#aamjiwnaang

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Ontario government says it’s taking swift action against a chemical plant following a spike in benzene readings and after members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation fell ill and were hospitalized.

While the Chief of the community says the government needs to shut down the Sarnia-area plant immediately and hinted at potential legal action, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued a provincial order on Thursday against the plant in question INEOS Styrolution:

- It gives the chemical manufacturer one week to create a written plan to address the high levels of the cancer-causing chemical the government says its site is emitting.

- A copy of the report, obtained exclusively by Global News, shows INEOS also has roughly two weeks to implement new procedures to notify the public when levels of the carcinogen reach a certain hourly or daily threshold that can be toxic.

- The company has less than a month to complete an investigation into the apparent source of the chemical leak after dozens of residents in the small First Nation community of 900 in southwestern Ontario became sick. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"HUNDRED DOLLAR FINE OR SIXTY DAYS IN JAIL," Toronto Globe. September 10, 1913. Page 7. --- STIFF SENTENCE METER OUT TO MAN WHO SOLD LIQUOR TO AN INDIAN ----- (Special Despatch to The Globe.) Sarnia, Sept. 9. - William Ritchie of Şarnia was taught a severe lesson in the Circuit Court in Port Huron to day, and it will probably be his last attempt to furnish Indians with liquor. Ritchie was caught on Saturday night by Patrolman King in the act of selling two flasks of whiskey to William Henry, a Sarnia Reserve Indian. Henry was to pay Ritchie twice the amount he had paid for the liquoг. The Indian and Ritchie were both arrested, Henry being held as a witness. Ritchie was bound over to the Circuit Court. and when arraigned before Judge Law pleaded guilty. He was fined $75 and $25 costs, with the alternative of serving 60 days in the Detroit House of Correction. Unless some of Ritchie's friends come to his aid he will have to serve the sentence.

[emmareadingjournal]

nov 28 - Idle No More 2012

PRE LECTURE / HOT TAKE

In 2012, I was eleven years old and only remember hearing about this social movement in passing from my parents. I definitely had no idea that flash mobs were involved. The Kuttner reading paints a beautiful picture of the round dances and other celebratory acts of resistance. Kuttner describes this scene as a powerful visual symbol. These round dances remind me of the carnival at the Battle of Seattle! Very cool to see an overlap of fun-like tactics!

I enjoyed the documentary aimed to inform Canadians of the major pillars of the Idle No More Movement. This short video highlights the systemic barriers Indigenous people face, which lead to an ongoing health crisis. I think that the folk in this video are inspiring because, despite government oppression, these people are standing up for what is right.

Chief Theresa Spence from Attawapiskat went on a hunger strike that lasted 44 days. This reminds me of the women who fought for their right to vote. This tactic is powerful as it draws the public's attention. However, it is dangerous as one could experience severe health consequences. While Chief Theresa Spence was not force-fed like the suffragettes, she was hospitalized for dehydration and determination. This shows how dedicated these women are to their causes.

My hot take is not shocking, but I think many people agree with it. I think that as someone who benefits from these systems as a white, educated female, I need to educate myself on the historical relationship Canada has with Indigenous people and listen to those who are telling their stories. I think that is essential that indigenous voices are being uplifted to avoid situations where people are speaking on their behalf because often those privileged with opportunities to speak are telling stories that are not theirs to tell.

POST LECTURE / MODERN DAY CONNECTION / REVISED TAKE

I am floored by "Trick or Treaty" I have never considered HOW treaties came to be. More specifically, it never occurred to me that Indigenous people most likely did not understand what was going on because treaties are a colonial practice, and they did not speak English. How could Indigenous people understand what cede, release, surrender, and yield meant if they did not speak English? I am shocked to learn that the diaries of those acting on behalf of the crown admitted to the differences between the oral and written treaties.

Additionally, I had no idea that the band council was an imposed structure. I naively assumed that this was the way that Inidengious people operated. I am especially saddened by imposing structures into these communities that may not have operated in that manner.

I did not realize pre-lecture that these issues that people advocate for affect us all. Serpent River, Grassy Narrows, the "cancer alley" of Aamjiwnaang, Fort Chippewyan and the Debeers mines near Attwaspiskat are crises that affect us all. We have one planet we must take care of it! However, as more non-indigenous folk get involved, I am reminded of a quote from the Occupy Wall Street AL Jazeera video in which one of the interviewers said something along the lines of " it took white girls getting pepper sprayed to care." In other words, people only seem to care when white folks are involved.

I think that this week connects to OWS in that one of the elements of the logic of the swarm is the principle of listening to your neighbourhood. This matters because local info leads to a global swarm, and global support is needed to tactile this human rights and environmental issue.

My modern-day connection is Greta Thunberg's climate activism. While she is not an indigenous person, she struggles to be heard as she is part of a population (youth) whose opinion is deemed unworthy of consideration. Greta too, needs to rely on tactics like the logic of the swarm to sway public opinion.

In class we were asked where are we now? The women who founded Idle no more say that the movement is still going strong. I think this is true as there are more conversations about taking on decolonization. In response to this question, my revised take is that we need to break down what decolonization means and not simply use it as a buzzword. There are a lot of calls to take on decolonizing practices, but not a lot of conversations about what this looks like for different institutions. To figure this out, we must connect with indigenous people.

[magsmapsmtl]

The Power/The Choice is YOURS!

MC Planeteers | Mar. 21, 2015 | Climate Justice Montreal • Strange Froots

Join us NEXT SATURDAY for the Rap Battle Against the Tar Sands! Climate Justice Montreal is throwing the Rap Battle Against the Tar Sands on March 28, 8 p.m. at La Vitrola on St. Laurent Blvd.Local rappers, slam poets and activists will be performing original verses against the tar sands, and donations will go towards Aamjiwnaang and Sarnia Against Pipelines, an environmental activist group in Ontario.

[icubud]

trust the science

The Indians on the Aamjiwnaang First Nation reservation in Grand Bend asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn’t tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the Canadian Weather Service and asked, ‘Is the coming winter going to be cold?’

‘It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,’ the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the Canadian Weather Service again. ‘Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?’

‘Yes,’ the man at Weather Service again replied, ‘it’s going to be a very cold winter.’

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the Canadian Weather Service again. ‘Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?’

‘Absolutely,’ the man replied.  ‘It’s looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we’ve ever seen.’

‘How can you be so sure?’ the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, ‘The Indians are collecting an astounding amount of firewood !’

[robindiorwu]

(1/2) So last Saturday, I went to #Sarnia with the #toxictour and rode with #risingtidetoronto . Apart from not accommodated for lots of things (simply because only white/Caucasian/lactose-tolerant mutants were part of planning), I was harassed on the bus back from Sarnia to Toronto. Lets start with some excerpt of the tour. Annually, #aamjiwnaang First Nation in #AnishinaabekTerritory host a Toxic Tour for the world to see what #Thanksgiving celebrating #pilgrims and eventual #settlers and #whitesaviors who came to the land, not only stole it but also concentrated the people before them in a tiny “circle” with #borders in Sarnia, after they “#discovered ” petroleum by the river bank. #Refineries built in the nation of #canada and the first one started here, @Sarnia , as the #firstchemicalplantincanada and since then, 40% of Canadian chemical plants surrounded the treated and “Indian-Act”-ed Aamjiwanaang people, with only 800 people living within the #zoneofchemicaltoxicity . Its at least #5oktimesofconcentration compare to the majority of the rest of residents in this #whitebordered nation calles Canada. I firstly ever heard about Sarnia was not because it sounded like dat movie but because of @kathbum , the Sarnia born and raised Stand-Up Comedian who’s based in London, UK now. She uses comedies to convey one of the harder truths, the stunning-topping-the-chart suicidal and cancerous-death rate of Sarnia, the peak of Canada. And after moving to Toronto recently, I ran into the event and a Conservative MP candidate from the city too. All of the signs made me decide to make it a ritual to have a digital retreat simultaneously for last Saturday’s itinerary. Though after all of this, I have to mention something seems totally far-stretching. I recently went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico while a guide in Sayulita told me all the #goodthingshitlerdid , like the environmentalist things including the first #animalcrueltylaw in occidental society. I never had a clear image of #nazi or #neonazi since its hard to be a public #phobic and #bigots these days that are only borderlining but not crossing line of #livingahatecrimelifestyle . Eentually, i linked #incel with #nazism https://www.instagram.com/p/B34r_qsA5KK/?igshid=1rpie6uhvedjm

[doesthendnlive]

From Idle No More’s Facebook:

The victim, Vanessa Gray is a community organizer from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, an Ojibwe First Nation band government. She states “I went to ensure that the voices of Indigenous people were present and to draw attention to the ongoing colonial and environmental violence that Indigenous people experience in Canada.”

“This is how the Prime Minister acted when an Indigenous woman was assaulted in front of him.”

[earthfirstjournal]

Charges Dropped Against Line 9 Valve Turners

Charges Dropped Against Line 9 Valve Turners

from Facebook January 13, 2017 —  All charges have been dropped against Vanessa Gray, Stone Stewart and Sarah Scanlon who shut down Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline on December 21, 2015 on Anishnaabe territory just outside of Aamjiwnaang and Sarnia. They were charged with mischief endangering lives and mischief over $5000. as their lawyers explained, these exaggerated charges were a scare tactic used…

[canadanewsblog]

COVID-19 by the numbers in northeastern Ontario https://canada.birblog.net/news/local/covid-19-by-the-numbers-in-northeastern-ontario-50/ The Aamjiwnaang Band Council has taken steps to ensure community safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. #canada #canadanews #corona #canadaslondon #toronto #torontonews #torontonewspaper #torontoblog #canadablogger #canadabloggers #canadablog #canadapolitics #canadaschools #canadasports #canadasport #canadacity #canadacollege #worldnews #worldnewstonight #worldpolitics Aamjiwnaang First Nation closes traffic to non-residents as COVID-19 precaution | CBC News

[clementine-kesh]

i think there’s something to be said for a reading of i am in eskew as a metaphor for man made environmental disasters and their impact, especially on marginalized populations. the creation of something that we don’t fully understand, the attempted coverup after the consequences are discovered. it echoes real world events from the manhattan project to love canal, where unknowing populations are left to deal with the health effects caused by radiation and pollution. often, the communities that bear the brunt of these disasters are lower income or marginalized in some way. the aamjiwnaang first nation in sarnia’s chemical valley, for instance, has suffered immensely from increased rates of cancer and birth defects due to air and water pollution from nearby chemical plants. in the uk, contamination from a nearby asbestos factory caused a huge spike in cancer and other asbestos related diseases in the working class neighbourhood of armley, leeds, the effects of which are still felt to this day.

raised in council housing, the area david ward grew up in could just of easily have been armley or any number of other neighbourhoods subject to the horrors of manmade environmental disaster overlooked by authorities until it’s too late. in eskew episode 8 it’s revealed that the people the orion building concern used to populate the test village of banwell, a weaponized imitation of eskew, were those considered “undesirable”. criminals, roma, undocumented immigrants, the kind of people who’ve historically been treated as less than and disposable. there is little to no news coverage of these disappearances and the only consequences for orion is the lose of its government contracts, these injustices target the most vulnerable among us and those who care have no power to do anything about it.

just like white asbestos dust on a windowsill or a foul odour in the air, eskew marks its presence without revealing its true horrors. the holes in mrs ward’s flat like a visible expression of the way radiation penetrates the human body, an afterimage of what’s happened to her son. the strange events in the earthly offices of the orion building concern, like an invisible, odourless pollutant leaking through a research facility. it’s ignored and covered up until it can’t possibly be anymore, until the effects are too great to hide and eskew is blooming into the real world and radiating outwards like the plume of radioactive material from chernobyl.

eskew is many things, it’s a nuclear disaster, it’s mental illness, it’s capitalism, it seeps into our bones and changes us on a molecular level. but whatever it is, it’s not something that can be defeated without hope. in real world manmade environmental disasters, the effects are often not felt for years, long after the damage has been permanently done, and can continue on for much longer. much like eskew, they are not something we can fight without hope, even if it’s for a far off future only our great-grandchildren will see. a place where rivers run clean and the air is safe to breathe, where there is justice and healing for everyone. but it’s not a place that’s accessible without first making the decision to carry on, to have hope.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"All across Turtle Island, Indigenous peoples are on the front lines of protecting the land, air, and water. It's time that settlers stand with them - even where that means putting our bodies on the line!" Those were the words of Stone Stewart, just before a large group of approximately 75 people took to Burlington Street in Hamilton's North end this morning.

Calling themselves a group of both settler and indigenous allies to the Wet'suwet'en Nation in Northern BC they hosted a short information session and rally in Eastwood Park prior to taking the road and marching East. Vanessa Gray, an Anishinaabe Kwe from Aamjiwnaang had this to say; "We share the critical responsibility to take action in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en and Unist'ot'en camp. Canada is responsible for the ongoing genocide of indigenous peoples. We often talk about this as historical - but it continues with Canada failing to acknowledge sovereignty, indigenous law, and basic consent."

Recently the inquiry into Canada's Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls used and embraced the word genocide in relation to how Canada has, so far, treated the people indigenous to this land.

"Shell is directly responsible for the implementation of the Coastal Gaslink project." Trish Mills told the gathering of approximately 75 people after the demonstration stopped in front of the Hamilton portlands Shell terminal on Emerald Street North.

The terminal receives shipments of fuel products through the port of Hamilton and stores it for fuel transport trucks to deliver throughout Southern Ontario.

Royal Dutch Shell boasts itself as having a 40% ownership in LNG Canada - the export terminal meant to be built in Kitimat which will receive the CGL pipeline. Documents indicate the Coastal Gas Link project will primarily be used to take gas from Shell's Groundbirch fracking facility to the coast for export.

"Shell has dreamt up and commissioned this project. It's time to start holding everyone connected to and responsible for this project and its continuation accountable until it's stopped. Companies, investors, financiers, executives, contractors - they all have addresses. Apathy and business as usual will set a dangerous and unacceptable precendent." Mills continued, shortly before a smaller group of approximately 25 individuals broke off and proceeded to block gas station re-fuelling trucks from entering the facility.

Last week the Wet'suwet'en were in court, challenging TC Energy (formerly TransCanada)'s interim injunction which is meant to allow for the building of the contested Coastal Gas Link pipeline project. The injunction has interfered with the Nation's ability to hunt, fish, harvest medicines and use their traditional traplines. Clan members state they have been persistently harassed, intimidated and criminalized on their own territories by the RCMP, who came under fire after their militarized use of force against Indigenous women and elders earlier this year to enforce the interim injunction.

CGL's in-court defense of the injunction included the argument that indigenous law should have no place or weight in Canadian law. "It's ludicrous" Stewart commented, "For CGL or anyone to believe that the colonial legal system should trump indigenous law which has existed for thousands of years prior to colonization or the formation of Canada as a country."

When asked how long they intend to stay at the terminal, Gray, indicated the group will be there for the day, blocking access while leafletting passing cars and offering them homebaked treats.

"We ask others to join us in challenging and dismantling the racist, colonial capitalist frameworks that continue to harm indigenous people today. Support the Wet'suwet'en who fight to retain control and stewardship of their pristine unceded territories. Support Six Nations and Wahta Mohawks who are currently resisting state assimilation. Support those in Aamjiwnaang who are living with and resisting toxic industries. And support Grassy Narrows who continue to try and hold the state accountable for longstanding mercury poisoning."

For Immediate Release Monday June 17, 2019

- Wet'suwet'en Strong: Hamilton in Solidarity 

[zackcollins]

~*~ Blog Info ~*~

General Info

Hi! You can call me Robin-Tyler, R.T. or Robbie!

My pronouns are: she/her, they/them, or he/him

I’m okay with being referred to with masculine, feminine, and neutral gendered terms.

I live in the ancestral and unceded territory of the Aamjiwnaang people (Ontario, Canada).

I’m 24 years old. Minors are welcomed to unfollow/block me because I will sometimes post more mature content.

I  will tag anything triggering with “tw (trigger)”. If I miss something,  don’t be afraid to tell me. I’ll gladly add whatever someone feels needs a warning.

This is mainly a sports blog based around hockey and baseball. My favourite teams are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays

You can find information about some personalized tags, fanfic, and the current state of my masterlists under the cut!!

Babygirl Info

Hockey: Jack Campbell (#babygirl crazy catman), Tyson Jost (#babygirl chromatica), Cole Caufield (#babygirl small coffee), Mitch Marner (#babygirl wall bouncer), Mikko Rantanen (#babygirl peanut egg burger), Josh Anderson (#babygirl bench dresser)

Baseball: Zack Collins (#babygirl trailer trash), Tyler Heineman (#babygirl jr king), Cavan Biggio (#babygirl mimic), Bo Bichette (#babygirl man bun), Matt Chapman (#babygirl chapstick), Ross Stripling (#babygirl chicken strip), Ryan Borucki (#babygirl free elf), George Springer (#babygirl lovebug)

M*A*S*H: Father Francis Mulcahy (#babygirl himbo priest), Maxwell Klinger (#babygirl section 8), Margaret Houlihan (#babygirl cinnamon candy)

X-Files: Fox Mulder (#babygirl spooky), Dana Scully (#babygirl doctor fbi)

Babyboy Info

Hockey: Frederik Andersen (#babyboy pastry), Erik Källgren (#babyboy babygoalie), J.T. Compher (#babyboy jimothy timothy), Nick Suzuki (#babyboy small coffee enthusiast), T.J. Brodie (#babyboy mayor of chatham), James Reimer (#babyboy optimus reims)

Baseball: Kevin Gausman (#babyboy powdered donut), Randal Grichuk (#babyboy rocky mountain bird), Danny Jansen (#babyboy sports goggles), Alek Manoah (#babyboy mamas boy), Adam Cimber (#babyboy joe dirt), José Berríos (#babyboy mouthguard), Brian Serven (#babyboy love child), Jack Suwinski (#babyboy almighty), Trevor Richards (#babyboy silver fox)

M*A*S*H: B.J. Hunnicutt (#babyboy anything you want), Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (#babyboy last of the mohicans)

X-Files: Alex Krycek (#babyboy fbi double agent)

Mass Effect: Kaidan Alenko (#babyboy biotic child)

Babyperson Info

Hockey: Alexander Kerfoot (#babyperson ivy leaguer), Cale Makar (#babyperson movie pun)

Baseball: Luke Maile (#babyperson mailbox), Jordan Romano (#babyperson canadas closer)

due South: Benton Fraser (#babyperson wolf tamer)

Other Info

Other content you may see on this blog includes:  M*A*S*H, due South, X-Files, Zelda, Mario, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Mass Effect, animals, Marvel, food, nature/plants, paranormal, and just anything I find interesting/appealing.

I sometimes write fanfiction. Right now, the fandoms I write for are  hockey, baseball, M*A*S*H, X-Files, due South, Mass Effect, and Marvel.  And, for reference, I write/take requests for self-inserts and ship pairings. The ship pairings include hockey and baseball rpf so do with that what you will.

I’ve had a rough mental time recently, so I’m changing my URL to, hopefully, get some much needed happiness. I’ll fix the masterlists once I’m feeling back to my old self. Sorry for the sudden change. I just need this for my own mental well-being.

[scribbled-anecdotes]

So, I was going to make this list on National Indigenous Peoples’ day but I held off for two reasons: firstly we shouldn’t have to wait for special occasions to talk about Indigenous experiences and Indigenous issues but also because Canada Day was right around the corner. Canada is a settler-colonial state and while for many non-native peoples Canada day celebrates a seemingly proud history of freedoms and equality and innovation, for many indigenous peoples across so-called-Canada it is an uncomfortable, and even painful, reminder of a violent history of oppression and a continued struggle against settler-colonialism. So instead of taking July 1st to dwell on Canada’s questionable past take the time to consider Canada’s future and how we can work to undo the settler-colonial structure currently in place. So many people really don’t know where to start with undoing this country’s colonial legacy, so I’ve compiled a list (which is by no means exhaustive) of resources to start with

So please, as Canada day does look a little different this year, maybe start a new tradition of education and/or appreciation of Indigenous Peoples’ and our history on this territory as well as are contemporary experiences here. Also if you are not Canadian you can take some time to look at these or spread these resources (colonialism is not just a Canadian issues, it is a global one). 

Documentaries: 

Angry Inuk (Dir. Alethena Arnaquq-Baril, 2016) - Can be found on Youtube. Examines the importance of sealing to the Inuit and their struggle to continue their ways of life against colonialism by both the Canadian state, private oil/fracking companies, and even the EU’s anti-sealing laws. Watch if you’re interested in food sovereignty and protecting traditional ways of life. 

Rumble: the Indian’s Who Rocked the World (Dir. Catherine Bainbridge, 2017) - Can be rented on Prime. Examines the role of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian and American music industry between the 1950s - present and what struggles they faced. Watch if you’re interested in music history and Indigenous representation. 

First Contact, S1 + 2 (Dir, Jeff Newman, 2018 - ) -  Can be found on APTN and TVO. A 3 part series that asks average Canadians to confront their biases about Indigenous Peoples. This is a very important watch for non-Indigenous peoples. TW: strong anti-indigenous racism in some parts. Watch if you’re interested in how racism and settler colonialism are enacted by everyday people and where common stereotypes come from. 

Canada’s Toxic Chemical Valley (Dir, Patrick Macguire, 2013) - Can be found on Youtube. Looks at the history of environmental racism in Sarnia, Ontario and its affects on the people of Aamjiwnaang Reservation. Watch if your are interested in environmental justice and land rights. 

Reel Injun (Neil Diamond, 2009) - Can be found Prime. Looks at the history on Indigenous representation in old Hollywood and its evolution since then. Watch if you’re interested in Indigenous representation and film history.

Searching for Winnetou: Drew Hayden Taylor Wants to Understand the Roots of the German Obsession with Native North Americans (Drew Hayden Taylor, 2018) - Can be found on Youtube. Traces the roots of Germany’s cultural obsession with the “Indians” and looks at the modern appropriation of Indigenous culture in Germany. watch if you’re interested in Cultural Appropriation and stereotypes and Europe’s role in this. 

Canada’s Darkest Secret (Rania El Rafael, 2017) - Can be found on Youtube. Looks at the long and violent history of the residential schools system in Canada which ran from the mid-1800s - 1996 and how it continues to affect Indigenous communities. TW: child abuse and sexual abuse and trauma. Watch if you’re interested in assimilation, inter-generational trauma, and the modern history of Indigenous-settler relations. residential schools are the source of so many issues within modern Indigenous communities and so understanding their history and impacts is a good way of understanding why Indigenous people have the struggles we do today. 

Trick or Treaty (Alanis Obomsawin, 2014) - Can be found on Youtube. Looks at the history and mishandling of treaty relations and where that leaves modern Indigenous-settler relationships. Canada has not held up a single treaty. Watch if you’re interested in treaty rights, land rights, diplomacy, and the history of Treaties. 

Seachers: Highway of Tears (Dir. Stephanie Brown, Allya Davidson, 2016). Can be found on youtube and Netflix Canada. While not entirely Indigenous-centric, this documentary looks at the 71 km stretch know as the Highway of Tears where hundreds of Indigenous women have gone missing. It is not the best documentry in my opinion but its a good start to understanding the MMIDWG mov’t and how the RCMP fails indigenous women and girls. TW: murder, sexual assault and violence, violence against women and girls. Watch if you want to understand Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 

Arts and Culture: 

Biidaaban/ the Dawn Comes (Amanda Strong, 2018). Can be found on Youtube. A claymation short film that examines an Urban Indigenous woman’s relationship to her land. 

The Mishomis Book: the Voice of the Obijway (Edward Benton-Banai, 2010). Can be bought at most book stores. An introduction to Anishinaabe culture and history on Turtle Island through stories and colouring-pages. Read if you’re trying to diversify you’re understanding of Canadian culture and history. This is also a great book for kids, especially Indigenous children. 

Indian Horse (Richard wagamese) - This is both a film and a book, both of which are amazing. The story follows an Anishinaabe Residential school survive as he uses hockey to cope with his trauma. TW: Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Violence and Anti-Indigenous Racism. 

Sgaawaay K’uuna/Edge of the Knife (Helen Haig-Brown, Gwaai Edenshaw, 2018) - The first film done entirely in Haadi-Gwaii (and I believe any Indigenous language), Sgaawaay K’uuna follows the struggle of a cursed man and his transformation into a wild man (Gaadiig). Based heavily in Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida folklore and oral history. watch if you’re interested in Historical reclamation, Indigenous oral history and Indigenous film. 

Kent Monkman - A Cree painter who often inserts Indigenous bodies, culture and sexuality into traditionally European styles (ex, the History Painting). 

To The Indigenous Woman (the 1491′s, 2011) - Can be found on Youtube. A spoken poem about violence against Indigenous women and the complacency of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals in this epidemic of violence. TW: Violence against women, Sexual assault, rape.  

Bad Indians (Ryan red Corn, 2011) - Can be found on Youtube. A spoken word poem about the way Non-Indigenous peoples view Indigenous peoples and our work to reclaim our voice and power on this land. TW: references to racism and genocide. 

This is just the tip of the Iceberg so if you do find this interesting/ eye opening and want more information, I can 100% provide more resources. But hopefully, these documentaries can help to educate non-Indigenous peoples about the history and contemporary experiences of Indigenous People’s on Turtle Island. Gii’Miigwetch (thank you).  

[onpoli]

10/13/2019 Roundup

Articles/threads worth reading:

Ford government eyes dropping takeover of TTC in exchange for Ontario Line support

Rumours Of A Suppressed Globe Story About Justin Trudeau Are Bullshit

Doug Ford broke law when he cut cap and trade, Ontario court finds

Company co-founded by Scheer’s campaign manager receiving Tory and oil group contracts for election ads

Drug and gun charges tossed after judge finds Toronto cop hit accused in head with gun

City issues were ignored in the leadership debate. Why?

'We need something concrete': Ottawa Kurds demand action on Turkish incursion

He says he works security for Maxime Bernier. He’s also listed as a founding member of a party promoting white nationalism

Whistleblower says Aamjiwnaang at risk due to insufficient pollution consultation

Good news:

Turnout is up at on-campus advance polls, with Ryerson seeing a 61% increase in votes compared to the 2015 election.

[thelazyenvironmentalist]

Why I’m Organizing for a Green New Deal in Canada

When I was little, I spent my summers at my grandma’s house. She lived with my grandpa in a ranch-style bungalow a few hundred meters up from the shores of Lake Huron. The house had an immaculately kept garden, mint shag carpet, and a blue porcelain bathtub. It was perfect. When the weather was good, my grandma would spend hours outside with me, collecting Queen Anne’s Lace in the meadow across the road, walking under the cool green canopy of the forest nearby, or splashing in the waves at the beach for so long that when she brought me inside she would immediately place me in the bathtub to wash the sand off. If I sit quietly I can still hear the sound of the grains of sand settling at the bottom of the blue porcelain as she washed the day out of my hair. It was during this time outside that I first learned what it felt like to feel at home in what we refer to as “nature”. I learned that I could eat apples right off the trees in the woods, scrub myself clean- and then get hopelessly dirty again- at the lake, or sit in our secret spot and nap in the shade of a pine tree with the person I loved the most. On days that were cold and rainy, my grandma and I would stay inside, flipping through a Reader’s Digest encyclopaedia of North American Wildlife, or watching TVO. On those days spent inside, every Saturday or Sunday morning (I can’t remember which) I would park myself in front of the old tube TV to watch the same two mid-nineties infomercials each week. The first, a classic in Canadian Millennial cannon- was from the Humane Society- the one with Sarah McLachlan playing in the background, while sad kittens stared into the camera. The second, slightly more scarring, was produced by the World Wildlife Fund, and this one broke my heart. Every weekend I’d sit on that mint shag carpet and sob watching images of Amazon Rainforest being clear cut, or Bengal Tigers being poached and separated from their cubs. Silly as it might seem, it was these early morning infomercials that taught me the devastation and heartbreak of losing nature. They taught me empathy for creatures I will never see or touch in real life, a sadness and longing for places and times I will never live in. They taught me that if I wanted to see things change, I would have to take action myself. My grandma echoed these lessons in her care of me, and those around her. Her compassion for all creatures-humans and animals alike- sticks with me even now, years after her passing. Anyone in our family could tell you about the time that Grandma nursed an abandoned baby mouse back to health, or when we hand fed a litter of baby bunnies for weeks when the mother was scared away by my Aunt Pauline’s dog, or when she brought our Cat, Mr. Tibb’s back from the brink when he was sick and my parents’ had already booked us a trip to Mexico. What I’m trying to say is my grandmother taught me that even if you can’t immediately relate to someone, or something, even if you’re a different species, when help is needed, you offer it. She taught me that there was beauty in the world and that it was worth saving. I haven’t mentioned my Grandpa yet, but he was the love of my Grandma’s life. They met when she was 17 and living in Florida with her parents. He saw her singing in the church choir when he was on vacation with his family, and three months later she had moved up to Canada, they were married, and soon my Aunt Debbie was on the way. My Grandpa’s brother’s made their way owning car dealerships and racehorses, and lived well into their 80s and 90s- my Grandpa got into the oil industry. First in Sarnia, then Nova Scotia, the United States, Calgary, and, for a short period of time, Saudi Arabia, among numerous other towns and cities. My Grandpa managed oil refineries for decades- and was proud of his work and all it afforded his family. Both he and my Grandma had jackets and hats stitched with the Turbo Canada logo (a now defunct petroleum company) and somewhere in my closet at my parent’s house, I still have one of his old jackets tucked away, with a decades old cigarette hidden in the pocket. My Grandpa was in insanely good health, for his entire life. Due to his health, and love of his job, he didn’t retire until he was in his early 60s. When I was about 11 his health abruptly changed. He got very sick, very quickly, and for the first time in his life, he was admitted to a hospital overnight, and for the next 6 months or so, he didn’t really leave. My Grandpa died of Leukaemia in his early 70s, due to, what the family believed, was from a lifetime of benzene exposure from working in the oil and gas industry. Much of the generational wealth I still benefit from, is due to the Canadian oil industry; this makes me uncomfortable. But this same industry, the one that allowed my grandparents to raise 4 daughters comfortably, and retire on the shores of Lake Huron, in a house that they built, is the same industry that ultimately cost him his life- it’s the reason I no longer have a Grandpa. It’s also why when my grandma had a series of mini-strokes resulting in dementia, she spent the last few really difficult years of her life alone, without the comfort of her lifelong partner by her side. I’m not going to say that my Grandfather dying is the reason I work with other young people for climate justice- that fate was sealed over two decades ago, when I first started crying in front of the TV seeing the harm we have the capacity to inflict. But what my Grandpa’s leukaemia does compel me to do is work for a world where no one else has to leave this world too soon in order to provide for their family. The oil and gas industry in Canada has given so many of us so much, and it has also taken so much away. Not just from those like my family who lost a single loved one too soon, and too painfully, but from the communities like the Aamjiwnaang First Nation in Chemical Valley, downstream from the refineries my Grandfather worked at in Sarnia, where miscarriages are frequent because of exposure to chemicals like cadmium and mercury. The weight of our affluence shouldn’t be borne by those who have had their land stolen from them, or by the workers who risk their health and livelihood working in mines and refineries because our government can’t be bothered to subsidize job training programs for low-carbon work, or support an energy economy that doesn’t make a few influential people exorbitant amounts of wealth. The greed of the Canadian petro-state is devastating. It is so easy to give into the heartbreak, the malaise, to wallow in the understanding that we are already losing, that we have lost so much, and so many to climate change, and the fossil fuel industry. What’s hard is hope. What’s hard is to continue to love, to continue to plough ahead despite the odds, to demand better of our leaders; of ourselves. The Green New Deal is the first thing that has offered me real hope in a very long time. The Green New Deal and it’s “no one left behind” attitude offer us a chance to build the world we want to live in- a world without catastrophic climate change, a world where workers are respected and valued to a higher degree than the resources they’re extracting. A world where having the energy to power our lives doesn’t mean sacrificing entire communities like the Aamjiwnaang, and their children. Where, in order to provide for your family, you don’t first have to sign away your red blood cell count. My heart was first broken in front of that TV when I was little. I’m so ready to put it back together. And I’m going to do that the only way I know how: by working with those I love to try to save my home. We can do that with a Green New Deal, but we need your help, we need your hope, and we need your hands. We need to get to work.