AFN Chief Shawn Atleo promises July 1st visit to sacred fire encampment

Anti-Shale action at Roger Augustine's Fishermen's Pow Wow catches big haul

AFN Chief Shawn Atleo promises July 1st visit to sacred fire encampment

BY MILES HOWE

http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/audio/anti-shale-action-roger-augustines-fishermens-pow/18146

MIRAMICHI, NEW BRUNSWICK - Roger Augustine's 'Fishermen's Pow Wow' is a weekend celebration that attracts, among others, the who's who A-list of Indian Act chiefs and New Brunswick provincial politicians. With anti-shale gas actions continuing about an hour's drive to the south - at the sacred fire encampment in Elsipogtog First Nation - the Fishermen's Pow Wow was a perfect opportunity to stage an action to grab the attention of the local political movers and shakers...READ MORE

VIDEO

Jun 30, 2013 3:17pm
National Chief Shawn Atleo talking to Chief Sock and Chief Paul on the phone

Cree Teachings - Cycle of Life

I attended one of the first of many Cree Language Conferences in my home community last Thursday and Friday, Saddle Lake Cree Nation located within Treaty #6 Territory.  I was so appreciative of the opportunity to be apart of this conference.  Having it locally within the community made it all possible because I didn't need to seek sponsorship or pay to attend if it was elsewhere like Edmonton.  In addition, the majority of the presenters were local teachers, Elders etc..  This venue created an excellent opportunity and atmosphere for me to access valuable resource people on a personal quest to understanding me, my family, and community.

I walked away with so many valuable lessons and yearning to learn more.

One teaching I wanted to share is my interpretation and/or perception of what Elder, George Brertton shared with many of us while I attended his Medicine Wheel session.  He shared that there are 4 directions, North, East, South, West.  Within those directions are the 4 Elements that give life, Air, Sun, Earth (Land), and Water.  He said we all need these 4 elements to exist, all living things need these to live and survive.  Then he went on to say, without one means NO life and we need to respect these 4 Elements.

As he was drawing the circle on the board as his visual pictorial representation of the teachings, he added the directions; the animals in each direction; and the 4 Elements.  Then he proceeded to share the 4 Laws.  As he wrote the 4 Laws on the board, above the Medicine Wheel (Cycle of Life) it went like this:

Land (earth)
Air
Water
Sun

Then he circled the first letters of these 4 Elements to spell the 4 LAWS.

It was like a light went on in my head when I saw this.  I have always known this but it was uplifting to see it represented like this.  I felt excited because I could see how this teaching could assist me in teaching the Cycle of Life (Medicine Wheel) in the classroom.  However, another realization came to me as I began to study these 4 Laws and their place within the Circle of Life (Medicine Wheel) ~ I first looked at the Land (earth) in the south, then went to the element Air in the north, to element Water in the west, and finish with element Sun in the east.  As my eyes followed this sequence of all 4 Elements I could see a path forming and this path created the number 4.

The next day, I went home and created this visual representation of what I learned from the Elder:

As the Elder stated, we need all 4 Elements to ensure life exists, we destroy one and there is NO LIFE!

We NEED to RESPECT all 4 LAWS

Please note, DO NOT GENERALIZE NATIONS as all being the same
the colours represented for each direction are commonly used in my area and vary among Nations and also families.  For instance families have their own colours.  nohkom (my grandmother) Roseanna once shared with us, her grandchildren our family colours being White (north), Yellow (east), Red (south), and Brown (west).  I have seen other Nations use Blue and Black in the west direction also.
At the end of the day, there are 4 directions and 4 Elements of Life.

Shannen's Dream

Here is a must see...

Shannen Koostachin of Attawapiskat First Nation had a dream - safe and comfy schools and culturally based education for First Nations children and youth. She worked tirelessly to try to convince the federal government to give First Nations children a proper education before tragically passing away at the age of 15 years old in 2010. Now it is our turn to carry her dream forward.

“All students in Canada deserve a learning environment that they are proud to attend, and that gives them hope. We want the same hope as every other Canadian  student."

                               Shannen Koostachin, 13, 
                               Attawapiskat First Nation

Janet Wilson, Canadian Author, Artist, Speaker has written a book on Shannen's Dream.  Janet also has written other excellent books to add to your resources, classroom, and/or library.

Home: www.janetwilcon.ca

Recently Released book called "Shannen and the Dream for a School": http://www.janetwilson.ca/shannen-and-the-dream-for-a-school.html

Justice for Aboriginal Peoples

This is Why We Can't Just Get Over It...


 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Aboriginal activists explain the issues behind the unions' campaign for justice for Aboriginal people

About PSAC: http://ugsw.ci-fi.net/psac
Their Official Website: http://ontario.psac.com/

Here are some more reasons WHY WE CAN"T JUST GET OVER IT...

CBC.ca: Ottawa failing aboriginal children
CBC.ca: Ottawa urged to uphold UN aboriginal pledge
Vancouver Sun: Mould, snakes and rates: many First Nations school in wretched condition, UN told

The uninhabitability of the oil sands forests - Inside Politics

The uninhabitability of the oil sands forests - Inside Politics

Response by a woman whose First Nations family is directly impacted:

Canada's Natural Resources Minister, Joe Oliver, was quoted on CBC saying, "tar sands land is uninhabitable… uh… by human beings. So, you know, no community is being disrupted”. People and Planet (Peopleandplanet - UK) responded in support of First Nations people of Canada, "This is a bold-faced lie and an insult to the thousands of First Nations communities whose lives are being disrupted every ...What is the Canadian Gov't saying, First Nations people are not citizens, we don't fall under the definition of a body of people who inhabit land? I mean realistically if they considered us important then they would obviously know that what Mr. Oliver said on their behalf as the Minister of Natural Resources, was completely disrespectful and showed no cause and/or concern for our people... What about our traditional hunting lands, the traplines that our mosoms and khokoms, and tapans subsisted on? The places that we visited as children and even today we still go too, to pick berries, forage, find our medicines when someone is ill; someone struck by cancer of which they depend on those medicines that are natural to us - what if it were kikawiy ekwa/or kohtawiy that needed this, but the Canadian Minister has agreed to destruction because this land is 'uninhabitable' - useless... what would you do? Lack of concern for our Treaty Rights as First Nations people is not acceptable; we're being pushed aside on a daily basis, Government becoming more and more brave to now deliberate ignorance of us, and this is okay?I want it to be known that I am NOT against the oil and gas industry, what I am against however is the unethical stance these industries have had on the destruction of our land and environment, ecosystems, etc. It is so very important that we ensure in making agreement that they are upheld and abided by so as to protect our rights and our ability in the sustainability of the land and it's resources. Ethical issues are very sensitive and they must be treated in that manner - ensure your people are protected, ensure when you sign that line industry is legally responsible and ensure you fear not holding them accountable for not honoring the agreements set forth. ~ THIS is what I speak on, this is where my opinion lies, and this is where my committment is imbedded indefinitely. 

[UK Tar Sands Network] is a PERFECT example of the SUPPORT we have as First Nations people on a global level - Internationally people standing up in representation of OUR Treaty Rights; unafraid to challenege the Canadian Government in its attempts at deliberate ignorance against the Traditional lands and territories of which we occupy. PLEASE watch this and pass it on. 

Canada poses as “Friendly, Green Oil Giant” to win over UK universities
Original Website: http://www.no-tar-sands.org/2011/10/canada-poses-as-“friendly-green-oil-giant”-to-win-over-uk-universities/

London, October 20th 2011 – Joe Oliver, Natural Resources Minister, met with staunch opposition at the London School of Economics (LSE) whilst promoting Canada as the next ‘Global Energy Superpower’ [1]. Protesters presented an alternative perspective to the one-sided lecture by asking difficult questions throughout. LSE students and activists presented Joe Oliver with the ‘Greenwash [...]

Liam Barrington-Bush is a Canadian working the UK for People and Planet