8 Key Issues

These are the eight key issues for indigenous peoples in Canada according o Bob Joseph’s Indigenous Relations blog. He notes that they are all connected and the challenges seem to hamstring all those in governments at all levels who try to deal with them

• Poorer health than that of other Canadians; causes relate to income levels and social factors. People have higher degrees of respiratory problems and infectious diseases. Heart Disease and diabetes are on the rise.

• Lower levels of education. These are affected most by colonialism’s sorry legacy of the residential schools and the experience of attempted assimilation. About 36% of indigenous people have not completed high school compared to 18% of the rest of the Canadian population

• Inadequate and crowded housing. Close to half those living on reserves live in dwellings that need major repairs.

• An income gap. Indigenous people earn about 25% less than other Canadians

• Unemployment rates remain high

• Incarceration. Nearly half those incarcerated are indigenous, and women are incarcerated more than men.

• Higher death rates among children and youth due to unintentional injuries such as drowning. These are three or four times higher than those of other Canadians of the same age.

• Higher rates of suicide among youth. “Suicide and self-inflicted injuries are the leading causes of death for First Nations youth and adults up to 44 years of age.” (A Statistical Profile on the Health of First Nations in Canada for the Year 2000, Health Canada, 2003).

What to do? Pressure governments on areas that you know and care about from your own level of expertise or experience. Donate to those organizations working to deal with the issues. Learn historic first nations values that may save us from our own flawed ones.

Out of the mouths of . . .

Young people are not letting us off the hook as Greta Thunberg writes this morning along with other young cohorts. The current generation of adults may not have created the world they live in, but their policies and actions continue its least admirable qualities. We can learn the basics from this selection for kids, who will become more and more the advocates to whom we must answer. Find it here

Choices

“We need character in order to extract the useful.” So said Robert Genn, a visual artist of note, who inspired me to write twice weekly as he did for years. He was born the same year as I was, but is now coming to us from the beyond through the reprints of his original messages since his death, curated by his artist daughter, Sara Genn.

Robert was originally writing about the distraction of haikus coming from other - which he proposed to alter as “eyekus” visual moments. I like that idea, but I also liked the quote I started with here. Robert wrote about life as well as art.

And there is a good deal to extract today. The balance between news and opinion in journalism is at least noted in the better press. I do pay attention to both. This morning’s New York Times, has lots of both from opinion writers that I do follow.

Tom Friedman thinks that Biden could be proved right re Afghanistan. He points out the fallacy of thinking that the Afghans needed to be taught to be fighters when they had resisted invasions by others for decades. He points out “In oft-occupied countries like Afghanistan, many people will actually prefer their own people as rulers (however awful) over foreigners (however well intentioned).” He goes on to say that we shouldn’t make judgments on “the morning after”, but wait for the “morning after the morning after”. We’ll be distracted by the chaos there now, which indeed is appalling, but the outcome cannot be determined immediately.

Then I moved on to The Bad Economics of Fossil Fuel Defenders, by the economist, Paul Krugman - another favorite, who makes economics understandable and relevant. He gives us four reasons not to believe the objectors to climate crisis proposals. First, the economy has always done better under Democratic party leadership. Second, when governments increase environmental protection, the costs never increase as much as expected, because businesses are spurred to innovate. Third, “history strongly refutes the notion that there’s any necessary link between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions”. Last, we don’t need to depend on fossil fuels when renewable energies are growing, while decreasing in cost.

Money is part of the story; he notes “in the 2020 election cycle Republicans received 84 percent of political contributions from the oil and gas industry and 96 percent of contributions from coal mining. Perhaps that’s why it has become part of a culture war. And as Canadians are now in election mode, perhaps I should check on similar patterns in a national party here, that did not allow “Climate change is real” to become part of its platform.

There was a positive story in the Times as well about fighting environmental racism. Community organizers prevented a pipeline to run through predominantly black communities. Environmental spills had been all too common in the company’s safety record. Pollution is higher in neighborhoods inhabited by people of colour everywhere and it has to stop. The story ended on a positive note:

“What happened in Memphis this year is an example of how historically powerless people can work together to interrupt a pattern of environmental racism that has been in place for more than a century and a half. It’s also an example of why everyone else should care.”

These extractions were useful among lots of distractions!

When we are arrogant

Any faith that thinks it has the total answer and must impose it on others is dangerous when it uses domination. For the record, here is a thanksgiving offering from First Nations People that North American Christians thought were heathen, called them savages and tried to destroy their thousands of years of faith. In a time of climate crisis. this teaching is precisely what we now need to recover and learn:

Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

This Thanksgiving address was used by the six nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) to open and close major gatherings or meetings. The prayer was also sometimes used individually at the beginning or end of the day..

The People 

Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Earth Mother 

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Waters 

We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Fish 

We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Plants 

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Food Plants 

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Medicine Herbs 

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Animals 

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Trees 

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Birds 

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks. 

Now our minds are one. 

The Four Winds 

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds. 

Now our minds are one. 

Closing Words 

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way. 

Now our minds are one. 

Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World English version: John Stokes and Kanawahienton (David Benedict, Turtle Clan/Mohawk) Mohawk version: Rokwaho (Dan Thompson, Wolf Clan/Mohawk) Original inspiration: Tekaronianekon (Jake Swamp, Wolf Clan/Mohawk). 

Available through the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

Less Time to Spare

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It just recently released its sixth report, which confirms that we are running out of time. The message of the IPCC report pulls no punches: “We have to raise the ambition level of mitigation for the coming COP26 meeting in Glasgow,” says Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization.

It’s hard to get people focused on this issue as a rule, but a summer of forest fires, floods and heat waves may help. Thomas Berry, a theologian who preferred to call himself a geologian, noted the problem in 1978 when few were paying attention. Since the last Paris conference, young activists like Greta Thunberg and the Sunrise Movement have helped spread the word.

One of the things that helps is when scientists sound confident in what they are saying. During the pandemic, for example, tentative messages have created anxiety or distrust when the detractors don’t realize that dealing with a new virus is an exploration. Generally scientific language is conservative. But this time, according to the following Time magazine chart, there is considerably more confidence in their assertions:

The world is undoubtedly more aware. What is required is a real change of how those in the most prosperous part of the world live, especially when our behaviour impacts those in the least prosperous places even more severely. Scientific consensus will be necessary to ward off the very real campaigns of those who have the most to lose - the fossil fuel industries. It’s good to see the confidence of the scientists gaining ground.