[Indigsol] April 22: Celebrating the Defense of Mother Earth - April 23 : The Truth that Wampum Tells: Learning Canada’s Constitutional History through Wampum Diplomacy

[Indigenous Peoples' Solidarity Movement Ottawa]

Two upcoming events:

- IPSMO's 4th Annual Celebrating the Defense of Mother Earth, April 22
- The Truth that Wampum Tells: Learning Canada’s Constitutional History
through Wampum Diplomacy

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IPSMO's 4th Annual Celebrating the Defense of Mother Earth

Celebrating Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirits and the Defense of Mother
Earth

“There is a direct connection between violence against the Earth and
violence against women.”
- Lee Maracle

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Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) at 6:00pm
Centretown United Church, 507 Bank St.
Pay What You Can ($5 -$10 Suggested)]
Art by Gregg Deal
http://www.ipsmo.org/
ipsmo at riseup.net
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Join us this Earth Day for a feast, movie and panel celebrating Indigenous
Women, Girls and Two-Spirits and the defense of Mother Earth.

The Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement Ottawa will be hosting our 4th
annual Earth Day event. This year we will celebrate the defense of mother
earth with a feast, a screening of the movie Karistatsi Onienre: The Iron
Snake, and a panel discussion with Jocelyn Iahtail (Cree), Gabrielle
Fayant (Metis) and Lynn Gehl (Algonquin).

The event is also a fundraiser for Shawnejeagamik, the 510 Rideau
Indigenous Drop-In Centre. Shawnejeagamik means “House of Compassion” in
the Algonquin language, and has recently had its government funding cut.
If the funding isn't restored, or alternate funding isn't found, then the
shelter will be forced to close.

6:00pm Welcoming by Annie St. Georges (Algonquin)
6:15pm Free Feast
7:00pm Movie - Karistatsi Onienre: The Iron Snake
8:00pm Panel Discussion
9:30pm Closing

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Karistatsi Onienre: The Iron Snake

The tar sands are the most polluting resource extraction operation in the
world today. This film examines issues surrounding the tar sands and the
impending development of pipelines in eastern Canada and western Canada to
open up markets for this dirty energy. This documentary concentrates on
Indigenous struggles against tar sands and pipelines.

The film talks specifically about the proposed Energy East pipeline that
would pass through Ottawa and cross the Rideau River, as well as Line 9,
which passes through Akwesasne and Cornwall, on its way from Sarnia to
Montreal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01xd6yVaKFg

Karistatsi Onienre: The Iron Snake was directed by Clifton Nicholas

Panel Discussion

The panel will focus on the ways that the water, the earth, and indigenous
women are interconnected, as well as their resistance to the violence that
they experience.

After the panel there will be time for questions and discussion.

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About the Panelists

Jocelyn Iahtail: Jocelyn is a mother, a survivor and a cultural teacher
and consultant at Mother Earth and Child. She speaks out against the
violence faced by Indigenous women and girls, and the historic and ongoing
abuse of Indigenous children through the Residential School System, Indian
Day schools, 60s scoop and the Millennium scoop.
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Gabrielle Fayant: Gabrielle is the co-founder of a youth-led and
youth-driven organization called Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) and
Program Manager of a youth economic program called Reach Up! North in
partnership with the Digital Opportunity Trust.

She has worked for a number of national Aboriginal organizations such as
the National Association of Friendship Centres, Native Women’s Association
of Canada, and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. She has experience on a
number of local, regional, and national advisory committees and councils,
such as the Canadian Commission of UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group, Ottawa
Youth Engagement Committee, and Walking With Our Sisters Ottawa Youth
Committee.

Gabrielle also serves as a board member for the Odawa Native Friendship
Centre, and she sings with a female drum group called Spirit Flowers and
as backup for a men’s drum group called the Ottawa River singers (aka
O-Town Boyz). Gabrielle is the recipient of the 2015 Indspire Metis Youth
Award.
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Lynn Gehl: Lynn is an Algonquin Anishinaabe-kwe from the Ottawa River
Valley, Ontario, Canada. She describes herself as a learner-researcher,
thinker, writer, Black Face blogger, and she has been an Indigenous human
rights advocate for 25 years.

Lynn works to eliminate the continued sex discrimination in the Indian
Act, and she is also an outspoken critic of the contemporary land claims
and self-government process.

She has a doctorate in Indigenous Studies, a Master of Arts in Canadian
and Native Studies, and an undergraduate degree in Anthropology. She also
has a diploma in Chemical Technology and worked in the field of
environmental science for 12 years in the area of toxic organic analysis
of Ontario’s waterways. While advocating for change is currently part of
what she does, she is also interested in traditional knowledge systems
that guide the Anishinaabeg forward to a good life.

Along with many journal and community publications, she has three books:

Anishinaabeg Stories: Featuring Petroglyphs, Petrographs, and Wampum Belts
The Truth that Wampum Tells: My Debwewin on the Algonquin Land Claims Process
Mkadengwe: Sharing Canada’s Colonial Process through Black Face Methodology
Her website: http://www.lynngehl.com/

On April 23 in Ottawa, Lynn will be speaking at Black Squirrel Books at
the event :'The Truth that Wampum Tells: Learning Canada’s Constitutional
History through Wampum Diplomacy'
https://www.facebook.com/events/1564287183852316/

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The Truth that Wampum Tells: Learning Canada’s Constitutional History
through Wampum Diplomacy

Featuring Author / Activist / Artist Dr. Lynn Gehl, Algonquin Anishinaabe-kwe

Thursday, April 23rd, 2015
Black Squirrel Books, 1073 Bank Street (at Sunnyside Avenue)
6:30pm - 8:30pm

There is some parking to the south of the building, but often little
on-street parking, because of proximity to the Mayfair.

Note on Accessibility: Unfortunately, this event is not accessible. This
location does not have an accessible washroom. There is a small (5-10 cm)
step in front of the entrance, which some wheelchairs have crossed in the
past.

Event description:

The 1763 Royal Proclamation, Canada’s first constitutional document, was
ratified at the 1764 Treaty at Niagara. Because successive governments
have promoted a particular version of Canada’s history – a fiction of two
founding nations – the broader Canadian public is unaware of the
significant role Indigenous Nations held in Canada’s creation.

To guarantee the successful ratification of the Proclamation, assure a
clear understanding, and codify the historic event at Niagara, British
representative William Johnson relied on the Indigenous governance
practice known as wampum diplomacy. He presented two Wampum Belts to the
Anishinaabeg: The British and Western Great Lakes Covenant Chain
Confederacy Wampum Belt and The Twenty Four Nations Wampum Belt. The
former Belt codified a relationship between equal allies and the latter
Belt represented the Indigenous Nations that participated in the Treaty.
In turn, Indigenous Nations presented Johnson with a Two Row Wampum Belt.

Through Lynn Gehl's doctoral work on the Algonquin land claims process she
created new editions of these Wampum Belts and accepted the responsibility
of creating a contemporary Wampum bundle. It is this bundle that she opens
and reads in a traditional way via the oral tradition explaining the
events at Niagara. In this way she contributes to the resurgence of
Indigenous knowledge.

During this event, Lynn Gehl will be selling two of her books. Proceeds
from this book go to supporting her ongoing work.

On Sale:

Mkadengwe: Sharing Canada’s Colonial Process through Black Face
Methodology ($17.95)

The Truth that Wampum Tells: My Debwewin on the Algonquin Land Claims
Process ($22.95)

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Lynn will also be speaking on the night before at IPSMO's 4th Annual
Celebrating the Defense of Mother Earth -
https://www.facebook.com/events/424866644358725


-- 
Love and Solidarity,
IPSMO
On stolen Algonquin land
--

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