ABORIGINAL LAW
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TURN UP THE VOLUME
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MUSIC CHARTS
NEW TRIBE magazine CHERYL HANLEY STARTS OFF OUR TOP 9 LIST
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* * DENALENE MANITOPYES * MELANIE PARSONS TELLY JAMES
TERRANCE HOULE
Free Vol. 8 Issue 10 March 2010 Now Available online www.newtribemagazine.ca
NEW TRIBE
Calgary’s Aboriginal Youth Monthly newtribe@newtribemagazine.ca Managing Editor John Medeiros Graphic Design Aboriginal Design Group
NOTEBOOK
Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth 1511 10th St. SW Calgary, AB T2R 1E8 403.233.8225
from*the*editor Hello New Tribe Readers, Welcome to the March issue of NEW TRIBE magazine. It’s been a very exiting issue for me as it was the first month we had so many submissions I had to book the extras into the upcoming April issue. It’s great to see the community respond with stories, articles, art, and poetry that they want showcased in the magazine. Keep it up! In this issue, we talked with nine individuals that we hope highlight what regular people can achieve when they focus on the positive aspects of community, culture and hard work. As I mentioned in the profile, we could have made it a top 100 list as the Calgary community is amazing. Say what you want about the trials of travel, but on page 32 we learn about the exciting adventures of Melanie Parsons and her time in beautiful Australia. After reading her story it made me want to pack up and head to the airport. We are always looking for more community content so feel free to contact us about writing for New Tribe Magazine. We love to get local
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writers involved so get in touch with us regarding your ideas for stories. We even pay! Need updates on upcoming USAY and New Tribe Magazine events? Feel free to search us out on Facebook and join our growing friends list. We post upcoming events, submission requirements and deadlines, and fun stuff like upcoming movie nights and book clubs. It is also a great place to comment on stories or articles you wish to see in our upcoming issues. Check out our web site at www. newtribemagazine.ca for information on upcoming photography, art and graphic design contests. Great exposure and prizes to follow. Want to gain experience in Graphic Design? We are currently looking for freelance designers to work on everything from magazine layout, to creating posters and advertisements. (Experience required) Spread the word, and stay true to it. John Medeiros Managing Editor
Executive Director LeeAnne Sicker Executive Assistant(Intern) Jessica Hawryluk
Board of Directors President Jesse Halton Vice-President Amanda Gonet Treasurer Sarena Provost Secretary Cheryl Hanley Directors Ryan Willert Cherokee Blood Brett Black Plume Casey Eaglespeaker NEW TRIBE is a monthly magazine. Our mission is to promote a positive outlook on Aboriginal living in an urban setting by promoting information sharing within the Aboriginal and youth communities Opinions expressed in submitted work/letters are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NEW TRIBE or USAY. This magazine is a forum for Aboriginal youth to speak their minds and share their stories without intervention.
Special Thanks to our Community Partners & Funders
CONTENTS
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27
20 COVER STORY
The Top 9 List 20
Photography by John Medeiros
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NEWS BRIEFS
32 24
COMMUNITY
5 TRIBE MAIL
26 ARTS IN ACTION
7 WHAT’S GOING ON?
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COMING SOON
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USAY WHAT?
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GAME REVIEWS
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MOUTH OFF
30
BEATS
12 FLAVOR
32 TRAVEL
16 MUSIC CHARTS
34 TRIBE LIT
17 COOL JOBS
37
BOOK REVIEWS
19 HEALTH
39
U AROUND TOWN
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NEWS*BRIEFS
Aboriginal Happenings From Across Canada Assembly of First Nations defends Innu right to hunt caribou in Labrador OTTAWA – The Assembly of First Nations is defending the right of Innu hunters involved in a dispute with the Newfoundland and Labrador government. Newfoundland is upset with the activities of about 150 Quebec Innu that it says are camped out in a closed hunting site. The government says the endangered Red Wine caribou herd intermingles in the area with the healthier George River herd. In a news release Wednesday, assembly Chief Shawn Atleo said the Innu are exercising their inherent right to hunt in ancestral lands spread over parts of Quebec and Labrador. Atleo says Aboriginals and governments should work together to develop solutions that include consultation, accommodation and consent. He adds that a reduction of the Labrador
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caribou herd can be blamed on factors including development and resource extraction — not the Innu. SOURCE - THE CANADIAN PRESS
First Nations feel `disrespected’ by Russian ice-dancing outfits.
But Grand Chief Stewart Phillip called Sunday’s dance by Shabalin and Domnina “deeply offensive,” not just for its fake tribal drum music and costumes, but also the feigned violence toward female dancer Domnina. Shabalin appears to grab Domnina by her ponytailed hair at one point in the dance.
VANCOUVER – A last attempt to discourage the Russian ice dancing pair to cancel their “aborigine” led to few changes to their bizarre music or costumes.
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to speaking out against violence against women,” said Phillip, chair of the Okanagan Nation Alliance.
Four Host First Nations CEO Tewanee Joseph met last Friday with the Russian dancers and their coaches, then issued a joint statement with the Russian Skating Federation emphasizing mutual “honour and respect.”
“This unfortunate dance (pair) has disrespectfully exploited indigenous culture in previous performances but I’m absolutely disappointed they appear to have breached an agreement not to do so again.”
Dancers Maxim Shabalin and Oksana Domnina drew fury from Australian aboriginal groups at the recent European championships but had promised to modify their routine and outfits for these culturally sensitive Vancouver Games.
Joseph said his intent was to meet faceto-face with the Russian duo and their coaches Natalia Linitchuk and Gennadi Karpanossov, to welcome them to Coast Salish territory and find out the intent behind the act. SOURCE - Vancouver Province
Tribe*Mail February Issue 2010 The January issue of NEW TRIBE magazine focused on some local musicians, highlighted growth in the Calgary music scene, and why the Aboriginal music venues in town need to grow and adapt to make the city a leader in the emergance of new music. We wrote about health issues, had some great art contributions and the usual assortment of comics, movie reviews, and the all important horoscopes. It was a positive issue to start the new year and showcased the look and feel we are going for in 2010. We hope you enjoyed it.
LIGHT APPRECIATION Just wanted to express my appreciation to Cory Little Light for his article titled, “Keeping the dream alive”, in last months issue. I work with high school students and find that keeping them motivated to do their work is a struggle at times. The message of keeping your dreams ALIVE is awesome! I would have to agree that successful people aren’t successful for nothing. They’re successful because they did what they needed to do to realize their dreams; they struggled, did hard work and “stuck with it through the thick and the thin…” I try to communicate to my students the importance of receiving their High School Diploma, this article definitely helps; it’s great to see like minded people in our Aboriginal community speaking the same message. To Mr. Little Light – you’re not alone with this one! Tim Fox
MODEL WORLD
FROM B.C. WITH LOVE
Thanks for the information and story about Linsay Willier. I’m an aspiring model and I gained some inspiration after reading about her rise in the modelling world. I plan on trying out for Canada’s Next Top Model next year and see if I can carry on the high performances of our Aboriginal sisters. Jen Red Crow
I’m back in Calgary from a stint in B.C. and I have to say I love the new look of the magazine. I used to read it up until I moved a year ago, and I liked it then but it rocks even better now. I actually thought it was for sale when I saw it on the shelf at the World News store, and was happy to see it’s still free. I hope the changes don’t mean it’s going to be a paid magazine in the future. Will it? I’m going to be moving back to Vancouver in the summer and wondered how to get copies when I do. I know that I can read it online but I prefer to have a printed copy in my hands.
CRUSHING ON JAMES
GANG LIFE
Great article on James Jones and Linsay Willier. I watched them both during the course of their two shows and was very impressed with the style and skill they each showed. I have a huge crush on James! Keep up the great work on the magazine and I look forward to the next issue. Janice Mitchell
It has been a long while since I have seen information about gang life in the magazine and I was glad to see some articles in the last issue dealing with this topic. I know many people who are involved in this lifestyle and it’s important to educated everyone on the dangers of going down this dangerous roads. Please keep it a focus. Allana Scott
ART SUBMIT I’m a fan of the magazine and want to know how to get my art into the pages. What kind of art to you want and how do I submit it? Adam Runner Ed. Note: We accept and print all forms of art. Submissions can be sent via email, see information at the end of this section, or stop by our offices and we can scan/photograph your work.
Thanks and keep up the great work. John Yellowhorn Ed. Note: NEW TRIBE magazine will always be free and available to everyone who wishes to read it. Check out our subscription page from our website to see how you can have a copy mailed to you each month. Have a comment about the latest issue of NEW TRIBE magazine? Emails can be sent to editor@newtribemagazine.ca or via mail NEW TRIBE MAGAZINE 1511 - 10th Street SW Calgary, Alberta Canada T2R 1E8 NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010 5
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What’s Going On? MARCH,2010 March 2-4 AFOA 10th Anniversary National Conference Westin Hotel Ottawa www.afoa.ca March 4 - 5 Aboriginal Law: Current Issues Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Vancouver, BC http://www.pbli.com March 4 - 6 Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers 18th Annual Film Festival Calgary http://www.100dollarfilmfestival. org March 4 - 5 8th Annual Aboriginal Energy and Resource Partnership Calgary http://www.infonex.ca March 10 - 12 8th Annual National Aboriginal Youth, Violence & Changing Times Training Fairmont Empress Victoria, BC
March 20 The Aboriginal Youth Animation Project Plaza Theatre FREE 4:30pm Calgary March 20 1st Annual Stanley “Chiefy” Big Plume Memorial Talent Show Calgary memorialapplication@live.ca March 20 Spirit Seekers Conference Grande Prairie Kelly Benning, GPRC Aboriginal Liaison Coordinator, 780-539-2020 March 20 “Honouring the Girls Stories” Fashion Show Calgary http://www.nald.ca/Stardale/ youth.htm March 20 2010 N.A.P.I Parent & Youth Conference Calgary
March 20 Spring Fix Liberty Lounge, M.R.U Calgary 8pm March 30 - 31 Arts in Action Against Violence Two Day Workshop Calgary artsinaction@pathwayscsa.org
Calgary YMCA Rec night Every Tuesday 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm 03/03/2010 08:00 PM Minnesota Wild @ Calgary Flames 03/05/2010 07:00 PM New Jersey Devils @ Calgary Flames 03/11/2010 07:00 PM Ottawa Senators @ Calgary Flames 03/15/2010 07:30 PM Detroit Red Wings @ Calgary Flames 03/19/2010 07:00 PM San Jose Sharks @ Calgary Flames 03/23/2010 07:00 PM Anaheim Ducks @ Calgary Flames 03/31/2010 07:30 PM Phoenix Coyotes @ Calgary Flames
If you have an event you’d like us to include in our monthly calendar, email it to us - newtribe@newtribemagazine.ca by the third Wednesday of the month. Submission deadline for the April issue: March 25
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USAY*WHAT? Think you’ve got the skills of an artist? We’re always looking for new talent, so put something together and send it to us. submissions@newtribemagazine.ca
Calling All First Nation Youth Musical Talents 1st Annual Stanley “Chiefy” Big Plume Memorial Talent Show
CATEGORIES
CATEGORIES
10 & under 11 yrs to 14 yrs 15 yrs to 18 yrs
Saturday, March 20, 2010 Grand Prize
Cash Prizes & Acoustic Guitar Application Deadline: March 15, 2010 For Application call # 403-797-8643 or # 403-437-8642 Email : memorialapplication@live.ca 8
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19 & up Band/Group and Duo
Mouth*OFF
I make the biggest impact on my life because I’m the one that makes all my decisions really?
- Dionne Redstar
My mother, her past and present endeavors have inspired me to strive towards my major achievement. Willie & Marion Lerat because they are always teaching me more about my culture and spirituality
- Josh
- Jack Wilson
Who makes the biggest impact in your life?
My mother and grandmother make the biggest impact on my life. They are both strong Siksika women, who have always put their family first and continue to teach the trafional siksoka values and beliefs. - Gaylene Weaselchild
My Teachers because they’re helping me do my best. - Jared Nelson
I would have to say is my family with out them I would not be the person I am now. They’ve made me change my ways in life and the way I act I’m more mature for my age lol, they make me happy and enjoy more in life - Cynthia Redwoods
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Law
Aboriginal Law: Towards a Firmer Legal Foundation By Emma McAuliffe
The foundation of Canadian society is the law. Our legal system is based upon ideals of democracy, equality, fairness and justice. Throughout the history of Canada, however, Aboriginal people have been illegally forced to handover their claims to land, traditional practices and selfgovernment because of non-Aboriginal government policy. It is for this reason that Aboriginal people and their allies have laboured to remind Canadians that you cannot establish a country based on justice and equality on stolen land. A way to address this injustice is to protect and promote Aboriginal issues in the law. John Burrows, who is an Ojibway professor of Aboriginal Law said: “the correction of injustice may ultimately set the entire society on a path towards a more peaceful and productive future for all�. The recognition and understanding of Aboriginal Law is of primary importance because these rights actually enhance our legal system, and promote justice for all in our society. The issues in Aboriginal Law range from rights claims, to title claims, and issues of self-government. Lawyers, politicians, and community representatives from the Canadian government and Aboriginal communities have wrestled with these issues for decades, trying to interpret what they mean in Canadian law.
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Aboriginal Law comes from the idea that Aboriginal people have a unique relationship with the Canadian government. Patrick Macklem, who is a law professor at University of Toronto, Faculty of Law states that there are four reasons why Aboriginal people in Canada have unique relationship with the Canadian government. He states that this special relationship is based on our common history and laws, and in his book Indigenous Difference and the Constitution of Canada (2001), he establishes the four social, historical and legal conditions that are unique to the Aboriginal people of Canada.
Firstly, Aboriginal people have distinctive cultures and ways of life that have been historically threatened by the European settler’s religion, philosophies, and ways of life. There are many historical examples of this, such as the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and sending them to Christian residential schools, or the policy of outlawing native
religious practices such as the Sundance and Potlatch ceremonies. We know however, that while the government made every attempt to assimilate and replace the diverse cultures and religions of this continent with foreign beliefs, Aboriginal people continued to practice their rich religious and cultural traditions in private, and continued to pass on culture and knowledge to younger generations. The second reason is based on the obvious fact that Aboriginal people were here first. Archaeologists have found Aboriginal settlements from tens of thousands of years ago, however many peoples of this land believe that they were here for much longer. The third reason for this special relationship is the fact that Aboriginal people had sovereign authority over their people and territories before Europeans arrived in North America. This recognizes that Aboriginal people had complex systems of government with laws and ways of maintaining social order long before the European colonizers imposed their own government upon Aboriginal societies. Fourth, Aboriginal people participated in and continue to participate in the on-going treaty process with the crown. The treaty process continues to be a controversial area of Aboriginal Law, and many First
Law First Nations continue to fight for fairness in historical treaty interpretation, in order to honour the intentions of their forefathers in the treaty process with the Crown. The four reasons above paint a picture of why Aboriginal rights exist, but Aboriginal title is a different issue altogether as it is a right to the land itself. There is a lot of
There is often controversy when a group of people is afforded additional rights, sometimes seen as “special treatment” by people who feel excluded from enjoying those rights. We know that the ideal of equality is at the foundation of our modern Canadian society. We also know that according to our laws, you are generally not permitted to discriminate against another person based on their gender,
groups in order to gain their allegiance, or assistance during periods of political pressure. These are some of the same reasons Aboriginal rights have been recognized in law for centuries and why they continue to be protected in our laws today. The recognition of French and Catholic ethnic based rights, demonstrates that is not unusual for Aboriginal peoples to have their own rights based on a certain
“The foundation of our society is the law, and Canada must be placed on a firmer legal foundation” controversy in the law about Aboriginal title and there are numerous court cases involving Aboriginal communities and the federal government about whether their lands were ever legally surrendered. R v Delgamuukw is a hugely significant court case in Aboriginal Law dealing with title claims. This case, which ultimately went to the Supreme Court of Canada, declared that the plaintiffs, who were the hereditary chiefs representing the Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en peoples, had unextinguished aboriginal rights beyond ownership or property rights in an area of about 58,000 square miles of land in British Columbia. In 1997, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Lamer, defined Aboriginal title in R v Delgamuukw, saying that Aboriginal title arises from the occupation of Canada by Aboriginal peoples and the physical fact of occupation before European colonization is proof of Aboriginal possession of land under Canadian law. He made it clear that the fact that Aboriginal land is communally owned means that Aboriginal title is a collective right to land held by all members of an Aboriginal nation.
religion, language, or ethnicity. Some people have said that Aboriginal rights are the same as “special treatment”, and therefore inconsistent with our equal rights based society. This argument is generally raised by people who do not understand the reasons behind the existence and protection of Aboriginal rights. In addition, this argument is generally raised by people who think that ethnic based rights are a new invention of the law, and those who do not take into account that ethnic based rights have existed and been protected by our legal system for centuries. Ethnic based rights have existed in Canada for centuries. Canada has accommodated these rights in the law and in practice, because they are derived from history, and law, and have played a major role in the formation of modern Canada. They continue to exist in the legal protection of French language and cultural practices, as well as the protection of separate educational rights for Canadian Catholics. The Canadian government afforded these additional rights to these vulnerable ethnic
number of circumstances going back to the formation of modern Canada. John Burrows wrote: “The foundation of our society is the law, and Canada must be placed on a firmer legal foundation”. Aboriginal people and their allies have fought for Aboriginal rights to be enshrined in the law, with the belief that unity and justice is of benefit to all Canadians. All Canadians must therefore understand that ethnic based rights are justified in Canada’s equal rights based society because their constitutional protection is about addressing past and present injustices, honouring historical agreements and creating a fair society. The recognition of Aboriginal Law enriches Canadian society by making our society more just, and the realization of justice continually moves our society towards this firmer legal foundation we can all stand upon.
- Emma McAuliffe is a student at the University of Calgary Law School
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FLAVOR
On the Table Vegetable Soup Ingredients: 16 plum or 8 round tomatoes 2 large sweet red peppers 1 onion 2 large garlic cloves, peeled 1 tbsp ( 15 mL) olive oil 2 cups ( 500 mL) chicken broth 1 tsp ( 5 mL) finely chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried leaf thyme 1/4 tsp ( 1 mL) each of salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup ( 125 mL) light sour cream (optional)
Directions: Place oven rack at highest level. Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Lightly oil a large baking sheet with shallow sides, such as a jelly roll pan. Cut tomatoes in half, lengthwise if plum or crosswise if round, then seed. Seed and quarter peppers. Peel and cut onion in half. Place tomatoes skin-side down and peppers skin-side up in a single layer on oiled baking sheet. Place onion in corners of pan and whole garlic cloves in centre of pan. Drizzle with oil. Roast, uncovered and without turning, on highest rack of 450F (230C) oven until vegetables are very soft and edges are browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, discard any tomato and pepper skin that will easily pull away. In a food processor, whirl vegetables until purĂŠed. Add chicken broth and thyme, salt and pepper. Whirl until mixed. Taste and add more salt and pinches of sugar, if needed. When ready to serve, heat until piping hot or refrigerate and serve cold. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Covered and refrigerated, soup keeps for 3 days or it can be frozen.
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FLAVOR
COOL EATS FOR UNDER
$15
Taco Salad Ingredients: 4 (7-inch/17.5-cm) whole-wheat tortillas 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 lb (250 g) ground turkey 4 to 5 tsp (20 to 25 mL) chili powder 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin 1 tsp (5 mL) dried leaf oregano 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt (optional) 1/4 cup (50 mL) tomato paste 2 tbsp (30 mL) ketchup 1 cup (250 mL) water 1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce 19 oz (540 mL) can black beans or kidney beans 1 head romaine lettuce 1 red pepper Directions Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Cut each tortilla into 4 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet in 400F (200C) oven and bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Heat oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir often until soft, about 5 minutes. Add turkey. Stir often, breaking up with a fork, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with seasonings. Stir in tomato paste, ketchup, water and Worcestershire. Rinse and drain beans, then stir in. Stir occasionally until beans are hot, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and dry lettuce. Slice into thin strips. Lettuce should measure about 16 cups (4 L). Core and seed pepper, then chop into bite-size pieces. Divide lettuce among 4 plates. Ladle bean mixture overtop. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve with tortilla wedges. Great with light sour cream.
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TRIBE * POETRY
FALLING STAR TO VERNA From CALVIN CUTTER YOU ARE A FALLING STAR YOUR TEARS LIGHT-UP THE NIGHT SKY AS YOU FALL TO PIECES FOR A MOMENT YOU TRANSEND LIFE TO A DARK DEAD NIGHT YOUR DESEND FROM YOUR JOURNEY IS AS BREATH TAKING AS YOUR BEAUTY YOU ARE A FALLING STAR YOUR EXISTENCE IS ECHOED BY NO OTHER AS YOU TAKE WITH YOU ALL THAT YOU TRANSEND YOUR ABILITY TO STOP LIFE FOR A MOMENT SO YOU CAN EXPRESS YOUR MOST AMAZING QUALITY WHICH IS LIFE PUTS ME IN AH YOU ARE A FALLING STAR YOU EMIT A LASTING ENFLUENCE IN EVERYONE YOU TOUCH YOU CONVEY LIFE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE YOU SHOW HOW LIFE COULD BE FROM A SPECTA CULAR BEGINNING TO A MAGNEFASEND END BUT WHAT’S MOST INCRED ABLE IS YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE A PERSON FEEL THAT WHAT THEY SAW AND FELT WAS THEIRS ALONE YOU ARE A FALLING STAR I WISH I COULD FOLLOW THIS FALLING STAR WHICH HAS LIT-UP MY LIFE IT MAKES ME WONDER WHY SOMETHING SO BEAUTIFUL COULD LAST BUT A MOMENT BUT A MOMENT IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE SEED OF LOVE TO BE PLANTED I HOPE TO BE A FALLING STAR
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Music*Charts Here’s the story so far: A guy reads a magazine, guy writes for the magazine, guy leaves the magazine and passes the torch…2 years later, the same guy comes back to the same magazine to write again! That’s pretty much it, no long story. This section is a selection of tracks that I have been playing in my sets & mixes. I have been DJ’ing across Canada and the US for over a decade and have never lost the love for house & techno music. This section will also feature DJ mixes from around the globe, from Calgary to Chicago, New York to Dubai, Johannesburg to Detroit; Berlin to San Francisco; rest assured I will present the best in house & techno and DJ mixes available. These selections continue to rock dance floors everywhere, so have fun finding them, play loud, and remember it ain’t over till the last record spins.
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Catch the Beat - Charts – House & Techno by Caylem Simeon
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HOUSE MUSIC
Artist – Track – Label Santos (Italy) – Burner King/San Francisco – Noir Music Acumen & Timid Boy – Chicago Story – Time Has Changed Records Riva Starr – Caballeros – Made To Play Records Emil De Moreu & Danito – Painting You Away feat. Rachele Dione (Mendo & Danny Serano Remix) – Sutil Records Evans & Waterfall – Café Loco – Clarisse Records Sab & Luca Albano - Besom (Daniel Sanchez Remix) – High Definition Records Alain Ho – Je Pense A Toi feat. Marlene (Kruise & Nuemberg Remix) - CDR Kasper Bjorke – Alcatraz (Jimpster Dub) – HFN Records Anthea & Alex Cellar – Down With G.O.D. (Dj Sneak What Up D.O.G. Mix) – 8Bit Deep Forest – Marta’s Song (Armand’s Muslim Moose Mix) - Sony
TECHNO MUSIC
Artist – Track – Label Joey Beltram – Slice 2010 (Alan Fitzpatrick Remix) – Bush Shin Nishiura – Phycedelic Technelic – Plus Records Spektra – Black Ice – Respekt Recordings Fergie – Motion – Excentric Muzik Iori – Urge – Phonica White Alessandro Crimi – Machines – Broque Records Wehba – Brother – Tronic Records Pascal FEOS – Dekabeat – Level Non Zero Records Gabe & Christian Smith – Fidelidade - Tronic Records Jay Lumen – B Groove – Bitten Records
All tracks are available on-line through the following sites: www.beatport.com www.stompy.com www.traxsource.com If you have any ideas for tracks/labels/mixes that could be reviewed or you want to submit your own for review, send them in and we’ll make you famous! If you have any questions, comments, or whatever, then hit me up at caylem_1@hotmail.com. Enjoy the music…
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COOL JOBS Profile Stephen George Assistant Instructor for The Aboriginal Youth Animation Project (AYAP) Where do you work? I work for The Aboriginal Youth Animation Project (AYAP). We work out of various locations but our main animation project is based at the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth offices. What does your job consist of? Overseeing and assisting the youth through the animation process. Help in any way with the films being made, be it technical or creative. Guiding, attempt anyway, to get through the barriers for animation and also employment in general. What sort of education/training do you need to get into this type of work? I was a previous student of the program last year so it was a big help knowing what was expected and the process involved. I would say that was my biggest asses in getting this gig, the experience of having gone through it. How long have you been doing this job? This is my first time as an instructor in this program. I actually finished the program last year as a student and now
I’m able to help the other students with their projects this year. I’m a little more abstract than the other instructors so we are all a good fit. When I heard about the job opening I applied, got the job, and here I am. It’s something I will definitely plan on pursuing in the future as well. Why did you get into this type of work? Honestly, it was dumb luck. I was doing customer service, wanting to get into the arts, lucked out into getting into the program last year, and was hooked. It’s a great medium because there is no limit to what you can create using your imagination. I’m a creative person and love using my mind, come up with new ideas, and putting them down on paper and animation. What is your favorite thing about your job? The people I work with. I have met a lot of interesting animators and artist throughout Calgary. It’s a great experience everyday with all the new people I come into contact with. Also, the ideas of the students are awesome. They end up teaching as much as learning, when you get into their own personal experiences.
What are the challenges within your job? As my first year as an instructor it’s sometimes hard to relate the information to everyone as a group. You have to find each persons learning curve and explain things differently to each person so that at the end everyone is on the same page. The creative end is also challenging but it’s also the part that makes it all worthwhile. The creative process is both rewarding and challenging. What advice would you have for other Aboriginal youth interested in this position? Do it! Myself, I can’t draw but I can still animate. I didn’t have any animation experience before I started the program but there are so many options and mediums to use, stop motion, 3-d computer animations, classic 2-d animation, and many others. If you are a little creative, but want to learn, you can gain a lot from this program. But, the first step is to get out and apply. Keep watch for the next program starting and apply when the time comes. It’s a truly great experience.
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HEALTH
DOES WATER CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT LOSS? Jolene Frayne-Callihoo The answer is YES! Water is the most essential, basic, and fundamental component of all life. We’re all used to being told to drink more water, but how much is enough? Is there such thing as too much? FACT: Water is an important factor in our daily diet and is a perfect, natural and calorie-free way to quench thirst. It enables us to metabolize food and is required for every chemical reaction within our bodies How does water work with weight loss? Drinking water may actually burn a few extra, yet minimal amounts of, calories. Hunger and thirst are very closely related as well; often when people feel hungry, they are actually in fact thirsty. Drinking water a few minutes before eating may help to reduce and control the amount you eat – this helps to aid in weight loss. Feeling thirsty? Don’t let thirst happen! If you are feeling thirsty the chances are you are already dehydrated. You should drink plenty of water throughout the day: A good guide for daily intake is to drink 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight. For example; A 200 pound person should be drinking around 100 ounces (12.5 cups) of water per day. If you exercise regularly, you will need to up your consumption (tip: drink before, during, and after your workout. Water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get
thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you’re not thirsty yet. Tip: On feeling hungry drink some water 15 minutes before eating! Water and metabolism One of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat. Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster and helps you flush the unwanted, stored fats. Did you know? Everything we do: drinking, eating, bathing, cleaning, breathing, exercising, relaxing, even thinking is related to water? Water for optimal health Are you trying to drink the recommended daily water diet but are constantly going to the bath room? It’s a good sign! This indicates that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for; it gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your stomach.
Through the process of flushing, you excrete much more than you realize, such as unwanted waste and weight. It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin healthy by hydrating skin cells making you look and feel younger. Water and the modern diet Many new food products created today not only contain high amounts of energy from added sugar and fats, they also contain very little water. Foods today need to be stored for longer periods and foods with high water content tend to spoil much faster, such as fruits and vegetables. There are many people don’t like drinking pure water but there are a few ways to get around it; try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or try a low or zero calorie flavoured water. Gaining water from eating fruit high in water content is a great way to boost water consumption without drinking it directly. Fruit will also help fill up the stomach with low calories and gain tons of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to increase vitality. Health benefits of drinking water: regulate appetite increase metabolism boost energy levels less water retention alleviate some headaches help reduce blood pressure help reduce high cholesterol ease joint pain decrease in risk of some cancers less chance developing kidney stoner release toxic waste products improves skin helps you lose weight! NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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9 EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT SET THE STANDARD FOR 2010
COVER FEATURE
When I thought about introducing this article for New Tribe magazine it was my hope that I could get nine nominations that would showcase individuals that inspire, lead by example, and generally be do-gooders in the community. What I learned is that I could have called this the Top 100 of 2009’, as nominations poured in and it really made me realize how many people make a solid impact in Calgary and the surrounding area. We didn’t have room for 100 but I hope these nine individuals show the diversity, and community work ethic, that is so abundant in our city. - John Medeiros Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work.. etc? I am Kainai/ Saulteaux from Calgary. Raised on the prairies of Canada as a Nomadic Indian and army brat. My father was in the service for over 20 years. We traveled and lived across the prairies. My bother and I were powwow dancers until we were in our teens and then I got into art, punk rock/ metal and skateboarding, activism came with all of that. I have a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Alberta College of Art & Design in Fibre Arts. I have been working in the Arts professionally for almost 8 years and have exhibited across Canada, United States, England, Australia, South America, Mexico and Europe. I work in Photography, Film, Video, Performance, Music, Installation and Mixed Media as well I have mentored youth and emerging artists. What is a typical day for you? Well basically every day is different. Usually I get up mid morning and have coffee then see what’s going to happen. Some days its just emailing and writing interviews and proposals and other days I am working straight creating works, shooting video, editing, ..etc. The great thing about being an Artist is I create my own work and hours. Discipline is key to being your own boss. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? The best part about being an Artist is creating and exhibiting my works, plus meeting people. I love coming up with ideas for projects (in any media) and then implementing the idea into an Artwork. The downside is having to do paperwork., I am not so good at writing as I am at Visual art. What will you remember most about 2009? photo by Jarusha Brown TERRANCE HOULE Seeing my first Major Solo/Retro Exhibition at the Plug-In Gallery in Winnipeg, Called GIVN’R . The show has about 40 works exhibited. The show opened in my dads home town and all my Ojibway family came out. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I have two shows Opening in Sept. 2010. GIVN’R at Art Gallery of York University in T.O. and a group show called SKIN at the National Museum of the American Indian in NYC. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? Dreams come true if you work hard and believe in yourself. Get as much education as you possibly can and never let anyone get in your way. Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work..etc? I moved to Calgary in 1988 during the winter Olympics I was working in retail at that time and they transferred me to Calgary to manage a store at Sunridge Mall. I relocated from Ontario. I am registered band member of Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation. I decided to attend Mount Royal College in 1994 and I graduated in 1997 with a Social Work Diploma I went to the University of Calgary and completed a Bachelors Degree in Social Work in 1999. I became employed with Children and Family Services as a Foster Care Worker and later a Child Protection worker. I joined The City of Calgary in June 2002 and I have never looked back. I love my position as an Aboriginal Community Social Worker. What is a typical day for you? A typical day can be spent in the office following up on phone messages and or completing minutes for meetings that I have attended. It can also be running from one meeting to another. Right now I am working with our community to coordinate and collaborate on developing Aboriginal Awareness Week. Our goal is to have an incredible week with a fantastic opening ceremony that showcases how amazing our people and community truly are. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? What I love best about my job are the people I meet and work with in our Aboriginal community. I love the laughter and the spirit of our community. I love when we come together to support each other’s initiatives. The BEV RENAUD worst aspect of my job is responding to community members who phone in crisis searching for basic needs such as clothing, shelter and food. I wish I could provide more than referrals. What will you remember most about 2009? What I will remember most about 2009- is being part of two amazing initiatives; The Calgary Urban Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Committee who provided six suicide prevention workshops to approximately 150 people and developed a Grief Workshop the other initiative was the Aboriginal Women’s Support Network Learning series. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I am looking forward to Aboriginal Awareness Week and National Aboriginal day June 21, 2010. I anticipate a calendar of exciting events. I am also looking forward to spending time with my family- my mom is arriving in April and I hope to spend some quality time with her. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? If I was speaking in front of a group of youth I would share the following- Live life to the fullest because LIFE IS FRAGILE and appreciate the people you love and tell them so but more importantly than that love yourself as you cannot give to others what you don’t have for yourself. Dream big and follow your dreams when you have setbacks don’t allow those to impede or get in the way of what you want in life. NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010 21
COVER FEATURE Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work.. etc? I am currently the Youth Portfolio Coordinator at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary. I am originally from Prince George, BC. I am Métis and proud. I had a lengthy career as a Classical Ballet Dancer including; Alberta Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and National Ballet of Canada. I currently Teach and Choreograph Classical Ballet at Counterpoint Dance Academy. I have an Advanced Certificate in Performing Arts Management. I’ve managed bands, produced dance shows, volunteered in art galleries and founded a ballet school. I’ve edited magazines and web sites. I also worked as an Executive Director with Elders and Youth in the Downtown East side of Vancouver. Hobbies Include: Social Media, Web Development, Dance Photography and Music. Anything that continues creativity. What is a typical day for you? I get to work and I check all Social contact; Twitter, Facebook and Outlook. Then I research the events that are taking place in and around Calgary. I let contacts know what is going on. I begin to plan and coordinate happenings for our Ab youth for the day or week. I am always meeting with a group or two during the day. Then I hang with youth for the remainder of it. Not bad, I must say. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? The best is meeting different people all the time. This is one of those jobs where it is vital to know your community. The worst is not being able to be at 2 places at once. Especially, when there are youth who need you. ASAP. What will you remember most about 2009? Well, the election of the new AFN Chief here in Calgary, Pope’s apology to our survivors, Gov. General in Uniform, Lawrence Gervais H1N1 scare, Tiger Woods’s love-life, and 44th President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. Oh yeah, all the snow we had in March. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? Meeting and establishing goals for Youth Leadership here in Calgary. Establishing a Business Youth Council geared towards Commerce, Finance & Business. Exploring historical teachings in regards to the commerce and trade of our peoples. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? I would let them know they will always have a voice if they continue to speak out loud. Get organized and understand your goals inside and out. Be proud. Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work..etc? I was born here in Calgary. My Mom is from the Siksika Nation and my Pops is from Kainai. I grew up, primarily, in Calgary, Lethbridge and Siksika, with a brief, very brief stay in Standoff. I went to school mostly in Lethbridge, (elementary, Jr. high and some high school) But I dropped out a couple times and I was always getting into trouble, so I moved to Strathmore, AB. I graduated from Strathmore High School. Originally, I wanted to be a comedian, then found out I wasn’t really funny. I’m so sarcastic that I don’t even know when I’m sincere or not. At 13, I picked up a guitar after watching “Crossroads” with Ralph Macchio. I had dreams, like everyone else, to be a rockstar. I beat that dream to death, until...well I was going to say until I got into acting but no, I’m still kicking that dead horse. Finally, after working every kind of job out there, I thought, “I might as well try acting”. It was something a lot of my teachers encouraged me to do in high school. So I thought I’d go to school and get some formal training so I’d be taken a little more seriously. So I went to Mount Royal and took a 2 year program acting program. I graduated back in 2007 and I’ve been in a couple theatre shows since then. What is a typical day for you? Because I picked a job with little or no job security, I have to be constantly hustling to make ends meet. I don’t really have “typical” days. One day I could be working in a warehouse to pay the bills or I could be working on a show and that involves weeks of rehearsal, or I also write. (I wrote a full length play last year) Sometimes I just need to have a break from all that and have a lazy day and play Xbox or guitar, making music, joking around with my friends, that’s my favorite thing to do, I love making people laugh. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? The best aspect is I’m basically paid to play and have fun. The worst aspect is when I’m under contract, I don’t own myself, basically. I miss out on family events, like weddings, get-togethers, while I was in Vancouver working on Beyond Eden I missed the birth of my second child. I even have to get special permission to leave town or get a haircut. What will you remember most about 2009? One memory that really stands out is when I had to fly to Ottawa to perform at the National Arts Centre, TELLY JAMES when I left Calgary the temperature was -14. That same night in Ottawa at +30, I was in a t-shirt on a rooftop patio on Elgin St. eating wings and sipping an icy cold ice tea. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? Well I started the year on a high note, working on Beyond Eden in Vancouver and here in Calgary. I have no other work booked after Mid-March. I’m looking forward to just see what opportunities arise. Getting back into working on music. If I gotta work a regular job to support my family that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to pretend my life is glamorous and all that. At the end of the day my main focus is on making sure my family is well-taken care of. THAT’s what I’m looking forward to, raising my two girls. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? Half the battle is won when you at least make the effort. Failure can either make you stronger or deter you from pursuing your goals. It’s up to you how to take it. There’s no shame in failure, when you learn something from it.
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NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
COVER FEATURE Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work.. etc? I am a proud member of the Blood Tribe, located on the Blood, Kainai, Reserve. I am the son of Connie and Mike Fox, Husband to Dawn Fox and step Dad to Brandon Caibaiosai – I love my family very much. They are my number one support and the most important people in my life! My educational background is in Multimedia Productions. I have worked for the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative for the past four years and was fortunate to receive professional development training geared more towards Professional Business Communications. Throughout school and work, my passion has always been working with the Aboriginal community and specifically with Aboriginal youth. This passion has led me to my current position as Coordinator, Aboriginal Pride Program out of Father Lacombe High School. What is a typical day for you? A typically day for me consists of making a cup a joe, arriving to work and checking my email. As the school day begins, one by one, students begin to drop into the “Pride” room; that’s what we call my class at the school. Although I’m still very new to the role, I’m catching on pretty quick and will be well into it by the time this story is published. Being young at heart really helps in building a rapport with the students and is coming very natural and so quickly. My room is pretty chill, as long as the students have some kind of school work to do; they’re definitely welcome to stay. I provide support with school work, assignments, and study time. Eventually I want to get into more cultural support. A big advantage in working with the urban Aboriginal population for the past four years is the knowledge I have of programs that already exist in the community. These are the programs and people I plan to utilize to bring more culture into the Father Lacombe community, not just for the Aboriginal students but for the non-Aboriginal students TIM FOX and teachers as well. Quite simply, that’s really all there is to it. The real challenge is motivating these students to continue to pursue their high school diploma. Yes, there is more to education beyond high school, but like me, when I was in high school, there are far more stressing factors to consider out side of their lives as high school students. I can relate to the stressful home lives some of these young people face on a daily basis, I’m sure a lot of people can, the big difference is my willingness to share this part of my life in order to create an environment of trust, mutual respect and above all, safety. To me, this is where a productive relationship starts when I work with youth, especially Aboriginal youth. Some may argue that this is having no boundaries, but I’ve been apart of the Aboriginal community long enough to know that before any work can begin to occur, these relationships need to be in place first. The big thing for me is getting them to show up, do the work and get that diploma regardless of ANYTHING. I’m here to help, encourage and listen to these people, believe me; they’re helping my personal growth just as much as I’m helping them. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? As I mentioned before, I’m very new to the role. I haven’t given it a fare chance to be able to answer this question. I can say that I’m very eager to get to work in the morning and I leave with a smile on my face everyday. My passion has always been to work with youth. They’re future leaders and have the power to make so much change to their world and ours. They just don’t know it yet. I plan to help them realize this and hopefully help them realize that their dreams are attainable, whatever they are, and they can do anything. I really don’t feel that I got this message when I was in high school. I didn’t have an Aboriginal Pride program to utilize. I had great family support that stumbled at times, but I didn’t hear that message. What will you remember most about 2009? I’ll never forget all the loss my family experienced in 2009. It was a hard year. We lost a few family members from both my side of the family and my wife’s side of the family and two very important loses for us personally. It seemed as though we were attending a funeral every couple of months and every couple of weeks at times. I’ve never experienced this kind of loss before, yes funerals, but not back to back as they have seemed this past year. It’s important for me to share this. It brings to light the reality of life in its truest form. We have to keep moving forward. It can be hard on some days, but those feelings are natural and its important to stop and take the time to feel the pain, then get back up and keep moving forward. It’s important to never forget. Always remember. We miss them and always will, but we will never ever forget. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I believe attaining this job is a sign of many good things to come this year. In the near future, I’m looking forward to the Brownbear Woman memorial Pow wow in May in honour of a very dear friend of mine and sister to my wife. My family is honouring my grandma at our pow-wow in July and I can’t wait for that either. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? I would ask them to try their best, never give up and always reach for more. Our community has long since been told we can’t or were not good enough. That mentality needs to change and it starts with you, my peers. You are capable of so much and hold so much power to change the future, believe that and believe in yourselves. Get involved in your community; these are the experiences that will pay off for you in your personal and professional lives. Lastly, never forget and always respect. We are a people of natural respect; this seems to have been lost in recent years for recent generations. Our ancestors had respect for all things. It is within our souls to respect each other and all that is around us and given to us. Thank you! NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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COVER FEATURE Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work..etc? My name is Cheryl Hanley; I’m a 27 year old Blood tribe member, and a single parent with a 7 year old son. I graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and I’m currently applying for my Master’s degree in Counselling. I have been working full-time for Closer to Home Community Services for about three years now. I started out as a Program Support Worker working in a group home. After that, I spent over 2 years as a Home Visitor for the Healthy Families program, working with Aboriginal families in Calgary. I recently started a new job in my agency as a Program Supervisor for an Aboriginal program called Pekewe, which is a family reunification home. What is a typical day for you? In Healthy Families, I spent my days providing in-home support to families with things such as parenting, child development, problem solving, life skills (i.e., budgeting, time/stress management), etc. I am still learning duties of my new job; however, some of it will consist of supporting staff and parents in the program, networking with other Aboriginal programs, treatment planning, and so on. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? The best part of my job is being able to know that I am contributing to the healthy growth of Aboriginal families, and preventing children from going into foster care. I also feel like I can share some of my experiences as a single parent overcoming challenges with other parents. I really do enjoy the work I do, however sometimes it can be challenging when there are crisis situations with families. However, I have learned much more about resources in Calgary and have gained the experience to be able to help with resolving these issues. What will you remember most about 2009? There are a few things that come to mind. First, I was very happy about going through evaluation at my work and reCHERYL HANLEY ceiving Certification as a practitioner in my agency. I also received my Bachelor of Arts degree, which was something I worked very hard to do, part of it while I was working full-time. Also, finally being able to travel. I went to Mexico for a week and it was beautiful there and a lot of fun. Since then, I have tried to be a more active in the community and with my agency, by joining an Evaluation Review Committee at Closer to Home, and also by joining the Board of Directors with USAY. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I applied for my Masters Degree in Counselling, so I’m hoping that I can start that this year. I also look forward to developing with my new role at work, and being out in the community more, whether it’s with volunteering, planning, networking, etc. I was able to do a little bit of acting over the last year and a half, so it would be great to continue with that in the future. There is so much I want to learn and achieve. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? I’m a strong believer in the good outcomes that result from education. This is something I encourage in my son, friends, family, and people I work for. Also, set goals for yourself and know that nothing is unreachable. In the past, it was hard to imagine reaching so many of my goals and getting where I am today; however, learning never ends, and if you keep setting goals in your life, you will only move forward. Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work..etc? I grew up in Bancroft, a small, rural town in northern Ontario. I recently graduated from Trent University with a degree in Indigenous Studies. I have been the Executive Director at the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) for the past two years. What is a typical day for you? As the Executive Director I ensure that the day to day business of USAY is running smoothly. I am usually coordinating funding, reporting, staff and programs. My main goal each day is to align USAY’s vision and mission to assist urban Aboriginal youth with our programs and operations. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? The best part of my job is to interact with the young leaders that are part of our programs. I like to see young artists, writers and photographers being published in New Tribe, youth playing in the youth hoops tournament, and attending recreation nights. The worst part of my job is worrying about funding. There is always a constant worry about whether we will get funding, how much it will be and how long we will have it. I love operating programs, but often the uncertainty of funding is very stressful. What will you remember most about 2009? I think 2009 will also be remembered at USAY for change. The past year has been marked by major changes at USAY, all in the hopes of making the organization more effective and efficient in serving youth. I think one of the more noticeable changes is NEW TRIBE magazine; we have changed the layout and moved to full glossy. USAY also made huge changes in technology, getting a new camera, computers and equipment. Overall, 2009 will be remembered by me as a year that was full of changes and forward movement for USAY. In my personal life, I will always remember LeeAnne Sicker 2009 as the year my niece Chloe was born and getting my new furry baby, Oscar. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I am looking forward to more changes and movement in USAY. Especially, launching our new website! I am excited to have a new online “face” to USAY. The new website will be easier to navigate and speak much more to our goals here at USAY. I am excited about the new Aboriginal Anti-Racism Movement program, which will showcase filmmakers, storytellers and actors through an anti-racism campaign. I think it will be great to see the screening of the Aboriginal Youth Animation Project films; I can’t wait to see their animations on the big screen. I think 2010 is going to be a great year! If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? It isn’t always easy to make your dreams and goals a reality, so find someone to help, everyone needs support. It is important to talk to your school counsellor, Elders, community members, your parents, find someone to give you guidance on how you could pursue your goals. Community members and Aboriginal agencies know a lot about programs in the city that will increase your personal capacity and assist you in becoming more active in your community. USAY, for example, offers programs, but we also know what is happening in the community that can assist you. I used to hate when teachers said, “there are no stupid questions”, but they might just be right, asking for help is usually the best way to network and gets you one step closer to what you are looking for.
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NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
COVER FEATURE
Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work..etc? My name is Denalene Manitopyes. I am a Plains Cree an enrolled member of the Muskowekwan First Nations of Saskatchewan. I am outgoing, adventurous, spontaneous, and down to earth woman lol. I grew up mostly here in Calgary and went to Crescent Heights High School which I left in grade 11 to do home school and at the time I was responsible for taking care of my nephew who was a month old and is now 9yrs old. Through that experience I leaned about child care and my nephew has been a big inspiration in my life. I went back to school at Mount Royal College/University in 2004 to do my upgrading and at that time I wanted to get into broadcasting. However after realizing more on holistic health and status of health amongst my family members I knew I had a passion for holistic health and also experiencing my own optimum health through annual detox. I got a position at Community Natural Foods as a full time position in cash department. I learned so much just working there and started reading more on more on natural health. I then got promoted in the health and body department which handles of natural supplements and herbs. I decided that holistic health is the field I wanted to study so I applied at The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and became a registered Holistic Nutritionist and to this day I still work part time at C.N.F. I applied and got hired in October 2008 at the YMCA as an Aboriginal Community Outreach Coordinator for active life programs. Being out of school for about 2 yrs I just had to go back so under my career development at the YMCA I am now studying the Advanced Holistic Nutrition Program distance learning. I also sit on a board as a co-researcher for A RAP for youth on Diabetes bringing out awareness on Diabetes. And I just currently got picked for a role in a video production for workshops for Living Works Education Incorporated Ink bringing awareness on Aboriginal suicide. In addition to that I will be also acting for Vagina Monologues scheduled for March 27. Denalene Manitopyes What is a typical day for you? A typical day at work would consist of checking daily emails and depending on what day it is will determine what my duties will be. There can be meetings or functions to attend as well. And in the evenings of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I attend my programs at the YMCA facilities. On the weekends I am working at Community Natural Foods helping customers with supplements/herbs to meet there needs. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? The best aspects of my job are probably working out in the gym during my program schedules and working with awesome coworkers and participants. I can honestly say I don’t have anything worst to say about my jobs I love them both. What will you remember most about 2009? The thing I will remember about 2009 will have to be all my injuries and having to adapt to physical stress. Also meeting MosDef and B Real from Cypress Hill would be a highlight. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I am looking forward to school this year and getting more knowledgeable in Nutrition in order to do more presentations in the community. Also checking out what it takes to be an actress as I would like to take up some workshops in acting which I am getting more interested in pursuing. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? If I were speaking in front of youth I would encourage them to eat a balanced diet to prevent illness in the future and get daily exercise which will all help with self confidence and a healthy mind set therefore will have more focus in life and goals. Can you tell us a little about yourself, background, education, work..etc? My name is Marshall Leigh George and I’m Ojibwe from Kettle and Stoney Point Ontario. I’m a writer/director/musician and currently am the Team Leader for the Aboriginal Youth Animation Project here in Calgary. I started out as a super-slacker/professional student but upon the birth of my nephew Sam Fisher I decided I wanted to be a role model for the boy so I turned on the burners and headed to Capilano College to make something of myself. I was in love with movies and writing, to the point where at times I can sound like a Cinema Dictionary, so I followed that passion and enrolled in the Aboriginal Film and Television Program (Now called the Independent Indigenous Filmmaking Program). After making my first video, which was bad, really bad, I fell in love with screen writing and was hooked. I continued my education at the Savannah College of Art and Design and eventually returned to Cap to teach the program I got my feet wet in. I’ve worked with Big Soul Productions in Toronto and most recently directed the making of documentary for the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in 2006, I think, maybe 2007. What is a typical day for you? A typical day for me involves getting to work about 8:45am and getting the office ready for the daily running tasks. AYAP participants arrive at 9:00am and we work out our day’s schedule. From there we get down to work be it writing, drawing, animating and editing. While this process starts the instructors and I meet and we plan events either for field trips, classes, story meetings, or whatever we can find to help cultivate and massage the creative spirit. I find the most important aspect of the events we plan are finding a creative way to present information so that the participants retain what they’ve learned and walk away with more than what they came with. On a daily basis I will also council the participants either as a group or on a one on one basis. We discuss goal planning, financial planning, basic life skills and whatever else needs to be talked about. What are the best/worst aspects of your job? There are two aspects that I love about this job. First I love screen writing and when I get to teach this process I feel on top of the world. And when one of my participants actually understands something better than me I end up learning and broadening my horizons. The second aspect I love is seeing the participants succeed in what they are trying to create. Be it written word or a whale leaping from the ocean and eating a goose each successful goal is a leap for these young talents. What will you remember most about 2009? For me, right now I’d have to say that when APTN came in to film our pitch fest and showed it on the National News. What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year? I want to add a few live action components to the program. I’ve been researching commercials and have found if you can tell your story in thirty seconds you will that much stronger of a story teller. Also the recruitment process is a lot of fun. If you were speaking in front of a group of youths, what advice would you give them, or words of encouragement, to get them to pursue their goals and/or become more active in the community? Follow your dreams and do not let up for a minute. You are capable of so much that you do not realize yet. What you want is dangling right in front of you and all you have to do is reach out and take it. I was asked once what I wanted to be and I replied a writer. I was then asked why I wasn’t and the only answer I could come up with was I hadn’t Marshall Leigh George tried. There is a lottery ticket out there that will hit the jackpot, your odds increase once you buy the ticket.
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TRIBE * ART
JESSE GOUCHEY WWW.JESSEGOUCHEY.COM NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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MING SOON AND IMPROVED
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GAME*ON
Game Reviews
By Jonas Soosay
bayonetta
Blood and Gore Intense Violence Partial Nudity Strong Language
BAYONETTA is the character which you play in the game where you have to fight between the balance of light and darkness. Bayonetta belongs to a clan of witches who are called the Umbra; Umbra witches control the power of darkness. The clan who controls the light are called the Lumen, who takes care of the power of light. Many years ago the clans use their powers to balance both light and dark, until a tragic event caused a war between the two. Bayonetta is the sole survivor of the Umbra clan, and seems she has no clue of her past from Amnesia. The action starts from the beginning, and the fighting system is insane. You can use the power of the underworld to assist you taking out the angels and bosses sent from the heavens. Bayonetta has guns on her arms and legs, and you have the option of putting a vast array of weaponery on either her legs or arms.The boss battles are huge and difficult, despite that they are the size of train cars. Also there is a massive combo system you can use, from punch to kicks and using your weapons. The evade button is a must to master, press it before you get hit if timed correctly you can slow time for a brief moment. When defeating enemies you acquire halos which is the currency, you can purchase items from the local bartender which is your arms dealer who runs the gates of hell.The story line is a little off but as you play along you get what’s going on, but once you finish the game you’ll soon start to understand. Bayonetta graphics are beautiful especially during the boss scenes, and also the surrounding environments. It seems her sexuality is highlighted throughout the game and catches your eye from time to time, kind of like playing the Lara Croft series. Bayonetta is a must game to play for any player who enjoys the action side of games, I would give it a 9.5 of 10. # OF PLAYERS:1 RESOLUTION:1080i PUBLISHER:SEGA CATEGORY:ACTION
bioshock 2 BIOSHOCK 2 starts off 10 years later during the original game. You awake as a Big Daddy and not mind controlled like the other big daddy’s in the game. You still have the same philosophy to find and protect the little sisters, and guard them with your life. You still are in the city of Rapture, which is a city that is built underwater. Rapture is located in the ocean bed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean; also the year is around the late 1950’s. Bioshock 2 is interesting from the start, from finding audio recorders, new powers and weapons. You start to unravel Raptures hidden secrets from the kidnapped little girls, and using your Adam to make your way through the puzzle infested levels. Adam is a substance you find in a sea slug which can alter the human genes to make the user super intelligent, strong, or if overused homicidally insane.When over used the user turn into splicers which will do anything for it, even causing death. The little sisters carry the sea slugs inside of them; they carry little syringes to suck out blood from dead splicers to produce Adam. When they are done you take them to a vent away from danger, but you have a choice to Rescue or Harvest them. Rescue them and they live, Harvest them and you kill them for all their Adam. The choice is yours. Bioshock 2 is a great game and is a good play for anybody whom played the original or not. The gore levels are rated a mature level but not that bad and gruesome like GTA for example. Multiplayer start you off pretty much work your way up the ladder, where you start at level 1.You can play online with a friend or just simply join a random match. If you’re into the 1st person view games just like the Halo series then this will keep you busy for awhile, I would give it a 9 out of 10.
Blood/ intense violence/ Sexual Themes/ strong language
# OF PLAYERS: 1 RESOLUTION: 1080p PUBLISHERS:TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE HORROR,SHOOTER NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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BEATS
Turn up the Volume By Katty Jo Rabbit
Mumford & Sons Sigh No More With a shared love of country, bluegrass, folk and indie pop this quartet has started a likely arrangement of a band that has been able to span the airwaves from their formation in 2007. Involved in the meld are, Marcus Mumford, who is responsible for the guitar, drums and mandolin; then Winston Marshall who mans the banjo, and dobro, Ben Lovett takes care of the organ, and keyboard, and last but not least is Ted Dwane who is the double bass boy. All of these twenty-something, stylishly clad in folk signature piece attire blokes lend and contribute to the vocal composition. Which from times gets a little overdone, and bland, but there is nothing wrong with that, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. But you can sing about ex-lovers, poor crops of profound emotional fruit, and knowing “life to see decay”. This album was not the typical kind of music that yours truly would normally pick up, but seeing as it is the month of St. Patrick, I thought Métis Jiggers, Leprechauns, and green beer and food enthusiasts alike would appreciate and enjoy the sound. Seeing as some of the songs, especially Sigh No More and Dust Bowl Dance have this element of Celtic influence. At least that is what the first impression was, so it was a bit of a shock when it was revealed they were from London, makes you wonder about the authenticity of folk music now, guess you do not really have to be from the rural rolling hills of Ireland to share the melodies of the land. On that note, some songs that really stood alone, were the songs The Cave and Little Lion Man, where the lyrics “But I will hold on hope/And I won’t let you choke/On the noose around your neck/And I’ll find strength in pain/And I will change my ways/I’ll know my name as it’s called again” really sticks to the ribs. All in all, never hurts to explore the wonderful world of folk music, and with this you can walk around, hear the influences and know that in the end you always take something from it, whether you know it or not.
Massive Attack Heligoland Robert Del Naja, Andrew Vowels, and Grant Marshall have been hiding, or rather holding out for seven years now, so it was quite some news in the Electronica/Trip-hop world when they were said to be releasing a new album. With more guest invited vocalists then you can count, this album is a jump from hip-hop soul and reggae infusion to one of organic, grounded lazy-cool synths. A little more melancholic for hard core fans, it has had some mixed reviews. For someone newly exposed to the genre, it has been an experience, so the real attraction was knowing that; Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, Damon Albarm of Gorillaz, Adrian Utey of Portishead, Mazzy Star and the late drummer Jerry Fuchs were just some of the contributors on this fifth headphones only album. With that the album as a whole, is a moonlit walk in an ethereal emotional realm, where you find yourself tranquil on a lonely Bristol side street, with rows of shifting, swaying fussy bass-line flowers sprouting up along the way. More grounded and less inclined to appeal to the masses, this album is relaxing, slow, and worth the wait? Well only hard core fans can answer that one for you. Definitely unique in their approach and slow in their production, you hope for a tighter reign on the production quality, but it feels almost as if they have decided that they are not going to appeal to the masses, but instead will do their own thing to satisfy their own needs. Which is why they have a good following, because no matter what, they have always had their own flair and stylish deliverances that only they can muster?
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BEATS
Music You Can Feel In Your Toes Timbaland Shock Value II This is the third studio album that master of puppets Timbaland has released and to be quite honest, it feels like left over’s from his highly awarded second album of the same name. It definitely has the taste of a sequel that is not as nearly as good as the first, when people will learn that it is never a good thing to make a sequel? Even if the first run was a commercial phenomenon. Because while expectations are running high, there is never enough ego left to really make it worth it, we are all creatures of habit and when you come to expect something from someone, and are not given the same effort, then we become easily distracted. So who can blame Mr. Timbaland when this is the case of his album, he has been on so many other side projects, and has been helping so many others shine in the lime light, it is a shame that he has not been given the time to develop his own artistic endeavors. With that being said, it is still a good production overall, most of the collaborations are one of selective commercial value and that is one thing we can rely on Timbaland for, he knows his production tricks and knows how to create a buzz. So not only does he give fans a taste of what he is known for, he is showcasing other artists at the same time, in a way that they are not really known for, for that Brandy, or rather Brand’Nu as her alter-ego is known for, should be thankful. Whether you like it or not, Timbaland is going to be around for a long time on the scene so at least take what you want and know that you can rely on him for his great beats, and danceable top- forty chart toppers.
Youth in Revolt Motion Picture Sound Track It is official, yours truly has developed a sick obsession with Michael Cera, as his movie score keeps coming up in the reviews, though there is a purpose to it all, and that is to help Mr. Cera not only last, so that he can become the next Harlen Williams. But to expose you all too great music that you would normally over look. Compilations are not only a great way to expose yourself, it is also a way to relive the films moments, since real life drama is never as interesting. It is sometimes nice to know that there is most likely a song for every waking moment in your life. They also offer great returns for your money, because if like the rest of the “yes, I still use my disc man” types, myself included, you are able to get a mix of music for the price of one. One day Ipods should be sold at the dollar store, when they are, we will all be considered equal. So with that, you have a sound track with great stand out songs like I willn’t be a prisoner by Little Wings, What’s up fatlip? By Fat Lip, Les Cactus by Jacques Dutrone, and Popular Mechanics for lovers by Beaulah. All of which are quirky, stifled, awkward and sexually driven like the characters in the movie. Who devise a plan to get Cera’s character thrown out of the house so that he and his love interest can be reunited in the trailer courts where they first met. Funny, dark and a little disturbing at times, the musical supervisor for the compilation Ann Litt knows her music, knows the story and knows how to make a half hour of different songs flow so that you feel like you have a grasp on what it really is like to step outside yourself and become someone that you are not. French music has never been so entertaining. Definitely watch this movie with someone you like as it will give to some interesting conversations after. But do not give in too the criminal impulses that this movie might invoke as you have a good long life of musical experience ahead of you. NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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TRAVEL
once upon a time in the land of aus..
LIFE OF AN ADVENTURER -Melanie Parsons “I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro Ever since I was a little girl I loved to travel, even if it was from Calgary to Regina to visit my cousins. Something about packing up a bag and hitting the road excited me. The older I got the more adventurous I became by getting involved in anything that would enabled me to travel. Not only did I learn more about our country and make friends, traveling provided me with a sense of freedom and independence. After high school I didn’t feel that I should force myself to go to University if I didn’t know what I wanted to do which lead to the decision to take a year off. I knew that I eventually wanted to pursue post secondary studies but first thought it was important to get to know myself. My first time living overseas was when I was 18 years old. A family friend told me about an organization in Calgary called Ghost River Rediscovery (GRR) that was looking for participants for their Youth Leadership program. Through GRR I began a journey with a group of youth from Calgary and Guyana in which I lived and traveled with for several months. We spent half of our time in Canada and the other half in Guyana learning about the indigenous people and their ways of life. For 10 weeks in Guyana we cooked over a fire, slept in hammocks and bathed from a well. It was challenging being away from home and all of its comforts, also the experience of living in a country that had its own culture and a way of life different from Canada. Shortly after I returned home I began looking for the next opportunity to travel. Eventually I came across an organization called Canada World Youth and after reading about their various youth leadership programs I decided to apply. Through the Core Program I was paired with a counterpart from Sri Lanka and together
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we lived and volunteered in Ontario and Sri Lanka for several months. This experience was quite challenging because of the severness of the culture shock that I experienced while living in Sri Lanka. I had never lived anywhere where the first language was not English and the overall culture and values of the people were completely different; it was also difficult at times to adjust to the different protocols that women must follow in Sri Lanka. I truly felt like a fish out of the water and had to rely heavily on my intuition and resort to other forms of non-verbal communication in order to make sense of the world I was living in. I was in Sri Lanka during the 2004 Tsunami but thankfully in a safe area. Due to the devastation of the country we returned to Canada early. Prior to our return home we spent a week collecting food, money and clothing to send to the people who had been impacted by the tidal waves on the coast. It was a very emotional week for everyone and in that time we witnessed a lot of tragedy and sadness. Newspapers and television programs are not censored as much as they are in Canada and so we were exposed to endless hours of gruesome news coverage and mourning. This experience definitely opened my eyes to some of the major differences between our worlds and also taught me of the importance of being a bit more aware of what is happening outside of what media tells us. After returning home safely to my family and friends, I felt that it was time to look into going to school. In 2005 I was accepted into the Public Relations program at Mount Royal University in which I graduated from in November of 2008. Before I started my degree I promised myself that once I completed my goal of attaining a Bachelor of Applied Communications I would travel and live abroad again but for a year. It turned out that somewhere was Australia. I recently returned from living down under.
It was an amazing experience that I will never forget or regret doing on my own. I braved the poisonous snakes, spiders, jelly fish, and sharks and soaked tons of sun, not to mention ate my fair share of fish n chips. I learned a lot about myself including that I have a phobia of Huntsman spiders – forget the infamous Red Back and try to imagine living with spiders that are as big as your hand. Australians may speak English but they definitely have a very unique way of saying things that had me wondering if were actually speaking another language. They may say, “G-Day mate!” but they definitely think we are ridiculous when we ask if they are going to “put anotha’ shrimp on the Bar-B”. Prior to arriving in Australia I spent 10 days island hopping Fiji. Close your eyes and imagine the perfect island because that’s what Fiji is like. I spent days swimming in turquoise waters and enjoying spectactular scenery all around me. I also had the opportunity to swim with reef sharks and witness a shark feeding; I’m not too sure if it was all that safe but I enjoyed myself anyway. Although I was signed up with a group tour I would occasionally venture off on my own into the villages and make friends. By doing so I was able to learn a little bit about Fijian people and their culture. They are wonderful people and some of their beliefs and world views are quite similar to those of Canadian Aboriginal people. From Fiji I flew to Sydney where I arrived without a plan. It was a bit scary at first but it was also that fear that challenged me and made it an adventure. I ended up following some of the people that I had met in Fiji to a hostel down town and stayed with them for a couple of days. It would be the first of many times that I would have to rely solely on myself or trust strangers to make sure I had somewhere safe to stay. Once again I would experience culture shock, not only because I was in an unfamiliar country but the lifestyle that I was living. It’s not easy when you don’t have a solid home
TRAVEL and our living out of a backpack and relying on strangers to help you through your days. After a week in Sydney I decided to fly to Adelaide and meet up with some family friends. I ended up staying with the Aardenburg’s for two months while searching for work in the communications industry. I felt defeated because I kept receiving rejection letter after rejection letter. It seemed that the only choice I had for work was picking fruit or serving in a restaurant and even then there was not a lot of work available. I became depressed and considered going back to Canada, but in my heart I knew that I didn’t want to give up on my trip and wanted to make it work. Just when I was ready to throw in the towel, I met a friend who recommended I try finding work as a Rousabout (someone who assists in the handling of wool and shed duties). I was given the number to a contractor who could put me in touch with work and before I knew it I was on a bus heading to the country to work with a crew of people in an area of work that I was totally unfamiliar with. I thought I was going to die that first week in the shed. I remember one day it being 47 Celsius in the shed and we were running up and down the boards for hours. I must have drunk at least 8 liters of water that day and was still dehydrated. For the first month I had to put up with angry shearers and grouchy rousies because I was new at the job and therefore did not have the skills to keep up. It is all about the team work and if you were not doing your job that meant everyone else had to work harder and that didn’t go over too well at times. Although we had a lot of fun in the shed there were times when it was very stressful. In that particular industry contractors and shearers make their money by shearing sheep as fast as they can and that means that everyone has to pull their weight and more. As a rousie you have a lot of responsibility and there is hardly any room for mistakes – which I made a lot of in the beginning. But, I kept at it and eventually picked up a lot of great skills and
became a valuable member of the team. Working in the shearing industry is not as simple as going to work from eight to five everyday and then going home to be with your family and friends. It becomes a lifestyle. You are required to live day in and day out with the same people for months on end. There are many dynamics that come into play when living in a group setting especially when you are isolated and in the middle of nowhere. There were many times I considered going back to the city because I thought I couldn’t put up with the dysfunction of the team at times but I managed to stick it out realizing the good outweighed the bad . I was able to travel all over South Australia as a part of work and made some friends and memories that will last a lifetime, not to mention having a truly unique and genuine Australian experience. After the shearing season was done I went to work on the Great Australian Bight. One of my dreams when I got to Australia was to live close to the ocean and work on a beach or out on the water. Working for Australian Bight Abalone fulfilled both of those dreams and I ended up having a blast. I met tons of cool people and gained a true appreciation for the ocean and all of the wildlife that inhibit it. I loved my job because I would spend my mornings on the beach and in the afternoon go out on the boats to feed the Abalone. We started work early in the morning which usually meant I would get to see the sun rise over the ocean but my favorite part of the job was getting to see dolphins, pelicans, whales, penguins, and sea lions every day. One of the most memorable moments was when I was under the water working on the Abalone Rings and turned around to see a Sea Lion one foot away from me. I admit I got a little scared but knew they would not harm me and liked to play tricks on the divers distracting them from doing their work. Have you ever wanted to pick your next destination by closing your eyes and pointing
Photos courtesy of Melanie Parsons
at a map? Well that’s what I did when I was trying to figure out my next move. I ended up pointing to Cairns and conveniently enough knew someone that was heading that way. I spent two weeks driving up the East Coast with my friend, Jason, who I had met in Elliston. We stopped in Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Surfer’s Paradise, 1770, Bundaberg, and Airlie beach just to name a few. It was easy finding a place to sleep for the night but a couple of times we slept in the car or outside under the stars. It is incredible how the landscapes and weather vary in Australia from one state to the next. It was a complete transformation coming from the desert like conditions of South Australia to the lush rainforest of Queensland. I spent the remainder of my time in Australia living in the beautiful town of Port Douglas in Far North Queensland. I worked for Dougies Backpackers and Resort as a housekeeper and cleaner and lived in a tent for three months. My favorite experiences in Port Douglas include when I spent two nights on a yacht exploring islands and collecting seashells and also the spectacular day I spent snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef – it’s no wonder they call it one of the world’s great wonders. I would love to share all of my experiences with you but that may take a short novel to do so. The most important thing I would like for you to take away from my story is the importance of getting out into the world. There are so many wonderful places to see and things to do and people to meet. It’s also the best way to get to know you, because at home we sometimes get caught up in playing roles that our family and friends expect of us which can be frustrating if we long for something more in our heart. You do not tons of money to travel but you do need to be open in order to get the full experience. If you are shy or afraid that’s okay too, just take it step by step like I did. I love traveling and will continue to explore my home country and the rest of the world for as long as I live.
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Tribe*lit
..continued
THUG REZ Mansions After the ‘wake service’ I realized I needed a drink. I really wanted to have one or more beers. I also didn’t want to even walk to a bus stop again and wait while white boys in sports cars screamed ‘dirty Indian’ at me. I called up Gurlicious and sensing my desperation quickly picked me up. She was working the ‘grind.’ in a tail-pipe dragging, back-firing rezmobile. The cell was ringing constantly. I sat in the front and had a 6 pack at my feet. I enjoyed listening to the South Park Mexicans “You Know My Name.” If we were going to be caught, what was another charge for open liquor? Gurlicious drove like crazy trying to unload. But no sooner we unloaded, we had to reload. We stopped at a friend’s house to recharge the cell. Everyone was sitting, slumped in alcoholic exhaustion. I was surprised to see my former brother-in-law there. The first thing I noticed was how big and red his nose was. The beer boxes were piled to the ceiling. He staggered to me and slurred “Hey Rain, have a beer. I can go get a few more cases if you stay. You know that’s no problem, I get 2000 every 2 weeks, yeah money is no problem.” I just felt alarm as I looked at him. He was a child and family service worker at a Native agency. He was also the man that sexually assaulted my 16 year old niece. She told me with tears what he had done. Her mother told her not to report the incident because it would devastate our sister who was struggling with Tylenol 3 addiction and suicidal urges. The truth was our family was so poor they needed his tax free income His own father was currently serving time in Stony Mountain for 6 molestation offences against children. I wondered to myself, why was I being confronted with the issue of child sexual abuse today? As I looked at his flushed face the thought occurred to me, was he also one of his father’s victims? I looked into his eyes and for the first time I realized his eyes were deep pools of bleak pain. I grabbed a beer and we left. Aboriginal Music Week from the Underside
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RAIN RAVEN
That week was ‘Aboriginal Music Week’ in Winnipeg. We desperately wanted to attend all the events but had no money. We were just on the fringe looking on. We looked on with envy at the Native people streaming out of the MTS centre who were able to afford most of the events. Gurlicious was intent on unloading and getting some cash and a chance to relax and enjoy at least one event. We planned on hitting the after party for rapster Joey Stylez. We finally unloaded and headed to another friend’s place to glam up into juicy, sexy, hotties. Gurlicious is a blackhaired, green-eyed beautiful Métis girl but like most Native women, she struggled with self-esteem issues. “Does this mini-skirt make my butt look big?” she asked. Before I could answer, Zion walked in and said “Noop! Your booty is flat as a bannock. You have bannock booty!” I laughed because Gurlicious looked more worried. Then my cheap thrift store blouse buttons all popped because I laughed too hard. Zion had nothing dressy to lend me. So we decided to stop at Teddy Boo’s ‘store’ later. Zion came with us and at the last minute Gurlicious decided to take on one more hook-up with an unfamiliar ‘custie’. He sat in the back seat and was as slick as grease. We had no idea we had been robbed blind while we laughed at his ever-sick lame jokes. But we were relieved to see we did have enough to pay for the cover charge and have one beer each. In the back of my mind, I was aware just how dangerous this line of ‘work’ was. He could have easily pulled a Glock on us instead of mesmerizing us with his player smile and charm. We stopped at Teddy Boo’s apartment and I picked out a Nike jersey. I promised him I would settle my ‘account’ by the end of the week. He was reluctant and I realized that I may be taking advantage of his kindness. He was known to shop lift groceries for needy families at no cost. Gurlicious picked out some earrings and Zion brought in a few tagged items for ‘consignment.’ We then finally headed for the bar where we would finally get to see Joey Stylez. As I walked in, I tried my
best to avoid the bar owner. I had attended a party at his house months earlier. He was rich and arrogant. He told me he could buy me anything I wanted. All I had to do was cuddle with him at night, call him ‘daddy’ and spank him. He even showed me his various paddles. I noted they were worn and well-used. I told him I was not a prostitute nor would I ever be one, so thanks but no thanks. He only wanted me more. So I sort of pushed Gurly and Zion to the back and sitting down we waited and waited. A rock and roll band played. But we were here to hear Joey. The crowd of young First Nation fans was abuzz that Joey Stylez and his crew were too wasted to play. We saw his crew staggering about and one actually fell off the stage. But they finally got together to play and it was worth far more than a gold Gucci handbag and our meager hustler’s pay. Gurlicious and Zion swooned for Joey ‘OMG! So sexy!” A man approached Zion and asked if she wanted to buy a CD. She said no. He left. I noticed a slim, beautiful Native woman in buckskin leather with feathers in her long, black hair dancing gracefully all by herself on the dance floor. The image was surreal. I asked Gurlicious with excitement “Hey! Isn’t that Buffy St. Marie?” She looked at me and responded “Who’s that?” I must have looked too surprised she didn’t know because Zion asked “Yeah. Who’s that??” I just looked at them both. I forgot how young they were. I said “Well, believe me, she’s famous. I am going to ask her for a picture of us with her.” Buffy was now seated in the back, reclining on a couch surrounded by her entourage. I approached her and respectfully waited for her to finish talking to the man at her side. I asked her for a photo with me and my friends.The man who had been at our table earlier, responded before she could answer. “She will take a photo only if you buy a CD.” I really wanted a photo so I lied. “I already brought a CD earlier thank you.” He then said “How can that be possible? I have only a few CD’s with me and I would have known if one had been sold.” I had been caught in my lie. I replied with defeat, “Okay, I
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be back.” I huddled with Gurlicious and Zion and together we dug in our pockets and dug deep into our purses. We definitely did not have 20 dollars. The girls left to wait in the vehicle. I sat alone, thinking. I didn’t want Buffy to think we just sluffed her off. I decided to just tell the truth, no matter how bad it would sound. I approached Buffy once more, “Okay I am going to tell you the complete truth. We couldn’t buy your CD simply because we just got jacked earlier. As you know, these are desperate times for our people We are drug dealers. I am sorry.” She nodded slightly, eyes wide and somewhat taken aback. I wanted to give her something in recognition of her contribution to our people, but I had nothing. So I offered only what I had to give “Buffy, I will keep you in my prayers.” She said “Thanks” in a soft voice. I then left. We parked outside because suddenly we transformed into crazed groupie stalkers waiting for Joey to come out. We finally got tired of our giggling idiocy and left. I thought about Joey. He was a gifted musical talent. But if he depended only on his poor Native extended family relatives across Canada to buy his CD’s he would not make much. He would never get to buy any genuine gold bling to adorn his neck. Joey’s music had to be brought to the entire world and the world would surely adore him like we did. We were unexpectedly invited to a grad party, a rare occasion unfortunately and we cautiously stayed in the shadows watching everyone. We noted where the entrances both front and back and windows were located. We memorized faces, noted who wore gang colors and bandanas and were hyper-vigilant over any possible bad vibes. Then we finally relaxed enough to join the crowd. I sat next to a young pretty social worker who was in love with a Native thug. She was loudly telling everyone that a young First Nation boy had been recently tasered by police in the genitals and had 80 percent burns over his body from being repeatedly tasered. I asked, “Did anyone make a complaint?” She said “No. We did offer the services of a lawyer to the family but the family was too intimidated.” I looked at her blabbing bright red lips and silently wondered “Did they sense you really supported them? Will there be a day when you make that jarring transition from social worker to social activist? Or will you be stagnant and remain a silent, paid partner of oppression?” But I didn’t ask her. I just drank more beer and fell silent, grieved for that young man – whoever he was. We went back to Zion’s place. In the morning, the vehicle was gone. We were too
hung over to care. In the afternoon we found out, the towing company owned by Hell’s Angels on extended contract with the City had impounded it. While in Manitoba, I paid a visit to one young dearly loved young First Nation man out in the country. He was much more than the stereotyped, tattooed, thugster and gangster feared, despised and dreaded by all. He was a promising young First Nation man. He had a smile that shone light, love and joy despite his own miseries. He was incredibly handsome. He was incredibly gifted. He was incredibly sweet. He was incredibly intelligent. He was incredibly funny. He was also very young, only 20. I visited him at his Thug Rez mansion. Wild roses grew in his yard. He stayed alone in his mansion. He never went anywhere anymore. He lived in peace in his lonely mansion. He was content I hope to just stay in all the time. But he had not intended to retire early to his mansion. Someone had violently stabbed him repeatedly. He fell and died and had fought furiously with his might against his attackers to his last breath trying to do what we were left to do without him –survive. The only mansion a thugster gangster possibly gets to go home to, relax and enjoy is the grave. I think about him all the time and I am in constant raw sorrow as a result. I don’t want to let memories of him go because I am afraid he will forever leave. I want him in my thoughts and heart despite the hurt and pain of knowing how he had been taken away from us, so that he will not be alone and I will not be alone without him, his presence; his spirit. It was not the only time he had been stabbed. He had been unfairly blamed for a broken window and slashed. He had raised his hands in defense and his fingers were nearly severed. He refused to be taken to emergency. He had an outstanding ‘dummy’ warrant; a bogus warrant issued by malicious police to complicate Natives lives and impose unnecessary hardship. He knew the hospital would immediately relay his name to the police upon admission. Police provide lists of suspects and accused to hospitals and social assistance offices. This is one reason many Native people, victims of violence, also do not seek medical attention or apply for government welfare assistance. These institutions collude with the police authorities. They will tell you to ‘wait’ and then the police will suddenly walk in, grinning and bringing out their handcuffs. His brothers and I bandaged up his wounds as best we could and I slept beside him to watch him through the night. In the morning, I woke up feeling warmth. The entire bed
was soaked with his blood and my clothes were covered in his blood. We forced him to go to emergency and as soon as he was stitched and bandaged we all ran passed the shouting nurses and got him home. We had no idea he would only live another 6 months before being stabbed again and we would never see him alive. Rain On Me So who am I? I am an occasional thugster, not immersed in the lifestyle fully nor actively involved. I am not a ‘wanna be thugster’ – more like I am a ‘try not to slip into being one’ type. Gang members from every gang want me to be a fellow gang member, but I always manage to slip away from being locked down in their self-serving agendas. Justice officials would regard me as an ‘associate.’ But then to the paranoid-of-Natives-possibly-uprising Canadian government, every Native person, including your granny, your grandpa, your mangy rez dog, your ugly rez cat, and the ‘passed-out guy who sleeps on your couch’ too, is an ‘associate.’ Say ‘Hi’ to me and you can automatically be an associate of an associate of an associate. But I am more than what the Canadian government can add another stamped in triplicate label to. I am a band-member of some small insignificant impoverished ghetto reservation where hungry, skeletal Rez dogs prowl and growl. I am from a land where toothless old rezschool slob survivors gather to drink Lysol and infants sleep in Lucky beer boxes. I am from a mythical magical kingdom of magic mushrooms, mountains of towering misery, mayhem and moose meat. I am a faithful, true believer and religious adherent of the benevolence of the paper gods of Fiduciary Responsibility and Treaty Rights. I am the ‘incompetent Indian under the Indian Act’ that Indian Affairs is having a torrid affair with. I am a First Nation woman. I am a gender-war survivor. I am a sexual-abuse survivor. I am a family-violence survivor. I am a residential-school survivor. I am a police-brutality survivor. I am a proud Canadian societal-abuse survivor. But more importantly, I am also what I want you to recognize and acknowledge, every Native thugster and Native gangster to also be – a human being first and foremost. (and to all you First Nation readers who obviously successfully thankfully had an elementary education to read this – I want to remind you that me, and all the thugsters and gangsters are your very own First Nation relatives.) Excerpt from the novel in progress, ‘Thug Rez Mansions’, from Rain Raven., first draft. Copyright Rain Raven NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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Book Reviews For the restless mind BONE DANCE Martha Brooks (Fiction)
Bone Dance by Martha Brooks is a Native American coming of age novel in which the two main characters, Alex and Lonny both have visions about their past. Alex grew up very close to her Cree grandfather, she doesn’t know her white father, he left when she was young, but when he dies he leaves her a cabin near a Native American burial ground. Alex doesn’t want the cabin until she has dreams and visions of her grandfather and a sprit called Old Raven Man. While visiting the inherited cabin at the lake, she meets Lonny, who blames himself for his mother’s death. His mother died two nights after he dug up some bones at the burial ground. Lonny has dreams and visions of his mother. The cabin Alex inherits was supposed to be Lonny’s but he never felt he deserved it so his stepfather, thinking Lonny just has no interest in the cabin sells it to Alex’s father. Lonny has possession of a letter written by Alex’s father that he was supposed to mail but didn’t. Together the two listen to their ancestors and learn to accept and face their pasts, while finding theirselves and getting over their grief by accepting that some things are predestined, as they move into adulthood. The book is a great supernatural, spiritual story but, sometimes lines between what is dream or vision and what is really happening are somewhat blurry.
FOOLS CROW James Welch (Fiction)
Fools Crow by James Welch is a coming of age Native American novel, which takes place in 1870. The novel’s main character, White Man’s Dog, later named Fools Crow, belongs to the southern Blackfoot tribe. White Man’s Dog is portrayed as being weak or inferior to the other warriors in the beginning of the novel. He even goes to a medicine man to get “good spirits” about him. Slowly he gains respect from the tribe after successfully leading a raid on the Crows, providing a missing warrior’s family with food and supplies, and by going back to the Crows and scalping the Crow Chief, Bull Shield, hence then earning the name Fools Crow. Fools Crow grows to be a wise contributing member of the tribe. In contrast, another character Fast Horse is shown as foolish and reckless. While Fools Crow takes his responsibilites to the tribe seriously, Fast Horse rejects tribe traditions and joins a group of renegade warriors who attack the Napikwans, or white people, when the missing warrior, Yellow Kidney returns to the tribe and tells them he was captured and his fingers were cut off by the Crows due to Fast Horse’s foolishly alerting the tribe of the raid by shouting insults at them.Yellow Kidney eventually leaves the tribe because he feels he can’t contribute and upon finding his body Fast Horse leaves the renegades he has been riding with taking the body of Yellow Kidney back to the tribe, but instead of returning to his tribe, strikes out on his own. NEW TRIBE MARCH 2010
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