We were on the Rio Negro, visiting some of the 13 villages Ipu was responsible for as an elder, statesman, and shaman. Ipu’s own village had been decimated by Brazil’s ugly war on Amazonian people. Yet Ipu stayed hopeful and determined, even when his life was threatened. He was determined to serve the people.
The task of serving the people is political as well as spiritual. These realms are inseparable for Indigenous people. We are inextricably interconnected with one another and the Earth. Evil, that which separates us from our knowledge of connection, is real, and so often present in what others see as the mundane. Business as usual all too often obscured profound evil. The following post speaks to the necessity of making the harm of the everyday visible in service to the community, including the land.
These past two weeks have been insane. We have camped in -25 Celsius weather and have stood by a fire outside for hours on end in this weather too! We at the Rocky Mountain Fort in BC believe in taking a stand for what you believe in and I put a call out for a show of solidarity using the hastags #keepthepeace and #nositec and the response has been amazing. We want that to continue to grow.
The Peace Valley is a Northern gem, it is prime agricultural land, it is a migratory corridor, it holds medicines and berries, it has sacred burial sites in it…..and wild onions. It is a part of Treaty 8 Territory and loved by Indigenous and Non-Indigenous alike and we do not ,and have not, wanted the Site C Hydro Dam flooding the Valley. There are already TWO dams on the Peace River. The river that was…
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Dreaming the World 
Hi Michael, thanks for bringing up the Site C Dam project and protestors. There have been very few treaties settled in British Columbia, Canada. This is just another case of government and big business doing as they please, usually with each others support, while ignoring objection from local citizens,whether they are First Nations or Non-First Nations people. It is a shame to see the destruction. And for what? – a handful of people getting rich.
If you look deeper into many of these destructive ‘projects’ you will find the companies or government have support of the First Nation Bands that hold rights to the land being pillaged, even when it goes against the wishes of the majority of band members. Many times Chief and Councils have much in common with Non-Aboriginal politicians. Power can corrupt regardless of skin colour. On the flip side people can be linked to the Earth despite the same.
This is a fight we are in! It’s time we stop reciting our so called inherent rights or privilege, quit looking at our differences with suspicion and band together to stop further destruction in the name of so very few.
Take care, Michael. I hope you get some cold weather and snow. Bob
Hi Bob, Something similar happens here. When there is money to be made, the good of all the community tends to take a distant back seat. So it is good to acknowledge some of the good being done out there.
PS And I hope you stay warm!
Thanks! Given your recent posts, I suspect you have more cold than us; certainly more snow! Still, a fir in the woodstove goes a long way!
Hi Michael, it sure was warm today, hoovering around freezing. You are right about the fir in the stove. Take care. Bob
Hi Bob, here the temps have settled into the teens and we have a few inches of snow. Forecast is for a return to warmth. The winter that mostly hasn’t been continues.
Hi Michael, right now we are having a mix of rain and snow – terrible stuff! Take care. Bob