Tag: social justice

  • Template Letter to Send to Federal Government re Prisoner Safety During Covid-19

    Template Letter to Send to Federal Government re Prisoner Safety During Covid-19

    Picture from United Nations 2020

    Dear social justice allies, Several weeks ago, I wrote an article for APTN News about the need for all levels of government to work with Indigenous governments and prison justice experts to develop a decarceration plan for Indigenous peoples to avoid a massive covid19 outbreak in prisons which would disproportionately impact Indigenous peoples.
    COVID-19 pandemic plan needed for Canada’s jails and prisons

    I then did a Youtube video providing more context on this issue and why a strategic, decarceration plan is needed for Indigenous peoples, especially Indigenous women who are the most over-represented prison population. Indigenous peoples are already in a  high risk category for covid19 health issues and prisons would only make the matter worse.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3gx_skSDX8

    The Canadian Association for Elizabeth Fry Societies is also calling on governments to release some prisoners, including Indigenous women. pregnant women, and others.You can see their Open to Letter to Government here: https://www.caefs.ca/caefs-calls-for-release-of-prisoners-at-risk-due-to-covid-19/

    Many of you contacted me after seeing my video asking about a template letter they could use to Please see the below template letter that you can use and/or edit to your specific needs to send to the federal government regarding prisoner health and safety during the covid-19 pandemic.

    The below draft template letter was provided by Senator Kim Pate, who has been a life long prison justice advocate for women. She has long called on the government to find alternatives to prison for women, especially Indigenous women who are grossly over-represented in prisons and women with physical and mental health issues. She is advocating that prisons release all minimum security prisoners, elderly and ill prisoners, and Indigenous women.

    Many thanks for those of you who support prisoners at this time, especially the many thousands who have not even been convicted of their alleged crime.


    April , 2020
    The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
    Prime Minister of Canada
    Office of the Prime Minister
    80 Wellington Street
    Ottawa, ON
    K1A 0A2

    Dear Prime Minister and Members of the Cabinet:

    Re: COVID-19 in Canadian Prisons

    We are gravely concerned that more people are going to die because current preventive measures for some Canadians are inadequate. We are particularly concerned about people living in poverty, people who are already isolated, homeless people, precariously housed and employed people, and prisoners.

    There are 40,000 Canadians in prisons and too many are at particular risk due to COVID-19. In federal prisons, more than 1 in 4 prisoners are over 50, more than 1 in 7 have a respiratory illness or hypertension. Many have mental health issues. Elderly, ill and low risk prisoners can and must be released immediately.

    Locking down prisoners and locking out visitors is wholly inadequate. Without significantly reducing the number of prisoners, prisons are already becoming incubated breeding grounds for COVID-19. Social distancing for prisoners is being achieved via lockdowns, conditions of solitary confinement.

    The responses to COVID-19 in prisons so far raises serious health and human rights concerns. Because social distancing is not possible in crowded jails, the response to positive or suspected cases of COVID-19 are institutional lockdowns. Inadequate cleansers are being distributed to prisoners who often share kitchen and bathroom facilities. It is not effective to distribute hygiene information to those with dementia, learning, language or intellectual disabilities, not to mention those with significant mental health issues.

    Staff in federal prisons are already testing positive in growing numbers and others are refusing to go to work where prisoners are diagnosed with COVID-19.

    Authorities should be releasing all minimum security, elderly and ill prisoners from federal prisons. As you know, such legislative provisions as sections 29, 81, 84, 116 and 121 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act were specifically created to move people out of prisons to address health issues, for treatment, for other personal development, compassionate reasons, as well as for work. Sections 81 and 84 provide options which could be easily expanded to provide for the release of Indigenous and other prisoners.

    As the Parole Board of Canada has urged, temporary absence and work release options could be broadened, whether by legislative changes or broader interpretation of current policies and practices, to provide near immediate alleviation of current conditions. Some families and communities could immediately accommodate their loved ones. Community residential facilities and non-governmental organizations could be funded (at a fraction of the cost of incarceration), to provide additional community accommodation and support.

    Many communities need health clinics, testing centres and housing to alleviate current as well as pre-existing crises. Given the opportunity, construction companies and prisoners could volunteer to assist with the work needed to put this infrastructure in place.

    Recognizing these extraordinary times, the government could further support these goals through amendments to legislation and/or policy. One option could be a “presumptive” release on parole at one-sixth of a sentence for all first-time, non-schedule convictions, that could function similarly to current statutory releases, supervised by parole officers with the Parole Board of Canada setting any necessary conditions. Alternatively, currently available measures, such as section 116(6) of the CCRA which permits unescorted temporary absences for renewable periods of 60 days for “specific personal development” programs, could be made applicable to prisoners with vulnerable health issues. Existing measures for release could likewise be expanded to permit individuals to be released with other forms of distance monitoring, such as video reporting.

    The public safety risk of releasing minimum security prisoners, those who are ill and those who are elderly to receive treatment and contribute to their communities is negligible. The public health risks—for all Canadians—of keeping these individuals and correctional staff in overcrowded and under-prepared prisons and allowing the virus to spread further is significant, irresponsible and preventable.

    Provinces like Ontario and Nova Scotia have taken steps: allowing those who serve sentences only on the weekends to serve sentences at home. In the United States,[i] Europe,[ii] New Zealand[iii] and beyond, legal advocates are working to post bail and encourage release of prisoners. Canadian civil society organizations, medical and legal experts are echoing these calls. Canadians are calling for bold and effective measures. Protecting Canada from a healthcare crisis means protecting those most marginalized, including those in prisons and other institutions.


    [i] See e.g. Bill Quigley, Six points about Coronavirus and poverty in the US (Louisiana Weekly): http://www.louisianaweekly.com/six-points-about-coronavirus-and-poverty-in-the-us/ ; Lisa Backus, Advocates Urge Prisoner Releases Before Virus Strikes (CT News Junkie):

    https://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/20200316_advocates_urge_prisoner_releases_before_virus_strikes/?utm_source=CTNewsJunkie+Main+List+With+Publication+Groups&utm_campaign=2f91d903e6-MCP_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a493d2308d-2f91d903e6-95944325.

    [ii] Penal Reform International, Coronavirus: Healthcare and human rights of people in prison: https://www.penalreform.org/resource/coronavirus-healthcare-and-human-rights-of-people-in/.

    [iii] Penal Reform International, Coronavirus: Healthcare and human rights of people in prison: https://www.penalreform.org/resource/coronavirus-healthcare-and-human-rights-of-people-in/.


    Senator Kim Pate’s office also provided the following information to help families advocating on behalf of their loved ones in prison. Here is her note:

    In order to assist in the release of your loved one/family/community member, you may wish to write to their parole officer, as well as the Warden of the prison where they are currently incarcerated. You might also want to write or copy Anne Kelly, Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, Jennifer Oades, Chair of the Parole Board of Canada, Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Security, David Lametti, Minister of Justice, the Prime Minister, the leaders of the other federal political parties, as well as MPs and Senators.

    In your letter requesting release on compassionate grounds, or for personal development, or perhaps a work release program in order to care for family members, or a section 81 0r 84 release, you will want to identify why you think they can be released safely in to the community at this time, as well as the types of supports available to them. If you need some resources to assist with community infrastructure, you can encourage the community to apply directly to the Minister of Public Safety.

    Email addresses for some of the individuals listed above are:

    Many are copying our office on their correspondence so that the recipients are aware that we are monitoring developments in the matter.

    Additionally, please see below the link to an article by former Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Philpott and Senator Pate published recently in Policy Options regarding releasing prisoners in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be of interest:

    https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2020/time-running-out-to-protect-prisoners-and-prison-staff-from-calami

    Thank you once again for writing and take good care.

    Senator Kim Pate’s Office:

    https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/pate-kim/

  • A Modern Treaty to Save Our Peoples and The Planet

    A Modern Treaty to Save Our Peoples and The Planet

    Left to Right: Stephen Lewis, Pam Palmater, David Suzuki, photo by Ian Mauro Climate Tour 2019

    This blog is an excerpt of the speech that I gave at the Climate Tour with David Suzuki and Stephen Lewis, on October 4, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the University of Winnipeg on Treaty 1 territory. (Check against delivery).

    Kwe n’in telusi Pam Palmater. It is an honour to be here on Indigenous territory covered by Treaty one. Thanks to the elder for opening & to UofW for hosting us. Oct.4th important day to remember lives lost due to murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls.

    We have a hard truth to face. We are in the middle of two major crises: Canada is killing our people and the planet and we are here to stop it!

    The first crisis is that the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls found that Canada has and continues to commit genocide against Indigenous peoples – specifically targeting Indigenous Women and Girls.

    The second crisis is that Indigenous science and western science have both confirmed that we are headed for a massive climate disaster.

    To say that we are in a crisis of epic proportions would be an understatement. We need to act now to end the genocide of Indigenous peoples & stop the ecocide of the earth. Because we know that the pain of Indigenous peoples is the same pain felt by the planet. And the pain of this planet is felt first and foremost by Indigenous peoples.

    Settler governments in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and all over the world have colonized Indigenous territories with horrific acts of violence to peoples and the earth. The colonizing mentality pervades our governing systems and allows governments and corporations to treat people and the planet as resources to exploit – as though they were lifeless commodities. Extractive economies – now largely benefiting transnational corporations – have been authorized by governments land leave destruction in their wake.

    We’ve seen tears from Indigenous mothers whose daughters have been murdered by the thousands. We’ve also seen the heartbreak of killer whale mothers mourning the losses of their offspring who can’t survive in an oil tanker dominated eco-systems.

    And if we, as First Nations and Canadians, don’t act quickly – many more people, plants and animals will die. We no longer have the time to debate politics – the crisis in Canada is now a matter of life and death for all of us. It won’t be good enough in 50 years to look back and say we tried, we had the best intentions, or we gave it our best effort. We either do or die. And right now, Indigenous peoples are dying. Our planet is dying. But you all know this. We can no more deny the ecocide of climate change, than we can deny genocide of Indigenous peoples. The statistics, the research and the scientific evidence before our eyes is too overwhelming. Climate change is greatest threat to all life on earth – humans, plants and animals.

    Who bears the disproportionate burden of environmental destruction, water contamination and more pipelines? Indigenous peoples do. That is because genocide and ecocide go hand in hand. This earth has suffered a great assault, in part because of massive human rights violations to its caretakers – Indigenous peoples. Similarly, Indigenous peoples have suffered a great genocide in part because of the violence committed against our lands, waters, and ecosystems on which we depend.

    Our society’s economy has been constructed in a way which exploits ands abuses Indigenous women and the land with relative impunity. Well now, we all stand to pay the price of the impending climate disaster and corresponding the human disaster that will follow – all while large corporations reap the benefits.

    In the end – we will all suffer – if there is no drinkable water, farmable land or pollinators.

    What we need is a new treaty – a modern treaty that binds us all together – the people and the planet. A treaty that commits us to work together for the benefit of all Nations of peoples and living beings without discrimination, racism, sexism genocide or ecocide. A treaty that commits all people to heal our divisions so we can commit to protecting our collective futures.

    We must remember that our collective futures includes the plants, animals, birds ,fish, and insect Nations. They too have as much right to live on this planet as we do and if we have any hope of surviving, we’ll need every bee hive, every coral reef and every killer whale pod to maintain our precious eco-systems.

    This modern treaty can be a reality.

    It doesn’t matter what we call it, whose idea it was, where it originated or whether we agree on all aspects of it. This new treaty is about combining social justice and earth justice together to pave the way to a better future for all. The dual crises facing us requires that we do everything in our collective power to save our planet.

    This will require a societal revolution that goes beyond superficial changes and the glacial pace at which governments operate. It will require that we change everything and that will mean we need to get uncomfortable.

    We don’t need everyone for a revolution to save the planet. We don’t have time to wait around until the genocide and climate change deniers are convinced. If we wait, it will be too late for us all.

    Every single right we have ever gained – human rights, environmental protections or native rights – have been advanced by small numbers of people – sometimes only individuals pushing forward despite the odds. We can do this with all of you in this room. But we cant wait for all of you. We will forge ahead because we have to – its the only way to give Indigenous peoples and this planet a fighting chance.

    Other people will join when they see our successes. There will always be genocide deniers & climate change deniers, but we have an obligation to forge ahead anyway. If the lands are toxic from tar sands, and the water polluted from mining, none of our children will survive – whether they are Canadian or Indigenous. That’s why we need to work together.

    Together, we not only have the power to stop these abuses, but we can return Canada to its original treaty vision. Every single one of you has the power to stand up for what is right and save not only yourselves, but all those who can’t advocate on their own – for all of those whose voices that are not counted – the bees, the whales, the trees and the tiniest insects.

    None of you can do it alone and we don’t expect you to – the original treaty vision for Canada was premised on us working together to benefit from and protect the lands and waters which sustain us. Our advantage and our strength is in our collectives.

    Canada wouldn’t even exist without the treaty agreements between sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Crown. This original treaty vision was meant to protect the ecosystem on Turtle Island for as long as long as the grass grows, the rivers flow and sun shines.

    We are faced with two global crises – genocide and ecocide.

    We must use the spirit and intent of our original treaties to forge a new future Canadians – get out and vote in your system – use your numbers, your wealth, your influence and your privilege to force the change. But don’t stop there – the pressure must continue in full force post election in all forums – in Parliamentary and Senate Committees, in where you spend you money (or don’t), in the media, in the boardroom, in your advocacy and at the United Nations.

    Indigenous peoples will always be there on front lines, but we cant do it alone – we need you and you need us. Our very lives depend on it.

    We can protect the lands and waters and we can save lives. I believe in the power of the people to rise up and be the government of the people, by the people, for the people as it was intended. This generation was meant to lead our Nations back to balance. We were meant to protect this territory for our future generations. I believe in the power of our peoples to unite under a new treaty.

    Let’s end genocide against Indigenous peoples and ecocide against our planet.

    Lets work together for the radical changes we need to save our people and the planet.

    Wel’al’iog.

  • Overincarceration of Indigenous peoples nothing short of genocide

    Overincarceration of Indigenous peoples nothing short of genocide

                                                                                        (Public domain image)

    Canada’s colonial objectives have always been to clear the lands for settlement and development by whatever means necessary.

    After signing peace treaties in the 1700s, clearing the lands meant laws offering bounties on the heads of Mi’kmaw men, women and children. In the 1800s, clearing the lands meant ethnic cleansing on the Prairies – laws, policies and practices that confined native peoples to reserves

    and gave them insufficient rations to survive. In the 1900s, clearing the lands meant the theft of thousands of native children to be forced into residential schools where thousands died from abuse, torture and starvation. In the 2000s clearing the lands means the mass incarceration of Indigenous peoples in prisons paving the way for the extractive industry.

    The overincarceration of Indigenous peoples in federal, provincial and territorial prisons in Canada today is nothing short of genocide.

    On Jan. 21, 2020, Dr. Ivan Zinger, who heads the Office of the Correctional Investigator, issued an urgent statement about the rates of Indigenous peoples in federal prisons being at historic highs. While Indigenous peoples only make up five per cent of the Canadian population, they represent more than 30 per cent of those in federal prisons. Those statistics are even worse for Indigenous women who now make up 42 per cent of the prison population. A Statistics Canada report released in 2018 shows that almost half of all youth in corrections are Indigenous as well. This is all happening at a time when incarceration rates for the rest of Canada continue to decline. Why is this happening? Zinger states that federal corrections is “impervious to change” – a well-founded conclusion given the decades of commissions, inquiries and reports highlighting both racism in the justice system and the devastating impact it has on Indigenous peoples.

    In 1989, Chief Justice Thomas Hickman issued the final report of the Royal Commission on the Donald Marshall, Jr., Prosecution (Marshall Inquiry). Donald Marshall was a Mi’kmaw man from Nova Scotia who had been wrongly targeted by police and convicted of murder, spending 11 years in prison. The Marshall Inquiry found that the criminal justice system had failed Marshall “at virtually every turn” due “to the fact that Donald Marshall Jr., is a Native.” The report provided numerous recommendations to ensure more equitable treatment of native peoples in the future.

    A decade later, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba released its report in relation to the

    murder of Helen Betty Osborne whose assailants had not been brought to justice; and John Joseph Harper, an unarmed native politician shot dead by Winnipeg police. Murray Sinclair, co-commissioner for the justice inquiry and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, made similar findings to the Marshall Inquiry: “[t]he justice system has failed Manitoba’s Aboriginal people on a massive scale.” His report also made numerous recommendations in relation to addressing racism and discrimination against Indigenous peoples in the justice system and beyond.

    In 2004, the Saskatchewan Commission on First Nations and Metis Peoples and Justice Reform found that racism was a major issue in police forces in their dealings with native peoples. This came on the heels of the Commission of Inquiry into Matters Relating to the Death of Neil Stonechild, also in 2004. This was an inquiry that investigated “Starlight Tours,” the arbitrary detention of native peoples by police who are driven out of town to freeze to death at night. Both reports offered recommendations, but like the other reports, most were largely ignored.

    In 2007 came the Ipperwash Inquiry in Ontario and most recently, in 2019 came the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, which found Canada guilty of both historic and ongoing genocide. Racism in the justice system is a common theme in all of these reports and the Office of the Correctional Investigator has been raising the alarm for the overincarceration of Indigenous people for two decades.

    The statistics clearly show a steady rise in Indigenous incarceration from 17.5 per cent in 2000 to 30 per cent in 2020. But these represent the national statistics and, like rates of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous children in foster care, the provincial rates can be double the national rates.

    In Manitoba, more than 80 per cent of prisoners are Indigenous — the same province where 50 per cent of all women murdered and missing are Indigenous and 90 per cent of all children in foster care are Indigenous. In Saskatchewan, 76 per cent of prisoners were Indigenous, the same province which has more than 55 per cent of women murdered and missing as Indigenous and 85 per cent of children in foster care are Indigenous. We also know that more than two-thirds of Indigenous prisoners have been impacted by the foster care system. This is exactly the kind of colonial legacy that the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Gladue [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688 and R. v. Ipeelee 2012 SCC 13 cases meant to address when they instructed judges to find alternatives to prison for Indigenous peoples. Is no one listening?

    From the evidence, it is clear we have a direct pipeline from foster care to prison that seems to clear the way for pipelines on native territories. What the statistics don’t show is the history of thenRCMP and other police forces as an integral part of colonial settlement and development policies that have created this current crisis.

    From the RCMP’s Project Sitka to its massive military-style operation on Wet’suwet’en territory right now, native lands continue to be cleared by Canada’s laws, policies, practices, actions and omissions. The overincarceration rates will continue to increase unless we address these genocidal policies once and for all.

    While I agree with Zinger’s call for “bold and urgent action,” cultural programming and Indigenizing the prison will not get us there. We must confront racism against Indigenous peoples head on and prevent incarceration in the first place. This means addressing racism in federal and provincial laws and policies, as well as rampant racism in policing. In the meantime, we must begin the urgent process of decarceration for Indigenous women and children; Indigenous peoples with mental health issues; and Indigenous men languishing in prisons for little more than navigating poverty.

    This article was originally published by The Lawyer’s Daily (www.thelawyersdaily.ca), part of LexisNexis Canada Inc on January 30, 2020. https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/articles/17658

  • Buy Native and Give Native All Year Long

    Buy Native and Give Native All Year Long

    (Treaty Truckhouse fundraiser [top left], Rez Famous Clothing [top right], Warrior Life Clothing [bottom left], Unist’ot’en fundraiser [bottom right])

    If you are anything like me, I need multiple lists to keep myself organized this time of year. With the holidays speeding towards us faster than we can keep up, I need a list for tasks to complete at work before we break for the holidays; a grocery list to prepare for multiple family feasts; and, of course, the holiday gift-giving list. Without these lists, I would certainly be doomed to rely on my brain, which is already overloaded with the 2019 work I have to complete and the giant to-do list for 2020. I find lists extremely helpful, as they keep me from impulse shopping and overspending. I also have another list, which is my giving list – a list that reminds me to share my privilege with others. The one thing these lists all have in common is that they are all focused on buying native and giving native all year long.

    Recently, Niigaan Sinclair, the award-winning Anishinabe columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press, wrote an article urging Manitobans and Canadians to buy Indigenous.

    https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/buy-indigenous-this-holiday-season-565799362.html

    He argues that it makes more sense to invest in Indigenous businesses that contribute to local economies, rather than the large US-owned box stores where billions of dollars flow to US corporate owners. This makes a great deal of sense. When you invest in First Nation businesses for example, you help First Nation economies, which in turn, help regional Canadian economies through their own spending and employment. Niigaan provided a list of various Indigenous businesses that offer everything from food, music and books; to clothing and jewellery. Who could ask for a better list of gift-giving options, than this list of Indigenous goods that are handmade and steeped in the rich cultures and traditions of local First Nations?

    This past summer, Sarain Fox, an Anishinabe television host, actress, model and activist shared with the Globe and Mail how she assembles her wardrobe from Indigenous-made products. 

    https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/article-activist-sarain-fox-assembles-a-wardrobe-of-indigenous-made-products/

    Sarain has always made lifting up others part of everything she does and giving a nod to her curated list of Indigenous artists and businesses is part of helping to promote them. She highlighted some of the Indigenous clothing, boots and purses she wears every day. Her goal is to celebrate Indigenous peoples every day – not just on holidays like Indigenous Peoples Day. A shout-out from someone with Sarain’s public profile helps promote Indigenous businesses and boost the Indigenous economy referenced by Niigaan. You can also find other curated lists of native owned businesses in Canada and the USA on websites like Beyond Buckskin:

    http://www.beyondbuckskin.com/p/buy-native.html

    I agree with them both. Buying native helps support local First Nation and Canadian economies and should be a focus all year round – not just during the holidays. I would also add that it is usually this time of year that we see public calls to support various groups and causes with donations. The holidays evoke in many people a moral obligation and desire to share their good fortune – big or small – with others to help address urgent individual needs and/or advance social justice more broadly. To my mind, this should never be about “charity” or holiday-based “good will”; but instead be about fulfilling our legal obligations to one another under the various treaties we signed to share the lands, resources and wealth. It is also about real reconciliation, which is about more than a celebration of native cultures, but also about individual responsibility to address past and ongoing injustices.

    To this end, there are various native groups and organizations to which you could direct your giving this holiday and throughout the new year ahead. There are small organizations working hard to advocate for the basic human rights of First Nations children in foster care or the safety of Indigenous women and girls. Similarly, there are smaller, more informal groups in need of supplies and/or legal assistance as they occupy First Nation territories to protect the lands, waters, plants and animals from the devastating environmental destruction of the extractive industry. In protecting water sources, forests and ecosystems from contamination, First Nations warriors are protecting the health and well-being of both Indigenous peoples and Canadians. We all have treaty and other obligations to contribute in some way to the protection of Turtle Island for future generations – and giving to native causes can be part of that.

    There are far too many native businesses and causes to note here, so what follows is a list of some of the ways that I buy native and give native all year round. While some of those on the Buy Native list are larger businesses, there are hundreds of individuals who sell their goods at pow wows and cultural events, as well as through social media outlets. I have purchased some of the best beaded earrings from artists who I spotted on Instagram. Similarly, while larger native organizations on the Give Native list are easier to find through their websites, don’t forget to scan your social media for smaller groups making call outs for urgently needed donations.

    BUY NATIVE:

    Online:

    Cheekbone Beauty was founded by Jennifer Harper and is an Indigenous owned, cruelty free cosmetic company. They offer high quality cosmetics and donate part of their profits to help fund education for Indigenous peoples. Their Warrior Women line of lipsticks include shades named after native women warriors – like Sarain Fox, Cindy Blackstock and me! I bought their most recent holiday collection, which includes my shade of lipstick – true warm red!

    https://cheekbonebeauty.ca/

    She Native is an Indigenous owned company that offers leather handbags and clothing that share Indigenous teachings and positive messaging. I have bought their t-shirts and hoodies and just love them! I really appreciate the positive messaging and celebration of Indigenous women.

    https://www.shenative.com/

    Tammy Beauvais Designs is another company that is 100% Indigenous owned and Tammy can be seen selling purses, ribbon skirts and native designed clothing for men and women all over Canada. One of my favorite things about pow wows is racing to find her stall to buy something new. One of my favorites is a beautiful white bomber jacket with native-inspired flowers all over it.

    https://tammybeauvais.com

    Nishiin Designs is a business I just recently found through social media. They are an Indigenous company that offers Anishinabe designed purses, clothing and accessories. I saw one of their purses on Instagram, fell in love with it and insta-ordered it!

    https://www.nishiin.ca/

    Shop in Store:

    Cedar Basket Gift Shop is located inside the Native Canadian Centre in downtown Toronto. They have a huge collection of artwork, crafts, household items, jewellery and moccasins handcrafted by Indigenous peoples. I especially love their baskets and beadwork. I have never been able to visit that store and leave without a gift for someone.

    https://ncct.on.ca/gift-shop/

    Teekca’s Aboriginal Boutique is a native-owned store at The Forks in Winnipeg that is well-known for its custom work. I had shirts and blazers specially tailored for my son who loves wearing his one-of-a-kind beaded suits to work.

    http://www.teekcasboutique.ca/en/home

    Rez Famous is a Mi’kmaw clothing company from back home in the Maritimes. I have their tees, hoodies, caps and everything I can get my hands on! You can find them at pow wows as well as on Facebook.

    https://www.facebook.com/rezfamousbrand/

    Warrior Life clothing is one of my own latest initiatives to help raise funds to keep my media completely independent. I use the proceeds to help pay for the costs of my Youtube channel, my Warrior Life podcast and my Indigenous Nationhood blog. It will also (hopefully) defray some of the costs for my second podcast set to be released in the new year.

    https://teespring.com/stores/warrior-life-2

    GIVE NATIVE:

    First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, headed by Dr. Cindy Blackstock, advocates strenuously for First Nations children, youth and families so they can grow up happy, healthy, safe and proud of who they are as First Nations. They brought a human rights complaint against Canada for historic and ongoing racial discrimination against First Nations children in foster care – and won. They continue their battle at the Tribunal and in the courts to force Canada to comply with the orders and finally end discrimination. There are so many ways you can help them: including “7 Free Ways to Help”; purchasing children’s educational books and calendars; and/or making donations.

    https://fncaringsociety.com/welcome

    Gitdimt’en Yintah Access is a group of First Nation peoples from the Wet’suwet’en Nation from Gitdimt’en clan who are governing their territory and protecting it from pipelines. They are true warriors who risk their safety and freedom by protecting lands and waters from the devastation of pipelines. They need our support in terms of supplies and donations for their legal fees. You can give one-time donations or ongoing monthly support.

    https://www.yintahaccess.com/

    Unist’ot’en Camp is another clan from the Wet’suwet’en Nation governing their territory to protect it from pipelines. You can support them through buying their merchandise, making a one time donation to their legal fund or offering monthly support for supplies for those protecting the lands and waters.

    http://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/

    Treaty Truckhouse Legal Fund is a group of grassroots peoples including Mi’kmaw treaty rights holders, grandmothers and local allies who are standing united as water protectors of the Shubenacadie River in the Sipekne’katik District of Mi’kma’ki. They have been trying to protect the river for years and as a result need donations for legal expenses.

    https://ca.gofundme.com/f/720lt7c

    Tiny House Warriors is an initiative from the Secwepemc peoples whose mission is to: “stop the Trans Mountain pipeline from crossing unceded Secwepemc Territory.” The Secwepemc peoples are asserting their law and jurisdiction on their territory by building tiny houses all along the pipeline route in order to block access to this pipeline. Kanahus Manuel is one of the native women warriors who has placed her safety and freedom on the line to protect our collective futures. You can donate through their official Tiny House Warriors or Secwepemc Nation Youth Network Go Fund Me pages on their website.

    http://tinyhousewarriors.com/

    I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday with family and friends and I look forward to joining forces with you all in the New Year to advocate for justice on Turtle Island. PODCAST: Here is my extended Warrior Life podcast episode on this same issue: https://soundcloud.com/pampalmater/buy-native-give-native-all-year-long

  • Urgent Situation Report on Humanitarian Crisis in Canada

    This blog post is not an official report, but is modeled off situation reports from international groups and organizations about specific crises in other countries. Canada portrays itself as a model nation but always hides the darker side of the historic genocide perpetrated on Indigenous peoples and the aggressive assimilatory actions it is taking currently — which only serve to make poverty in First Nations much worse I. Highlights – Children in care crisis – 40% of children in care in Canada (30,000) are Indigenous children; – Over-incarceration crisis – 25-30% of prison populations are Indigenous and increasing; – Water crisis – 116+ First Nations do not have clean water, 75% of water systems med-high risk; – Housing crisis – 40% of First Nations home in need of major repair, 85,000 home backlog; – Indigenous women safety crisis – over 600 murdered and missing Indigenous women; – Health crisis – Life expectancy is 8-20 years less for Indigenous peoples due to extreme poverty; – Cultural crisis – 94% of Indigenous languages in Canada (47/50) at high risk of extinction; II. Situation Overview Although the Government of Canada has been presenting a picture of stable relations with and improved living conditions for Indigenous Nations, the reality on the ground shows many Indigenous individuals, families, communities and Nations suffering from multiple, over-lapping crises. Although federal, provincial, Indigenous and independent researchers have all verified the crises, Canada has refused to act. This is resulting in the pre-mature deaths of hundreds, even thousands of Indigenous peoples every year. Many of those that do survive, do so with higher levels of injuries, disabilities, diabetes, TB, heart disease, and other preventable health issues. There is a children in care crisis where 40% of children in care in Canada (30,000) are Indigenous children. The crisis of over-incarceration of Indigenous peoples in state prisons shows 25-30% of prison populations are Indigenous and increasing. The water crisis of 116+ First Nations not having clean water and 75% of their water systems being at medium to high risk is well-known. The housing crisis is particularly staggering when you consider that 40% of First Nations homes are in need of major repair and there is a 85,000 home backlog. There is a growing crisis of violence against Indigenous women with over 600 murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada. The health crisis results in a life expectancy of 8-20 years less for Indigenous peoples due to extreme poverty. This does not include the cultural crisis where 94% of Indigenous languages in Canada (47/50) are at high risk of extinction. These are all exacerbated for communities who suffer from massive flooding due to hydro-electric operations. The gap between Canadians and Indigenous peoples with regards to education, employment, skills training, food security, water security, health care, and mental health services continues to increase. Statistics are often manipulated by Canada to show that conditions are getting better, but when reviewed over a 20 year period, the statistics are clear that the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous peoples are on a downward trend. The levels of poverty and ill-health in northern Indigenous communities are even more acute. Suicide rates are amongst the highest in the world with suicides starting at much younger ages, like 9 years old. While Canada rates in the top 4 countries when measuring the human development index, when Indigenous peoples are isolated, Canada drops to 78th. Indigenous Nations in Canada have attempted to work with federal and provincial governments to address these crisis areas, all to no avail. The closest Indigenous Nations came to accessing funding relief for the current crisis was in 2005 when the Government of Canada promised $5 billion over 10 years to address issues like education and housing. This commitment was later withdrawn when the Conservative Party came to power. Since then, Indigenous Nations, through their individual First Nation communities, representative organizations and advocacy groups, continue to try to raise public awareness and get Canada’s attention – but have been met with funding cuts, instead of assistance. These funding and other cuts are in direct violation of Canada’s domestic laws, legislated mandates and legally binding treaties and other agreements with Indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples in Canada have been in a state of prolonged crisis and casualties continue to increase. The situation has become critical and many Indigenous individuals and communities are in need of immediate emergency assistance. Other communities not in a crisis, still require that their treaties be upheld, their stolen lands be returned and they have a fair share of the wealth that comes from their traditional territories in order to be self-sustaining. III. Security Threats The Government of Canada has initiated what can only be called a blitz attack on Indigenous governments and communities. From all available analyses, it appears as though the maneuver is designed to overwhelm Indigenous communities in the hopes that they will not have time to make their citizens aware of what is happening. This observation is supported by the fact that the Government of Canada has plotted an aggressive, assimilatory suite of legislative amendments that would do several things: (1) transfer all financial liability to Indigenous communities, (2) transfer jurisdictional authority to provinces, and (3) open up the remaining Indigenous lands and resources to pipelines, mining companies and land acquisition companies. The level of legislative and policy changes being forced on Indigenous peoples without their free, informed, and prior consent, are historic in their number, scope, and the speed at which they are being implemented. The Government of Canada has decided to ignore even domestic laws which require that, at a minimum, it consult and accommodate the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples which are constitutionally protected. Canada has been, and continues to be in breach of legally binding treaties on a daily basis without any consequences from the international community. The Government of Canada has tried to minimize any possible Indigenous resistance to these offensive measures by implementing severe funding cuts to Indigenous representative organizations. Indigenous communities are at significant risk of confrontations with Canada’s police and military forces as Canada has been known to use armed forced to quell any Indigenous resistance to the further theft and destruction of Indigenous lands and resources. Other security risks for Indigenous peoples include: (1) Canada’s use of their Ministry of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to monitor individual Indigenous activists, which is well outside the scope, mandate and resource allotment of INAC; (2) Canada’s use of CSIS to monitor individual Indigenous activists and leaders is a form of intimidation to deter resistance; (3) Canada’s use of its national police force, the RCMP, to surveil Indigenous individuals and communities for signs of co-ordinated activities; (4) Canada’s use of the military to quell Indigenous resistance and portraying them publicly as “terrorists” in their own territories; (5) Canada’s use of resources to fund contracts to monitor social media activities of Indigenous peoples and their allies and to engage in counter-information campaigns against them; (6) Canada’s use of Parliamentary privilege and the media to smear, villainize and otherwise degrade Indigenous peoples, their communities and cultures which encourages similar behaviour from the public; (7) Canada’s use of law enforcement to over-incarcerate Indigenous men, women and youth to prevent Indigenous resistance on the ground; (8) Canada’s use of the child welfare system to remove additional generations of Indigenous children from their families, communities and Nations which would also reduce those who might engage in resistance in the future. IV. Humanitarian Needs and Response Some individual Indigenous peoples and communities in Canada require immediate aid in the form of critical supplies, infrastructure, emergency services, and international intervention at the state level:  Critical supplies: – potable water; – healthy food; – warm clothing and outerwear; – blankets; – medicine and various physical aids ; Infrastructure: – safe housing; – water infrastructure; – sanitation infrastructure; – access to solar, wind or other power generation; – communications (phone, Internet, emergency infrastructure); – schools & day cares; Emergency services: – Fire prevention; – Medical centres; – Mental health centres; – Indigenous policing/public safety centres; – Emergency management centres; International intervention: Indigenous Nations require the assistance of the United Nations and/or any individual state to put pressure on Canada, via economic, legal, political, or other sanctions, to ensure that the root causes of the crises in Indigenous Nations are addressed. Primarily, assistance is needed to ensure that any and all unilateral development on Indigenous lands and water must be halted until restitution has been made for past thefts and illegal takings, compensation for loss of use and nation to nation agreements are made with regards to the sharing of natural resources and other wealth on Indigenous lands are negotiated.  (This does not include activities or development underway in partnership with Indigenous peoples) Unilateral state activities include, but are not limited to: – land development; – All new hydro developments; – All Crown land purchases, leases, transfers, and permits; – All pipelines, hydro-fracking, and mineral extraction; – all clear-cutting and timber and gravel removal; Similarly, all new legislative and policy initiatives related to Indigenous peoples and their territories must be withdrawn or held in abeyance until proper nation to nation negotiations, including, but not limited to: – All legislation directly or indirectly impacting Indigenous peoples; – All litigation targeted against Indigenous peoples; – All enforcement activities against Indigenous peoples in their traditional activities; – All enforcement activities against Indigenous peoples engaging in economic activities; Government-based funding transfers to Indigenous governments must be maintained and protected  during negotiations, including, but not limited to: – Federal and provincial funding transfers to Indigenous Nations, their First Nations communities and their representative organizations; – Government transfer levels to Indigenous governments must be adjusted to reflect current population and inflation levels; – Additional funding to cover the costs of current emergency services; – Additional funding to cover the backlogs created by multiple decades of chronic underfunding; – Permanent funding transfers to account for taxation, fees, permits, licences, business profits and other wealth generation which come from traditional territories; It must be remembered that these funds are not “hand-outs”, but in fact come from the wealth off of Indigenous lands that are denied to Indigenous peoples. These funds are also legally binding treaty agreements. The wealth off Indigenous lands actually support all Canadians and the Canadian state – thus, if there are any hand-outs they come from Indigenous lands and resources to support everyone else. It is time Indigenous Nations saw their fair share. V. Coordination There are specific Indigenous governments, communities and their representative organizations who are ready to work with international bodies to address the current crisis in Canada. Coordination can be done via video-conferencing, conference calls and meetings. Special arrangements will have to be made for any international travel of Indigenous representatives as Canada has already started to attack our own Indigenous passport systems. It is advisable that a strategic planning session take place to coordinate public information, international interventions and emergency action on the ground. Not all Indigenous communities are in crisis, but those that are need attention urgently. A major public education campaign is needed to counter the misinformation campaign and Indigenous allies can help in this process. Other states can offer assistance in a variety of forms, but the United Nations has an opportunity to play a significant role and help Canada live up to the principles in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples. VI. Funding It is absolutely critical that the international community contribute funding to address the immediate crisis, as well as fund advocacy activities to help Indigenous peoples organize and address the current situation. Currently, more than one third of the funding that is set aside for Indigenous peoples is confiscated by the federal bureaucracy to pay for their large salaries, vacations, and professional development, which is used to increase the capacity and strength of Canada’s bureaucratic army against Indigenous peoples. This of course, does not include the funds spent on legal counsel to fight Indigenous peoples in court. If Indigenous peoples are not put on an equal footing with the state, they have very little chance of successfully resisting this blitz attack. There is more than enough wealth which comes from the traditional lands and resources of Indigenous peoples – the issue has always been the illegal theft of those resources by the state. Emergency measures must be put in place to address those that die everyday in foster homes, prisons, or homeless on the street and the many thousands without clean water, food, heat or housing. State bodies have been calling these issues a crisis for over a decade and little action has been taken to address them. How many more Indigenous peoples need to suffer? VII. Contact Please contact Indigenous governments and their representative organizations directly. You may also contact me at palmater@indigenousnationhood.com for more details or for information about how to connect with specific Indigenous governments, communities and organizations. For more information about the current crisis, please see my article “Stretched Beyond Human Limits: Death By Poverty in First Nations” published in the journal – Canadian Review of Social Policy: http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/crsp/article/viewFile/35220/32057