Northern Overexposure
  • Home
  • Musical Interludes
  • Blog
  • Contact Me

Forgive Our Fathers and Idle No More

1/11/2013

0 Comments

 
I presented to class today the film Smoke Signals for analysis of themes of ethnic classification, identity, displacement, and how marginalized cultures have decentered dominant meta-narratives.

I had forgotten how powerful a film it is. The themes of the absence and presence of the father features prominently. At the end of the film, in  a moving scene of solidarity, Victor presents part of the remains of his father's ashes to Thomas. Victor's father acted as a kind of foster-father for Thomas. The relationship between Victor and his father was complicated to say the least. Victor experienced both the effects of alcoholism and abandonment from his father. In a poignant scene, Victor asks his father's girlfriend if his father ever talked about him.

When Thomas receives the ashes he says that he is going to go to the river and throw the ashes in and the spirit of his father will rise like a phoenix once again. Victor laughs and says he was going to to do the same thing but for a different reason. For Victor, the journey was going to be like cleaning the attic; getting rid of things that are no longer necessary.

The poem that Thomas recites at the end is a powerful poem of moving forward.

By analogy, there is something stirring in the native community with the Idle No More movement. Historical grievances felt by the grassroots are being expressed somewhat inchoately but with great energy. First Nation leaders are not necessarily always connected with the rhythms or moods of the movement. There is a realignment occurring and a certain dissatisfaction with the status quo. The movement itself arose from four First Nation women and has caught on through the grassroots and net-roots. Certainly Theresa Spence and the entire Attawapiskat situation has occupied a central place in the coverage but Attawapiskat is not the central focus. The focus, as far as I can discern, is on the basic relationship of Canada and the First Nation people. It is stirring up passions on all sides. Letters to the editor have expressed anger and frustration by many Eur0-Canadians replete with stereotypical prejudices and attitudes. Matthew Coon come was booed by a group of Cree women when he entered Parliament to meet with officials from the government. The point is that from all sides a coming together to talk, dialogue is being frustrated by grassroots anger. Both First Nation leaders and Canadian leaders alike seem unable to stem the tide of resentment and grievances emerging.

Many scholars have referred to this period of history as post-colonial. This means that emancipation and liberation movements all across the world from India, Australia, South Africa, and Canada have shifted dramatically. The legacy of mostly British inspired colonialism is being supplanted by new relationships; hence the terms post(after)-colonialism (the colonial historical project). 

Yet, what will this new post-colonial relationship like? What kind of relationship will emerge? Idle No More correctly asserts that the government of Canada needs to negotiate with indigenous people on a nation to nation basis. However, there has been such a history of dependency particularly through the Indian Act which many activists have been trying to have repealed for at least 40 years that envisioning a new pre-Indian Act arrangement seems insurmountable.

And so in this journey of ridding ourselves of a paternalistic past, what path will the First Nation people follow? Shall we live forever in historical grievances and attempt to rewrite historical narratives (forgive our father's in their time) or shall we look at what exists now and let go of existing structures and begin anew (forgive our fathers in our time). And finally, as the poem concludes,  "if we forgive our father's what is left?"

Like the grandmother in this clip, we ask the prophet, "tell me what happened, tell me what's going to happen?"


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    My Pensées

    The title of this blog is an allusion to the famous work of Blaise Pascal.  This blog represents the variety of my interests and thoughts on any given day and are  strung together, like Pascal's Pensees, in no particular order. I work in the field of mental health,  education, and human rights. I write and am a human rights advocate. I enjoy poetry, jazz, spirituality, politics and a potpourri of other interests that you will see reflected in this blog.

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.