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

Haisla Tradition: Past/Present/Future--Who Are You?

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Haisla Tradition: Past/Present/Future---Who Are You?

The elected body that is Kitamaat Village Council(KVC) is responsible to do the bidding of the Haisla, The Gyukxw-lute(The People).
It is responsible for the planning and the follow-through of those plans that protect the best interests of the past, present and the future generations of Haisla People. It is in place to preserve, protect, and to develop the Social Essence and the Direction of the Haisla Community, as is deemed desirable or necessary by the Body of the Haisla Community. It is there to seek out, develop, and to provide options to these ends.
At the present time we, 'The Haisla People', find ourselves struggling through a difficult time. Within ourselves, we have deep and long ranging questions as to the nature of our present, and our future practise of our social and cultural Heritage . We have questions as to the nature and the validity of the 'Dual system' of Leadership and Values, that has brought us to this point in our history. This 'Dual System' is the Community governing system that includes both the elected body and the Traditional Chieftainship, functioning at the same time. These questions set a broad path of concern before the entire Haisla Community.
While presenting us with this broad path of concern, these questions also present us with a broad field of possibility for our future. Our Community can make progress based on this field of possibility only if we each become active and make our ideas and our wishes known. Our future will be defined by our level of participation in present events.
The strength of The Haisla Culture depends on the participation of each one of us, The Gyukxw-lute.
If our Traditional Cultural Practise is to maintain any of its meaning for us as 'The Haisla', we must now stand and make our wishes known.
We are at a point within our Traditional History where we are finding that we must closely examine the realities that presently exist for us. And that govern the present nature of, and the actual practise of our cultural traditions. Where have we been? Where are we at the present time? Where do we wish to go from here? What must we do in order to get there?
The recent, on-going drama that is presently unfolding here in our midst may be seen as a mirror of our cultural selves.
This is who we are at the present time.
What is the reflection that we wish to build into our future? Are we each willing to stand and ensure that we make the necessary changes that will ensure the developments that we want to see happen here in our Community?
What are your wishes?
Make your wishes known to your family, to your friends, to your leaders.
Stand and be heard.
Greg Robinson, December 1, 2009. New Westminster, BC.

CBC News - British Columbia - B.C. First Nation approves private property rights

Implementation of Nishga'a Land Transfer Deal

CBC News - British Columbia - B.C. First Nation approves private property rights

Leonard Peltier Case Facts

Leonard Peltier Case Facts.

Leonard Peltier Case Facts

Extradition - Friends of Leonard Peltier

Leonard Peltier Lives!

Leonard Peltier is a man of Indigenous, North American background and Sioux Tribal Family Lineage. As a result of his efforts to bring about positive social change for his tribal community, he was victimized, fraudulently tried and incarcerated by the American political power structure.

As of February 16th, 2010, Mr. Peltier has been incarcerated for thirty four years. The plight of this Indigenous North American man, represents a historic travesty of both American and International Justice, and international Human Rights.

At the present time, although numerous American Presidents have had the opportunity to correct this travesty of American Law and Dignity, by acknowledging the injustices that have been wrongfully bestowed upon Mr. Peltier, Leonard Peltier continues to live within the dark and dingy shadows of American Jurisprudence.

Greg Robinson, 2010.

Extradition - Friends of Leonard Peltier

They want to break free - The Globe and Mail

As Indigenous People of the Northwest Coast, we face so many commonalities. Why not face these issues together, and find common solutions?

They want to break free - The Globe and Mail

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Facebook | Greg Robinson Hemaas Tj'assee Stone Moving Feast

The Stone Moving Feast for the 'Hemaas Tj'assee' title, that is apparently scheduled for next week by my late father's brother, Sam Robinson, is a step away from presently accepted, Name-Taking protocol, and a naked showing of unbridled disrespect.
Not only protocol, but simple common respect requires that the one year term of grace be recognised by those who seek the title. This period of grace is a period of time given as a respectful tribute to the memory of the late Hemaas, and what he stood for.
It is a display of respect not only toward family members, but also toward Clan Chiefs, Clan Members, and toward the entire community. It is a time given to allow for the healthful grieving of our loss of a beloved family and Community member. Our father has died. Our mother's husband has died. Our children's Grandfather has died. The Haisla Nation has lost its Hemaas.
This period of grace is a time given for the Clan Chiefs, and their Clan members, so that they can also grieve in a healthy way and adjust to the new realities. It is a time that is allowed for the healing of the many emotional wounds that we as individuals, as families, and we as the Haisla have suffered over the past days, months, and years of our lives.
It is through this commonly recognised individual and collective grieving process that we as a community maintain our balance and our continuity. It is how we work as a community, toward ensuring a positive environment for our children and our grandchildren. It is in fact how we teach the very meaning of the word respect to our children. This is the basis of our Traditional Culture.
As the son of the late Chief Tjassee, and as a member of the Haisla Community, I am Galastaax, and I call upon the Haisla Clan members and the Haisla Clan Chiefs, to maintain the traditional practise of Respect. I call upon you to ensure the recognition of this protocol, and to enact the one year period of Respectful Grace between the time of my late father's death and the time of the 'Stone Moving Feast'. I ask this in the name of those who have gone before us, in the struggle for the survival of Haisla Traditional Culture, and the values that have maintained our Community throughout our history .

Respectfully, Galastaax,(Greg Robinson).

Modern Wilderness


Let It Rain


Homelessness, is a hard thing to witness, how hard is it to live?

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TChilah(X)koons Lives

The Legend of TChilah(X)koons lives and walks among us. The frog dances beneath chairs of leadership.The chant...the dirge...grows louder in the forest, flows in through doors left ajar, in through questioning windows to reverberate off stoic walls, down along convoluted corridors, into our midst. The people wail in dreams of turmoil. Fires smoulder in shadows of recess. Winds of winter, the whisperings of a cold journey, follow, as we meander along by ways of modern cultural reality. We watch as scrolls of history unfold, billow across our skies; a brush of uncertainty. The leader is gone. Hail to the question mark. Hail to distance. The brush driven by a fragile hand of imitation power. Greg Robinson,May 29, 2009

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Visitor

This work refers to the haunting nature of a large portion of present day first nations spirituality as it relates to the present state of our traditional language, the essence of our historic identity. As a result of noxious lessons learned during their internment within the confines of the now notorious, federal ‘Indian Residential Schools’ of Canada, many first nations people do not speak their mother tongue. Although they may have heard the language being spoken by older people in their communities, in many cases, they themselves were not personally addressed, or expected to verbally respond, in the language. As a result they did not get the verbal practice required to become a fluent speaker of the language.
Directly associated to natural socially imbued fluency in the language, is the culturally turned perspective that is inescapably linked to the language. A perspective that is intrinsic to understanding the community and the traditional mode of conscious and unconscious communication, i.e. intonation, inference and verve that ‘is’ much of the language. Such nuances set any one language apart from another, and lend vivid presentation of the uniqueness of the culture that gave birth to that language.
Those of us who have spent enough time around our community members, listening as they spoke the language but did not part take in speaking the language ourselves, to varying extents, came to possess a limited, though intuitive, insight and grasp of the psycho-textural nature of our culture, and the traditionally acclimatized perspective of our people. So that while we are not able to verbalize our personal expressions through use of our traditional language, we are never the less, haunted by the desire to vocalize such deeply rooted, traditionally styled personal expression.
As a result, when I find myself in the midst of discussion by members of my community, people who are fluent in the Haisla language, I feel like a visitor among my own people.

We AreThe Land

We AreThe Land

This picture consists of a background photo with an overlay. The background picture is a view of the area of the northern Douglas Channel, directly south of Kitamaat Village, looking in a westerly direction. The overlay is a photo of the late Haisla Elder, Esther Gray.
Esther was a member of the multi-generational Indigenous grouping that presently inhabits the social landscape spanning the 'pre-contact' era and the future era where Indigenous Peoples will stand and be recognized as equals with all Peoples of the world, including Canadians, and in particular, British Columbians.
As Indigenous Peoples, we have historically, and continue to have, a connection to the land that conflicts with the mind-set of so-called 'Western Rationale'. Rather, the mind-set of 'Western Thinking' conflicts with ' norms' of West Coast Indigenous Peoples; 'Norms' that have been developed through an ongoing social, political, and spiritual process over a period of more than ten thousand years.
In one sense, our connection to this land is of a highly practical nature. The laws of genetics connect us directly to this land. Throughout the thousands of years that our people have inhabited this land, we have 'lived off the land'. We have consumed the foodstuffs provided to us by our efforts at hunting and gathering across the width and the breadth of this land. As such, we have assumed the genetic 'mass', provided to us through our diet, from this land. The lifestyle of our forbearers included the heavy physical effort necessary for survival on this land. That effort determined the nature of the development of the physical bodies of our ancestors. After living out their lives on this land, the bodies of our ancestors went back to the land through their burial process. This process ultimately involved the body 'Going back to' nature and the land.
You might say that, essentially, we are the land.

Murdered and Missing Women of Canada

Missing Sisters

As the Indigenous Peoples of this land,--- I hesitate to say, 'of Canada', because as Indigenous People, we have never truly experienced inclusion within Canada--- we suffer collectively. That is to say that we suffer collective and common truths. We suffer in ways that we cannot always describe.
However, those of us who have women, murdered or missing without a trace, from our families, and from our communities, have begun to describe this form of suffering both for ourselves and for the world. Our voices spill out across a land that is peopled by a society that has, in large part, replied with a cool reticence to become involved in this issue.

Although there has been some police action around this issue, there is obviously not enough being done to find the truth and solution to this lingering tragedy that we live with. And as Indigenous People, we do live infused with the socially dynamic realities of this issue. This is an issue that haunts each of us as we go through our daily lives. It has created tensions within our lives that we may not always be aware of. These tensions come to bare upon us within our lives over the long term. As such they affect the dynamics of our families, the way we think, and our general day to day comfort level. In some ways it affects who we are and how we relate to the world around us.
This is an issue that occurs in, and that is relevant to, Indigenous communities, both rural and urban, all across Canada. By extension it is an issue that is relevent to Indiegenous People at the international level. History has proven repeatedly that ,'types of abuse', perpetrated against Indigenous People around the world, have common roots found in the interest of the subjection and the relegation of Indigenous People away from the realm of humanity.

The extent and the longevity of this issue make it an issue that stands as an assault against the humanity of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and of the world. Although it may not as yet have been perceived as such, this is an issue that diminishes the level of humanity to be attached to the concept of 'Canadian Society.'
In the interest of maintaining our personal humanity as Indigenous Peoples, and the humanity of our memories of our missing loved ones, it is our responsibility to ourselves as individuals, and to each other, to move this issue beyond these lingering shadows of history. We must place this issue, and keep it, front and center on the stage of the Canadian Consciousness. It is up to each of us to pursue efforts of, and within our Leadership, at all levels across this land, to ensure that this issue be given no rest until we are satisfied with the results.

Greg Robinson, (Haisla Nation)

Color The Sun

Down streets of post-Cambrian cobblestone
On spirit horse back
Social spurs jangle
Desert dust, the wind-borne ode of rider across endless open landscape
Colors a blistering sun

Drum beat reverb
Down through steep sided valley
Eagle spreads long-feathered wings

Dipping off mountain crag
Enters crash dive
Down, down, down

Slowly pulling out
Veers away from
Sheer faced rock wall
Scans depth of spiritual river waters
Wanders with us out across this fabric weave of cultural time

Voices in chant, dance once again with evergreens
A long slow rhythmic drift across the ages
Northwest Coast dugout canoe spurned by thrust of cedar paddle
Quietly they smile, and...
In silence, call us homeward.

Greg Robinson June, 2009.

Art Bio(2009)

ART BIOGRAPHY: Greg Robinson

My name is Greg Robinson. I am a member of the Haisla Indigenous Community of Kitamaat Village, BC, Canada. I was born in the summer of the year 1956.
My late father was 'The Hamaas', Hereditary Chief of the Haisla, and Chief of the Haisla Beaver Clan. The Haisla are the northern most segment of the Kwakiulth Tribe. My mother, who is a descendant through her mother, of the Killer Whale Clan of the Tsimpshian community of Hartley Bay, BC, was born in Kitamaat and both adopted into the Haisla Eagle Clan and raised, by her grandfather David Shaw, who was a carpenter and dugout canoe builder. David built a canoe that was eventually painted by Bill Reid, and is now on display in the UBC Museum of Archaeology in Vancouver, BC., Canada.

At this relatively late stage in my life, I am learning to more diligently express my personal artistic vision. For me this process has involved a very steep learning curve, from being totally computer illiterate in 1999 to teaching myself computer graphics. I have always had a desire to describe the images and the statements that billow across my mind’s eye. My first efforts began in 1976, with the purchase of a Pentax 35 millimeter SLR camera, and figuring out how to use it. But it is only in the recent few years that I have begun a more serious practice of developing my personal expression. I began by learning through self-study, the basics of North West Coast form line design. Teaching myself to work with computer graphics software, I began to integrate these two art forms.
The more I learn, the more aware I become of how much more there is to learn. But also and more importantly, the more potential I can see in both myself and others around me, as well as in the tools that continue to evolve with time. And although it is at times overwhelming, I cannot help but to become increasingly exited at the constantly growing list of the things that I want to do. A major restriction that I have to deal with, and that serves to contain my personal development, is poverty. I do however, continue to work against this constraint.
I occasionally hear people complaining about how bored they are. I find it incredible that anyone can possibly be bored in this day and age! There is absolutely no time to be bored.

Canada a 'genocidal state': former Arab Federation VP

Happy Canada Day?

The following is an article published in The National Post Newspaper, on thursday, July second, 2009. Here is a man who obviously has some very deep convictions. It is apparent that he has taken the time to make himself aware of what is perhaps the most basic, and long standing of all Canadian national social, and political Issues. It is also apparent that Mr. Shaban has chosen to represent his deep, personal convictions, in a very open and honest fashion. The widely negative response to Mr. Shaban's open and honest portayal of the truth, simply reveals the level of denial that remains prevalent here in Canada, around the historic,and ongoing subjection of The Indigenous Peoples of this land.
This particular case reveals how successive waves of immigrants to Canada, continue to be infused with the historic Canadian practise of the denial of Indigenous rights, including human rights. What this says is that each successive wave of immigrants to Canada serve, to some extent, to reinforce the denial. Further, it is a testament that those who stand and speak this truth to the masses will be quashed.

Greg Robinson, New Westminster, BC, July,4th, 2009(blog: West Coast Indigenous Perspective).

Canada a 'genocidal state': former Arab Federation VP: "mvallis@nationalpost.com"

Open Flight

OPEN FLIGHT
by Thomas G. Robinson



The ocean air was cool to breathe, coming ashore in wild gusts off vast stretches of the Pacific. My hair flailed in time and rhythm with trees and grasses of the shoreline. A heavy, rolling, curling surf tumbled and roared. Infinitely wild, it leapt and bounded up the solid rock beachhead, blasting a relentless profusion of spray cascading high into the air, and drenching all in a salty briny bath.
Bright sunrays of midday beamed through water droplets hanging on my eyelashes, glinted into a constantly morphing kaleidoscopic blaze of rain bowed light. Above the deafening roar rose the shrill cacophonic choir of the climbing, diving gulls.

My brother was, in some ways, a lot like those gulls. He had a sharp, buoyant humor that would carry you up beyond the clutches of the staid reality, like those gulls dash over and beyond the ocean swells with the ease of their graceful flight. His soft laughter would carry you above the dull grinding roar of the daily slog.
There was a time when my brother would have braved those waves with gusto and excitement and even glee. He would guide his craft steeply up, over those breakers, and away from the shoreline toward the total freedom of the open sea. It was always freedom that he had desired most. More than money, more than possession for possession's sake, more than any fame or anything that fame had to offer.
Freedom is something that is in itself totally free of cost, yet it can be at once a thing of such great expense. It is a simple thing, yet a thing not so simple, but yet a thing profound.
It is something with different meaning for each who might take time to consider the point.
Freedom.
In the end, my brother did find his freedom, freedom from all things earthly. He found freedom from this life. In his youthful folly, he dared the reality of chemical poisoning,
and pushed the line a little too far. For that daring, he paid the ultimate price. He found his freedom in the endlessness of death.

Northwest Coast Landfall: Our Spiritual Heritage

Finish It Off...or Not.

The Universe Awaits

Picture in your mind's eye, a long road winding onward before you. This road stretches out across the horizon as far as your mind's eye can see. Although you have always been curious about what you might experience as you moved along that road, you have never stepped out to explore that road. The 'reason' that you have always allowed yourself to beleive, is that there is a gate that blocks your entrance to that road. You have always heard yourself say that the gate is closed and you do not have the key to open this gate.
This image repsresents that gate. And, that gate, is your gate. If you look closely, you may notice that there is no latch or other device locking this gate into its 'closed' state. The gate, 'Just Is'.
Here, the reality is, that the very effort of lifting your hand to open this gate, is the key to moving beyond this gate.
If you do not take this first step, your journey will never open before you.

Greg Robinson, Haisla Nation, 06, 2009

A Blue Light

It has been said that blue is the color of the soul. The soul of our ancestry has always been directly connected to the land and to all aspects of nature, including the waters and the skies. Through our Indigenous ancestry we have a direct and undeniable connection to our Traditional Territories. We must not allow ourselves to be persuaded to allow others to sever this connection.

Shaman's Moon

To me, the concept of a 'Shaman' within West Coast Traditional Cultural practise, represents a 'voice' or 'a spiritual aspect' of the community that appeared and evolved within the historic community, and was based in the will, the ability and the power of the human mind to overcome adversity. The Shaman played the role of attempting to activate that power within the individual and the community. Today there are aspects of the potential of the human mind that remain unexplored; which is to say that a rational mind must remain open at least to the contemplation of such potential.

TGR 2009

Time Passing