List of writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Here is a link to a list of Indigenous writers of The Americas. This link will connect you to a source where you may find The True Voice of the Experience of the Indigenous Peoples of The Americas. Connect to this site and touch our common earth.


Greg Robinson

Be a Witness

Be a Witness

Background
On February 27, 2007, the Assembly of First Nations [AFN], a political organization representing all First Nations in Canada, and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada [FNCFCS], a national non-profit organization providing services to First Nations child welfare organizations, took the historic step of holding Canada accountable before the Canadian Human Rights Commission for its current treatment of First Nations children. The complaint alleges that the Government of Canada had a longstanding pattern of providing less government funding for child welfare services to First Nations children on reserves than is provided to non-Aboriginal children.

The inequalities in First Nations child welfare funding are longstanding and well documented (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples [RCAP], 1996; McDonald & Ladd, 2000; Loxley et. al., 2005; Amnesty International, 2006; Assembly of First Nations, 2007; Auditor General of Canada, 2008; Standing Committee on Public Accounts, 2009) as are the tragic consequences of First Nations children going into child welfare care due, in part, to the unavailability of equitable family support services (McDonald & Ladd, 2000; Blackstock and Trocme, 2005; Amnesty International, 2006; Clarke, 2007; Auditor General of Canada, 2008; National Council on Welfare, 2008). This inequity is further amplified for First Nations children by shortfalls in education funding, housing and publically funded voluntary sector supports (Blackstock, 2008).

In October of 2008, the Canadian Human Rights Commission ordered a tribunal to determine whether or not discrimination had occurred pursuant to the Canadian Human Rights Act. The tribunal is similar to a court process with all evidence taken under oath. The AFN and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society will present the case supporting our allegation that the Canadian Government is discriminating against First Nations children and then the federal government will respond. The Tribunal will then decide if discrimination happened or not. If it did happen, then the Tribunal can order a remedy to the discrimination. The tribunal is open to the public.

Click here to learn more about the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal process.


Interview with Cindy Blackstock, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

Lisa Abel interviews Cindy Blackstock on the First Nations Child Welfare Tribunal, September 17, 2009

Sign up now to be a witness
Learn more about the importance of this case

Human Rights? Canada?-- A submission to Mosaic Institute http://www.mosaicinstitute.ca/contactUs/

In terms of the United Nations involvement in dealing with Human Rights Violations in countries around the world, Canada is a perpetrator with a secret. It is, however, a secret that is really no secret at all. The wealth of the country of Canada, was built upon the human rights violations against the Indigenous
Peoples of the land base, and the Territories collectively known as Canada. Beginning with the first, 'Settlements', throughout the lands of the east coast, to the present urban and industrial developments being planned and initiated in British Columbia on Canada's the West coast.
At the present time, The Human Rights Coalition of the America's(North and South America), is in the process of assessment of the question of Institutionalised Human Rights violations perpetrated by the Federal Government of Canada, against Indigenous Peoples of British Columbia. These violations involve the abuse of Federal Authority in dealings with, and concerning the use of, and the illegal distribution of, the Land base belonging to the Indigenous Peoples of the various Tribal Groups, and Subgroups, who have inhabited these lands since time immemorial, and whose Rights and Title to these lands, are recognised and protected by the constitution of Canada, 1982.
These activities of the Federal Government of Canada, include the removal of these Indigenous Peoples from their home land Territories, and placement of these people upon miniscule, and generally non-productive areas of land, known as Indian Reserves. In order to sever the ties between these people and their traditional lands, and each other, the Federal Government removed the children from these communities at an early age, and placed them into 'Indian Residential Schools'. The object of these schools was to suppress, and to kill, the Indigenous Culture, which was seen as the substantial connection between these people and their land base.
Canada's removal of Indigenous People's title to these Lands and Territories in question, has directly affected the ability of these Indigenous Peoples, to rightfully benefit from the of ownership of these properties.

At the present time, The Federal Government of Canada stands as one of three member-states of the United Nations that refuse to recognise the Human Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the world.
The integrity and the viability of any organization concerned with the propagation, and protection of human Rights anywhere in the world, remains entirely dependent upon the integrity of all members and associates of such an organization.
The fact of Canadian Government participation in any such organization, under the present circumstances where there is a standing, on-going investigation, by an international Human Rights organization, into Canadian Government activity, presents a question of the credibility, and of the viability, of that organization

Greg Robinson

Flame On!

Flame On

The totemic figure here is a black and white photographic image recorded by Bill Mclennon, Photographer at UBC Museum of Archaeology. The totem had fallen, and was lying on the ground. The photo depicted the totem in its natural condition of degradation by age.
In this Image,'Flame on', I have repositioned the photographic image to display the totem in an upright position, and present the original photographic framing of the totemic figure at an unnatural angle. This brings the viewer closer to the time of origin of this particular totem. It brings us to an iconic representation of the Indigenous Culture of the West Coast of what is now Canada. The culture that had evolved over thousands of years. The culture that is essentially an extension of the homelands of the Indigenous People of this region. The culture that included the political, spiritual, social and physical essence of West Coast Indigenous Peoples. Contrary to the objectives and efforts of Historic Canadian Government initiatives, we have not vanished into the forests of time. At present, we strive to right the river of wrongs that have deposited our people into a state of disrepair.
The flames in this image represent the many forms of trespass that have been directed upon and against the humanity of The Indigenous Peoples of the North West Coast. These trespasses have in fact, been propagated against the entire Indigenous Community of Canada. They are degradations that have been brought against us throughout the time of the occupation of our Homelands.

These degradations continue to be brought to bear against the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, by the Federal Government and other institutions of this land. Where the Federal Government is not directly involved in such activities of degradation, it is indirectly involved in them by remaining silent and unmoving in terms of correcting such wrongs, as they have occurred historically, and as they continue to occur. There has been some fleeting attention paid to these issues, but many of these apparent efforts amount to gloss.
It is difficult for many Indigenous People to bring forward in calm fashion, the words necessary, to provide an accurate description, of the human impact, of these historic and on-going
incidences of subjection and persecution. The difficulty lays in large part, in the struggle to refrain from resorting to an outright and seething violence, in response to these wrongs.
The potential for a contemporary violent reaction to these wrongs, is indeed, not only very real, it does in fact occur on an on-going basis. To comprehend the nature of this violence, one need only recall, that reports have been made by reputable researchers; reports that have  emphatically stated such fact as, seventy five percent of the inmate population within the penal system of Canada, is made up by Indigenous people. This is a point that becomes a stark social statement, as well as a condemnation of the worth of Canadian Social Conscience, when one considers that the portion of the population of Canada that is occupied by Indigenous people, stands at approximately one point five percent. What this tells us, is that the amount of violence propagated by Indigenous individuals, and that comes to the attention of the courts, is at least fifty times the level of violence occurring in the non-Indigenous general population of Canada. This does not take into account, the violence that does not end with conviction. Such a consideration would swell the picture of violence to a greater and still more incredible scope.
This violence that continues to manifest among Indigenous Peoples, may be interpreted as a ineffective,  introverted response to the intent, and the impact, of the social injustices that have been, and that continue to be, directed toward, and brought to bear, upon the Indigenous Peoples of this land. This violence may be interpreted as a misdirected, or an inappropriate response to, and struggle against, the social injustices that Indigenous Peoples of Canada have lived through, suffered and died through. It is nevertheless, a segment of the response that has taken shape, and developed, and that continues to develop, within the state of a severely subjected and oppressed Canadian Indigenous Society. This is a society that continues to suffer through social injustices at every level across this land. They are injustices against which we now strive to find our footing, and to stand above, and to move beyond.

Greg Robinson, March 27, 2010

I am reposting ths article here as per previous
Received: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 1:12 PM


Dear Margarita:


Thank you for your observations. I agree Canada does not fully recognize its past, at least on the ground. We have been struggling to contend with our situation, especially in British Columbia since European settlement, but the federal and provincial governments have been ignoring us.


In Canada when the Canadian Constitution was being made Canadian in 1980 Indigenous peoples fought to have that not happen until our land rights and treaty rights were dealt with. We just did not trust Canada would do this. We had a Constitution Express train from Vancouver to Ottawa in 1980 and we lobbied the House of Commons and House of Lords in London, England in 1981. The result is that the Canadian government had to put in the Canadian Constitution 1982 that the "federal and provincial government would recognize and affirm all existing Aboriginal and Treaty Rights."


In 1997 the Supreme Court of Canada in Delgamuukw case recognized that all of British Columbia was not covered by treaty and that consequently we own British Columbia under Aboriginal Title, which is an Aboriginal Right as protected under the Canadian Constitution 1982. We just need to prove we were here since 1846. The Canadian and British Columbia government recognize that Aboriginal Title does exist in BC but we need to prove it in the courts, every square inch before Aboriginal Title can be recognized on the ground.


No community has a declaration from the court of Aboriginal Title in BC. Indigenous Peoples are not inhibited by this imposed legal strategy of Canada and BC. That is why there are slogans in BC saying, "No 2010 Winter Olympics on Stolen Indigenous Land". The Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade (INET) the group I am spokesman had an Amicus Curaie brief accepted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in the Canada-USA softwood lumber dispute establishing that, "Canada's policy of not recognizing Aboriginal and Treaty Rights was a subsidy to Canada's forest industry".


I think no one can argue that the WTO is the highest trade tribunal in the world and the NAFTA is the highest trade tribunal in North America. Therefor - in capitalist terms - indigenous peoples are subsidizing two of the richest countries in the world by not having our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights recognized. Therefore, that couple you saw in Edmonton, as financially poor as they looked were probably the most generous of people you ever met because all those sky scrapers and wealth in Edmonton is being subsidized by their poverty.


Indigenous peoples have systemically been impoverished by Canada's Indian Act and the Department of Indian Affairs. The poverty of my parents, grandparents and great grandparents was the direct result of Canada's policy to NOT recognize our territorial land rights and force us to live our lives on our tiny little Indian reserves. The impoverishment we experienced will continue to my children, grandchildren and all future generations if Canada has its way.


Canada needs "us" poor in order to justify that they can exclusively control and benefit from our land. Canada can say how can we allow the Indigenous Peoples to control and benefit from their land, look at them they are just poor and uneducated peoples. Canada directly benefits from our systemically imposed poverty.


According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada was at level 1 for three years and is always at amongst the top five countries in the world, but when they apply the same criterion to Indigenous Peoples in Canada we are at level 47. The divergence between Canada's level and our level is the measurement of Canada's violation of our human rights as Indigenous Peoples. Canada knows this, that is why they are being really deceptive at the 2010 Winter Olympics.


Canada established the so called Four Host First Nations by using money. I heard they were investing about $10 - 12 million dollars to fund this group to support the 2010 Winter Olympics. These for Indian Bands are going to get a few extras like a brand new gymnasium and band office but not much more out of this money. But this money actually means more to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Canada because it will make it appear that Indigenous Peoples in Canada fully support the 2010 Winter Olympics. They will use the Four Host First Nations at the Opening Ceremony to make it look like all Indigenous Peoples support the IOC and Canada.


That money is just an investment in advertisement for the IOC and Canada. The IOC and Canada actually sell the Olympic advertisement right to Coca Cola, Royal Bank of Canada, CTV and other big companies for a lot more than the small amount they are giving to the Four Host First Nations and especially to Indigenous Peoples of Canada. In fact the money Canada invests in the Four Host First Nations allows Canada NOT to address 500 hundred murdered and missing woman, high suicide rate amongst young indigenous peoples, homelessness, mass poverty, high unemployment and the fact that Canada did not adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.


The money that the IOC and Canada use to invest in advertisement regarding Indigenous Peoples is like the money athletes use to buy drugs to win Olympic Gold. The little advertisement money that the IOC and Canada invest in deceiving the world community about Indigenous Peoples in Canada and is wrongful advertisement in a very hurtful, cruel and ugly way. The IOC really undermines the high standard and goals established by the Olympics when they get involved with Canada economically self-serving strategies. The facts with regard to Canada's human rights record at the United Nations is public record and the IOC should be aware of this and put pressure on countries like Canada to improve their human rights record and not be deceptive.


Canadians should be ashamed that Canada did not adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In fact only four countries in the world did not adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and they were Canada, United States, Australia and New Zealand. Actually Australia has reversed their decision and New Zealand and the USA are reconsidering their position It is only Canada that is not giving it any reconsideration.


In fact out of all the countries that are participating at the 2010 Winter Olympics it is only Canada that I protest attending because all the other countries in the world adopted the Declaration or are reconsidering it. Canadians should be ashamed that out of all the countries in the world they are the most "red neck" country when it comes to Indigenous Peoples. Yes, I can kind of agree that in Canada, we are an invisible peoples, but that is primarily due to the fact that it is Canada's position to ignore our Aboriginal Title and Treaty Rights and want to assimilate us into their settler culture.


I think getting the news out that Canada is not that good country when it comes to Indigenous Peoples is really important. I like your question and I think you should let Mexico know that Canada, when it told Mexico that Indigenous Rights could not be recognized vis-a-vis the North America Free Trade Agreement was not true because in Canada, Canada does have very clear recognition of our rights both constitutionally and judicially. Canada must be embarrassed to recognize our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights on the ground and abandon the Colonial Doctrines of Discovery. They must be told to quit the policy of extinguishment and assimilation and adopt a policy of recognition and coexistence with Indigenous Peoples They must be told to quit being a cowboy and Indian state and mature and recognize the human rights of all Indigenous Peoples around the world.


Arthur


p.s I sent this to a lot of my friends,

KVC/Rio Tinto Alcan Inc 2010 Negotiations

KVC/Rio Tinto Proposal and Continued Negotiations 2010

On the Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., web page is the bold statement, 'The global leader in the aluminum industry'. Underneath this heading is the statement, 'Rio Tinto Alcan is one of the five groups operated by Rio Tinto, a leading international mining group.'
Mineral extraction groups have a historically-based reputation for discounting, and brushing aside, the concerns and interests of Indigenous People. Although in the case of Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., this reputation may well be a non-event, either way, we The Haisla have yet to experience the truth of this matter. Time and our own diligence will provide us with the answer to this question.
In the early 1950's, The Kitamaat Village Council (KVC), which continues to represent the interests of The Haisla People, of Kitamaat Village, BC., entered into a contractual agreement with Alcan Aluminum Company of Canada Ltd. (Alcan). This agreement would thereafter be referred to by the Haisla as 'The Alcan Agreement'. According to the agreement, Alcan would occupy, and obstruct, a large portion of Haisla Traditional Territory. In return for this imposition, the Haisla received a miniscule financial lump sum, along with largely empty promises.
The Haisla leadership of the day suffered a serious lack of expertise in matters of international corporate economics and ethics. Nor did they have any effective means with which to seek proper counsel in such matters. This left The Haisla at a highly disadvantaged level of awareness as to the true value of the agreement that they were signing into at that time. In their efforts to build into the Alcan Agreement, the best terms for their membership, The Haisla Leadership were at the mercy of the executives of Alcan to provide a contract that was valid in terms of fairness. At this challenge, Alcan failed miserably. The contract that they were in the process of making would be a long-term, lawful and binding agreement. In arranging the terms of that agreement, Alcan took full advantage of the weakness of the Haisla People. As had been the case in instances of interactions between Indigenous Peoples , Industry and government, up to that point in the history of Canada, The Haisla were to find themselves economically trodden by the Corporate Leadership of Alcan Aluminum.
At that point in time, Alcan began to make huge profits from its occupation, and use, of our territorial lands and Resources. Over the course of its occupation of Haisla Traditional Territorial Lands, these profits have amounted to the billions of dollars. At present,the profits from the Alcan Kitimat Operation continue to roll in. However,this agreement has left the Haisla Community to languish in a perpetual state of financial destitution, and total dependence upon Federal Government hand-outs.
From our experience in this position, we know that this is not a productive position to be in. This is a situation that basically places the Haisla at the mercy of the generosity, or the reluctance, of the Federal Government of Canada. The same government that took part in the conceptualization, and execution, of the legally documented, and binding, Alcan Agreement. The same Agreement that excluded the best interests of The Haisla People.
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., has since assumed successive ownership of Alcan Aluminum Company of Canada's, Kitimat Operations', resources and obligations. Rio Tinto continues to make considerable profits from its use of Haisla Lands and Resources. Based on the fact that aluminum is a highly valuable commodity in the world of the present day, and future industrial market place, Rio Tinto's profits from its aluminum sales will continue well into the future. Although the market itself may fluctuate, Rio Tinto's place in the aluminum sales market is secure.

At this point in our history, we are attempting to reach an on-going and mutually acceptable agreement with Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. We must seek a fair return for our investment of allowing Rio Tinto to continue to operate upon our lands. In order for us to allow any such agreement to occur, the terms of that agreement must be based upon a percentage of Rio Tinto profits connected to its operations upon our lands. These profits must include its sales of Hydro Electric Power generated by its Kemano facility. The percentage is simply what we must require from Rio Tinto, in order for us to allow them to continue to make their share of the total profits that are presently being generated from their operations upon our lands.

Greg Robinson, February 8, 2010