These officers are enforcing Canadian Laws in our own Community which breaches our Right to be a Sovereign Nation with our own laws. Anishinabek Clan system is responsible for correcting inappropriate behaviors therefore there is no need for lawyers, judges, jails where we become a product set up only to benefit the Capitalist system. If you don’t like the police and foreign laws lets organize and patrol and become responsible for our own community. These thugs do more harm to our communities handing our people over to a foreign judicial system which creates more conflict in correcting an individual’s behavior. These thugs make us dependant on their service so we do not become responsible in resolving our own problems through our own holistic ways as a community.
Aboriginal Economic Development: First Nations are now collaborating with Mining, Gas, Oil, Mineral, Forestry Corporations and Governments to extract resources on our Traditional Territories becoming sell-outs to the very foundation of what makes us Indigenous. We have our own Anishinabe Economic Systems based on common ownership of lands of the people and cooperative management and allocation of resources which works in harmony with the Earth. Remember only after all the fish are gone then you will know you can’t eat money. We cannot remain as Anishinabe with Anishinabe principles and values if we embrace Capitalism. Either Capitalism will fail or being Anishinabe will fail.
Aboriginal Social Services: Social Service Agreements that are administered by First Nations create dependency on the state, which is the institution that protects Capitalism. It is Capitalism that creates poverty conditions which requires our society to implement these Social Service Programs. It also diverts our people living in poverty from uprising and replacing the Capitalist Society with our Sovereignty. Everyone in our Anishinabek Society had a job which we depended on and no one lived in poverty. if we remove the Social Services Welfare system we will begin to see how fast the majority of our people will begin to organize and start putting food on our tables and stopping this dependency. We survived an Ice Age, a Great Flood; I am sure we can provide for ourselves and find jobs in this time. The Welfare system is the number one cause of being on Welfare.
Aboriginal Self Government: Portrayed as some form of Sovereignty self-government is the exact opposite. It transforms band councils into municipal governments under provincial & federal control. Reserve lands become fee simple property that can be bought & sold on the free market.
It’s the same goal as the 1876 Indian Act and the 1969 White Paper: the legal, political & economic assimilation of Indigenous peoples into Canada. Some bands are already well advanced in their self-government deals, including the Nisga’a, Sechelt, Westbank, Nunavut, James Bay Cree & Inuit, as well as the Gwich’in & other Yukon bands. In this way, self-government will really be the self-administration of our own oppression. The only Self Government that is being honored is under Government stipulations.
Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy: Healing Centers, Councilors and Social Workers and the work they do are based on Indigenous Culture which helps to “heal” individuals. This is very much needed but once a person becomes “healed” they go back into their impoverished communities and continue destructive behaviors as a result of social conditions which stem from capitalism. The Funding of this strategy is administered and depended on by Government sources. Social workers make a living off of “Aboriginal Misery” and the core issues are not being “healed” which makes our people again a product for the Capitalist system. “Whispering Four Winds Healing Treatment Centre” benefits the people on payroll more than the communities who have to deal with Colonization. Give a Community Economic Sustenance instead of a Treatment Centre and tell me which one “heals” social problems more efficiently. You can give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll never go hungry.
Pan Indian Traditionalism: As we the prophetic Seventh Generation pick up what was taken from us, a melting pot of cultural knowledge, ceremonies and ideologies create a passive euphoric romanticized version of what we once used to be. It is filled with a majority of people who want to attain medicine person, elder and sainthood status and the role of the hunter and warrior are degraded into a savage militant threat to this harmonious way of life. If we deny the role of the warrior to appease a contemporary political correctness then we are denying everything our ancestors did to make sure that we are here today.
Compromising our own Nations customs and rituals to accommodate this new age melting pot of traditionalism dilutes the very meaning of what we are trying to preserve and awaken. Powwow and the openness of sharing of our knowledge has become a thing of honorarium and prestige. Sacred Dances such as Sundance, Raindance, the role of Heyoka and our medicine societies are replaced for an inter-tribal exhibition called powwow which creates the image that we are nothing but a powwowing culture, while our diversity is forgotten. Powwow a mish mash of culture that becomes our national image as a people. While Pan Indian Traditionalism creates a form of Nationalism which unites us at times however it can divide us as we do not who comes into our communities under what agenda. It creates the freedom for an individual to make themselves a self appointed Chief, Medicine Person, Warrior or Clan member without proper protocol, ceremony or accreditation in which the vulnerable can fall victim to such people.
This Pan Indian Traditionalism creates an outlet for our people to share our culture to the mainstream society where even non Indigenous people are provided to establish a career of selling out. Ego and greed and manipulation of culture to suite individual needs are than created which is in direct conflict of those teachings. Reestablishing our own Nation’s Sovereignty can filter out the manipulators and the people of all colors will benefit instead of the ever present Capitalism.
Conclusion
As I listen and try to exercise what Chiefs preach along with the wisdom of our teachings and historical agreements the more I feel like Nana’b’oozo the Sleeping Giant who our people now look at as a trickster and a fool.
As I listen to Indigenous Politicians speak of Nation to Nation Relationship with Canada and asserting our Sovereignty I see no real action to back up their talk but when I try they see me as a “fool trickster” who is shun.
When I attend the ceremonies of my people which preach on love and acceptance and how we learn from the animals I watch the bears loose there territory and when provoked I see them fight back and those same ceremonial Elders tell me to be quiet and that fighting back is not our way.
As I listen to rhetoric from my community to go and get educated and help our community I am faced with nepotism and social incest barriers. When I try to share my education and skills I can’t get employeed so for free to benefit my people I share but am denied the use of our community assets because I am not a band employee or a family member of those who are in power.
I know I am not a Saint but I am more than a fool and a trickster and before I am shun away like Nana’b’oozo I only ask those who are ready to walk the talk to help wake up this Sleeping Giant Up.
Resurgence & Liberation:
A Program for Building Brown and Red Native Unity, Decolonizing Our Minds and Liberating Our Lands
Taken from Speed of Dreams by Enaemaehkiw Túpac Keshena
The Speed of Dreams is an avowedly revolutionary website currently based out of northern Turtle Island, aka Canada. Its author’s politics are hard to force into this or that category, but if you want to learn about the author visit the site andclick on the above link
Brothers and Sisters, Comrades
Over the course of our movement’s history, one of our principle failures has been our all too often inability to recognize each other as brothers and sisters. One of the greatest victories of the colonial system over us has been its success in indoctrinating Red Natives or Indians – that is, people who the colonial governments in Ottawa and Washington D.C. say are officially indigenous – into not seeing fellow indigenous people in Brown Natives – Chicanos-Mexicanos, Puerto Ricans and other from so-called “Latin America” (Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America). Likewise, Chicanos-Mexicanos, Puerto Ricans and others are often unaware of their own largely indigenous ancestry.
Primarily through its control of the schools, media and popular culture, the colonial system has divided and conquered us. It has called our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters things like Hispanic and Latino, linking their identity to Europe, and it has taught Indians to view them as illegal immigrants. If we are to rise up and shake off this system of oppression we must begin by recognizing ourselves and each other for what we are, regardless of whether we are called Indian, Métis, Mexican, Puerto Rican or anything else.
Now it is time to build for the future!
The Eagle & Condor Have Met!
The 6th Sun Now Arises!
The 8th Fire Has Arrived!
This is About Our Land! This is About Our People! This is About Our Culture!
This is About Us Getting Free!
Who We Are
I. From Alaska to Chile – We Are One People Without Borders.
As was noted above, we – Indians, Métis, Mexicanos, Puerto Ricans and others – are the descendents of the indigenous people of this continent and as such we are also the heirs of a long history of indigenous struggle against colonial domination. It is our hope and goal that we will be able to unite all oppressed people in occupied America, regardless of national origin and citizenship, to join in the process of building a unified revolutionary movement, ultimately being able to finally advance forward the dream of a unified, liberated continent.
Historically, within the borders of the settler states of North America, we have suffered under colonial oppression, isolation, and dehumanizing conditions. One consequence of the invasion has been the emergence of different terms used to identify ourselves, some imposed by the colonizer, others put forward by us in resistance to colonial imputations. English and French speaking brothers and sisters have been called many things throughout history: Indians, Aboriginal, etc. Those of us who were colonized by Europeans from the Iberian Peninsula have been called by many names as well. In the zone of U.S. occupation the terms placed upon our brothers and sisters initially colonized by Spain have often been designed to strip them of their Native heritage, and include such ones as Hispanic.
This project, related the idea of the Métis in Canada, and which is spread through out the Americas, is the extension of the 500 years of North American (white) attempts to break us down racially, and classify us based on our real or perceived influence from European and African populations. The more Native (and/or more African) an indigenous American is, the lessor they are on these imposed scales. The whiter they are, the better they are. As a result of the internalization of these colonial practices, many of our Spanish speaking cousins actively take up the terminology of colonization, in a desperate attempt to assimilate into whitestream society.
Other terms though, such as La Raza and Chicana/Chicano have progressive connotations and were widely used during the Chicano Power movement, which often sought to reconnect those people to their true heritage. Even today, these terms are used by many in a positive and political fashion, with La Raza often used as described
above. Today many indigenous people have also opted for the use of identifying terms from our ancient tongues, such as Onkwehonwe, Nican Tlaca, and Anishinaabe, which are respectively Mohawk, Nahuatl and Ojibwa words meaning indigenous people.
Likewise, the name of this continent also varies. Widely used words from various indigenous tongues include Turtle Island, Anówarakowa Kawennote, Anahuak, and Abya Yala. From Spanish we also get the term Nuestra América, which in a geographical sense does what La Raza does linguistically and unites the people of Spanish-speaking Latin America with their Indian brothers and sisters in North America.
While a point should be made to recapture our cultures and our languages, we must also recognize the fact that not only have our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters within the borders of the United States and elsewhere been stripped of their original tongues by Spanish colonization (though there is a growing awareness of Nahuatl, Maya and others), but they have then subsequently had the use of that language suppressed in the United States and other English-speaking areas of the continent. As such, we should recognize the historical and political significance of all of these names, and respect any and all of the terms that our people choose to use.
For simplicities sake, and out of respect for all our struggles, we have opted to use the the phrase “Native” as the identifier for our people. We will also use the indigenous derived “Turtle Island” for the name of our continent. This may seem inadequate right now, but my goal in doing this is to avoid the privileging of one indigenous tongue over another (Nican Tlaca vs Onkwehonwe vs Anishinaabe for example), until such a time that we can self-determine our identity, and what we want to be called.
II. This is Turtle Island – We Are Indigenous Nations.
We must recognize and uphold the right to self-determination of all indigenous nations of this beautiful and vast continent. Turtle Island has been made subject to the genocidal violence, theft, and slavery imposed on us by European colonialism, United States and Canadian imperialism, and global neoliberalism for 500 years. As indigenous people of these lands we are bound by our common history, struggles, and destiny.
The principled unification of our forces throughout this continent is not simply something to be desired – to produce joint statements or better coordinate protests – it is absolutely necessary to succeed in our struggles to overturn all manifestations of colonial, imperialist, and neoliberal oppression upon our people. In an international sense we must understand that the liberation of all indigenous people within the current borders of the United States and Canada will, and must, be tied to the liberation of all indigenous people and Latin American nations throughout Turtle Island.
The indigenous inhabitants of this continent constitute the colonies of a number of illegal settler states that are essentially an extension of old European settler-colonialism. The United States, Canada and other states have funded and directed those settlers who exploit our labour, keep a disproportionate number of our people in prisons, stereotype us through the media, falsify our history, deny us a relevant/productive education, and militarise the borders in order to keep out the very same people from which this land was stolen.
This, along with ever present state terrorism in our communities (migra, police, border patrol, RCMP/FBI etc.), and
the ever-increasing overt and violent expression of White Nationalism by reactionaries of the North American population, are all characteristics and manifestations of the ongoing colonial nature of North American society. We must be cognizant of this and other current neocolonialist tactics employed by the oppressor, which include the use of our own people against us. These people, from Democratic Party politicians to the Band Councils of recognized Native nations, are puppets and lackeys of the colonial state, appointed or self-appointed, and financially backed by colonialism. Their primary role within the colonial system is to confuse indigenous people into thinking that we are making progress, and that we can actually achieve self-determination within the existing system. This ploy is central to the classic colonizer tactic of divide and conquer. Instead of focusing our energy on overturning imperialism, this method pits us against opportunists of our own kind, and other oppressed nationalities, each struggling against the other for beggar’s crumbs, petty concessions, and neocolonial positions.
III. Ours is a National Liberation Movement Rooted in Class Struggle – This is Indigenous-Raza Internationalism.
This struggle is first and foremost one waged against 500 years of national oppression by the settler-colonial states that have imposed on top of us. Our goal is complete self-determination and freedom from oppressor nations. Over the course of this historic struggle, nationalism has consistently emerged as one of the leading forces in unifying oppressed people to combat the source and symptoms of colonial oppression. Indigenous nationalism has been the ideology of warriors and strugglers as diverse and geographically removed as Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles and Howard Adams.
Like all political movements, indigenous nationalism has gone through a process of evolution and change in response to the conditions of our oppression. Today, in those communities recognized as officially indigenous by the North American settler states, debate is taking place over what form nationalism should take. Well known and respected Mohawk scholar and activist Taiaiake Alfred (as well as many of his contemporaries) argues for a nationalism that emphasizes our actual historical nations, like Cree or Mohawk, whereas Howard Adams, George Manuel and others have long argued for an overarching indigenous nationalism. The former critiques the latter by claiming that any sort of overarching indigenous identity has been created by colonization, and to decolonize means to resist that kind of homogenization. The latter argues back, looking to the examples of the national liberation struggles in Africa and elsewhere, by pointing out the ways in which unity of the oppressed is essential and basing identity on smaller units plays into attempts by the colonizer to divide and rule.
The true solution though lies somewhere in between these two. Colonial oppression has forged us into one unified entity for the most part, whether it is called Indian, or “Aboriginal,” or Native, or whatever, and whether or not we choose to like it. This is the material truth. You have to have your head firmly planted in the sand to de
ny this. As such, any struggle for our liberation must be fought as a unified whole, of all Native nations, including of course also Chicano-Mexicanos, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans and South Americans. However, this is not to say that we should not also treasure our diversity – our different cultures, traditions, and languages. This diversity is one of the things that makes our people beautiful, and powerful. Struggling together against oppression as one, as Natives, does not have to mean that we stop being Cree, or Mohawk, or Lakota or Menominee, or Maya, or Mexica or end the project to revitalize and strengthen that which makes all our nations unique. To borrow a phrase from the revolutionary African hip-hop duo Dead Prez: we are one folk – many tribes.
Returning to the original point, throughout the history of North American imperialism and colonialism, it has been the politics of nationalism that have united indigenous people as one in our struggle against terror, poverty, and other forms of oppression. The basic elements and historical commonalities of a nation are what bind us together as a people – culture, economic realities, geography, oppression, and struggle. Of course we would be foolish should we not fully understand that nationalism can lead to reactionary positions and race politics, particularly nationalism within an oppressor nation, for example Nazism and fascism. However the nationalism that can rise within the oppressed nation is, generally speaking, a progressive development, and an effective weapon in the struggle for liberation. This is despite what many anarchists, left communists and other revolutionaries may argue. It is these progressive elements within nationalism that we should uphold.
This progressive nationalism that arises within the oppressed nations is called Revolutionary Nationalism. It is an ideology that calls for the establishment of a socialist society, built on the collective social, economic, and political development of the people, based on our historical, cultural, and present conditions and realities. A socialist society is in fundamental contradiction to capitalism, a system where a small, rich ruling class controls the wealth and power of a nation. Revolutionary Nationalism demands a complete transformation of the social, economic, and political institutions that presently form the basis of our oppression. It is Revolutionary Nationalism that must define the struggle for the total transformation of our lives – from a colonized and dependent people, to a life and future of a truly liberated and sovereign nation in the world community.
Further, as was noted before, we must recognize that our struggle is intrinsically linked, through history and practice, to the movements of all of the oppressed and colonized people throughout this continent. Therefore the term Indigenous-Raza Internationalism best describes what should be our political relationship to the rest of this continent, and by extension the world. Our obligation as we strive to build towards revolution is to recognize the right of all oppressed people to self-determination – to uphold the principle of continental emancipation of our people. In our work we will struggle to carry forth the fight on all fronts to bring about a democratic and socialist unified Turtle Island.
Finally, our continent’s history parallels and intersects with the experiences of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Our histories are burdened by our common experience of suffering under conquest, slavery, exploitation, and military intervention, as well as a shared challenge to win freedom. It is our duty to recognize these ties and our common enemies, and support all peoples struggling for self-determination and against imperialism.
IV. Dialectical and Historical Materialism Should Form the Basis of Our Strategies and Tactics.
As indigenous people we are overwhelmingly a working class people, and from our labour, along with that of all other oppressed workers – Africans, in Africa as well as elsewhere, the people of the Middle East, South Asia etc. – all wealth is generated. While some regressive and reactionary forces within our movement, such as Cultural Nationalists, who are essentially Native capitalists, may try to convince us otherwise, the truth is we share far more in common with other members of the working class than we do with rich Natives. As such, the essence of our movement is one of class war. Our enemy, and the enemy of all working class people is the ruling class.
Because of this, we must base our ideology, and the process of its evolution, on the material historical basis of all things and situations, as well as the material conditions within which our people find ourselves. The philosophy of Dialectical Materialism is a theoretical tool to help us look at the world without metaphysical or subjective limitations. The concept refers to “dialectics”, which is the study, understanding, and response to the many elements and conditions in the universe that constantly effect and impact each other. Sometimes these contradictory elements combine to form new a element. This new element at times has characteristics of the old elements, but in itself is different and new. With dialectics we can better understand social, economic, and political questions as part of a dynamic, flexible, ever changing universe. Looking at our struggle for liberation in this way, we can better understand how all things constantly contradict, and evolve into new forms. Dialectical materialism combines dialectics with philosophical materialism, providing an overall perspective that combines, defines, and provides an order to other sciences – biology, chemistry, social sciences, etc.
Historical Materialism is the theoretical tool of dialectical materialism as it is applied to the history of humanity, evolution, and the development of colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, and neoliberalism. Together dialectical and historical materialism are essential to understanding our current reality, as well as forming strategies and tactics for our liberation.
A people’s capacity to create and reproduce our means of existence through the development of knowledge, technology, culture, economic activity, and governments to serve our collective interests is the driving force of human dignity. All social progress and meaningful development are a direct result of working class struggle. As such, in a world where opposites and contradictions are constantly affecting and influencing each other, it is the leading role of working class people to transform the very conditions of life, and not just for us, but all people. We should be dialectical in our approach to political work, and strive to constantly evolve and balance our theory and practice, and meet the challenges posed to us by colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism.
What We Need
I. Self-Determination, Liberation, and a Unified Continent.
Indigenous Chicano activists stand in solidarity with other oppressed people and nations threatened by U.S. imperialism
Our primary goal is the decolonization of our people. The means to this end is the advancement of self-determination, which can best be defined as collectively determining our history; economically controlling our destiny; controlling our social development by self-determining our culture, education and language; independently developing the content and direction of our political orientation; and controlling the political institutions that make the laws that govern us.
We must recognize the indigenous peoples of this continent as social actors and subjects of history. We must demand the self-determination of indigenous identities, cultures, spiritualities, customs, and languages on par with all national entities and interests. More precisely, these rights include the following: Self-affirmation as the right to proclaim existence, and be recognized as such; Self-definition as the right to determine who is a part of the group and define territorial limits; Self-organization as the right to develop and enforce laws parallel to the broader laws of other nations; and Self-government as the right to define and administer political affairs parallel to the broader procedures of other nations.
Any talk of decolonization that does not include these demands, which mean the fundamental deconstruction of the colonial system, can only lead in one direction, and that is greater assimilation of our people. While some, like our band councils and “chiefs” push so-called “self-government” as a realization of decolonization, the truth is that the demand for greater political and economic power by these groups and individuals only serves to enrich them and assimilate the rest of us even further.
Finally, if we are truly to defeat colonialism throughout all of Turtle Island, we must seek to advance the liberation and, ultimately, the unification of this continent under a revolutionary movement, immediately accountable to the people. This Confederacy of Turtle Island, to put it one way, would replace capitalism, patriarchy, earth destruction, empire and conquest with a society based on freedom, justice, equality and the fundamental worth of all living things. Furthermore, this movement must be committed to the liberation and unification of all oppressed peoples throughout the world. This end it must be in permanent solidarity with all oppressed people all across the planet, until the struggle is won through the end and the last vestiges of imperialism are defeated.
II. Participatory Democracy and Socialism.
Capitalism is our enemy. The solution is revolutionary socialism
We must strive to overturn the current Euro-American bourgeois definition of democracy as being exclusively limited to electoral procedure. Derived from our ancient traditions, our democracy is a participatory democracy, one that transcends narrow concepts of citizenship and imposed political borders. We must actively reject any and all governments, laws, national borders, and definitions of citizenship that deny us full enjoyment of our human and democratic rights.
We must demand freedom of communication and information. Control of knowledge and information is one of the keys to maintaining effective control over a colonized people. Through the domination of all means of transferring knowledge and ideas such as schools, newspapers, television, radio, etc., colonial institutions dictate and manipulate the ways of thinking and acting amongst ourselves. Without understanding our true history, culture, and identity, self-determination is impossible. This is why one of the most pressing tasks confronting our movement is making people aware of the basis of our oppression, to develop national, continental and international consciousness, and through this consciousness concretize a revolutionary process to the masses.
We must also seek social and economic justice, and defend the collective interests of the poor and working people of this continent. Fundamental to our independence is the development of an economic and social order that will see the masses of indigenous people as owners of the products of our own labour, and exercising collective control of the economy. We are victims of the common enemies of all working people in the world – capitalism and imperialism. It is for this reason that we must have a revolutionary organization, fighting for the liberation of our lands, our class interests, and on the side of all oppressed peoples. Under a unified, democratic continent we will share the human, intellectual, scientific, military, medical, and natural resources of the nations of our continent, and raise the quality of life for all people. We seek to advance political unity among the international working class, and will never unite with the bourgeois capitalists, or their neo-colonialists agents.
The eventual goal of this movement should be the radical de-centralization of power in society, namely through the deconstruction of the state. Autonomous power will be wielded at the local level – community and region, as well as the tribal nation. Such a society will also be classless. It would be the true fulfilment of communism.
III. The Absolute and Unequivocal Liberation of Women, Queer & Trans Folk.
Women warriors unite to fight!
Fundamental to any revolutionary organization and conscious social movement is the absolute economic, political and cultural equality between men and women, and between people of various gender expressions and sexual identities. Prior to colonization our societies were much more liberating for women, queers and trans people (read up on the traditional institution of the Two-Spirited people if you doubt me), and as such the subjugation of women, queers and trans people is a major part of the overall oppression of our people under capitalism and imperialism. There exists a more intense oppression of indigenous women and queer & trans people – exploited and repressed not only by class and nation, but also by gender and sexual identity. True liberation cannot take place until all sectors of our people are free.
Our women have always felt the most brutal effects and tactics of colonial violence. In a 2004 Canadian Native women reported rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, 3.5 times higher than non-Indigenous women. Studies suggest that assaults against Indigenous women are not only more frequent, they are also often particularly brutal. According to another survey, young First Nations women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence. The picture is not much different in the United States.
Violence against our sisters has also not always been quite as direct. With the onset of the European invasion of 1492 came European and Judeo-Christian social norms and structures, which were, and still are, based on a rigid patriarchal order. Sexism, male chauvinism, homophobia and heternormativity, which were more or less foreign to our people before contact, were forced upon us by the brutal Christianizing mission of the European conquerors, and was later ingrained even more so into our societies through the experience of forced assimilation, especially the church and state residential and boarding schools. Today they have firmly been incorporated until our societies, to much ill effect. Macho approaches to warriorism in the original Red and Chicano Power movements drove women, queer and trans brothers and sisters away from the movements. Within the intimate setting of our own families and communities, queers and trans people, who were once widely accepted, even held to be of sacred importance, have been forced into the closet, and have suffered, unable to express their true selves, and love whoever they wish to love.
However, we must recognize that these are bourgeois traits. They must be completely rejected and overturned for any of us to win freedom. Subjugation of women, queers and trans people is an integral part of the current socio-economic order imposed on our people, and we must actively combat sexism and homophobia in all its forms and manifestations, both within our movement and throughout our communities. Revolutionary examples from people’s struggles in Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, México, Nicaragua, and Vietnam educate us that women’s liberation is an essential part of national and class liberation. We must insist that without the full participation and leadership of revolutionary women, queers and trans people , there will be no victory in revolutionary struggle.
IV. Environmental Emancipation.
Native activists stand up for the rights of Mother Earth
Capitalism and imperialism has brought with them more than just class society, patriarchy, racism and national oppression, and empire, it has also brought about the greatest ecological crisis that we have ever faced. Not just indigenous people, but the whole of mankind, and indeed most life as we know it are threatened by this crisis. If capitalism is left unchecked the earth, the common mother of all, will be damaged, perhaps even beyond recognition, and the poor masses of the world will be left to pick up the pieces.
With this very real, very possible, scenario in mind, as a revolutionary movement for the liberation of indigenous people, we must defend the air, soil, and water of our lands. The correct approach to the struggle against environmental degradation has always been best summed up by the slogan of the Chicano Power Movement – “The Solution to Pollution is Revolution”. Our ancestors understood the importance of a balance between humans and our environment. As such, environmental justice is a part of our struggle against colonialism, capitalism and imperialism.
One of the consequences of European conquest, colonization, and imperialism is the transformation the environment into a commodity to be exploited for increased returns. This has propelled the massive exploitation of our natural resources, and forms the historical basis of the current disequilibrium between humans and nature. Furthermore, neoliberalism is only capable of promoting the interests of transnational corporations, and these have proven capable of destroying the planet in their insatiable quest for profit. As with every crisis born from capitalism and imperialism, capitalists reap wealth in direct proportion to environmental degradation, and poor people suffer from increasingly frequent catastrophic loss.
Only a continental revolutionary struggle can, and must, bring an end to the poisoning of the atmosphere, deforestation, contamination of the oceans, and the other causes of ecological destruction. Only a socialist world economy can provide a socio-economic system where the accumulation of wealth is not the driving force of society, but instead prioritizes life with dignity and justice. Through the construction of a society that values all life, we must turn back the damage to the environment, and prevent the further destruction of our planet.
V. A Revolutionary Organization for Indigenous Liberation.
Warriors stand ready to defend our people
In political struggle, individualism is a bourgeois egotistical trait. We must raise the shortcomings and contradictions to those who profess being active in political work without accountability to an organization. Central to this point is the combating of liberalism, which in our movement represents itself as unprincipled and opportunistic struggle. Liberalism stems from selfishness, and places personal interests above the interests of the collective movement. We must uphold the importance of engaging in constructive criticism and self-criticism, as a way of identifying our weaknesses and shortcomings. We must adhere to the principle of collective decision-making within our organizations, and in our daily work. Only through this process can we achieve organizational, practical, and ideological unity.
It is of paramount importance that all indigenous liberation forces establish lines of communication and principled working relations. Without networking and coalitions we are wasting resources, duplicating work, and missing opportunities to effectively address pressing issues in a collective fashion, or from a position of strength. While our organizations may have different strategies and tactics, it is essential that we display the political maturity to put aside minor contradictions and work together. This is especially important when the attacks against our communities are of such intensity that our failure to respond collectively translates into more victories for our enemies and heightening the oppression of our people. Adherence to previously agreed upon principles of unity is especially important within coalition work. When it is necessary to work with organizations representing other movements, the resulting coalition work must be based on concrete objectives, mutual respect, principled association, and recognition of each other’s autonomy and right to determine the character and content of our own struggle.
Since unity building does require compromises, it is necessary for us and other revolutionary forces to approach any relationship with a clear, scientific understanding based on the facts that our fundamental goal is not for civil rights or mere reforms, but for an end to imperialism, and the advancement of indigenous self-determination.
In many parts of North America indigenous people are now once again beginning to form the majority of the population. Including brothers and sisters from Central and South America, we now total more than 50 million people within the current political borders of the North American settler states. Yet, even with these numbers, our present political condition forces us to exist in a state of virtual powerlessness. As Revolutionary Nationalists and Indigenous-Raza Internationalists, it is our intention to free all of our people from terror and oppression, and therefore we must involve every progressive element of our community in the struggle for self-determination. Only with a well organized, mobilized, and politicized people, will we develop the power necessary to achieve liberation. A critical aspect of this point is the need to channel our people’s energy and resources into a disciplined revolutionary organization.
In the Spirit of Total Resistance—Smash Capitalism!
Long Live the Class Warrior!
Campaign Hype vs Day to Day Resistance
Bruce Power delays Nuclear Waste Shipment to consult with First Nations
By: Johnny Hawke
Monday March28 2011 
In a press release issued Monday, Bruce Power said it would delay the shipment of nuclear waste through the Great Lakes in order to more fully communicate with First Nations and community groups.
“The important thing is we do this right, not that we do it quickly,” said Bruce Power CEO Duncan Hawthorne in the release.
The “Anishinabek Nation” incorporated under the Union of Ontario Indians which represents 39 Indian Act governed communities across Ontario has made it clear through their spokesperson, “Grand Council Chief” Patrick Madahbee,
“We will do everything in our power to prevent the Ontario and Federal governments and the nuclear power industry from using our precious waterways as a garbage disposal route,”
“It is contrary to Supreme Court decisions, our aboriginal and treaty rights, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the laws of Nature.”
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples says that States must take effective measures to ensure that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories of Indigenous peoples without their free, prior, and informed consent. It also affirms the right of Indigenous peoples to conserve and protect the environment and productive capacity of their territories.
The United Nations reports that more than one billion people around the world lack access to safe drinking water, including over 100 First Nation communities in Canada. Globally, two million tons of sewage and industrial and agricultural waste are poured into the world’s waters every day, and at least 1.8 million children under five years of age die every year from water-related diseases, or one every 20 seconds. More people die as a result of polluted water than are killed by all forms of violence, including wars.
Recently this past Sunday approximately 25 train cars were scattered after a CN freight train derailed near Cobourg Ontario. The train was carrying Jet fuel. The evacuation of citizens around the area was reduced on Monday.
With the knowledge that trains carry hazardous material everyday passing through our territories and do derail what makes one issue recieve more attention then others ?
It’s good our people especially INAC Chiefs are voicing up against destruction of the earth and awakening their warrior spirit even though it may be moderate it still is a start but at the same time things are happening day to day that needs immediate urgent attention and action.
I find that once a campaign to rally around a situation gains media hype it seems everyone jumps on the band wagon and shouts the slogans but before and after a hyped up campaign there are just as many other dire situations out there happening daily that need the same attention and hype that other campaigns get. Just as this recent train derailment vs nuclear shipment. Don’t wait for the hype to make change be a leader and make some noise.
This also brings me to share some relevant observations I have noticed when we as active people organize to make change.
I along with many others who were of Euro Canadian and Anishinabe heritage were successful in stopping the construction of a Dump that would’ve contaminated waters in the territories we share. While it seemed we saved the water in reality we just sent the garbage elsewhere.
I stood beside many farmers to stop this dump and realized that what they had to loose was of capital loss. Many farmers who I stood beside use pesticides which effects underground water aqufier just as the dump would have. Those pesticides they use to protect their crop kills insects which we need in other parts of the ecosystem. The type of farming they are doing also harms the integrity of the soil and the earth. The food they produce is not for themselves but for the masses which is also over producing and demanding more from the earth.
Though both groups stood united I sit here two years later looking at a picture on my wall of that illusion of a success and also see the garbage waiting to be picked up outside my home and I ask myself did we really protect the water. Did we really win the fight?
Are we a just cause in our opposition of the shipment of Nuclear Waste through our territories when we continue to use nuclear energy and marginalize other daily threats to our territories?
I am struggling with ridding my alcoholism but I don’t protest against the bootlegger in my community for my hangover. When we as a commuity decide to kick our bad habbits then the bootlegger will be out of business.
Is our Nation to Nation Relationship with the British Crown really a Dealer to Junkie Relationship? It seems that way when our alleged leaders buy and continue to use what we are being dealt.
How can we expect to gain our Autonomy and be treated like a separate Nation if we keep utilizing a colonial way of governing ourselves, giving authority to their justice system and utilizing their laws imposed on our Nation which we use to defend our rights under duty to consult expectations?
Its like the same thing when we tell our selves to vote for change in our oppressors elections. We have Uncle Tomhawk Chiefs telling us to vote so we can make change but yet they harping on some Nation to Nation Relationship. If our people tell us to vote for our oppressors then I challenge you to elect Stephen Harper to run for Grand Council Chief of Union of Ontario Indians.When we vote we are shitting on our Nation to Nation Relatioship just as we are when we expect some duty to consult giving authority to some modern agreement that is created to extinguish our original agreement. We already have agreements in place. We don’thave to make new ones or become involved in ther system to be recognized.
The Illusion of Duty to Consult
The Two Row Wampum which was the basis of the 1764 Niagra Covenant Chain Belt proclaims that we have a Nation to Nation Relationship with the British Crown between our Indigenous Nations of Turtle Island. We won’t govern each other and will respect each others territories.
When today’s Government Funded “Chiefs” acknowledge and refer to the duty to consult under modern agreements, declarations and invalid treaties we are taking bead by bead off of those original wampum agreements that guarantee that we are our own Nations. We have every right to say no, which they have an obligation to follow and here we are crying about we never received a duty to consult under some United Nations Declaration where we are not even represented or our Chiefs are allowed to sit.
Under the illusion of the duty to consult they only have to consult but under 1764 Niagra Treaty they are obligated to follow what was already agreed upon.
The more modern day treaties and agreements we make and refer to is discrediting our own Sovereignty, laws and original agreements. All we have to do is uphold our original agreement, 1764 Niagra Treaty.
This agreement was established to end Anishinabe War Chief Pontiac’s campaign which was forcing the British off of Turtle Island and was gaining success. If these original Nation to Nation agreements are not respected then Pontiacs campaign can easily be restarted again in these revolutionary times.
Don’t let these invalid Chiefs represent you under the false illusion of Nationhood and know the difference from campaign hype to day to day resistance and resurgence. This lifestyle is not a fad that comes and goes built on media hype, people have fought and died choosing to live this lifestyle. This lifestyle is more than a Facebook status, media hype and teeshirt.
While blockades and other defensive strategies are used to protect and get our voices heard, it is unplugging from the capatalist system that reallt makes the change.
After a blockade, protest and rally when every other campaign is over we tend to go back to our banks, hydro, coca cola, budweiser, gasoline, wood products,cities, reserves, candian laws and everything we fight against and we still remain plugged into the capitalist system as a product consuming products destroying ourselves and the earth and the false illusion that we won is created
Know the difference between campaign hype and day to day resistance. Don’t let our struggle and resurgence become “drive by revolution”
Nii Kaana Giina
The Politics of Humility
By Johnny Hawke
I never belonged with the “in-crowd” but have always tried my best to fit in and have always seemed to find myself breaking all the rules of conformity. So this is my rave and rant of the Politics of Humility.
The Beginning
When I was five years old I entered a race in my community’s fall fair. It was a race to see who the fastest runner in all age groups was. The distance wasn’t very far for my age group but I managed to find myself doing somersaults all the way to the finish line and win the race. I was disqualified because I didn’t run. I won the race in reality doing what I did but the judges who wanted to make the others in the group who followed the rules feel better disqualified me. This was the beginning of my relationship with humility and my experience with not running with the rest of the crowd.
In “Traditional” Circles
In adolescence I found myself looking for my Anishinabe Identity from people who helped to revive our culture back within my community. I found and even to this day I find a lot of ego, belittlement, and hypocrisy with the majority of these people who are preaching the good red road. I acknowledge the few who walk their talk though but the majority of walking ego’s make me walk away from this crowd.
I choose to drink off and on and am struggling to give it the final boot. I know alcohol contradicts who we are and brings out the worst in us. However these same people who preach our teachings make it known to me that in some way I am less an Anishinabe because I sometimes stagger down the good red road. Most times these people have walked in my moccasins but now are walking amongst the clouds and forget how it is to struggle.
I find that it is who has the most eagle feathers, who’s been to more ceremonies, who knows and who is related to who, who is in a lodge, who is a sundancer, peyote taker, sweatlodge maker, who is the best drum group, dancer, is what really matters than actually walking our teachings.
So today I practice my spirituality on my own because I can’t conform to a “lodge” or “spiritual elitism.” I think my alcoholism has actually helped me to remain humble and down to earth and spiritually connected in these youthful years of mine. Maybe one day I will become spiritually enlightened and join the club but today is not a good day to die.
In my HIGH school Daze
Trying to fit in with the “in crowd” because running alone can make you feel lonely at times I found myself in high school getting high down the trail and missing a lot of school. I was immersed within the “crew” and was in with the crowd until I couldn’t conform to their expectations and they sold me out.
Something happened where we got pinched and someone within our group ratted each other out for holding and the blame got put on the only “brown guy” within the circle. I got sold out by the “in crowd”
I was also being pushed out of the circle because I couldn’t conform because I didn’t have wheels; enough weed and couldn’t get in to bars. I couldn’t conform because I wasn’t a privileged rich white boy. I’d meet up again with the privileged white kids in other circles.
I eventually went back to running on my own and the last years of highschool I became the student with the highest grades in academic classes. The strictest elite teacher of our school featured and I hate to admit this, she featured me as an example of a well written academic student amongst her “preppy” stuck-up privileged white kids who always received good marks. She asked me to read my work to her other students from other classes.
At our graduation I was asked to sing an honor song with my hand drum. This was something rare where a First Nation student was invited to participate in Graduation Ceremony, so this was a big deal. My friend just because he was “First Nation” wanted to join in with me on the song. I accepted because he was my bro. However he didn’t know the song and he didn’t practice with me before hand and I felt he was just there for tokenism. He ruined the song because he didn’t know it and sung off beat and made up the stuff he didn’t know while I struggled trying to sing it without getting thrown off.
To me this was a big deal of my accomplishments. I was an academic, recognized and asked to participate in our graduation ceremony representing our culture. This honor song truly meant something to me to sing. To my bro it was just a chance to get up and be singled out in tokenism. To the other grads and their parents, teachers and staff, the song didn’t matter because it sounded “First Nations” authentic. The true spirit of that song wasn’t invoked but that didn’t matter. I had to suck it up and please everyone else. It had become a show off, no explanation of the song, just a show off of ethnicity.
I learned a lot in these years and still today struggle with understanding Humility and trying to please everyone to their expectations.
Are the Outcasts really the “In-Crowd”? Humility in Activism
Anishinabek never had Martyrdom or Messiahs. We had what anthropologists call “trickster” figures which gave us teachings on how not to be. We had great people but never made a religion to worship them.
Being immersed within my culture be it ceremonies, fishing, living off the land and fighting oppression standing up to injustice has always been within my community and family. It runs in my blood. Speaking up, fighting, having a big heart, being independent and a provider is a trait instilled in me from my dad and mom.
I have always been and continue to be passionate and active for the well being of people, rights, community and the earth. I have never called my self an activist, politician, or whatever but have been called many things and I’ll leave it up to people what they want to call me. The one thing I can call myself is Kai Kai Kons, Anishinabe, Maang Doodum and a Friend.
In my journeys these last few years I have been meeting and organizing within various circles and groups who are of like mind.
In the spirit of my teachings I enhance my learning through unity and am fascinated with all the “isms”, “ists”, “tions” that help to diversify this colonized rez boy’s mind.
I also find that these solidarity groups and other allies of like mind are very reminiscent of high school which accompanies itself with the same paranoia associated with smoking weed I did back in them high school days. I am starting to feel déjà vu all over again maaan. I find a lot of classism and ego within these circles as well.
These ally groups who confess of being the underdog and voice of the oppressed feel very much like the “in-crowd” of high school and the majority are the same privileged white kids I shared joints with back in the day.
I also find that there is a lot of work besides protesting that groups can be doing to help fight the fight. We rally about rights and pollution and destruction but in between occupations, marches and protests we still are plugged into the capitalist system and creating garbage. So this is where I become disillusioned with most groups who are just about labels, names and ego.
I defended myself from some racists and sat in jail for assault two months ago. I didn’t get any parade or rally nor did I expect one it is just a fact of life and many people like me experience this everyday and are not activists and don’t get the parade. We are not in the in-crowd.
I am not a professional activist as some portray themselves to be but I have always fought and will die if I have to for my people our rights and earth. I speak up against injustice and only speak the truth. I am not a criminal so I do not have to act like one or be paranoid. My parents never told me to shut up they encouraged me to have a voice, so I speak freely.
As Anishinabe we are not landless, or without Sovereignty, we are not Canadian. When I speak freely I feel that I am not compromising direct actions because as a Sovereign Nation we have every right to protect everything within our jurisdiction with out falling victim to paranoia.
At the same time I know the difference from compromising actions to ratting out and selling out as I was by the “white privileged in- crowd” many a times. I know what force the enemy has and I’m sure they know what force we have.
I was born with an identity number for my race, my phone is tapped, cops keep tabs on me but I don’t care for I only speak truth. They have always been doing this to my people who choose to live this kind of lifestyle.
Facebook has become a very useful tool within our “movements” which has united many. Recently a Revolution across the pond in a very harsh monitored oppressed atmosphere has happened.
The people in Egypt discussed very openly how, where, when and why to over throw the dictatorship of their government. Facebook helped to organize their Revolution. But at the same time Revolutions and unity has happened before Facebook as well.
We fight for our freedom and our many platforms where we can enjoy freedom of speech at every protest. So why do some give in to paranoia that we are being monitored? If you tell me to take off the bandanna on the frontlines then let me speak.
I have been warned here and there by some for sharing strategies on actions which occurs on illegally occupied Indigenous territories.
I admit within the past few winter months I myself have become quite the “facebook activist” and I have fallen victim to this craze in posting protest pics and thoughts to please my own ego. Even other people who are not activists this Facebook has created a lot of ego’s.
Like my Alcoholism I can’t drink here and there so eventually Johnny is gonna have to give up Facebook and the Booze all together. It is my addictive personality. Facebook is an addiction, for some it has become all about me, me, me and I am starting to go cold turkey.
When looking at some “activist” friends on Facebook these same people who warn me about being too open have tagged each other on protest pictures which they posted and announce their planned actions on an event pages and pose just the same as anyone else.
If we are being monitored and if it is a concern of some then maybe your activism should be left for offline as well.
I have found myself once again joining the in-crowd. I have been working with youth for the month of March which they helped me to remind myself of my 5 year old self. I once was against the computer and my 5 year old self has given me a good swift kick in the ass along with those who warn me that “their watching.” But I don’t really care if they be watching.
I will be returning to what I have always done. For the hip paranoid in-crowd activists I challenged you do to the same and live up to your own ideologies.
Some of us grassroots Indigenous brothers and sisters around these territories will be reviving traditional communication for more secure organizing. Thanks again for the reminder.
If I post anything further online it will be on my blog and will only be stuff that has already been shared or posted publicly by allies.
I am going to delete my “activist” friends and reserve my Facebook for Family and Friends Only and will not involve my work with Facebook for your security and safety.
This is Johnny Signing off…
Enjoy the Race I’m Disqualified
An Indigenous Liberation Manifesto
By Rowland Tupac’ Keshena of The Speed of Dreams/Red Path Society/ Menominee Nation
The Speed of Dreams is an avowedly revolutionary website currently based out of northern Turtle Island, aka Canada. Its author’s politics are hard to force into this or that category, but if you want to learn about the author, please read the Who I Am page linked to at the top on this following site
http://bermudaradical.wordpress.com/
Resurgence & Liberation:
A Program for Building Brown and Red Native Unity, Decolonizing Our Minds and Liberating Our Lands
Brothers and Sisters, Comrades
Over the course of our movement’s history, one of our principle failures has been our all too often inability to recognize each other as brothers and sisters. One of the greatest victories of the colonial system over us has been its success in indoctrinating Indians – that is, people who the colonial government says are officially indigenous – into not seeing fellow indigenous people in Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and other from so-called “Latin America” (Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America). Likewise, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans are often unaware of their own indigenous identity. Primarily through its control of the schools, media and popular culture, the colonial system has divided and conquered us. It has called our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters things like Hispanic and Latino, linking their identity to Europe, and it has taught Indians to view them as illegal immigrants. If we are to rise up and shake off this system of oppression we must begin by recognizing ourselves and each other for what we are, regardless of whether we are called Indian, Métis, Mexican, Puerto Rican or anything else.
Now it is time to build for the future.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the debt that this manifesto owes to the revolutionary Indigenous-Raza organization, Union del Barrio, from who it is more or less lifted, though it was subsequently heavily modified, as well as to the work of radical Indian activists, especially Gord Hill.
Who We Are
I. From Alaska to Chile – We Are One People Without Borders.
As was noted above, we – Indians, Métis, Mexicanos, Puerto Ricans and others – are the descendents of the indigenous people of this continent and as such we are also the heirs of a long history of indigenous struggle against colonial domination. It is my hope and goal that we will be able to unite all oppressed people in occupied America, regardless of national origin and citizenship, to join in the process of building a unified revolutionary movement, ultimately being able to finally advance forward the dream of a unified, liberated continent.
Historically, within the borders of the settler states of North America, we have suffered under colonial oppression, isolation, and dehumanizing conditions. One consequence of the invasion has been the emergence of different terms used to identify ourselves, some imposed by the colonizer, others put forward by us in resistance to colonial imputations. English and French speaking brothers and sisters have been called many things throughout history: Indians, Aboriginal, etc. Those of us who were colonized by Europeans from the Iberian Peninsula have been called by many names as well. In the zone of U.S. occupation the terms placed upon our brothers and sisters initially colonized by Spain have often been designed to strip them of their Native heritage, and include such ones as Latin American, Latino, and Hispanic.
This project, related the idea of the Métis in Canada, and which is spread through out the Americas, is the extension of the 500 years of North American (white) attempts to break us down racially, and classify us based on our real or perceived influence from European and African populations. The more Native (and/or more African) an indigenous American is, the lessor they are on these imposed scales. The whiter they are, the better they are. As a result of the internalization of these colonial practices, many of our Spanish speaking cousins actively take up the terminology of colonization, in a desperate attempt to assimilate into whitestream society.
Other terms though, such as La Raza and Chicana/Chicano have progressive connotations and were widely used during the Chicano Power movement, which often sought to reconnect those people to their true heritage. Even today, these terms are used by many in a positive and political fashion, with La Raza often used as described above. Today many indigenous people have also opted for the use of identifying terms from our ancient tongues, such as Onkwehonwe, Nican Tlaca, and Anishinaabe, which are respectively Mohawk, Nahuatl and Ojibwa words meaning indigenous people.
Likewise, the name of this continent also varies. Widely used words from various indigenous tongues include Turtle Island, Anówarakowa Kawennote, Anahuak, and Abya Yala. From Spanish we also get the term Nuestra América, which in a geographical sense does was La Raza does linguistically and unites the people of Spanish-speaking Latin America with their Indian brothers and sisters in North America.
While a point should be made to recapture our cultures and our languages, we must also recognize the fact that not only have our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters within the borders of the United States and elsewhere been stripped of their original tongues by Spanish colonization (though there is a growing awareness of Nahuatl, Maya and others), but they have then subsequently had the use of that language suppressed in the United States and other English-speaking areas of the continent. As such, we should recognize the historical and political significance of all of these names, and respect any and all of the terms that our people choose to use.
For simplicities sake, and out of respect for all our struggles, I have opted to use the the phrase “Native” as the identifier for our people (for explanation of this and other terms please check out the Glossaries of Key Terms on this site). I will also use the indigenous derived “Turtle Island” for the name of our continent. I’ve also chosen to maintain Union del Barrio’s original linguistic formulation of “Raza Internationalism.” I know it may seem inadequate right now, but my goal in doing this is to avoid the privileging of one indigenous tongue over another (Nican Tlaca vs Onkwehonwe vs Anishinaabe for example), until such a time that we can self-determine our identity, and what we want to be called.
II. This is Turtle Island – We Are Indigenous Nations.
We must recognize and uphold the right to self-determination of all indigenous nations of this beautiful and vast continent. Turtle Island has been made subject to the genocidal violence, theft, and slavery imposed on us by European colonialism, United States and Canadian imperialism, and global neoliberalism for 500 years. As indigenous people of these lands we are bound by our common history, struggles, and destiny.
The principled unification of our forces throughout this continent is not simply something to be desired – to produce joint statements or better coordinate protests – it is absolutely necessary to succeed in our struggles to overturn all manifestations of colonial, imperialist, and neoliberal oppression upon our people. In an international sense we must understand that the liberation of all indigenous people within the current borders of the United States and Canada will, and must, be tied to the liberation of all indigenous people and Latin American nations throughout Turtle Island.
The indigenous inhabitants of this continent constitute the colonies of a number of illegal settler states that are essentially an extension of old European settler-colonialism. The United States, Canada and other states have funded and directed those settlers who exploit our labour, keep a disproportionate number of our people in prisons, stereotype us through the media, falsify our history, deny us a relevant/productive education, and militarise the borders in order to keep out the very same people from which this land was stolen.
This, along with ever present state terrorism in our communities (migra, police, border patrol, RCMP/FBI etc.), and the ever-increasing overt and violent expression of racism by reactionaries of the North American white nationalist population, are all characteristics and manifestations of the ongoing colonial nature of North American society. We must be cognizant of this and other current neocolonialist tactics employed by the oppressor, which include the use of our own people against us. These people, from Democratic Party politicians to the Band Councils of recognized Native nations, are puppets and lackeys of the colonial state, appointed or self-appointed, and financially backed by colonialism. Their primary role within the colonial system is to confuse indigenous people into thinking that we are making progress, and that we can actually achieve self-determination within the existing system. This ploy is central to the classic colonizer tactic of divide and conquer. Instead of focusing our energy on overturning imperialism, this method pits us against opportunists of our own kind, and other oppressed nationalities, each struggling against the other for beggar’s crumbs, petty concessions, and neocolonial positions.
III. Ours is a National Liberation Movement Rooted in Class Struggle – This is Raza Internationalism.
This struggle is first and foremost one waged against 500 years of national oppression by the settler-colonial states that have imposed on top of us. Our goal is complete self-determination and freedom from oppressor nations. Over the course of this historic struggle, nationalism has consistently emerged as one of the leading forces in unifying oppressed people to combat the source and symptoms of colonial oppression. Indigenous nationalism has been the ideology of warriors and strugglers as diverse and geographically removed as Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles and Howard Adams.
Like all political movements, indigenous nationalism has gone through a process of evolution and change in response to the conditions of our oppression. Today, in those communities recognized as officially indigenous by the North American settler states, debate is taking place over what form nationalism should take. Well known and respected Mohawk scholar and activist Taiaiake Alfred (as well as many of his contemporaries) argues for a nationalism that emphasizes our actual historical nations, like Cree or Mohawk, whereas Howard Adams, George Manuel and others have long argued for an overarching indigenous nationalism. The former critiques the latter by claiming that any sort of overarching indigenous identity has been created by colonization, and to decolonize means to resist that kind of homogenization. The latter argues back, looking to the examples of the national liberation struggles in Africa and elsewhere, by pointing out the ways in which unity of the oppressed is essential and basing identity on smaller units plays into attempts by the colonizer to divide and rule.
The true solution though, in my opinion, lies somewhere in between these two. Colonial oppression has forged us into one unified entity for the most part, whether it is called Indian, or “Aboriginal,” or Native, or whatever, and whether or not we choose to like it. This is the material truth. You have to have your head firmly planted in the sand to deny this. As such, any struggle for our liberation must be fought as a unified whole, of all Native nations. However, this is not to say that we should not also treasure our diversity – our different cultures, traditions, and languages. This diversity is one of the things that makes our people beautiful. Struggling together against oppression as one, as Natives does not have to mean that we stop being Cree, or Mohawk, or Lakota or Menominee, or Maya, or Mexica or end the project to revitalize and strengthen that which makes all our nations unique.
Returning to the original point, throughout the history of North American imperialism and colonialism, it has been the politics of nationalism that have united indigenous people as one in our struggle against terror, poverty, and other forms of oppression. The basic elements and historical commonalities of a nation are what bind us together as a people – culture, economic realities, geography, oppression, and struggle. Of course we would be foolish should we not fully understand that nationalism can lead to reactionary positions and race politics, particularly nationalism within an oppressor nation, for example Nazism and fascism. However the nationalism that can rise within the oppressed nation is, generally speaking, a progressive development, and an effective weapon in the struggle for liberation. This is despite what many anarchists, left communists and other revolutionaries may argue. It is these progressive elements within nationalism that we should uphold.
This progressive nationalism within the oppressed is called Revolutionary Nationalism. It is an ideology that calls for the establishment of a socialist society, built on the collective social, economic, and political development of the people, based on our historical, cultural, and present conditions and realities. A socialist society is in fundamental contradiction to capitalism, a system where a small, rich ruling class controls the wealth and power of a nation. Revolutionary Nationalism demands a complete transformation of the social, economic, and political institutions that presently form the basis of our oppression. It is Revolutionary Nationalism that must define the struggle for the total transformation of our lives – from a colonized and dependent people, to a life and future of a truly liberated and sovereign nation in the world community.
Further, as was noted before, we must recognize that our struggle is intrinsically linked, through history and practice, to the movements of all of the oppressed and colonized people throughout this continent. Therefore the term Raza Internationalism best describes what should be our political relationship to the rest of this continent, and by extension the world. Our obligation as we strive to build towards revolution is to recognize the right of all oppressed people to self-determination – to uphold the principle of continental emancipation of our people. In our work we will struggle to carry forth the fight on all fronts to bring about a democratic and socialist unified Turtle Island.
Finally, our continent’s history parallels and intersects with the experiences of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Our histories are burdened by our common experience of suffering under conquest, slavery, exploitation, and military intervention, as well as a shared challenge to win freedom. It is our duty to recognize these ties and our common enemies, and support all peoples struggling for self-determination and against imperialism.
IV. Dialectical and Historical Materialism Should Form the Basis of Our Strategies and Tactics.
As indigenous people we are overwhelmingly a working class people, and from our labour, along with that of all other oppressed workers – Africans, in Africa as well as elsewhere, the people of the Middle East, South Asia etc. – all wealth is generated. While some regressive and reactionary forces within our movement, such as Cultural Nationalists, who are essentially Native capitalists, may try to convince us otherwise, the truth is we share far more in common with other members of the working class than we do with rich Natives. As such, the essence of our movement is one of class war. Our enemy, and the enemy of all working class people is the ruling class.
Because of this, we must base our ideology, and the process of its evolution, on the material historical basis of all things and situations, as well as the material conditions within which our people find ourselves. The philosophy of Dialectical Materialism and its applied form, Historical Materialism, in this sense are essential to understanding our current reality, as well as forming strategies and tactics for our liberation.
A people’s capacity to create and reproduce our means of existence through the development of knowledge, technology, culture, economic activity, and governments to serve our collective interests is the driving force of human dignity. All social progress and meaningful development are a direct result of working class struggle. As such, in a world where opposites and contradictions are constantly affecting and influencing each other, it is the leading role of working class people to transform the very conditions of life, and not just for us, but all people. We should be dialectical in our approach to political work, and strive to constantly evolve and balance our theory and practice, and meet the challenges posed to us by colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism.
What We Need
I. Self-Determination, Liberation, and a Unified Continent.
Indigenous Chicano activists stand in solidarity with other oppressed people and nations threatened by U.S. imperialism
Our primary goal is the decolonization of our people. The means to this end is the advancement of self-determination, which can best be defined as collectively determining our history; economically controlling our destiny; controlling our social development by self-determining our culture, education and language; independently developing the content and direction of our political orientation; and controlling the political institutions that make the laws that govern us.
We must recognize the indigenous peoples of this continent as social actors and subjects of history. We must demand the self-determination of indigenous identities, cultures, spiritualities, customs, and languages on par with all national entities and interests. More precisely, these rights include the following: Self-affirmation as the right to proclaim existence, and be recognized as such; Self-definition as the right to determine who is a part of the group and define territorial limits; Self-organization as the right to develop and enforce laws parallel to the broader laws of other nations; and Self-government as the right to define and administer political affairs parallel to the broader procedures of other nations.
Any talk of decolonization that does not include these demands, which mean the fundamental deconstruction of the colonial system, can only lead in one direction, and that is greater assimilation of our people. While some, like our band councils and “chiefs” push so-called “self-government” as a realization of decolonization, the truth is that the demand for greater political and economic power by these groups and individuals only serves to enrich them and assimilate the rest of us even further.
Finally, if we are truly to defeat colonialism throughout all of Turtle Island, we must seek to advance the liberation and, ultimately, the unification of this continent under a revolutionary movement, immediately accountable to the people. This Confederacy of Turtle Island, to put it one way, would replace capitalism, patriarchy, earth destruction, empire and conquest with a society based on freedom, justice, equality and the fundamental worth of all living things. Furthermore, this movement must be committed to the liberation and unification of all oppressed peoples throughout the world. This end it must be in permanent solidarity with all oppressed people all across the planet, until the struggle is won through the end and the last vestiges of imperialism are defeated.
II. Participatory Democracy and Socialism.
Capitalism is our enemy. The solution is revolutionary socialism
We must strive to overturn the current Euro-American bourgeois definition of democracy as being exclusively limited to electoral procedure. Derived from our ancient traditions, our democracy is a participatory democracy, one that transcends narrow concepts of citizenship and imposed political borders. We must actively reject any and all governments, laws, national borders, and definitions of citizenship that deny us full enjoyment of our human and democratic rights.
We must demand freedom of communication and information. Control of knowledge and information is one of the keys to maintaining effective control over a colonized people. Through the domination of all means of transferring knowledge and ideas such as schools, newspapers, television, radio, etc., colonial institutions dictate and manipulate the ways of thinking and acting amongst ourselves. Without understanding our true history, culture, and identity, self-determination is impossible. This is why one of the most pressing tasks confronting our movement is making people aware of the basis of our oppression, to develop national, continental and international consciousness, and through this consciousness concretize a revolutionary process to the masses.
We must also seek social and economic justice, and defend the collective interests of the poor and working people of this continent. Fundamental to our independence is the development of an economic and social order that will see the masses of indigenous people as owners of the products of our own labour, and exercising collective control of the economy. We are victims of the common enemies of all working people in the world – capitalism and imperialism. It is for this reason that we must have a revolutionary organization, fighting for the liberation of our lands, our class interests, and on the side of all oppressed peoples. Under a unified, democratic continent we will share the human, intellectual, scientific, military, medical, and natural resources of the nations of our continent, and raise the quality of life for all people. We seek to advance political unity among the international working class, and will never unite with the bourgeois capitalists, or their neo-colonialists agents.
The eventual goal of this movement should be the radical de-centralization of power in society, namely through the deconstruction of the state. Autonomous power will be wielded at the local level – community and region, as well as the tribal nation. Such a society will also be classless. It would be the true fulfilment of communism.
III. The Absolute and Unequivocal Liberation of Women and Queer & Trans Folk.
Women warriors unite to fight!
Fundamental to any revolutionary organization and conscious social movement is the absolute economic, political and cultural equality between men and women, and between people of various gender and sexual identities. Prior to colonization our societies were much more liberating for women, queers and trans people (read up on the traditional institution of the Two-Spirited people if you doubt me), and as such the subjugation of women, queers and trans people is a major part of the overall oppression of our people under capitalism and imperialism. There exists a more intense oppression of indigenous women and Queer & Trans people – exploited and repressed not only by class and race, but also by gender and sexual identity. True liberation cannot take place until all sectors of our people are free.
Our women have always felt the most brutal effects and tactics of colonial violence. In a 2004 Canadian Native women reported rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, 3.5 times higher than non-Indigenous women. Studies suggest that assaults against Indigenous women are not only more frequent, they are also often particularly brutal. According to another survey, young First Nations women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence. The picture is not much different in the United States.
Violence against our sisters was also not always quite as direct. With the onset of the European invasion of 1492 came European and Judeo-Christian social norms and structures, which were, and still are, based on a rigid patriarchal order. Sexism, male chauvinism, homophobia and heternormativity, which were more or less foreign to our people before contact, were forced upon us by the brutal Christianizing mission of the Europeans conquerors, and was later ingrained even more so into our societies through the experience of forced assimilation, especially residential and boarding schools. Today they have firmly been incorporated until our societies, to much ill effect. Macho approaches to warriorism in the original Red and Chicano Power movements drove women, queer and trans brothers and sisters away from the movements. Within the intimate setting of our own families and communities, queers and trans people, who were once widely accepted, even held to be of sacred importance, have been forced into the closet, and have suffered, unable to express their true selves, and love whoever they wish to love.
However, we must recognize that these are bourgeois traits. They must be completely rejected and overturned for any of us to win freedom. Subjugation of women, queers and trans people is an integral part of the current socio-economic order imposed on our people, and we must actively combat sexism in all its forms and manifestations, both within our movement and throughout our communities. Revolutionary examples from people’s struggles in Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, México, Nicaragua, and Vietnam educate us that women’s liberation is an essential part of national and class liberation, though unfortunately many have fallen short when it has come to queer and trans people. We must insist that without the full participation and leadership of revolutionary women, queers and trans people , there will be no victory in revolutionary struggle.
IV. Environmental Emancipation.
Native activists stand up for the rights of Mother Earth
Capitalism and imperialism has brought with them more than just class society, patriarchy, racism and national oppression, and empire, it has also brought about the greatest ecological crisis that have ever faced, and by that I am meaning not just to Natives, but the whole of mankind, and indeed most life as we know it. If capitalism is left unchecked the earth, the common mother of all, will be damaged beyond recognition, the poor masses of the world will be left to pick up the pieces, that is, if we are able to survive.
With this very real, very possible, scenario in mind, as a revolutionary movement for the liberation of indigenous people, we must defend the air, soil, and water of our lands. The correct approach to the struggle against environmental degradation has always been best summed up by the slogan of the Chicano Movement – “The Solution to Pollution is Revolution”. Our ancestors understood the importance of a balance between humans and our environment. As such, environmental justice is a part of our struggle against colonialism, capitalism and imperialism.
One of the consequences of European conquest, colonization, and imperialism is the transformation the environment into a commodity to be exploited for increased returns. This has propelled the massive exploitation of our natural resources, and forms the historical basis of the current disequilibrium between humans and nature. Furthermore, neoliberalism is only capable of promoting the interests of transnational corporations, and these have proven capable of destroying the planet in their insatiable quest for profit. As with every crisis born from capitalism and imperialism, capitalists reap wealth in direct proportion to environmental degradation, and poor people suffer from increasingly frequent catastrophic loss.
Only a continental revolutionary struggle can, and must, bring an end to the poisoning of the atmosphere, deforestation, contamination of the oceans, and the other causes of climate change. Only a socialist world economy can provide a socio-economic system where the accumulation of wealth is not the driving force of society, but instead prioritizes life with dignity and justice. Through the construction of a society that values all life, we must turn back the damage to the environment, and prevent the further destruction of our planet.
V. A Revolutionary Organization for Indigenous Liberation.
Warriors of the Brown Beret organization stand at the ready to defend our people
In political struggle, individualism is a bourgeois egotistical trait. We must raise the shortcomings and contradictions to those who profess being active in political work without accountability to an organization. Central to this point is the combating of liberalism, which in our movement represents itself as unprincipled and opportunistic struggle. Liberalism stems from selfishness, and places personal interests above the interests of the collective movement. We must uphold the importance of engaging in constructive criticism and self-criticism, as a way of identifying our weaknesses and shortcomings. We must adhere to the principle of collective decision-making within our organizations, and in our daily work. Only through this process can we achieve organizational, practical, and ideological unity.
It is of paramount importance that all indigenous liberation forces establish lines of communication and principled working relations. Without networking and coalitions we are wasting resources, duplicating work, and missing opportunities to effectively address pressing issues in a collective fashion, or from a position of strength. While our organizations may have different strategies and tactics, it is essential that we display the political maturity to put aside minor contradictions and work together. This is especially important when the attacks against our communities are of such intensity that our failure to respond collectively translates into more victories for our enemies and heightening the oppression of our people. Adherence to previously agreed upon principles of unity is especially important within coalition work. When it is necessary to work with organizations representing other movements, the resulting coalition work must be based on concrete objectives, mutual respect, principled association, and recognition of each other’s autonomy and right to determine the character and content of our own struggle.
Since unity building does require compromises, it is necessary for us and other revolutionary forces to approach any relationship with a clear, scientific understanding based on the facts that our fundamental goal is not for civil rights or mere reforms, but for an end to imperialism, and the advancement of indigenous self-determination.
In many parts of North America indigenous people are now once again beginning to form the majority of the population. Including brothers and sisters from Central and South America, we now total more than 50 million people within the current political borders of the North American settler states. Yet, even with these numbers, our present political condition forces us to exist in a state of virtual powerlessness. As Revolutionary Nationalists and Raza Internationalists, it is our intention to free all of our people from terror and oppression, and therefore we must involve every progressive element of our community in the struggle for self-determination. Only with a well organized, mobilized, and politicized people, will we develop the power necessary to achieve liberation. A critical aspect of this point is the need to channel our people’s energy and resources into a disciplined revolutionary organization.
In the Spirit of Total Resistance—Smash Capitalism!
Long Live the Class Warrior!
Anishinabek Confederacy to Invoke Our Nationhood 