Thoughts on BC Politics and More

  Our Elders have always said that when we are speaking to others, we must choose whether to use our minds or our hearts. Our minds are there to give us the power to solve our problems. And our hearts, which are more connected to the creator, are used to show compassion and understanding. When I accidentally tuned in to a mainstream media channel and saw this guy on TV, I stopped scrolling long enough to watch what he had to say. I didn't really listen to him because I could tell that everything he was saying was rehearsed. Many people will laugh when they read this, but those of us who have experienced what it is like to hear an Elder speak will agree with me. We have a tendency to repeat ourselves. Most people think to themselves: " Here we go again !"   Elders go on and on and on... Ha ha ... sorry. But the reason Elders do that is because what they are saying to you is coming directly from their hearts. They have not had hours and hours to prepare speeches...

I have had a few Elders ask me to write about how important the Treaties are to my people, and to explain that a very high percentage of us -- if not every Indigenous person who is at one with the earth -- holds the environment very dear to our hearts. The air, and the soil and the water mean everything to us. We would never do anything to damage the pristine nature of our planet. During treaty talks, our ancestors made sure that if we were to share the land, our fishing, gathering, trapping, and hunting rights must also be integral within the treaties. And they are. That being said, no matter how hard you search for clauses that include welfare in the treaties, you will not find those words. You might also look to see if you can find anywhere that it is written in the treaties that we Indigenous people cannot utilize technological advancement. It does not say that we have to use bows and arrows or spears to hunt with. In fact, under the treaties, ammunition is included! ...

When I was a young fellow, my parents were too poor to help me finance my education, so I worked my butt off. I did whatever I could to make money. Whenever classes were not in session, I was working for wages. One particular Spring Break, I went to work at a mine. I had gotten to know one of the mining engineers, who had a nice new truck, and a pretty wife and a new house.   Wow. I liked his lifestyle, and knew that he must know something that I did not know about getting ahead. His life was so much better than mine. I would make every attempt to "accidentally" run into him at one of the few businesses that were in the small mining town.   I wanted to learn from him. One day I saw him at the post office and said ..." Hi Peter ... fancy meeting you here !" He laughed because the town was so small. Everyone ended up at the post office at least once a day. He smiled and he asked me how I was doing. Because I was raised to be humble, I t...