Prequel to a Decolonizing Voyage

Seventy three years ago up-river of the majestic Kaiteur Falls, a little girl named Edna was placed in a boat and travelled down the Potaro river, then down the Essequibo, to Georgetown (Guyana).  Edna never saw her Patamona mother again.

That little girl grew up, and her love of children lead her to help raise children within her family, and then work for Missionaries and Diplomats in Georgetown. The legacies of patriarchy, colonialism, and capitalism played out in this one life such that terrible wrongs were complemented by tremendous good.  But for her Afro-Guyanese father’s intervention, Edna would have grown up in the Patamona Village of Karisparu, not Georgetown.  But for the colonial system that brought Western Aid to Guyana, she would not have worked for Missionaries and Diplomats. But for the Capitalist system which makes it economically (though not morally) reasonable for women to work raising rich people’s children far away from their own children, Edna would not have ended up in Canada for the last 30 years of her life.

Thus the forces that have brought so much harm and suffering also meant that many children passed through Edna’s loving hands, and ended up all over the world.

I am one of those children who benefited so much from Edna’s presence in my life.  This is the story of how I try to decolonize myself, and try to find a way to share the benefits I received from her love, and yet fight the forces that brought me this undeserved privilege.  Though the main voyage to these goals is internal, the outer manifestation is my journey back to the village where Edna was born: Karisparu.

Edna died in 2009.  She never returned to Karisparu.

The idea to do this grew from my 2006 trip to Kaiteur falls.  A typical tourist day-trip experience, the hours were too brief.  It wasn’t just beautiful. I felt something special there.  Something that calls me back.  Then I heard more about Edna’s story, and realized I had been just a short ways from Edna’s birthplace.   I wondered what it had been like for Edna’s mother to never see her daughter again.  I wondered if there were any relatives still alive who remembered this, or if there were stories.  I wondered if people from Karisparu would be interested in hearing about Edna’s life.

I don’t know what will come of this.  Maybe nothing.  Maybe only some closure for myself.  Maybe something beautiful.

What I do know is I have to go.

hearts in the snow

this is the hearts in the snow video, the song that sprang from the poem about our experience of stopping the cutting Machine at Beaver Pond Forest on 8 February.  it is dedicated to the beautiful, brave, wonderful people who made that circle around the Machine possible.  the first time it was sung in public was at the rally after the closing ceremony for the Sacred Fire.  the Fire burned day and night from 9 to 13 February at Queen’s Park, Toronto, for the Forest.   mid-song, two redtailed hawks soared overhead.  i’m honoured and glad they chose to join us.

today Urbandale will finish cutting down the Forest we fought so hard to protect.  this song is sad, but don’t despair, there are more songs to come, more battles to win, and our resistance is beautiful.

stop the Machine (Beaver Pond Forest 8 Feb 2011)

walk together through living forest

beautiful in pre-dawn

then into the cleared land

the giant machine terrible leggo-like

cutting blades huge yet strangely dull

like monstrous lobster claws

our human circle around

the human made Machine

a thin line of flesh and spirit

to contain a monster made of

metal wrenched out of the Earth

seizing ancient sun’s power

for fossil-fueled destruction.

we sing, try to keep joy & warmth

amid piles of tree corpses

in neatly stacked rows

trees we love

words can’t quite capture

blood memory,

voices of the land

why the heart beat knows

we must be there to protect

the Beaver Pond Forest

i stumble over words for media

just words, only words

 

as i leave, i go to the five-trunked tree

each trunk severed

no more fingers reaching for sky

i draw hearts

on the snow

on the severed trunks.

hearts on the five-trunked tree. photo credit: Chris Bisson, 8 Feb 2011

Save Beaver Pond Forest Rally at City Hall 13 January @Noon

This is a rally to demand that the City of Ottawa, National Capital Commission (NCC), or Province of Ontario step up and do their job: order Urbandale/KNL to prevent all cutting and blasting of the Beaver Pond Forest at least until spring. This is for ecological, archaeological, cultural and humane reasons. All levels of government could halt development based on new evidence that the archaeological assessment needs to be redone. But the City isn’t taking responsibility. The province isn’t taking responsibility. The NCC isn’t taking responsibility. So we are going directly to City Hall and the NCC to remind them that the greed of one company should not trump the long-term Public Good.  It is their job to make the City of Ottawa a better place to live.  For us now, and for future generations.  We need to convince them it is better for everyone that they spare the most ecologically sensitive part of Ottawa.  They must respect the requests of the local community and Algonquin communities to do a full archeological assessment of possible medicine wheels and artifacts. PLAN - 12pm (noon): Assemble at Human Rights Monument at City Hall - statements will be read, hard copies of letters and petitions delivered, songs shared.  Exact schedule TBA. - Bring your own signs, we also have some made which will be used in a subsequent Activist Art show (first come, first serve - Bring hardcopies of your letters to City Council and NCC.  We will ask the Mayor to come out to receive them! - Be musical (bring instruments & noisemakers!) - Main Message to City Hall, NCC, & Province: Take Responsibility! Do the Right Thing: Stop Urbandale from Cutting or Blasting Beaver Pond Forest MORE INFO Location: google maps On the Forest: http://www.ottawasgreatforest.com/ http://www.southmarchhighlands.ca/ Details on inadequate environmental assessment & storm water management plans: http://renaud.ca/wordpress specific page Community voices: http://the5thc.blogspot.com/ http://candle4kindness.wordpress.com/ Petitions: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Do-Not-Cut-Beaver-Pond-Forest-or-SMH/

Hitching a ride to the Rally with Grandfather Commanda

The snow fell steadily as we assembled, Ogui duct-taping posts to the beautiful signs Stefan had created for our rally.   As I tried (unsuccessfully) to figure out how to use the megaphone, a SUV pulled up and I spotted Grandfather William Commanda and his assistant, Romola.  I raced over to greet them.  We had not known if 97 year old Grandfather Commanda would be up for the journey over to join us.

Once people had their signs, we formed a circle, with Grandfather able to stay seated in the vehicle.  Elder Albert Dumont gave a beautiful opening Blessing for our rally and march, reminding us to be mindful with every step we took that it was a step to help save the Forest.  Paul Renaud then gave an impassioned speech, challenging the City of Ottawa to do the right thing and demand a new Archeological Assessment, which would halt destruction of the Forest until spring.

Then Grandfather Commanda prayed for the land (in three languages) and offered tobacco.   Those of us who have worked together to save the Beaver Pond Forest over these months (and for some, these decades), were moved and grateful.   In a letter to City Council, the Premiere, and others, Grandfather wrote that the Beaver Pond Forest is “[a] living temple, a place of Manitou, a special place of nature, and that precious reality also demands immediate protection and reverence.”

As the protesters marched off, all the more eager due to the cold, I went to thank Grandfather.  He held my hand and spoke to me mostly in French, at first it was difficult to hear his words due to the good-natured clamour of those marching to the Urbandale Sales office.   As it became quiet, only a few of us with Grandfather,  I could hear his words.  But his message went beyond words.  It was about living a good life.  More than anything, I felt it was validating my efforts, and it inspires me to continue to put my energy into helping nurture a sense of interconnectedness with each other, the land, and other species.

After Romola gently reminded him a few times that I was the Rally’s emcee, he finally released my hand, and they gave me a lift to join the rest of the group.  But I would have happily listened to him for the rest of the day.

Many more powerful words, drumbeats, and songs were shared at the Urbandale Sales Office.  The crowd was eager to keep fighting,

Elder Albert Dumont at the 8 Jan 2011 rally

to keep our candle of hope burning bright for this Land.   We each know Beaver Pond Forest has a powerful and beautiful energy that fuels and inspires our efforts to save it.

Rough Cut: Song for the Beaver Pond Forest

This song was inspired by the South March Highlands and those fighting courageously and creatively to stop it from being clear-cut & blown-up next week.  There is something beautiful and powerful about the Forest we can’t quite explain, but it fuels our ability to work tirelessly (or despite being tired!) to save it.   And people keep coming forward to help us, as my friends Stefan, Ogui, Jessica, Michael, and Ed did to get a rough version of this song recorded before the Jan 8 rally.

Rough Cut: Beaver Pond Forest Song

So much noise out there

It can be hard to hear your own voice

So much power used against us

make ya feel you have no choice

We may each feel small

But together we stand tall

So wake up and raise your voice

Go on and make your choice

Who’s gonna fix this

If we back down

Who’s  gonna save

Our sacred ground

Its an old story

We don’t have much time

To stop the chainsaws

To stop this crime

A beautiful forest

Home to many species

Bit by bit

Cut into tiny pieces

No one paid

To take the long view

Except developers

Makin’ profits for the few

The rich play golf

While the forest crashes down

Basements get flooded

Can we turn this around?

Where is Ottawa City Hall?

Where’s the NCC?

Where is the province?

Why is it just you & me?

Why do humans use our power against life

Against life

Against life

And that is our fight

for life

that is our fight

for life

that is our fight

for life

Beaver Pond Forest

took centuries to grow

A week to destroy

This is our chance to show

That we’ve become wiser

That we fix mistakes

That we value life

That we’ve got what it takes

Will we listen to our Elders?

Which path will we choose

This is a key time

Not a moment to lose

So get up and raise your voice

Go on and make your choice

Who’s gonna fix this

If we back down

Who’s  gonna save

Our sacred ground

Vote with your dollar

picket Urbandale

prove this is the wrong way

to make a sale

Cut through the busy

You know its right

Save Beaver Pond Forest

Please join our fight!

So get up and raise your voice

Go on and make your choice

Who’s gonna fix this

If we back down

Who’s gonna save

Our sacred ground

Light  your candle for hope

Don’t give in

The truth will rise,

we can all still win

Light that candle

Don’t give in

Truth will rise,

we can all still win.

Save Beaver Pond Forest Rally 8 Jan 2011 @1pm

GOAL
This is a rally to invite Urbandale/KNL to halt all cutting and blasting of the Beaver Pond Forest at least until spring. This is for ecological, archaeological, cultural and humane reasons. The City could halt development based on new evidence that the archaeological assessment needs to be redone. But the City refuses to put its foot down. The City isn’t taking responsibility. The province isn’t taking responsibility. The NCC isn’t taking responsibility. So we are going directly to the company that owns the land. We need to convince them it is better for everyone that they spare the most ecologically sensitive part of Ottawa. We need to prove it is more profitable to do the right thing.

PLAN
- Assemble in public parking lot next to All Saints High School at 1pm (5115 Kanata Avenue)
- Bring your own signs, we also have dozens made, including some which will be used in a subsequent Activist Art show
- March to Urbandale Sales Office (503 Remnor Avenue, half block away)
- Be loud, but musically (bring instruments & noisemakers!)
- Main Message to Urbandale: Do the Right Thing or Lose our Business

MORE INFO

FB: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169031313140224

Google map link: http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=45.322173%2C-75.927628&spn=0.004813%2C0.013797&z=16

song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZBcLvtcJBY

on the Forest: http://www.ottawasgreatforest.com/
http://www.southmarchhighlands.ca/
Details on inadequate environmental assessment & storm waster management plans: http://renaud.ca/wordpress
community voices:http://the5thc.blogspot.com/
Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Do-Not-Cut-Beaver-Pond-Forest-or-SMH/