Just returned from my trip. To sum it all up "Best Pot-latch I have EVER been to....ever!". I really enjoyed it and my friend worked himself over for the people. He has outdone himself again. Some great memories and I know people will be talking about this poltatch for a looong time. U siyam, chen kwen men tumi waxiwidi siyam.

I am about to get ready to leave. Where you might ask? I am off to a POT LATCH otherwise known as a "Indian Shindig". Wallaboys potlatch actualy. My mother left on sunday and I'm heading up today. EXCITING. Just finishing my laundry and I'll be A.Okay! I got in late so i didn't get a chance to start my laundry and now some of it's all wet still. Using blow dryings and heaters to dry them all... I think I'll be fine though.

Now, I just have to pack after it's all done. It's going to be so much fun. I'll tell you about it when I get back. I'll also be able to work on my 101 list for 1001 days. For more information, click here!

Catch ya'll on the flip side

The idea:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days

Visit www.oldmanrivers101.blogspot.com for more information.

(Thank you goes to Dubya for the idea. Huy chexw/Kleco Kleco)

As an extrovert, I was able to "recahrge" and the over-due charge of my batteries. Now after the past weekend where I was able to "relax" and unwind and even have a few revolations (which needs to happen to make it a "relaxing"), I figured out a few things and I want to record that I did that and so I remember and look back on this and say, "yes dustin, yes you did."

I have a new attitude. It's not even a new attitude, but a recharged attitude. But then again, I guess it's not because it's never like before. I am no in deep thought about what and where and why anymore. I know. Or at least, I know enough. Enough to move along and to get going. I have my tools and my life and things again are going great. I faith is never strong. (I am not Christan anymore, as you seen from previous posts.) I am starting to believe. I am believing in what is to come. I can imagine and vision it and I see it. What's even clear then that is the things that I am going to do and the deep impact I have and going to have. (wooo, I can't wait till those days get here)

There is so much I am...how would you say...unified by. I know what I am. I know what I came from. I know where I'm going. I know who'll be there. I know i'll be meeting people. I know it's going to be hard work BUT, I choose to do it because of the benifits. I CHOOSE to not take any substanced to make me have fun because my people have suffered enough from those. I CHOOSE to make things intresting and pleasable to me because I am the only one who CHOOSES to do so. I CHOOSE to create, promote and allow, (or even not do those) in my life. I CHOOSE to love myself as much as my creator intended for me. In which I love him back. I CHOOSE to believe and to think what I think. I also CHOOSE to change everything about me as time goes because I am not in love with the person I am today. I am not in love with the person I was before. I am in love with the person who's going to be me, who was me and of course, most importantly, the here and now.

(*THIS IS FOR ME, YOU CAN READ, BUT THIS IS FOR MR.RIVERS TO REMEMBER)

MR.Rivers. You have come from a long line of strong people and will continue that legacy. You have already begun the steps to make this happen. Look at the people around you and YOUR people with you. You have strong people now and before. You will add breath to that fire where the embers will be a flamming fire to rejuvinate the earth. You have all the love in the world. People love you. You love you. Your family loves you. You are an intelegent man who has knowledge beyond his years. You are a powerfull radical who breaks out of STATUS-QUO and will change ways. You are independant and determined and can commit to anything YOU CHOOSE TO. You will acomplish what you planned to as a child growing up and you will make those dreams happen. You will be with your people one day but that day is far away and your going to make your people be HERE! Remember your contact. LIVE your contract everday. Listen to your STRETCH, when you need to remember all of this. You have the ability and remember, the ANCIENT WIDSOM is there, but it's not on the computer or in your house. It's in your heart and mind and that house is not the place to re-live it. LEAVE, expand, and exerpence everything you are ment to experence. The child in you loves you and will continue to love you, for as long as you live. LIVE forever as a ancient breath, you powerfull valliant man. LIVE IT. DO IT. SURIVE IT. SUSTAIN IT.

From, the green child
Love you, you.

I have decided that I do not like being called indian, by an indian or otherwise. Indian does not convey anything about me that is indigenous, stelmexw or bak'wam. If some Europian idiot got lost or we're "in god" with en dios, I am indian no more. No more "One little, two little, three little indians!"! No more!

I am Stelmexw! I am Bak'wam! I am an Indigenous Citizen of my ansestors land. No the portreyed version of the colinial power and state. Bye Bye indian.... Hello future!

(Take that Bitch's!)

That is it!@ Enough is enough. No more Mary! No more Pope! No more Christ! And definitly no more X-mas! I have begun the path to decolonize myself and it starts with what has been "influenicaly" taught to me. This big word and big belief. The one religion that has killed more than any other Religion. The hypocritical in nature and every so contradictory. The religion that is not mine NOR my peoples.

GOD you say? There is no GOD here! No destruction or lies. No sabotage or hate. No backwards teachings. No upside-down ways of life. No more! :D

My life is my house, full of ways of life, experence and drive to continue on..... GOD AND JESUS ARE NOT WELCOMED IN MY HOUSE! I am Christian no more! :D No Christ for me... :D Just heathenry, savagness and paganism for me. Wohooo Pagansm!

(An Aparently Hell! Home to lawyers and future Aboriginal Politicians...haha...Here's what I'll say when I end up in "hell")

"Hey Lucifer! Your in my chair! Take a hike!..." Then I'll be bored till and I'll see some people walking towards me. It'll be all my friends and family. Then I'll say "Ahhh, here comes my tribe!"

Mwahahaha!

Here are some songs I've just compiled. It's a mixture of the mood I've been in latly. From revolution to relaxing to having fun to my religion...U2. It's most new music I've just downloaded. Actualy, it's all music I've downloaded or just heard of recently. Doesn't mean it's the latest music though (As you can see with the U2 songs... They've been around for a while but I've just heard of them.) Some of these songs are also unreleased songs that you can't hear inless you buy them off itunes. (Which I did.) I figured I'd post these since you can get an idea of the music I listen to and what kind I'm person from it. Enjoy!

(You can download some of these songs. I'd recomend anyone to listen to them.)


We R in Need of a Musical Revolution Esthero
Hung Up (Radio Version) Madonna
About A Girl (Nirvana cover) Cibo Matto
Everyday Is A Holiday Esthero
Don't Give Up On Me Peter Gallagher
I Will Remember You Sarah McLachlan
Stay (Faraway, So Close! [Single] U2
Johnny Go To Ne Bedouin Sound Clash
Immigrant Workforce Bedouin Soundclash
Gyasi Went Home Bedouin Soundclash
Back To The Mat Bedouin Soundclash
Weekend Black Eyed Peas and Esthero
Heaven Sent Esthero
Junglebook Esthero Feat. Andre 3000
All These Things That I've Done The Killers
Running to Stand Still U2
Smile (From How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Sessions) U2
The First Time (Soundtrack Version) U2
Rude Boy Don't Cry Bedouin Soundclash
Living in Jungles Bedouin Soundclash
Dub in the Kala Bedouin Soundclash

"Early days one man chief of stamis, and all little villages up Squamish Rivers; that's before; that's early days; they not call them chiefs, but he's bigger man... it's a boss, like... he is the best talker, not chairman, Indian have no chairman - - but man who says the most wise things"
- August Jack 1955

The story of the "chieftainship" begins with the colonization and assimilation of the Skwxwu7mesh peoples. In the early 1800's, Christianity was spreading faster then how pokemon spreaded in 1999. With more people becoming "civilized" the ways of our people started to change because of Christian and Gov't involvment. Some things that would change society and become apart of "SQUAMISH" culture.

Assimilaton was the game, and the Squamish people were the arena. With the Catholic church trying to come up with ways to convert the non-believers and gov't trying to convert us to western society we we're being killed on a completly different level. One way of making it "easyer" was to govern us, in a more efficent way. From then on, the SQUAMISH people had Chiefs. Not leaders of the old, but Chiefs of the new era.

Let's take a step back before "contact". To when we had a "utopian" society among the Salish (Skwxwu7mesh) peoples. It goes like this. Noblity were people who had either their own resource site, special skills or special knowledge. Some of these "nobility" was leaders. Who posesed knowledge and skill and the resource sites to share his gifts and wealth with the people. (Weither it be the knowledge, skill or resources). These people were regarded as a "siyam". These siiyam had special renown and respect from the people. The more these siiyam distributed the wealth, the higher their status became and the more respect their gain. (The weath not only being resources but also their knowledge and sharing their skill.)

Someone becoming higher in status would potlatching more. The more a person pot-latched the more his status went up because he was giving away his wealth from his resource site. Distribution of the wealth was a sign of respect because he's sharing what he has.

Someone raised their status by sharing their skill. A person (family) who build canoes would have great ammounts of respect because of their skill to contruct them.

Someone with special knowledge would have renown because of their knowledge. For instance, a indian docter, medicine man or fore-seer would all have high status because of their knowledge and ability to do things such as healing people and seeing things before they happend.

OKAY, got the idea of what a "Siyam" or nobility was BEFORE contact. Let's jump back to this game. The church decided that their progressed would be faster if they had one person to report to them and to do what they needed to the people. If they had one person appointed in a village, he would be able to help the church get others to become christian. It would be better then the alternative of the church trying to convert everyone indivudualy. This new idea became known as "Chief". A chief was selected out of each village to help the church "christianize" that village. Inevitabily it worked. But their was a side effect...(DUN DUN DUN!!!)

Everything changed from their on. As "siyam" before were seen and respected on the basis of "generosity, leadership, knowledge, and inegrety" it all changed. Siyam were regarded as "Chiefs" and chiefs were obideint, status quo, christian indians. People who followed the Catholic way and what they said would of been chosen as "Chief". Anyone who did not, we're disregarded by the church. For example, a highly respect, wealthy man back in the time had 3 wives. This would be regarded as nobility because he can take care of 3 wives by him self. It was a sign of nobility to have many wives, but to the church is was a SIN. This man would never be chosen to be a "Chief" even though, he had high status in the old ways. Siyam are not of the old but of the new christian way.

(Note: This idea of "creating" chiefs caught on so quick that the goverment followed suit and ratifyed these "chiefs". Making them offical chiefs in the eyes of the Indians Agents and DIA)

You'd think the indians would never surcome to this but, yes, they did. How do we know the indians gave up and collasped to the "christian" way with their "Christian God" and "Savior"? Because we have "Hereditary Chiefs" today. The evolution of the "Chief", created by the chuch, it turned into a cultural thing. The culture was twisted and bent around these "Chiefs". It made things even simpler because, a christian indian would of corse raise his children to be, yes you guessed it, christian children. His chieftainship would be passed onto another "civilized" christain and be hand in glove with the Goverment and Church all once again.

As the goverment had no need for these chiefs because of population out number the indians and the goverment having more control to legilature, the "Cheiftianships" became souly apart of the "culture". (Note: Squamish Culture and not Skwxwu7mesh culture) Chieftainships would still be handed down through a hereditary line, still following that "obideint, status-quo, christian way. The old values of leaders still did not exsist. Only status quo, residential school taught leadership was left in the wake of of assimilation. Where o where are the real leaders of the old ways?

We now look at this day in age of our "Chiefs" and how they play apart in this game. We have chiefs "demanding respect" and vying for the title of "Chief" yet have nothing to do with the generosity, leadership, knowledge, and inegrety of their stauts. Hold it, you might say. Our chiefs are very honorable people, people who are leaders. You could be right, but it still does not deny the fact they are not the leaders of the old because they still do not have the same qualities of the old leaders.

Demanding respect is one example. "Hi my name is Chief John Doe." "Hello, you have reach Chief John Doe, please leave your name and number after the beep and I'll get back to you". "Hi, here is my business card..."*(then it says on the card "Chief John Doe)*

Let's compare shall we!

Old CHIEFS: Obident to the church, listened to the church, comprimise his beliefs, society and ways of life for the church. All for the better goodness of everything.

New CHIEFS: (Otherwise known as aboriginals.) Would sacrifice and negotiate with the goverment and the Canadian way. To be obiedent and not to resist the way. Shake hands and play "poker" and "chess" with the devil, known as the white civilization. It's all a game they say, but it's the white mans ways still influencing them. Thus mimicing the OLD CHIEFS.

The chiefs selected by the goverment and the church are still around us today. Their spirit to negotiate and agree are inside our chiefs of today. Are they the leades who will leaders us out of this war and bring us back to the old ways to move us forward? How can this happen if we have "Status-quo" leadership, brought on us by the church. How can any of the "Christian" and WHITE value every lead us through? It wont happen intill we decolonze ourselves and leader us to surive. But of course, aboriginals wont do this, because, Aborigianls are the end game in this game of "assimilation".

You see people fighting for these titles of "Chief" but all it will ever be is a mask. (Not the mask people create and think are Skwxwu7mesh) Masks that they where for power, title, and respect. Oh how these words all bring into mind somthing. But if I could only remember what. Oh yes, that is right. The Western White way strugle to fight for power, up have A title and never earn their respect in the process. These are not the qualities of a siyam but the ways of the white man. (Of old and now.)

We are now faced with these "Chiefs" and no powerful leaders. Leaders who have special skill, knowledge and resources for his people. Who shares his wealth with the people who put him their in that high ranking status. The siiyam of old were raised high by the people. Not by title of themselves. They earned their respect through the people... Oh how things have changed...

And now I ask you, where are these siiyam of old. These leaders who are willing to give to the people and will sacrfice himself but not for power or title but for his people. The leaders and siiyam raised up high BY the people? Do they exsist only in legends? We have them now, but our people too blindly follow and argue in disaray with these Chiefs. The need is great. The need for everything from the past. The need is now. The need for what? The need aganst this war of colinial dominion. What is the alternative? The ultamate death of people through assimilation.

What are you going to do?

After recent epiphanies about everything in my life for the past year or so, i've come to realize that i someone to talk to who will listen is all i really need. Most of the time I talk to someone, it either becomes a debate, pitty, sympathy, join forces or somthing along those lines. My mind is going so damn fast and my thoughts are shot out too fast for the gun barrel to handle that i'm going crazy. This insaness is not adding to the pleasure of what is life. I'm just so baffled at the job that needs to be done and how hard it is going to do it. I know theres a tape and I find myself thinking more, the more tapes come up. Oh yay!

My tapes are spinning fast and I'm starting to catch on now. Personal development is not what I need right now. A whipe is what I need right now. Time is what I need right now. Action for resistance is what we need right now. The things that must be under taken are so enormous. I can't believe we have to do this.

Why do I have the feeling, my generation, my elders and most of my people will hate me. I have decided I am not doing this for my people, or my youth, or the elders. I am going to do this for my ansestors and the future generations. Everything in between are just collateral damage and damaged goods, including me.

Like they say in a store, "you break it you buy it" and now it's our time to pay up. And we are going to pay, and pay big time. Our insolence and disobedience to our teachings and our ways has made us white. Not "white" in a sence but with "white values". We have been colonized so bad we need to get rid of these "christian" values and "white" values before we are destroyed with the only trace of the "stelmexw" being in hollywoods movies. I guess you could even say in the books that are written by the white man, because of corse it's "the white mans world and we have to learn to survive in it".

THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE GIVE UP! We MUST revolt and rebel aganst these colonial ways. Our society, culture, politics and economy. Everything needs to change. The unification of our old ways with the new, the old ways must be the majority. This does not include "culture".

Culture is a notion of the indians trying to re-create what is almost gone. "Well, I'm off to the long house to be cultural now, see ya later" or "My values in life are to be cultural and to be close to the culture" are lines that never would of been used in the old ways. Why you might ask? It is because it was not the culture, it was their way of life. We must create our way of life or else die. Come together or die.


woohoo...that felt good to get off my chest, but there is more, it's just that I'm leaving for the council nominations in abit. Yay! Can't wait, and yes, you'll be hearing about that soon! Later

Alot of new movies have been based on book so I am eventualy going to read all these books before I see the movie. (The list will be updated)

Memoirs of Geisha
The Da Vinci Code
The Chronicles of Narnia
Harry Potter
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy