Discussing decolonization often brings response of trembling of some peoples own reference to be a colonizer or colonized.  It happens with indigenous, it happens with settlers.  From indigenous folk, it’s often in the form of, “Well, we won’t be living in longhouses again.  I quite like my starbucks and SUV.” or “We live in a modern world and have to learn to live in it.”  So often these responses are from individuals who are deeply imbeded in the modernity colonization has brought us, and I have a notion that their …

In the past couple days I made a few changes to the blog.  You may or may not notice them, but I hope they will make navigating and accessing the blog much easier and enjoyable.  I have been writing on this blog for a few years now.  It has been a journey.  I plan on continue to use this medium to illustrate and deepen my resolve.
A few changes I made is the hierarchy of the ‘categories’.  Blogs operating and tagging blog posts within categories to help sort them into common themes.  There is also ‘Posts Tags’ …

Schools are really a devlish place, aren’t they? They really accomplish this odd goal of disrespecting youthfulness and being youth. They are not treated as respectful members of society to learn and contribute on their own, and this is why I come to this conclusion. Youth can’t be trusted! We separate them into little arbitrary (based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system) groups based on a pre-set of interests or parameters. This is either through ’subjects’ or through ways we determine how well they will perform (below-mainstream, mainstream, and superior). We then separate them further based on lines of age, going as far to completely separate them from having relationships with people significantly older then them. The older person are to instruct, constantly, and must be in positions of authority where the students are obedient to their instruction. Youth occupy one space to another, sitting in structured seating arrangements, standing and moving to another place at the ring of a bell, to places of specialized subjects that may be of no use or interest of the learner.

Shaun Peterson is a Tulalip/Puyallup visual-artist from Washington state the creates beautiful wood sculptures and digital-based art.  I share a common interested as him in Coast Salish art.  He has posted this fantastic video on an introduction to Coast Salish art.

I left a message on the video.  In his example of the double-headed serpent comb design, he describes taking away the negative space to illustrate how it is different from northern formline art.  Yet, I would argue (and I think he would agree with me?) that Coast Salish art can use …

A new video posted by the Four Host First Nation Society on youtube went up recently. The elaborate and dazzling video displays a mixture of scenic views, contemporary Aboriginal people, children, and leaders, is apparently the video being used during the Opening Ceremonies as a ‘welcome’. The Four Host First Nations, including C.E.O. Tewanee Joseph, FHFN Chairman Bill Williams, VANOC Board Member Gibby Jacob, or Squamish Councilor Ian Campbell have been labeling the 2010 Winter Olympics as ‘the world biggest potlatch’, and potlatches have welcomes!