June 1, 2019 Carnegie Newsletter

JUNE 1,2019 FREE-Do

not pay for this paper.

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~

401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7 (604) 665~2289 Email: carnnews@shaw.ca

Website/Catalogue: carnegienewsletter.org

JUNE IS INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH

Salmon & Stew Barbecue!

! Family & Community Event by MOSAIC & Comm

HEARTS BEAT 2019: A great evening of cultural sharing

By Blake Williams & Eilis Courtney

Story & photos from The Celtic Connection (May/June

2019)

VANCOUVER - After the highly successful inaugural 2018 Hearts Beat event held at the UBC Learning Exchange on Main Street, a collaborative planning committee met in January to design the 2019 annual Hearts Beat celebration.

At the invitation of the UBC Learning Exchange and the Carnegie Community Centre's Cultural Sharing Program, members of the Irish in Vancouver group were honoured to partner again in support of their initiative.

Hearts Beat is a program to further cultural sharing in traditional First Nations and traditional Irish drumming styles, music, dance, and stories.

Two drumlbodhran workshops were held at the UBC Learning Exchange over a two-week period with many participants bringing drums they had made themselves in a drum workshop led by an Elder.

In a large circle, stories were shared of the diverse playing styles and the cultural meanings of different types of drums.

The main event was held at the Carnegie Community Centre Theatre on Main Street on March 14. With an overflowing crowd of participants and observers, the evening included traditional foods cooked by the Carnegie kitchen and served by welcoming and energetic volunteers from the Strathcona Community Policing Centre.

The walls were adorned with beautifully painted drums created by lexwst'i:lem drum group members and wall hangings representing the four Irish -provinces.

When the audience was seated in the theatre, the drummers and musicians from both cultures proceeded to enter following Indigenous protocols to take their places by the stage.

The program contained a variety of First Nations songs and dances by the Carnegie lexwst'i:lem Drum Group, story-telling by Joseph Dandurand, Vancouver Public Library's 2019 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence, a selection of Irish tunes by local Irish musicians and a display of Irish dancing by Eire Born Irish Dance Company.

The evening coincided with the first visit of Irish Minister Ciaran Cannon and his team to Vancouver.

Through Irish Consul General Frank Flood, arrangements were made to have the minister and his team attend, along with Ambassador Jim Kelly and the staff from the Office of the Consulate General oflreland in Vancouver.

The group thoroughly enjoyed the event, so much so that the minister gave an impromptu speech at the end acknowledging what he had witnessed and emphasizing the strong connections between our two cultures with music and storytelling. He mentioned the similarity between the magic salmon Joseph described in one of his stories and the story about the 'Salmon of Knowledge' from Irish mythology.

Minister Cannon and Consul General Flood also participated in the final drumming song of the evening performed by the lexwst'i:lem Drum Group.

Special thanks to: • Nicole and the Carnegie Cultural Sharing Program and lexwst'i:lem Drum Group for sharing their music a tl drumming with us and for continuing to teach us about the rich culture and traditions of the First Nations ofB.C. and beyond;· Joseph Dandurand for sharing his stories with us;· Denise and Tony Dalton, Sal Gallagher, and Denise McAuliffe who joined us in performing Irish tunes and songs; • The Irish dancers from Nora Pickett's Eire Born Dance Company. Of course, the magical event would not have been possible without the extra efforts of all the volunteers who set up the theatre, greeted at the door, served the food, and managed the sound.

Sincerest thanks to Nicole, Matt and Dionne for the invitation to participate in a program of such open and honest celebration of our shared cultural richness and beauty. We are already looking forward to planning 2020 and hope that we can continue to grow respect and intercultural understanding through this unique event.

Writing and Poetry

LEXWSTi:LEM DRUM GROUP shared their rich culture and traditions with guests at the Hearts Beat 2019 event on March 14.

DENISE MCAULlFFE. Tony Dalton, Denise Dalton, Sal Gallagher.

Blake Wifliams, Eilis Courtney.

THE EIRE BORN DANCERS ment to the performance.

brought an added level of excite-

The Carnegie Newsletter has been the forum for a lot of both writing and poetry. And people often drop by asking "what should I write about?" My response is "What do you want to say?"

A long time ago, like late 80s or early 90s, a piece of writing was rejected because it was slanted against women in general. Some of the wording was pretty crude and the writer was pis sed off at being rejected (either by women in general or by the editor (or bothÂť He then tried to make it a case of his human rights.

He had an inalienable right to have anything he had to say in the Newsletter. There was a meeting with several board members and the editor and this guy, and the unanimous decision was that he had to follow the guidelines - no racism, no sexism, no misogyny, no personal attacks on individuals or community groups.

He wasn't about to be stymied and demanded copies of everything the editor had rejected over the life of the Newsletter. He would publish 'this pile' himself!

The file folder of stuff that didn't go in was given to him right away. There were 5 items in it, including his and the change was dramatic. "That's it?!" He read each piece and said he'd have rejected them too.

If you are into putting words on paper, letting other people know what you think or have gone through or are struggling with, keep the Carnegie Newsletter in mind. As editor, I can help or make suggestions on the way you express yourself. There are always legitimate concerns with length, with how readable your writing is, and with the interest it may generate.

There are forums for just writing here in Carnegie: on Wednesday mornings the Firewriters meet for mutual support and using prompts; on Thursdays there is a writing collective for both writing and poetry. Some writing is best shared and constructively criticized by fellow writers - to give you confidence & to improve.

With that kind of support, you may be encouraged to submit your work to the Newsletter.

I know there are secret poets reading this. Consider sending your work in to carnnews@shaw.ca

By PAULR

TA YLOR

Yet, again ••National Indigenous Day is not a statuary holiday, come on Trudeau.

June is Indigenous History Month.

Here are some books to read: Red Women Rising: Indigenous Women Survivors in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside by Carol Martin and Harsha Walia; Trickster Drift by Eden Robinson; The Road Forward by Marie Clements. And there are many more to read. Visit your local library or ask a friend.

Ifreading is not your thing, well there are movies to watch like my all time favourite, Pow Wow Highway, Rumble: The Indians who rocked the world, Falls Around Her, Edge ofthe Knife are also good and there are many great movies and documentary to watch.

Ok, if none of the above is your cup of tea. How about listening to some great tunes from some of these Indigenous artists like Red Bone "Come get your Love", Ulali "Mother", Derek Miller "Music is the Medicine" and many more to listen online or your local library. Or even better check out your local Indigenous artists who are playing in town in your neighbourhood or wherever. To you Indigenous people out there show your pride!!!

-Priscillia Mays, gitxsan & wetsuwet'en.

P.S. There is going to be an Indigenous People's Celebration in June at Oppenheimer Park. And Today at the park is going to be Spring Cleansing Ceremony hosted by Musqueam speaker, Cecelia Point and an elder who will be cedar brushing the park. The purpose ofthis event is to bring in positive energy. And to remind us, that we are living, working and playing on coast salish territory. And that the spirit of the ancient forest seeps through the concrete.

In Each of Us There's hope in each one of us ...like a gray whale migrating to its birth of origin.

There's love in each one ofus ...like a mother wolf nurturing her newborn pups.

There's faith in each one of us ...like a bear cub playing in a field alone.

There's humour in each one of us ...like a wolf pup stumbling over its own feet.

125-90% 110-25% 15-10% 13-5% 12-3% B 1-2% D 0-1%

There's balance in each one of us ...like a salmon spawning up the river.

There's beauty in each of us ...like nature intended to bring upon us Written by Priscillia gitsxan & wetsuwet'en.

tTAL: SA.-1.0% (2010 census, queWon 5.• race) ioI·4.86% (2QU ~.ns!,l'-I.boriglnli Mlenlity)

The AnnualCelebration of DTES Small Arts Grants Recipients

Emerge Festival- the new name for the annual celebration of Downtown Eastside (DTES) Small Arts Grants Recipients announces its 9th edition, taking place June 5-9, 2019 at BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, and Vancouver ~ Public Library: n;}ca7matct Strathcona Branch. 45 artists from the DTES will reveal their new work during a five day celebration of emerging, local creators.

Emerge Festival, the annual celebration ofDTES Small Arts Grants recipients represents an exciting initiative, first undertaken by Vancouver Foundation and Camegie Community Centre nine years ago. The 2019 Group Art Exhibition, Performances, Readings, and Cultural Sharing highlight the work of a few talented artists who have their creative practice rooted in the Downtown Eastside [DTES]. This annual event is an opportunity to shine a light on DTES artists, their practices, and ideas. The DTES Small Arts Grants Program is built on tM unwavering belief that DTES Artists have a commitment to their craft that is sustained across their work, and that effort deserves support. All the events are free, and everyone is welcome.

Emerge Festival Writers Read: Wednesday, June 5 2019 6:30pm Location: Vancouver Public Library nocaonar et Strathcona Branch Library 730 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6A lR5 Screenings, Songs, & Spoken Words: Thursday, June 6 2019 8:00pm Location: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts 149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B IH4

Group Art Exhibition: Opening June 7 2019 6:00pm=8:00pm Location: BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre 268 Keefer Street - LG 061, Vancouver BC V6A lX5 Group Art Exhibition: June 8-June 92019 Gallery Hours, 12 - 5 pm Location: BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre 268 Keefer Street - LG 061, Vancouver BC V6A 1X5 Group Art Exhibition: Plastic Fantastic Interactive Art Workshop.

Saturday June 82019 2:00pm-4:00pm Location: BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre 268 Keefer Street - LG 061, Vancouver BC V6A lX5 Group Art Exhibition: Chinese Language (Mandarin/Cantonese) & English Exhibition Tour Sunday June 92019 1:00pm-5:00pm Location: BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre 268 Keefer Street - LG 061, Vancouver BC V6A 1X5 Tickets Free! Register your attendance at any of the events on our Facebook Page @dtessag More Information Email us at dtesartsgrants@gmail.com 604.665.2213. For more information Arts Grants Program online at vancouverfoundationsmallarts.ca.

or call on the DTES Small

FEMALE REFUGE -

Muriel.s Journey Poetry Prize was asking poets in the Downtown Eastside and others who knew Muriel Williams to enter online with thoughts on her life and struggles in everyone's lives.

Poem:

"The Great Divide"

Home for Wayward Women

By Velma Demerson Protection is the price For men we might entice A Refuge so they say But slavery has no pay

in your

Carnegie newsletter of September 1st, 2018 for Justice name: Justine Rit (inga g.) has Won 1st place for the Muriel's Journey Award for the DTES

A Fight

So we must dance the tune And lose our youthful bloom The Empire we must build No dreams or hopes fulfilled

Celebrations at Massey Books - May 31- 7-9pm 229 E. Georgia St. If you Paul, and your staff - had not given me the opportunity to publish my writing in your newsletter - this would not have happened. Thank you so much for your encouragement and for the confidence you give writers.

The event will be hosted by Cecily Nicholson, recipient of the 2018 Governor General's Award for English-language poetry.

Judges for the prize were Diane Wood, host of the monthly Poetry Cabaret at the Carnegie Center, the poet Kevin Spenst, a Pushcart nominee, and Kyle Hawke, writer, poet and editor at Three Ocean Press.

The laundries grow and thrive In unpaid workers' lives The Refuge is our home Forever to atone Note: Before laundromats existed, homeless or wayward women were placed in Protestant or Roman Catholic refuges either by the courts, relatives or other person in authority. They remained there for sometimes a lifetime & worked in the Refuge laundry [Velma was labelled "mentally defective" for loving a Chinese man and put in this prison for a year..]

FALLEN WOMAN ,A¡fallen woman of the past . So vilified redeemed at last Present my case for all to see That it was them and not just me The lies describe immoral states When there in fact was no escape For hunger was a common plight It prompted ladies of the night Five years for "evil eye" decreed No pity for the hopeless breed

Respect If you don't give it you'll not get it nor be able to teach it and without respect as a firm foundation all else topples fruitless teaching useless.

'tt

Jenny Kwan MP Vancouver Immigration,

East NDP Refugee

and Citizenship Critic 2572 E Hastings St

- by iuga g

Vancouver, BC V5K IZ3 T: 604-775-5800 F: 604-775-5811 Jenny,Kwan@parl.gc.ca

THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION BOARD ELECTION WILL BE HELD IN THE CARNEGIE THEATRE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019 at 5:30PM

Nominations for the Board can be made on Thursday, June 6, 2019 in the Carnegie Theatre at 5:30 PM To nominate someone, you must have a membership

card dated no later than APRIL 5,2019

To be a candidate for the Carnegie Board you must: -Have a membership

card dated no later than April 5, 2019

-Be over 16 -live or work (paid or unpaid) in the Downtown

Eastside area

-Be an active member of the Carnegie Community

Centre

Have contributed 30 hours of volunteer work to the Carnegie Community Centre or the Association during the year prior to the election

" To vote at the AGM on June 6, 2019 • Your membership card should have a date no later than MAY 6, 2019 • To vote at this meeting you must have purchased a membership card on or before May 6th, 2019. Registration will take place between 5:00 and 5:30 pm.

NOMINATED on May 2: Gilles Cyrenne, Lisa David, Thelma Jack,James Pau, Emma Price, Priscillia Tait, Phoenix Winter, Paul Taylor, Jack Lazariuk, Mo Volaric

The Carnegie Newsl~tter relies on donations to continue. Please consider helping. You can use the form below or go online carnegienewsletter.org

Address to mail tax-deductible receipt

&._---

Make cheque payable to: Carnegie Community Centre Association (memo 'Newsletter') 401 Main Street, Vancouver BC V6A 2T7

604-665-2289

from "the Library Every once in the while the topography of a library changes. Maybe we create a new collection, like the Indigenous Collections all VPL branches now have. Maybe we incorporate a new technology, like computers, or console games. Maybe we add a whole new type of item, like our Seed Library. Very recently, we underwent such a seismic shift, albeit a small one. As of the middle of last month, we now have a separate section for all of our Biographies - rather than having them spread out throughout the Non-Fiction section, they can now be found at then end. Come in and check out the section, and our special display highlighting it. Here are a few items from the section: Local author Sonja Larsen's Red Star Tattoo is her memoir of growing up in a number of communes, and eventually joining a Communist cult - complete with an older, predatory and charismatic male leader, and plans to start a revolution.

Who doesn't like Fleetwood Mac, right? Well, if you don't you can skip this one. Stephen Davis, best known for his Led Zeppelin bio Hammer of the Gods, has written a bio ofStevie Nicks called Gold Dust Woman. If ~ it's anything like Hammer of the Gods, expect a highly entertaining, probably somewhat inaccurate, read.

Bobby Fischer is one of the great icons of the 20th , Century, even ifhe may not have truly been the greatest chess player of that century. Frank Brady's Endgame tells the story of his rise to world champion, and his subsequent, rapid and somewhat sad decline.

Sherman Alexie's You Don't Have to Say You Love Me I is his memoir of his relationship with his mother. A mix of poetry and prose, this book will be a balm for anyone who has ever experienced a complicated relationship with a troubled, but loved, parent.

Also a reminder! Join us on Saturday, June 1st, in the Theatre, for Call Me"'Salma, a documentary about a Bangladeshi transgender girl's search for love and acceptance in the city of Dhaka. As well, join us at Philosophers' Cafe on June 11th at 5PM, in the Learning Centre, to discuss "what are the basic principles of morality?"

Enjoy!

Randy

Forbidden knowledge I'm not to know Mother lies denies any knowledge of ancestors born on reserve Aspirations middle muddled class little white lies she's very white religiously so but brothers cousins uncles all brown people and I'm brown too I am a cloud in a fog , can't see far enough to know really who I am Sometimes I envy people reclaiming culture Culture saves lives but what's my culture A roman religion I never really believed And a bunch of white drunk suicidal ancestors On another lighter father side of family I am a storm cloud thunder ice and hail Ice when it melts and feels itself can't handle truth so flings itself off a cliff crashes to some bottom hoping for some river flowing to a bigger lake Gilles Cyrenne

Forum on Security/Policing in the DTES in partnership with VANDU

Public Library, 730 E Hastings Tuesday, June 25th from 2-4pm.

The intention of this forum is to elicit an open and frank conversation at the library on the topic of policing and security approaches and the impact these approaches have on lived experiences. The format will look like this: First hour will be spent framing the current policing situation in Vancouver's DTES from a community perspective as well as addressing the kind of impact(s) approaches to security has on DTES community members.

Second hour with begin by hearing from different community members who didn't get a chance to speak the first hour. For the remaining time, community organizations/groups will talk about their approaches to security as well as peer-run management of spaces based on community agreements. Vancouver Public Library will also have an opportunity to discuss their approach and how it deviates or aligns with other organizations as well as hear from the public about their perception on VPL's approach.

These are some questions to be put forth during the discussion, but want to add more to the list: What does security currently look like for folks in the DTES? What does policing currently look life for folks in the DTES? What is it that you think the police do that communities can't do for themselves? . What does it mean to call the police? What does this signify to a pTIblicthat is already heavily policed?

ALL THESE REMEMBER WHENS When I was part of the street scene doing my drugs, I ran into all kinds of characters. It was dog eat dog, and everyone was just trying to make enough money to keep from being drugsick. There were boosters, who would have the best cuts of beef for sale, or levis the name brand that everyone was wearing at the time. The cost of these articles was one-third of the ticket price, which for the most part was a bargain.

It was like we had our own little community, you real-

ly didn't have to venture far, to get exactly what you needed. We had it all.. the drugs, the food, and the clothing.

I live in the DTES now and I see that things haven't changed too much since the late seventies. One thing that has changed is me. I hit my low and didn't look back. I did whatever it took to stay away from the drugs that had such a hold on me. Lots of help, from rehab, to transition house, to pre-employment, anger management, trauma therapy, and a counsellor.

I am so fortunate to be present to write about this, lots of my friends didn't make it. I feel blessed that I was spared. I have an obligation now, to help those that want to change, give them hope, show them there is a better way, and that it is possible. All you have to do is reach out and ask for the help you want.

There are so many resources out there that are available to you. There are so many people that are willing to help. It is never too late, and people really do care.

YOU ARE SO WORTH THIS. Sandy

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Eye strike a quay and type a word And weight four it two say Weather eye am wrong oar write It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid It nose bee fore two long And eye can put the error rite Its really ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it I am shore your pleased two no Its letter perfect in it's weigh My chequer tolled me sew

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We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and this Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Sal ish Territory.

THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter -Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry.

-Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 %")wide x 15cm(6")high.

-Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered.

-Black & White printing only.

-Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit).

-All artists will receive credit for their work.

-Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication.

-Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

The editor can edit for clarity, format & brevity, but not at the expense of the writer's message.

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 604-665-2289 Website carnegienewsletter.org Catalogue carnnews@vcn.bc.ca email

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Noon, TUESDAY, JUNE 11 WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION •

AIDS

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POVERTY

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HOMELESSNESS

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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

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TOTALITARIAN CAPITALISM

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IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR

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carnnews@shaw.ca

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