Indigenous Science: Petroleum Jelly

   For the longest time, I never knew that Vaseline was a brand name. Much like Kleenex and Band-aids, Vaseline has become more or less synonymous with what is known as petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is used as an ointment and moisturizer that can be used to prevent skin chapping and dress wounds. I use it in my noise as a moisture barrier for when the air is dry I get nose bleeds otherwise.

It is also something that was developed by First Nations people. The following is from the Aboriginal Innovations Handbook developed by Lakehead Universiy:

Indigenous Science: Willow bark as pain reliever

I once heard research about bears chewing on willow bark when they had been experiencing pain. The researcher was surprised to realize that willow bark was filled with ASA, an active ingredient in pain relievers. My Mom and Dad were not surprised as I was. Well, yeah, we know that. It was something that I didn't realize for quite some time. I later came across the handbook from Lakehead University called Aboriginal Innovations and showed it to my Mom. She was also not surprised, her Grandpa told her about willow bark ages ago.

Chief Dan George's "Lament for Confederation"

How long have I known you, Oh Canada? A hundred years? Yes, a hundred years. And many, many seelanum more. And today, when you celebrate your hundred years, Oh Canada, I am sad for all the Indian people throughout the land.

Nation to Nation... Right, he Mutters Sarcastically

I have been trying to write a response to the comments made by Canada’s Governor General, David Johnston, regarding Indigenous peoples being immigrants to Canada (See the CBC Radio interview on The House or the transcription below by Jonathon Goldsbie of Canadaland), but I am not sure how to proceed. Mr. Johnston is following a straw man argument that is pulled up regularly by colonial governments and scholars who are trying to reinforce the idea of Terra Nullius, or the idea that these lands were uninhabited and therefore open to settlers to control. In this case, they argue that the Indigenous claim to the land over settlers is invalid because we too are immigrants, albeit several tens of thousands of years earlier. I first encountered this argument in the book First Nations, Second Thoughts by Thomas Flannigan, the long discredited but still influential former advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom appointed Johnston. I say it is a straw man argument because it has no validity, particularly in light of the face that several tens of thousands of years of occupation means you are no longer an émigré and even if it were, stealing the land of another émigré is counter to the whole legal tradition Canada claims to adhere to. 

Regardless, the fact that this is continually brought up, in this day and age, and by Canada’s Head of State, is very problematic. While he may not have many official powers, he is the Head of State and the signatory on all laws that are passed and given Royal Assent. What he says matters, whether we like it or not and he is downplaying Indigenous peoples, our rights and our claims to sovereignty over our lands, unceded or otherwise. That he says this days after the current Prime Minister signed a problematic Memorandum of Understanding with the Assembly of First Nations, a lobby group, to ostensibly renew a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations just furthers the view that Canada is only paying lip service to their statements and promises to First Nations and other Indigenous peoples.

Like I said, I don’t know what to say from here. 

photo courtesy of @goldsbie on Twitter

Seduction, Complicity, Outrage, Repeat: Some thoughts on the AFN/Canada MOU

The more things change, the more they stay the same. June is Aboriginal History Month and is being subsumed by the overwhelming, and annoying, Canada 150 activities and preparations, while the Canadian government is continuing to not do the right thing while promoting how they are doing the right thing. The difference, of course, is this is Mr. Trudeau and not Mr. Harper, which seems to be a surprise to everyone except those of us who have ever paid attention. The Canadian government has always acted against the interests of First Nations people, regardless which of political party has been running the show at any given time. Trudeau promised a new relationship, a Nation-to-Nation relationship with First Nations. As per the norm, this is proving not to be the case.

REAL, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE! Some Brief Reflections on Wonder Woman, Thunderheart & (sort of) Teaching

Inside the behemoth hit film, Wonder Woman, a welcome and long overdue newcomer to the all-white male movie superhero landscape, stands a supporting character known as Chief, portrayed by Blackfoot actor, Eugene Brave Rock. By all accounts, the character is not just another caricature, Brave Rock and director Patty Jenkins were allowed to create a real, complete character even for the supporting role he was playing. The character is complete beyond stereotype. Irritatingly, the last Native character I saw in a superhero film was Adam Beach’s role in Suicide Squad and he emerges from a car, hits a woman and says she deserved it. I haven’t had the opportunity to see Wonder Woman yet, I really want to but am watching my money at the moment. It will be the first one I see when I can.

Particular Relationships: Some Belated Thoughts on the #appropriationprize

I had been contemplating, for some time now, a return to writing and blogging. The itch was there and needed scratching, my last post on my education blog, Where Are the Sheep, having been in early 2014, with a short one-off in 2016 addressing the whole Boyden thing. The itch had been tempered by a number of challenges, not the least of which was the feeling that I had very little to say and the acknowledgement that there were, and are, others speaking much more articulately and thoughtfully than I ever was ever able. Further to it is the ongoing challenge that I have witnessed this past week in social media and Canadian mainstream media: the ongoing effort to marginalize and silence Indigenous voices that speak out. A contributing factor to my hiatus from blogging was the angry, mainstream, usually white, voices that pushed back rather violently against us when we presented our epistemologies and views online, in the classroom or anywhere that the dominant Canadian colonial worldview and understanding has been maintained and encouraged. I was driven out because I could not emotionally handle that silencing. I worry that I still can’t, as evidenced by my limited attempts to engage online beyond a lot of retweeting and article sharing, choosing instead to let other voices carry the flag. This violence pushed me out of my teaching career and into my currently fledgling film career. I still want to have a voice and say what I need to say but I am still looking for the right way to do it.