Story by Norm Richards
I awoke this morning feeling cleansed, as if I'd been pressed through the eye of a needle and come out the other side cleansed. And yet, as I lay there bright eyed and not able to fall back asleep and return to that blessed dream I was having, I share it's experience here with you. I can't interpret dreams well. Maybe you can?
I was someplace with friends. We're in a warm place with beautiful colours crossing through pillars, flowers and trellises of wonderful light shining on our arrival here. People make introductions and hug as if they haven't seen each other in a long time. The couple I'm with pass my hand to greet this radiant young woman.
Later, we are together, my friends and this woman viewing some sort of public event. There are many others there. And yet, we are left to our own. The woman and I share each others lives. We are affectionate. Through her eyes I see love. It's as if it was always like that. The whole day goes by and we must part. She doesn't want to separate from me but she has to. She's a princess and held to her duties and promise to her family.
She leaves. I see her perform in this public event. She's the main act. She was what everyone waited all afternoon to see. She does great feats and I realize she is much more than the radiant woman I met earlier. She leads a procession away and seems to be on this well organized marathon. My friends tell me she will be away fulfilling the expectations she will once again win the marathon, in turn raising vast sums of money to feed her people.
I'm left knowing only hours before the two of us were together, in love and nothing else mattered. But now everything matters. She's somebody who's important and even committed and I don't fit in. Somehow, I know I'm ready to be part of her life and meet the approval of her parents. I know I'll do anything to be with her. I know she feels the same way. I come from another place, another age and time. Before she left me, we shared our commitment that nothing would ever come between us.
I awake!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Métis Declared Indians!
Métis Declared Indians!
Identity for convenience and for Who?
By Norm Richards
Yesterday, Federal Court Judge Mr. Justice Michael Phelan ruled that Métis* along with Indians who have lost their formal legal status, "qualify" as Indians under the 1867 act in the Canadian constitution. "The recognition of Métis and non-status Indian as Indians ... should accord a further level of respect and reconciliation by removing the constitutional uncertainty surrounding these groups, " he said.
But, it should be known further, even while Louie Riel and his followers pushed to establish a home province in what became Manitoba, the north west including Manitoba was founded on fur trade, fisheries and humble forms of transportation. Not long ago, I wrote about our family history in a published memoir.
In our youth, my sister and I asked our grandmother of the southern Saulteaux and French heritage about who we were. We spent evenings and other times talking about our background and history. We acknowledging the influence the church had on us. Each night we knelt on our living room floor to face a crucifix affixed on the wall before us while grandmother lead us in prayer in our French mother tongue.
This is symbolic of who we are and that combined with grandfather welcoming natives at our front door to trade their furs is trade mark of our heritage. Some Métis families faced hardship, displacement and a sense of belonging when the fur trade declined and economic stability could no longer be counted on. For survival and existence Some took shelter and identity with native ways and culture. My family remained autonomous but still aware of who we are.
Continued …………
Page 2.
It should be acknowledged, we are not Indians. We are kin but we are not Indians, or should we even be aboriginal? We are people of Canada. We are the first makeup of this country. Now, for the sake of belonging and making right what wrongs were done to us in the past, current leaders decide to take sides with native jurisdiction? Should that be?
I was born in The Pas, Manitoba where the river is the border between Indians and whites. The town was settled with people of Métis heritage and white families. In fact, most of the mixed blood people are like my family, French heritage and identify with white society. There has always been difference between people on both sides of the river. With this new declared status by Justice Phelan are those who have always maintained white identity now going to move to the Indian reserve across the river, be tax free and squat on native land? Now, that would be change.
There seems to be more than one way to skin a beaver I suppose. Have us declared Indians and everything will go smooth after that. For who? Not a great legacy as far as I'm concerned. Does any of this make real sense?
* Métis, for those who don’t know are the first children and their descendants who came from Europe to explore or ended up settling in Canada even before Canada became a country, a new land, a new people. The Métis for the most part are children born from French Merchant traders who came to Canada to take part in the growing wild fur trade industry. Hats, coats, footwear and other items made of fur found here were all the rage in Europe. Before oil or any other trade products were produced for shipment abroad the fur business was major trade. The major trade companies were The North West Company, Hudson’s Bay Company and French company Réveillon Frères were the dominant forces in the fur business.
My forefathers were merchants for or in competition with these companies.
Identity for convenience and for Who?
By Norm Richards
Yesterday, Federal Court Judge Mr. Justice Michael Phelan ruled that Métis* along with Indians who have lost their formal legal status, "qualify" as Indians under the 1867 act in the Canadian constitution. "The recognition of Métis and non-status Indian as Indians ... should accord a further level of respect and reconciliation by removing the constitutional uncertainty surrounding these groups, " he said.
But, it should be known further, even while Louie Riel and his followers pushed to establish a home province in what became Manitoba, the north west including Manitoba was founded on fur trade, fisheries and humble forms of transportation. Not long ago, I wrote about our family history in a published memoir.
In our youth, my sister and I asked our grandmother of the southern Saulteaux and French heritage about who we were. We spent evenings and other times talking about our background and history. We acknowledging the influence the church had on us. Each night we knelt on our living room floor to face a crucifix affixed on the wall before us while grandmother lead us in prayer in our French mother tongue.
This is symbolic of who we are and that combined with grandfather welcoming natives at our front door to trade their furs is trade mark of our heritage. Some Métis families faced hardship, displacement and a sense of belonging when the fur trade declined and economic stability could no longer be counted on. For survival and existence Some took shelter and identity with native ways and culture. My family remained autonomous but still aware of who we are.
Continued …………
Page 2.
It should be acknowledged, we are not Indians. We are kin but we are not Indians, or should we even be aboriginal? We are people of Canada. We are the first makeup of this country. Now, for the sake of belonging and making right what wrongs were done to us in the past, current leaders decide to take sides with native jurisdiction? Should that be?
I was born in The Pas, Manitoba where the river is the border between Indians and whites. The town was settled with people of Métis heritage and white families. In fact, most of the mixed blood people are like my family, French heritage and identify with white society. There has always been difference between people on both sides of the river. With this new declared status by Justice Phelan are those who have always maintained white identity now going to move to the Indian reserve across the river, be tax free and squat on native land? Now, that would be change.
There seems to be more than one way to skin a beaver I suppose. Have us declared Indians and everything will go smooth after that. For who? Not a great legacy as far as I'm concerned. Does any of this make real sense?
* Métis, for those who don’t know are the first children and their descendants who came from Europe to explore or ended up settling in Canada even before Canada became a country, a new land, a new people. The Métis for the most part are children born from French Merchant traders who came to Canada to take part in the growing wild fur trade industry. Hats, coats, footwear and other items made of fur found here were all the rage in Europe. Before oil or any other trade products were produced for shipment abroad the fur business was major trade. The major trade companies were The North West Company, Hudson’s Bay Company and French company Réveillon Frères were the dominant forces in the fur business.
My forefathers were merchants for or in competition with these companies.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Protest or Just Persecution
Protest or just Persecution for Persecution Sake!
By Norm Richards
Hi everybody, Everybody? Hello!
As the new year approaches I begin to wonder if I’m making an impression on anyone, enlightening or at least amusing someone.
Granted, I haven’t often picked serious stories that needed response or interaction but on occasion I have. I wrote about the Free Pussy Riot movement in 2012. I think what happened in Russia over the imprisoning of three young women over a protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin was a legitimate cause. Pussy Riot as they are known were sent to prison on what could be considered trumped up charges. They used the Russian Orthodox church to bring attention to their protest. It worked.
Here is the Wikipedia page that explains it all - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot and yet I don’t feel they should have been sent to prison for the kind of protest they conducted. I think it’s an outrage!
What if our children in Canada or the USA were put in jail for similar reasons? How long do you suppose they would remain in jail or would they go to jail at all? I don’t think so. There might be out cry from the religious right. Franklin Graham would comment. Who knows, Jessie Jackson would side with the protest and give reason and understanding to the whole thing. The next week they'd be on all the talk shows explaining themselves and that would be it. Fifteen minutes of fame and done. Smoke.
I can’t think of anyone high profile enough in Canada who would be listened to about such an issue.
Shaun Majumder would do a far better job than most any other countrymen I can think of. At least he’d add humour to those charges no one deserves to be struck with, no matter what country you are from. .
But perhaps Pussy Riot committed the ultimate protest. When Punk-Rock had it’s beginnings did the performers, if you want to call them that, think they would raise enough hell, the state would react and shut them down? Did they imagine at all? Well, perhaps not. Johnny Rotten sober wouldn’t have figured out a cause suitable to protest least of all getting upright to even perform.
Where does a state come off doing what was done to these women in Russia? Who would want to live in such a state? If a Titanic size ship left port at St Petersburg or Novorossiysk on the Black Sea next week and there were no restrictions on who left, who would leave Russia? But then what would move them to leave anyway? Are these women anywhere on anyone's mind in Russia today? Perhaps Putin knows how dumb his countrymen are and just what he can get away with to create fear in the populace. Is that it? Is it that simple?
By Norm Richards
Hi everybody, Everybody? Hello!
As the new year approaches I begin to wonder if I’m making an impression on anyone, enlightening or at least amusing someone.
Granted, I haven’t often picked serious stories that needed response or interaction but on occasion I have. I wrote about the Free Pussy Riot movement in 2012. I think what happened in Russia over the imprisoning of three young women over a protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin was a legitimate cause. Pussy Riot as they are known were sent to prison on what could be considered trumped up charges. They used the Russian Orthodox church to bring attention to their protest. It worked.
Here is the Wikipedia page that explains it all - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot and yet I don’t feel they should have been sent to prison for the kind of protest they conducted. I think it’s an outrage!
What if our children in Canada or the USA were put in jail for similar reasons? How long do you suppose they would remain in jail or would they go to jail at all? I don’t think so. There might be out cry from the religious right. Franklin Graham would comment. Who knows, Jessie Jackson would side with the protest and give reason and understanding to the whole thing. The next week they'd be on all the talk shows explaining themselves and that would be it. Fifteen minutes of fame and done. Smoke.
I can’t think of anyone high profile enough in Canada who would be listened to about such an issue.
Shaun Majumder would do a far better job than most any other countrymen I can think of. At least he’d add humour to those charges no one deserves to be struck with, no matter what country you are from. .
But perhaps Pussy Riot committed the ultimate protest. When Punk-Rock had it’s beginnings did the performers, if you want to call them that, think they would raise enough hell, the state would react and shut them down? Did they imagine at all? Well, perhaps not. Johnny Rotten sober wouldn’t have figured out a cause suitable to protest least of all getting upright to even perform.
Where does a state come off doing what was done to these women in Russia? Who would want to live in such a state? If a Titanic size ship left port at St Petersburg or Novorossiysk on the Black Sea next week and there were no restrictions on who left, who would leave Russia? But then what would move them to leave anyway? Are these women anywhere on anyone's mind in Russia today? Perhaps Putin knows how dumb his countrymen are and just what he can get away with to create fear in the populace. Is that it? Is it that simple?
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
FAVOURITES 2012
Here are some of my favourite photographs from 2012. I enjoyed being in the presence of people not seen for many years, spectacular in many ways. The year for me was powerful. I made new friends, pissed off old ones, inadvertently mind you. I happen to go through life these days pretty much knowing what I like and what I deserve.
When I don't, it surprises me and I grapple with it for awhile internally. Somehow, I work out a way to understand. Some things I just can't do anything about. I loved the year and all the things I did. It was a treat and it just keeps paying off.
I got out and met some big stars too. I found they are not so different. They are talented and motivated. They are lucky enough to have others think money can be made by being a part of their lives. It's a matter of degree I guess. Makes me want to keep going. I have talent too and I have passions as much as they do.
So here are some of normspictures -
When I don't, it surprises me and I grapple with it for awhile internally. Somehow, I work out a way to understand. Some things I just can't do anything about. I loved the year and all the things I did. It was a treat and it just keeps paying off.
I got out and met some big stars too. I found they are not so different. They are talented and motivated. They are lucky enough to have others think money can be made by being a part of their lives. It's a matter of degree I guess. Makes me want to keep going. I have talent too and I have passions as much as they do.
Monday, December 17, 2012
MY FAVOURITE
New Blog Feature called MY FAVOURITE.
By Norm Richards
I awoke this morning with an idea. This happens every once and awhile. Kind of like morning pages which you have to pour onto the page as soon as you wake up.
I'm going to create a series and I'll place it on my Blog page. I will call it "MY FAVOURITE!"
It could be a favoured person or thing and even an animal. Sometimes it will be brief, sometimes it will be for all times. But, most times I imagine favourite will be momentary. I'll leave it to you to decide why. Sometimes I'll say why.
Sure, like anything else there are good days and bad days. To be positive and forward thinking I'll focus on this. I'll search each weeks for things to name as favourites. You could be a favourite for some reason.
I'll take photos. I will capture some, since others take great pictures and deserve the attention. So, look for these on my Blog normswords. I'll have a new feature called normspictures. Perhaps this will evolve into high quality motion pictures. Who knows? For now, I'll have normspictures and normswords tell the story. I believe a great deal of my current Blog postings are favourites already. This will ad to the dynamic.
I hope you like it.
Norm
Another Favourite - Actress Abbie Cornish
By Norm Richards
I awoke this morning with an idea. This happens every once and awhile. Kind of like morning pages which you have to pour onto the page as soon as you wake up.
I'm going to create a series and I'll place it on my Blog page. I will call it "MY FAVOURITE!"
It could be a favoured person or thing and even an animal. Sometimes it will be brief, sometimes it will be for all times. But, most times I imagine favourite will be momentary. I'll leave it to you to decide why. Sometimes I'll say why.
Sure, like anything else there are good days and bad days. To be positive and forward thinking I'll focus on this. I'll search each weeks for things to name as favourites. You could be a favourite for some reason.
I'll take photos. I will capture some, since others take great pictures and deserve the attention. So, look for these on my Blog normswords. I'll have a new feature called normspictures. Perhaps this will evolve into high quality motion pictures. Who knows? For now, I'll have normspictures and normswords tell the story. I believe a great deal of my current Blog postings are favourites already. This will ad to the dynamic.
I hope you like it.
Norm
Another Favourite - Actress Abbie Cornish
Monday, November 12, 2012
Have Faith or No Faith at All.
Well, here we are, November 2012, not long before Christmas. Where I live and in commune with family and cultural customs and faith, it's soon going to be Christmas again. People of other faiths honour this time of year differently and in slightly different ways from the world's Christian community. Every culture in the world has it's own windows. Celebration or honouring belief and trusts of faith is not the soul property of us Christians. No, we happen to honour faith at this time of year by celebrating gift giving in praise of the three kings who brought gifts to baby Jesus, thought to be the son of God. Wow, now there's a big one, the son of God! Who's God? Much of what was adopted way back when, is a Christian calendar year. It brings order and peace among the races, so goes the beliefs. However, if you follow the Mayan calendar, the end of days is on December 21,2012!
http://news.discovery.com/history/maya-long-count-calendar-end-date-120629.html
Are you ready for that?
I'm not.
I love my family and I want to see them again, surely before I'm wiped of the face of the earth. For now, Christmas 2012 will do, if we get there.
When I was growing up in a small northern town, we had a big church to attend each Christmas. I was pulled kicking and screaming to church at midnight, of all hours. One year, I noticed a guy I knew well two pews behind me. I was smart enough to know, the man was Jewish. Not only, that he was the high profile Mayor of our town he was from a group who eventually saw to the death of Jesus himself. Since I'd had some indoctrination into the life of Jesus, I was surprised to see this man among us. In some way, it was as if his attendance was to celebrate Jesus without prejudice. Even then, I thought to myself, we Catholics had something going since this guy came to our church after all that happened in history. The songs by the choir were glorious. The sound of a full choir and the assembly of a full congregation had me at hello. I thought, why not? Midnight Mass wasn't so bad afterall. I loved the whole experience but I wasn't about to become a total bible thumper just yet, I still had sins to commit. The beauty of being Catholic is we can sin but confession would get us to heaven after all. Remind me, I have to go to church to confess before December 21st or I'm toast. What about the rest of you?
By Norm Richards
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Putin Talks Sex with Harper!
Sun News Reports Putin Talks Sex with Harper at APEC Summit
Sunday August 9, 2012
Story by Norm Richards
Canada’s Sun News Parliamentary Bureau and National Affairs correspondent David Akin wrote today Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a 50-minute closed-door one-on-one meeting during which Putin talked about “gang bangs” in public museums. According to the David Akin report Canadian officials were witness to Putin responding to Harper’s asking him how Canadians could believe that Russians have the right to speak their mind and exercise freedom of speech, Putin said Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot who is currently jailed in Russia, participated in some performance art which was filmed and posted on the internet consisted of Tolokonnikova and others having group sex and Putin used the word “gang bang” at the Timiriazev State Biology Museum in Moscow in 2008. He told Harper, Tolokonnikova was pregnant at the time. So, according to Putin this was an aggravating factor in Tolokonikova and in turn Pussy Riot’s conviction in 2012. In Putin’s view stated on live television, group sex is perfectly fine in private but when done in a public place it becomes a mitigating factor and reason to jail Pussy Riot, four years after the public demonstration took place. Putin threw this all off by claiming free speech is okay in Russia just so long as the charges Pussy Riot now suffer and this “gang bang” art allegation doesn’t meet his approval or break so called Russian law.
What a crock of shit! I say Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich - Pussy Riot members currently in jail would never be jailed or even paid much attention if they lived in Canada or the United States under such similar circumstances. I’m not sure a court would even hear a case made against them, except to warn them and set them free.
What the hell, man? Here I am sitting in my own country while life and freedom goes on around me and I’m concerned about three women locked up and behind bars in Russia? What is going on with me? Well, I’ve always been concerned about injustice or better still to have the right to live in a just society. Most of the time, I have the luxury of being free and having free speech rights. Maybe, I even have a heuristic manner in the way I approach others views. If I was otherwise, I suppose I would be employed as a front line reporter at a news network or newspaper somewhere. Instead, I prefer an open share on the internet. People can read and reply anytime they like if it so moves them. I even find letters to the editor suspect. They are handpicked, pre-selected and published only if approved by one inside man. Perhaps it’s a bit Putin like in itself.
FREE PUSSY RIOT IMMEDIATELY!
Sunday August 9, 2012
Story by Norm Richards
Canada’s Sun News Parliamentary Bureau and National Affairs correspondent David Akin wrote today Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a 50-minute closed-door one-on-one meeting during which Putin talked about “gang bangs” in public museums. According to the David Akin report Canadian officials were witness to Putin responding to Harper’s asking him how Canadians could believe that Russians have the right to speak their mind and exercise freedom of speech, Putin said Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot who is currently jailed in Russia, participated in some performance art which was filmed and posted on the internet consisted of Tolokonnikova and others having group sex and Putin used the word “gang bang” at the Timiriazev State Biology Museum in Moscow in 2008. He told Harper, Tolokonnikova was pregnant at the time. So, according to Putin this was an aggravating factor in Tolokonikova and in turn Pussy Riot’s conviction in 2012. In Putin’s view stated on live television, group sex is perfectly fine in private but when done in a public place it becomes a mitigating factor and reason to jail Pussy Riot, four years after the public demonstration took place. Putin threw this all off by claiming free speech is okay in Russia just so long as the charges Pussy Riot now suffer and this “gang bang” art allegation doesn’t meet his approval or break so called Russian law.
What a crock of shit! I say Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich - Pussy Riot members currently in jail would never be jailed or even paid much attention if they lived in Canada or the United States under such similar circumstances. I’m not sure a court would even hear a case made against them, except to warn them and set them free.
What the hell, man? Here I am sitting in my own country while life and freedom goes on around me and I’m concerned about three women locked up and behind bars in Russia? What is going on with me? Well, I’ve always been concerned about injustice or better still to have the right to live in a just society. Most of the time, I have the luxury of being free and having free speech rights. Maybe, I even have a heuristic manner in the way I approach others views. If I was otherwise, I suppose I would be employed as a front line reporter at a news network or newspaper somewhere. Instead, I prefer an open share on the internet. People can read and reply anytime they like if it so moves them. I even find letters to the editor suspect. They are handpicked, pre-selected and published only if approved by one inside man. Perhaps it’s a bit Putin like in itself.
FREE PUSSY RIOT IMMEDIATELY!
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