|
North
Winter / Night
White
Eagle: Strength and Pride
Bear: Earth Unity, Humility
|
|
West
Fall / Evening
Red
Dolphin: Connection, Friendship
Raven: The Messenger
|
|
East
Spring / Morning
Yellow
Hawk: Recovery, Courage
Deer: Life's Abundance
|
|
South
Summer / Afternoon
Blue
Owl: Wisdom, Intelligence
Snake: Sensitivity to Earth
|
|
The
ignorant reaction of many Canadians to the First Nations' National Day
of Action last Friday was predictable and disgraceful: They insist the
First Nations people are to blame for their own poverty. They say no
Canadians deserve special status, and First Nations people should
integrate into mainstream Canadian culture. They claim that the price
paid when First Nations land was expropriated by the colonists was a
fair price at the time, and should not be renegotiated now. They allege
that First Nations' record of self-government is a history of failure.
These
arguments are so ignorant of the facts, and the worldview they reflect
is so entrenched and so distorted, that it is pretty fruitless to
debate it. If you don't know the facts, and want to know them, Chris Corrigan has a brilliant summation of some important ones here, and the title of this post is a quote from his article.
The
colonialist worldview pervades the majority affluent-nation perception
of the plight of all struggling nations, not just the First ones, of
the reasons for global poverty and why struggling nations are
struggling. I grew up with the colonialist propaganda, the "occupier's
narrative", and it took me half my life to realize it was all a lie.
When I have urged those looking for models of sustainable Natural
Communities to study the way of life of aboriginal peoples, I am accused of harboring romantic fantasies about the 'noble savage'.
In truth they knew and know, and could still offer us if we were
prepared to listen, a better way to live. They hold a mirror up to us
so that we can reflect on our civilization's terrible truths.
If
I were among those directly afflicted by the genocide, paternalism,
exploitation, theft and abuse committed every day by colonial invaders,
in almost every nation on the planet, I would be consumed by rage. I
salute Canada's First Nations people for their extraordinary restraint,
patience and tolerance, last Friday and every day they wake up to cope
with the mess we have made of their land, their lives and their
culture. We should be ashamed of ourselves.
If we only knew what they know, we would join them in solidarity, and make every day, for all of us, a Day of Action.
|
MADE IN CANADA
trust your
instincts 
