Anonymous has been asking about a poem of mine, "midlife." It's a brief poem, portrait of ambivalence, with the urge toward retirement-- contentment in retirement-- disturbed by or invigorated by desire and the outward surge.
As the youthful and the aged co-exist within one self, and the tension mounts between the urge to stay safe and the urge to go forth, resolution must occur within that one being. In the space of that particular poem, the motivation of desire is enough to carry the day, imagined as a young woman carrying an old woman out of the house, out of the yard, with plenty enough energy to both do whatever it is she is feeling called to do, and to warm and carry the conservative, reluctant aspects of self.
In later poems this "reluctant" aspect becomes a bar wench, rather than a serene elder-- spitting mad about the force of life and the urge toward communion, and called upon to act as an enforcer of solitude. So in some respects, the characters have shifted places, with the serenity aspect now speaking for communion and the vigorous aspect alarmed by and actively opposed to any such risk-taking activities.
But that is down the river a bit. Steepy Mountain love poetry is a collection of courtship year poems, in a re-ignited relationship, and "midlife" shows the moment of optimism, the decision to follow the heart.
Thursday 31 May 2012
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Vancouver Complaints Choir 2012
W2TV: Vancouver Complaints Choir - June 2, 2012
Vancouver Vancouver Complaints Choir.
What do you complain about when you live in paradise
Well enlighten me with some words of advise
Where do I start when there is so much to say
Like cyclists on the sidewalks going the wrong way
Our government is crazy but Toronto's is even worse
I work three jobs and still I have an empty purse
This song took to long to write and it is still too low
The altos only have one note again
and the tenors don't know their note note?
condo condo condominium
condo condo condominium
condo condo condominium
condo condo condominium
CONDOMINIUM! CONDOMINIUM! CON DO MIN IUM, CON DO MIN I UM
enough said.
People who butt in line at the food samples table
People who buy their clothes just for the label
Jaywalking without looking on Commercial Drive
Funding for the arts is cut but expected to survive
Vancouver Vancouver
Pedestrians cross on the don't walksign
Texting drivers cross the yellow line
Commuters block the only way out
Cycling psychos on a cycling route
Tailgaters that have room to pass
Speculators raise the price of gas
Jerky people who complain all the time
Build more prisons when there is less crime
Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver
Vancouver Complaints Choir.
~ Russell Wallace
3rd Vancouver Complaints Choir
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Vancouver New Music presents an all new Complaints Choir, with music written by Russell Wallace (arr. by Russell Wallace and Alison Jenkins) and all new complaints - from money woes, to condos, bad government and bad habits! In this hilarious community project, participants sing a litany of complaints in various outdoor locales. Featuring Alan Zisman on accordion.
The Complaints Choir started in 2005 in Birmingham, UK and has rapidly become a worldwide phenomenon. In 2009, Vancouver New Music co-ordinated a second Complaints Choir featuring music and conduction by Vede Hille. This is the third incarnation of the Complaints Choir, with all new music and complaints!Find out more about Complaints Choirs around the world at www.complaintschoir.org
vid1
Sid Tan
Monday 28 May 2012
A Song to Die For: Shahin Najafi of Iran + more
From Uddari Weblog:
A Song to Die For ~ Iranian Rapper Shahin Najafi: Solidarity May 26/12
‘Shahin Najafi was sentenced to death by two high level clergymen in Iran assigning one hundred thousands dollar price on his head. The Iranian Rapper sang a song in which he made fun of a religious figure. In solidarity with him, a facebook page is created and on Saturday May 26th, people around the world will come into street to protest Shahin’s death sentence and defend freedom of expression…’
Video source/YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Download Song
http://www.bargmusic.com/1704-
Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/
Protest in Vancouver, Saturday May 26, Vancouver Art Gallery, 6-7pm, Event information
http://www.facebook.com/
Visit Uddari Weblog (or Youtube) for translated lyrics of Naqi:
http://uddari.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/a-song-to-die-for-iranian-rapper-shahin-najafi-solidarity-may-2612
Published on May 18, 2012 by TEHRRAN
CNN's Reza Sayah reports on an Iranian rapper, Shahin Najafi who is facing death threats over one of his songs. WARNING: The Following Video Contains Graphic Content. Viewer Discretion is Advised.
Uploaded by gijgah on Aug 6, 2008
Official Fan Page On Facebook
Shahin Najafi Email
Sharr Music
Uploaded by gijgah on Aug 6, 2008
Official Fan Page On Facebook
Shahin Najafi Email
Sharr Music
Uploaded by rezamousoli on Jun 25, 2008
One of the most influencial and talented artist of his generation, Iran. Fereydoun Farrokhzad (Persian: فریدون فرخزاد ) (October 7, 1936 - August 6, 1992) was an Iranian singer, actor, poet, TV and radio host, writer, and political opposition figure.[1] He was the younger brother of the acclaimed Persian poet Forough Farrokhzad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fereydoun_Farrokhzad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fereydoun_Farrokhzad
''We Will Continue with Our Work''
Iran's grand ayatollah has issued what many have interpreted to be a fatwa against the rapper Shahin Najafi, who has lived in Germany for the past seven years. In this interview with Shahram Ahadi, Najafi gives his take on the situation.
Shahin Najafi is an Iranian rapper who has lived in Germany since 2005. His songs are known to be critical of socio-political developments in his home country. His latest song, "Naghi", which was named after the tenth imam in Shia Islam, has caused a stir in Iran. The lyrics call on him in a sarcastic and almost obscene way to come back to life and end the catastrophic status quo in Iran. Iran's 92-year-old Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani said: "If the song contains any insults or indecency towards Imam Naghi, then it is blasphemy, and God knows what to do." The Iranian press interpreted the statement as a fatwa against Najafi. But a theologian in Tehran on Thursday, 10 May, put the comment into context: "The grand ayatollah has not issued a fatwa. He was answering a question about the defamation of a Shia saint ... "Mr. Najafi, your latest song, "Naghi", has caused an uproar. Is it really about the tenth Shia imam?
Shahin Najafi: No. For me it is more of an excuse to talk about completely different things. I criticise Iranian society in the song. It seems as though people are just concentrating on the word "imam".
One of my earlier songs was about the twelfth Shia imam who is supposed to come back and redeem the world. So my new song is, in a way, a continuation of the other one; the narrator is disappointed in the twelfth imam so he asks the tenth imam to save society. But as I say, the story with Naghi was just a pretext.
More of the interview: http://en.qantara.de/We-Will-Continue-with-Our-Work/19077c20095i1p501/
Uploaded by arashlonely on Feb 24, 2009
اینکار متاسفانه توسط گروه 2012 بعد از جدایی شاهین از این گروه بدون اجازه ایشون و با تغییر نام برای پخش به صدای امریکا ارسال شده بود
IN ENGLISH:متن آهنگ به انگلیسی around us [our hood]
IN ENGLISH:متن آهنگ به انگلیسی around us [our hood]
follow link for translated lyrics
video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ckQPLV6csQ
Forugh Farrokhzād
(Persian: فروغ فرخزاد) (b. January 5, 1935, Tehran, Iran — February 13, 1967)[1] was an Iranian poet and film director. Forugh Farrokhzad is arguably one of Iran's most influential female poets of the twentieth century. She was a controversial modernist poet and an iconoclast.[2]
source of poem & for more of Forough's poetry in english :
http://www.foroughfarrokhzad.org
Originally I intended to simply reprint the Uddari Weblog call-out for global and local action, with a few additional samples of work. Delayed in my intent, I found myself exploring the story, and the predecessors of this artist-activist, focussing in on one whom he admired. The final dystopian sorrow-drenched work is not a comfortable place to end, but it is the reason for the works, the motivation behind happier-sounding songs that call upon all~ the living and the saints~ to make changes for the better in this world
The worst of everything is not the everything of everything, and so
let us conclude on a reflective note, with a quiet poem
As we began with the visual blending a place of worship, a nourishing breast, and a rainbow flag, let the final word go to a woman poet
The sister of Fereydoun was the poet Forough Farrokhzad
(Persian: فروغ فرخزاد) (b. January 5, 1935, Tehran, Iran — February 13, 1967)[1] was an Iranian poet and film director. Forugh Farrokhzad is arguably one of Iran's most influential female poets of the twentieth century. She was a controversial modernist poet and an iconoclast.[2]
The Gift
I am speaking to you
from the edge of darkness
and about the depths of night
I reach out to you
from the thick layers of absolute shade
Darling
If you are coming to visit me
Then, bring me a torch
and put up for me
a little window
I will then watch
the noisy crowd of the happy lane
By: Forough Farrokhzad
Translation: Maryam Dilmaghani, August 2006, Montreal
The poem Hadyeh is from the anthology Tavallody Digar (Rebirth
)
|
http://www.foroughfarrokhzad.org
to learn more about this poet/bio source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forough_Farrokhzad
/
Shahin Najafi Music ~his website:
Wednesday 23 May 2012
E. Pauline Johnson ~ (re) Articulating Her Legacy
Janet Rogers has undertaken a project of research at the National Museum of the American Indian, and is ready to make her report:
E. Pauline Johnson
(re) Articulating Her Legacy Thursday May 24th 2012, 7-9 pm Native Education College, 285 East 5th Avenue,Vancouver
Introductions
Russell Wallace, Native Education College Cultural Director
Keevin Lewis, National Museum of the American Indian)
Janet Rogers, Artists Leadership Fellowship participant
Readings
Joanne Arnott, Pauline poem, Original poem
Garry Thomas Morse, Pauline poem, Original story
Russell Wallace, Pauline poem, Original work
Janet Rogers, Pauline poem, Original poem
Audio/video media work inspired by the research and by Pauline
Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast are pleased to co-present this evening of business & pleasure, with Victoria's new Poet Laureate, Janet Marie Rogers.
To explore NMAI online collections, http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/home.aspx
To download Flint and Feather by E. Pauline Johnson - Tekahionwake, www.grandriveruel.ca/Documents /Flint%20and%20Feather.doc
E. Pauline Johnson
(re) Articulating Her Legacy Thursday May 24th 2012, 7-9 pm Native Education College, 285 East 5th Avenue,Vancouver
Introductions
Russell Wallace, Native Education College Cultural Director
Keevin Lewis, National Museum of the American Indian)
Janet Rogers, Artists Leadership Fellowship participant
Readings
Joanne Arnott, Pauline poem, Original poem
Garry Thomas Morse, Pauline poem, Original story
Russell Wallace, Pauline poem, Original work
Janet Rogers, Pauline poem, Original poem
Audio/video media work inspired by the research and by Pauline
Janet Rogers (Mohawk/Tuscarora from the Six Nations Indian reserve in Ontario), a writer who lives in British Columbia, will research the writings and cultural material of E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake, 1861–1913). During the late 19th and early 20th century, Miss Johnson, a Mohawk/English poet from Six Nations, turned her poems into stage presentations. Janet's proposed community project is to provide a presentation of poetry readings and video projections of Miss Johnson's objects in Vancouver, where Johnson spent the last years of her life. Source
Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast are pleased to co-present this evening of business & pleasure, with Victoria's new Poet Laureate, Janet Marie Rogers.
To explore NMAI online collections, http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/home.aspx
To download Flint and Feather by E. Pauline Johnson - Tekahionwake, www.grandriveruel.ca/Documents
~ all welcome ~
Tuesday 22 May 2012
influences: ball toss
Baluch Persian Rug ~ Khayyam's Poetry |
Rhubayait of Omar Khayyam: Fitzgerald
translation
LXX.
The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes,
But Here or There as strikes the Player goes;
And He that toss'd you down into the Field,
He knows about it all--HE knows--HE knows!
LXX.
The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes,
But Here or There as strikes the Player goes;
And He that toss'd you down into the Field,
He knows about it all--HE knows--HE knows!
~
Halfling Spring, a poem called "Delving"
iii.
i am like a ball pitched
by a bored god
pulled from a ragged
pocket, and tossed
i find myself travelling
with purpose, at speed
unerring and true
i am aimed at you
(c) Joanne Arnott
The tent-maker is one of those unifying forces, the ongoing responses to his works in manifold fields bring much beauty to the world in an ongoing way.
The only French folk song that I learned from my family, that my grandmother translated for me, was about rolling one's ball along, and finding all forms of adventure and trouble.
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám
رباعیات عمر خیام
from Shahriar Shahriari's blog |
A friend told me that he carried this book on his travels, in his youth, and I liked to imagine that: I mentioned it to my son, who responded that this was the book he chose to accompany him on his most recent journey.
Sources:
Image: "Baluch rugs are tribal hand-woven rugs made in the southern part of
Iran by nomadic Baluch tribes.... The Baluch people are very kind and simple and weave these rugs
mainly to express themselves and follow an ancient Persian tradition,
which dates back thousands of years. Colors of Baluch rugs are usually
predominantly a rich burgundy with some very dark navy blue and accents
of ivory.
They frequently have either an overall pattern, or a prayer rug design.
Any Baluch Persian rug is one of a kind and has absolutely no
duplicates anywhere in the world." http://www.farsinet.com/persianrug/saghi.html
+ http://www.farsinet.com/persianrug/history.html
+ http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/learning/khayyam.html
Lovely online Rubáiyát source:
http://www.netnik.com/khayyam/ruby35.html
Shahriar Shahriari's Rubáiyát site, http://www.okonlife.com/poems/page5.htm
Poetry is not the only way that humans have for synthesizing reality & tidying up the world; also see, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Khayy%C3%A1m
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/57049/Quadrilateral-of-Omar-Khayyam-Omar-Khayyam-constructed-the-quadrilateral-shown
Monday 21 May 2012
books + boats: cultural continuity under inclement conditions
Abu Fayez, one of Gaza's last boat builders |
Gaza's Ark ~ Building Hope
The Canadian Boat to Gaza, in cooperation with
international initiatives in the US, Australia and other countries, is
launching a new initiative to challenge the illegal and inhumane Israeli
blockade of Gaza, the only Mediterranean port closed to shipping.
This new initiative: Gaza’s Ark, will build a boat in Gaza, using existing resources. A crew of internationals and Palestinians will sail it out of Gaza carrying Palestinian products to fulfill trade deals with international buyers.
Gaza's Ark will be constructed in Gaza by Palestinian hands and expertise, with international assistance.
Gaza's Ark will help revitalize the dwindling ship building industry in Gaza and help ensure the transmission of this disappearing expertise (another effect of the blockade) to the younger generations.
Through Gaza's Ark and trade deals secured between Palestinian producers in Gaza and international businesses and NGOs a channel will be established to export Palestinian products from Gaza that are available despite the blockade.
Gaza's Ark will also provide training to Gaza's sailors in the use of up-to-date electronic sailing equipment and techniques which they have been denied for years as a result of the blockade.
Although it will help in a very limited manner to alleviate Gaza’s unemployment crisis by paying wages to the boat builders and providing business opportunities to traders, Gaza's Ark is not an aid project. It is a peaceful action against the blockade which Israel unilaterally and unreasonably imposes on Gaza.
Gaza’s Ark also stands in solidarity with the Palestinian fishery in Gaza whose ability to operate in territorial waters and to derive a livelihood is threatened by the same Israeli blockade which our campaign is challenging.
Gaza’s Ark challenges the blockade by building hope on the ground in Gaza, and affirms our confidence that the Palestinians of Gaza can rebuild their economy through outbound trade that threatens no-one’s security.
With your support, the work on Gaza's Ark will start this summer. You will be able to follow its progress with regular updates on the web (www.GazaArk.org), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GazaArk) and Twitter (@GazaArk).
This new initiative: Gaza’s Ark, will build a boat in Gaza, using existing resources. A crew of internationals and Palestinians will sail it out of Gaza carrying Palestinian products to fulfill trade deals with international buyers.
Gaza's Ark will be constructed in Gaza by Palestinian hands and expertise, with international assistance.
Gaza's Ark will help revitalize the dwindling ship building industry in Gaza and help ensure the transmission of this disappearing expertise (another effect of the blockade) to the younger generations.
Through Gaza's Ark and trade deals secured between Palestinian producers in Gaza and international businesses and NGOs a channel will be established to export Palestinian products from Gaza that are available despite the blockade.
Gaza's Ark will also provide training to Gaza's sailors in the use of up-to-date electronic sailing equipment and techniques which they have been denied for years as a result of the blockade.
Although it will help in a very limited manner to alleviate Gaza’s unemployment crisis by paying wages to the boat builders and providing business opportunities to traders, Gaza's Ark is not an aid project. It is a peaceful action against the blockade which Israel unilaterally and unreasonably imposes on Gaza.
Gaza’s Ark also stands in solidarity with the Palestinian fishery in Gaza whose ability to operate in territorial waters and to derive a livelihood is threatened by the same Israeli blockade which our campaign is challenging.
Gaza’s Ark challenges the blockade by building hope on the ground in Gaza, and affirms our confidence that the Palestinians of Gaza can rebuild their economy through outbound trade that threatens no-one’s security.
With your support, the work on Gaza's Ark will start this summer. You will be able to follow its progress with regular updates on the web (www.GazaArk.org), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GazaArk) and Twitter (@GazaArk).
You can reach us by email at info@GazaArk.org.
Background:
Gaza’s Boat-Building Tradition Dying Under Siege
GAZA CITY, Aug 1, 2011 (IPS) By Eva Bartlett- “My father was a boat-builder and I learned from him, worked on boats all my life. Now there’s no work at all.” Abu Fayez Bakr, 64, is one of two boat-builders in the Gaza Strip, the last of a dying trade, despite Palestinians’ penchant for the sea and its bounty.
In Gaza’s simple harbour, Bakr sits beside a hefty boat he built nearly a decade ago, one of his last projects. ... “It was damaged in the last Israeli war on Gaza. We’re repairing it now,” he explains.
(Image source) Read more: http://ingaza.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/gazas-boat-building-tradition-dying-under-siege/
Gaza was home to a strong shipbuilding industry before Israel imposed its land and sea blockade on the territory. But with fishermen prevented from sailing beyond three nautical miles, there is no longer any demand for large boats. In a bid to stay afloat, a donor-funded project is teaching fishermen how to repair and build small boats using fibre glass. Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza.
~
FAREWELL MY LIBRARY! FAREWELL MANSION OF WISDOM, TEMPLE OF PHILOSOPHERS, INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, COUNCIL HOUSE OF LITERATURE!
The Great Book Robbery - Witness - Al Jazeera English
A film by Benny Brunner
When the Arab-Israeli war raged in 1948, librarians from Israel’s National Library followed soldiers as they entered Palestinian homes in towns and villages. Their mission was to collect as many valuable books and manuscripts as possible. They are said to have gathered over 30,000 books from Jerusalem and another 30,000 from Haifa and Jaffa.
Officially it was a 'cultural rescue operation' but for Palestinians it was 'cultural theft'.
It was only in 2008 when an Israeli PhD student stumbled across documents in the national archive that the full extent of the 'collection' policy was revealed.
Using eyewitness accounts, this film tries to understand why thousands of books appropriated from Palestinian homes still languish in the Israeli National Library vaults and why they have not been returned to their rightful owners. Was it cultural preservation or robbery?
For more information + to read about the project's aims:
http://thegreatbookrobbery.org/projects-aims
Library - The Great Book Robbery | chronicles of a cultural destruction a partial list of titles
Watch the documentary: http://thegreatbookrobbery.org/
or http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2012/05/20125915313256768.html
Sunday 20 May 2012
man-woman: these are the rules
Fiona Lam "Aquarium"
sources:
seahorse
migrations
falling
in love with our stories as
they
rise from their deep rooted places
called
forth by
any
little question
a
chance encounter
an
imagined look upon an imagined face, and
all remembered
glimpses
of
past times
drifting
upward now—
quick
& quick—
seeking
the air
in
droves
here the
golden one
here the
hungry one
here the
singing one
this one,
afraid
each
tail has slipped it’s mooring as
sunlight
calls through whispering water
urgent
for redemption
craving
the air &
all
good things
that
may happen there
deep
plants remain and growing
seahorses
ever hopeful
rise
& rise
rise
& rise
rise
& rise
(c) Joanne Arnott
In the topsy-turvey world of relationships, there is no hope to
establish the consistent up, the bonnified down. In Fiona Lam's "Aquarium,"
the pregnant one is abandoned while the slender is free-- yet among
seahorses, the female passes her eggs to the male, and so, in the moment of the poem, who is who? A complex inversion
of the mammal story and that of the humans told/outside the glass and
looking in.
In my poem, "seahorse migrations," i sought to illustrate the function of memory and the urgent though often
unconscious way that the human animal seeks healing, through
relatedness, through storytelling.
sources:
Fiona Lam, "Aquarium" © 2009 by Fiona Tinwei Lam | fionalam.net
Poem published in The Best Canadian Poetry in English, 2010 (Toronto:
Tightrope Books, 2010) | tightropebooks.com, bestcanadianpoetry.com
Originally published in The New Quarterly in 2009. Animation by: Chelsea Ker & John Oman | chelseaker.com
Sound Design: Tinjun Niu, Poem read by Fiona Tinwei Lam, recorded by Shona Lam;
Music: Raphael Choi. I was unable to resize this, to see the "i," the full "we" it's best to watch it on youtube (or vimeo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdC3dPxeA0
My poem included in forthcoming collection...
Sound Design: Tinjun Niu, Poem read by Fiona Tinwei Lam, recorded by Shona Lam;
Music: Raphael Choi. I was unable to resize this, to see the "i," the full "we" it's best to watch it on youtube (or vimeo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdC3dPxeA0
My poem included in forthcoming collection...
Filmed at Seahorse Aquariums in Dublin.
Shortly after putting away the camera the female started laying eggs
into the male's pouch - typical! Three types of seahorse appear in the
video and if you look carefully you will see a baby seahorse floating
through the water. Music Royalty free from: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Thursday 17 May 2012
Borges + Galeano: love the wind
Window
on Memory (II)
A refuge?
A
belly?
A
shelter to hide you when you’re drowning in the rain, or shivering in the cold,
or spinning in the wind?
Do
we have a splendid past ahead of us?
For
navigators who love the wind, memory is a port of departure.
Eduardo Galeano, Walking Words
The
Church says: The body
is a sin.
Science says: The body is a machine.
Advertising says: The body is a business.
The body says: I am a fiesta.
Science says: The body is a machine.
Advertising says: The body is a business.
The body says: I am a fiesta.
Eduardo
Galeano, Walking Words
More on Galeano & more "Windows"
here:
~
Review of Walking Words here:
to learn more about Jose Francisco Borges
(source for top two images)
+
Jose Francisco Borges
(source for second last image below)
Jose's recent show in NY |
from Tesoro |
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Musqueam village site C̓ əsnaʔəm
source: Turtle Island News |
Source: The Bill Reid Centre |
May 10, 2012
Threatened Ancestors at c̓əsnaʔəm (Marpole Midden)
To those concerned about appropriate archaeological practice,
respectful collaboration with First Nations, and the ethical
conservation of local heritage and history, there is a request for your
support tomorrow morning at c̓əsnaʔəm (the Marpole Midden), SW Marine
Drive at Hudson St.), or tomorrow afternoon (12:30 PM) on the
Legislature grounds in Victoria.
c̓əsnaʔəmis an ancient Musqueam village and burial site and Canadian Heritage Site (since 1933) threatened by residential condominium development. Many Musqueam will be attending the peaceful demonstration at the Legislature in Victoria tomorrow, so the number of people available to protect the site at c̓əsnaʔəm will be significantly lowered. Unfortunately, the developer has warned that if a resolution had not been reached by the end of Wednesday, he will begin work again on Thursday morning, including the possible removal of partial intact burials of Musqueam ancestors.
We would be honoured if you are able to join us to help protect our ancestors, and this irreplaceable part of Musqueam, BC, and Canadian heritage. However, if you are unable to attend the demonstration in Victoria or visit the site itself, you can still help out in these ways:
c̓əsnaʔəmis an ancient Musqueam village and burial site and Canadian Heritage Site (since 1933) threatened by residential condominium development. Many Musqueam will be attending the peaceful demonstration at the Legislature in Victoria tomorrow, so the number of people available to protect the site at c̓əsnaʔəm will be significantly lowered. Unfortunately, the developer has warned that if a resolution had not been reached by the end of Wednesday, he will begin work again on Thursday morning, including the possible removal of partial intact burials of Musqueam ancestors.
We would be honoured if you are able to join us to help protect our ancestors, and this irreplaceable part of Musqueam, BC, and Canadian heritage. However, if you are unable to attend the demonstration in Victoria or visit the site itself, you can still help out in these ways:
- Share this story with your networks;
- Write letters of support or protest (see the attached letter - dated Friday, but mostly up-to-date - for suggested recipients);
- Donate food or funds for food at the site (contact Dawn Sparrow [see source for contact info]); and
- Sign the online petition here: http://www.petitiononlinecanada.com/petition/stop-the-immediate-destruction-of-indigenous-burial-sites/943.
source: The Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Arts
~
Some historical context from the Musqueam First Nation website:Musqueam First Nation |
c̓əsnaʔəm
c̓əsnaʔəm (commonly known as the Eburne Site, Marpole Midden or Great Fraser Midden), located in the heart of Musqueam’s Traditional and unceded Territory, is an ancient village and burial site of the Musqueam people, dating back at least 4,000 years.In the late 1700s and 1800s, small pox and other diseases arrived on the Northwest Coast and affected our people at c̓əsnaʔəm. Musqeam Elder James Point recalled seeing remains of house posts and “lots of bones” as a boy in the 1880s. He also recounted how the people of c̓əsnaʔəm (and other Musqueam villages) were called by q̓iyəplenəxʷ, a highly respected and renowned warrior and leader, to defend against northern invaders.
In 1884, during the “Garypie Farm Road” upgrading, an extensive shell midden containing ancestral remains and cultural objects was uncovered. H.H Gowan and James Johnson removed ancestral remains and gave them to the Natural History Museum of New Westminster. They were later destroyed in the fire of 1898.
In the 1890s, Harlan I. Smith of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City mined the site for human skeletal remains and cultural objects for the museum’s collections. He noted that “seventy-five [human] skeletons were found in the shell heaps at [Marpole] during about a month’s work.”
In the 1920/30s, local ethnographer Charles Hill-Tout and the local history association (forerunner of the Museum of Vancouver) undertook extensive excavations and was amazed at the antiquity and extent of the site. They retained self-taught “archaeologist” Herman Leisk to remove cultural deposits including human skeletal remains for the museum’s collections. According to his own report, he encountered over 700 human burials. Some were discarded in the trash because of lack of space at the museum. Skeletal remains were also sent to the Royal College of Surgeons in London England (where they were later destroyed in the Blitz) and to other museums in North America. In 1933 the Historical Sites and Monuments Board of Canada declared the site as a Canadian National Historic Site. A cairn was placed in a nearby park, marking “the site of one of the largest prehistoric middens on the Pacific Coast of Canada. It originally covered an area of about 4½ acres, with an average depth of 5 feet and a maximum depth of 15 feet.”
Recent Site Issues (go to Musqueam First Nation website to read more)
image + text from the Musqueam First Nation website
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Musqueam seek land to swap to save site
First Nations in British Columbia + Vancouver Sun
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AFN, BCAFN and UBCIC Speeches at c̓əsnaʔəm - 2012-05-15 - part 1
Published on May 15, 2012 by Musqueam Nation
Assembly of First Nations National (AFN)
Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN)
Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould (Puglaas), and Union of BC Indian
Chiefs (UBCIC) Grand Chief Stewart Phillip speak to protesters at the
ancient Musqueam village and burial site of c̓əsnaʔəm in Marpole,
Vancouver, Canada on 2012-05-15. Musqueam and their supporters are
protesting the destruction of the site and its burials for a condo
development.
part 2
More on Musqueam First Nation youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Yd_buR5eZTpEyFR0U2lKA
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CBC Marpole Midden facts:
Marpole Midden was
designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1933 because it is the
site of one of the largest pre-contact middens on the Pacific coast of
Canada.
This massive midden site contains remains of a Coast Salish winter
village dating from the Marpole phase culture, as well as shellfish
remains and various artifacts from early inhabitants of the site found
in an average depth of 1.5 metres and a maximum depth of 4.6 metres,
dating from 1500 to 2900 years ago.
The excavation of this extensive midden led by Charles Hill Tout, in
1892, has stimulated archaeological study of other such prehistoric
refuse heaps on the Pacific slope.
By 1955, urban expansion had significantly altered the landscape of
Marpole Midden, covering the site in homes, infrastructure and other
typical urban features.
Source: Canada's Historic Places + CBC
While the federal government has recognized the importance of the historical site, it's up to the provincial government to protect it. CBC
Chief Ernest Campbell ("RAW Musqueam") & Chief Bill Williams ("RAW Squamish") videos, posted (with ads): CBC
UPDATES:
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectTheVillageAndMiddenSiteOfMarpoleVillage
on twitter: @cusnaum
UPDATE
On September 27, 2012 Musqueam received the Province of B.C.’s decision regarding the permits issued by the Province under the Heritage Conservation Act to permit a 5 story condominium development at c̓əsnaʔəm, also known as the Musqueam Marpole Village Site. As recognized in the decision, this site was declared to be a National Historic Site in 1933 as one of the largest pre-contact middens in Western Canada and has special significance for Musqueam.
Musqueam is pleased that the proposed development is no longer authorized by the permits issued by the Province and that the ancestral remains are to be restored to their original condition. Their disturbance caused great anguish to the community and the proposed development would have desecrated an ancient and sacred burial place and destroyed a site precious to the Musqueam as representing one of the few links to our heritage extending back thousands of years. It would also have destroyed a Canadian historic site and a heritage site that should be protected for all British Columbians.
Musqueam looks forward to being actively involved in the steps to be taken to restore the ancestral remains in accordance with Musqueam customs and beliefs, steps that must be taken immediately to prevent further deterioration.
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