rystudent

[rystudent]

Week 11 - Blog

Title: There Was No End

Artist: Jason Baerg

Syposium: ISEA2012: 18th International Symposium on Electronic Art

[rystudent]

Week  9 - Blog

Though I was aware a discrepancy existed among the desires of Indigenous Canadians more broadly, I was not aware that the constitutionally accepted classification for Metis fails to incorporate the large diaspora of Metis people. As a result of the simplistic geographic classification, all rights-claim lawsuits that are beyond the classification are dismissed. This has a devastating psychological impact on one’s self-esteem. Prohibiting people from being recognized as part of their heritage is unethical and has the potential to cause feelings of extreme isolation and loneliness. Listen to the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and change the classification in the constitution!

[rystudent]

Week 7- Blog

The film ‘We Stand Up’ illuminates the systemic oppression and the unjust treatment of Indigenous communities in Canada. It specifically discuses the case of Colton Boushie, a young Cree man who was executed solely for trespassing. The man who murdered Colton was taken to trial but not convicted of murder, despite the overwhelming evidence supporting his guilt. The movie contextualizes Colton’s story by depicting the history of settler betrayal of inhumane proportions when they first arrived on the Indigenous land.  This was an imperative aspect to the documentary because it conveys that the suffering endured by Indigenous communities is not an isolated event but rather spans generations. The Canadian government made it clear that they occupy little value for indigenous life in the late 1800’s and now, in 2016 with the miscarriage justice that enabled Colton’s murderer to remain free. Starblanket and Hunt refer to the ‘murderable Indian’, ‘whereby violence is justified in the name of progress and prosperity of the settler’. This unethical ideology has permeated Canadian culture and remains to have a stronghold over settler communities. After Colton’s death many took to twitter, excusing the execution because of the victim’s Indigenous background. It is important to note that the documentary focuses on the strength of the Indigenous community, advocating and demanding justice for their lost brother, son, and friend.

[rystudent]

Week 6 -Blog

Mailhot exquisitely documents a tremendously painful personal history of her family in addition to the systemic trauma she was obligated to endure as a result of being an Indigenous person. By referring to her experience as the ‘Indian Condition’ she affirms that her complex relationship to pain is shared among Indigenous people. She reclaims the pain that was perpetrated against indigenous people in a manner that acknowledges their suffering and releases them from shame. She explains, “My people cultivated pain. In the way that god cultivated his garden with the foresight that he could not contain or protect the life within it. Humanity was born out of pain.” As a white man of European decent, it is my responsibility to educate myself on the history of Indigenous and First Nations people of Canada. It is critical that that the collective acknowledge the violence and oppression these wonderfully diverse and spiritual people were and are forced to endure. This acknowledgement will hopefully manifest into retribution, whereby the federal government provides mental health resources to these communities, allowing them to work through the generational trauma they are forced to endure. I vow to keep the history of First Nations and Indigenous people alive in Canada by encouraging people to read work written by people within the community.

[rystudent]

Week 4 - Blog

I emphatically think that Beth Brant truly embodies the legacy of Indigenous woman with her description, “they keep the fire blazing”. The ‘Long Story’ examines two tragic stories. The first showcases a grieving mother as she mourns the loss of her children, abruptly taken from her by government agents. The second conveys the story of an Indigenous mother who loses custody of her child because she is queer. The men in these stories were either enforcing or encouraging the acceptance of policy and law that dismissed the humanity of Indigenous and queer communities. I see the woman in both stories as agents of activism and change. They did not accept the injustices perpetuated against them. They cried and fought for those they loved; for their children to come home. Unnecessarily stripping the right of a mother to parent her child, significantly harmed and continues to harm all Indigenous people. As seen in the depiction of both stories, this theme is presented in both 1890-91 and 1978-79, illuminating the generational trauma that these communities are obligated to sustain. Limiting the freedom and restricting the autonomy of woman can also be represented in the abortion ban in the state of Texas.

[rystudent]

Week 2 - Blog Post (ENG 212)

Commitment – a word that holds much significance within my family unit. It emphasizes the willingness to maintain a strong bond despite fluctuating dynamics, or relationship conflicts amongst the members of my family. In 1616, the word was defined as the “action of officially consigning to the custody of the state”. Though this word was originally intended to be used in a national legal context, it simultaneously can be used as a metaphor describing how my family operates. I view my family unit as a state, with its members functioning as stakeholders obtaining some ‘custody’ over all decisions individual members make. Despite the fact all members maintain a strong sense of autonomy, we depend on each other for guidance, support, and aid in making difficult decisions. Though it is undetermined where this reliance falls on the spectrum of healthy family dynamics, the everlasting commitment to maintaining a strong, reliable bond provides a sense of belonging that empowers each family member to believe in themselves wholeheartedly. I do believe that the value of words or certain phrases is subjective, and its meaning is largely dependent on an personally informed cultural perception rather than a clinical statement from the Oxford dictionary.