Signs of Spring

The pool is almost revealed

Snow is melting

Just a bit more

Soon it will be Sunshine and Splashing about!

Nuhëyatié “our voice”

First Issue

I started an independent newsletter for Athabasca ChipewyanFirst Nation (ACFN) members.

The objective of my newsletter is to engage, inform, and generate a conversation that would empower our members, wherever they may live.  The idea was based on the fact that as a member who lives away from the community I wanted to know about what was happening in my community.  And of course I felt there must be others who felt the same way. 

Can someone who lives 2500 miles away actually produce a membership newsletter? I think so. 

I am doing this without financial backing from anyone for my time on research, writing, layout, printing and mailing of the newsletter to ACFN members.  The only thing I asked of my Chief and Council is to provide information for the newsletter to update members on their activities in housing, education, health, and economics. Regrettably, I was unable to obtain any updates from the leadership for the newsletter.

Still, I was able to release my first newsletter Nuhëyatié“our voice” this month. Nuhëyatié is a Dene word and best describes my newsletter.  “We will talk together.”  Feedback from ACFN members on this first issue is very encouraging. Seeing the newsletter in a few homes I visited over the weekend in the community was pleasing to observe. If you are interested in reading this issue let me know and I will send you a link. 

The next issue will profile ACFN youth, which I am hoping will inspire others to achieve their goals. I encourage members to contact me if they have any submissions, comments, or suggestions on how to improve the next issue.  Submission deadline is May 16th. 

To Speak or Not to Speak, our Choice!

I am back! My previous blog post on the Neil Young Tour hit a nerve and received more attention than I could ever have imagined. Indeed, it is a blogger’s dream to engage readers on a level of interest that could transition an inconsequential blog post into an incredible online conversation that garnered the attention of mainstream media.  Remarkably, feedback to my post was overwhelmingly positive and engaging.

Which is why I was dumbfounded by members of my First Nation to my last blog post and subsequent five-minute interview on CBC Radio’s Eye Opener.  I was told that my actions (what I said) would harm our community's progress. All they took from my attempt to explain a complex situation was that I was attacking them and their cause. My efforts were unfortunately misconstrued, which resulted in creating a discord where none should have existed.  After all we are on the same side.

When I was told, “I hope you know what you just did” in reference to my blog and interview on CBC. I will respond in this way… I am a one minor voice speaking on issues of great import to me, as they are too, and furthermore freedom of speech is protected as a fundamental right for all of us in our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

That said, I know I have a responsibility, as a blogger, to ensure that my writing will not harm others and to be respectful in how I write on issues. I am mindful of these limitations and ensure that in my own personal views whether being expressed in my blog or other social networks are balanced and always within the scope of good judgment.

Therefore, my apologies for describing my Chief in a way that was disrespectful.  Sometimes, we get caught up in an emotional piece we are writing.   But we should always step back to review and edit once our emotions have subsided before posting online. 

To smooth things over since I wanted to work with my Chief and to demonstrate my good will I immediately removed my blog from the Internet.  But our relationship appears to be beyond repair, so I put it back up. 

As mentioned earlier, it is a dream to have attracted a high level of traffic to my blog, and removing it felt like I was letting myself down. I’ve been blogging since 2007 and it was a big deal to me to take it down. I decided, in the end, this was my personal blog and in this country we have freedom of speech.  After careful consideration, I decided to put it back up, edited.