Aaron,
I write this to you, as a letter. I write it as an open letter. I hope this explains my heart in this matter but also more then just my heart. There will be eavesdroppers. To you I say, that I do not write this as a judgement against my friend. I write this from my experience in response to a question he asked. I endeavour to write with love and respect.
With the backlash against the #IdleNoMore movement having begun in the media and social media. I could no longer remain silent. History matters. We are beings living within the context of history and there is a weight and responsibility there. This is a people movement. Responders need to stop looking for a list of demands like you are a hostage negotiator and listen to the heart of a community. If you have never read about people or social movements then start with wiki and go to your heart’s content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_movement
My thoughts and emotions have been informed by past people movements, such as the ones led by Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, and people movements occurring around the globe now. Action needs to be connected linearly in history and within the breadth of society. I have been an archaeologist (amateur and professional) since 1993. In that time I have put a lot of work into environmental impact assessments while working alongside some amazing First Nations people I now count as friends. Finally, my whole being has been informed by my 30 years of following and loving Jesus. I hope those who love Jesus read this and are impacted. I hope those that call themselves Christians also read this and are impacted. I find these groups are not necessarily the same. I have given up calling myself a Christian at this point in time but may take it up again.
To begin, all people are created in God’s image. We are all His image bearers; Imago Dei (Pierre Lebel, Imago Dei). We are human. We were human before the Fall and being human was good. Being human is good. It is the enemy who wanted death for the Image Bearers. So he began a process of dehumanizing us (what many call sin). Through Jesus, we are in transformation to become truly human again.
Humanity has become complicit in the process of dehumanization. Dehumanization is not natural. That which rises up to fight against this for us and others is Justice. When we deny the culture of another, deny the pain of another, deny the humanity of another through subjugation, selfishness, or whatever creatively vile way someone thinks up, we are hateful, unjust, and dehumanizing. Whether this is done on an individual level in cases such as abuse, bullying, or murder, or on a national level such as apartheid, residential schools, or saying that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, it needs to stop and those that follow Jesus are to be agents of justice, reconciliation, and love.
#INM cannot be examined in a vacuum. Keep in mind that #idlenomore is international. Indigenous peoples around the globe are standing up. It is not a coincidence that the #Occupy movement started and so did the Arab Spring movement. We had Montreal student protests and now Idle No More. Not to mention protests in Egypt, ongoing struggle in Syria, and continued trouble between Israel and Palestininans. There is a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo and internationally people want it to change. With every movement there are the questions, “How does that happen?” and “What are we supposed to do instead?” that are discussed all the time. It is the nature of a movement to come up with many methods and activities but they will all likely stem from the same heartbeat, the same root. If you want to begin to discover that root in this instance, then ask questions to those in the movement and the founders of the movement on twitter. They are very accessible. There are so many issues at stake in this movement and many more articles that you can find that describe it better then I can. Look on my FB page or Twitter feed. I have reposted a lot of stuff.
Why should you care? Why should you join the movement? The Harper Government (notice it is no longer called the Government of Canada) has instituted a long list of major and far reaching changes to how Canada is run in its omnibus budget bill. I am trying to refrain from getting into a huge political critique in this letter. This kind of action should worry every Canadian. The budget made huge cuts and changes to social programs (including EI), science and environment, parks Canada, environmental protections (including protected waterways reduction by millions), and land use. You should care about this stuff. It will impact you and your children. It appears that the Harper Government is concerned solely with creating wealth regardless the cost. When you trade your self for money, that makes you a prostitute and there are times that I feel like the Harper Government is a pimp trying to whore out Canada so we can make money. That is dehumanizing.
After spending so much time in the United States, where racism is still below the surface, I thought it was nice to come back to Canada where our problems are language based and not race based. In the past couple of weeks, I have encountered a lot of racism towards First Nations and coming mostly from people who call themselves Christians. Racism is dehumanizing.
The following are a few things I have heard from different sources. “Why can’t they just get over it?” Perhaps when you have been hurt and subjugated so much and are trying to walk out of it, maybe then you can walk with them. Denying the pain of someone else is dehumanizing. We are to mourn with those who mourn. “Why can’t they just get over it and be Canadian?” in that question is an implicit assumption of what it means to be Canadian and a denial of First Nations ancestors which is a denial of First Nations culture which is dehumanizing. “Maybe we should just take away their free stuff and they can go back to bows and arrows.” That makes me angry and makes me weep. How can you not be wounded by such words? These two responses are on a continuum of denying the pain and hurt to First Nations caused by the government and the Church. Christians have engaged and continue to engage in actions, activities, and dialogue that is dehumanizing. We have a lot to answer for. We have a weight of reconciliation to bear. We need to live kindness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness, goodness, patience, joy, peace, and love. That is how to be human and to build others up and not dehumanize them.
Begin today’s journey by exploring the Truth and Reconciliation website (http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=3). We are to walk with those who have been treated unjustly and bring justice. The first step in being a human who builds up other humans is to listen. Who knows where you will go from there?
Celebrate that this movement is peaceful. A right #idlenomore has not laid hold of is the one of vengeance and retribution. Thank the Creator for that. Celebrate that this is a movement led by women! Bless them. Mothers’ movements will see change. Celebrate that we can join together and steward this planet given to us by the Creator. Celebrate another people with another culture who are created in God’s Image and whom He loves!
Canada is a geographic country that contains many diverse and distinct nations (or people groups) within its boundaries. We as Believers need to shift or thinking to etne or nation/people group thinking. This will force us to change many of our paradigms and give us a richer and truer view of this planet and the peoples who live here. First Nations people make up many of these different nations. I don’t think we can simply make ethnocentric, western, individualistic, imperialistic assumptions on what it means to be Canadian for me and for everyone. First Nations have never been trusted with the authority to answer that question for themselves. So I ask you, do you trust First Nations people to answer that question?
This is probably enough for now,
Blessing brother and may the Creator, Jesus, and the Saint Esprit continue to guide us into all truth.
Joel Calabrese
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