OldManRivers in Heat

No, I'm not a pussy(cat) orr is my body telling me to hump somthing (or so you may think...lol) but it's getting hot out, as in, it's summer now! Let the fun times begin! I was able to finaly sleep in after all these days of waking up at the same routine times. Except I didn't want to sleep in. Its summer for crying out loud. Live each day like hell man. I woke up at the same usual time, questioning if I should go for a run or not? I eventualy said no as I am still sick from the aftermath of my quick cold. Still got it. But now it's just sinesses. My agreement with myself I made three days ago is:

• Run around the block after I wake up every morning for two weeks.
• Run down the street, around the block, after I wake up for two weeks.
• Run down to the end of the street, down the next street over, then home, for two weeks.
• Run around 1/2 of the reserve for two weeks.
• Run around 2/3rds of the reserve for two weeks.
• Run up to the swimming hole in the river.

Progressivly I'll begin to get stronger, or so I am led to believe. I figure there is no better time to go for a run but right after I wake up. Apart of my agreement is to also drink 2 glassess of water after each of the runs. Unfortunaly my latest development for work might change these plans slightly, but its good. You'll see. (more to come on this.) I also don't want to sleep in every morning for my summer. I want to start living my life more, and there no use waiting because change doesn't wait, it happens. It's so beautiful out and I just want to live it more. I also want to start taking morning baths, but I have to change my sleeping schedual to work that one. One step at a time.

So yesterday was Aboriginal Day. What did this indigenous young man do for Aboriginal Day? If any other person asked I would say "Grabed some beer, picked up my welfare cheque, ate some KFC, went to bingo, made traditional bannock, set up a roadblock, and took some settlers tax money's." Ya know, the ususal. But in all seriousness (Like I wasn't being serious before). I was like every other Aboriginal out there. Smiled, acted happy and complacent to all my settler friends who in fact have some best friends that are Aboriginal! The goverment would be so proud of me to look so happy in their country.

Anywho, after all the sarcasm I must say; I went to the Roundhouse for a play called "The Rez Show". It was very different. Not my kind of cheese, but oh well. I ran into a few friends. I always do things on my own. Independent like that I guess. My friend gave me some nice words of affirmation for it. She liked that quality in me. (HA! Take that all you non-independent people!) Unforunaly, Chief Ian Campbell seen in me sitting in the stands. Called me up and we sang a few songs. Made a bunch of indians/indian-lovers dance like bunnys, hummingbirds, beavers and salmon. It looked very Aboriginal. We sang a few other songs but I didn't really care. My favorite part was when I was passing everyone in their chairs to make my way to the stage, I triped and fell over. 10 people tryed to catch me, but I have true "river skills" and picked my balance back up right away. They asked "...are you alright?" but I said "ow! ow! ow!... man I should sober up!". They laughed.

After this performance (the play and whatnot) they had some squamish cultural thing. Now this part was the absolutly most digusting part. I can't think of things that digust me but this is one of them. Someone from my nation was asked with the task of getting as many Squamish together to sing some songs and whatnot. She picked up four different dance groups and whatnot. What was funny is that each dance group came out seperatly. How stupid eh? You would think that my people would, well, be, "my people". Not, "the eagle song dancers", "the sna7nem dancers" etc. But noo, we like our individualistic ways. Someone said it must be politics. Probably true. But I havn't even gotton to the sickening part. Over time I've come to learn of my experence and what "culture" really means. I stood backed and watched with my friend as about 30 or so Squamish sang some songs and whatnot. They all looked to "pretty" and "magestic" in their fancy Regalia. I think they needed shinner stuff though. What I can't understand is why people think "performing" is our culture. Performing traditional arts is as close to the culture as communists selling t-shirts with a big red star on it, are to communism. CRAZY! I know. They had all the little girls dressed up in nice paddle regalia. All these paddle jackets and paddle vests. These types of regalia are not even Squamish but oh well. So they performed the culture. Looked all nice and complacent. People clapped away. Enjoyed the spectacular songs and dances. Ugh.

How do people think this is cultural. To all you crazy go-getters our there. You enjoy the prostituting of my ansestors legacy, becuase all you'll get out of it is a nasty disease (called greed)! But honestly, it's what they do. Prostitute the culture. Just shit and rape it while you at it, I mean, c'mon, if anyone can "change" it, why the fuck right not right?

After that they had a Hip-Hop section of the show. Now I'm not into hip-hop native artists. All of it sounds like they want to find as many ways to rhyme "colonization". Yeah, pretty dumb. Anyways, there were these Sto'lo girls, cannot remember their name. Now they impressed me slightly. My friend Inez has an amazing voice. I could see with the right guidence and support, they would be pretty good. More practice and better beats, they would have decent. The whole hip hop portion just inspired me. It looked like so much fun to be up on stage like that. I must get into my guitar. I love music and want to make it so badly. (Note to self, buy tuner!)

Now, news of work for OldManRivers. I was offered a job today for the month of July. I would acomplish many great thing I wanted to this summer. Travel, hike, excersise, get out on the land, learn more of my culture, and make money. A friend of my dad's was approved for this his funding and I'll be doing some acheology this summer. We'll be hiking into some beautiful places, and even helicoptering far into also. I'm really excited about it. I'm thinking about either borrowing a digital camera or buying one to take pitures. Will definitly post them and keep you aprised! That about covers it as of late.

Well, the intresting things going on. There is of course a million more things going on, but this is all that is worth reporting on today. I'm excited that the summer is here and looking forward to what's coming next!