Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

MLA Adam Olsen asks, ‘What will we do now that we have heard his wisdom?’


On National Indigenous Peoples Day, I has honoured to be part of the opening of a new exhibit at the Sidney Museum featuring the life of the legendary Tsleil-Waututh leader Chief Dan George. The exhibition runs until September 30th.

Chief George is one of those iconic figures in Canadian history perhaps best known for his work in Hollywood movies like Little Big Man and The Outlaw Josey Wales. However, he was a multi-talented, community leader, author and activist.

Chief Dan George portraying 'Chief
Old Lodge Skins' in Little Big Man
Looking back from our vantage point nearly 40 years after his passing, his wise words are prophetic.

Sharing wise words

There are special people who seem to be able to grab hold of you by the way they articulate their enlightened perspective. They need just a few simple words. They come from all walks of life and all fields of work. Whether they are the ancient proverbs of Lao Tzu, or the gridiron gospel of Vince Lombardi, their echoing foresight reverberates long after their passing.

Chief Dan George is one of those people.

In preparing for speaking at the opening of the exhibit, I did a web search for his famous quotes and each one spoke to its own aspect of my work as a community leader and legislator.

I feel as if our SI¸ÁM, our honoured elder, was speaking directly to me. He was speaking to each one of us.

"The time will soon be here when my grandchild will long for the cry of a loon,
the flash of a salmon, the whisper of spruce needles, or the screech of an eagle.
But he will not make friends with any of these creatures and when his heart
aches with longing, he will curse me. Have I done all to keep the air fresh? Have
I cared enough about the water? Have I left the eagle to soar in freedom?
Have I done everything I could to earn my grandchild's fondness?"

~~ Chief Dan George ~~


What will we do now that we have heard his wisdom?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH – My question is, ‘How do we decide who is blue enough to be called a Conservative?’

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more