TOUTES MES RELATIONS

Posted on by Abitawiskwe

Le dicton Lakota: Mitakuye Oyás’iŋ. L’expression se traduit: “tous mes parents”, “nous sommes tous liés” ou “toutes mes relations” C’est une prière pour l’unité et l’harmonie avec toutes les formes de vie:. Autres gens, les animaux, les oiseaux, les insectes, les arbres et les plantes, et même les rochers, les rivières, les montagnes et les vallées. (P.160, ISBN 0-8061-3649-9.)

Nous sommes tous liés. Toutes mes relations.

Qu’est-ce que cela signifie pour moi?

Comme l’aînée de l’aîné de l’aîné, j’ai bénéficié en connaîssant cinq de mes grands-parents – trois d’entre eux avec des connexions vérifiables avec un ancêtre des Premières Nations. Tous venant des mêmes communautés historiques de Lanaudière, au Québec. Chacun d’entre eux avec des connexions de parenté: cousins, tantes, oncles qui se sont installés dans l’Ouest. Tous avec la parenté qui étaient Voyageurs, ou encore Voyageurs eux-mêmes.

A chaque génération qui passe, à chaque aïeul qui nous quitte, le fil entre la parenté devient de plus en plus mince. A la joie des colonisateurs. A la joie du gouvernements coloniaux.

Voici quelques-uns de mes liens de parenté. Quel que soit l’ancêtre que je choisis, je peux les relier les uns aux autres, peu importe où ils se sont installée.

Voici quelques exemples: (cliquez pour voir)

 

Nos ancêtres qui étaient en vie lors de la pendaison de Louis Riel et qui étaient en mesure de remémorer nos liens de parenté sont maintenant disparus.

Les gouvernements colonisateur ont débuter la légifération des droits Métis:

1982: Création de la section 35 de la Loi constitutionnelle:

35. (1) Les droits ancestraux et issus de traités des peuples autochtones du Canada sont reconnus et confirmés.
(2) Dans la présente loi, «peuples autochtones du Canada» comprend les peuples du Canada Indiens, des Inuit et des Métis.
(3) Il est entendu que, au paragraphe (1) “droits issus de traités” comprend les droits existants par le biais d’accords de revendications territoriales ou peut être ainsi acquis.
(4) Nonobstant toute autre disposition de la présente loi, les droits ancestraux et issus de traités visés au paragraphe (1) sont garantis également aux personnes des deux sexes.

1993: Création du test de Powley.

Voyons voir maintenant si je peux répondre avec des preuves empiriques:

  1. s’identifier comme membre de la communauté métisse;    Oui
  2. faire partie d’une communauté métisse existante;               Lanaudière, Québec
  3. avoir des liens avec une communauté métisse historique.  Lanaudière et Mauricie

Concernant le troisième critère, pour qu’une collectivité puisse être considérée comme une « communauté historique titulaire de droits », il doit être prouvé qu’un certain nombre de personnes ayant une ascendance mixte indienne et européenne ou inuit et européenne :

  1. formaient un groupe ayant une identité collective distinctive;     Absolument
  2. vivaient ensemble dans la même région;                                          Ben oui!
  3. partageaient un mode de vie commun.                                             Sans Aucun Doute.

 

Cet exercice m’a permis de vérifier la preuve empirique de l’histoire orale de ma famille.Ce fût un très grand défi pour moi. Je tiens à exprimer ma gratitude au Dr Sébastien Malette, professeur de droit autochtone (droits des Métis) à l’Université Carleton à Ottawa. J’ai rencontré Sebastien par hazard, grâce à nos commentaires sur un blog intitulé: La mythologie du métissage le 11 Mars 2015.Depuis lors, Sébastien est devenu un bon ami, un mentor et un allié. Si jamais j’aurais le privilège de faire une thèse au doctorat, il serait LE Prof que je supplierais avoir comme superviseur. Merci, cher Seb.

ALL OUR RELATIONS

Posted on by Abitawiskwe

The Lakota saying: Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ. The phrase translates in English as “all my relatives,” “we are all related,” or “all my relations.” It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life: other people, animals, birds, insects, trees and plants, and even rocks, rivers, mountains and valleys. (p.160,  ISBN 0-8061-3649-9.)

We are all related. All my relations.

What does that mean to me?

As the eldest of the eldest of the eldest, I benefited from knowing five of my great-grandparents – three of them with verifiable connections with a First Nation ancestor. All from the same historic communities in Lanaudière, Québec. All of them with kinship connections: cousins, aunties, uncles who settled in the West. All of them with kinship to Voyageurs, or Voyageurs themselves.

As every generation passes, as more of the elders passed on, the thread between kinship becomes thinner. To the glee of Colonizers. To the glee of Settler Governments.

Here are a few kinship connections. No matter which ancestor I choose, I can link them to each other, no matter where their travels have taken them and their descendants:

Here are a few examples: (click to see)

 

Our ancestors who were alive during the hanging of Louis Riel and who were able to recount our kinship connections passed on.

Settler Governments were able to begin to legislate the Rights of Métis.

1982: Enter Section 35 of the Constitution Act:

35. (1) The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed.

(2) In this Act, “aboriginal peoples of Canada” includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.

(3) For greater certainty, in subsection (1) “treaty rights” includes rights that now exist by way of land claims agreements or may be so acquired.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the aboriginal and treaty rights referred to in subsection (1) are guaranteed equally to male and female persons.

1993: Enter the Powley Test.

Let’s see if I can answer it with empirical evidence:

1. The characterization of the right claimed (eg: was it hunting for food?): Not claiming anything – yet.

2. Whether the claimant is a member of a contemporary Métis community:   Yes.

3. Identification of the historic Métis community:                    Lanaudière, Québec

4. Identification of the contemporary Métis community:         Lanaudière, Québec

5. The historical time-frame of the practice:                                 17th C to present

6. Whether the practice is integral to the culture of the claimant:                Yes.

7. Whether the proposed practice is continued by the Métis community:    Yes.

8. Whether the right was extinguished:                                              No. Occurring on unceded land. 

9. Whether the right was infringed upon:                                          To be continued

10. If the right was infringed, can that infringement can be justified:     To be continued

This exercise has allowed me to verify the empirical proof of my family’s oral history. It’s a pretty big deal to me. I wish to express gratitude to Dr. Sebastien Malette, Professor of Indigenous Law (Métis Rights) at Carleton University in Ottawa. I met Sebastien on the comment board at http://apihtawikosisan.com/2015/03/the-mythology-of-metissage-settler-moves-to-innocence/#comments on March 11, 2015. He has since then become a good friend, mentor and ally. If I would ever do a PhD, he’d be the guy who I’d beg to be my Advisor. Merci, cher Seb.

Artwork Acknowledgements

Posted on by Abitawiskwe

I’m new to this website creation and I have tried many ways to show acknowledgements of the artwork I use on this site. I feel it is important, so I am doing it  here, as a blog post.

cropped-photogrid_14474486944951.jpg

The Header is by Henri Beaulac. Born in Trois-Rivières, Mauricie, Québec in 1914, Beaulac was part of the rising of linoleum print art. These are from his series called Métis and are, in order, le gigueur, la courtepointe, et l’accordéon. I have only been able to find l’accordéon and I am actively looking to find the others to add to my collection.

Qallunette
DECOLONIZIING MY Métis identity and what it all means for me and for future generations. // Je DÉCOLONISE MON identité Métisse pour moi et pour mes descendants

My profile picture is scanned from an original piece by Alexander Angnaluak, a young and very talented student at First Nations University of Canada in Saskatchewan. I fell in love with this piece of art and it hangs in my living room. The sash was added using a widget that was offered by – I think – the Gabriel Dumont Institute.

PLEASE ENCOURAGE INDIGENOUS ARTISTS.

Primer to negate the “Other” #Métis across Canada, especially those in #Ontario

Posted on by Abitawiskwe

 

By Prof. Sebastien Malette 

Qallunette asked Dr. Malette what would be the best primer to negate the existence of other Metis, outside Red River. Of course, Dr. Malette is known to be a advocate for the recognition of Métis multiple identities, as per case law and our histories. His answer with an ironic twist was the following :

1) Adopt and promote a highly abstract and monological nationalist narrative.

2) Instead of working toward the betterment of your immediate community, start picking on remote communities you know nothing of, for example the Great Lakes communities or as East as you can.

3) Get online and find similar individuals to bully in pack anyone who might challenge your views. Call them “white,” fakes, only-mixed, French, dangerous to First Nations, or mere opportunists. Find yourself a few champion-bloggers to do so, even better.

4) As you do this, challenge their oral traditions as lies, and claim they have no evidence to back it up. Don’t worry: this is not rude.

5) When evidence are presented, because you called for them, claim they only pertain to racial characterisations, and load this with an equally abstract notion of national “collective consciousness” they would miss anyway.

6) This is important: police people’s Indigeneity on that metaphysical basis, and look as offended as you can: anger gives you a glow of purity and a ring of authenticity. Again, call them ignorant, mislead or fraud. This will rally many bystanders, as you are obviously the victim of all this.

7) Don’t worry about hurting people in the process and endangering vulnerable communities and complex kinship network, which may have managed to survive until here. Keep telling yourself that you are saving your nation (and never explain why these communities are a real danger to the nation, just claim it).

8) Dismiss the accusations that might hurt you, like accusations of lateral violence, or the fact per evidence that even historical leaders would have condemn your views. How? Well, again, just by saying so. Or call it de-contextualisation of evidence, it often works beautifully to dismiss. Remember: the goal here is to conflate all possible ethnogenesis with one single nationalist narration, yours, don’t forget.

9) As you are getting pressed by harder questions/issues, just go more violently by using ever-refined ad hominem rhetoric. Remember: focus on attacking people, and drama. And stay angry: this gives you an extra glow of legitimacy.

10) Do all over again, moving from one alien community to the next. Until you achieve domination over the matter.