Volume 128 Issue 2

news 2

thursday september twenty-fourth, 2015

THE xaverian Oct 13 2020 Vol 128: Issue 2

OUR STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Will Fraser Catherine Poag xw.eic@stfx.ca

EDITOR: IZAAK MACMULLIN xw.news@stfx.ca

Nova Scotia Fishing Dispute Halle Cordingley Columnist

NEWS EDITOR Preet Banga xw.news@stfx.ca FEATURES EDITOR Gabe Ricards xw.feature@stfx.ca ARTS&COMMUNITY EDITOR Addy Strickland xw.culture@stfx.ca SPORTS&HEALTH EDITOR Jack Millbank xw.sports@stfx.ca STAFF WRITERS Mitchill Brown Brendan Boucher Nathan Penman Claire Schofer Ryder Ferris Blanche Yap Pagobo COLUMNISTS Halle Cordingly Haillie Green Sophie Hadley Jena Cook xw.eic@stfx.ca for general inquiries and advertising

Open contributor meetings are held Sundays at six in the newsroom: bottom floor SUB, left from the bookstore. X

As we observe the 27th year Anniversary of Mi’kmaq History Month, a dispute between Indigenous,non-Indigenous fishermen, and lobster fisheries is leading to protests in Nova Scotia.

On October 2, many people gathered at Halifax’s waterfront to stand in solidarity with the Mi’kmaw fishers, while on the other side many people gathered in Meteghan to show support for settler fishers. The same day, 75 fishermen gathered outside The Department of Fisheries and Oceans office In Antigonish.

This on-going situation has created uncertainty for both sides. As tensions rise, it is important that people look into the treaties, better understand the situation, and acknowledge that it is the Indigenous Peoples’ right to fish.

There has been much debate between The Sipekne’Katik First Nation Fishers and settler Fishers as to if The Sipekne’Katik First Nation are rightfully allowed to fish during the off-season.

(The Sipekne’Katik First Nation are a part of The Mi’kmaq

Nation; The Mi’kmaq people occupy Canada’s Eastern Maritimes and are a part of the original habitants of EasternCanada.) Settler fishers feel as though Indigenous fishers are fishing illegally and they are demanding regulations to be enforced that will prohibit fishing off season.

Another concern is that fishing outside of season will affect the lobster stock. The Sipekne’Katik First Nation assures that the lobster stock will not be a problem as they too are concerned with conservation.

An important part to this dispute is The Peace and Friendship treaties that were signed in 1760 and 1761 between The Mi’kmaq people and Britain. The treaty states that Indigenous People have the right to harvest fish, wildlife, wild fruit and berries tosupport a moderate livelihood.

On September 17, 1999 an important decision was made in the Supreme Court of Canada. Donald Marshall Jr., a Mi’kmaw man caught and sold 210 kilograms of eel with an illegal net and without a license.

Due to the Peace and Friendship treaties this was justified

as Marshall was pursuing a moderate livelihood.

The complicated part of this is the fact that the government never clearly outlined what a “moderate livelihood,” means.

Indigenous fishers have the right to fish for a moderate livelihood, it’s just not clear as to what extent that applies.

The average Nova Scotian income could be a good indicator or start, but no matter what the exact amount may be, it is a fact backed by treaties that The Sipekne’Katik First Nation people can legally fish right now.

It all started on September 17, when the Sipekne’Katik First Nation started their own Mi’kmaq regulated Lobster Fishery in St. Mary’s Bay. The feud began on September 20, when violent protests erupted.

Allegedly non-Indigenous fishermen blocked boats going to fish, cut trap lines on First Nation property and removed traps from the water. It is estimated that about 350 lobstertraps were removed. Indigenous fisherman responded by putting up blockades made of lobster traps.

On September 21, as the dispute continued, Chief Sack of

the Sipekne’Katik First Nation, The Fisheries Minister, Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett and many others met to discuss the ongoing problem.

The ministers released a statement clarifying that it is a constitutional treaty right for Indigenous People to fish in the pursuit of a moderate livelihood and that the RCMP, officers from The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Office and the Coast Guard would be sent to help protect the fishers and attempt to stop the violent protests.

This on-going situation has created high tensions withinNova Scotia. It is hopeful that The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Office, Indigenous fisherman, and settler fishers can peacefully find a solution.

A good start would be to somehow define “a moderate livelihood.” As we hear the voices of many sides through protests across Nova Scotia and continue through Mi’kmaq History Month, the StFX community needs to understand the importance of educating ourselves, acknowledging, respecting and recognizing Indigenous voices.

First Year Rep Crowned Will Fraser Editor-in-Chief

The Xaverian Weekly is the official student newspaper of St Francis Xavier University. The Xaverian Weekly is published on Thursdays by the Xaverian Weekly Publications Board and is editorially autonomous.

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After a contested election, Brendan Roberts was declared elected as First Year Representative for the StFX Students’ Union at the Golden X Inn on October 1, 2020.

Roberts lead from the beginning, with the ranked-ballot system first eliminating Katia Beales-Salovitch, then Anna Hancin leaving only Roberts, and competitor Hunter Park.

The results ended with Roberts winning 319 of 624, compared to Park’s 231. A further 19 students voted for neither Roberts or Park, and 55 students who voted for no candidate.

Following the results, Roberts said “I want to start off by thanking my fellow candidates for an incredible campaign process and for having the courage to get involved.”

Hancin, Park, and Beales-Salovitch unanimously congratu-

lated Roberts on his victory, and expressed optimism for his performance to the Xaverian Weekly.

Voter turnout reached a record high of 40.1 percent of eligible first-year voters.

Chair of Council Meredith Cudmore-Keating told the Xaverian Weekly, “I did not expect anything as high as 40% and it’s great to see so many of our first year students engaging in [Students’ Union] elections.”

Cudmore-Keating credited the number of candidates, and the fact that each candidate lived in a different residence as one of the main reasons for the high turnout. She also pointed to the involvement of O-Crew, the Students’ Union Executive, and Students’ Union Community Leaders as key to the success.

Roberts officially took office October 3 2020.

Photo supplied by Brendan Roberts

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An Interview with Terena Francis Preet Banga News Editor As we mark the 27th year Anniversary of Mi’kmaq History Month. Preet Banga, news section editor with the X-Weekly interviewed Terena Francis, the coordinator for Indigenous Student Affairs at StFX about her role and how she is trying to promote an understanding of the Mi’kmaq culture and traditions on the campus.

PB: Please tell us about your role as the Coordinator for Indigenous Student Affairs and some of the challenges you face?

TF: A big part of my job is to support Indigenous students to be successful with their academics, to do this we must ensure that we offer supports that have a holistic approach. I help the students navigate the campus community. I work under the Student Life Department and we are trying to work more as a team and work together to support the students, a case management style. So, this year I am referring more students to different resources within campus and help them navigate that. I also help students with filling out scholarship forms and bursaries. I offer academic supports such as tutoring and note takers. I also link the students with external supports, that would be relevant to their needs.

I want to ensure that the staff that I am referring students to, are also culturally aware and understand Indigenous issues.

These are some of the challenges that I face. However, it is getting much better. We are providing cultural awareness

training, equity and diversity training and those challenges are slowly going away. People are becoming more aware and understanding in how to better support the students. We need to have a holistic approach when working with Indigenous students. So, I guess my main worry is that I don’t want the Indigenous students to feel that they are sacrificing any part of their identity, or their dignity, to receive an education. I try to host events -- traditional and cultural events. I try to ensure that they are continuing with their practices here on campus that they would have done at home.

In the past, I did lot of recruitment with the Mi’kmaq schools locally and within Nova Scotia. I am also a part of the Indigenous Advisors Networking group. The Indigenous advisors get together twice a year. We support each other, because we understand and can relate to the challenges we face at our universities. I also work as a liaison between community sponsors and the students. A lot of times, I help the students navigate the resources that are provided through their community sponsors as well as on campus.

Another part of my position is to educate the campus community through cultural awareness training. I collaborate with different faculty members, with efforts to host events that would support decolonization and educate the campus community on Indigenous issues. I sit on a lot of committees to try to give an Indigenous perspective.

However, right now, my focus is on student success. And that’s where I would like to focus this year, especially with the pandemic.

PB: What sort of counselling or support are your able to provide to the indigenous students?

TF: The most important thing is that I can relate to the students. I know where they are coming from and they can relate to me. I feel that they are very comfortable to come to me.

I provide a safe space for them where they can discuss any issue, maybe in regards to racism or a professor might have made a comment that they felt was not right. So, we have discussions here in my office where students can release fully.

The lack of knowledge and understanding about our Indigenous history creates ignorance in regard to our past and our present. As a result, there are lot of opinions out there that necessarily are not educated opinions. We are an institution of higher learning and so my hope is that the students will take it upon themselves to seek out opportunities to learn more about the Indigenous people of Canada. It is very important to learn about the Mi’kmaq people in this area.

PB: What are your suggestions to build awareness about the Mi’kmaq people and their history?

TF: One of the main reasons for lack of cultural awareness is the absence of Indigenous employees and Indigenous perspectives. I believe we need to hire more Indigenous staff. We need Indigenous people sitting at those tables to ensure our perspectives are being included. Also, the curriculum should be made inclusive of Indigenous knowledge. Thankfully, StFX is listening to our recommendations, slowly, as you know, all

this is a process. I was pleased this year they hired Michelle Sylliboy, who is Mi’kmaq, her classes include conversational Mi’kmaw, along with a few other courses. This is a step forward!

We have a faculty member in the anthropology department, Jane McMillan that works closely with our Elder-in-Residence Kerry Prosper. They work well together ensuring that we are educating the campus community on issues. However, that’s not enough. Mi’kmaq History month is when we highlight some issues, but it shouldn’t only be limited to one month a year. We need more faculty to incorporate Indige-

nous Knowledge in their curriculum, of course being fully informed of the topics and genuine is a must. Not just faculty though, all of the campus community should know that it was Treaty Day, that the Mi’kmaw are not the only ones to celebrate Treaty Day, we are all Treaty People.

Photo Supplied by Terena Francis

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thursday september twenty-fourth, 2015

arts and community Mike Taylor Speaks to the Importance of Art and Culture in Indigenous Communities Sophie Hadley Columnist Mike Taylor is an Indigenous Ojibway Elder who is well known in the Antigonish community. Taylor moved from Ontario and found a place to call home in Paqtnkek, just outside of Antigonish. He has been very active in the community through consultation on various boards, and participation in events.

Most recently, Taylor joined the Committee for Aboriginal and Black Student Success (CABSS). The committee is composed of people committed to helping Aboriginal and Black students succeed at StFX. As recently as last month, the committee took action to create a letter regarding the RCMP presence on campus, in which they spoke about the poor communication on the part of the University, and how the presence of the RCMP may disproportionately affect BIPOC students in a negative way. The letter has since been addressed by the University. The goal of CABSS is to help Black and Aboriginal students be better

equipped to navigate the difficult transition to University life, and to support and advocate for them on their journeys.

Taylor’s experience extends from the campus community into Antigonish, on the Antigonish Culture Alive (ACA) Board, which fosters art, cultural activities and events within the town. Taylor’s first involvement with the ACA was through a play. He participated in a play put on in connection with the ACA, which depicted the interaction with and treatment of Indigenous people by white Acadian settlers. Shortly after, the ACA was searching for Indigenous Elders to provide new perspectives on the board. Taylor stepped up to the task and stayed on the board for several years, until he stepped down last year.

During his time on the ACA, Taylor has assisted with events in the community through sales, and was also kind enough to tell Indigenous stories with his family. He has also performed smudging ceremonies for numerous events.

Smudging, Taylor says,

“makes you feel good. It changes people’s attitude. I smudge everyday.” He says that this uplifting ceremony can be performed using sage, cedar, tobacco, and sweet grass, but he prefers to use sage. Antigonight Art After Dark Festival had asked him to bless Chisholm Park, and he has also been asked to smudge at the Antigonish Landing and the Arts House. Taylor says that often, people are nervous to participate in the smudging, but that there is little chance they will get it wrong. The purpose is to invite good energy in and repel bad energy, which he says everyone can do in their own way.

Taylor also takes this approach when it comes to art.

He states, “Everyone is talented in what they try to do.

We’re all our own worst critics.” Taylor continues to encourage other Indigenous artists to create. He notes that many people in his community have learned crafts, like quill work, bead work, basket making, moccasins, rattles, and dream catchers. In fact, he and a few other Elders had asked another Indigenous artist

from outside the community to teach them how to create drums. Through this, Taylor has been able to make drums of his own, and hopes to pass this knowledge onto younger people in the community as a way of preserving his culture.

He mentioned that he has a hard time looking at his art as a potential business. He says that he prefers to maintain it

as a passion rather than put a price on his work. He has even given his art away, despite the fact that many of the pieces he creates are quite intricate, and may have taken hours of labor to make. For Mike Taylor, art is about passion, and the mistakes don’t matter as much as enjoying the process of making something.

Photo from the Antigonight Facebook page, 2016.

In Conversation with StFX Elder in Residence Kerry Prosper Mitchill Brown Staff Writer StFX Elder in Residence Kerry Prosper joined me at StFX University on October 3 to discuss the nature of his work, learning lodges, and current Indigenous issues throughout an hour-long interview. Let us appreciate Mr. Prosper for allowing his time, thoughts and knowledge to be shared. Below are some of my learnings from the conversation.

Kerry Prosper is an Alumni member at StFX, where he enrolled as a mature student, completing his degree in Anthropology and Aquatic re-

sources. Prosper currently belongs to the Paqtnkekniktuek Indian Reserve No. 23 as a member of the elected band council, and aims to help others understand their significance in the world today through traditional Indigenous culture. He has been with StFX as a staff member for two years as an Indigenous knowledge keeper, as his title states, or, as he refers to himself, a “community elder in residence.”

Prosper is also a pipe carrier. From my research, the pipe, which the Mi’kmaq peo-

Photo supplied by Kerry Prosper

ple refer to as “the sacred pipe,” is a standard device in the Mi’kmaq community. The sacred pipe is made up of a bowl and a stem. It is filled with a substance that is then lit on fire to be inhaled. The Mi’kmaq people, out of tradition, only use tobacco. Absorbing tobacco in this method allows for communication between the living and the spirit world. Smoking through the sacred pipe is a sacred activity in which one can then ask for important things and make needs known. Prosper explained that for some, the pipe is a device at a ceremony, but the sacred pipe and his title of pipe carrier hold a lifelong agreement for him.

The agreement between Prosper and the sacred pipe is that he must safeguard it.

Using the sacred pipe gives the gift of “spiritual revitalization.” Further, Prosper uses the sacred pipe to train himself to be the best kind of person he can be in the world today.

Having traditional knowledge from his Mi’kmaq heritage and obtaining western academic accomplishments, Prosper has acquired the ability to understand the world around him in ways

that someone only having one or the other would not. He used the word “holistic” to explain this dual knowledge, in that one needs the other to understand just how intimately interconnected we are with our world.

Prosper explained that many things have changed in the past thirty or forty years.

He explained that one significant change is the explosion of new trade in traditional Indigenous crafts and medicines. Improved trade is substantial because it can help preserve culture. Trade also promotes social connections between cultures, which can help promote peace by exchanging ideas and providing new ways to be resilient.

The term “learning lodge” at StFX is not an actual lodge.

It was an idea that several people, including Mr. Prosper, worked on creating to make both Prosper and the student body’s time at StFX more valuable. Prosper explained that it was not his idea but that of Dr. L. Jane McMillan.

There have been several learning lodges on the StFX campus. Buffy Sainte-Marie’s visit was one. Kerry explained that the purpose of the learning lodge is to “open

up and learn beyond what you think you already know,” to help all who care to join in realize their potential in and importance to the world we live in. Prosper also discussed the many issues so many Indigenous people face and have faced, be it the residential schools or the Indian Act, and advised that the learning lodge could help alleviate pain by separating fact from fiction, bringing life back into the traditional Indigenous ways, and promoting the sharing of knowledge.

With the new experience COVID-19 has brought forth, Prosper believes it is a great time to continue the learning lodges, potentially through online forums. Many people have a hard time communicating how they feel in person, so using online discussion forums could actually be an asset. “Let us not be offended by each other’s thinking and feeling. A little understanding that we may be both ignorant in some ways, or misconceived about the way things are. We need to try to bring on a good, helpful discussion that our kids are going to have to inherit from what we leave behind,” he shared.

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opinions Indigenize Your Playlist

EDITOR: EMILY KEENAN xw.opinion@stfx.ca

Jena Cook Columnist Music is a substantial part of each of our lives. We are exposed to music before we are even born, and it can be a powerful form of communication. We have the ability to tell stories and teach lessons through song; Indigenous cultures are particularly well known for the way they pass down tales, stories, and lessons through music.

Indigenous musicians are proud of their cultural background, and many incorporate this into their songs.

Some artists have songs that reflect the struggles of being Indigenous. Certain songs also include traditional stories and spiritual beliefs backed by traditional instruments and beats, but many of these artists are making mainstream music in various genres as well.

Here are some Indigenous artists we’re listening to this month: Jeremy Dutcher is a mem-

ber of Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. He trained studied music in Halifax before working in the Canadian Museum of History, transcribing Wolastoq songs from 1907. Doing this, Dutcher felt inspired. His inspiration can be heard in his first album “LP Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa.”

Dutcher describes his music as influenced by classical music, vibrant, with a range of emotions, and full of respect for the traditional songs of his home as well as the urgency of modern day struggles of resistance. Read more about Jeremy at https://jeremydutcher.com/about/.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is a Cree singer-songwriter known for her ability to not sugar coat the truth or shy away from reality. Her songs are neither overwhelming nor oppressive—she makes her music, described as Powwow rock, enlightening and

important. Buffy hopes to make those who listen to her music feel stronger and more capable of seeing the world clearly. Read more about Buffy Sainte-Marie at http:// buffysainte-marie.com/.

The Jerry Cans, A JUNO Award-nominated musical group, bring a wash of glassy, slashing electric guitars, thundering drums, effectswarped throat singing, and ominous violin work, echoing sounds of love, anxiety, desperation, and grief, as well as the tangled relationships in between. From buzzing indie rock to towering shoegaze to moonlit country to Arctic post-punk, The Jerry Cans continue a tradition of celebration and resistance through music, marching in lockstep and acknowledging the vital, fortifying importance of both. Check out their social medias and music at https://www.thejerrycans.com/.

Michael R Denny is Mi’kmaw from the Eskasoni Mi’kmaw Nation in Cape Breton. Denny sings traditional Mi’kmaw songs and composes Mi’kmaw powwow songs for his powwow drum group, Stoney Bear Singers.

Michael is focused more on the traditional side of music.

You can check Denny out on YouTube.

George Pauls’ The Red Ochre Band originated in Miramichi, New Brunswick.

George Paul has been involved in the Aboriginal Traditional Movement attempting to revive Mi’kmaw songs, chants and ceremonies for the past 30 years. He is also known for teaming up with other artists, which he did for an album recorded in 1998, titled “Red Ochre.”

These various artists eventually became The Red Ochre Band. You can find the band on Facebook.

Aboriginal Artist of the

Year is one of the categories presented at the annual East Coast Music Award. The 2018 winner was City Natives, an Indigenous based rap group consisting of three men from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Another awards ceremony, The Indigenous Music Awards, hosted in Manitoba, awarded Black & Grey Best Radio Single for their song Pretty Little Nightmare. Black & Grey is made up of four members from Membertou, NS. The singer, Brandon Johnson explained where the band got their name, “the lyrics are not always black and white sometimes I write about the grey area, hence the name Black & Grey.” Check out Black & Grey and City Natives on Spotify!

Meaningful Art: Revitalising the Komqwej’wikasikl Language an Interview with Michelle Sylliboy Sophie Hadley Columnist Award winning author and Interdisciplinary artist Michelle Sylliboy (Mi’kmaq/L’nu) was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised on her traditional L’nuk territory in We’koqmaq, Cape Breton.

While living on the traditional, unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, Sylliboy completed a BFA at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and received an MEd from Simon Fraser University. She is currently a PhD candidate in Simon Fraser University’s Philosophy of Education program, where she is working to reclaim her original written Komqwej’wikasikl (suckerfish writing) language. Her collection of photography and L’nuk hieroglyphic poetry, Kiskajeyi—I Am Ready, was published by Rebel Mountain Press in 2019 now available as an eBook.

She was recently appointed at StFX University as new tenure track faculty in the department of Education, Modern Language and Fine Arts.

One of the many ways Michelle incorporates the language into her art involves carving the Komqwej’wikasikl (hieroglyphics) onto four pilot whale rib bones. Michelle spent several seasons prepping the whale, and couldn’t

bring herself to carve until inspiration occurred following a news story of an orca mother carrying her dead calf for 17 days, in Victoria, British Columbia. That orca mother inspired Michelle to carve the effects of climate change on a whale’s environment, because climate change affects us all.

Michelle felt moved to include other people by asking one question: “If you could tell the whale anything what would you say?” Each participant had to choose a Komqwej’wiksakl message from the dictionary, and with permission of those who responded, Michelle carved those messages onto both sides of four pilot whale ribs.

Since the first exhibition in Sydney, the whale bones have travelled to St. Johns Newfoundland and Calgary. Pending the containment of COVID-19, it will be displayed for a year at The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax.

Also on display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is an art installation cut into reflective vinyl of a Komqwej’wikasikl poem from Michelle’s book.

Titled “Elmi’knik Ilkwija’loqtew Ika’taqniktuk,” which translates to “in the future who will ease your heart in the garden,” the poem is in response to the late Mi’kmaq artist Mike MacDonald’s work, specifically a video ti-

Photo supplied by Michelle Sylliboy tled “Touched By The Tears of a Butterfly.” Michelle is currently part of the faculty exhibition at Mulroney Hall and her Komqwej’wikasikl poem is also on display at the People’s Place Library in Antigonish.

As an artist, Michelle worked to find what would be meaningful to produce. She told me, “you cannot ignore what is meant to be.” She noted that the language kept reemerging, and so she supported what kept presented itself

into her art and writing. Michelle feels that every generation plays a role in keeping the language alive. She says, “I’m not the first, my Elders past and present have all contributed to keeping the Komqwej’wikasikl language alive. In essence, each generation does something, and so this is my contribution, and the next generation will do something even more incredible.”

Teaching the next generation through her work in edu-

cation is also important to Michelle. For those interested in learning more, Michelle was recently appointed at St.FX where she will be teaching in three departments: Education, Fine Arts, and Modern Languages. Though busy writing her Doctoral dissertation, Michelle is teaching Mi’kmaw Language I, and will be offering Mi’kmaw Language II next semester along with Interdisciplinary Art through Indigenous pedagogy.

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thursday september twenty-fourth, 2015

Years of Treaty Conflict, StFX Professor Speaks Nathan Penman Staff Writer

kind of leadership, that kind of collective action. That was what he was aiming for when he continued on with that fight.

StFX anthropolog y professor Dr. L. Jane McMillan is the recent recipient of the Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing for her powerful release, Truth and Conviction: Donald Marshall Jr. and the Mi’kmaq Quest for Justice. Praise and recognition have been widespread since the book was released in late 2018, and she has since travelled to Harvard University as an invited speaker, and Toronto as an awardee.

On October 2, 2020, Dr. McMillan sat down with Staff Writer Nathan Penman to discuss her recent book award, the ongoing acts of aggression toward Mi’kmaq fishers, and what students can learn from Donald Marshall Jr. *** NP: To start, could you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you do?

JM: I’m a legal anthropologist and an applied anthropologist, so we do anthropolog y that hopefully does something that informs policy or can drive change. We identify social problems and work with community members to try and address those problems using whatever means we can. It is a really collaborative, community-led type of work that I do. I’ve had the wonderful privilege of working with the Mi’kmaq Nation for close to three decades now.

NP: Why did you write Truth and Conviction, and was it difficult trying to balance academic objectivity with your personal relationship to Donald Marshall Jr.?

JM: Well, it was a project that had been going on for a very long time. It was a project that was based on my Ph.D. dissertation, and then life got in the way. When Junior was alive, he wanted us to write a book together and we didn’t get to that work fast enough. He passed away in 2009, but I never lost sight of his desire to make sure that stories and his legacy continued.

So, I took that on, and my goal with the book was to honour his legacy and hopefully mobilize people to continue to act. To give them some insight into how he was thinking, but also [his] transformative impacts in terms of justice reform and treaty rights. I mean, it’s a heck of a story, he really was a remarkable man. But in writing it, I was also grieving the loss of some-

NP: Your book talks about continuing Donald Marshall Jr.’s desire for the Indigenous Peoples’ rights to be respected by everyone. I have to ask, what do you think the Department of Fisheries and Oceans could or should do to protect Mi’kmaq fishers and their rights?

body that I loved and cared about—somebody I spent many years of my life with. I spent a lot of time reflecting on our relationship and on our life, so that was a deeply personal experience for me.

It wasn’t always easy, there were a lot of tears. A lot of tears working through that, but [there was] a lot that I needed to keep to myself because I’m quite a private person, so even putting in the personal anecdotes that are in there was pretty tough.

NP: You recently won the Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing. How did it feel to receive it, and what does this award mean to you?

JM: I was absolutely thrilled and honoured. I didn’t expect to receive the award. It means a great deal to me—the recognition is very affirming. It was a difficult book to write and one never knows how that type of work is going to be received as balancing the academic and the personal is always a bit of a challenge.

And the recognition from the Atlantic Book Award— they wrote a really beautiful letter to me talking about the timeliness of the work, particularly in light of all of the racism and the tragic consequences going on over the summer.

NP: Dr. Ing rid R. G. Waldron’s There’s Something in the Water won the Scholarly Writing award last year, and this year you won it with your book, Truth and Conviction. To you, do

these recog nitions mean something for future work in mobilizing Mi’kmaq and Indigenous knowledge, ways of living, or current struggles?

JM: Well, I certainly hope so. I hope people will keep speaking out, the academy will keep writing and reporting, and news venues like yourself will keep the stories alive and in the headlines, and not just for the horrific sensationalism but getting at the root causes. Because it’s not until we address the root causes of inequality and discrimination that we’re going to make any change.

This is why we’re seeing such important work being done by the Mi’kmaq Nation today to assert their livelihood rights against all of the obstacles that have been put before them that exclude them and prevent them from doing what is rightfully theirs. I think those moments are really important and that the press needs to accurately reflect those moments.

There’s been a shift in the discourse around what the Mi’kmaq have been doing and there seems to be more positive support, as there should be, for treaty rights assertion.

NP: On September 18, The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs declared a State of Emergency in response to the hostilities surrounding fishing treaty rights and their assertion. Your book

describes how these came about. So, what do you think about the recent fishing rights disputes and the State of Emergency in Mi’kmaq’ki?

JM: Well, there are two important things, I think, for me. One, I 100% support the Assembly of Chiefs and the Mi’kmaq communities for asserting their livelihood rights and going out on their self-regulated livelihood fisheries. That’s been a long time coming, and that activity should not be criminalized in any way. It is legal under the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and of course through the Treaties.

I am terribly disappointed in the response from non-Indigenous fishers, but these conflicts aren’t new. The gear conflicts, the maliciousness, the destruction of traps, of boats—of anything that can interfere with the Mi’kmaq doing their ceremonial or livelihood fisheries—has been going on for many, many, many years.

And the Mi’kmaq haven’t been well protected nor have their rights been well recognized. So, I think what I really enjoy seeing right now is the unity of the Mi’kmaq Nation in going forward in supporting each other; those that gathered down there for the Mawiomi yesterday, those that gathered in Potlotek, and those that are supporting the Membertou fishery.

That to me is always what Jr. Marshall would’ve wanted. You know, I think that he would be thrilled to see that

JM: Well, I think there needs to be a whole-scale restructuring of the Fisheries in order to include, respect, and educate others on that space in the fishery.

There needs to be very a distinct place for Mi’kmaq rights to the resource, and they need to stop interfering with the livelihood aspects, they should be enabling commerce rather than disabling it. And I think that the education programs of the regulatory body have to shift so that everyone understands there are Mi’kmaq rights to fishing and that other Indigenous communities also have very similar rights to access these resources in Canada and they can no longer be excluded from that. There’s a lot of work to be done. They also need to be protecting Mi’kmaq gear and Mi’kmaq lives around that water against the hostilities and conflicts.

NP: What do you think people should understand about the Friendship and Peace Treaties of the 18th century?

JM: They are living treaties. They have been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada and they are upheld in the Canadian Constitution. The Mi’kmaq have an unbreakable bond to those treaties and live by and adhere to them. And all of the settlers who live in this territory are also treaty people and have an obligation to live the treaties as well, and that means honouring and respecting the relationships and, ideally, someday getting to the place where they are constantly celebrating those relationships rather than fighting over what those rights may be.

Continued Page 7

7

Years of Treaty Conflict, continued Continued from Page 7 NP: What do you think, then, that StFX University as an institution and its students could be doing to assist Mi’kmaq People trying to assert their treaty rights—their re-affirmed rights?

JM: I think we’ve got a great administration in place right now that are very supportive, and they want to be good neighbours to the Mi’kmaq Nation.

The Indigenous student services section of the university needs some growth, it needs some support, it needs more resources put toward it. So that’s one thing the campus can do. I think the campus can also welcome the dialogue and help shift the conversation from one of antagonism and racism to one of peace and friendship. As you mentioned, to be living the meaning and intent of the treaties in better ways.

I think that we fly the Mi’kmaq flag, we acknowledge we’re on Mi’kmaq territory— those are important symbolic steps—but substantively, there’s work to be done in our research relationships, our teaching relationships, and our service relationships. And I think that those changes are coming, I think that there is certainly the political will on campus and that students are all benefiting from exposure to Mi’kmaq culture and Mi’kmaq knowledge. And Indigenous knowledge isn’t general, and I think that everybody is learning and participating in that way, and we’re all better off for it.

So, I think more and more engagement and more and more opportunities for land-based learning. Our knowledge keeper on campus, I think that he could benefit from more resources because he’s really tapped a lot to educate and help people learn, but he can’t do it all—he’s a busy man—so we’d like to support Kerry Prosper in whatever ways we can. And I’d like to see at some point see the university set up sort of a space that’s both sacred and educational, and we could put in an ethnobotanical garden that relates to Indigenous knowledge, medicines, and plants, and maybe have a wigwam where we can do teachings and have the community come in and share their knowledge with us and have them be properly compensated for that exchange.

NP: Me, I’m from Sydney so I’ve grown up with some familiarity of Mi’kmaq knowledge but when I came to university—it just opens your eyes to just how much you don’t know.

And having more of those opportunities to learn can never be a bad thing.

JM: I also think that we need more Indigenous faculty—we need more diverse faculty. But, more Indigenous faculty and

staff, for sure. It’d be great to have a Chair of Indigenous Governance in the Public Policy and Governance program. A Chair of Indigenous Environment in the Climate and Environment program. A Chair of Indigenous Health in the Health program. A Chair of Indigenous Business—I mean we can have it everywhere.

NP: Let’s circle back to your book. In it you state: “The adversarial justice system features the state as the victim and punishment as the cure, in a narrow adjudication process separated from the community.” I wonder, then, to you, what would a pluralized justice system in Nova Scotia or Mi’kmaq’ki look like?

JM: It would be one where the community has way more input in the remedy. The restorative justice processes are fairly inherent in Mi’kmaq belief systems and they could be brought forward and brought into practice. The Wagmatcook Court is a great start, and they are working really hard with community members and [they] have their Elder advisory circle. They work with the Mi’kmaq legal support network which provides some customary and law and court worker support.

But I think we can take it a step further and see some selfdetermined justice institutes being brought forward relying on Mi’kmaq legal principles and I’d like to see that happen. So, I think that the Mi’kmaq have always had an interest in creating their own courts—it doesn’t have to look like a Canadian court, it doesn’t even have to be called a court, for the sake of this conversation. Or, [it could be] a justice lodge or someplace where people can come and gather and gain the teachings they need to repair whatever harms have been committed.

And to reintegrate people back into the communities so people can go on living in a good way.

NP: As a follow-up, what would you say to those who have doubts in Indigenous People’s ability to judge or mediate through these justice circles, or so on, when harm is done to the community?

JM: I think regardless of what kind of justice system you have, you have people who doubt it. I mean, we certainly can’t have blind faith in our justice system in Canada; it makes mistakes, it makes a lot of mistakes. And Donald Marshall’s wrongful conviction is but one of many, many more. And, so, I think any sort of system that’s trying to generate knowledge, repair harms, and deter people from committing further offences and working to re-integrate people, of course, is going to run into its problems. But I think that the benefit of Indigenous legal principles and practice is that they’re far more focused on rehabilitation and reintegration than punishment. And I think that our justice system would

benefit from changing its lens to one that’s far more rehabilitative and reintegrative than its focus on punishment because it’s not working.

NP: I think your passion for telling Donald Marshall Jr.’s story and telling people today why it’s important to continue his legacy—I think it speaks in the book, so I really do want to commend you for a quality book, and like I said I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from it. I really do hope that our readers will do the same.

JM: Thank you, Nathan, I appreciate that.

8

thursday september twenty-fourth, 2015

The status card.

Ruby P. Contributor

reservation.

The status card with the smudged printing.

A quick made card I cut to properly fit in my wallet,

A card that only took 5 minutes to get.

Held together with scotch tape after being shoved into a wallet.

It’s the status card that’s asked for but never returned.

The status card that caused an argument between a lady and Walmart’s’ manager because “I’m Native you know-I don’t have to pay tax!” and it’s a card that “Works everywhere else I go!”

The status card that lost its place in my purse for months.

With the picture that made me look yellow.

My card is real but often gets rejected.

The card with the picture that wasn’t timed.

The status card that is going to expire soon.

The card with too many numbers to fit properly.

It’s the same card I cannot use when it has expired.

The card that gave me too many numbers to remember.

The status card that gets cut up on me because it is no longer valid.

It’s a card I got brand new because someone else liked being “2#4” too.

New card, same number.

My status card no one ever considered valid in the first place.

My status card I got renewed and was finally a registered “Indian” again.

With the same yellow tinted picture, But a different expiration date.

With the status card that says “Registry No. *****254** is an Indian within the meaning of the Indian act chapter 27” so on and so on.

The status card I always carry with me.

It is The Status card I have been asked to use on others more than myself.

I carry it because it has become my identity; but it barely counts as government I.D.

My Status card is what I have used my rights on others more than myself.

The Status card that is turned away with disgust,

The status card I held when I was lied to by 4 Sephora members and apologized to by the Sephora manager.

It is the same card I hold while an elderly white woman bangs on my car window to ask if I had it with me and if I were legally old enough to purchase cigarettes.

The status card I can barely use to get tax off for myself.

My Status card reminded me “You shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask-these are your rights and we’ve applied them since the store opened.”

It’s the Status card that found a place that finally worked,

The status card I carry with guilt when I see the same elderly lady to my left and a police officer to my right.

but only when certain people are working.

The status card I am nervous to be asked for.

The Status card that does not define me as “Indian” anymore.

Edges that are fraying and splitting.

The card I do not hide but do not share either,

Made up of orange printer paper and laminated sheets.

It’s the status card I use to get benefits when they count.

The status card that should last me 5 years but only lasts 2.

And the status card I use to get cheap cigarettes I do not smoke.

It’s the Status card a lady takes to the back of the store room and that returns in her boss’ hand.

That’s my card.

The status card with stories of the older days where if a police officer found you walking, he would ask for your number and send you away for leaving your numbered section

Ruby P. is is an Indigenous student from We’koqma’q First Nation currently attending StFX University.

Photo supplied by Terena Francis

9

distractions

Thanksgiving Horoscopes Blanche Yap Pagobo Staff Writer Aries (March 21 – April 19) There’s always room for a second plate You will go back for a second plate because you are a risk taker! Don’t go into a food comma again this year so don’t go too overboard on those sides!

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Wine is your soulmate Watch the wine stain on your teeth! You will have a great time catching up with your friends and family while having a few (or more) glasses of wine. Knowing your personality, you will help out a lot in the kitchen!

Gemini (May 21 – June 21) Nap Queen/King You have been very hardworking so it’s time to claim that reward. You will get the time off that you deserve. You will be dozing off on a comfy chair with a warm blanket in the corner and you’re off to dreamland.

Cancer (June 22 – July 23) Amen You are in charge of making sure what everyone around the table is thankful for because you definitely have a way with words. Someone will remind you that the food is getting cold though, so don’t take too long!

Leo (July 24 – August 23) The Babysitter You’re so generous that you offer to do thanksgiving crafts with the kids who are way too impatient. You get the job done by keeping them very distracted!

Virgo (August 24 – September 22) Gordon Ramsay is that you?

You make the holiday magic happen because of your meticulous personality. You keep the kitchen organized while memorizing recipes from previous Thanksgiving feasts. You lose track of the time because you can chit-chat in the kitchen all day long.

Libra (September 23 – October 22) Tradition is important!

You always try to get everyone situated in the same room during Thanksgiving to watch the Macy’s Day Parade that happens in New York City even if it’s just for a few minutes. You refuse to grow up because you’ve always adored the giant inflatables that make their appearance during the parade!

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22) Turkey surgeon The most important job during Thanksgiving is cutting the turkey and you brush up your concentration skills by doing so. Apparently, it takes patience and a steady hand. (Is this an operation?)

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 20) Raise your glass Making an elaborate speech is your talent and you will be doing the Thanksgiving toast. Cheers to another prosperous year! Raise your glass to the attention-seeker everyone!

Capricorn (December 21 – January 20) Christmas Enthusiast #1 You have an eye for creativity and you always make sure that there are festive wreaths hanging around the house! It’s only Thanksgiving but you’re already taking out Christmas decorations out of the storage!

Aquarius (January 21 – February 19) Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat Obviously, you’re a die-hard sports fan. Who doesn’t look forward to watching their favourite team play for the playoffs during the holidays?

Pisces (February 20 – March 20) Christmas Enthusiast #2 If Capricorn pulls out the Christmas decorations, you on the other hand, whip out your Christmas playlist starting with Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is you”! It’s finally here, let the festivities begin. (It’s only October people!!)tionskills by doing so.

Apparently, it takes patience and a steady hand. (Is this an operation?)

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 20) Raise your glass Making an elaborate speech is your talent and you will be doing the Thanksgiving toast. Cheers to another prosperous year! Raise your glass to the attention-seeker everyone!

Capricorn (December 21 – January 20) Christmas Enthusiast #1 You have an eye for creativity and you always make sure that there are festive wreaths hanging around the house! It’s only Thanksgiving but you’re already taking out Christmas decorations out of the storage!

Aquarius (January 21 – February 19) Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat Obviously, you’re a die-hard sports fan. Who doesn’t look forward to watching their favourite team play for the playoffs during the holidays?

Pisces (February 20 – March 20) Christmas Enthusiast #2 If Capricorn pulls out the Christmas decorations, you on the other hand, whip out your Christmas playlist starting with Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is you”! It’s finally here, let the festivities begin. (It’s only October people!!)

10

thursday september twenty-fourth, 2015

sports and health

EDITOR: SHELBI KILCOLLINS xw.sports@stfx.ca

The Indigenous Perspective on Health and Wellness Haillie Green Columnist

It is important to note that this discussion on Tradition al Healing is only represen tative of common practices, and not all Indigenous groups take part in these tra ditions.

October 1st was a very important day in Nova Scotia, as it was both Treaty Day and the beginning of Mi’kmaw History Month.

During the month of October, you may notice educational posters hanging on school walls across the province, with the purpose of recognizing and celebrating Mi’kmaw culture and heritage. This year, the Mi’kmaw History Month poster is educating Nova Scotians on “Sqaliaqnn Tel-nenmumkl aqq Tel-we’wmumkl” or “Plant Knowledge and Use”.

Harvesting plants and utilizing them for both nourish-

ment and healing is an example of the Indigenous perspective on health and wellness, which encompasses holistic approaches and Traditional Healing practices.

In order to gain perspective, it is important to understand Indigenous spirituality in relation to wellbeing. At the heart of Indigenous healing you will find the Medicine Wheel—which refers to the connection between the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental aspects of life.

The wheel is divided into four sections that represent not only these four elements, but also the four seasons, four sacred medicines, four directions, and the four sacred animals. The interconnection between mind, body, and soul is shown in the Medicine Wheel, and this holistic method is an important theme throughout Indige-

nous healing practices.

As mentioned previously, an integral part of Indigenous wellness is the use of plants. The four sacred plants, also known as the four sacred medicines, are tobacco, sweet grass, cedar, and sage. In First Nation culture, sweet grass is used to cleanse, cedar is a protector, sage wards against negative energy, and tobacco is a sign of respect to the Creator.

These four herbs are used during a Traditional Healing practice called Smudging.

This is a ceremony that involves burning the four sacred herbs and wafting the smoke around the person with an eagle feather. The left-over ashes are disposed of and are said to contain the negative thoughts and energy from that person.

Another example of a Traditional Healing practice is

the use of sweatlodges.

These are dome-shaped structures that can reach temperatures of up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 39 degrees Celsius) and are used to promote healthy living through the process of prayer and releasing toxins. An intense heat is generated by scorching rocks, and water is sprinkled over the rocks to create steam. This steam is key in allowing the participants to sweat out their toxins and impurities. It is important to note that all sweatlodges are different, and the ceremonies held within them have different purposes. For example, a sweatlodge may be open to all, or it could be restricted to a certain age group or gender. There are also “sweats” that can be specific to Fasting rituals. Fasting is

Ireland Withdraws from Lacrosse World Cup in Support of Indigenous Rights Brendan Boucher Staff Writer The game of Lacrosse is one of the 2 national sports of Canada. However, the game of lacrosse was not invented by a Canadian but invented by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Haudenosaunee call the game “the medicine game” and it is a very important part about how young people grow up in their communities.

They use the game to teach about sportsmanship, being part of a team and numerous other important life lessons. The Haudenosaunee have their own passports and are recognized as an independent and free nation.

It came as a shock to many that despite all these factors, the international lacrosse body would not allow the Haudenosaunee team, playing under the banner of the Iroquois Nationals to compete in the upcoming Lacrosse World Cup. World Lacrosse said that the Iroquois Nationals team must compete under a Canadian flag or not compete at all.

This was disheartening to the team as they wanted to represent their nation, not another. When the list of teams set to compete was released, the Iroquois Nationals were excluded all together despite being rank #3 globally.

Hearing of this, the Ireland national team decided to make a difficult decision. Despite having worked for this honour for the past 4 years, they decided that they would not feel right

about going to a championship that excluded one of the best teams.

“None of us would be going to Birmingham, Ala., in the first place if it wasn’t for the Iroquois and giving us the gift of their medicine game,” Sonny Campbell from Ireland said, “We support them, and if it means we’ll give up our spot, then so be it. But the Iroquois, they need to be there,” This move has fostered an unlikely friendship between the 2 teams thousands of kilometers apart. The announcement brought national attention to the team, the tournament and Indigenous rights across Canada and the world. “The Iroquois Nationals are going to put together the best team the world has ever seen, and representing not just the Iroquois Nationals, but Ireland lacrosse also,” Lyle Thompson one of the veteran Iroquois Nations said.

The tournament takes place is Birmingham Alabama in 2022 and will include 8 teams, Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, the Iroquois Nationals, Israel, Japan and the U.S. Iroquois supports will likely be able to watch the games on the TSN network.

Photo via CNN

an Indigenous practice that is usually done under the discretion of an Elder, and it involves going without food for a period of time. Some First Nations teachings say that you fast in the autumn to strip away negative energy, and fast in the spring to recharge yourself with improved energy. Both Healers and Elders say that Fasting has a healing and cleansing effect when preformed safely under the supervision of an Elder.

For centuries, the First Nations have maintained a symbiotic relationship with the land and its creatures, and this shows in their health and wellness practices. In addition to smudging, sweatlodges, and fasting, Indigenous Healers also turn to the trees, soil, food, and water

11

opinions

EDITOR: EMILY KEENAN xw.opinion@stfx.ca

RBG’s Mixed Record Sophie Hadley Columnist Following the death of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Badger Ginsburg and the online praise she was receiving, I became aware of a number of articles suggesting that Ginsburg in fact did not have a favourable record when it came to issues of Indigenous rights. The proposed ‘champion for all’, though instrumental in the assertion of women’s rights in America, had what some would call a ‘mixed record’ when it came to more intersectional feminist views.

I felt that it was important to look into the cases that make Justice Ginsburg’s record on Indigenous cases less than the caliber of judicial excellence that much of the public remembers. A quick search yielded results that I had not previously thought to look into given the widely publicized image of Ginsburg as the ‘Notorious RBG,’ the fierce fighter of women’s rights.

During Ginsburg’s tenure as Supreme Court Justice the opinions she wrote for the court regarding what are referred to as “Indian Law” cases were comparatively less favourable towards groups of Indigenous people than had been written in

previous years. Ginsburg’s record upholds the opinion that she was unreceptive to indigenous claims. In hindsight, it can be inferred that the Supreme Court itself has shown preferential treatment to those enforcing state rights, rather than Indigenous rights or what is referred to in Carole Goldberg’s analysis of past Indigenous cases involving Ginsburg as ‘tribal rights’.

Ginsburg’s record is particularly interesting as it is her opinions that are the bigger issue, not necessarily how she voted in these individual cases, where scholars take issue. One such opinion which she wrote in regard to the City of Sherill V. Oneida Indian Nation frequently pops up as one of the more problematic. The case itself dates back hundreds of years, to the American Revolution. The Oneida had broken ranks with the other Iroquois Nations to support the US, providing the army with corn that was considered a much-needed resource at the time. Following the Revolution, in acknowledgement of their efforts, the US signed a treaty with the Oneida to provide 300 000 acres of land in what is now New York.

Later, in 1970, New York pressured the Oneida into signing all but 5000 acres of their land away. The US never intervened, despite a 1790 law stating land could not be allocated without express permission of the US. By 1838, after more pressure from the state, the Oneida only owned 32 of the original 300 000 acres.

By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries numerous attempts to reclaim Oneida land were made.

When the Oneida finally managed to reclaim a small part of their ancestral land, however, another issue occurred. Though Oneida was understood to be a sovereign nation, as the treaties that were signed outline, the City of Sherill was still imposing a tax on their land. When brought to the Supreme Court, the decision was rendered in favor of the City of Sherill, which lower courts have suggested acts as an invitation to deny Indigenous claims in the future. In Ginsburg’s opinion to the court, she consistently references the Oneida’s dispossession of land as ‘ancient’ rather than recognizing that their rights were being dismissed in the

present. The struggle that the Oneida were currently facing was disregarded. As a historian, I find fault in the lack of understanding about the depth to which these issues persist, and the past in which they are connected to.

In more recent years, Ginsburg’s voting had been more favorable towards the affirmation of Indigenous Sovereignty. In one of her last votes, Ginsburg voted 5-4 in McGirt V. Oklahoma.

This ruling affirmed that the eastern half of Oklahoma was considered Native American Territory. If anything, these facts point to a need to grapple with dissenting stories opposing a common public storyline.

Ginsburg’s opinions to the court also outline a distinct gap in the law more generally when it comes to the understanding of Indigenous traditions, law, and ways of understanding the world. Nearly nobody is untouched by an ingrained history of colonialist views.

Ginsburg, though the pinnacle of women’s independence, lacked the capacity to understand the Indigenous perspective for much of her law career.

Infectious Until Proven Celibate… seriously?

Red Carter Contributor

The deliberately discriminatory, draconian blood ban is how Canadian Blood Services (CBS) chooses to kill people every single day.

Their present policy states that men who have sex with men (msm) must practice total abtainance of sexual contact for three months to be granted the privilege to donate. This also applies to trans women who have not had gender affiriming surgery who have sex with men. The ban ignores advances in screening which are now able to detect cases as new infections within nine days of exposure.

PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a drug which according to the CDC reduces the risk of contracting HIV from sexual practices by 99% as opposed to those not on the drug. This drug is heavily marketed at msm and trans individuals and apps like Grindr encourage its use by adding “on

PrEP” as an add on to your HIV status option, where you can also add your last date tested. While none of these boxes are mandatory to fill out, it does support the information from the Unifor website stating that msm (and presumably trans folks as well) are more likely to know when they’re been exposed that their heterosexual counterparts. Despite this CBS still refuses to make their questions related to behaviour, preferring to run on assumptions; a monogamous gay couple is not allowed to donate but a woman can ride a new disposable douche daily, provided she has a vagina, and still donate.

It’s pretty sad that the Umbrella Academy did a better job of discriminating blood donation based on behaviour of a man who has sex with men. It was based on behaviour. Imagine. But no, we instead are given the Luther treatment of having

our blood being basically inhuman.

It’s pretty obvious that people are just plain homophobic. Read the CBS frequently asked questions and try sifting through their political paragraphs for an actual answer to the question that doesn’t boil down to “gay blood is dirty, we ignore science that doesn’t support this.”

Having the Student Union Building choose to support this was disrespectful to every person who saw it had to laugh it off. Hatred based discrimination has no place in a build that’s supposed to be for ALL students.

Take the hate home. Ninian’s Cathedral is an on campus location that isn’t part of the campus itself, it’s part of the community of Antigonish.

A community which is far less likely to walk into the heart of campus to donate than they are to come from

the sidewalk to donate. More donors and the school engages in a positive way with the town. Everybody wins and the place that is not for the gays is the church once more.

If we can’t have human levels of respect you can at least let us have a laugh.

Nobody should have to walk past a reminder of ignorance reducing them from a who to a what.

Photo via The Daily Beast

Being an ally in 2020 Alexandra Daly Contributor

do better.

It’s not about you.

You read the news. You know about George Floyd’s murder, and about Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s. You are not BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour), but you want to show that you support the Black Lives Matter Movement. So, you posted a black square on your Instagram for #blackouttuesday. Maybe you even took five minutes to sign the “Justice for George Floyd” petition on change.org. While none of that is bad,although the jury is still out on that black square, that is not enough. As a white individual you have a unique advantage to use your inherent societal privilege to fight for equity without facing nearly as much of the consequences. Further, as individuals who benefit from a white-oriented system we have a responsibility to help dismantle it. So, let’s talk about being an ally.

What does it mean to be an ally? More so, how does one be a “good ally”?

It is accurate to say that it can be alarming and a struggle to educate yourself on racism and oppression. History and the present day are not pretty. Despite that, if you are shocked by the headlines, imagine how a BIPOC individual must feel right now. You probably can’t. So, when on social media, or when talking to your black and Indigenous friends, don’t monopolise the conversation. Listen more than you speak. Moreover, recognize that it not the job of your BIPOC friends to hold your hand, educate you, or make you feel comfortable in this conversation. Being uncomfortable is good, it means you are probablyquestioning flawed internalized values and beliefs.

Read a book.

There are so many excellent writers that discuss this issue in depth. This includes but is not limited to:

to be harmed by police than a BIPOC individual, act accordingly. Don’t record and share images and videos of protesters unless you have their permission. They could be recognized and targeted.

Understand the tactics of police and government regarding police brutality.

Be critical of politicians kneeling and police officers hugging protesters. This is primarily performative. These individuals have the power and the resources to alter the system. Ask yourself, have they? If the Black Lives Matter movement was not significantly popular, would they still kneel?

Donate.

If you can afford to, put your money where your mouth is. However, it is important to research who you donate to, and what they will do with your money. Some good places include but are not limited to: • Black Women in Motion

It is important to first recognize that “ally” might not be the correct term. According to activists like Feminista Jones, the term “ally” has been associated with performance, often for personal gratification.

Allies dip their toes in and “support,” but do not dive in to see the cause through. Further, the term “ally” suggests that one doesn’t have a stake in the outcome. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. We all benefit from a more equitable society. Rather than an ally, be a co-conspirator. Being a “co-conspirator” involves actively taking on racism and oppression as your own issue, even if you will never understand or experience the damage it causes.

“But I’m not racist.”

We live in a society that inherently benefits white individuals. It doesn’t matter that you had no control over the Transatlantic Slave Trade, or the residential school system.

It doesn’t matter that you have never in your life said the nword while rapping to Drake.

Not actively harming BIPOC individuals does not absolve you from trying to dismantle a system that abuses them.

Rather than “not being racist,” be “anti-racist.” Being antiracist is a conscious effort to make daily choices to call-out racism when you see it, educating yourself, and understanding that we can always

• The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole • How to Be an Antiracist

by Ibram X. Kendi • White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carole Anderson • White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo • Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century by Dorothy Roberts • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Think locally.

Racism and oppression exist everywhere, not just in the United States. Make and active effort to buy from BIPOCowned businesses. Pay attention to local issues and local leaders. How much does your city or town spend on policing? For example, the town of Antigonish recently approved it’s 2020-2021 budget, allotting for an almost 1.6 million contract with the RCMP. Go to a protest.

Wear a mask. Don’t loot and remember that you are a guest. If violence does occur, remember you are less likely

• Black Legal Action Centre • Justice for Regis • Indigenous Canada

Awareness

• Circles for Reconciliation