You just can't be that stupid?!?
This Older Native woman asked me if the Midewiiwin was part of a cult. She is old and so just can't be that stupid. She was upset over the topic I wrote a while back and said that I was spreading hate. I guess I was a trying to be a "smart ass" and slapping religion, specifically, Christianity. Which I know is a bad thing. However the lady did get me thinking, when she emailed and asked if Midewiwin was a cult. Really? How stupid is that. An Indian woman yet? (Shaking my head)
It would be like me, when I never, ever questioned that the news paper printed the names of people who couldn't shop at Sears anymore. My friend would say, as he was reading the newspaper, that he was going to look at who is not allowed to shop at the store anymore. I used to think, "oh they print the name of shoplifters". Now really, how stupid can I be?
Or it is like me, when I make up scenarios of what people are doing or thinking as I encounter them. Like this one time, My wife and I were a traffic stop light and a transit bus went on by, a pedestrian was trying to get the attention of the bus driver, so he could get on the bus. The bus driver was a slightly over-weight woman. She looked at the guy waving and running. I told me wife that "this woman will pick up the guy because she will feel bad, as she knows what it is like to be picked on, ignored and bullied because of her looks, so she will be compassionate." My wife said, "no she is angry and bitter because of how people are and how people treated her, so she is going to act out like that". I said, "really?!?". My wife turned and looked at me like I was crazy. Or in this case like I was really that stupid.
Or when I was watching television and this news show was talking about the size of potatoes in Prince Edward Island. I saw this potato the size of a person. I called my wife and said "look how big that potato is!" She said "that's a sign, a replica, a novelty item, it is not real". "Oh", is all I could say.
I bet you must have heard some things that you just had to shake your head and say, "you can't be that stupid".
As for the Native lady, I think she is just being mean. Or Trying to get my goat (is that the right saying?) Anyway, she is the true embodiment of Religious indoctrination by Christianity and a long standing policy of the Canadian government. She is considered a success story in those circles. :)
By the way, my friend was referring to the obituaries. It took me years to figure that out. That bastard.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Don't tell me stuff, I am a gossip.
Holy Heck! I am a big gossip bag. Don't tell me nothing cause I will spill my guts.
Just like this time this guy told me about a boy from Cross Lake that killed a moose. Killed a moose with his sling shot. No it's true.
Murray told David and David told me.
I guess this boy was out hunting with a sling shot. He came to the river and a moose was eating in the marsh. The moose would put his head under the water and eat the plants under the water. Then the moose would lift his head and look around to check if it was safe. The boy would stand still and not move. The moose would put his head back under the water and keep eating. The boy would then sneak up closer and the moose wouldn't hear because his head was under the water. As the boy got as close as he could, he took out his sling shot, aimed and fired the sling shot. The rock hit the moose right in his nut sack. The moose went "uuuph". The moose gulp water and drowned. You tell me, if you got hit in the nut sack while your head is under the water, you wouldn't gasp and gulp up all the water. You would drown too.
Another guy Dennis, who is from Pukatawagan told me about his grand-dad.
His grand-dad, Mishoom liked to keep a garden. In his garden he was growing potatoes. Strange thing started happening in his garden, his potatoes were disappearing. The Mishoom thought it was some rodent or animal that was eating his potatoes. There was a path going from a hole in the fence to his garden. So the Mishoom was going to be smart and put up a trap for the rodent. Next morning the Mishoom came and checked his trap. Stuck in the hole in the fence with their arm trapped was a woman. One of the home-brew bootleggers. Guess she needed potatoes to make home-brew. Dennis told me the woman lives down the river from his house. It's true.
Laurel told me about the guy from the Swampy Cree region who demanded information. This Band Councilor (Band Councilors are elected representatives for Indians on an Indian Reserve, sort of like your Mayor and Councilors) of this one Band (Indian Group in a specific area or Tribe) wanted information from the Tribal Council. The Band Councilor went to the Tribal Council office and demanded to see the "Purple Agreement" that took place on his Reserve. The lady looked and looked for the Purple Agreement. She went to the Councilor and told him that she could not find it. He was furious; "find me the Purple Agreement". She looked again and still no luck. She asked around and sought information from the Councilors Reserve. The people at the Reserve told the lady that there was not purple agreement but there was a verbal agreement. It turns out the Purple Agreement was really the "Verbal Agreement". It's true.
And there was this time...
Just like this time this guy told me about a boy from Cross Lake that killed a moose. Killed a moose with his sling shot. No it's true.
Murray told David and David told me.
I guess this boy was out hunting with a sling shot. He came to the river and a moose was eating in the marsh. The moose would put his head under the water and eat the plants under the water. Then the moose would lift his head and look around to check if it was safe. The boy would stand still and not move. The moose would put his head back under the water and keep eating. The boy would then sneak up closer and the moose wouldn't hear because his head was under the water. As the boy got as close as he could, he took out his sling shot, aimed and fired the sling shot. The rock hit the moose right in his nut sack. The moose went "uuuph". The moose gulp water and drowned. You tell me, if you got hit in the nut sack while your head is under the water, you wouldn't gasp and gulp up all the water. You would drown too.
Another guy Dennis, who is from Pukatawagan told me about his grand-dad.
His grand-dad, Mishoom liked to keep a garden. In his garden he was growing potatoes. Strange thing started happening in his garden, his potatoes were disappearing. The Mishoom thought it was some rodent or animal that was eating his potatoes. There was a path going from a hole in the fence to his garden. So the Mishoom was going to be smart and put up a trap for the rodent. Next morning the Mishoom came and checked his trap. Stuck in the hole in the fence with their arm trapped was a woman. One of the home-brew bootleggers. Guess she needed potatoes to make home-brew. Dennis told me the woman lives down the river from his house. It's true.
Laurel told me about the guy from the Swampy Cree region who demanded information. This Band Councilor (Band Councilors are elected representatives for Indians on an Indian Reserve, sort of like your Mayor and Councilors) of this one Band (Indian Group in a specific area or Tribe) wanted information from the Tribal Council. The Band Councilor went to the Tribal Council office and demanded to see the "Purple Agreement" that took place on his Reserve. The lady looked and looked for the Purple Agreement. She went to the Councilor and told him that she could not find it. He was furious; "find me the Purple Agreement". She looked again and still no luck. She asked around and sought information from the Councilors Reserve. The people at the Reserve told the lady that there was not purple agreement but there was a verbal agreement. It turns out the Purple Agreement was really the "Verbal Agreement". It's true.
And there was this time...
Thursday, December 15, 2011
"From a Good Place in my Heart"
From a good place in my heart; I said to my wife today. But I laughed. It is a common phrase Indians use when they are making a public prayer or speech. It's not that I don't think it is sincere. It can be quite sincere when someone uses that phrase. But it is a little common and so some Indians like to make fun of each other for using that phrase. It gets a little played out, just like one of those songs on the radio. It is quite good for a while and then it loses its luster. Not that it is not a good song (or phrase) but its been used to the hilt. So we kind of make sport of it. Like when the song Achy Breaky Heart hit the airways way back when. Everyone was nuts over that song. And then bang it became a song to mock. (Not that from a good place in my heart should be mocked). But sometimes we can laugh at ourselves. I bet lot of people laugh at themselves for being Achy Breaky Heart dancers.
We can laugh at each other. Just like these old guys at a Sweat Lodge from Piapot Reserve in Saskatchewan. They were all sitting around during one of the Sweat Lodge rounds (at some places the people who conduct the Lodge allow breaks between the Sweat rounds, usually there are four rounds to a Ceremony). As they were sitting around they started to tease each other about Sweating and singing in the Lodge. One of the old guys says to Art, "Oh even the Creator is tired of Art's singing; that Art again same old songs". Art and the other old guys just laughed. There is sincerity in his singing, but the guys knew how to tease.
Same with the phrase I say this from a good place in my heart.
I was thinking about that phrase and about sincerity. It came to mind as I started to remember an incident a while back. About 20 years ago about this time of year the local news story was about some unknown person who had cut down a fir tree in someones yard. A fir tree is used for Christmas trees. The home owner was upset about someone cutting down the tree in his front yard (and rightly so), but the home owner also went on to say, "he should have asked me , I would have bought him one". Meaning he would buy a tree for a perfect stranger if he asked. My friend Earl and I laugh about this, still to this day. It is a common phrase we use when the opportunity permits itself. Because the phrase sounded so funny, insincere that it must have sounded absurd to anyone who heard it, or to the person himself for saying it. But hey who are we to question sincerity?
So we use the phrase ourselves at opportune times in a not so sincere manner. :)
But anyway, I hope you do have a great day, and I say this from a good spot in my heart. :D
Oh by the way there are some more phrases being used these days by the Traditional gurus. "Come if your intentions are good." This is when they post invitation for a ceremony they are holding. Or "all are welcome that come with good intentions". I wonder who they know which ones to turn away?
Do I look like I got bad intentions?
We can laugh at each other. Just like these old guys at a Sweat Lodge from Piapot Reserve in Saskatchewan. They were all sitting around during one of the Sweat Lodge rounds (at some places the people who conduct the Lodge allow breaks between the Sweat rounds, usually there are four rounds to a Ceremony). As they were sitting around they started to tease each other about Sweating and singing in the Lodge. One of the old guys says to Art, "Oh even the Creator is tired of Art's singing; that Art again same old songs". Art and the other old guys just laughed. There is sincerity in his singing, but the guys knew how to tease.
Same with the phrase I say this from a good place in my heart.
I was thinking about that phrase and about sincerity. It came to mind as I started to remember an incident a while back. About 20 years ago about this time of year the local news story was about some unknown person who had cut down a fir tree in someones yard. A fir tree is used for Christmas trees. The home owner was upset about someone cutting down the tree in his front yard (and rightly so), but the home owner also went on to say, "he should have asked me , I would have bought him one". Meaning he would buy a tree for a perfect stranger if he asked. My friend Earl and I laugh about this, still to this day. It is a common phrase we use when the opportunity permits itself. Because the phrase sounded so funny, insincere that it must have sounded absurd to anyone who heard it, or to the person himself for saying it. But hey who are we to question sincerity?
So we use the phrase ourselves at opportune times in a not so sincere manner. :)
But anyway, I hope you do have a great day, and I say this from a good spot in my heart. :D
Oh by the way there are some more phrases being used these days by the Traditional gurus. "Come if your intentions are good." This is when they post invitation for a ceremony they are holding. Or "all are welcome that come with good intentions". I wonder who they know which ones to turn away?
Do I look like I got bad intentions?
facebook takes on suicide
Not sure that I could add anything to what is said here, so I just copy it and let you read. Thanks. I wanted to keep the page because of the information on here. I had the opportunity to speak about the facebook site on CTV. I post the link here.
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/suicide-chat/#clip585519
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SciTech/20111213/facebook-chat-service-suicide-prevention-111213/
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/suicide-chat/#clip585544
"Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of youth death in Canada." "Most preventable of all deaths."
Dr. Regina Benjamin is the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. As America’s Doctor, she provides the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation.
For anyone who has lost a loved one due to suicide, it is one of the most painful issues they will ever face; sometimes leaving an overwhelming sense of doubt, guilt, and silence enfolding the circle of friends and family like no other experience can. In the wake of this tragedy, we are painfully forced to question- What could I have done? Could I have made a difference? Why didn’t I know?
We don’t have a life to lose in this world. We must confront suicide and suicidal thoughts openly and honestly, and use every opportunity to make a difference by breaking the silence and suffering. Ten years ago the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was launched. Its objectives galvanized the country around a common goal. As a result, we have advanced the science and support for suicide prevention programs nationwide. New suicide prevention work has emerged across the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services and others. One notable achievement is the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a number that can be dialed anywhere in the United States to connect the caller with confidential and expert help.
To accelerate the action needed to prevent suicide, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius launched the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention with the charge to advance and update the National Strategy. The Action Alliance brings together public, private and nonprofit partners to engage every sector of society with a vision of ending the tragic experience of suicide in America.
Facebook is an important part of that partnership, and I’m excited about the new initiative to augment its response to potentially suicidal members by offering the opportunity for a private chat with a trained crisis representative from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline in addition to providing the Lifeline’s phone number. This service will be available to people who use Facebook in the United States and Canada. The new service enables Facebook users to report a suicidal comment they see posted by a friend to Facebook using either the Report Suicidal Content link or the report links found throughout the site. The person who posted the suicidal comment will then immediately receive an e-mail from Facebook encouraging them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or to click on a link to begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker.
Preventing suicide is everyone’s business. Nearly 100 Americans die by suicide every day, and in the past year, more than eight million Americans 18 or older had thought seriously about suicide. As members of a family, a school, business, neighborhood, faith communities, friends, and our government, we all need to work together to solve this problem. We simply can no longer allow those we live, work and play with to ever believe that suicide is an acceptable solution even in the worst of times. I ask everyone to help by learning about the symptoms of mental illnesses and substance abuse, the warning signs of suicide, how to stand with and support someone who is in crisis, and how to get someone you care about the help they need. Most of all, we need to be open to talking about these issues in our communities. Once we begin to support those in need, and whenever possible treat their mental and substance use disorders with the same urgency as any other health condition, we will reduce the rates of suicide, advance health and improve the use of limited health care dollars.
Learn more about the partnership between Facebook, SAMHSA and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: http://1.usa.gov/t00eiH
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/suicide-chat/#clip585519
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SciTech/20111213/facebook-chat-service-suicide-prevention-111213/
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/suicide-chat/#clip585544
"Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of youth death in Canada." "Most preventable of all deaths."
New Partnership Between Facebook, SAMHSA and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
13 December 2011 No Comment
Cross-posted from Facebook Safety Dr. Regina Benjamin is the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. As America’s Doctor, she provides the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation.
For anyone who has lost a loved one due to suicide, it is one of the most painful issues they will ever face; sometimes leaving an overwhelming sense of doubt, guilt, and silence enfolding the circle of friends and family like no other experience can. In the wake of this tragedy, we are painfully forced to question- What could I have done? Could I have made a difference? Why didn’t I know?
We don’t have a life to lose in this world. We must confront suicide and suicidal thoughts openly and honestly, and use every opportunity to make a difference by breaking the silence and suffering. Ten years ago the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was launched. Its objectives galvanized the country around a common goal. As a result, we have advanced the science and support for suicide prevention programs nationwide. New suicide prevention work has emerged across the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services and others. One notable achievement is the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a number that can be dialed anywhere in the United States to connect the caller with confidential and expert help.
To accelerate the action needed to prevent suicide, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius launched the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention with the charge to advance and update the National Strategy. The Action Alliance brings together public, private and nonprofit partners to engage every sector of society with a vision of ending the tragic experience of suicide in America.
Facebook is an important part of that partnership, and I’m excited about the new initiative to augment its response to potentially suicidal members by offering the opportunity for a private chat with a trained crisis representative from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline in addition to providing the Lifeline’s phone number. This service will be available to people who use Facebook in the United States and Canada. The new service enables Facebook users to report a suicidal comment they see posted by a friend to Facebook using either the Report Suicidal Content link or the report links found throughout the site. The person who posted the suicidal comment will then immediately receive an e-mail from Facebook encouraging them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or to click on a link to begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker.
Preventing suicide is everyone’s business. Nearly 100 Americans die by suicide every day, and in the past year, more than eight million Americans 18 or older had thought seriously about suicide. As members of a family, a school, business, neighborhood, faith communities, friends, and our government, we all need to work together to solve this problem. We simply can no longer allow those we live, work and play with to ever believe that suicide is an acceptable solution even in the worst of times. I ask everyone to help by learning about the symptoms of mental illnesses and substance abuse, the warning signs of suicide, how to stand with and support someone who is in crisis, and how to get someone you care about the help they need. Most of all, we need to be open to talking about these issues in our communities. Once we begin to support those in need, and whenever possible treat their mental and substance use disorders with the same urgency as any other health condition, we will reduce the rates of suicide, advance health and improve the use of limited health care dollars.
Learn more about the partnership between Facebook, SAMHSA and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: http://1.usa.gov/t00eiH
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Bullying is ugly. Are bullies monsters?
Sorry about this post, but holy heck! People are taking their lives because of monsters out there. Some of these monsters are just everyday kids. So awful. I had a dream about my boy last night and it the dream I was trying to save him from the future. I was sitting with him trying to give some items (totems) to help him. I was hugging him crying for him. That is how I woke up. I went to watch my nephew play hockey and I told his Dad about the dream. We visited and talked about time and how it flies but doesn't seem to erase what happened and how the pain is still there. We talked about the loss of a child and how in the heck do people cope after that? There are people in the media spotlight that have endured the loss of a child but yet they still seem to go on? I wonder how they do it? My cousin was mentioning the death of NHL Luke Richardson's daughter, she took her own life. So when I was at home, I was again reminded of suicide while reading the news; another teen was put to rest. That is why I am posting about bullying.
Growing up in a Reserve, I sure saw a lot of bullies. Today many of those bullies are old and feeble. Some are not so feeble but sure live a life of misery. Bullying is all over the place. We see it in the face of our politicians: Prime Minister Harper is a bully with great power. All bullying upsets me, regardless if it is the powerful countries picking on poor countries or even the bullying that goes on with their own people.
But the bullying that upsets me is the bullying at this moment is the bullying that causes a young person to take their own life. Can you imagine how awful a young child must feel, that their only way out is to end their life? What the fuck is wrong with this picture. Not sure of what could be done to stop this. The government can pass laws to ban bullying or to punish the people who are bullies. But is that really the answer? I don't know.
I wish it was easy to say don't do that, or do this and issues could be taken care of, but that is not how the world is really like. What causes bullying anyway?
This is really sick, even after this young man (boy) took his own life, the bullies still continue to bully him. What the fuck???
A young girl of 15 was buried the other day. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/11/30/teen-suicide-bullying.html
It sure must be awful to be her family; anger, hurt, immeasurable sadness. I wonder if those that bullied her
will ever understand what they have done?
An Ottawa Teen suicide linked to being bullied.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/17/hubley-ottawa-teen-suicide-bullying_n_1016828.html
"The disturbing rash of LGBT teen suicides began receiving attention last fall. Among those who took their own life was 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old Rutgers University student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York after his roommate allegedly filmed him having sex with another man."
The latest suicide linked to being bullied.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/12/03/marjorie-raymond-suicide-teen-bullying.html
Growing up in a Reserve, I sure saw a lot of bullies. Today many of those bullies are old and feeble. Some are not so feeble but sure live a life of misery. Bullying is all over the place. We see it in the face of our politicians: Prime Minister Harper is a bully with great power. All bullying upsets me, regardless if it is the powerful countries picking on poor countries or even the bullying that goes on with their own people.
But the bullying that upsets me is the bullying at this moment is the bullying that causes a young person to take their own life. Can you imagine how awful a young child must feel, that their only way out is to end their life? What the fuck is wrong with this picture. Not sure of what could be done to stop this. The government can pass laws to ban bullying or to punish the people who are bullies. But is that really the answer? I don't know.
I wish it was easy to say don't do that, or do this and issues could be taken care of, but that is not how the world is really like. What causes bullying anyway?
This is really sick, even after this young man (boy) took his own life, the bullies still continue to bully him. What the fuck???
A young girl of 15 was buried the other day. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/11/30/teen-suicide-bullying.html
It sure must be awful to be her family; anger, hurt, immeasurable sadness. I wonder if those that bullied her
will ever understand what they have done?
An Ottawa Teen suicide linked to being bullied.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/17/hubley-ottawa-teen-suicide-bullying_n_1016828.html
"The disturbing rash of LGBT teen suicides began receiving attention last fall. Among those who took their own life was 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old Rutgers University student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York after his roommate allegedly filmed him having sex with another man."
The latest suicide linked to being bullied.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/12/03/marjorie-raymond-suicide-teen-bullying.html
Quebec teen suicide victim laid to rest
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Marjorie Raymond, 15, killed herself last week. (Facebook) 
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