By Joanne Mitchell

There is something powerful happening in Indian country these days; an awakening. We are IdleNoMore. I can sense that what was once taken from us as a people,;that which was meant to oppress us; that which was meant to keep us hating ourselves; that cloud of dysfunctional living and thinking, is finally clearing. More of our people are returning to the good way of life. We are regaining our strength as Indigenous people and as nations of Turtle Island. I am extremely proud to be an Indigenous person especially at this time in history.

One of the key areas of regaining our strength is in regards to our health. We all need to be healthy to live life to the fullest. With GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) now in our food system and fast food so readily available, our food seems to be lacking in healthy choices.

One simple action like growing a food garden can be an act of rebellion against a food industry that generally doesn’t care about the impact their food “products” have on our health. Growing your own food takes the profits out of their pockets. It gives us control over the food we eat. It enables us the freedom and knowledge to become self-sufficient in a world that seems to be ever-increasingly making us reliant on a system whose only real concern is based on profit margins.

Our ancestors had the deep-rooted understanding of plant life; they knew what an important role it played in nutrition and our well-being. They respected plant life as we can tell now by the ceremonies that still exist that celebrate specific plants especially in the Haudenosaunee and other indigenous cultures.

Growing a food garden is a practical and easy way to have access to fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. The benefits involved outweigh any negative ideas you may have about gardening. It’s been proven that gardening improves physical, mental and emotional health. Getting in touch with nature is always a healing experience. It’s also important for the coming generations to learn the skills to be self sufficient. I heard it said “how can we as a people be sovereign nations if we don’t know how to feed ourselves?” How profound is that? We need to have these basic skills. They are important for self-reliance, and make our people healthy and strong once again.

I live in Windsor, Ontario with my three young children. I also manage to live on a low income and I know how difficult it can be to get by and to ensure that my family has enough food to eat. But I also don’t believe that just because I live on a low income that me or my children deserve to have an unhealthy diet. That is one reason why I plant a food garden to help supplement grocery shopping.

I’m still learning with each garden season. It’s been an invaluable experience so far. I found that if you get connected with other gardeners in your community it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can go to seed swaps and trade seeds. If you don’t have the space near your home, check out your local community garden and ask for a plot of your own. Another choice is to use containers, which are perfect for balconies. There are many options. When you do have your own food garden make sure to choose heirloom (non-GMO) seeds and no pesticides for your garden. This will ensure you are getting healthy produce for yourself and your family.

The good way of life is what was meant for us as a people; to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.

For more information about organic food gardening join the Facebook group called the Turtle Island Garden Club.

Joanne C. Mitchell was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She is of Oneida and English descent. She lives in Windsor, Ontario with her three children. Joanne is co-founder of the Turtle Island Garden Club, which is a garden club that promotes food gardening within the First Nations community in the local area. She is actively involved with volunteering within the community.

Indigenous Peoples have a long history of fasting for positive change in our communities. Among the practitioners was Crazy Horse hoping to achieve clarity and guidance on important issues affecting our communities. The tradition of fasting can take on deep political and revolutionary meaning, as happened when Mahatma Gandhi entered 10 hunger strikes fighting for India’s independence from British rule, most achieving at least some measure of success after just a few days.

According to journalist Angela Mulholland, one of the most tragic hunger strikes occurred in 1981 in Northern Ireland’s Maze Prison where former IRA commanding officer and prisoner, Bobby Sands and 10 imprisoned members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) stopped eating to protest the removal of their Special Category Status in the prison.

When British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher refused to concede to the prisoners’ demands, the strike dragged on and on the 66th day of his hunger strike, Sands died from starvation. The other nine prisoners died one by one as well, after hunger strikes lasting from 46 to 73 days.

The day that Sands died, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously showed little regret, telling the British House of Commons: “Mr. Sands was a convicted criminal. He chose to take his own life. It was a choice that his organization did not allow to many of its victims.” But his death captured headlines around the world and sparked protests in several cities throughout Europe.

The British government eventually granted the prisoners partial concessions. But the affair led to a surge of new IRA membership and extremism and eventually, an intensification of the fighting in Northern Ireland that went on for years until 1998’s Good Friday Agreement. (Mulholland 2013)

It is ironic and almost hopeless to consider that Thatcher watched these 10 individuals die from starvation and to consider that Harper reveres this leader as a beacon of conservatism. I fear he too will continue sit and do nothing but watch Elder Raymond die, an approach he is doing now. That silence seems to be carrying over to the office of our National Chief; after six days of statements from Mr. Robinson http://raymondrobinson.org/ there is still no mention of this call or action on the AFN’s website or facebook page.

In the recent CTV article that covered Chief Theresa Spence’s 45 daylong hunger strike from solid foods, it was noted that most individuals die within 10 days without fluids and solid foods. While I understand engaging in extreme tactics for change (such as a hunger strike) raise complex concerns, our national leadership should not ignore these calls for action.

Unlike Bobby Sands and Elder Raymond Robinson, Gandhi built a popular movement based on unity and shared opposition towards British unilateral rule. With First Nations comprising only 4% of the total population in Canada, the work of building a mass movement is staggering. Especially in the context of the dominant population knowing little about Indigenous history or worldview because it will require them to be educated and care about First Nations and environmental issues. Idle No More is calling for such a movement.

I would like the National Chief to respond to the call of Elder Raymond Robinson on his 6th day of hunger strike demanding a re-setting of a Nation-to-Nation relationship with Canada. If there is to be an end to the unilateral impositions by the Harper government that dismantle Aboriginal title, human, and environmental rights, our leaders must support one another and a diversity of tactics for change. Mr. Atleo must have the courage to stand up to Harper and the heart to listen to his people. If he remains silent leadership will be found elsewhere.

Rebeka Tabobondung,
Wasauksing First Nation, & Publisher of MUSKRAT Magazine

#RayOfHope

#idlenomore

#n2Nn

#muskratmag

References:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/how-long-can-one-survive-on-a-hunger-strike-1.1093051#ixzz2PtLIJJYx

http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/00683/Page1017.htm

http://raymondrobinson.org/

Nation to Nation Now – The Conversations

Building a New Relationship hosted by MUSKRAT Magazine:
Ellen Gabriel, Naomi Klein, & Arthur Manual moderated by Carla Robinson
7- 9 pm, OISE auditorium, 252 Bloor Street West, St. George Subway Station

Idle? KNOW more! 

Conversations with good hearts and minds working for change:
Anishinabeg & Haudenosaunee Nationhood, Indigenous Women’s Leadership, Canada’s First Nations Termination Plan, Defenders of the Land.
Leanne Simpson, Russ Diabo, Sheela Mclean, Sam McKay and more!
10 am – 5 pm, OISE auditorium, 252 Bloor Street West, St. George Subway Station

Learn about Anishinabeg and Haudenosaunee Nationhood, Aboriginal Women’s Leadership, Canada’s First Nation Termination Plan, and Defenders of this Land.

Saturday MARCH 23
10 am – 9 pm
OISE Auditorium
Entry by donation

Want to support local Idle No More organizing but don’t know how? Here’s one way: we need donations to cover costs for our upcoming symposium on March 23 – Nation To Nation Now – The Conversations. Please consider contributing something if you can!
see paypal link below

http://indigenoussovereigntyandsolidarity.wordpress.com/donate/

Presented together with Justina M Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto, Indigneous Sovereignty and Solidarity Network, Idle No More Toronto and MUSKRAT Magazine

Lee Maracle, Cherie Dimaline, Elizabeth Brule

As part of the phenomenally successful Aboriginal Student Association at York’s powwow and gathering, I was invited to sit on a panel with Lee Maracle and York U’s Elizabeth Brule. We were asked to speak about the responsibilities of Indigenous storytelling.

It was one of those topics where I felt confident enough, banking on the panel set-up and the broad subject matter to make for a conversational event. And, thankfully, I was right. We spoke about our own experiences with story; how they were a part of our upbringing both as Indigenous women and as writers. And we touched on those areas of responsibility.

Since we can only speak about the community and experience we come from, I spoke about my own understanding as a Metis storyteller. For me, being a writer is like being in the centre of a giant web of story. It is up to me to be able to hold all the loose ends of every thread that has been woven into the whole, to ensure that I understand where each originated, how they connect to one another and where those intersections occur. This is not to say that I have to tell those traditional stories in everything that I produce, but I must certainly know them, understand their intent and path and be able to allow them space and distance between so that they can evolve and change.

Lee and I shared stories of our elders protecting us with story; me through the tales of the Rogarou to not go alone on the road, and her of the Earth Blanket her aunties sewed while telling stories to keep the children hidden as they night fished. It was powerful to share instances when stories not only saved us through the preservation of our history and culture, but also how they physically saved us from destruction.

Inevitably, as occurs when talking about all our art forms, we veered towards resistance through story. We resist by thriving. We thrive by maintaining a solid foundation on which to build. We craft and upkeep the foundation through story. One of the best names I’ve heard is that of my publisher; Theytus. It means “preserving for the sake of handing down”. How perfect. These stories are being gathered, created and preserved so that the next seven generations will have access to them. So that their storytellers will have a better understanding of the origins, the junctures and the spaces in-between when they are standing in the middle of the web.

The drive up to York is no short distance from the St George Campus at U of T where Lee and I wee picked up for the talk. On the way, we had a chance to talk, as rarely happens unless your trapped in confined spaces, rolling in between two points on a map. We talked about all the achievements of the Idle No More Movement, how INM supporters brought down Tom Flanagan, garnered international attention and educated millions in doing so, how they’re taking back spaces one street name at a time and blocking city’s from carrying on the tradition of giving their sports teams racist names (we’re looking at you, Ottawa). We talked about what makes this movement so successful; what’s different this time that we’ve been able to accomplish so much and make such a strong, undivided stand? And we concurred, that in addition to the fantastic organization, the embracing of all mediums in gathering and spreading knowledge and the shared history of nations that live closer together now than ever before has been this: this time we are looking inward first; this time we gathered in a huddle, collected stock, took inventory and shared our personal stories. So that when we broke huddle and stood side by side across the field and began to walk forward, we were swaddled in the stories of a hundred thousand grandmothers. We relearned and retold our stories- creation, preservation, rebuilding and perseverance. We looked in our nations and families for the ways in which we could succeed and we walked forward with our stories, careful to hold all the loose threads, careful to leave the spaces in between for the new ones to evolve and change.

Want to get into journalism/writing but need some experience? Looking for your first byline to start the ball rolling? Great news; MUSKRAT magazine is launching the 2013 Youth Mentorship Program, a 2-month initiative that will mentor emerging Aboriginal writers as they develop a feature piece for publication on muskratmagazine.com.

Space is limited to 10 participants. Youth completing the 8-week online mentoring process and submitting an article will be featured in MUSKRAT magazine and receive $300 payment for their published work.

Interested? Send us a sample of your writing – this does not have to be in the style you’d like to eventually write, though if you have it, this would be the most helpful. Include a few paragraphs on why you’d like to be a part of this program by MARCH 10, 2013  to editor@muskratmagazine.com.

Open to all Aboriginal (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) youth living in the Greater Toronto Area.

Graciously funded by the Toronto Arts Council (www.torontoartscouncil.org)

The Ogimaa Mikana Project is an effort to restore Anishinaabemowin place-names to the streets, avenues, roads, paths, and trails of Gichi Kiiwenging (Toronto) – transforming a landscape that often obscures or makes invisible the presence of Indigenous peoples. Starting with a small section of Queen St., re-naming it Ogimaa Mikana (Leader’s Trail) in tribute to all the strong women leaders of the Idle No More movement, the Project hopes to expand throughout downtown and beyond.

Artist Julia Hepburn made the sign for Ogimaa Mikana. The documentation photos are by Hayden King and Susan Blight.

BIOS

Hayden King is Anishinaabe from Gchimnissing (Beausoleil First Nation) in Huronia, Ont. He is an assistant professor of politics at Ryerson University.

Susan Blight is Anishinaabe from Couchiching First Nation. A visual artist, filmmaker, and arts educator, Susan is a committed student of the Ojibwe language. She currently lives and works in Toronto and is the host of Indigenous Waves radio show.

By Janine Manning

I’ll never forget the moment I pressed ‘send’ on the #IdleNoMoreYorkU invite; my finger hovered in the air, reluctant, needing a minute to allow the movement’s importance to force my hand. Had I known then the security hassles the event would attract, my finger probably would have gone limp and a wonderful opportunity, lost.

Idle No More went national on December 10^th, shortly after winter break started, making it challenging to organize an event on behalf of the Aboriginal Students’ Association at York given that most people were out of town or ‘out of office’. However, once I pressed send, I gave #IdleNoMoreYorkU to the world, and I felt compelled to nurture it into the force of unity it came to be.

In the weeks leading up to the event I watched the invite list grow from a few dozen to a few thousand, my anxiety and excitement increasing just as rapidly. As challenging as it was to arrange the event during winter break, I managed to get everything accomplished on-line, proving the movement’s social media and technology dependency. I couldn’t help but think ‘these are my smoke signals’ as I typed furiously, an internet warrior, rallying allies, preparing our union; students, professors, children and elders coming together to teach each other and learn from one another.

What I was not prepared for was the overwhelming invitations from the university community to act as an unofficial spokes person for Idle No More, in wondering ‘why me’ I was humbled by the Idle No More mission statement of unity and realized ‘not me…US’. The one question I was asked repeatedly, “Why York U?” And the answer would be the same for any academic institution; because this is where the future leaders and budding citizens are held, the future policy makers and the generation who must to live with the legacy of the current government’s decisions.

Universities tend to operate in vacuums, our courses dated, our off campus interactions limited. Students are offered a false sense of security to explore ideas, opinions and politics as students and academic without the threat of “real world” scrutiny. In bringing Idle No More to York U, we took advantage of that security, two folds; we raised awareness and recruited allies in their comfort zone while dismantling the stigma grassroots movements often face as being isolated and unacademic. Grassroots movements are expected to stay where they start, on the ground, but the success of a grassroots movement is in its ability to impregnate the mainstream, its institutions and to eventually force change from the “top”. Injecting our places of higher learning with current and” real world” politics is essential to any grassroots movement and effective student leaders should heed the challenge to do so where their institutions fail too.

Our round dance attracted approximately 300 people, and the teach-in that followed was standing room only after we filled it with about 140 people despite capacity for 90. Professors brought their students, and our panelists, Professors Robin Cavanagh (Anishnawbe Nation) and Professor Anna Zalik (Settler Ally) of the Faculty of Environmental Studies delivered a balanced presentation about the environmental implications of Bill C45 and the need to unlearn and relearn our collective history to return to the nation to nation relationship that Canada grew from.

The numerous campus radio interviews I delivered and the campus newspaper headliner, “Idle No More Comes to York”, furthered our effort’s reach. Given that these outlets rarely report on issues that do not relate to campus life, without bringing Idle No More to York U, this would have been lost opportunities to spread the words and work of the movement to this community.

Idle No More is a people’s movement and the revolution is no longer a whisper. I found my opportunity to add to the conversation through student governance and in the process learned that there is no room for fear and discomfort when justice is the objective. This is our time and we can keep our movement strong with individual, daily acts of resurgence and resistance.

Janine Manning, whose spirit name is Osh Kwe Ah Nung is a member of the Anishnawbe Nation from Neyaashiinigmiing. She is the current President of the Aboriginal Students’ Association at York and the mother of 3 year old Tarquinius, her inner child’s best friend. Janine graduates this spring from York University with an Honours BA in Environmental Studies and will be starting law school in the fall.

Christmas can be a hard time for families. Too many moms, dads and grandparents struggle to provide a turkey dinner, and presents under the tree.
Each of our organizations (Save the Children, Hospital for Sick Children, Seneca College, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs,  Ministry of Health, Ministry of Community and Social Services,  Health Canada and more) partners with the Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA) who do amazing work to provide culturally appropriate health and social services to First Nations communities in the Kenora Area (Naotkamegwanning, Grassy Narrows, Iskatewizaagegan 39, Shoal Lake 40, Wabaseemoong, Ochiichagwe’Babigo’Ining, Obashkaandagaang).

Our organizations are always looking at the BIG picture. We strive to build sustainable solutions to complex problems. This is good. But sometimes we need to look at the LITTLE picture.

We need to remember that every child deserves just a little something to make them feel special.

This holiday season we are asking you to help us raise $14,000 ($2000 per community). Enough to provide turkeys for a Christmas children’s feast and presents for children 16 years and under for each of the communities.

By donating as little as $25 you can make a huge difference this Christmas for the children in these communities. You will receive a tax receipt for your gift.

Because so many children are depending on us, we depend on you. Please donate by December 16^th to help us brighten the lives of children from the KCA communities this Christmas

With heartfelt thanks,

Patricia Erb<
President and CEO<

P.S. Please share this email with your co-workers, friends and family.

So, another Halloween just passed us by and I can’t help but start to dread it each year. When you hear Halloween you probably think of candy, parties and dressing up. What most people don’t think of the racism that can be behind it all. Talking to friends and acquaintances, I know that there are many who dressed as the stereotypical “Indian” for Halloween. I’m going to put this as bluntly as I can so that it can be understood as far across the board as possible: the stereotypical Indian costume is very, very offensive.

Buying those crappy headdresses and painting your face with your mom’s lipstick is the exact same as someone putting on brown face paint and saying their a black person. (Good luck with that one!)

Racism is racism, no matter what shape or form. It’s not that we need to ‘get over it’ or that we’re being ‘too sensitive’, it’s that you (and you know who you are) are presuming the power to poke fun at us like we’re fictional characters; like we are something to be made fun of or, maybe even worse, put into history with no presence today. When you do this, you attempt to disempower us.

Listen, a head dress is a sacred thing not to be messed with; regalia (and yes, its regalia, NOT a costume as some people have argued, as if we started the costume thing and therefore they are allowed to do it too) is traditional. I’m 13 and I’m calling out you grown men in the headdresses with the tomahawks and you grown women with the blonde hair and tiny fringed dresses- GROW UP! Its embarrassing that even in 2012 I find myself on my own facebook arguing with racists who tell me it’s okay to dress as an Indian and that I am the one being childish for being upset; that I am the one at fault for not having a sense of humour.

It’s uncalled for. People counter with “well, it’s offensive to wiccans that people dress as witches, what about them?” I welcome any wiccans complaints and would stand beside them, but why bring up another wrong to try to diminish your own wrong? I didn’t say it was okay to dress as other ethnicities, races, cultures or religions. I’m here to talk about your ‘chiefs’ and ‘squaws’. The truth is ANY one who dresses up as ANY race are racists. That’s right, girl with the braids and feather, I said it… RACIST. It’s an ugly word, but so is you thinking that my grandmother is a costume.

And in case you think we will eventually ‘calm down’ and ‘get a sense of humour’, we won’t back down or accept that people are using our culture as a joke. As an elementary school student, I wish we had better education about Indigenous people in North America, maybe then I wouldn’t have to spend so much time online arguing with people about why it may not be okay to dress like a holocaust victim to go out partying or trick or treating.

And it goes beyond Halloween. What about the No Doubt video that was recently recalled? Or the Victoria’s Secret fashion show where one model showed up in her underwear and a full “Indian” headdress? Both of these corporations (because that’s what they both are- a corporate name and image) apologized and removed the offensive imagery, but not for one second should any of us believe that they are innocent, that they had no idea that they were being offensive. They knew what they were doing, especially so close to each other. They just took a ‘calculated risk’. They decided that we would raise our voices in protest but considering it wouldn’t effect their money making, they went ahead. And then they used our protests as free advertising. Both of these sad pieces of failed media got way more press than they deserved because we had to, once again, rally on the side of what is right.

It is tiring and takes a lot of our energy and time to always fight these fights, but if we don’t, they win, the people who would use our culture to be another corporation.

This is not my costume. This is who I am. And I will never be too tired to stand up and let them know.