My dear friends, Happy Spring!
May the joys of the season of budding-ness flow freely for you.
This is a time of renewal.
Here's an event I feel happy to support. There will be more like this, I think.
This month February 2011, Kevin Annett, arrives in Europe to speak about his work, and to advocate for those whose voices have need of hearing.
He will be touring, with readings from his new book, screenings, meetings, lectures, radio shows and more, in Britain and in Europe for the next month.
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Weds 23th Feb 7.00 pm
'Canada's Genocide: One Man's Journey to Uncover the Truth’
with Rev. Kevin Annett
Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross,
London, N1 9DX
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Sat 26th Feb 11.30am - 1.00pm
Brighton Peace & Environment Centre - book signing and demo
39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3PB
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Sat 26th Feb 2.00-4.00pm
Earth and Stars (pub) - lecture
26 Windsor Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1RJ
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Fri 11th March 7.30pm
Quaker Meeting House
21 King Street, Hereford HR49BX
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Sat 12th March 2.30pm to 6.00pm
Crown Hotel
43 Lime Street, Liverpool, L1 1JQ
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Wednes 16th March 5.30 - 8.30pm
Bosworth Independent College
Queen's Building
Barrack Road
Northampton
NN2 6AF
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Fri March 18th 7.00pm-10.00pm
SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), UCL
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Kevin learned about the Canadian Indian Residential School System whilst he was a start-up Pastor for a small community near Vancouver, Port Alberni.
He learned it from the Survivors themselves, and followed that up with a detailed review of all historical documents on the matter, and found that yes, indeed, their harrowing stories were more than common: ubiquitous.
He started to speak out about the matter, in the spirit of true remorse at what his own culture had done to another, in the spirit of empathy and compassion and found there was little support from his Church. The United Church of Canada... or from The Canadian State.
The Church, as an Institution, was deeply implicated in the materialisation of that hidden history, and the hiding of the history itself today. As was the State. This whole system of residential 'care' for the purposes of 'assimilation' of the Indian' was all legislated for, by statute, and funded by State and day to day operations were handed to Orders of Priests, Clergy and Laity,
He turned his research into a book, which he self published. It was removed from Canadian Libraries, and Colleges and is now available on-line.
This following is a document that is partly foundational, in that it lays out the philosophy, the key thinking, the cold rationalisations, the preposterous assumptions, the abject justifications for these systems of 'assimilation'. This Document originated in the USA, though it forms part of a body of work that was a world-wide process.
"Beginning in 1887, the Federal US government attempted to “Americanize” Native Americans, largely through the education of Native youth. By 1900 tens of thousands of Native Americans were studying at almost 150 boarding schools around the United States." They were sent there under duress.
Kevin continued to work as a Pastor, and to share what he knew, to build awareness, to remove the veil, expose the lies. He met and continues to meet resistance, and sometimes extreme hostility, not least from the United Church of Canada.
For being truthful and honest.
He made a documentary about the Canadian Indian Residential School System, the reveal and expose, the stories of survivors, the documented proof of those stories.....
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6637396204037343133# - UNREPENTANT
"documentary reveals Canada's darkest secret - the deliberate extermination of indigenous (Native American) peoples and the theft of their land under the guise of religion.
This never before told history as seen through the eyes of this former minister (Kevin Annett) who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its Indian Residential Schools..."
***Best International documentary - 2006 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival
***Winner: Best Director for and International Documentary - 2006 New York International Film Festival.
Kevin's work is part of a worldwide net-work of Survivors and their Advocates, who are a diverse population, spanning Nation States, creeds, cultures, all with a common story, and a common wisdom, the wisdom of experience, which by being heard, informs and heals.
It matters not which Institutions or which people are those who act in such a clearly mediated and abusive manner, what matters is that where ever it has occurred, it must be addressed, and where it is still occurring, it must end - and it cannot be said to have ended until full restorative justice, with all that that naturally entails, is actively and materially seen to be done.
I hope you have time to explore this matter, as a friend to all people .....
May the spring be auspicious, and may a new flowering of honesty and empathy prevail amidst the noise.
Kindest Regards
Corneilius
do what you love, it's your gift to universe
In June, 2010, the The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS) was established. Drawing on the work of advocates and Survivors from Canada, the USA, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Australia it will start the process of addressing these matters as a world-wide unified campaign.
The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State - http://itccs.org/about/
It's 5 basic principles are:
1. Full reparations for survivors,
2. Full disclosure of the crimes,
3. Repatriation of the dead,
4. Criminal prosecution of those responsible,
5. Preventative measures to ensure that the crimes against children end.
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And it's coming to London, this September, 2011.
Kindest regards
Corneilius
Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe
