the holidays are upon us, we're half way there, christmas is behind us, new years ahead, and another 365 days to get it right.
i've got a ton of art in the works right now, and i just finished my installation video for my show in vancity, and i feel it is the culmination of nearly 3 years of struggling to creatively express my disdain, delight and disgust with the Apology from Stephen Harper on behalf of the Government of Canada and it's lumpen proletariat. oooh, did that sound snobby? like i give a shit, because i've toured across this country more than 12 times in the past couple years since the Apology and in NDN country, it had the significance of time standing still. our world stopped that day, and we gathered in band halls, kitchens, living rooms, class rooms, offices, and conference halls to watch what i'm sure each and everyone one of us was thinking; that we'd never hear an apology in our lifetime.
in the rest of the country, it had the cultural importance and resonance of a wet fart. it was a gamble, it came, it went, left a bit of a mess, and that was about it. i've lectured at high schools, galleries, universities, coffee houses, theatres, festivals and just about everywhere else you can think of, and other than the teachers, administrators, organizers, and NDN students, NO ONE HAS EVEN HEARD OF THE APOLOGY. what a bunch of dumbasses in this country. yeah, i hope you feel guilty, wallow in that post-colonial guilt, because every day, every other day, every week of my life, i've had to justify and stand up to the ugly, ignorant Canadian about First Nations rights, land and title.
"yes we pay taxes, no my schooling wasn't free, i don't have free land, or a house, i didn't get a hundred grand when i turned 19 from the government, and on and on," you stupid, ignorant racist canadian swine.
oooh, my apologies if i sound jaded, bitter and harsh, but you try justifying yourself as often as i described for nearly 30 years to canadians, who have the nerve to trash talk NDN's. it gets pretty damn tiring. and you have to stand up and say something, because silence is justification, and justification is acceptance, and that is just ignorant.
anyway, the Apology, it happened, it was heavy, it was emotional, i cried, everyone around me cried, it felt like a powerful victory in the slow, but steady slog to regain our rights and title in this country that was totally stolen from us. for nothing, look around you canada, the middle class, and the wealthy elite, none of you wouldn't have a damn thing if it weren't for the land, the resources, the minerals and the oil you extract from this country you stole. period.
there is no middle class in NDN country, only the poor and the wealthy elite who are administrators and the like, some no more than white collar criminals. there is a thin, very thin veil of a blue collar working class, but it is not like the rest of canada.
think about it, until 1961, we couldn't vote, couldn't leave the reserve without permission, couldn't speak our languages, couldn't practice our ceremonies or other cultural activities, couldn't work off reserve, couldn't sell whatever we could grow on our reserves to white people, couldn't own farm equipment, couldn't go to anything but residential schools, and to top it off, since 1870, First Nations children were stolen from their parents at the age of 6 until 16, forced to move far away from their families to attend Residential schools, to "kill the Indian in the child," and on and on.
and white people have the gaul to talk shit about us.
yeesh.
anyways, i'll post my video later this week, it kicks ass.
in the meantime, have a safe and happy holiday from Mr. Bigglesworth II and myself,
cheers,
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