#Kanien'kehá:ka First Nation

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Kanien'kehá:ka Nation at Kahnawà:ke, the traditional seat of government for the community south of Montreal, is calling for compensation from the provincial and federal governments after an oil spill traced to the neighbouring city of Châteauguay seeped onto its territory.

The nation says Kahnawà:ke community members only became aware of the presence of fuel seepage more than a week after an industrial spill took place in early February.

Several dozen Kahnawà:ke residents and members of the nation, also known as the Longhouse, presented themselves at Châteauguay's city hall Friday morning to meet Mayor Éric Allard.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #canadian #Kahnawà:ke #Kanien'kehá:ka Nation #Kanien'kehá:ka First Nation #Indigenous #oil #oil spill #québec #Châteauguay #quebec #environment

[jayswing101]

Just bought fabric and ribbons to make my first ribbon skirt and I am v v excited!! I'm planning to go kinda rogue and non-traditional with it, basing the shaped off the really full skirt of one of my favourite dresses and I'm gonna put in some massive pockets. Also I'm hoping that getting the fabric in for the ribbon skirt will force me to actually finish my other sewing project 😅

#first ribbon skirt I'm making #third one I'll have #One friend bought me a skirt for my delayed 2020 grad #and another friend gifted me a purple and white skirt they had bc they're Métis #and the skirt was Haudenosaunee colours so they thought a Haudenosaunee should wear it #(and im Kanien'kehá:ka which is one of the 6 Haudenosaunee nations) #im also hoping that getting the fabric will inspire me to finish my other sewing project.... #(the heipaoshi robe that literally only needs to have the lining and buttons added) #(ive been procrastinating bc it's a round collar and slippery brocade fabric and it's hard to sew) #jay jabbers

[bastardtrait]

we switch the scene very briefly to the small town of Copperdale, a few hours away from San My. here we find the Whiteduck family, made up of Shania Whiteduck, her son son Edison, and her girlfriend Helen Overton. they've recently moved from the traditional council territory Eddie was born in.

I wonder why I would be highlighting this random family with this kid that's the same age as my heir. hm.

if we want to get specific, the Whiteducks are a mixed First Nations family, mainly Kanien'kehá:ka (who might also be known as Mohawk). they lived in the Canadian portion of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.

this places Copperdale, for me, firmly in southeastern Ontario, and thus, San Myshuno/Newcrest roughly around where Toronto is. why worldbuild when world built? you get it.

#sims 4 #lucky legacy #llgen5 #helen overton #shania whiteduck #eddie whiteduck

[peridot-tears]

Tiio Horn, Canada Day IG

Reminder that Kaniehtiio Horn was part of the 1990 Oka Crisis/ Kanehsatà Resistance, a land dispute in which the town of Oka, Canada planned to build a golf course over the Kanien'kehá:ka land that had been guaranteed to them in the 1700s.

(If you're coming over from Assassin's Creed III, then yeah. For context, this is where Ratohnhaké:ton/Connor's people would have moved after being pushed out of the Hudson River Valley in the game.)

This dispute is "the first well-publicized violent conflict between First Nations and provincial governments in the late 20th century," according to Wiki, but it isn't the only time this has come out of a stand for Indigenous land rights.

Tiio Horn was four years old at the time of the Resistance, and her older sister -- a child herself -- was stabbed in the chest while holding her. She did put the photo of the stabbing in the IG post, but you can see it for yourself on IG.

Thankfully, her sister survived, and is more successful than I'll ever be, but land theft and a systemic disregard for Indigenous life is a reality that Indigenous folks across the Americans have to face.

My only real commentary on this is that standoffs for land rights against development are constantly occurring, and to be mindful of when they're happening, and to support them when possible.

Here's the link to the full post.

#kanienkehaka #kanien'kehá:ka #mohawk #canada #tiio horn #kaniehtiio horn #haudenosaunee #iroquois #tears falling like peridots

[jamesderive]

Individual Intrigue: Kiara

Super Crawl

Super Crawl is Hamiltion’s art and music festival. While showcasing many things from fashion, literature, theatre, art installations, and performances. While having a wide range of attractions for many people of all different ages and hobbies. It is a non-profit arts organization celebrating many different creative works, providing many local artist a place to show off their work to the community. Supercrawl was established in 2009 by a group of Hamilton artists and activists with the goal of showcasing the city's many cultural offerings. Supercrawl has successfully transformed over the course of its first 10 years from a modest arts-based single-day event to a multi-day event with a national/international profile and attendance. The festival has grown progressively over the years, now spanning over two kilometers of downtown streets.  With attendance rising from 3,000 to more than 250,000. In addition to its annual ticketed performances and festivities, Supercrawl also hosts its name-brand free festival weekend. 

Using the Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model developed by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport, Supercrawl 2019 had an economic impact of almost $20 million. Most importantly, festival goers left with a renewed belief in the value of the arts and in Hamilton's vibrant cultural scene. Supercrawl made the shortlist for the 2017 Canadian Tourism Award for Event of the Year as well as the 2019 Ontario Tourism Award of Excellence for Tourism Event of the Year. Seven times the event has been named one of Ontario's Top 100 Festivals/Events, and in 2015 it won the Ontario Tourism Award of Excellence for Tourist Event of the Year (2015-2020, 2023). Supercrawl belongs to the Canadian Music Live Association, Festivals and Events Ontario, and the Major International Festivals and Events Network of Ontario.

The celebration is held on the ancestral lands of the Erie, Chonnonton (Neutral), Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississauga nations, which Supercrawl recognises. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy's six member nations, the Kanien'kehá:ka or Mohawk, refer to Hamilton as Ohrn:wakon, which translates to "in the ravine." Sewatokwà:tshera, the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, covers the land where the festival and its events are held. The purpose of this agreement, which was reached between the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee, was to guarantee that the lands and resources surrounding the Great Lakes were properly managed and that all people who live in this region together will do so in a way that is responsible, respectful, and sustainable.The Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Dutch created Tékeni Teyohá:te Kaswentah, also known as the Two Row Wampum, to represent the ability of these two unique nations to cohabit without being assimilated by one another. We also accept that the Between the Lakes Treaty No. 3, signed in 1792 by the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, governs this territory. We are grateful to live and work in a region that has supported human activity for more than 10,000 years. We share this land and enjoy its contributions.

As settlers, we recognize that it is our duty to carry out the crucial task of rapprochement as well as to pay attention, absorb knowledge, and grow in the spirit of previous covenants. By doing this, we hope to establish fresh, respectful ties with the Native American tribes in this area and across Turtle Island. We collaborate to uphold the value of our shared past, friendship, and upcoming connections, and we are aware that more work needs to be done to educate ourselves about the rich history of this place so that we can better understand our responsibilities as citizens, neighbors, partners, and stewards.

#chrono

[doesthendnlive]

Kaniehtí:io “Ziio” (Kaniehtiio Horn) from Assassin’s Creed III (2012)

(Ubisoft)

DOES THE NDN LIVE?: NO

---

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: As awesome as Ziio’s personality and character is, she falls into the same trap for several female Native characters: she exists to fall in love with a white man, have his biracial child, and then gets murdered to push a revenge story. She burns to death when her village is ambushed. 

It also doesn’t help that despite some of the cultural authenticity as well as the casting of Native voice actors, Assassin’s Creed III is still a video game centered around colonialism. MANY Natives are killed and brutalized throughout the story.

Although she isn’t sexually assaulted, she fails every other requirement for The Aila Test (she is not a main character, she falls in love with a white man, and is later murdered).

Her voice actor is Kaniehtiio Horn, whose mother is famous Native activist  Kahn-Tineta Horn, and whose sister is activist and award winning Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller. All three were present at the OKA Crisis in Canada: she was four years old and is in the infaous photograph where then 14-year-old Horn-Miller was stabbed with a bayonet during the protests.

#Does The NDN Live #ziio #kaniehtí:io #kaniehtiio horn #assassin's creed III #video games #Kanien'kehá:ka #Mohawk #native american #american indian #ndn #first nations #OKA Crisis #history #canada #dies

[amer-ainu]

Ka’nhehsí:io Deer · CBC News · Posted: Nov 25, 2020

Cheyenne Lazore designed this ribbon skirt to say thank you to Ireland Lacrosse for its decision to withdraw from the 2022 World Lacrosse Games, ensuring the Iroquois Nationals entry the international tournament. (Jaiden Mitchell) An Akwesasne mom's love for lacrosse inspired a ribbon skirt that pays homage to Ireland's national team for withdrawing from the next World Games to make room for the Iroquois Nationals.

"I just want to thank Team Ireland for doing that. It meant so much to Indian country. It meant a lot and inspired me to do this," said Cheyenne Lazore, a Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) crafter from Akwesasne, which straddles the Ontario, Quebec, and New York state borders.

The 11th edition of the World Games is set to be held in Birmingham, Ala., in July 2022, and it will be the first time men's lacrosse will be included in the games. The Iroquois Nationals, which represent the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in international field lacrosse, were originally told they were ineligible to compete under International Olympic Committee rules.

After an international movement of support was sparked for the team, Ireland voluntarily vacated its men's national team's position in the 2022 World Games to ensure there were no barriers to the Iroquois Nationals' entry to the tournament.

The bright green skirt is called I Dteannta a chéile - Together As One, after the slogan adopted by both lacrosse teams following the announcement. The skirt includes six panels with Irish influences and beaded celestial trees — a common symbol in Haudenosaunee cultures.

Cheyenne Lazore, a Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) crafter from Akwesasne, created the skirt with Haudenosaunenee beadwork and Irish influences. (Submitted by Cheyenne Lazore)

Lazore's 11-year-old daughter is a lacrosse goalie and one day hopes to play for the Haudenosaunee women's team. They're both huge lacrosse fans.

"We never miss any local games. When we go to her tournaments, we watch all the other games. We've watched the Iroquois Nationals on TV since she was little, when they played in Syracuse," said Lazore.

"When most kids run around the arena, she would sit there and watch."

Lazore said in making the skirt, she was able to teach her daughter about humbleness and the importance of lacrosse. The sport was invented by the Haudenosaunee. It's referred to as a medicine game, as a gift from the Creator, to be played for his enjoyment and for healing.

"It meant a lot for me to teach her that humbleness and how lacrosse is our game. We gave it to the world, and for Team Ireland to give that back to us, it just meant so much. I just wanted to teach her all about that humbleness, and just how much it means to us," she said.

Sky Timmons, who modelled the skirt, echoed similar sentiments.

"It was incredible because how Ireland Lacrosse presented themselves and stepped down and gave the position to the Iroquois. That's what is making this so big," said Timmons, whose mom is from Akwesasne and father is non-Indigenous with Irish heritage.

"Everyone had so much respect for them. That's her way of giving thanks to them, to showcase her work with their symbol on it."

#Iroquois #Iroquois Nationals #Kanien'kehá:ka #Mohawk #Haudenosaunee Confederacy #Haudenosaunee #ribbon skirt #Ireland #lacrosse #Turtle Island

[the-final-straw-blog]

Palestine and Challenging Settler Colonial Imaginaries

This week on the show, we’re airing a portion of our 2018 interview with filmmaker and activist Yousef Natsha about his film about his hometown, Hebron, and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. We invite you to check out our full interview with him from March 25, 2018, linked in our show notes and we’re choosing to air this right now because of the flare up in violent evictions, home destruction and the assassination of around 100 Palestinian residents of Gaza by the “Israeli Defense Forces”. Podcast image by Yousef Natsha. [00:10:24]

Then, we’ll be sharing a panel from the 2021 UNC Queer Studies Conference called “No Blank Slates: A Discussion of Utopia, Queer Identity, and Settler Colonialism” featuring occasional Final Straw host, Scott Bransen alongside E. Ornelas and Kai Rajala. This audio first aired on Queercorps, on CKUT radio in Montreal. If you’d like to engage in this project, reach out to [email protected] [00:24:05]

Also, Sean Swain on aparthied [00:01:48]

No Blank Slates: A Discussion of Utopia, Queer Identity, and Settler Colonialism

Presenter(s)

Scott Branson, E Ornelas, Kai Rajala

Abstract

Under the neoliberal regime of multiculturalism, the settler colonial project has relied on the assimilation of certain subaltern communities into its project for the effective dispossession and control of indigenous lands. This discussion will present ideas from a book project we are collaborating on in order to invite conversation around the intersection and tension around ideas of liberation and forms of appropriation and oppression. Our main challenge for radical queers is to rethink the kinds of futures we try to include ourselves in, and how our liberatory work can subtly replay exclusion and erasure. How do neoliberal utopian gay politics perpetuate settler colonial erasure and genocide? How do politics that seek inclusion and representation--in other words assimilation--disavow the work by indigenous self-determination movements, which are also poised on the frontlines of planetary self-defense? The workshop will be divided up into short presentations by each writer, followed by a structured discussion facilitated by the presenters.

Description:

The utopian project that underwrote the Canadian/American settler colonial states that still exist today was eventually transmuted into a neoliberal utopian sense of identity. The entire concept of space and self that we inherit is imbued with utopian longing for a time and place that we can fully be ourselves. This kind of rhetoric is largely at play in mainstream identity-based movements, like gay rights. But this longing often works in favor of the regime of violence and dominance perpetrated by the modern nation state. We can see how the attempt at inclusive representation of queer cultures leads to assimilation and appropriation. What gets included in regimes of representation ends up mimicking the norms of straight/cisgender heteronormativity, in terms of class aspirations, behaviors, and family structures. This therefore contributes to systematic erasure of Black and Brown queer folks, who are still the most targeted “identities” for state violence and its civilian deputies. With images of diversity that appeal to bourgeois urban gays, businesses and governments can pinkwash their violence.

A radical queer politics that relies on unquestioned utopian and dystopian visions risks aligning itself with a settler colonial imaginary of terra nullius or “blank slate” space. On the one hand, dystopian and apocalyptic visions perpetuate the unquestioned assumption that a societal collapse is impending, as if the continual degradation of human and more-than-human communities has not already arrived. Particularly dangerous in this assumption is the kind of crisis rhetoric that fosters opportunities for settler colonial sentiments of insecurity and, in the face of this insecurity, assertions of belonging and sovereignty in land and lifeways. Furthermore, visions of radical utopias as-yet-to-be-realized (or, as-yet-to-be-colonized) discount the ongoing presence of Indigenous alternatives to the current settler colonial dystopian reality, and instead preserves a view of geographic and social space as blank and ready to be “improved” with a “new” model.

Here we have a problem of erasure of the oppressions and resistances that have been ongoing in different iterations, in favor of the blank space of the utopian frontier. We argue against these linear progression narratives of societal and environmental collapse which promise to bring about a future idealized world of rainbow-diverse identities. Instead, we propose ways for radical politics, particularly those espoused by non-Indigenous people, to disavow such settler colonial mindsets. There are a few ways to offer a glimpse into the lived realities—what we might still call utopian moments—that make up the non-alienated, revolutionary life: queer and indigenous histories of resistance, rituals and moment of community care and mutual aid, and science fiction revisions of the world. We argue that this other world does in fact exist—has existed and has not stopped existing—if only in the interstices or true moments of communing and inhabiting the land alongside friends and family.

This is not an argument in favor of utopia, but one that seeks to bypass the utopian/dystopian divide. The world we inhabit is clearly dystopian for most, and utopian for some, and in many estimations, constantly on the verge of ending. The disaster scenarios, repeating the puritanical eschatology that helped settle the colonies in America, perpetuates the history of erasure of ways of life that aren’t in fact gunning for that disaster. We still argue that the purpose of dreaming, of envisioning alternatives, is to make action possible today, through recognition of the power we do already hold. Our discussion will interrogate the settler-utopian impulses that get hidden within apparently liberatory movements, such as radical queers and strands of environmentalism, as well as the way these identities and politics are represented in narratives of liberation that rely on the same logic they claim to oppose.

Bios

E Ornelas (no pronouns or they/them) is a Feminist Studies PhD candidate in the Department of Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies. As the descendant of a survivor of the Sherman Institute, a Native boarding school in Riverside, California—and therefore robbed of cultural, linguistic, and tribal identity—E’s research interests focus on the continued survivance and futurity of BIPOC communities, particularly through the use of literature. E's dissertation illuminates community-based, abolitionist-informed, alternative models of redress for gendered, racialized, and colonial violence by analyzing Black and Indigenous speculative fiction. When not on campus, E can be found reading feminist sci-fi, making music, baking vegan sweets, and walking their dog. [00:45:06]

Kai Rajala (pronounced RYE-ah-la) is a queer, nonbinary, white-settler of Finnish and mixed European descent. They are a writer, and an anarchist anti-academic working and living on the unceded territories of the Kanien'kehá:ka peoples on the island colonially referred to as Montréal, and known otherwise as Tiohtià:ke. They are currently pursuing studies as an independent researcher and are interested in sites outside of the university where knowledge production occurs. You can find Kai on twitter at @anarcho_thembo or on instagram at @they4pay. [00:57:28]

Scott Branson is queer trans Jewish anarchist who teaches, writes, translates, and does other things in Western so-called North Carolina. Their translation of Jacques Lesage De la Haye’s The Abolition of Prison is coming out with AK Press this summer. Their translation of Guy Hocquenghem’s second book, Gay Liberation After May 68, is due out next year with Duke University Press. They edited a volume of abolitionist queer writings based on two iterations of the UNC Asheville queer studies conference, due out with PM Press next year. They are currently working on a book on daily anarchism for Pluto Press and researching a book on the institutionalization of queerness in the academy. They also make books of poems and artwork. You can find Scott on Instagram @scottbransonblurredwords or check out sjbranson.com for more of their work or on twitter at @sjbranson1. [00:30:41]

. ... . ..

Featured tracks:

Dabkeh Melody by Mecky from The Combination Soundtrack

Born Here by DAM from The Rough Guide To Arabic Revolution [00:20:21]

Check out this episode!

#anarchist #podcast #interview #feminist #antifa #anticapitalist

[remembermyaccentaigu]

i feel weird typing this already but i have a lot i need to say about myself and i want to say it here, because i know there’s someone here who has been in my same situation who can help me.

i call this blog “remember my accent aigu” bc my last name ends with an é. i am proud of this. no one else around me growing up had the é but my family, my father’s side. it’s a french last name. it sounds beautiful. i grew up believing we were french & nothing more. my roots stretched back to québec.

years ago i began tracing my family tree. i’ve really gotten into it over the past couple of years, and while tracing my father’s side, i found a direct line -- to multiple métis (unsure if big ‘m’ or little ‘m’, i don’t want to misstep) and first nations people. yes, going back to the 1700s, but also the 1800s, and my great-grandfather, born in 1917... his mother was métis. her mother was either first nations (unsure which people) or métis. 

my ancestors had beautiful names, mohawk names. kanien'kehá:ka names. i wish i knew where to put the accent markers, i want to respect their names. kaoninehta. karenatase. i don’t know where to put the accent markers because they were given french names. i don’t want to use their french names. 

so... where does that leave me?

i don’t want to claim a métis identity if i cannot, if i should not. and i feel like i shouldn’t, but i’m unsure if that’s just me not wanting to overstep boundaries or if that’s me being... afraid. afraid that people won’t believe me. afraid of using the wrong label. afraid that i don’t count. i look “white.” i have blue eyes. my skin is peach. and i know there’s no one way to look indigenous, especially if you’re métis but... am i?

i see so many things online calling out fake métis people. and i’m scared. am i métis? if so, where do i go from here to learn about my culture if i’m in the right to claim it?

what do i do?

#métis #indigenous #first nations #tagging this like this bc i just want... advice

[phonaesthemes]

Teionerahtastaráthe (broadleaf plantain). Tsawenhsa'kó:wa (great mullein). Tarà:kwi ononhkwèn:'on (staghorn sumac).

These are some of the Mohawk names of medicines that grow in abundance throughout Kahnawake, Que., that Ra'nikonhrí:io Lazare and Katsenhaién:ton Lazare want their community to learn more about.

"We show our community not to be afraid to use your language, and not to be afraid to show what you know about the land," said Ra'nikonhrí:io Lazare.

The two cousins are learning Kanien'kéha, the Mohawk language, and are enrolled in their second year of Ratiwennahní:rats, a two-year adult language immersion program by the Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center.

To keep active throughout their summer break, they launched the bilingual video series Onkwanónhkwa (Our Medicines) as a part of an internship at the weekly newspaper Iorì:wase. In each episode, they describe what the plant looks like, where it grows, its uses and medicinal properties. 

Katsenhaién:ton Lazare is a first-language speaker raised by two second-language speakers and he wanted to take the immersion program to learn more about the language's linguistics and grammar rules.

"I was lucky enough to have the language throughout my lifetime, but as I got older I tend to lack a little bit. I didn't want to lose so much of what I already knew as a kid," he said.

"I'm young, and still young and have so much to learn."

Being able to understand the language, he said, provides people with a deeper meaning into some words and foundational oral histories of the Mohawk Nation.

#Kanien'kéha #mohawk language #indigenous languages #language revitalization

[stacksofpaperbacks]

Thoughts about Providence Ep.412 ~ some spoilers

The latest episode of Outlander was really good and powerful! 

True, the Mohawk peoples ( or Kanien'kehá:ka ) were well feared by all other Native peoples. Known for their large numbers and mighty warriors, they along with the other tribes that make up the Six Nations, believed they were founded when the Earth was created and other tribes came later. Thus they feel superior to all other peoples. The Outlander team did a great job portraying the tribe and their way of life. Those longhouses were beautiful and so were the costumes! 

While people often think Native peoples, such as the Mohawk, were brutal and mean, especially after seeing how Roger wad treated and the torture of Alexandre, we cannot forgot how man in general treats fellow man. Look how whites enslaved blacks? How people were punished for crime, such as flogging, maiming, hanging and beheading? Or the torture that was so common in medieval Europe, often on innocent men and women? Each culture can be evil and cruel in their own way, but it does not mean they are bad. Not all white people are bad, and not all Native Americans were either. In fact, very few Native Americans killed white people, since most Natives fell quickly due to disease and starvation. Just like any human, the Native Americans struggle both then and now for survival. Also, Native Americans did not mind if a white man married one of their women, in fact, they welcomed the man and any children born, which is much different compared to how white people treated those who married those of another race. 

As for the lack of Jamie and Claire - relax people! They will be back! The next book ( The Fiery Cross ) goes right into the early stages of The Revolution, which both Jamie and Roger come a part of. Jamie, Claire, Bree, Roger and Lord Grey are ALL the main characters in the series. The amount of nasty tweets I read on Twitter to the producers are shocking and just not needed. Seriously people! Relax! Read the books and you will see all is on point. If your going to watch a tv series based from a book, I suggest you read the book FIRST so you won’t get confused or frustrated. I am excited ( and sad ) for the next episode - Roger returns, birth of Jemmy, Jamie and Claire can breathe again, etc. Yay!!!!!

#Outlander #drums of autumn #providence #history

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A Quebec Superior Court judge ordered a stay of proceedings on charges related to tobacco trade against two Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) men on Wednesday, citing treaty rights. Derek White and Hunter Montour, both from Kahnawà:ke, south of Montreal, were granted a permanent stay of criminal proceedings on charges related to the largest Sûreté du Québec operation targeting a cross-border contraband tobacco ring. "It's a lot of weight lifted off my chest," White told CBC Indigenous on Thursday. In 2019, a jury acquitted White on charges of defrauding Quebec of $44 million in tobacco taxes but found the two guilty on federal charges for not paying excise tax on tobacco products. The pair had asked for a stay of proceedings, arguing that the government had violated their Section 35 Constitutional rights, as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and inherent rights as Kanien'kehá:ka to trade tobacco tax-free.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#Kanien'kehá:ka #Mohawk #Indigenous #Tobacco #cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #First Nations #Treaty Rights #Quebec

[kayla1993-world]

Kanien'kehá:ka veterinarian hopes to inspire more indigenous people into the profession

Montana Diabo always wanted to become a veterinarian.

After uprooting her life and moving 3,000-plus kilometres away from her community to a Caribbean island, the 30-year-old's dream finally turned to reality.

"I feel superaccomplished," said Diabo, who is Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Kahnawake, south of Montreal.

"It was a lot of work, a lot of fears, a lot of studying. I feel very accomplished to have gotten through that."

Diabo said she wanted to work with animals since she was a child and took her first step into the veterinary world by taking a college animal health technician program. After graduating, she worked at the Society to prevent Cruelty to Animals in Montreal for five years before deciding to take the leap to study abroad.

She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine for a sped up program at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis, followed by a year of clinical training at Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

While she worked with a wide variety of animals, Diabo was most proud of helping remove a large chest tumour from a husky after all non-surgical options were exhausted.

"He recovered really nicely," said Diabo. "It was just such an amazing feeling when we returned him back to his owners."

Diabo is doing a three-month mentorship at North Country Veterinary Services in upstate New York, but her long-term goal is to return to Kahnawake to open her own clinic after gaining more on-the-job experience.

"I don't think I would have made it this far without the help and encouragement of everyone back home," said Diabo.

"It was a drive to keep going when things got really tough."

The need for veterinary health services in Indigenous communities is great, according to Métis veterinarian Dayle Poitras-Oster.

"It's important for indigenous people to have access to those resources culturally appropriately and even better if those resources can come from their own people," said Poitras-Oster, who works in Drayton Valley, Alta.

However, Indigenous veterinarians working in Canada are few, she said. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association said it did not have statistics on what the national representation may be of Indigenous veterinarians.

Retired veterinarian Roberta Duhaime said the lack of data is an issue in the United States as well.

Duhaime, who is also Kanien'kehá:ka from Kahnawake, spent three decades working as veterinary medical officer and epidemiologist for government agencies across the United States.

Although Duhaime encountered few Indigenous colleagues, she feels it is important for young people — like Diabo — to enter the field to advocate for including Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in the profession.

"Somebody has to come in and help change it. Otherwise it'll never change," said Duhaime.

Diabo hopes she can be a role model to younger generations in Indigenous communities with aspirations of a career in animal medicine.

"When I wanted to become a veterinarian, I didn't really have anyone to turn to ask for advice…. I kind of had to figure it out on my own," said Diabo.

"I'm opening up a path.... I feel like a little like trailblazer. I'm actually I'm opening it up up the field for any future Indigenous students who would like to pursue the career."

[laresearchette]

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: MARVEL STUDIOS’ ASSEMBLED: THE MAKING OF HAWKEYE (Disney + Star) THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JEFF GOLDBLUM (Disney + Star)

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT HOME INSPECTOR JOE (Premiering on January 23 on HGTV Canada at 10:00pm) GROWING BELUSHI (TBD - Discovery Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

DISNEY + STAR BLACK NARCISSUS HIP HOP UNCOVERED (Season 1) LEGION (Seasons 1-3) MAN, WOMAN, DOG (Season 1)   POSE (Seasons 1-2) SUPERSTAR (Season 1) WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (Seasons 1-2)

NETFLIX CANADA EL MARGINAL (Season 4) HEAVENLY BITES: MEXICO JUNAPIS GONZÁLEZ: THE SERIES MIDNIGHT IN THE SWITCHGRASS THE PUPPET MASTER: HUNTING THE ULTIMATE CONMAN TOO HOT TO HANDLE (Season 3)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 7:00pm: Second Round Coverage (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 3:00am (Thurs.): Second Round Coverage

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 7:00pm: Nets vs. Wizards (TSN4/TSN5) 7:30pm: Hornets vs. Celtics (SN1) 8:30pm: Raptors vs. Mavericks (TSN4/TSN3) 10:00pm: Clippers vs. Nuggets

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:30pm: Leafs vs. Rangers (SN360) 10:00pm: Avalanche vs. Ducks

THE OTHER SIDE (APTN) 7:30pm

STILL STANDING (CBC) 8:00pm: Wakefield, QC:  While its tourist train dollars are long gone, the proudly-weird town of Wakefield is reimagining itself as a place known for culture and outdoor fun.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (CTV) 8:00pm: Pressured to not look like a dad for an upcoming work event, James takes his kids out on a shopping trip.

SKINDIGENOUS (APTN) 8:30pm:  Kanien'kehá:ka artist Keith Callihoo keeps his relationship to the land and to his ancestors' stories from the Michel First Nation alive through his tattoo practice. He strives to pass these teachings on to his 9-year-old daughter, Hayden.

RUN THE BURBS (CBC) 8:30pm: Andrew competes with his sister Carol; Camille worries about Ramesh dabbling in online dating; Khia enlists Leo's help with chores.

PRETTY HARD CASES (CBC) 9:00pm: Trouble follows Elliot and Jackie, wreaking havoc on Sam and Kelly's search for who shot a police officer.

7TH GEN (APTN) 9:00pm: Katarina Ziervogel

FINDING MAGIC MIKE (Crave) 9:00pm/9:45pm/10:35pm/11:25pm (SERIES PREMIERE):  In search of their inner magic, competitors from across the U.S.A. head to Las Vegas for a shot at $100,000 and the title of the "Real Magic Mike."

TRIBAL POLICE FILES (APTN)  9:30pm

I AM (W Network) 10:00pm: Hannah, a woman in her mid-thirties, reaches a crossroads in her life. Facing impediments both within and beyond her control, Hannah is confronted by a crisis of aspiration and identity.

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #canadian tv listings #the other side #still standing #children ruin everything #skindigenous #run the burbs #pretty hard cases #7th gen #tribal police files #i am #tennis #nba basketball #nhl hockey

[writingwithcolor]

First Peoples-inspired fictive peoples, specific terms, titles, and concepts

Hi there! I’m writing a fantasy novel, and amongst the fictive peoples I’m writing about are an Iroquois-inspired one (Kanien'kehá:ka-inspired, mostly) and also a Cree-inspired one. Like with the other real world-inspired fictive peoples in that verse, I’ve tried to make them both diverse and distinctive, anchored in their real world equivalents’ cultures, yet still distinctively fictive. Both of those peoples are described as advanced, complex, technology-savvy societies who aren’t entirely comprised of nature-loving, magic-wielding “shamans” (which I know is a term that shouldn’t be used to describe Native healers or spiritual leaders, since it’s Asian in origin) and/or long-haired, strong-silent-type, muscled warriors.

Still, I’m wondering about some things.

1) While I’m describing the Iroquois-inspired people as matriarchal and democratic (Iroquoian democracy, not Modern Western World-democracy) like its real world-equivalent, the Cree-inspired one is described as a mostly post-gendered, equal opportunity society and also democratic. Since, historically, the Cree were mostly patriarchal, is it disrespectful to describe this Cree-inspired people as otherwise? I’m trying not to copy-paste real world cultures into this fantasy-verse; the Tokape are inspired from the Cree, not copied from them. Is that acceptable or should I stick to historical Cree cultures and societies?

2) I’m trying not to white/European-wash my First Peoples-inspired nations. To this end, I’ve decided to depart from European terms to describe political concepts or functions; for example, the political leader of the Tokape is called the Great Chief (or High Chief) rather than a President or a King, and he/she/they rules over a Chiefdom rather than a Kingdom, the leader of their military is called the Warchief, who leads the Braves rather than the armies or the soldiers, and local or regional leaders are diverse kinds of Chief instead of Mayors, Governors, etc. Is that correct, or should I stick with either European terms or completely fictive ones? Those leaders aren’t described or presented as being any less than their European-inspired equivalents, they just rule over different societies and thus have different titles.

3) Are such terms as Braves, here used to designate warriors, innately offensive? I know the Cree actually use that term in English and French to describe themselves, amongst many other First Peoples and Native Americans who do the same, but I’ve also read it can be offensive when used inappropriately. If that’s the case, should I just use the term “warriors”? It’s more generic, but I don’t want to cause offence.

4) Lastly, I’m describing both the Atsukwai (Iroquois-inspired people) and the Tokape (Cree-inspired people) as rather more accepting of LGBTQA+ persons that most historical societies, as well as more respectful of both nature and its diversity in general. I know this feeds into many clichés when it comes to Native Americans and First Peoples, but I see it as a positive aspect of these fictional societies, which they share with most of the fictional peoples I present in a positive light in the story. I don’t want to write an universe that is just as sectarian, just as stifling as the real world. I hope it’s not too cliche :/

I know it was a long submission, but I would be really grateful if you could answers my questions. Thank you in advance, and sorry for the bother.

Going to address point 4 first: Historically Native nations were more accepting. I personally am onón:wat, which is Kanien'kehá:ka’s word for two-spirit. Many, many, many sources exist that describe third gender people and not-heterosexual pairings (men and two-spirit, women and two-spirit, but I’m sure men with men and women with women existed). Many, many, many languages have their own term for two-spirit. It’s not a cliche if it’s correct. 

You can watch Gaycation’s two-spirit episode, read this, and read this to get more information.

I grabbed a Plains Cree friend of mine to answer most of the Cree-based questions. If you’re not using the Plains Cree then this might be drastically different (it’s a huge nation with lots of sub-branches), but it at least gives you an idea:

1) that’s true that compared to Iroquois, Cree were more Patriarchal. Although some matters were the opposite such as for trading and business. One had to have express permission from their wife/mother/etc to do any dealing with tipis, dogs, horses, clothing etc bc the women owned it. This trend moved onto the Men doing all the business because male settlers refused to trade with women (or so I’ve been told.) I personally think it’d be alright to switch the fictional people as being more matriarchal and think it’d be interesting, since they’re only inspired by Crees to an extent. 

2) Crees could actually have as many as seven Chiefs, and usually weren’t voted into office formally unless the last Chief was inadequate. Chiefs usually were wealthier men (so they had more to give, you had to be generous) who showed good skill in battle and leadership, so having multiple is accurate. The other types of Chiefs I know existed were peace, ceremonial, and hunting Chiefs. 

3) Varying war societies existed but the most prominent one was called “Worthy Young Men”, and that’s what they were called. Usually this consisted of men you’d expect to be there (warriors) but also sometimes great hunters or men with a lot of horses were invited to join as well, so even the term is a bit flexible. Personally I might try to stray away from calling them Braves too much just because it’s a bit corny and overdone at this point, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with using it. 

As for my own thoughts, building off of the above:

The thing about Native matriarchies and patriarchies is: even in a patriarchal society, women still held incredible value because women got stuff done. They did the cooking, cleaning, sewing, and oftentimes they also did the gathering. As the saying goes, “Do you know why men go to war? If twenty men leave and only five come back, the world goes on. If twenty women leave and only five come back, the world stops.”

It’s only very recently that the concept patriarchy= women are at much lower value took hold. Native nations were in general more egalitarian simply because everybody needed to work in order for the society to run, and all the work was valuable. Matriarchy and patriarchy mostly mean how goods were passed down between generations and the definitions of family. (for example: Iroquois kinship is its own thing with different definitions than we associate with Western kinship).

Matriarchies and patriarchies also took on various forms— I recall one nation in the Southern US (forget the name) where the men did the philosophy, religion, and art, while the women did the gathering, cooking, and trade. This was a matriarchy because the women did the more valuable things to society while the men enriched it but weren’t doing much that was considered absolutely necessary. 

There are a few little things here that make me think you need to do more research, because it’s all still filtering through a colonial lens. Namely the chiefs, the lack of understanding our acceptance of LGBTQI+ folk, and the little ghosts that point to not quite going far back enough in the historical sources. A single leader was a rarity in both the Cree and the Iroquois (we did, after all, have confederacy and each individual nation had a Council Fire to govern us, with layers of council) but it was common for settlers because they assumed everyone had to have one leader (and they often forced this onto nations by insisting only one person deal with settlers, reinforcing their internal narrative).

Read ethnographies that focus on the nations you’re looking at. If you’re in Canada, the Culture section at Chapters often has a Native section that has some really good sources. Otherwise, university presses are good places to start. There’s just this missing piece where things are still being approached from a settler-centric perspective, and it needs to shift a little more towards understanding Native societies.

~ Mod Lesya

#submission #soleriane #First Nation #Native American #mohawk #cree #worldbuilding #fantasy #asks

[historybehindassassinscreed]

In Game:

The Kanien'kehá:ka (Kanien'keha: People of the Flint), also known as the Mohawk, are one of the five original nations that make up the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy.

During the 18th century, the Kanien'kehá:ka village of Kanatahséton was situated by a lakeside in the Diamond Basin region of the Frontier.

At least one of their members, Ratonhnhaké:ton, joined the Assassin Order. His mother, Kaniehtí:io, brought him up alone until she died underneath burning rubble when he was four years old. Also, one of Ratonhnhaké:ton's childhood friends was Kanen'tó:kon, with which their bond remained together into later life.

During the American Revolutionary War, due to unresolved conflicts with settlers encroaching into the Mohawk Valley, and outstanding treaty obligations to the British Crown, the Mohawk fought against the Continental Army. However, Ratonhnhaké:ton's village remained neutral to the fighting, as they were ordered by the First Civilization member, Juno, to protect the Grand Temple which was located nearby.

In Real Life:

The Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) of Kahnawake are an Iroquoian-speaking (Iroquois Nations: People of the long house) indigenous people of North America. The Mohawk were historically based in the Mohawk Valley in present-day upstate New York west of the Hudson River (north to the St. Lawrence River, southern Quebec and eastern New Jersey and into Pennsylvania, eastward to the Green Mountains of Vermont and westward to the border with the Iroquoian).

As one of the five original members of the Iroquois League, the Mohawk were known as the “Keepers of the Eastern Door.” For hundreds of years, they guarded the Iroquois Confederation against invasion from that direction by tribes from the New England and lower New York areas.

In the Mohawk language, the people say that they are from "Flint Stone Place". The Mohawk became wealthy traders as other nations in their confederacy needed their flint for tool making.

The Mohawk were among the four Iroquois tribes that allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War. They had had a long trading relationship with the British and hoped to gain support to prohibit colonists encroaching into their territory in the Mohawk Valley. Joseph Brant was acting as war chief and successfully led raids against British and ethnic German colonists in the Mohawk Valley, who had been given land by the British administration near the rapids at present-day Little Falls, New York.

After the American victory, the British ceded their claim to land in the colonies, and the Americans forced their allies, the Mohawk and others, to give up their territories in New York. Most of the Mohawk migrated to Canada, where the Crown gave them some land in compensation. The Mohawk at the Upper Castle fled to Fort Niagara, while most of those at the Lower Castle went to villages near Montreal. On November 11th, 1794, representatives of the Mohawks (along with the other Iroquois nations) signed the Treaty of Canandaigua with the United States, which allowed them to own land there.

The Mohawk also fought as an ally of the British against the United States in the War of 1812.

(Image source)

In modern times, their current major settlements include areas around Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River in Canada and New York. There are currently 3,540 speakers of the language, 540 living in Canada and 3,000 in the United States. The Mohawk have organized for more sovereignty at their reserves in Canada, pressing for authority over their people and lands. Tensions with the Quebec Provincial and national governments have been strained during certain protests. In 1993 a group of Akwesasne Mohawk purchased 322 acres of land in the Town of Palatine in Montgomery County, New York which they named Kanatsiohareke. It marked a return to their ancestral land.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_people

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelvenables/2012/11/25/the-consultants-behind-ratonhnhaketon/#45aefa1065fe

http://www.kahnawakelonghouse.com/index.php?mid=2

https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/programs/environmental/courses/es368/runge.php

#Assassin's Creed #AC 3 #Groups