Dan Green
Author of Teeth, Lies & Consequences & Blue Saltwater
Winnipeg Aboriginal Fim Festival
Nov 16th
For anyone living near Winnipeg, November 16-20 figures to be an exciting and informative time with the annual exposition of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival. (www.waff.ca) This year’s keynote speaker is Mr. Chris Eyre who directed the film Smoke Signals starring Adam Beach. The award winning screenplay for this film was done by aboriginal author Sherman Alexie based upon his collection of short stories entitled The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. See http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/aboriginal-film-festival-honours-past-present-future-133864123.html for more information.
Blue and Sarah
Nov 14th
The Oscar Season has begun and one of the movies getting buzz this year is the WW II holocaust drama, Sarah’s Key. http://weinsteinco.com/sites/sarahs-key/ . This is another story about Nazi’s killing Jews but what makes it unique is that it is told through the eyes of a young Jewish girl, depicting what happened in a more compelling way than what the usual historical and journalistic accounts are capable of presenting.
Blue Saltwater was written with the same goal in mind; to relate the truth about the trauma experienced by countless aboriginal kids within the Indian Residential School System through the eyes of one teenage boy, Blue Saltwater, taking readers on an emotional journey which enhances their ourstanding of what really happened. A movie based upon this book will someday inform an even broader audience. .
Aboriginal Smoke Shops and Health Responsibilities
Nov 10th
The Great Buffalo Nation Dakota, an alliance of 10 Dakota Nations in the Prairie Provinces has decided to flout Canadian tobacco control regulations by opening up a smoke shop and VLT gaming centre that defies Manitoba laws regarding tobacco sales. The Dakota say they just want to exercise their “sovereignty rights” but the real plan is to make easy money by selling cheap smokes and ripping off the rest of their customers’ money with the gambling. http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Authorities+urge+crackdown+Manitoba+smoke+outlet/5692442/story.html
Although the combined voices of the tobacco industry and Canadian law authorities have urged the Manitoba government to crack down on this operation, we haven’t heard a word from the Assembly of First Nations on this issue.
If Chief Shawn Atleo and the Assembly’s leaders are serious about taking full responsiblity for aboriginal health care through organizations like the newly established BC Aboriginal Health Authority (See blog October 14,2011, Aboriginal Education and BC Health Authority), they must immediately take the lead in standing against this initiative which will promote smoking and subsequent health problems especially among aboriginal youth in the area. If this challenge isn’t met head on by Chief Atleo and his executive team, how confident can Canadian taxpayers be that their hard earned dollars will be able to effectively administered to promote positive aboriginal health outcomes in the future.
Aboriginal Education and Blue Saltwater Kindle Edition
Nov 3rd
Blue Saltwater is now available at the Kindle Store for $3.99. What an affordable way for educators to provide their students with an emotional no-holds barred insight into the Canadian Indian Residential School System that they will never get by reading a boring documentary edition about this subject. I would love to participate if any students or educators out there want to start a dialogue or book club on this story.
Grizzly Bear Business
Oct 25th
The Orford River Valley boasts one of the heaviest concentrations of Grizzly Bears in British Columbia.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/mark-hume/ This traditional home of the Homalco Indian Band was abandoned many years ago but is now being resurrected by a fortunate confluence of events which would have been hard to imagine in years past.
The Homalco have found a willing ally in Mr. Wynne Powell, the CEO of London Drugs Ltd, the company which also owns The Senora Resort, a luxury wilderness lodge located nearby. The company and the band have joined forces by combining their unique abilities to make this a Grizzly viewing mecca especially for European tourists who are enamored by the abundance of wildlife in British Columbia.
The band first restored the Orford River salmon run and then added value by selling tours to watch the bears eat fish. Mr Powell, an avid Grizzly photographer and a frequent customer of the trips saw where he could help the band grow their business by offering a two day program for the six-member grizzly bear crew where the company’s training program in customer handling skills was redesigned to make it relevant to wilderness bear guides.
The results have been remarkable and could not have occured if either group had acted in isolation. Whereas in the past the guides would have ad-libbed, there are now prescribed welcoming speeches, set tour schedules and a series of carvings which serve as talking points for the guides to explain Homalco legends. The guides have become more confident and polished in their presentations and because of the interest of the outside world for the Homalco culture, there is a renewed enthusiasm and pride on the reserve about the past, with some of the guides trying to learn their largely forgotten Homalco language. The Bear Tour has now become a must-do experience for visitors to the lodge and the cultural dimension provided by the guides is priceless.
What a great template for other aboriginal business ventures to emulate. I have seen modern resorts owned by Indian bands in BC where there is a disappointing number of aboriginal employees which completely misses the point, since these businesses were meant to provide employment opportunities for aboriginal youth. A cooperative approach like the above could be the answer to getting these ventures on the right track of providing good jobs, renewed cultural pride and a valuable educational experience for visitors.
Aboriginal Education going in the Wrong Direction
Oct 19th
As mentioned before on this blog, about sixty percent of aboriginal kids drop out of high school which is way too high. Now I see that the number of young aboriginal women going to prison has shot up by forty percent in the last decade.http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Gangs+starting+infect+women+prisons/5554001/story.html
Is this where they’re going to get their education? Hope not!
Aboriginal women have always played a vital role in the life of their communities and now is the time when opportunities of a lifetime are becoming available that will enable them to lead their communities into a brighter future. Come on ladies, it’s your turn to shine, not to rot in some black hole. With the new Aboriginal Health Authority being established in British Columbia, the options for young aboriginal women to attain stimulating, respected, and well paying health careers is staggering. The bus is leaving pretty mama. Don’t get left behind.
Aboriginal Education and BC Health Authority
Oct 14th
B.C First Nations signed an historic agreement today with the provincial and federal governments that will transfer responsibility for the administration of $380 million aboriginal health care dollars to a newly created First Nations Health Authority. Federal Minister Leona Aglukkaq, Grand Chief Doug Kelly and Assembly of First Nations Chief Shawn Atleo said the agreement will streamline administration and integration of health services which will result in remarkable improvements in the health and well-being of BC First Nations and will be a step forward in First Nations taking back responsibility for their own lives and communities.http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111013/bc_first_nations_health_authority_111013/20111013/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
Sounds good on paper but is this really going to be the case or will it turn into another insatiable bureaucractic nightmare? Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said he is not clear how it will work on the ground since it is such revolutionary idea. I don’t like the sound of that! http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1555259.
This process is going to take time and there will be a steep learning curve, but for the sake of all aboriginal families I hope that this bold initiative will provide inspiration for young aboriginals to stay in school and pursue meaningful careers in health care delivery rather than just becoming another soft cushy mattrass for paper-pushers and politicians. Go for it kids. The future is bright and you are the future.
Suicide Prevention:The Power of Love and a Good Job
Oct 5th
Chief Shawn Atleo of The Assembly of First Nations today commended all federal parliamentarians for coming together to support a national suicide prevention strategy. First Nations communities are particularly hit hard with suicide rates being five to seven times higher than among other Canadians.http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9ecfc4d0646e1736f945a8cd8&id=4fd1768199&e=4d6920a344
This is good as far as it goes, but a suicide prevention program alone will not be effective unless it is an integral part of a larger effort to promote practical education and training programs that are targeted to provide good paying jobs so young aboriginals can see a more positive outlook for their future.
The pivotal role of friends and family in providing a safety net of love and encouragement along the way cannot be underestimated either. If it wasn’t for the unconditional love of Padre Joe Murphy, Blue Saltwater would have jumped off the Lions Gate Bridge and never reached his goal of returning to Haida Gwaii.
Paul Martin’s Aboriginal Initiative Program
Sep 24th
Former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin was a great champion of First Nations issues during his time in office from 2003-2006. Since leaving politics he has been actively involved with several non-profit endeavors including the Martin Aboriginal Educational Initiative http://www.maei-ieam.ca/ which he established to benefit native youth in Canada. Log on to this site to see all the good work that is being done by this organization and find out how you can get involved.
BC Government and First Nations on the Right Track
Sep 19th
Today’s announcements by Premier Christy Clark of large private partnership infrastructure projects in Prince Rupert and Kitimat,http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Premier+Christy+Clark+kicks+jobs+week+with+million+northwestern+port/5423337/story.html created a lot of buzz because of the long term employment opportunities that they will bring to northern British Columbia. However the most exciting thing about these initiatives is that the government has included First Nations communities in the process right from the get-go. Local First Nations leaders are firmly on board with these plans since this time their people will not be excluded from all the social and economic benefits these projects will bring in the future.
What a positive change from the exclusionist policies of the past and another example of how the BC Liberals are continuing with the wise policies instituted by former premier Gordon Campbell in this regard.
Aboriginal youth in BC have a bright future in front of them, and now is the time to buckle down and get the education necessary to attain and hold down these good paying jobs. Spread the word to all your friends and don’t let this once in a lifetime opportunity slip from your grasp.
