#landchallenge

[felsartdump]

November is Native American Heritage Month

Hello lovelies! 

Seeing as November is Native American Heritage Month, I thought it only fitting to take part in Miss Corinne's #landchallenge. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn more about my native roots for myself and, as Miss Corinne herself stated; “The point of this exercise is to get you all to put in the effort of learning about the history of the land you occupy instead of asking an Indigenous person to do it for you. First lesson in allyship… Do. The. Work.”

The challenge was issued to nonnatives to essentially learn 3 points for yourself and by yourself;

What tribal lands do you occupy?

Cultural history about the tribe(s)

How the area was colonized.

There is a site where you can check which tribes own the land you occupy.If you’re doing this challenge I highly recommend hitting up that site and letting it guide you!

That being said: This taught me… so much it’s unbelievable. It took me quite a few hours to compile and write so forewarning: it is long. Like sit down and have tea with this mini novella long.

I am currently occupying;  Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ), Tsuu T'ina, Métis & Cree land!

Prior to European settlement, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada was actually a gathering place that was owned by the Blackfoot, the Plains Cree (my mothers tribe is the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation!) and the Nakoda peoples who were already living here. It wasn't until about the late 18th century that European fur traders arrived, and the mixture of these Native peoples with French Fur traders created a new cultural group called the Metis (which my father is!). The Metis established themselves to the east of here, but after being displaced by white settlement, they migrated to Alberta.

So that's freaking sweet. I'm living in a land that is rich in history from both of my parents!

The Plains Cree specifically, known also as the Nation of Hunters, followed seasonal animal migrations in order to eat, clothe themselves and make tools. Hunting always has been (and still is!) an important part of Cree culture. There is a trail that was used by First Nations people and bison alike since ancient times that ran from Montana in the south, through the Red Deer River at an area now known as the Old Red Deer Crossing, and right up to Fort Edmonton. It makes sense now why so many tribes used to gather here!

The Cree were first contacted by Europeans in 1682, at the mouth of the Nelson Hayes rivers in what is now northern Manitoba, by a Hudson's Bay Company party traveling about 100 miles inland. Fur trading posts established after 1670 began a period of economically motivated migration as bands attempted to make the most of the growing fur trade. 

During the late 1700s and 1800s the Cree who had migrated from the Plans changed with rapid, dramatic success from trappers and hunters of the forest to horse-mounted warriors and bison hunters while supplying many of the European traders who relied on them fresh meat.

In 1875 the NW Mounted Police set up Fort Calgary along what they dubbed the "Calgary and Edmonton Trail", then set up the Canadian Pacific Railway in Calgary shortly after. This produced a huge increase in traffic along this trail, which in turn meant the trading post and stopping house was next built at the Old Red Deer Crossing in 1882 and that sudden influx of European people brought epidemics with them and began to over hunt the bison. I'm not talking just 'hey you don't see bison around much anymore'. I'm talking they hunted the bison to near extinction, literally. Herds upon herds of bison were destroyed and the Plains Cree and surrounding tribes (who relied on these bison for food, clothing and shelter and regarded the bison as a sacred animal and religious symbol) were brought to ruin when they were forced to be dependent on the government for their needs.

The Canadian government then actively withheld rations and other resources to force starving Plains Cree to sign treaties then promptly relocated them to reserves.

The Cree, being the resilient and resourceful people that they are, then survived by farming, ranching and casual labor on those reserves, but were further subjected to cultural destruction through decades of trauma via the residential school system that Native peoples were forced to attend. 

The Red Deer Indian Industrial School first opened in 1893 on the north side of the Red Deer River close to the old Crossing settlement with the idea that the site was close to a 'white' urban center and a substantial distance from Native reserves. Funding for this school was pulled very early, the government failed to adequately pay any of the teachers or staff that worked there and the sanitation at this school was HORRENDOUS. I'm talking overcrowding in a place that had frequent outbreaks of diseases like scarlet fever, meningitis, mumps, measles and tuberculosis. The school's official register states that one third of the students enrolled here in the first two years of the place being open died prematurely and an official of the Ontario Health Department in Canada (Dr. P.H. Bryce) himself wrote that, of all the Indian industrial schools he examined, Red Deer had the worst mortality rate. 

This, of course, all lead me to further research about the epidemics that specifically occurred in Red Deer and I was horrified to learn that The Charles Camsell [Indian] Hospital (founded in 1913 in Edmonton, Alberta) was something called an “Indian Hospital”. An “Indian Hospital” was a racially segregated hospital used to isolate Indigenous tuberculosis patients from the general population because, and I quote, there was “a fear among health officials that “Indian TB” posed a danger to the non-Aboriginal population.” This was a site heavily involved with the “Sixties Scoop” that occurred specifically in Canada from the late 1950’s right through the 1980’s that involved taking or “scooping up” Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes or adoption.

But what does that have to do with a hospital, you ask?

There are tons. of. personal. accounts. and archives linked to this hospital that say the government was using the excuse of ‘you’ll get to fly on a plane and go somewhere new’ or ‘we’re going to heal you’ as a way to encourage these people to go to these hospitals (and usually never come back). This hospital of horrors closed down in 1996, but so many of the people who died there did so unbeknownst to their loved ones, and their bodies were buried on the Edmonton Residential School property just across the street. It was the kids from the Residential School who dug and tended the graves because being a member of those schools meant they were technically wards of the state.

Y i k e s.

I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the history of one of the many tribes whose land I now occupy and all I can think of is how little I knew before tonight. If it wasn’t 3:40am I could (and would!) learn so much more. Please, please do this challenge. Learn as much as you can about Native American Heritage before it’s too late.

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 2: Back to December

“Because the last time you saw me still burns in the back of your mind. You gave me roses and I left them there to die.” - TS

[eli-schmidt]

Challenge Number One; Express Yourself.

Full Name: Eli Carson Schmidt Jr. Age/Birthday: 21, June 10th 1993 Gender Identity: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Ethnicity: American/ German Origins Skin Tone: Caucasian Build: Broad Shouldered Height: 5'11" Weight: 192 lbs. Hair color: Dirty Blonde Eye color: Crystal Blue Imperfections: Self Harm scars on his forearms (vertically and horizontally), a light burn scar on his left pectoral Tattoos and Piercings: Both ears with size 0 gauges, Chest piece in script 'Stay Gold', vertical right rib piece 'Genesis 27: 3', Left shoulder piece of winged cross with a scale in the middle Attire Style: Relaxed Indie Hygiene : Good, despite his dingy and disheveled apartment. Scent: Mint and Citrus Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, German Accent: SoCal Bad Habits: Over introversion, playing the 'blame game', bites his nails Addictions: Nicotine, horsepower and Game of Thrones

[vernecampbell]

Express Yourself ||

Full Name:

Verne Calden Campbell

Age/Birthday:

July 10th, 1976 ♦ 38 years old 

Gender Identity: 

Male

Sexuality: 

Straight, Kinsey Scale 0 

Ethnicity: 

Scottish American

Skin Tone: 

White

Build: 

Very fit, toned build

Height:

6'0 ft

Weight: 

165 lbs 

Hair color: 

Dark brown 

Eye color:

Brown

Imperfections (beauty marks, birth marks, scars, blemishes, etc):

None

Tattoos and Piercings: 

None

Does not like the idea of marring his body with either

Attire Style: 

Almost exclusively wears suits, generally Tom Ford for business and day, and Giorgio Armani for more formal occasions and evenings.  Very rarely will be seen wearing casual attire, as dressing to impress on the daily is a major aspect of his perfectionism and type A personality. He has a vast collection of cufflinks, many complete originals and specially crafted. The only other accessories he wears are watches. He has several pairs, ranging from Cartier to Rolex. 

Hygiene (good or poor):

 Extremely excessive hygiene and cleanliness standards, almost to the point of obsessive. 

Scent: 

Prefers Tom Ford cologne, but will also use Jean Paul Gaultier on occasion. Will wear cologne on a daily basis, and many of his clothes and his bedding leave traces of the scent. 

Languages Spoken: 

English, Spanish, French, and has experience with Russian 

Accent: 

American

Bad Habits:

Smoking (only occasionally when under stress) 

Drinking excessively at times 

Obsessive tendencies when it comes to many things involving himself and individuals around him: 

Organization Cleaning Decor Attire Words and Phrases Used Food/Drink Drugs

Addictions:

Cocaine (borderline)

Sadism/Domination 

Women (primarily ones he can pay for) 

Kimi Olverez

Power/Control

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 1: Better Than Revenge

“She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 3: The Story Of Us

“I’d tell you I miss you but I don’t know how. I’ve never heard silence quite this loud.” -TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 2: Treacherous

“All we are is skin and bone trained to get along. Forever going with the flow but you’re friction.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song #1: State of Grace Part 2

“These are the hands of fate, you’re my Achilles heel. This is the golden age of something good and right and real.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 3: Last Kiss

“And I hope the sun shines and it’s a beautiful day and something reminds you, you wish you had stayed. You can plan for a change in weather and time but I never gonna planned on you changing your mind.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song #1: State of Grace Part 3

“So you were never a saint and I’ve loved in shades of wrong. We learned to live the pain mosaic broken hearts.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 2: Hey Stephen

“I seen it all - so I thought, but I’ve never seen nobody shine the way you do.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

Almost forgot today’s entry for my Taylor Lyric Challenge due to my excitement of getting noticed by Tay!

Day 4: A Place In This World

“Maybe I’m just a girl on a mission but I’m ready to fly.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

Lyric challenge day 2: Picture to Burn

“Watch me strike a match on all my wasted time”-TS

Every day I’m posting my favorite lyric from every Taylor song ever! Feel free to join me in this challenge. Past songs are under #itwasalawless-landchallenge

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 6: If This Was a Movie

“I was playing back a thousand memories baby, thinkin ���bout everything we’ve been through. Maybe I’ve been going back too much lately when time stood still and I had you.” - TS

[itwasalaw-lessland]

Itwasalaw-lessland Taylor Lyric Challenge!

Day 3: Teardrops on My Guitar

“He’s the time taken up but it’s never enough and he’s all that I need to fall into.”

Look in the hashtag for previous edits and feel free to participate! Going to post an edit with my favorite lyric from every Taylor song daily in order! Currently in the debut era obviously.

[itwasalaw-lessland]

My Taylor Swift Lyric Challenge!

Today’s Song Part 2: Mean

“You with your switching sides and your wildfire lies and your humiliation- you have pointed out my flaws again as if I don’t already see them.... I just wanna feel okay again.” - TS