"Go Whitie Go!"

I appologize for not posting latley. In actuality, my friend/mentor W inadvertedly got me to by posting on his blog. (Click Here). I was compelled to post an update of what's been going on. There's alot to talk about so, enjoy. O where o where to begin. I've been bombed with idea's and thoughts of my uncouncious terrorists. (Like the metaphor?) Although, these idea's don't incite fear, nor do they provoke imperal genocide of over 200'000 people. No, these idea's are actualy pro-active for our people, and arn't "institutionalized" form of the revolution. But before we get to the actual idea, let's start with some things that have amazed me.

This part of my update begins a few weeks ago. Long story short, a fight broke out, A vs B. A fought B, then the fight was split up. B then walks away. Everyone else begins to walk home, away, to the next party (wherever), then B comes back. C yells "A! A! B's coming back. He's over here". I'm on the otherside of the road waiting for round 2. Ding ding ding, and the fight is a bit one sided as B has two big kitchen knives. B is sprinting after A. A's hands are slashed and the tip of a finger is cut off. B almost stabbes A but somehow, he didn't. (That part of the incident was hazy as I was calling the police.) D, E, F, G and a few others surround B. They have numorus wepons; 2 x 4's, clubs, crow bars and a farly big boulder. B starts swigging around the knives fight off everyone. G throws the boulder, square on the eyebrow, above the eye. B is down. Knocked down. Someone grabs the knives and throws them into the forrest. Now that was an intresting night.

OF course, there is more to the story but that's the basic idea for you to understand what I will be saying next. Rumors (it's rez right) spread like wild fire. I don't feel like telling you this silly accounts because, they are silly and are counter-productive. The strange thing is, by the time I got home, the cops come flying by my house and head straight to A's house. He gets ruffed up and everything. Rumors spread that B was stabbed by A. (Crazy rumors).

After all this, I felt conflicted. I said "if someone had died tonight, would anything really happen?" I was doubtfull that somthing would. I mean, my nation has had a number of deaths, a war and then this. I wonder, what would it really take? Does anyone care, at all? The after-math of this event showed me I was right, not many did care. People were siding aganst people, saying "that person should be locked up" or whatever. The thing that striked my mind was, no one was caring about either of the kids. Did anyone care that this inident happend, and it shouldn't have. Or these people were hurt. Where are the "traditional leaders" now, bitch's! Then I started to feel, with the lack of community support, and more community judgment, it was a lost hope.

I wasn't sure if I should call the West Vancouver Police Department and report what I had seen since I was sober. After carefull consideration, I realized that would of been a wrong aproach. Outside affairs should not be involved in the dealings of our own people. If we are to assert outselves as a "nation", we must deal with things properly. The problem lied behind fear and courage. For someone to be couragous enough to speak out, and be a leader. People are affraid and lack confidence to pull of somthing like this. To start asking the right question, instead of blaming.

The other thing is people were quicked to judge. Some people mentioned how it annoyed them that the person with the knives was coming off as "the victim". And that he should be locked up. Now, there is alot of seperate history behind both of these kids, and I say kids with stress. But the reality of the situation is, there are no victims, we can all make choices. And that is a reality of everything. We can't blame them or condemn either of these kids. The actions they took happend, and they should take responsability for these actions. The people to enforce this form of law, would be our leaders, elders and community. Unfortunaly the infrastructure for this form of society was beaten out of us. But as mentioned before, the people are waiting for a leader to peak his/her head out to speak out and start saying what really matters. Maybe that person will be me? We sha'll see.


Here I am worried and pondering all these things when a week later after the incident, I wake up the strangest of things. I slowly roll out of bed, walk to the TV, turn it on and wait for Yu-Gi-Oh (series finale). I missed last weeks so I wanted to watch this one. Unfortunaly I didn't have a say in the matter as kexe7nek siyam had other plans for me (doesn't he always). I hear these drums and womens voices. People yelling and police sirens. Naturaly I wonder 'what the heck'. I open the blinds and see a large group of community members. They are marching up the street. Banners waving. Singer wailling. Women marching. It was a march aganst drugs (and maybe other things).

Some of my nations Councilors, whom I am friends with, see me and call me out. They then ask me to join them. I wonder "TV show, or march?". The choice wasn't that hard. I grab my sandals and start marching around with them. Now, the funny thing was, this happend last year and I joined in the exact same way...lol They give me a drum and ask me to sing away. I sing all our songs; the warrior song, the victory song, the celebration song, the eagle song, the everything. People were singing with me and everything. We march through-out the entire reserve as a community. The amazing and truly radical thing was, we marched to the doors of the drug dealers. All of the people involved, march up, knock on the door, sing our songs as our leaders speak with the drug dealers.

IT WAS absolutly amazing seeing these drug dealers faces. Imagine being a drug leaders, dealing all kinds of drugs, waking up to 50 or more people at your front door sing "the warrior" song with the community leaders telling you "We know what you are doing, and we want it to stop. We want our children to live in a safe enviroment in our community", as singers are wailing and progessvily getting louder and louder with their singing voices and drums. One big, WOW! We walked all over the reserve. Past every house, to the houses. The even more amazing thing was peoples support. People, (just like me), would come to the windows wondering 'what the heck is going on'. They then would see all these peoples with banners, drums, speaker-phones and everything, marching up the street, knocking on these drug dealers doors. People would raise their hands up to us in thanks, smile away, give thumbs up.

We walked past an elders house, an elder who can barly walk, gets on her balcony and beins to dance as we sing our songs. She smiling away, dancing to the songs as we cheer and chant. Now, let's have a look at this for a second. It wasn't a program that did this. It wasn't funded by the goverment. It wasn't workshoped, nor conferenced. This community lead initative, was such a profound impact for such a small thing. Unfortunaly it was badly marketed and not many knew about it. Hopefully my recommendation to let more people know will go a far ways for the next march. The whole concept was just amazing. It was shocking and up-lifting. Where my heart was on confusion and disarray, kexe7nek siyam picked it up with this. It was just awe inspiring. Telling people what we were doing was even more fun. I remember walking past my friends house, ready to sing a song he composed, wondering "is he there". I begin the song, look over and see him standing outside. He smiles and raises his hands as I chant louder and louder. I can happily say, it made my day. Everything about that day, made my day.


As for what's been going on with OldManRivers. Alot. Schools over for the year soon. I double booked myself for this wednesday. I'm doing a school final project play. Finishing the documentry I havn't started. And still questioning "what am I going to do next year". What been even funner is becoming friends with friends I'm already friends with....friends. (I felt like saying it a fourth time...lol) This person and I seem to "click" now, and for reason that are hard to explain (She's become green.) Then I notice how other people just somtimes digust me and I wonder "why do I surround myself with these people." All important questions, with even more important awnsers. But it feels nice to feel nice.

Recently I have found my new favorite artist. His name is XAVIER RUDD. He's Australian born, but has travel all over. His wives Canadian and owns some kind of producing company in Vancouver. (Wiki him if you really care). Anywho, his lyrics are amazing. He's a white guy who actualy gets it. He's toataly lovin' the natives, and alot of his songs deal with natives. He was adopted into an aborigine family in Australia, given a name and everything. (Actualy, I wonder if the "Dance Me Outside"ed him...lol Here's a part of a songed called 'A Fourth World'. The said he wrote this song about how he didn't like how Australian education with aboriginal people was from a colonial stand point. All British History and deals very little with the actual history of the land they are on.

Here we are under these particular stars
Here we stand Victorian
Where the white folk can grow to no so
Very little about the black folk
The same folk who rightfully own
This piece of beauty that we
call our home

Not are only the lyrics fun to listen to but this guy really is lovin' the natives. He has a number of songs similar themes and everything with natives. The guy is a fantastic guitar player, has a wicked voice and plays an whole array of instruments. I recomment you download a few of his songs. I reccomend "Fortune Teller", "Messages", "Jack" and "The Fourth World". Go NOW! Seriously, go now and listen to this guy.

"Hey OMAR, you still havn't told us about this amazing idea!"

Yes, you are right. This amazing idea will blow you away. I was wondering, what is a way I can really support Skwxwu7mesh youth to do a youth project that really inovolves them with cultural teachings. I then being to think and come up with a "Youth Canoe". A canoe devoted specificaly for youth. The project will be youth organized, ran and completed. I have spoked with the canoe carver in mind, got his price, comments and approval. I am hoping to do this project for next summer. 4 weeks to carve the canoe and one big celebrate. The canoe won't be a huge sea going canoe, but somthing easy enough for us to handle to have some fun with and enjoy. Yes baby, you'll be hearing of this youth canoe project more. This is one project I will do and complete! That about lays it out for an update. (See what happens when I don't post frequenlty). Unfortunaly I am too tired to post more of my observations about life, but this will surfice. It's been great so far with wierd twists and turns but I've been lovin' it. Always questioning myself and challenging life even more. The journey is just begin and I want more.

Everything is diffuclt, untill it becomes easy.