CHEAP GRAVES ON EXPENSIVE LAND Canadians Prioritize the Economy over Human Rights

A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Colombia and Canada is back under debate, and an assessment of the value of the economy versus the value of human life must be made. Signing a FTA with a country with such a poor human rights record should be out of character for Canada, as a country that usually prides itself on great foreign relations. Yet the legislation is back in Parliament and it has a strong possibility of being passed - something that has the potential to injure both Canada’s reputation as a leader in foreign relations and Colombia’s ability to improve its already vulnerable human rights situation.

On March 26, the Canadian Government brought in legislation to implement the Canada-Colombia Free Trade, Labour Cooperation and Environment Agreements in the House of Commons. Now, in November, the legislation has undergone its second reading and is currently under debate.

The legislation, if passed, will allow for goods to be imported and exported between Canada and Colombia tariff-free. The agreement, however, is highly controversial and is sparking vicious debate between the political parties of the House over the ethics of striking a trade deal with a country that has the worst human rights record in the Western Hemisphere, according to Human Rights Watch, a non-profit organization.

“The important question is not are there human rights violations in Colombia - the answer to that is yes there are,” says Bob Rae, the Liberal’s opposition foreign affairs critic. “There are a lot of issues internally in Colombia that have to be dealt with. The issue is, is a free trade agreement or a creation of trade rules … is that more or less likely to have an impact on the human rights situation.”

There are many arguments over whether or not the free trade agreement will worsen or better the human rights situation in Colombia. The Conservative government, who proposed the Bill, feels that the agreement will only help Colombians.

“Economic growth through liberalized, rules-based trade and investment will help alleviate poverty and create new wealth and employment opportunities for Colombian citizens.” says Me'shel Gulliver Bélanger, Spokesperson for Trade Media Relations for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. “This growth will also help to solidify efforts by the Government of Colombia to create a more prosperous, equitable and secure democracy.”

The Conservatives also feel that the agreement will benefit Canada, despite Colombia only representing 0.13% of Canada’s total trade volume in 2007.

“The Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and agreements on Labour Cooperation and the Environment will expand bilateral trade and investment and deliver concrete progress on Canada’s commitment of Engagement in the Americas,” says Bélanger. “The FTA will help increase the competitiveness of Canadian exporters and service providers in several sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, mining, oil and gas. Canada is taking action during these difficult economic times by reaching out to our trading partners and reducing barriers to trade.”

The other controversy over this agreement is regarding Colombia’s president, Álvaro Uribe. Although some sources say that the human rights situation has improved under his presidency, the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) states, “increasing numbers of President Uribe’s close political allies, including the chief of security, personal advisors, and members of Congress have been tied to paramilitary activities. The Colombian government is, thus, looking for international backing.”

“Canadian oil and mining companies are well-established throughout Colombia, including in conflict zones”, says the CCIC, “[and] regions rich in minerals and oil have been marked by violence, paramilitary control, and displacement.”

Peter Julian, NDP critic for International Trade, says that in Colombia there is “one rule for the very wealthy and one for ordinary people. If they step out of line, they are killed.”

He has suggested that a Human Rights Impact Assessment be done for Colombia prior to the passing of the free trade agreement. This was also one of the recommendations proposed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on International Trade when they undertook a report entitled Human Rights and the Environmental Considerations of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. They also suggested that the FTA should not proceed without further improvements in the human rights situation in Colombia.

Unfortunately, the Canadian government did not wait for the Committee to submit its report before it concluded negotiations with Colombia.

A similar trade agreement between Colombia and the United States negotiated under George W. Bush was frozen in 2008 under President Obama, given human rights concerns.

The FTA with Colombia is part of a series of bilateral trade deals, which are part of the government’s Americas Strategy.

“Canada’s FTAs with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Peru recently came into force, an FTA with Jordan was signed in late June, and negotiations for the Canada-Panama FTA recently concluded,” reports Bélanger.

The opening of trade negotiations with Colombia were as a result of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s new foreign policy on the Americas, promoting “our fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.”

“[It is] a reward for bad behaviour,” says Julian. “these Free Trade Agreements are not set up for the interest of ordinary people.”

He also pointed out that the trickle-down economic theory that is the foundation for NAFTA, and the basis for many free trade agreements, has not worked over the past twenty years.

“Let’s stop clinging to those ideas that don’t work,” he says, “We need to develop a model in keeping with Canadian values, a fair trade model.”

Despite the absence of a Human Rights Impact Assessment, it seems the Liberals are prepared to support the free trade agreement.

“It is important for people to keep their mind on the notion that whether we have a free trade agreement with Colombia or not there will be trade, there will be investment, and there will be human rights violations,” says Rae.

The Liberals were against the deal under their previous party leader, Stephane Dion. “Ignatieff is just as conservative as the Conservatives,” says Julian.

Conversely, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have declared their opposition to the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

“[It is] as inappropriate as signing an agreement with the North Korean regime,” says Julian of the FTA.

With the government’s current devotion to expanding trade in the Americas, it becomes easy to question where the line will be drawn as to whom we will not trade with, because being willing to trade with a country with the worst human rights record in the Western Hemisphere sets a precedent for future trading partners. Human life is human life, and we should not be encouraging those who do not treat it as such.

There is no clear answer to whether the FTA will improve or deteriorate the human rights situation in Colombia.

“When I was in Colombia at the end of August I found this question to be a very live question amongst progressive think tanks and human rights activists of all kinds and stripes, “ says Rae“ It hasn’t been whistling through parliament and I don’t think it will.”

//Samantha Thompson

Writer

FROM THE EDITOR The Elephant of Islam

Last night, as the rain fell hard on my window, I considered the crisis in the Middle East and the growing Islamaphobia in mainstream media. I thought of the movie Elephant by Gus Van Sant, which referred to the Columbine High School Massacre of 1999. One scene shows two students with duffel bags full of shotguns ('shotties'), handguns, explosives and assault rifles crossing the campus lawn. They encounter a student, but tell him to keep walking and don't come back – shit was going down. This student implores other students and teachers: “Don't go in there.” His words are ignored. The ‘elephant’ in this film refers to the oppression of the dominant over the disadvantaged. It refers to the elephant in the room that no one talks about. In Elephant, the voice of the average student, aka the majority, was ignored.

What would this voice say about Islam in the news? A 20-year old woman from Qatif, who had been repeatedly raped, found guilty herself due to the charge of “mingling”... The case of a 54-year-old British teacher named Gillian Gibbons who went to a Sudanese jail for naming a classroom teddy-bear Muhammad according to the suggestions of her students... Richard Dawkins, baiting a Muslim to express his hatred of Western decadence... The Danish cartoons... all examples of religion at its worst, nevertheless sensationally misrepresenting a belief system held by 1.57 billion Muslims, 23% of 6.8 billion human beings.

That voice may grudgingly admit that our perceptions of Islam may be distorted by these examples, but the question remains. In an article from the New York Times entitled “Islam's Silent Moderates”, a Muslim apostate turned atheist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, asks: Where are the majority, the moderates who will speak for the peace that is promoted in the Qur’an, in contradiction to the news? Ali criticizes them for their silence. This question speaks directly to the fact that the mainstream media is preoccupied with the loudest and most outspoken. But it does not mean there is nothing being said – we're just not hearing.

Michael Muhammad Knight wrote a book called Taqwacore, describing the rise of Punk Islam through his description of a fictional Muslim Punk manifesto. It struck a nerve and, in a life-imitates-art rebellion, prompted the conception of a Taqwacore movement, including several bands who toured the US and Pakistan. His rationale? That he would rather be standing inside the Mosque pissing out than standing outside the Mosque pissing in.

Jon Stewart, that satirical gadfly of great influence, recently featured Anna Baltzer and Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a Jewish American and Palestinian, respectively, amicably discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying – see? We can get along. Three million viewers, probably laughing.

Then there is Little Mosque on the Prairie. It depicts a small town mosque, presided over by an imam, and explores the sides of faith and assimilation. It’s a sitcom, conceived by a woman named Zarqa Nawaz of FUNdamentalist Films – “putting the ‘fun’ back in fundamentalism.” 2.1 million viewers on opening night.

Finally, there is Afghan Star, akin to American Idol. While Shariah law prohibited music, television and dance from 1996 to 2001, occasionally punishable by death, 2005 saw the emergence of a new parliament, and shortly after, Afghan Star. The winning prize is $5000 and several women have competed, some making it into the top ten. This is of no small significance to a country that, under the Taliban, did not allow women to leave the house without a burqa and an escort. It is the most popular show in Afghanistan, yet despite the excitement, the contestants routinely receive death threats.

The voices of the moderate Muslims must be included according to their own terms. It is difficult to criticize them for speaking out against injustice, fundamentalism, and women's rights when, in most cases, it would mean their deaths to do so. We place an expectation of Western free speech on people who have never known it. But the aforementioned examples of music, dance, and theatre have created a context for moderation and communication – a possibility for art to become the global catalyst. These expressions tell us a different story than the screaming horror of the evening news. Their temperate message may be necessary, because critics of Islam have been violently suppressed, and a metaphor can succeed where a direct contradiction will fail. Far from mere entertainment, the human preoccupation with arts, culture and comedy allows for a complete picture of life in common. The world’s overlapping art forms inform us, and remind us of our similarities; they allow us to discuss these strange elephants in our rooms through metaphor, rather than rhetoric.

//Kevin Murray

Editor

Letterbox

Dear Max Mackay,

I’m a long-time reader first time writer. My name is Matthew Enright and I’m knee deep into Capilano’s Motion Picture Production Diploma program. I was very disappointed by the sloppy research put into “Professor Provoked By Decibel Disturbance” article in Nov. 16’s issue.

I was lucky enough to have Dave Gordon last year as my lighting and grip teacher. I thought your article targeted him in an unfair light. According to Max, Dave came out growling, saying he was “Teaching a fucking class”. Well I got news for you. He was. There were also 200 students from various programs also trying to learn, a mere 100ft from the band and stage.

Your article writes that Fine was worried that property damage may have been imminent. If he was really worried about a 60-year old man tearing down his friend’s indie band’s equipment, he should of got it insured. It is North Vancouver. You can never be too careful. Besides, we’re the Film Department. We got gear and shit. We had Noah’s ass covered.

Perhaps the dumbest thing in the article is that you acknowledge everyone in the Film Building had classes until 4:30pm. That only tells me you knew we were all in our $90 a-day-class, and yet you proceeded to let them play anyway. There seems to be a disconnect from common sense to the brain.

Sure Dave could have asked the CSU to “please turn the music down”. But that wouldn’t have got results. He did. I wouldn’t be half the filmmaker I am today without him. We all have mentors growing up, and he is indeed one of the finest our School has to offer.

So on that note I leave you with our side of the story. The other half. At least maybe next time the band will start playing after class ends.

Matthew Enright

2nd Year Film Student

Editor's Note: Slanderous comments have been edited from this letter.

Dear Mike Kennedy and Sarah Vitet,

I was appalled by the Steal vs. Don't Steal page in this past weeks courier.
 
No, not morally - just appalled at the complete lack of solutions put forward by the contrasting opinions of Vitet and Kennedy. 
 
I'm fed poorly by Aramark often enough to actually find a way to affect their bottom line by suggesting a student run "Guerilla Grill" type deal that runs under the radar of Cap's looming, but when you think about it, completely unenforcable forced monopoly thrust on us.
 
The second part would be just outlining the current reasons why we all hate them, but why it's impossible to get anywhere by just voicing that hatred because of that contract - and why that contract isn't appealing to better operators because of the waxing and waning customer base as the year goes by, but of course a student run operation would reflect that give and take. Then I would throw some ideas around that would probably generate some interest with the student body about fun, underground ways to take business away from them (which is the only thing faceless corporations understand). Besides there's profit here, so it'll be fun and maybe lucrative, or maybe just fun.

Sarah Vitet, you’re needed on the chopping block for a moment. Yea, just rest your hands right there. Good.

Theft from goliath conglomerates and colossal corporations is not the answer here. Specifically, it does not make the lot of those who respect the rules of capitalism... it’s at best a selfish act that barely touches a giant company and that will never lead to any real change, and at worst it’s the initial trigger to a new era of bedlam and armageddon, where ninety nine percent of everyone you know and love will likely be killed and/or eaten due to chaos and food shortage, or because Aramark closes and we have to eat one another if we plan on getting an education here.

Alright, up you get, I was just messing with you. I’d never chop off your hands, your articles often entertain me and help keep me even tempered.

Mike Kennedy, you’re up. Neck on block, that’s right, just like that. Great.

Your response was not only depressingly lacking in any conceivable knowledge of economics, but it was extremely offensive for no less than three reasons. The first one is that you’re completely failing to address the issue by completely failing to come up with a well thought out counter-argument against the immorality of stealing. The second reason is that you reference the Bible, which is a blatant and reprehensible act of contradicto-crypto-gibberish peddling. The third, and by far the most aggravating is just how straight up badly formulated and futile your ‘alternative’ really is, and how it really can only serve to help Aramark further their deathgrip on our bellies. “Boycott their overpriced garbage”? What in the furry pink mittens will that ever accomplish?! Less people buy their garbage? For example’s sake let’s say they get 100 patrons a day. Maybe thirty idealistic dopes out there are going to take your words to heart and actually take their business elsewhere (which means nowhere). That would half their sales and they’d have to listen to us, right? But let’s say they get 1500 patrons per day. Then you would be just ever-so-very-slightly reducing their overall numbers. That translates to ever-so-very-slightly reduced profits for Aramark, which leads to ever-so-often-quite-a-fucking-lot increases to my food. Nice going.

We all, of course, remember the great Chicken-Tenders-And-Fries price hike from the beginning of this year right? (And have you ever eaten those things? They’re dryer than those town hall meetings I come across on TV, and they can actually cut your mouth. They’re weapons. Expensive ones.)

Mike, you can also get up, because musicians are awesome and are an important piece of what has made this part of the world a place where beheadings generally don’t need to take place.

But where does this lead us, if neither opinions are going to stir up any change? How do we as students of this establishment initiate the change we want to see in our school? How can there be so much discord and so little done about it? Can we do something about? Yes, we could.

Next week: The Solution. Stay tuned. And prepare yourself. We’ll need the following if we want to stand a chance:

0.               Students interested in making money (Do I hear any business students out there?)

0.               Students who like taking part in Guerilla warfare tactics (Dead ringer for arts students)

0.               Students who like to eat tasty food that is reasonably priced (That’s you)

0.               Students who just don’t care about Aramark’s contract with Cap (That’s also you)

Editor's Note: This article has been edited for length.

VOICEBOX

[Via Email] “So my favourite song by Treble Charger is ‘Red’, right? And that was by Bill Priddle and not Greg.
And when Priddle left I started hating TB. According to wikipedia, Bill Priddle identified with Treble Charger’s early indie rock direction rather than the later pop-punk, and left the band in 2003. Initially, it was said he was taking a break from the group, but it later came out the departure was permanent, and Nori had asked him to leave sooner than Priddle had intended. He told Chart: ‘I was always into music for music’s sake, when it got all corporate and about gimmicks and imaging and wearng the right clothes and having the right lingo, that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. we had a market of 16-year-old kids and we had to try to guess what our fans wanted. Which is really the opposite of where I was coming from. I’ve always thought the best music was, obviously, done by people that did music for themselves.’ However, Priddle continues his collaborations with Broken Social Scene and is a member of his new band The Priddle Concern. So there you have it. That’s why old Treble Charger is better, because Priddle was the actual musician.”


“Today I was in the McDonald’s drive-thru and the car behind me fucking rear-ended me. Our cars were okay, but come on. She was texting, too, that’s why she bumped me. So, basically, don’t text and drive. I don’t want to fear for my life when I go for McDonald’s. “




“Ska is awful. I hate ska.”
 
[Me too! -Giles]

BYLAWS CAN’T BE RETRO Courier AGM passes much-needed amendments

In one of their longest Annual General Meetings in recent memory, the Capilano Courier Publishing Society passed a myriad of bylaw changes, and updated its members on recent events.

The Courier supplied pizza, drinks, and a casual environment for the attendees, but business and efficiency were still top priority at the November 12 meeting, with an audit and proposed budget to go over, as well as elections for the Board of Directors, and the bylaw changes to pass.

The Society was founded in the 1970s, and over the years has changed, developed, and therefore drifted from the original operational procedures. The Board of Directors felt it was necessary to amend the bylaws in order to keep them in line with how the Society currently operates. For example, the bylaws were written using all-female pronouns, which may have been revolutionary at the time, but is a source of confusion today.

Language wasn't the only area the old bylaws had become out-of-date, however. Christine McLaren, previous editor-in-chief and major contributor to reworking the bylaws, explains, “the quorum requirements for our AGM were previously 10% of the registered members, or 15 people, whichever was greater.” 40 years ago Capilano was  a hodgepodge of portables, and much smaller. Today 15% of the members would be roughly 680 people, an absurdly unobtainable requirement for quorum. The bylaw was changed to 15 registered members, which has proven to be achievable with the right amount of advertising and food bribery.

The annual audit showed that the Society was in good financial standing, and the external auditor commended the Courier for operating so admirably in the last publishing year. There was a $45,000 surplus, which, as a non-for-profit organization, they were encouraged to spend by investing in new equipment or increasing their contingency fund. The auditor did remark on the University’s poor payment methods, suggesting monthly payments to the paper rather than intermittent cheques.

The Courier acted on the suggestion by sending a letter to the University, who are currently reviewing the situation in order to hopefully change their procedures.

The only other suggestion the auditor made was that the Society implement a standardized employment record to automatically deduct CPP and EI, rather than relying on their writers and editors to declare their own stipends.

The Courier decided against acting on this requirement, feeling that it was an unnecessary measure to take for such a small organization.

The Board of Directors, which oversees the Courier’s finances and administrative matters, changes yearly and was re-filled with newly elected members.

Seven members are needed, not including the editor-in-chief or the business manager. Eight students volunteered, although in his election speech Mike Kennedy asked everyone to refrain from voting for him. His wishes were granted and Aaron Bolus, Nicole Mucci, Jordan Potter, Samantha Thompson, Natalie Corbo, Giles Roy and Christine McLaren were elected onto the Board. A treasurer, secretary and chair will be appointed at the first meeting.

Board meetings are held every month and include a free dinner, though members do not receive any other compensation for their time.

Although many members attended the two hour AGM simply to help the Society reach quorum, some found it quite informative. "It was a good learning experience," explains Marco Ferreira, a young writer, "It's so fascinating to see how the paper runs behind the scenes!"

//Sarah Vitet

Writer

CAFETERIA CONFLICT CONCLUDES ANTICLIMATICALLY But the cutlery still melts, humorously

“I was right up in his face, and I insulted him,” said Students With Disabilities Liaison Shaun Stewart, describing an altercation that occurred between himself and Dan Traviss, an Aramark Representative, during the tail end of this past semester.

Aramark is the company responsible for the stocking of all culinary accoutrements at the Capilano cafeteria counters, including condiments, cutlery, and napkins. They also installed a lowered counter specifically for disabled students, the upkeep of which became the crux of a heated dispute, which has continued well into this month. Shaun hopes that a letter he recently addressed to the Food and Beverage Committee, expressing his concerns, will mark the end of the dispute.

The problem began when Mr. Stewart was told by “a few people in [his] committee,” that the wheelchair accessible counter in the cafeteria had been being neglected, with a dearth of condiments hampering some students’ lunch breaks. He commented that “two students specifically told me that they were unable to use the higher counters,” leaving them with no easy way to garnish and consume their edibles.

He investigated the matter himself, and reported that, “they were stocking [the counter] with minimal supplies,” although he did make mention of the fact that, “when [he goes] down there, [he doesn’t] go down until the end of the day.”

“Initially I talked to Dan Traviss,” Sean explains, but “I wasn’t in [Aramark’s] face about it. I wanted to let the system take its course … I wanted to see the progression happen.” He informed Dan, and by extension Aramark, that, he “had seen it sporadically stocked,” yet when no change was evident, he “talked to [Dan] a couple of days later, he sort of took offence.”

Mr. Stewart has reported that the absentee condiments were not provided with the expected regularity until some time after the midpoint of this term. Items such as ketchup and mustard were irregularly provided, or stocked in smaller quantities than were provided for able-bodied students. He commented that he had “talked to Aramark last semester, and this stuff is finally trickling down now, but it’s been a long process, it’s been a long time coming.”

He voiced his remorse about earlier tactics as well. “I don’t want to be adversarial about it, I kind of pushed it…initially, [but] I wanted to be there for my committee.”

Dan Traviss, when contacted by the Courier, declined to comment specifically on past difficulties, other than to say that “some stuff was miscommunicated” last semester.

Traviss stated that he did not know how long it had taken for the problem to be addressed, proffering only a curt “No” when asked.

In addition, he stated the avenues of communication have been streamlined, as nowadays “whatever Lucas is asked for, we put out there.” On the present state of affairs, he stated that, “everything has been resolved now.”

He also commented that “there are times when you think a problem is resolved, and then someone comes and tells you otherwise.”

Lucas Foss, the Students With Disabilities Advisor, stated in an email that he was  “afraid that this is now a non issue.” He continued to note that, “as of the first day of classes in September, management has ensured the ongoing stocking of those bins.”

On November 10, Stewart addressed “a letter to the food and beverage committee, through the Capilano Students’ Union … [and] hopefully that’ll be the end of it.”

Among other items, the letter requests that there be “smaller ketchup squeeze bottle[s]…for ease of use for our members,” though to date no such bottles have been provided by Aramark.

In regards to the timeline of these events, the CSU stated in their letter that the negotiations with Mr. Traviss and Aramark had occurred “over the past six months.”

In the words of Mr. Stewart, “if it has been resolved, then I would like to take the opportunity to thank [Aramark] for fixing this problem. Hopefully this semester things will go better.”

//Max MacKay

Writer

CUBAN CONSUL GENERAL COMES TO CAP Discusses economic and political direction

Jorge Soberón Luis, the Cuban Consul General of Toronto, visited the Capilano Students' Union (CSU) on November 19 for a presentation entitled Cuba Today: Which Way Forward?

A documentary was shown to open up the discussion, describing different agricultural initiatives in Cuba. In particular, there was a strong focus on permaculture, back-yard and community farms.

Luis explained that, will the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba lost half of its oil imports, and about 80% of its import and export trade. It is known as the 'Special Period' to Cubans. Faced with the necessity of food shortages, they developed community farm initiatives, including biofuels and biopesticides.

Today, about half of the food Havana requires is provided from these inner city farms and as many communities around the country are self-sustaining. But Luis points out that they still cannot meet the total demand by these farms. They must still import about 2 billion in food per year, and the US embargo on Cuba is a crippling factor, amounting to about 236 billion dollars in lost revenue over the past 50 years. The blockade was just condemned on the 28 of October for the 18th time by the UN.

Luis points out that, if they were allowed to export their cigars, rum and produce to the US market, conditions would be greatly improved. “Cuban products cannpt be exported [to the US] even through third parties,” stated Luis.

He also points out that the blockade has prohibited doctors from obtaining medicine necessary for open heart surgery.

They are negotiating the problems by focusing on medical services, tourism and industrial development. Cuba received about a million tourists per year from Canada, and, in particular, Cuba's nickel economy is among the top seven globally. Once more, they produce about half of the oil that the country needs locally.

“Cuba is a socialist country . . . we don't intend to change that,” said Luis. They are trying to adapt the model to the changing global economy, however. They are looking forward to a united Latin American political party, encompassing many of the Central and South American countries.

“An important aspect of Cuba is that we include the opinions of people in everything we do,” said Luis, explaining that the steady economic growth of Cuba since 1995 can be attributed to the “consensus” and participation of citizens.

However, a recently released 123 page Human Rights Watch (HRW) report reflects a different reality. They accuse Cuba of torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials and executions. According to the American director of HRW, Jose Miguel Vivanco: “Cubans who dare to criticize the government live under constant fear since they know they could end up in prison just for expressing their opinion.”

The Cuban Criminal Code enforces up to a year of jail time for anyone who “publicly defames, denigrates, or scorns the Republic's institutions, the political, mass, or social organizations of the country, or the heroes or martyrs of the nation.”

When asked about this, Luis stated that “There is a very strong [propaganda] campaign, very well funded . . . from the US.” When asked about Cuban constitution policies (established in 1976) of censoring information that works against the agenda of the Socialist party, Luis mentioned that “We have the right to defend ourselves from these [US] policies towards Cuba . . . for government and social stability . . . in order to prevent [US propaganda] from happening.”

“We believe that the situation is backed by the Cuban population.” Luis pointed out that issues of human rights are different in a country like Cuba than they are for a country like the US.

//Kevin Murray

Editor

NEWS BRIEFS Canned Food Will Solve All Your Problems

NEW FIRST NATIONS LIASON

James Beck was unanimously elected as the First Nations Liaison in a recent CSU by-election. A total of 11 students voted in the election, which were held on November 9, 10 and 12. Instead of being held in the cafeteria, as the main elections are, the by-election was run through the CSU front office. The position had been vacant for almost one month, since Linda Epp resigned from the post on October 16.

WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE GETS CRAFTY

The women's collective will be holding an arts and crafts night to redecorate their lounge. Everyone is welcome to come help paint the windows, make collages, do origami to hang from the ceiling, or anything else they can think of to beautify the space. The event will take place on Tuesday December 1, from 4 until 7 pm. Students can drop in at any time, and are free to bring any crafting equipment they want. The collective will, however, supply all the necessary materials.

FOOD FOR FINES

Starting this week, you can work off your library fines with food donations instead of cash. One non-perishable item is good for two dollars worth of fines. Students can “pay off” a maximum of 20 dollars on their account through food donations. The campaign will continue until the last day of fall classes.

FOOD FOR COFFEE

The CSU is holding a food drive from November 24 to 26 in the Maple lounge. Between 11:30 am and 1 pm, any student to bring in non-perishable food items will receive a free cup of Starbucks coffee. Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable mugs.

FALL CONVOCATION

311 students will graduate this Fall semester at a ceremony on November 30. This is a relatively significant increase from last fall’s 270 graduates. The vast majority of these students are graduates of the business program, and the next largest group is fine and applied arts students. Graduates have until November 25 to secure tickets for their friends and family.

ABORIGINAL VOICES HEARD VATJSS seeks solutions

Politicians, Aboriginal leaders, and community members gathered on Friday, November 13, for the first of what the Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Services Society hopes will be many multi-leveled discussions aimed at seeking solutions to Vancouver’s problem of aboriginal homelessness.

Jenifer Brousseau, a community and prevention outreach worker for the VATJSS and one of the organizers of the event, said that she hopes the discussion forums will connect members from all sections of the community and government to work together toward actual tangible solutions.

“I don’t want to shrug off what our clients have to say to us. Whether they’re homeless, whether they’re drug addicts, whether they’re prostitutes, I don’t want to shrug off what they have to say,” she said at a break in the forum.

“We just wanted to take that to the next level and start a community discussion with both community members, homeless people, politicians, and the city leaders. To make some real changes, not just talk about it anymore, but hear the real stories and to find real solutions that will make real changes,” she said.

At the forum participants—including COPE city councilor Ellen Woodsworth, Vancouver-Mount Pleasant MLA Jenny Kwan, and David Dennis, President of the United Native Nations—listened to community members, including aboriginals and non-aboriginals, relate personal stories of homelessness, eviction, or poor conditions in social housing and propose solutions to those problems.

Jenny Kwan, who said she became a politician because of issues surrounding homelessness, said such an integrated forum is integral to finding solutions for the aboriginal homeless population due to the mistrust many First Nations people have in the system because of historical injustices.

“So much of the solution I think needs to come from the people themselves and they need to be an equal partner at the table and not to be deemed as just an end user in terms of providing solutions to address the homelessness problem within the aboriginal community,” she said.

“We need to be identifying the resources, working with aboriginal people as true partners at the table, and then looking to them for the solutions so that they can also drive the agenda to finding the solutions, implementing the solutions, and operating the solutions down the road.”

Kwan said she plans to continue attending the forums and bringing the issues discussed to the table in legislature.

//Christine McLaren

Writer

CAT CALLS AND DRIVE-BY SHOUTINGS Dealing with sexual harassment

FREDERICTON (CUP) — These were the words I heard shortly before 9 p.m., walking alone on a sparsely populated Fredericton street on a night in mid-September. The sun was just retiring for the evening, bathing the surrounding apartments in pink light. It was one of the warmest days of the month and my dark dress cleared my knees. I wasn’t cold, but shivered when I noticed a white car slow down, coming up out of the corner of my eye.

“It’s a little cold out for a skirt, isn’t it slut?” the male passenger asked. I didn’t recognize him. He was partially hidden in shadow, only the whites of his eyes glowing in the half-light. He and the unseen driver laughed, sped up and drove into the night.

I stood there, dumbfounded. They were gone and I was a slut. What could I have done?

According to a Violence Against Women Survey completed by Statistics Canada in 1993, 87 per cent of Canadian women revealed they had experienced some form of sexual harassment. A study entitled “The Joke’s Over: Student to Student Harassment in Secondary Schools,” completed in 1995 in Ontario also revealed that eight out of ten female university students were victims of sexual harassment on campus.

Sexual harassment against women happens every day, whether victims identify it or not. Incidents as simple as a “drive-by shouting,” when a car full of men shout things at women on the streets, to being grabbed by an unwelcome man in a bar can all be classified as sexual harassment.

Jenn Gorham, program coordinator with the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, an organization devoted to ending sexual violence against women and children, said the centre rarely receives reports from women about small incidents on streets and in bars.

“I think that for most women, that’s just part of being a woman and walking around,” she said, adding that she is “infuriated” by how commonplace sexual harassment of this nature has become.

“It’s infuriating and frustrating and sad too, the fact that it’s so commonplace, that we just say ‘Jerks’ or ‘Whatever’ and brush it off like, ‘that is just how some guys are’ or ‘that’s just what happens.’”

Gorham said that, because of the quickly passing nature of the incidents, it can be extremely difficult to get help or adequately respond to the harassers. Her advice is that women must evaluate the situation for themselves before responding, minding their safety should the harassers become more aggressive.

“You would never want to engage in a situation that could then put you in danger. You don’t know. It could just be guys driving by, thinking they’re having a laugh and they move on and if you called them on it, they would be like ‘Oh gosh, whoa,’ but you may have the flipside of this, escalating it to a dangerous situation,” she said.

Karlie Hanoski, a volunteer at the University of New Brunswick Women’s Centre, said that sometimes it is difficult to assess the situation while it is happening.

“Sometimes you don’t even recognize it as harassment until after the fact,” she said.

Sexual harassment of this nature is not considered a crime, rather a violation of human rights. It is not until harassment becomes assault or the incidents happen repeatedly and with aggression that the police become involved.

“As a person who wants to walk down the street unmolested and not have people shouting stupid stuff at me, yeah, I feel like that should be a crime,” Gorham said.

Kathleen Heaney, another volunteer at the Women’s Centre, recounted an experience during a residence pub crawl where a man was openly aggressive to her and had to be asked to leave the bar.

“A gentleman decided that he wanted to dance with me, so he grabbed my arms and tried to pull me off the bar stool and go to the dance floor, but we got him out of that bar pretty quickly,” she said, laughing.

“From my own personal experience, [sexual harassment] hasn’t happened frequently, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an issue. It certainly is an issue in the community.”

Both Heaney and Hanoski said they have experienced catcalls and honking from passing cars on the street.

Gorham said there are many factors that come into play when looking at why a handful of men choose to harass women.

“Power imbalances between men and women [come into play]; you know, you have a woman walking alone down the street and four guys in a car, you have a very distinct power imbalance here. She’s vulnerable. She’s alone. They have the power. Because they recognize that, they abuse it,” the program coordinator mentioned in her list that also included issues like gender stereotypes portrayed in the media and myths about what the true meaning of sexual violence is.

Hanoski attributed “drive by shoutings” to strength in numbers and stereotypes in the media.

“It’s never just the singular guy. It’s usually a truck full of guys when this thing happens.”

All of these women agreed the idea that women are “asking for it” if dressed in revealing clothing while they are out at a bar is laughable.

“I think my response to that is when we see a man at a bar dressed up in a nice button down shirt and really nice jeans, we’re not assuming they’re asking for it,” Heaney said.

Gorham likened the “asking for it” myth to a man who was robbed while wearing expensive clothes, an expensive watch and carrying a wad of cash.

“The idea that if somebody, male or female, was mugged or robbed and we blamed them for that because they had expensive clothes and expensive jewellery, it’s ludicrous. You would never do that, yet we do that exact same thing when a woman dresses a certain way and she is assaulted.”

Despite saying that harassment, especially while out walking, is not a frequent problem in their lives, Hanoski and Heaney said they do not feel comfortable walking alone at night in high-risk areas like the downtown core.

“I don’t think it’s fair. I think women should be able to walk wherever they want and feel safe. It makes me really sad to think some women feel unsafe walking alone at night. It can’t be very welcoming for the university community,” Heaney said.

Gorham provided the following advice to women who feel victimized by harassment: it is not your fault and you should talk about it with other women who have had similar experiences.

Sexual harassment happens every day in both its most serious and simplest forms. Not all men do it. Not all men approve of it. Hell, even women do it. The point is, it’s a problem and it has to stop. To all of the men who do this; next time you want to yell compliments at a girl, take her to dinner and say them nicely. If you want to yell insults, keep them to yourself.

//Hilary Paige Smith

The Brunswickan (University of New Brunswick)

LIGHTS AS BRIGHT AS NAME SUGGESTS Hybrid of influences creates Canada’s next pop star

In today’s music industry, image and marketing can mean the world of difference. But which elements are most necessary to concoct the next superstar? Blending in multimedia aspects and molding her public persona around her everyday hobbies are just two of Lights’ ingredients for musical domination.

At a sprite 22, Lights (born Valerie Poxleitner) has managed to nail together an impressive set of pop tracks, and a striking sci-fi loving image that is more than magazine cover ready. Judging by the audience at her recent sold out Commodore Ballroom tour opener, she also has ability to appeal to a demographic ranging from middle-aged couples to mall-fixated hipster tweens. But the manufactured façade seen by some critics is a sheer misunderstanding. A self-proclaimed geek, Lights, calling from her hotel room at a recent Edmonton tour stop, put the rumours to rest. “It really is all me. With the direction my career has been going,” she relates, “I can [integrate] my personal hobbies and art. I feel so fortunate that I can still make the hobbies I have part of my career.” She assures that what you see is what you get, literally. “There’s not a lot I’m hiding. I really do play World of Warcraft, going to bed,” she jests, commenting on her tattoo, inspired by the role-playing game.

Of course, fame and fortune allow for indulgence in her hobbies. A true fan of multimedia, Lights has let her visually artistic side and love of comics and outer space mesh together in a new venture called “Captain Lights.” On her recent tour, which launched in Vancouver earlier this month, song intermissions featured a big screen comic sprawl of episodic vignettes where an animated Lights dons a ray gun and heads to an intergalactic battleground.


“There is a certain degree of me living vicariously through Captain Lights, doing things I want to do, like fly a spaceship,” she confesses. Through venues like the cartoon episodes, Lights manages to incorporate the multimedia aspect, using her music as a springboard to reach other targets. “I hope there’s a lot for people to become a fan of. It gets people to understand where the music is coming as the core. There are so many sparks around it.” Based on a comic book Lights drew of herself, Captain Lights serves as a creative outlet that doubles as a marketing tool.

This synergy seems important to Lights, not just from a production perspective, but creatively. “It’s closer to the ambition I have. I want all my shows to be an experience. The way I see music, and the way I write my songs, there’s a visual side to it. There’s so much you can say in the music than the song itself. I wanted those dimensions.”

“The live show evolved so much over the past year,” Lights expresses. Less than a year ago, she made the rounds across the country playing small bars. Now headlining a North American tour, and off to England in January, it appears Lights’ career is taking of just like her alter ego’s spaceship.  “It feels amazing and so satisfying. The way I dreamed it would. It’s been a crazy year for me. Barely a day passed where I haven’t worked hard. I’ve been ready for it a long time, and (success) is finally happening.”


But gaining notoriety is nothing new to Lights. Although her debut LP The Listening was only released in September, Lights shocked the Canadian record industry this spring, when she scooped the Best New Artist Juno trophy. “Getting the Juno for Best New Artist, for basically independent work was the best (prize) I could ever receive from my own country.” With only a six-track EP and a live show to her name at the time, Lights was well on her way to being the next force to be reckoned with.


Lights’ sound, an electro pop fusion combining synths and keytar, brings indie influences like The Postal Service and La Roux to the mainstream, banking on a sound familiar to many. “I write my music based on my own standards and what I want to listen to, and making music that I love.” Combating other musicians in her market who go for a more low-brow take on culture (here’s looking at you, Britney), Lights can be seen as an independent businesswoman who writes her own tracks, and creates her own business model.  “The milestones in my career generate as I keep progressing.”

You haven’t heard the last from Lights. With a tour booked to mid-2010, aside from some recording in January, like it or not, her keytar-infused pop is not going to be leaving any time soon.

//JJ Brewis

Writer

ROMEO IN COWBOY BOOTS An inside look into the world of wardrobe

Meticulously focused on an array of papers, Sonya Vallis is working on the wardrobe for the new Romeo & Juliet performance at Capilano University. Sewing machines are whirling in the background and girls are running around with pieces of fabric. As a second year student, Sonya and her Costume Design class are in the process of turning a designer's drawing into a functional and form fitting costume. While many people watch a performance, few realize the amount of work that goes into costuming.

When asked what this opportunity means to her, Sonya replied that it is her dream to eventually become a designer. She showed me all the various steps in the creating process. First, she took the designer's drawing and created her own sketch. Secondly, she sized the actors and selected the appropriate pattern block. The pattern block is the template given in class to help students with the different clothing patterns. Canvas is then cut around the pattern block and after further fitting, the cloth chosen for the costume is then cut from the altered canvas. Proper fitting costumes are important to both the audience as well as the actor wearing it.  From an actor’s point of view, Meredith Graham added, “when you’re put into a costume, it affects your breathing as well as movement . . . it also helps to embody the character.”

The costuming for Romeo & Juliet is a blend of old and new. In previous years, the costumes have been formal in their design. This year, the perspective is meant to portray a young performing company. Denim, cowboy boots and Converse shoes all add to the deconstructed look of the costumes. The renaissance silhouette was kept and mixed with today's style. A story depicting family feuds is illuminated with the Capulets wearing red and orange colors, Montagues wearing blues and turquoise, and the Royalty swathed in purple. Raw edges and “top stitching” also help create the mixture of two worlds.

The visual importance of costuming is vital to any production, and this is especially true with Romeo & Juliet. Sonya stated that “poor costuming is distracting to the overall performance, and can negatively affect good acting, whereas good costumes could help divert an audience's attention from poor acting.” An example of great modern Shakespearean costumes is at Bard on the Beach. Christine Reimer is the costume designer and her costumes are fit for a runway. Opera Canada said “the most visually striking aspect were the costumes.” The Seattle Opera Pattern added that “the costumes looked so authentic I could almost smell the miners.” Costumes create the fantasy and submerse the audience into the story.

For Sonya and her class, the runway is the stage and the fantasy is a classic love story with a modern twist. Audiences will agree that the long hours spent hunched over a sewing machine were not in vain when they are dazzled by the vibrant colors and textures in this year's Romeo & Juliet.

//Andrew Kirkpatrick

Writer

LET YA WEAVE BLOW IN THE WIND Cap's textile arts students are, in many ways, like Rick Ross

 

About 15 well-aligned bleach prints of an elderly gentleman wearing a dress adorn Jaime Murdoch’s enormous piece of purple fabric. The print has been screened from an old photograph of Jaime’s great-great-grandfather, dating back to the 1870s.

Though she jokes about the idea of 19th century cross-dressing, Jaime explains that “it just makes me want to contact my family, and see if anyone knows the story… textiles really kind of gets us back in touch with our grandmas.”

Fitting, since it was Jaime’s grandmother who taught her how to sew when she was only seven years old.

After work in “ego-driven” fashion shows turned her off a career in fashion, she ended up in Capilano University’s textile arts program, which both her and classmate Sasha Webb describe as “really special.”

The unique and technical-based program encompasses everything from weaving and basketry to fabric surface design and precision dying.

The students speak about “that weird look” that people always get when you inform them you go to textile school. However, they stress the technicality of the program, which makes knowledge of math and chemistry imperative.

Jaime says that her boyfriend, a believer in cooperatives who bemoans the expense and stress of her schooling, has grown to really respect the program for its practical, hands-on nature. “We are really learning skills,” she says “and we get to put them to use, and it’s not just on paper.”

This is especially evident in Sasha’s yardage project, which consists of a deep purple repeating print of “priestessy women” over yards of off-white material. She has opted to use an all-natural dye, made of logwood, and she speaks passionately about experimenting with reductions and pH levels to create it.

The result of all of this is an appreciation for how things are made and where they come from. Jaime insists that it takes you “back to old-fashioned times.” Indeed, the jungle gym of looms in the weaving room reminds me of my own grandmother. “We are all really into our grandmothers. All of us,” they say, only slightly jokingly.

The pace is old-fashioned too. While the rest of the University moves increasingly to online fourth hours and mixed mode classes, Sasha claims that every process takes hours, even days to complete. Like many program students, they spend day and night in the classrooms, their only complaint being that “sometimes we feel like we’re in a convent.”

Jaime and Sasha advise that the program is no place to meet a boyfriend, as the second year consists solely of 20 women, and they speculate that the only male in first year is spoken for.

However, the pace and the tradition of textile arts does not mean that the processes have not changed with technology. As program coordinator Mary Lou Trinkwon points out, “In a lot of ways, textile was at the heart of technological invention, at the turn of the century and the industrial revolution, which the textile industry kind of fuelled.”

There are a variety of computer-assisted looms, and program coordinator Mary Lou Trinkwon explains that the students frequently use graphic software for design projects.

These are smart women. Whether you call it a craft, a trade, or an art, textile work seems far from obsolescence. And to all those who wrinkle their nose at what they call “sewing school,” the girls answer, laughing, “when the apocalypse comes, we will know how to weave.”

Textile Arts students will be selling their work at Portobello West on November 28th and 29th at Rocky Mountaineer Station. For more information, visit http://vancouver.portobellowest.com or the textile students blog at http://studentsale.blogspot.com.

//Natalie Corbo

News Editor

NERD! NERD! NERD! NERD! NERD! Gamers make geekiness a good thing

VICTORIA (CUP) – Some people have never heard the phrases "roll for initiative" or "attack of opportunity" before, and they'd probably be confused if someone asked how many ranks they had in Spot.

For others, phrases like this make up a vocabulary they know all too well – one that's been part of what they do, and also a part of how they keep themselves sane when the trials and tribulations of everyday life come a-knockin'. They're gamers. More specifically, they're role-playing gamers.

Role-playing games (RPGs) allow players to each control a single character, made using the game's rules. They speak for them, describe their actions and make dice rolls to determine their outcome. Another player, called the game master (GM), controls the setting and support characters, as well as villains and enemies, describing the events of the fantasy world.

Gamers come from all walks of life, and many get into the hobby by accident.

"It's something I found in a bookstore on vacation when I was younger," says Jesse Cowell, a writing and theatre student at the University of Victoria (UVic). Cowell was drawn to gaming as an outlet for his interest in storytelling. "I'd sort of been making stuff up for a long time," he says.

Despite an interest and passion for gaming, a lot of players are reluctant to bring up their hobby with friends and family, for fear of ridicule and embarrassment. Cowell recalls a time in acting class when the subject came up.

"All but one or two people laughed. No one likes to feel like that. No one likes that feeling of derision," he says.

Carson Upton, a graduate of Victoria-based Camosun College’s computer engineering program, found his RPG hobby was with disapproval from his family.



"My parents both used to be pretty conservative Christians," recalls Upton. "There was a time when [RPG Dungeons & Dragons] had a bad reputation, and my parents were being told that it was somehow evil, and would lead to things like Satan worship. They never really tried to stop me, but they didn't approve. They're okay with it now, though I doubt they'd ever give it a try or anything."

Despite the criticism they find along the way, neither Cowell nor Upton regret what they do.

"It's my hobby. I sort of make of a point of it," says Cowell. "When I make friends, I say, 'I'm a gamer. Is there gonna be a thing with that?'"

Upton says he’s "always sort of reveled in the geekiness" of gaming.

Like most hobbies, real-life gaming isn't free. With rulebooks costing upwards of $30 or $40 a pop, it can start to add up. Upton says over the course of his gaming career he's probably spent around $1000 on books, as well as thousands more on trips to various gaming conventions.



Similarly, Cowell, over the course of the last six or seven years, says he's spent close to $10,000 on rulebooks and other gaming paraphernalia.

"Let me put it this way. I don't drink, and I don't have a car," says Cowell. "This is where I spend a lot of my money. Sometimes I'll buy a game to read it, even though I know I'll never play it."

For a lot of gamers, RPGs are an easy and enjoyable way of spending time with their friends.

"When enough people hang out and do this it becomes the default social activity,' says Cowell. "You can spend eight hours gaming, but not all of it's [for the game]. A lot of it is other social interaction, like hanging out and eating."

Despite the social stigma attached to gaming, gaming communities continue to grow. Upton co-founded the Vancouver Island Gaming Guild in 2003 with a group of friends as a way of helping gamers network.

"Geeks accept other geeks," says Upton.

Once the reputations, myths, and misconceptions are stripped away, role-playing games are just that: games.

"RPGs are my social activity of choice," says Upton. "They let me get together with my friends and we work together to create a story."

//Shawn O'Hara

Nexus (Camosun College)

BOOK REVIEW Jacqueline Windh's First Nations and the Pacific Northwest: Change and Tradition

 

“This Is How They Tortured Me”

Most of us know there was a time in Canada when aboriginal children where taken from their homes, their families and communities, and forced to attend residential schools.

There, we have been told, children were beaten for speaking their own language, and many were physically and sexually abused by the priests and nuns that ran the schools.

Most of us know that the lasting effects in many First Nations communities have manifested themselves as poverty, addiction and abuse.

Canadians learned at least that much from Stephan Harper's apology one year ago to the survivors of those schools.

But very few of us have looked into the eyes of one of those children now grown up, many of them now parents or grandparents, and heard them tell their stories -- the raw details of what really happened behind the closed doors of those schools.

That is why Jacqueline Windh fought hard for her book, First Nations and the Pacific Northwest: Change and Tradition, to be released this month in Canada.

The volume was originally published in Germany to accompany a gallery exhibit in Westfalian Museum of Natural History in Muenster. The first part of the book, by museum director Prof. Alfred Hendricks, explains historical facts about the First Nations of North America for the exhibition. The second part of the book, by Windh, delves into the deeply personal and disturbing stories of 16 residential school survivors from Vancouver Island, told in their own words. For some, it was the first time in their lives they'd talked about their experiences.

The stories force the reader to imagine what it would be like to learn about suicide for the first time when a 10-year-old boy hangs himself in the basement of your school. Or for nuns to come into your room at night to rape you, or to strangle you and the other kids until you black out, just for entertainment.

The stories force the reader to reflect upon how it would feel now, decades later, to see those same nuns in the grocery store of your tiny community. And then to go home to your family only to beat them and pass on the abuse you learned as a child, because it's the only thing you knew growing up.

'They were trained not to talk'

Windh grew up in Ontario, and did not lay eyes on a First Nations person until she was an adult. Not until she was in her 30s, after having moved to Tofino, British Columbia, did Windh really get to know an Aboriginal person. She had known only vaguely about the residential schools and what went on there. Slowly, she developed friendships in the First Nations community, eventually dating a First Nations man, and began to learn about the dark history that shrouded the families she was meeting.

It was years before she earned the trust and respect in the community necessary in order for people to open up and tell her their stories. Now, she says, many residential school victims are realizing it is time that people hear those stories so they can begin to understand the horror that lies in Canada's past, and how it has shaped the present.

"People can have more empathy if they know the truth. If you're walking in downtown Vancouver and you see a drunken Indian passed out on the side of the road, instead of just thinking, 'Why don't they get a job?' you can have a little more empathy about the whole history that brought that person to that situation."

While she originally set out to educate non-natives about the horrors of the residential school system through telling the stories, she quickly learned that many aboriginal people themselves, especially youth, were starved for information as well. What happened in the schools is rarely talked about, even in the family.

"Their parents and grandparents who went to the residential schools were so severely abused that it's a thing they don't talk about . . . they've been raised in this culture of not talking," says Windh.

'I just want a better life'

The stories in the book are accompanied by portraits photographed by Windh. The last thing Canada needs, she believes, is another faceless Indian.

One of these photos shows a man, Brian Lucas, not older than 50. He stands on a porch overlooking Tofino's shoreline and mountains, twisting a blue towel around his neck:

“We were tortured by the Brothers, getting hit by a big stick four feet long and two inches wide. Thirty whacks on my bare ass, I couldn't even sit down, but I was still forced to sit down. Then I had to get another ten more because I smiled at my friend. I got my ear twisted because they said I wasn't listening. I had my hair pulled by the Sisters, four of them. They tortured me by putting a towel around my neck. This is how they tortured me, they made me black out.”

“I want my picture taken of me with a towel around my neck, to show what they put me through. It did something to my brain; that's why I'm always this way.”

Brian was five or six when he entered Christie Residential School in Kakawis on Vancouver Island. He has six children of his own now who, though not attending residential school themselves, live with the consequences while their father still fights to move on.

“Nine of those Brothers and Sisters abused me – physical, emotional, the works. Sexual, I seen them doing it right in front of me. It affected me, and made me say ’Hey, that's all right for me to do too.’ I'm not ashamed to say it, that's where I learnt it from.”

“It is hard to live with. I have to see them still, in Tofino. Some of the Brothers and Sisters still live there. Right away I get scared when I see them, I feel ‘I want to do the same thing to you guys.’ But I know that's not going to help me.”

“Now I hear myself saying those same things to my own kids, 'You're stupid, you're never gonna learn anything.' . . . I'm teaching them the same things I learnt at residential school, and now they are living it too.”

Time for healing running out

Since October 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a formal inquiry intended to give voice to and document the experiences of residential school survivors, has lay in shambles after the commissioners resigned over internal disputes. Earlier this month, however, the government welcomed new commissioners, promising the commission will be up and running soon.

If done properly, Windh says, obeying the strict cultural rules she learned herself about communication within the First Nations community, the commission could begin on a large scale the healing that Change and Tradition has helped bring to one small community. But it needs to happen fast.

“People are dying. Of the 16 people I interviewed, two of them have died already, and one of them is not doing very well at all and might not be with us much longer.” She says the victims deserve to be heard.

“Every Canadian should hear these to find out, I guess, the horror or what happened. . . There are so many things these days for us to think about being focused on, and we get so overloaded by information. But I think sometimes it's easier to understand something on the emotional level."

“It's a way of honouring them, to just hear them. And for native people that's a really important thing. Just to be listened to."

//Christine Mclaren

Writer