The following piece originally appeared in somewhat different forms in guest editorials/commentaries for Kanata (Vol. 1) and Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Criticism and Review in its Winter 2009 (#203) issue. I’ve always hated pencils and erasers. I was first forced in grade two to use them, in handwriting class. My teacher said, “We use pencils […]
The always interesting Blue Corn Comics by Rob Schmidt has recently come across a TV ad for Koff “Indian” Beer (a Carlsberg product) that Schmidt believes “emphasizes the uncomfortable connection between Indians and alcohol.” See for yourself: Huh. You don’t see that very often: teepee-as-nightclub. Here’s another spot in the series, which I believe came […]
During our recent sit-down with outgoing Chief Marcel Balfour, it wasn’t long before the discussion turned to Canada’s infamous ‘2% funding cap.’ That’s the cap Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) places on annual increases to First Nations’ budgets. According to a report hosted on the department’s own website, this “2 per cent funding cap […]
A May 5, 2010 article in Indian Country Today, ‘Arizona law draws widespread indigenous opposition,’ is itself drawing a lot of comments. The piece quotes Inter Tribal Council of Arizona director John Lewis: “This impacts all indigenous people, and the lawmakers need to know it,” Lewis said. “America’s boundaries are not tribal boundaries. Our tribes […]
The Chief of the Point-au-Chien Tribe of Biloxi-Chitimacha Indians is keeping a nervous eye on his community after news that oil from a massive spill has reached the coast of Louisiana. Pointe-au-Chien is about an hour and a half’s drive southwest of New Orleans, LA. Chief Charles “Chuckie” Verdin told mediaINDIGENA in a phone call this […]
