The woes of the ThunderBird House are many. A couple of neighbours don't do any favours to the House. The Manitoba Metis Federation is a neighbour of the ThunderBird House but have no interest in supporting. The Salvation Army has a residential long term treatment program as a neighbour. Another neighbour is the Main Street Project which is a temporary holding place for those who are impaired from alcohol or drugs. Many of the people who frequent the green space ( and concrete) are homeless, poor, suffer mental illness and are addicts. The TBH does not discriminate and welcomes everyone, everyone. Reality of society; people are uncomfortable with the Homeless, the desperate, and the ill. Society would rather have them stay invisible and not on the grounds of the TBH where they can be seen. TBH services everyone regardless but in doing this, it alienates others.
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| Salvation Army |
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| TBH Yard |
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| MMF Operations |
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| TBH Rotting |
The Copper Roof of the TBH is falling from the building. Panels fall and disappear? The bathrooms need repair. The organization structure has almost collapsed: a non-functioning Board of Directors. An Elders Council which quit or washed out. Numerous bills to be paid and a growing list of monies owed with little chance of repayment. No funding and no where to go for funding. Rental capacity limited, and the realization rentals alone cannot sustain the operation of the ThunderBird.
The TBH has structural limitations and limited options:
- non-desirable area for the main stream public.
- limited parking.
- "sketchy" neighbours.
- financial issues.
- age crumble.
- limited space.
- debt.
- no money.
The ThunderBird is an amazing House. It has the love of people in the community but this love has not transpired into cold hard cash, and we know cash is king. The people rely on the House for their needs. Cousins have had their Funeral Services there. Traditional Adoptions have taken place there. Wiping Away the Tears Ceremonies have taken place there. Missing and Murdered Missing Indigenous Women have been remembered there. Many important events, milestones and announcements have come from there. The people who have been involved with the TBH have all had good intentions and are working with kindness. It is just not enough. Sadly the TBH has to face the reality of how long can it hang on? How long before the doors are closed? How long before the beauty, the intent of the House is forgotten and is killed off?
The TBH is ailing and with sickness there is the possibility of death. ThunderBird should be revered in Winnipeg but it is not. Instead it is ridiculed, abandoned. The City of Winnipeg leadership, their Aboriginal section (liaison and Advisory group) have not been active with TBH. The area Councillor is new so no expectations with her. A local talk radio station attacked TBH for the lack of upkeep. The station compared the grounds of the Legislative Building to TBH. Quite a comparison when the operating budget of the Legislative grounds would likely fund the operation of the TBH. The mindset in Winnipeg and Manitoba is the Indians are no good. So anything associated with them is no good. This attitude needs to change if TBH is going to have a chance to live.
TBH could be writing to the Province, to local Indigenous groups, (even MMF, futile as that may be), the City, and the Feds for support. To look at avenues as to what could be done to make it sustainable. Perhaps a finance person could be seconded to come and try to help out?
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| Garbage Piling Up |
So much could be done here:
- ample green space for Teaching camp outs
- Teaching Lodge Ceremonies in/out of the House
- Elders Gatherings
- Community networking
- Drop In
- conferences
- Funeral Services
- Baby Ceremonies - Walking Out/Naming
Time for the TBH "Board" to look at options. Rather than stay in a decaying Raptor as the rodents move about.
The biggest issue with this article is the same issue facing the people who use it. A complete lack of hope for the future. You write as if the TBH is dead when in fact many people still use it and there are countless opportunities for the future. Or we could just give up like the article suggests.
ReplyDeleteThe point is to create debate, light a fire and look at opportunities and options. But for that to happen they must understand the dire situation. Not wait until the door closes or there is so much crippling dept that it is impossible to climb out of. See Neechie Commons. A great and promising venture. It tried to bring in business by having other renters in the place. One of the things we need is ideas. Would be great if people came up with ideas to save it.
ReplyDeleteLet's have fund raising pow wow you guy at th is what help me kids grow you were my main suport threw aboriginal policing and corrections back 2011 you were there for me when loved ones passed. You were a safe haven when me and a friend were fleeing some men in van we would of been missing if it wasnt for your kindness. I love you guys so much it breaks my hart to see all that you do and no funding. I would be a suport worker if it weren't for your suport.
DeleteMaybe the Winnipeg foundation/united way could help, I am sure this has been checked out. A coalition and/or partnership with agencies may be an avenue. Do not how finances are managed but it appears the service has value for people who are in gaps of service.
ReplyDeleteDon’t mean this in any bad way, but this blog is inaccurate. While I agree with how different groups have ignored the bird for so long, the bird actually has fully paid off its debt recently and announced that they will be receiving funding (at a few open community events). It’s not a lot, but the idea that the bird is dying is completely wrong. It has been mistreated and abused by many, but it’s on its healing path and it’s going in a good direction again.
ReplyDeleteAlso the board of directors has actually done a lot. They reintroduced a lot of open ceremonies, got rid of the debt, found alternate sources of funding and kept the bird alive all these years.
I don't believe people who went into joining the TBH went there to abuse it. The fact is the TBH cannot survive in its current state. That is good the 185k loan has been paid. The CRA had a bill as well and the vendors. Still there has to be commitment to sustain the House. It is a vital place for many.
DeleteThunderbird House requires mush needed TLC, along with capital for on-going operation and maintenance. It's designation could be changed to a community centre, so that long-term (three levels of gov)resource it as it should be.
ReplyDeleteWhat is missing from the article is the other elephant neighbour, kitty corner to TBH. Millions was spent on that gleaming(christian) in-door skate park. That nobody attends. Friggen Vic Toews. (what a waste) He championed that 'white elephant'. They get gov assistance up the ying yang and all tax free because of their designated 'church status'. Along with the grant money to build it, every donation they receive is tax-deductible, yet, TBH just had their 'designated charity' status reinstated. You touched on that, but, 'ridiculed' is not the corect word. There are people like Vic Toews who are actively against TBH. Until that changes....
Henri I agree. The City really went to bat for the YFC building. We know how it went there.
ReplyDeleteFutile in reaching out to MMF? Shake your fam8ly tree. A Caucasian is bound to fall out. Metis use Thunderbird House also. For a liason to services. Funerals and connections to their earth. I would be surprized if MMF would balke at what it there and attempt to say they know better means for that space. I was 12 living in the Patricia Hotel (previous owners of the space) I like what they are trying to keep alive.
ReplyDeleteDavid has been critical of the House. The TBH needs support and needs to let people know how it needs help. My aim is to give MMF a shot so they can stand up and say "you are wrong and this is how we are supporting". My family tree has nothing to do with the political and divisive politics of the MMF.
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ReplyDeleteA GENERAL COMMENT ON ALL POSTS....your writing can be really interesting especially the ones with a storytelling style.I first saw the Shaking Tent post and then the Evil post. I sent Shaking Tent to a poet in Trondheim Norway who really liked it. He said...."Great story! Plenty of stuff to dig deeper into, as well. I like stories with an accessible surface, with cracks open to the deeper stuff. Like old crockery. There are more stories there than one can see."
ReplyDeleteAbout evil...I once lived near a lake called Bad Medicine in Minnesota and I got Bell's Palsy, maybe the bugs, maybe somebody didn't like me.
I don't follow blogs but I hope to check-in again and see more of your spiritual thoughts or just creative stories.
Cool. I appreciate your comments. I like story telling.
ReplyDeletehttp://rightojibwe.blogspot.com/2016/04/cedar-tea-indian-thing.html .
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