Permalink Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 12:02pm
Wopila to Matakuye Oasin!On your show last Thursday evening, you talked about the preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics happening in Vancouver, BC. You brought to light the age old land grab that was perpetrated for some of the venues, and the fact that some Native Peoples were actively protesting it.I hadn't planned on watching the opening ceremonies on Friday, Feb 12, but some friends were over and they asked us to turn it on. While they seemed delighted with the representation, I was most impressed with the brilliant divide and conquer strategy employed by the Olympic committee and the directors of the big show. While most of the world will probably see the First NationsWelcome as an acknowledgement, an honoring, a type of reverence for the indigineous peoples of Canada; I saw it as a smoke screen to the disrespect that was actually shown to the inhabitants of the land.No one will pay any attention to the protestors. No one will give any creedence to their grievances. Instead, their voices will be heard as the sound of sour grapes being squashed, and the Indians who participated in the choreographed opening ceremony will be heard as that of the true ambassadors of the nation. Just like the 'Hang Around the Fort Indians', the Indians represented in their regalia that were seen welcoming the Olympic machine are the ones that will be considered to be the righteous ones.It saddens me that we can't speak with one voice, and that the assimilated voice, the voice of acceptance of wrongdoing toward Native people is the message that is heard as being louder and more worth listening to than the voice that crys out for the rights of the indigenous nations.Thank you again for your informative and important radio program. I never miss it if I can help it. Please continue to bring these struggles for human rights into the light so that we can see with our eyes wide open._An Anonymous voice
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First Nations Spectacle at the Olympics
Wopila to Matakuye Oasin!On your show last Thursday evening, you talked about the preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics happening in Vancouver, BC. You brought to light the age old land grab that was perpetrated for some of the venues, and the fact that some Native Peoples were actively protesting it.I hadn't planned on watching the opening ceremonies on Friday, Feb 12, but some friends were over and they asked us to turn it on. While they seemed delighted with the representation, I was most impressed with the brilliant divide and conquer strategy employed by the Olympic committee and the directors of the big show. While most of the world will probably see the First NationsWelcome as an acknowledgement, an honoring, a type of reverence for the indigineous peoples of Canada; I saw it as a smoke screen to the disrespect that was actually shown to the inhabitants of the land.No one will pay any attention to the protestors. No one will give any creedence to their grievances. Instead, their voices will be heard as the sound of sour grapes being squashed, and the Indians who participated in the choreographed opening ceremony will be heard as that of the true ambassadors of the nation. Just like the 'Hang Around the Fort Indians', the Indians represented in their regalia that were seen welcoming the Olympic machine are the ones that will be considered to be the righteous ones.It saddens me that we can't speak with one voice, and that the assimilated voice, the voice of acceptance of wrongdoing toward Native people is the message that is heard as being louder and more worth listening to than the voice that crys out for the rights of the indigenous nations.Thank you again for your informative and important radio program. I never miss it if I can help it. Please continue to bring these struggles for human rights into the light so that we can see with our eyes wide open._An Anonymous voice
Thank you for saying that. I
Thank you for saying that. I know someone has to hear it.