Indigenous women must be seen

Marina Crane (00:01.144) Good morning. It's July twenty sixth, twenty twenty six. well the smoke is still here and I'm just waking up. and I'm trying to be as nonchalant as I can and do what I can with what I've written down. So anyway, A lot of times when I go and I'm bored, I'll go on TikTok and I've I find it's really interesting to listen to young indigenous w activists, indigenous women and men. And so there are two podcasts that from this lady who I think like really is helps self-educate or helps w us as indigenous people identify, especially what it means to be an Indigenous woman. There's a little bit of a bias, like like I try not to put too much emphasis on on cultural differences, but but I do realize like there is some sort of manifestation in our political view, especially being colonized, in in terms of how under the Indian Act we've constructed some biases when it comes to women who marry into our communities. Or just the women who do marry, how much they bully and and really manipulate. I know that's biased. I mean what I'm trying to say is that throughout my life here, most of the women who've run for politics are women who've married in I don't know, just this past election, s five of the women, I think it's five or six of the women actually grew up here that are that have been voted in. So There is there are changes happening and and I'm grateful, but at the same time too a lot of this colonized way of thinking, really we really have to take a look at well, for me, I I take a look at it and ask myself, how has the Indian Act affected me? Especially when it comes to the trafficking of our children. And sometimes we don't even understand what it is to be trafficked. and again this is my own bias because I've Marina Crane (02:27.574) I've never been married or have children or even lived with a a partner. So what makes me an expert, well, I'm not an expert, that's what I'm trying to say. But I d but I do know that that if I had somehow decided to be in a relationship, it would have been really strained because again of the lateral violence and the misogyny, people, es especially women from other communities who marry in have against the women who grow grow up in the communities that their partners l live in. I don't know if it has to do with insecurity or what, but the majority of times too, because a lot of the places that like for Sutina, we're right by city, so a lot of the things that I've become used to, a lot of non indigenous well, no, not indigeno non indigenous A lot of indigenous men say that I'm a princess and I'm going, What do you mean? 'Cause I take offense when somebody says, you're a princess Well because I'm only five minutes from Tim Hortons or or movie theaters or even the hospital or the the malls and so I I grew up that way. I I grew up playing hooky from my school to go to a shopping mall or or you know, hang out in the downtown parkate parkade just just to skip out of school. So th my life How I grew up around white people is different than say women who've lived their whole life in an isolated northern community or southern community and they marry into Sutina. again, too, during the stampede, my cousins and I, when we'd go partying in the city, we'd say we'd see once a year Indians, once a year indigenous people, because you know, like it's only t it's it's just a ritual thing growing up. that there weren't that many indigenous people actually living in the city. Now today there's like forty thousand Indigenous people. So again, I'm talking about generational and gaps in in how people perceive what it is to be indigenous. But in historical sense though, a lot of times because you're growing up in poverty, like say for example, gee, maybe thirty years ago, maybe a little less. I Marina Crane (04:48.342) my my late brother pa he married. I f I I I came up from the United States to witness his wedding and to my surprise the community where he his partner was from there were a lot of teenagers, like children. Children having children. I couldn't believe it. But yet at the same time, even in the past twenty years and when I talked to women in my community who have partners who come from northern communities and I talk about trafficking. It's it's the whole concept of parents marrying off their ch their daughters when they're like fifteen and sixteen. Now, historically here in Soutina too, there've been quite a few child brides. And and I say child brides 'cause like what your your body still isn't fully developed to even to even be like yeah, you have sexual arousal but the whole enjoyment of human sexuality isn't isn't really set in place until your body is mature. Now again, I might be just redundant and repeating something you already know. But but what I'm trying to say is the whole concept of trafficking when when you're so poor that you cannot look after your your daughters or even afford to help them you know, like save money and help them get into university or high school. And and so when they become sexually active they they marry them marry them out. so they leave their communities to to another community. And when you're that young coming into a foreign community, then how do you how do you adjust to that? Because in a in a way it's a form of trafficking. Because because like you're you're still a child. That's that's how I think it's been normalized. But there's also some other complications involved with the Indian Act and how the Indian Act treated and handled indigenous women in terms of like property and and what is what is a status or non status and just the whole racial bias created when a woman gets pregnant. Like like that's hard to understand. But it but again too, I think a lot of white women sort of feel like they have some sort of moral obligation. Marina Crane (07:10.156) to say, well, this is how my life is. You know, your sexuality is no different than mine. I was promiscuous. I did this and that. And I'm going, yes, that's the human experience. But there is a difference in terms of decolonizing oneself and the fact that a lot of the concepts of who we see we who we are as indigenous women is is played out by by the greater society. So So, you know, it's it's no biggie when when I have a friend who's seventy five and says, Yeah, you know, these cowboys they sure like Indian girls. Hey, what can I say? You know, that's that's just the way things are. People from other countries see th other people, other women as exotic. but again too, you know, what what what is what are the boundaries? And who's responsible for putting these boundaries up? So I just got off the phone with my cousin and she's indigenous and I was talking to her, I said, You know, some friends they come and they go and she said, Well, Marina, that's life and I said, Yes. I said, right until the bitter end when it we take our last breath, you know, we're there's there's not gonna be it it's all it's just the way it is. We we make friends and then that we go our separate ways. And and so, you know, I I was saying that to her. I said, My whole life I've I've been around white women and And sometimes it's the hypocrisy or the projection of of privilege. I made a comment, I said it it's really difficult for me to accept white women and white men as mental health workers that come into our communities, especially when they have a preconceived notion of what it's like to live in our communities when really their only reference point is from point of privilege. And and my goodness, you know, How dare an indigenous woman do a critique on you when like see, th th there's a bias right there. So that's why when I talk about sexuality and identity, even though we're the same gender, the colon colonial construct created under the Indian Act and how people have lived that way, like in in a conscious in a conscious way, without even Marina Crane (09:34.838) like understanding that this is what they're doing, this this this shadow effect of how women marry into our communities. It's a psychological thing of privilege in some ways because they're basically mansplaying to indigenous women. This is what you do. This is how you it's like basically I'm I'm I mean I make making fun because this is so real. I I've seen it, I've witnessed it, I've had white women say, This is how you do this. Or this is you know, don't throw water on the ground or or give out the these gifts, these free gifts in in the sacred directions. You know, like where did they learn this bullshit? And why do they think it's so beneath them to to, you know, like understand like you're you're talking to an indigenous woman who's grown up around spirituality or indigenous spirituality and here you are coming in, latching onto somebody who's indigenous, having sex with them and living with them and thinking, okay, therefore I know I have knowledge because I respect my partner. No, no, it doesn't work that way. That's that's for white women. But the majority of times too when I talk about women marrying into my community, These are the these are non ind these are indigenous women. Because again, it has to bring that mindset of of like what what it is that they're they're bringing into our community. And studies have shown that too, like most of the time, uneducated attract uneducated, educated attract educated, wealthy r attracts wealthy, etcetera. But the reality of it is that at that there there is there is some nonsense that has that has been handed down from the Indian agent about how indigenous men should treat their the the women in their families. the Indian agent always took took Indians as property and and even in terms of I use the example of Brittany Spears and how she became a her f her parents became guardian. Marina Crane (11:54.594) Well, that's how the federal government is towards us when it comes to Crown Land and and the and and our our trust fund. So anyway, this young woman, she's she's talking about this bill, bill C two, a bill that started in the Senate and needs to be passed for any of these changes to become law. Now this is a really brilliant young woman. So she puts it that simply bill s two. is proposed legislation that would seek amendments to the Indian Act. So you have to understand every time that Indian Act has been in place and every change to it has to go through this process, even even for the to change the set of of indigenous women from the time that they would marry non-Indigenous or non-status, they would lose everything. So if they were a matriarch all of a sudden just through having a different partner from a different culture. you y the federal government recog took away your identity as an i as an indigenous person, you were no longer considered indigenous. However, it worked the opposite for our men. They could marry a white woman and automatically she would inherit this indigenous woman status. Blonde, blue eyed, she's an indigenous woman. the courts would defend her up and up and down, so she had double privilege. So yeah, the bias on that still lingers even in the sense of like when women marry indigenous women marry within the community because they they feel like their status has has been has improved because they're not from the community like like a white woman who marries in within. There's a certain privilege that that the federal government has recognized. And again at at whose fault? At the fault of the indigenous women women like myself who've grown up here my entire life. So this young woman says, she's seeing a lot of people that think are k and think are confused about this and think that the government just wants to open the floodgates and a bunch of pretendiums are going to come into the w the the woodwork. But that's not really what's going to happen, she says. Essentially it's restoring what was lost, more specifically to women and their descendants because of the sexist and colonial policies. Marina Crane (14:21.548) See, that's what I'm talking about. There like when I say I have white uncles, it's because of this policy, this colonial sextus policy. and some other changes that are being proposed, she says, are things like changing the outdated language because right on right now under the Indian Act, indigenous people with disabilities are referred to as mentally incompetent Indians. Okay, so even that I mean, like okay, for newcomers, immigrants, white people, black people, like really this Indian Act governs how leadership identifies band members, indigenous like First Nations Inuit and Matee. Now understand this too. Only the past two years has the federal government acknowledged indigenous status of of the seven of the I think it's nine Sioux tribes in Canada, as well as the Inuit and Metis in Canada. Only two like a two years ago. So so that means like my mom and my aunties and my grandparents who are Dakota Sioux weren't recognized as indigenous people until two years ago. So even though they're they're sitting on Crown land and they have reserves or Metis sett settlements or Inuit settlements. they still were not considered indigenous until two years ago. So so you under you have to understand the the the the the practice, the systemic racist practice of who and h was d who was defined as being indigenous. Now the ch she says that they want change that di to that to they want to change that to dependent persons. Just th the the identity of like like that they're incompetent in mentally incompetent Indians to just dependent peep person. And it would also create things like a very clear process for people that want to their names removed from the Indian registry. So essentially removing yourself from being certified as an India's status and another thing is that it would do is to see people that are newly eligible for status also be eligible to be Marina Crane (16:41.994) added to the BAM list. Because in Canada, if you are a First Nations person that belongs to a nation that is under the Indian Act, the federal government actually maintains those lists. So that's why like even when my sister married a Navajo, she she she lost her status because he's he's can in Canada we don't recognize Native Americans from the United States. So any indigenous woman who married an Amer a Native American from the United States, she would lose her status as well. Now, again, that's federal policy. So so w w when they when the co the Indian Act was changed, so women who were allowed to marry whoever they wanted that didn't have status, they'd still remain there they'd still remain indigenous under this Indian Act. And they were put on a general ban list in Ottawa. So this is what this young woman is talking about. The even though th they they're gonna change this bill, it it it's a process. And and and throughout the decades that I've talked to indigenous people who whose grandmothers or mothers are indigenous, I've say keep a record. Keep marriage records, birth certificates, everything. I said because your the status is going to change and when it does, you need to have those records because even you're put on the general list in in Ottawa, the application for an individual to make to become a band member is based on the mem the band membership codes that each tribe created for themselves. Like with with the the Code Sioux, they automatically just accepted everybody. Because again, they weren't even considered indigenous until two years ago. So every way and every which way People have tried to erase indigenous ways of knowing or the culture has been part of this Indian Act. And and no matter how much people say, well I get it, no, you really don't because you've never lived it. So so again, in both or this young woman is saying, both in the House of Commons and the Senate, as long as it doesn't sp spend tax tayers doll taxpayers' dollars, which is how it originated in the Senate, it already passed a first reading and second reading. Marina Crane (19:03.926) And now it's in the consideration in committee. Senate and House of Commons committees are a very important part of the process because places like committees is where these amendments were made and voted on. So here's where it gets interesting. This this is her saying this. This bill needs to go through the House of Commons and it needs to be passed through the House of Commons. But if the House of Commons decides that they also want to make amendments To this bill, it needs to be sent back to the Senate to either reject or approve those amendments. And then what has to happen is the House of Commons and the Senate both need to pass the same version of the bill. And then it receives royal assent and becomes law. And then these changes take effect. So throughout the patriarchy and the matriarchy struggle. struggle of balance. This whole process of going through the House of Commons, the Senate, the readings and going back and forth to make it law is so time consuming and so structured. I I use the analogy it's like it's like a sexual assault victim and and how you know the the victim has to document everything and and the investigators, you know, in investigate her. Then it's gotta go to the judge and then they whether or not it's a case. Then if it's a case then they gotta arrest the person that the whole judicial process under Court of King's Branch is the same in the in terms of legislation and even changing parts of the Indian Act that was so discriminatory and still is discriminatory towards indigenous women and like just and children, okay? So she says it's very condensed version of what the Bill C what Bill S two is. And no, it does not open the floodgates and it does not make a bunch of people indigenous. Essentially what it does is address the fact that people were removed or forced out of their legal status was be because of discriminator policies. So this discriminatory policies, as as redundant as some people might think it is, has had a total impact on how indigenous women see other indigenous women. Marina Crane (21:30.038) Or even when Indigenous women marry into communities that are culturally different than them, that have totally different band membership policies, all this is an orientation or oriented to the the woman coming into the community. Because the prejudice is that for me as an Indigenous woman, I cannot bring a man into my community, which is again discriminatory. And because of that, I don't have status. And even my children wouldn't have status because of the Indian Act and the and the representation of it. So so I jokingly say, well, I have white uncles. Again, the majority of my white uncles are married to Dakota women, which again until two years ago weren't even considered indigenous. So so there is there is a lot of expectation when it comes to like who who is indigenous and how traditional Are you? Like really that what it they they do they bring in spirituality to this whole equation. And that's why like for me as a as an indigenous woman, I don't claim to be a spiritual healer, nothing like that. Because because I've seen it play out in in our indigenous men with their with their women that you know they've they brought into the communities. So this woman says, for example, A lot of women in my community no, I'm saying this is what I'm saying. like they've lost their status and the whole fact is that when you have misogyny and lateral violence, it it comes to the identity of indigenous woman, it attacks the identity of a indigenous woman. So the ideology of the colonial way of thinking is that a woman's pe is a piece of property and therefore her children are also a commodity and be can be pushed around and moved around. And see, that's where the discriminatory part of the child welfare system comes in, because we don't have sovereignty over that because we as Indigenous women do not have sovereignty under the Indian Act. And so therefore, if we try to have group homes or or or shelters for our our children in our communities, we we we can't do that because we it's under the Indian Act. And so Marina Crane (23:54.935) Like in order to change that we have to have educated Indigenous people in those areas to develop the policies because eventually those policies will take be taken over by by local government, much like the education policy was taken over. And even then it was a struggle and still is a struggle in in how the tripart agreements are being held between the federal and provincial judiciary process or the fiduciary. obligations that are passed down through treaty. T R E A T Y. Treaty. That's why I'm saying it's a source of it's a catalyst to trafficking. Now like my concerns and the thing about it is like when women choose to be single and have children, the majority of the women don't get housing. or they're at the bottom of the economic spectrum. And so, you know, in order to have sort of like that disp this disparity is is that if you're you grew up here and you decided to have not be married and just keep your status, all your children would have your name, your your your maiden name. They won't have their father's name. And at the same time too, even if you applied for a home You don't you don't have a partner 'cause you chose to not be with a partner because it would be there'd be some disparity in how ban funds are allocated to you. So if you're an indigenous man and you marry an indigenous woman or or white woman and and they're in the community, then all of a sudden you can apply for a house and and you could get it. Even if you don't have children. And again, this is a discriminatory towards women who choose to be single mothers. Or even if you're you're a teenage pregnancy, anything where it has to do with you know women trying to take care of their children, their babies. And and then again because of the disparity of poverty, the woman is looked at as like incompetent or or basically like what they they called like for disa d disabilities. Marina Crane (26:19.929) how they treat in the Indian Act, how they treat people with disabilities. Well that's the same parallel in how they treat indigenous women who've grown up within their communities. And again, this is my opinion, 'cause I've seen it, I've grown it, I've smelt it, I've tasted it, I've thrown up. Anyway, so th the sooner a girl is married off, the the you know, the better off it is for her to to actually get a home and have like a male somebody who owns her and her children. And and again, you know, like it's it's sort of self-defeating when it comes to like like the disparity because then then they look at women who've grown up here and wonder, well why why are you so why do you have such self-defeating behavior? When look at me, I'm from a poorer community. I've got all this culture and you're just so culturally deprived. I mean, it's my opinion, because I mean lateral violence, where did it start from and why why do why do women who marry in are why and this is my own personal opinion, but you can ask any woman who's grown up in their First Nations anyway or Metis communities, you know, you ask them, like women who marry in, are they are they friend or foe? And You know, th that's the reality of our policies that are made in terms of housing, who gets housing, who gets certain perks for for just living in the community. So the more a man is perceived as being like the breadwinner, or the more again because of colonial constructs. so again, if if you marry a white man and your status has improved because You just they just think, well he's your provider. And but again too, they they they neglect to understand the cultural facet of it is that you lose your matern maternal support system that you grew up with. And so like Marina Crane (28:35.181) staying like say with I I'll I'll use an example. There was a young woman who was staying with her uncle and aunt and the aunt had married in. And the aunt worked, was trained by colonial Indian agent to be an office administrator. And because of that she worked and and the and the man that she married was a farmer, mechanic, jack of all trades. And she was collecting like she had a a babysitter, one of the the the her ha her partner's relative without the partner knowing what his part his indigenous wife was doing she was collecting not only she was collecting social assistance for the babysitter but as well as not paying the babysitter for babysitting and and taking care of their children. So that kind of we'll call it narcissism or vac Machiavellian ways of thinking for women who've moved who've married in thinking that, you know, like, I I've gotta try and get the best out of what I my situation here because look at look at my partner. You know, I mean th that in itself is is very like it's the the re the reality of of women being so cruel to other women and and yet You know, you wonder where did they get that from? And and like I said, this woman who married in she's a serv she's a survivor of Indian residential school and also denying that she has any historical trauma, as she she notably says, that was in the past. But the reality of it is that you still see it in how scared her her excuse me, her daughters are of her. Because because her partner had passed away. Marina Crane (30:35.118) So there are so many things there's so many things that excuse me when I'm growing up here in Sutana and you're on this healing journey trying to understand who you are and why things are are are done or policies made to keep you in your place. Like I said, doing the first day care. the first detox just so I could have a place to s to stay rather than going into the city and paying rent. I was I was in my early twenties. Like so, you know, this is a reality. This is my reality. This is my opinion. And again to the policies that anybody under the age of fifty five who was single and had no children could not apply for housing. Because again, you know you gotta look at it historically as well as the reality of today. The majority of women, more than fifty percent, are the main administrators, the main like doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs. And yet unless you're a chief, a female chief, you don't have a voice at the national, like at the AFN. So this this discriminatory policy goes right through the whole system and then we have our men wondering, what is the matter with our women? Well, the audacity of the fact that for years, you know, you're you're okay to to, you know, bring in women but not honor the women, your sisters, your mothers, your aunts who actually grew up in the community. That's why I think things are changing, 'cause the majority of our our our young coun counselors are women who've actually grown up here. And and again too, like it's it's not it's not like easy. You take on this political role and you're gonna get criticized and you have to take it. You have to. You can't be going around, you know, just putting stuff on Facebook and social media and crying and saying, How dare you do this and that and you know, th it's it's time to, you know, like sort of what do they say, smarten up buttercup. anyway, like there's so much violence that happens Marina Crane (32:58.54) within homes and then you know people like how how do they how do you help? How do you help people who who you know are victims of violence when they don't want help? Now I the the s the basic psychology of it is like when somebody overdoses in the city and and they're laying semi conscious on the ground and the ambulance and the fire department come and the person gets up and they say, Well, do you need help? and they say no, then then they walk away. The person could overdose, but they chose they denied help. Well it's the same thing with violence when I've seen women being beaten up in public and I go and s tell the husband to leave her alone, then I'm attacked by the wife to say to tell me to s to stay out of her business. you know, because, you know, she's being beaten. I mean the laws have changed now. So they found out that at at least a year or so after the violence has occurred, then a woman sort of gets this epiphany, like, this is injustice. So so now they protect the victims of violence, like women and men who are victims of violence. But again to it makes policing all the more at risk when you go into family violence situations where, you know, the woman's trying to defend herself and yet at the same time protect her partner. She can chur she can turn on the person who's rescuing her. Okay, so again That's why like when it comes to people who hear say about sexual violence and they say, the other this this this woman was drunk and this leader took her into her hotel room. And I'm and I'm going, but you're y you took a video of the her being drunk? Why didn't you go up to her and say, Let's have a coffee? Or, you know, why didn't you talk to this alleged victim? And again Marina Crane (35:05.254) it's the the victim isn't telling the story. It's the woman who watched the woman behave in a certain manner, that she's putting judgment on the the man, but yet it's the victim if she actually again That's why I state, if you're gonna press charges, it's gotta come from the victim. You can't be the like like it's like me, if I see somebody being beaten up and I go and I tell the guys, Don't beat your wife and she says, Leave leave us alone, you know, I have to walk away. If if if if a man's overdosing and and I say, Well, I'm getting help and he says, No, I don't want help, I have to go away. So, you know, that's why I'm saying it's one thing to call wolf and and think that you're doing justice by advocating against violence. It's another thing to be the victim and to realize like the victim has to make the statement. It's the victim who has to say, This is this person hurt me. Nobody else can do it. So that's why I caution people, be careful. Be careful careful of how you're mansplaying things on behalf that you think on are be on behalf of all women when really it's it's the victim that you haven't talked with. So and the majority of times too, even like when when you deal with your well, personally, just my opinion is that my dealing with my life and how I manage or don't manage boundaries. That's that's my responsibility. That's my journey in this life. And and you know, as old as I am as and as an elder, I'm constantly learning these things. It it's it's amazing to me that that it's important that I mean Marina Crane (36:58.316) I don't wanna make it sound like like I'm so codependent, but there is there is a a dance of intimacy where where the man has you know, he puts down the boundaries. And and as the woman you're understanding those boundaries. But it should be the same thing too with women and other women. When you're talking you know, as women we need to put boundaries down with other women. I find more so with indigenous women when it comes to to white women or other women that we we do not put boundaries down with other women when we need to. B because you know, that's the lesson that men teach have taught me. And not like physically saying like a teacher sitting me down and showing me the A B C's. It has to do with how I understand my own sexuality. and and to understand like when a man is comfortable or or uncomfortable. It's it's the same thing in any relationship, male or female. Boundaries are important. Because because some people when when you they don't have those in place, they take offense when when you start putting boundaries down and you're you're you're wondering what changed. Well, say for example for me, my attitude has changed. I'm I'm really grateful that, you know, I I was taught this by by a man about boundaries. I mean, it's not like like I just learned it. It's it's a validation. I guess that's the proper way of putting it. Throughout my life, the validation of boundaries w when talking to men is is vital. But it should also take another step forward when it comes to women as well, because we're responsible as women to look after our own mental health. And so that that's part of what I wanted to talk about with my podcast 'cause it is it's a bit discerning or concerning in the sense that, you know, throughout my life I've had to walk away from friends. Marina Crane (39:02.72) You know, people that I've I get close to and then some something happens and I just realize, okay, the boundaries have been crossed. Either I crossed them or they crossed me and and that's just the way it is. So we walk away from people. so anyway, this woman who's talking about Bill S to, when she says it's like what is status. Once you get to your status you have you have to put you're put on the general list and you have an th then once you're put on the list then you have to go the protocols of what it is you need to get voted on. So even though you know you're on the general list in Ottawa, you still have to be voted on as a actual tribal member, either in First Nations, Inuit, or Metis communities. And all and every indigenous person, I don't care how much lies or mansplaying from from pretendiums. There is a paper trail with both First Nations, Inuit and Metis right back to their to the land. There's no getting around it. And and if when this bill s two passes and you have all your documentation, you're get you'll get put on the general ban list in Ottawa. However, you need to go to your original place where your grandmother or your par your mother or somebody lost their status 'cause there were women, you need to make application to be voted back into the general like the actual list where you can vote for people for your chief and counsel. Marina Crane (40:50.036) It's it's been here for a couple of decades in my community and it's been, you know, noted that we needed time to figure these things out for ourselves. A lot of other tribes, like I said, with the Sioux, they just automatically accepted everybody back because they didn't they weren't recognized as indigenous people in Canada until two years ago. So even Inuit and Metis, so for all those people who are pretending or think that they're indigenous, you know, smarten up buttercups. You're good if you have those records, you'll be put on the general list in Ottawa. However, if you've got enough courage to actually make application to be on a the a be belong to a First Nations, Inuit or Metis communities, you have to apply to the local leadership. And if you have relatives who live in those communities, then you have nothing to fear. And if you've been able to advocate for those communities and those communities know you, then you have no problem in being voted on. So that's the gist of it. If you like I said, I There there's just there's just so much in terms of matriarchy in Western Canada and and just how things uncovered when it came to those Indian residential schools d dissolving. Because you gotta understand the historical context of it is that Alberta had more Indian residential schools because of oil. a lot of the human trafficking and and all the disruptions in terms of even trying to get monies out of the province or the federal government's fiduciary obligation under the treaties, they've been trying to Marina Crane (42:41.196) pass it off to the province. And that's why you have this lawsuit with this recovery center, because it was the way of Daniel Smith passing off federal dollars that would come in from Ottawa to the province and siphon it to First Nations. When really it's a fiduciary obligation from the federal government. Now all this stuff, this paperwork and this trail of lawyers all understanding what's been happening is cause for concern and it's cause for concern for Indigenous people. Because all the the work and the effort to heal and have people understand what it is to to go through the healing process has been erased by by separatists. Or people who who don't understand the Indian Act or don't understand the history of Canada or even the history of Alberta or even the history of Calgary. So the importance of of why you are who you are and why the government is the way it is today i is all a result of of the colonial constructs called the Indian Act. which is a discriminatory bill trying to erase the status of indigenous people through the exploitation of indigenous women and their children, which again is is a fiduciary obligation to protect women and children by the federal government, which has failed miserably And again they projected onto First Nations as being inappropriate, that that we don't know what the hell we're doing because again they all they have to do is refer to the Indian Act because it's law. So for indigenous people to just change a law, this young woman has explained the process that you have to go through and even then when they want to put a wrench in it, it goes back in for an amendment. And it takes years to change. Marina Crane (44:39.98) So we're born into this systemic racist system. And the more young people understand, you know, like the origin of the Indian Act, the or the treaties first, the treaties first, Indian Act, Indian industrial schools, Indian residential schools, that's all grooming. It's all grooming. And and again, how well are we groomed? If if we can't even step back and look and say, there were no boundaries. I didn't know this. Yes, you can only plead ignorance for a certain amount of time. Then after that, who's accountable? And it it may s seem confusing to some people, but that's the reality of of what, you know, I've I've been born into. That's why when I say matriarchy, you you have to be born into it. you you know, you you live it, you breathe it, you taste it, you smell it. and and for the life of me, all the women who've come before me and are gonna be here even after I'm gone are still gonna try and help better better this structure, this law. Yes, you have provincial law, you have federal laws that non indigenous people and immigrants follow. But our law is under the Indian Act. And And you know, like this one young man, you know, says, you know, th we're fighting against the oldest the oldest monarchy in the world, one of the older monarchies in the world. And on top of that too, like the federal government has hundreds, thousands of lawyers. So, you know, right off the bat you know, we're we try we're trying to educate our young people and understand the systemic racism that has come and perpetrated its way from from the conquering and the exploitation of Native Americans, United States, it coming into Canada through oil money, just just to take land. Just to take land and like again, under under the King of England right now, we're we're r under treaty. Marina Crane (46:50.188) Which is different than Native Americans. So when you have Daniel Smith and these separatist people and even immigrants who come in from the United States or think American, no, we're not Americans. We're we're c a colonial construct with a ki with a with a king and a former queen. All for from the time of the fur traders. All that all that stuff. Because, you know, at one time Britain was a superpower. At one time the United States was a superpower. And I think it's really difficult for you know, for for we'll say white people or or people who who are colonialized or part of the settler state for for you know, to get the reality that you're your the the regime has changed. the the policies and procedures and the laws of of each government has changed. And just based on just in the United States it's based on a president, one man. W like they have they say the constitution and all this, the Senate and all that, okay? But but in Canada we have a king based on treaties and all this stuff. Do you know the United States' first treaty? The United States, when it became a country, the first treaty that they made was called the Jay Treaty. And that gave rights to to indigenous people from Canada to travel into the United States and live there. That's called the Jay Treaty. So when you're talking about breaking away and separating, who who who has more eligibility? It sure isn't colonizers, it's the indigenous people of the Americas. also validated in the J Treaty of the United States. And then from there we've got treaties one, you know, one, two, three, and we go on in Canada. and Native American people do not have treaty. They don't. They have elected officials that, you know, for some reason, out of the blue, like maybe they live to be fifty or forty or seventy. And just that those couple of decades, you know, they change they change the way people think and how they understand things. Marina Crane (49:10.166) Because there's no reference for the people that came before them. I said, Well those settlers, you know, scalping Indians, like, you know, all this stuff that I talk about in terms of my podcast on the genocide. Well, we're not responsible, they say. But yes, you're responsible now. you're responsible to take a look at at who is doing what and and and to what people. You know, I I I'm just really the the indifference of of of people towards people who've actually you know, their bloodline comes from the Americas. So with that I don't I don't think people get a total grasp of exactly you know, what country they're living in or the history of the Americas because it's been erased by by capitalists ways of thinking. So anyway, I just wanted to put that out there that there's this legacy of of people having laws or policies and how discriminatory they are in terms of fascism. Now that's for non indigenous women. who like white women or or other women of color who who do not fall under the Indian Act or like are not indigenous, that means Metis, Inuit or First Nations. There there's fascism. And that's the closest I can get to what the Indian Act is. But when you're afraid and you're saying, the you know, they're gonna change the way how women are how women are and who their what their rights are That that's that's scary. And yes, as a as I as an indigenous woman, like welcome to the club. But it but if it offends you that I say that and and you think I'm not putting some boundaries down and saying, No, I know I'm different. And if it offends you then then that's not my problem. But like I said, my whole life I've made friends and I've had to walk away from them. Marina Crane (51:26.56) And I think the greatest lesson I've learned in terms of culture or just the differences within each of us as human beings is our inability to put boundaries down. Now the greatest gift as a human being can give to another human being is is to state your boundaries. You know, to let to let the other person know how you feel. what you're capable of doing or not doing, what you're capable of participating in and what you're not capable of participating in. Putting boundaries down. Letting them know because in in the long long run of it, in my opinion, it's a blessing. For me, I get joy out of it that that I I've been respected in such a way that's that a boundaries are put in place for me, guiding me to understand that individual better. And again, for me, just being so so me. Again, I'm not pleading ignorance. I'm just saying I've I've had to walk away from friendships. again because I just you know just not assumed but it's the reality it's the reality that sometimes some people really are just just think so highly of themselves. Like it's so historical, even though they apologize and they say, yeah, this is systemic and all this the reality of it is that, you know, when when when it comes to being offended and I offend you, then then why did you want my opinion? Or why or why why did of did it offend you in the first place? See, for me, when when I'm talking when I was talking to when I was talking to a person who was putting boundaries down, they said, I can take care of myself. See, that's all this other individual had to say in in order for for me to not continue with my opinion. And but they didn't. And and because of that they weren't practicing their boundaries and because they weren't practicing their boundaries I got to see a really nasty part of them. Marina Crane (53:56.291) Which which is okay. It's just that I have to grieve over that. Like like it it's not like grieving isn't new to me. And and again too, like I said, right until the very bitter end, w until I'm six feet underground, I will be practicing boundaries and hoping that I don't have to walk away from from someone that I had hoped would be a lifetime friend. And again too, you know, by the time you're my age you get a you know, a small handful of people will always be there through thick and thin. and have known me since I was a child. It's important. I think sometimes in society, especially women, when you age and you're older and you lose connection to people who can actually see you see you because they've known you since you were a child. It's important in in terms of how healthy we are mentally and and how much people respect you because you you bring that knowledge with you about the relationships you've had with people you've known your whole life. Even women who've married into my community and and seeing them grow and and become grandparents and and seeing their children and their grandchildren. So though those are blessings in in the sense that that I'm grateful for. But I but I chose to come home from living in the States. There was some urgency or some reasoning, I know my late mother needed help. but but again to stuff that I needed to heal from I I I did I did make the effort. I have done the work. And as far as like people wondering who I am and trying to find out and learn from me, either you've done it appropriately or inappropriately. And for for those who have done it appropriately you will always be Marina Crane (56:09.89) you know, as I put Wachashta Vashteya. You know, or or just Vashteya. So so, you know, it's important. Boundaries are important. Boundaries help us learn who we are and who the other person is. And and it also helps us with our mission in this life. What is it here? What is it why are we here and what is our purpose in this life? So as I've listened to different podcasts from from, you know, different different young influencers, it's it's you know, it's important. So here's here's here's a a topic that she wrote. She says, although we only make up five percent of the population, the n two tho the twenty fourteenth National Task Force on Sex Trafficking and girls women and girls in Canada found that fifty-one percent of women and fifty percent of girls traffic hit trafficked in Canada are indigenous. Can you believe that? Even though the pop where the population only five percent of the Canadian population, we make up fifty one to fifty percent of people who are trafficked. And here's where it gets even more concerning. This is this young woman Seventy five percent of indigenous girls under the age of eighteen experience sexual abuse with fifty percent of those being under the age of fourteen. The extreme overrepresentative representation of indigenous girl women in trafficking, sex trafficking, as well as the prevail prevalence of gender violence points to a deep systemic problem. Now let's talk about the link between this and the foster care system. Now this is a young woman talking about this and this is why like for me when it came to my niece and when my brother was arrested and my nieces and nephews were put in the foster care system, I went to chief and counsel and I requested because out of the three only two were nation members ban list. On the ban list. Okay, that like th that's why I'm talking about S two. You know, when when when you're on the general ban list Marina Crane (58:32.45) Like the other niece was on the general ban list. But she wasn't she wasn't in she didn't belong to like she wasn't a voting member on any in any tribe i in the treaty seven area, even though her mother was from Treaty Seven. So that in itself there was no representation from the community she was coming from, whereas the other two were from they were actually on the nation for Sutina. So my request to get them out of the foster care system in the city and transfer them to Soutina was w again, I could do that, but not for my niece. Mot for my other niece who who was on the general ban list in Ottawa. So So she says, so we know that the foster care system in Canada has a source of major issues when it comes to Indigenous people, especially in the broader context when we talk about harmful policies from the federal government, from residential schools, the 60s scoop. It is now just evolving through the modern day child welfare system. That's why I'm saying we as Indigenous people need to take over the sovereignty of our child welfare systems. Because it's policy from the provincial and federal government that we don't have a pot to piss in. And if we do, it you have to be on the your com your the whichever indigenous community you come from, First Nations anyway or Metis community, that those leadership have a pot to piss in to get those children in their communities. That's how the system is str is is structured. And and again too if if they've been in the foster care system or they've been apprehended in the cities, like there I forget how many thousands there's over ten thousand foster children in the the tribe like in one tribe in Treaty Seven that are in Calgary. And the aver and again there's throughout the country when when children, indigenous children again, like I said, five percent and yet fifty percent or fifty one percent are trafficked. Marina Crane (01:00:51.788) And the average age is fourteen. And it's because though I that's my opinion and that and I'm adding to what this woman is saying and she says and because of that, it's a l it's leading into the root cause of those of these issues. For example, indigenous children represent less than eight percent of the Canadian population, but represent more than fifty percent of kids in care. Foster care systems is identified as a major pipeline to human trafficking, especially when it comes to kids that age out. of care without any proper support that they need. See Nietzsche Institute, that's N E C H I Institute, had curriculum, had programs to help children who were going to be aged out of a foster care system. Like for decades we've known there's been trafficking right from the get-go when when oil was discovered and and even then in residential school when those children were aged out at fifteen or sixteen from those institutions. They were given a bus ticket into Edmonton or Calgary. And who would be waiting at those bus stops? Pimps. So, you know, the Indian Friendship Centers were created to help to help these children and to help people who who were being victimized in those urban areas. Especially Regina was notorious as a child. Everybody knew that in Canada and still does, even even non indigenous people. Now this young lady goes which we are which we see in the number of children that have gone missing. There is often a link between them and their experience in dealing with child protection agencies or the foster care system. And survivors of trafficking have pointed out the link between them and entering the system that actually deni dealing with poverty over abuse. So again, like The whole nature. Yes, it was Indian residential schools and in the seventies the leadership said we needed to establish Nietzsche Institute. Now this what the hell? Sam Mureshi, who was appointed and was in cahoots and still is with Danielle Smith, as well as this leader of the Separatist Party and all this entourage of separatist people like hello, two hundred and fifty thousand signatures. You know, come on people, get educated here. Marina Crane (01:03:17.752) For decades and decades indigenous people have been we've been fighting to help heal our children and protect them. And you you then you get this woman elected into the province who shuts down all these programs, these programs that were fiduciary obligation from Ottawa that because Ottawa is trying to make sure the province deals with it, and what does that province do, especially Alberta wants to separate? Why? Because they don't want like hello. They're trying to they're trying to take take the the the money, the very the very milk from Mother Earth's tit called oil and gas. Okay, so this woman says entering the system, then actually dealing with poverty over abuse. So you here she says she's got a map and she shows of the disappearance of from 2010 to the present. And this map ca shows the outline of three major centers disappearing in the prover prairie provinces, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Prince Albert Regina Saskat Saskatoon Triangle. So when we talk about the disappearance occurring in these three prairie provinces, is it very important to note that the prairie provinces encounter the three, the top four provinces in terms of indigenous population. But this is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the statistics and how we actually dismantle this problem. But the imp imp emphasis on the foster care and child welfare system in general is so incredibly important because right now First Nations across Canada are asserting their jurisdiction over Bill C ninety two, which gives the nation the capacity to actually manage their own children. Can you believe that? Twenty twenty six A bill C ninety two is identifying that we need to manage our own children and that we've been fighting to do this, and how many senators and how many House of Commons, like how much of this cycle we've been circling over and over again? Because what we're a moneymaker, we're a moneymaker for foster parents, for psychologists, social workers that are not that are non indigenous. Marina Crane (01:05:44.579) Bless the hearts of those non indigenous social workers and therapists who actually give a shit. And for me that's far and in between. That's why I advocate for our own people to you like it like Nietzsche Institute. And and what did they do? They shut it down to try and privatize recovery centers. Eleven in the province of Alberta. W who was the structure that created that? Indigenous people. And what do they do? Now they're putting it, passing it off. As helping all other people under the privacy privatization of the Alberta government. Like, get it, realize it. You know, when you talk about injustices, we know we've been doing this since the closing of Indian residential schools. So this lady says that is why it is so incredibly important for that work to be treated delicately as a as a top priority and people sitting at the table that not just have experience with child welfare system but people with social work backgrounds but also people that understand the data piece that it bec the data piece of it because this is systemic. So when I talk about systemic systemic racism and dismantling and understanding colonial ways of construct, that's what I'm talking about. There are more people like myself who understand the system because we've been living in it for decades since we were children, ch teenagers, getting an education. Now she goes on to say there are multiple moving parts there that need to be addressed, but this is concerning. Why are Native Americans called Indians? So again, Bill C ninety two, it's the complexity of it and how it has been dealt with because it's so systemic. Like I said, there are there are people like like like she says that like say the si the sixties, indigenous people, like I I think in in terms of of Marina Crane (01:08:00.559) just how how people like farmers, ranchers, Indian she like I I don't know. What I'm trying to say is like it it it would be important that people understand where trafficking started and why it's so entrenched in in our whole system that's set up by the federal and provincial governments and that yeah just now we're getting this bill passed. How many decades? Like I said, twenty years ago, my niece fell through the cracks. Marina Crane (01:08:38.53) The only way I could express my concern was through my blog. And even then talking about traff trafficking and nobody wanted to listen. Because historically it's just taking for granted. This is you know, like where are the laws protecting the women and children? And and how is leadership responsible when they take that oath to protect the most vulnerable within the community, their fiduciary obligation. to to the monies that come in and how it's being spent. It's important right now, even with Sutana and this lawsuit, because we're we're making an the this chief and counsel is making an effort to, you know, establish establish who is responsible and the fiduciary obligation of money that comes in and this is trust money as well as well as money from Sutana that generates from revenue. And and and these these are concerns because this affects all indigenous people, both in the United States and Canada. So even though you might just think, it's an Alberta or Sutana thing, no. Everything and anything that happens within indigenous people affects has a ripple effect throughout every part of Indian country. Indigenous First Nations, Metis, all of that. So yes, it's important to understand and to be advocate, especially if you don't live in an indigenous First Nations Metis Inuit community and and you have a status card, it is important to be advocate. Be an advocate and as much as you do and the disparities of stepping on people's feet, the reality of how you have to deal with the systemic racism towards indigenous women when you want to work with indigenous people within First Nations in Witch or Metis communities. It's vital. And and you're gonna get criticized, you're gonna get death threats, whatever. You're gonna you're gonna experience that. how and why do I know? Because I I I haven't gotten death threats, but I sure have had a lot of gossip that that could have killed me, that could have really h that have damaged my reputation and and and even my my character. But yet I know who I am. Marina Crane (01:10:59.72) and I and I know the people I've grown up with here in Soudina. And and and again, I don't think I could do this podcast without really, you know, telling and having people understand that that, you know, it's important to to know who you are, to know your mission in life and the purpose that you're here, whether or not people want to listen or or deal with it or understand how I talk about certain things. And again too, you know, I'm pretty sure there are people who are listening to my podcast that are taking mental notes or actual notes and saying, okay, I didn't know this or yeah, I need to do that. But the reality of it is, you know, life isn't easy. you know, the it's it it's like I said, where would we be as women without men? And where would men be without women? So Setting boundaries down and understanding the complexities of healthy human sexuality is is vital to our very existence. You know, we like I've said before, we can shut it off. It's not like a lice light switch. So we go through the process of understanding boundaries. And and hopefully whatever trauma or way certain ways of thinking that makes you angry or resentful. or just i have emotional pain. it's important to feel that pain and to have a support system in place of people who will help you through that pain you're feeling. Again, that's why I I I continually admire the young women who we from the very young age at fifteen, having attended those Wa Weepie ceremonies and seen the injustice done to, you know, their friends. And how they've rallied for the past twenty years to understand themselves and others within their circle of friends, mm you know, peers. It's so vitally important to have that because it's part of a collective holistic way of healing and understanding what it is to be a healthy human sexual person with boundaries. as much as I praise them, and I don't know if they know how I feel about them, I I do put it on my podcast. Marina Crane (01:13:28.962) And every once in a while I will say, you know, to one of our leaders, we need to honor these young women. And and again to you know, when they're ready to be honored, it'll be nice. But again too, out of respect, you have to, you know, understand their boundaries as well. So anyway, I just wanted to put that out there. I I'm really grateful for all the things that I know about Europe, about the United States, about South America. I know there are so many other things that that I keep on learning about and and hopefully you know as I as I understand and try to to make made a point of what what is a pretendian and what isn't and why is why is it important for for people to understand, you know, that you're doing a disservice by pretending that that you've lived this experience when you haven't. Or or pretend that you're living it today when you really haven't. So if I offend people that way and you think that you are good friends with me, I see I see you. And and what can I say? You know, actions speak louder than words, and my whole life I've known so many white people. I don't chase after white people. I was talking to my cousin, I said, Y you know, this is the whole point. You you just don't chase after people for attention. I I I know when I see that I I know that it has it's it's on the it's it's stepping the boundaries of people. It's over it's crossing those boundaries. And and and that's why in my earlier podcasts about Nathan chasing horse and limerence Marina Crane (01:15:26.88) infatuation or the the the the moment that infatuation turns into limerance. See a lot of people who you know who believe they have this keynote or this theory or this understanding of limerence you know you're welcome to your own interpretation of how you see it and how you need to eliminate it or what it means to to be in limerance. And and for me, it it's a it's a little different than than when I say establishing boundaries because a lot of times when when people are attracted to people and they have this sexual arousal, they project it onto the individual as if that individual is is that love connection. But the reality of it is the critical thinking is the individual isn't isn't the person, it's the person Who you have memory of. So the more you focus on the original sexual arousal of of this this feeling, the sexual feeling that you have isn't on the person you're in limerence with. So even though you feel that, it it it's not real. And the more you know that and the more boundaries are put in place, the better off your relationship is with the person. of that you're attracted to. Because limerence sort of buggers everything up, bastardizes everything. Because you you don't have the capacity to separate illusion, delusion, or even in in terms of trying to find purpose in your life. I just I just hope and I just hope that that I I get to meet older white women who do have the capacity to put boundaries down. Marina Crane (01:17:32.3) Like that for me that that's a critical statement. That's a critical statement. because because I I do th I do truly believe that Daniel Smith is is incapable of having boundaries, especially with men who don't have boundaries as well. That's just my personal opinion. And and I know some women wouldn't want to even be put in the same category as her, but but the reality of it is yes, there there are s complexities when it when it comes to boundaries. And and with that I hope I hope women and men can understand and respect each other when it comes to those boundaries. So I hope my podcast isn't as boring as as as like I I would have thought it would be. But I'm gonna publish this and we'll see how that goes. And I don't want to change anything of this podcast. I I just wanted to put that out there so there's a little history to to these statistics that are out there when it when it comes to the way indigenous women are seen.

Historical context of indigenous struggle steeped in controversies

(00:01.474) Good afternoon. I'm you've been go going to play this TikTok video. TikTok play it's with Brandy Morin joined with Ryan Jespersen on Real Talk and they are discussing how okay, this is just on theirs this morning Brandy Morin says, I joined Ryan Jesperson on his show Real Talk. Here we speak about RCMP Commissioner to Canada recently responding to the First Nations in Alberta asking for an investigation into Premier Daniel Smith's commitment committing treason. The relationship is nearly severed. The separatist movement has eroded reconciliation and the threats constitutionally protected treaty rights. I say it like I see it, unprecedented. Ryan f he she thanks Ryan for the interview. So I wanted to play this because this is significant in the sense that a lot of new Canadians, a lot of immigrants or even people who've recently moved into the province of Alberta haven't known of the historical context of the Chiefs in Alberta. Now I for one, like I I'm not a politician, but I have participated in blockades, demonstrations, sit-ins, like throughout my whole life regarding treaty. And again, you have to understand to fight for treaty rights, we have to have a war chest. But we we're so in power we don't, okay, so we but we do have our sovereignty that we express. Now I I like this podcast and I I'd like you to listen to it because If you're new and you don't understand the struggles that indigenous people, Metis, Inuit, and First Nations have been struggling with, when it comes to acknowledging that we do exist, we weren't just found here five hundred years ago. I mean it's like it's like religiosity what they said the world was created in f seven days, or even the fact that the world started two thousand years ago. There's so many people who want to create a narrative without scientific facts or even talking to indigenous people or understanding the history. So I ba basically have said things in my podcast about just how interconnected a lot of these separatists have had with each other in Alberta, sort of holding hands with one another, you know, anyway. I'll play the I'll play the video and hopefully you know you get a gist of what I've been talking about. At the same time too, this investigative reporter is indigenous and like I said, I'm only one elder who's grown up in systemic racism. But I I will I will play this. I'm just trying to make sure I don't g have any interruptions when I'm as I'm doing this. So listen to the the podcast. Here it is. Privy to an interesting bit of correspondence and and we've been granted permission to show it today to reference it. This is this is a letter from the RCMP Commissioner, right? addressed on July seventeenth, so just a few days ago. addressed to Grand Chief Joy Pete, Chief Ellery Starlight, Chief Troy Knowlton and Grand Chief Trevor MacRity. for those listening on the podcast in particular that can't see what Johnny's showing us on the screen right now, this will be for YouTube, you can read it yourself, but the general premise of this is what? Why are why are the RC why is the RCMP interacting with these grand chiefs, these chiefs? Mm-hmm. Yeah, so in June the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs of Alberta passed a resolution asking for Danielle Smith to be investigated for treason by the RCMP and the Auditor General of Canada regarding, you know, her her her possible dealings with US officials in regards to these the separation and the legalities of it, you know, of pushing it while violating treaty rights. And just a couple of days ago, the RCMP Commissioner of Canada officially responded to the Chiefs and said that they are currently looking into whether to open an investigation. I I'm not like it's not my role or job to say where this would go or wouldn't go, and obviously I'm not a police officer an investigator. I wouldn't be You know, I I don't expect that there's gonna be that she's gonna be hauled before a court for treason on this, but but even if she's not, why do you think that this is so significant? I mean, it is the only time that I know of that any indigenous leaders have called for an accusation of treason against a, you know, provincial or government leader. So it's highly, highly significant. I mean. That just in itself, you know, sets this precedent, sets the table for how damaged these relationships really are and how you know the trust has been completely eroded. the premier has said that the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act would be enforced if chiefs block roads or infrastructure. You wrote about this back second week of June. People can read about it on your Substack. Why do you think that that was such a consequential statement from the Premier? Take us into this idea. Your headline, they're ready to arrest chiefs. That's a powerful headline. I mean, can you imagine? You have these sovereign leaders who have rights, who have territories, and they are planning to assert their rights. They are planning to do whatever that they have to do to stop. Alberta separation to stop the proceedings of this referendum. And and if so, they said, Okay, well, that might include blocking highways or infrastructure. When you think about it, that is also treaty territory. In response, Smith said, Yeah, okay, well, we have this critical infrastructure defense act, which was created, by the way, to you know, oppress mostly indigenous land defenders across this country. And she said, Yeah, we'll implement it. So, you know, these chiefs have been Threatening, you know, various actions for a while. This time, I took them pretty seriously. You know, they th there's treaty chiefs up in Treaty Eight, which Grand Chief McCarty, you know, is is the leadership over those highways block the engine that runs this country. You know, in Fort McMurray, the oil sands, there has been talk of them taking action there. Yeah, it's a big deal, but can you imagine? The chaos that would break up if these chiefs were on the line and being hauled away in that situation, you know, being arrested. But it it also, you know, you also have to think about the relationship between the RC and P and First Nations. And this is one of the arguments that the First Nations used when they wanted, you know, Danielle Smith investigated for treason because the RC and P have committed to protect First Nations and their rights. You know, would it be the RC and P out there arresting chiefs to you know, they decide to, you know, enforce this Critical Defense Act. Yeah, the I mean the optics are tough. and and I I I would personally just as a as an observer be very concerned about that heating up. in particular if you get almost that standoff between First Nations and separatists. W you've been made privy to an interesting bit of correspondence. So let me give you a little background too. When I was in my twenties, they had a standoff in in the southern Alberta regarding the dam, water coming it and this had to do with the Pecani Nation in Treaty Seven. Now at the same time there was the American Indian Movement and in the seventies John Trudell and a lot of American Indian movement people who the RC the Federal Bureau of the FBI like they had warns out for them. And they came up into Canada and and they there was a resurgence camp in Rocky Mountain House that a lot of activists went to and they lived off the land and so that's where I forget what his name is. He just got released from Florida penitentiary. he served like over fifty some odd years. during the stand of standoff at wounded knee. Now also, why am I bringing this up? Well because what, in t thir two thousand thirteen, two thousand fourteen, like what thirteen years ago, fourteen that was around the time my late mother was making her journey to the next to the next next world. And like there was Standing Rock were ten thousand people came to to support and camp, have an encampment. And people from all over the world came to protest the pipeline that was being built. Now the the reality of it is like it took decades, like at least over ten years of of the s of the Sh of Shotish Shakoi, the seven council fires of the Sioux nation to make this statement to to stand on their sovereign ground. And and again. you know, even people from Alberta went to Standing Rock to help in in this encampment. And there were and they had like the military and it was just, you know, water bombs and it was like it it was it was really huge. Now, why am I saying this and why is it important that the RC and P are looking into this investigation or the threat from Daniel Smith saying that she's going to arrest the chiefs of Alberta? like the arrogance of it that that that for all the gaga she's and du do that she's got herself into, like up to her neck in in in all of this. I I had recently posted too on my on like on my podcast too about just the connection. like how interconnected she like all these people who like in the lawsuit with Tsuutina, how they like people are getting on the bandwagon and whether or not what they're saying is the true is the truth, it's it's the reality that that this is like big news. And and rightfully so too because again like this investigative reporter said it's the R C and P is a federal has federal responsibility in terms of relationship with the indigenous people of Canada. So again, like I I'll read this. a sp a provincial judge has temporarily frozen up to eight point five million dollars in assets belonging to Alberta separatist lawyer Jeffrey Rath, and his professional corporation in an escalating court fight Over the trust monies from the First Nations Treaty Settlement Court documents state. On july tenth, Alberta Court of King's Bench Justice Marin granted an interim Marvilva Orda against Rath and Jeffrey R. W. Rath, professional corporation operating as Wrath and Company, finding reasonable grounds to believe assets could be removed or dispersed. Decipitated to before judgment in the court battle between Wrath and Tallcree First Nations. This order, this Mar Marvell order, also known as a freezing order, is an extr extraordinary prejudgment remedy intended to stop the defendant from transferring hiding or liquidating assets before the case is decided. so that any eventual financial award can still be c collected. The order freezes ex exhibit exit exhibity property up to eight point five one eight anyway it's millions. Eight point five million we'll round it up. And includes banks or investment accounts, vehicles, real estate property, personal property and shares. And also e exhibits the use of s secure credit, such as loans, line of credit, credit cards, if payment is secured against the property they have interest. So let's see. They the remain this remains in effect until July fifteenth when further hearings are scheduled. So Even like they s the timeline and the things that were published that I posted on my podcast is like what timeline two again with such an law the lawsuit. So understand this Marishi and t wrath less the leader of the Separatist Party, Wrath, okay, with tall crenation and sturgeon crenation in in treaty six. Now understand this too, that even It's documented that Malika Holmes or or this Mraiche have had some you know, just there's some gaga, you know, like in regards to money they've already spent in Kainai on the blood reserve. So there's a lot of people having their pockets in First Nations money that are connected to separatist party. Why? Because you know I mean do you trust people who stab people in the back? That's why I keep on saying I've grown up my whole life with white people, you know, who are pretend to be my friend, ally, cohorts, and then they stab me in the back. And and that's what Daniel Smith and these lawyers have done to First Nations. And like like again, this reporter, Morin, she's saying there there's a breach of trust. Like and and this trust isn't just like the working the catalyst that have been that has been powerful in helping our our people heal has taken decades, has taken generations of r survivors from Indian residential school trying to help our own people, like with Nietzsche Institute, which again, Sam Mraiche was instrumental in closing that institution down because they want to privatize h Alberta health. Understand that. They're taking a fiduciary obligation of the federal government for indigenous people, like they have like you say, you have a war chest. Well we also sp in the treaties there's a medicine chest. Now when when the federal government's fiduciary obligation, when they sort of try to shove us off to the province, we're going, No, you have a fiduciary obligation because you hold in trust billions of dollars. that was that's been accounted that's there because of our treaty rights. And so so for the the ch the indigenous people, First Nations, Inuit and Metis, this this is factual. So the fact that we've been fighting and doing like even here west of us on the Nakota, the Stonies, I don't know it was in the seventies as well or the eighties, they blocked the Trans Canada. Again, Because, you know, nobody was paying attention. So when when Brandy Morin talks about the the the road going to Fort McMurray being stopped and closed because it's running through the sovereign nation of of the Crees, that it's gonna be a big deal. And I'm only saying this because historically this is what we've been doing in Alberta. So this is no this isn't new to us, but if you're an immigrant or you're an American who's thought that Calgary is a really good place to, you know, put your colonial roots in. I'm just letting you know, we've been here for thousands of years. Not 500, thousands of years. Okay? So, you know, when when the chiefs are saying, you know, we're gonna we want she's treasonous. Why? Because she's taking money from Trump. Understand this is just conspiracy, but there's also word that she's been taking money from Putin. Now, Of course, Trump just idolizes Putin. what a great leader, and yet how dangerous is that man? And this is who allegedly Daniel Smith is in cohorts and friendly with. Again, how much can a person trust someone who stabs their allies in the back? She had she's had the chiefs wrapped around her little finger and Everybody's saying no, don't sign those papers. Especially this recovery center here on Tsuutina. Like each each tribe and each of us has has a voice. Okay, but here's here's the timeline like that has been brought down by by someone who just posted it again on TikTok. Now my podcast goes all over. I think the majority of people that listen to it are Japan and France and the States. And and of course there are some Tsuutina Nation members who do listen to me and people in Calgary do listen. But the timeline in twenty twenty five, Alberta Health Care Procurement controversies involving businessmen Sam Mraichi came to light through media and investigation. That's in two thousand and five. See and yet and yet the chiefs and the various leaders who who've been tr struggling to help their people with with monies that ha is a flu fiduciary obligation from the federal government has been piggybacked by the provincial government and the chiefs are trying to say no. This by doing this you're you're you're cutting back the funding that we've been fighting for for decades, like like Nietzsche Institute or like for the example of her trying to privatize we'll we'll say it's like a watershed. She has she has given out so much money to different communities where they have these little sheds, w medical sheds we'll call them for lack of better word, because it's a band aid. So if you want hi a knee replacement you go to these sheds and you pay and they'll you'll get into get your knee surgery faster rather than going through the Alberta healthcare system. This is what Danielle Smith has set up in in First Nations. Now, I'm just letting you know because you know, when you're thinking about people, settlers saying they want to separate, separate from what? Like in and that you're that you're really tired of struggling? When for when for us just fighting for a penny from our trust fund comes with such controversy. The timeline in December of 2025, the Globe and Mail investigated details Mraiche's deep ties to provincial health care contracts and Alberta politicians. And again, this is what I'm saying the the the spider web of c of the network. Now in my culture and and I again I've got to say that every tribe has a different creation story, different cultural story. different understanding of who creator is. Now in in my mom's culture, which of c I I've taken this on, is is the spider or the trickster. You know, because and and so, you know, the trick is creator teaches us, you know, that, you know, like when we when when something somebody tricks us, it's a learning lesson. So, You know, this is a a learning lesson. So again, like I'm trying to give you the the dots so you can you can use the timeline to collect connect all the da the dots and and how even like the native women's shelter, you know, being stacked with with non indigenous women who who whose ideology is American. Now understand this. I've grown up my whole life in most of my life in Calgary. I lived in the United States for over a decade. Al Calgary is the most Americanized city in all of Canada. So of course there's gonna be a lot of Americans living in Calgary because it's oil company. It's oil rent you know drenched in oil. The sweat right from the stampede, right from the initiation of the the four ranchers who helped s do this stampede historical And the connection with First Nations in Uwitten Metis communities. Like I said, it's historical. And yet and yet, as an immigrant who comes into Calgary, I think it was in the sixties to the seventies, they estimated ten thousand people were coming into Calgary to make Calgary their home. And I say this with distinction, because in Tsuutina we lost a lot of men. It was a cross cultural shock. because th our whole way of life was being challenged with people who didn't grow around grow up around white people. And so when I say like Tsuutina, we've been around white people, like for me, my whole life, whereas other First Nations and Uit Matic communities haven't been. And so this cultural shock of of trying to get y colonizers or or non indigenous people to understand. Our way of life and the way we think is totally different from you, but you're not listening. And as much as the chiefs have written this letter trying to to let people know something is fishy about this Daniel Smith in terms of tr treason. Treason is by getting money from another country, from a couple of c a couple of countries, okay? And that should be concerning, you know, because Why? You know, c maybe over ten years ago or so, like right now we're going through a heat wave. about ten years ago there was a huge snowstorm in North and South Dakota. This is before before Standing Rock, the encampment of ten thousand people. prior to that there was There was a a huge ho snowstorm and all the electrical poles on on the reservations, the Sioux reservations in both North and South Dakota were were were just knocked down by the heavy snow. No electricity, the indigenous people there had you know were there there was no way to even get out of their driveways. But the US government even send the National Guard to help? No. It it was all over the world, like, my goodness, look at what they're doing to the indigenous people in North and South Dakota. Okay, when we're talking about sovereignty and humanit humanitarian rights, the US government sent their National Guard to a different state. Now, even you look at the governor of the Dakotas, who was hired by a company in BC. I think they they fired her, okay, because what? She created all the these ice, these concentration camps with ice in the United States, and then the BC get this one company in in BC hires her? Again, what are people thinking? That she has some sort of strategy to fight with indigenous people because of that pipeline that's gonna go through? You know, and all this c this stuff about the pipeline to get gas oil flowing. And yet you look at the climate. You know, when you live in a city and you turn on that water tap, where the hell do you think that water's coming from? In the northern part of Alberta, I worked there when I was twenty-nine. the money was good. I think it was seventy-five dollars an hour, even eighteen year olds were making. But the tar sands and the amount of water that they use to get the oil extracted out of the earth, the the trees are so brittle. People the indigenous people living living in the those boreal forests have to at least drive an hour out to get to get tanks of water to bring back in. Because the groundwater has been sucked up by all this producing oil. For what? For the United States? To drive cars so we get this climate? You know, the United States has a lot of gumption when it comes to How they're polluting the earth because of why. They you know they they don't know where water comes from. All these data centers draining water. What three, four years ago China was putting their data centers in the oceans to self-regulate so that it wasn't going to drain any water from their lands. You know, and people say, well, there's a shift. Yes, there's a shift. United States isn't the world power that people know that they put in positions of power. These old men who who don't even have a grasp on healthy human sexuality. That like it's this disgrace. It's it's laughable. It's sad. It's sad that they live in this illusion or delusion of how grand they are when they really are creating a lot of horrible things just with in terms of of trying to make keep their narrative going at at the expense of what? Do you know how many like there's so many the greatest country of missing children is the United States. I mean, you even look at Epstein and all that network with all these people. You know, that's why when I talk about our former chief and the the crimes that he's committed, and even now being mentioned in this controversy with Malika Holmes and Samareshi and and the lawyer Terry Braun. You know, it it's hard because you know, the these people were voted in and they established relationships with people in my community. So it's a very hard pill to swallow. Like I said, people stabbing people in the back. Again, tricksters. But we learn from these things. We we have to. Because because our children depend on it. Our grandchildren, seven generations. And see, in in April of April seventh two twenty six, the MDP party demands the just justice minister Mickey Amray be fired over his personal ties to Mraiche citing conflict of interest concerns. Now even that in the in in in the editorials that I've been reading, you know, this Sam Mraiche says, I was just you know, it wasn't professional c consultation. It was just matter of fact, you know, just putting in my two cents like hello. If if there's people if there's a paper trail it's documented my boy or Mr. Sam Mraiche. I don't know the guy. I anyway, it j it sickens me. So again on July fifteenth, Tsuutina Nation files a lawsuit in Alberta Courtss of King’s Court of King's Bench against the former lawyer over thirty si thirty five bil million provincially funded recovery center deal. Provincially funded, get that, okay? For decades, for decades when it came to treatment centers and even developing curriculum, workshops, certificates, graduating First Nations people with an First Nations run institute, Nietzsche, that was that was funded by the federal government and the federal government trying to cut down and and and put put this on the province, and you get somebody like Sam Boreshi closing it down. So yes. All this interconnectedness, like look at even the women's shelter. I was on the board before they even built that center on McLeod Trail. And I know all the the women who were trying to fundraise, you know, because it's a it's what United Way. And again, who who's who's putting money into United Way? The Alberta government? And why is the Alberta government playing polic political football with minorities in the city of Calgary? Yes, minorities from Africa and India and Japan and China, like South America, like where wherever the minorities have come through to Al Calgary and they apply for nonprofit monies for their community associations, that you have this Daniel Smith. putting her cohorts es especially with the f the native women's shelter those women so Americanized. So that money goes to them rather than other nonprofit. They're pitting like a political football back and forth against minorities against each other. And so, you know, when a minority says, Marina, can you come and talk? T tell us about the history. Because we we haven't been taught this when we come into Canada. And then they see the systemic racism in the hospitals of the police. All this, and this is coming this isn't coming just from uneducated immigrants. This is is coming from people who have their PhDs who are highly educated immigrants. Okay, so this isn't something that I'm fabricating. I'm I'm letting pe I'm letting you know that it it's this this Danielle Smith and the divisiveness that she's doing to create conflict. She's not in she's not in any position to or have the skills to resolve conflict resolution. I mean, yes, she's got lawyers. Shit, that doesn't mean they're there to resolve conflict. They're shit disturbers. Okay, so that who are the players? Well, of course, Tsuutina Nation, Terry Braun, the former lawyer, Chief Roy Whitney, Sam Mraiche, Mickey Amry, and then the Democrat Party who's trying to, you know, be allies with First Nations, nuit and Metis communities. So what what does Tsuutina allege that the Recovery Center contract was soul sourced not competitively tender tendered. Okay, and and and again, you know, I've I've heard rumors within my community and I said, well I don't know. Like even our health center had to be stopped. Again, who whose tenure is it? The all the connection leading to Roy Whitney and his family. And and understand this, Roy Whitney's had his clause with his own personal company, with his family Traveling across Canada, selling oil you know, selling the praises of Embridge, like to Kitamaat BC. Anywhere. Okay, and even the the money, like he's taking money not out of his pocket, but out of our banned funds. Now that's just I'm not like I I I know, because I live here, I haven't received any money my whole life. Even the house I live in, this isn't this wasn't given to me. This was I inherited it from my mother. You know, the the whole reality of like brown nosing, you know, if you have a company and you're and you obey and bow down to the chief, you get contracts. Or was somehow he uses medicine men or spiritual people as a political tool, and that he wants the followers of these medicine people, these spiritual s f again, fraudsters in my opinion, to to gain a f foothold in the elector electorate. I mean people say, Well why do you harp on Nathan Chasing horse twenty years? Twenty years what the hell? People didn't even talk to me You know, and and after like as the decade as the years go by, five years I hear different things. You know, people want to create controversy too, especially in our leadership, when all this is happening. And and I and again that's part of lateral violence. I have no control over it. Nobody has that, because it's a it it it it's in every community when it comes to to looking after our mental health. So and also allegedly project invoices and costs will show possible inflated prices, duplicated billing and other financial irregularities, like what, they pay half of the thirty five million to Malika homes when they only did ten percent of the work? And even where they put the recovery center where they're building it is in a bog. They have to build a cistern for water. Now that that to me to me I'm going who who did the what they call it when you do when I was director of education we had a feasibility study, that's what it is. Who was the company that did the fucking feasibility study to show that that wasn't a good place to put that recovery center? And who got that money? Again, here's again, allegedly, you know, the sources like it's was noncompetitive. So when hearsay and you hear it and say, well there's no competition, I'm going you know, you you trust leadership to to be prot to be to fulfill their fiduciary obligation. Not not you know, not suck on the the the tit of our our our financial funds. You know, because it it it it's it's a snowball effect. We get our funds from the cr from the tr our trust fund. We have to say, Mother may I? or f or or c or the king now. Father, may I? You know, and I use the example of like Brittany Spears. She her parents had to do become trust. And so that she has to, you know, like can I spend my money? You know, when when people say, you you live above taxes, no, this is our trust. Because you're living on you whatever municipality you are on, that used to be Crown Land. So do your research Like even in Springbank before, that was all crown land. Everything and anything around Tsuutina Nation or in Southern Alberta or even in the province that has been negotiated for municipalities, even even the electrical poles going through, roads, has all been been in consultation with the treaty the treaty obligation of the province with the prov with the First Nations of Alberta. All that is historical. It's documented in every tribe, First Nations, Inuit and community nation communities. This is what we're fighting for. For again, allegedly, the formal lawyer failed to act in the nation's best interest be re be like again, the fiduciary obligation, like where was it? a businessman and former chief had disclosed roles and potential personal benefits. Again, this per this this chief is is Roy Whitney. And again, his whole life. You know, when I went to high school with him and and he had white kids asking him if he was from Tsuutina he says, No, I'm Mexican. You know, his father used to wear makeup to make himself look more white. and again, I'm that's not just o only one family. There were a lot of people who were ashamed to be indigenous. Didn't want to wear the fringes or attend sweats, nothing. You know, my late uncle, he passed away when he was thirty-five. Like I said, there was a huge amount of men who died during this huge influx of people coming into Calgary. My father and my uncle were one of were two of them. you know what what can I say? He my uncle wore three braids. You know, there are certain families, like my brother says, this investigation isn't gonna touch our family. And I s and I said, because we don't get anything. You know, and for me that I've grown up here my whole life, never married, never had children, like and and again, if I did, I I they would probably used against me in lateral violence if I d wasn't compliant or complacent. but again too, I haven't been I didn't fill that role. That's not who I am. And I I said I said to my family member, I said, No, but look, the chief and counsel paid for our niece's medical bill. And that's controversial because there are other people who are in the dire straits, who need who need help, but the chief and counsel have made this mandate. No, we're not going to enable the way the former leadership did. And again, too, all that was based on colonial ways of thinking and how to keep you know your followers voting for you. so again, all these people like Mraiche, his representatives, Even like when I talk about Roth and him being a lawyer, Daniel Smith, like all of them. They're just you know, like they they they're admitting no wrongdoing. What? What did Daniel Smith say to the chiefs of Alberta? Check yourself. Like how many damn times like I mean I could okay, the word F. How many times have I been around white people, especially white girls? You know that I or or other people who wanted me to help them with a subject in school. And and and they they get good they get a grade and the next thing they do is like, okay, you're nobody. You're s just a stupid Indian after I helped them. Like I I've been around pretendian allies and cohorts my whole life. The tricksters. And I've had to learn from that. So so if I offend anybody Like you all know somebody, you know, everybody knows somebody who stabbed somebody in the back. And you know how you've had to recover and how you've had to trust people. And and so, you know, even even with our our membership venturing outside like Lance Many Wounds, he says, you know, I lost twenty two million, but I had good investors. like for him to take on so much criticism for our nation to defend the fiduciary obligations of our leadership when some of our own council, our own former counselors, like how much money have they spent with no reporting back to us how that was spent or what they've done with it. You know, I'm I'm an elder. the only kudos I get is being invited into the city to talk. I don't get invited well just recently I I have been invited to sit in and talk as an elder. But the majority the majority of times is like, no, I'm not a favorite to any any of the chief or band counselors. So in previous leadership, when somebody's going to Ottawa, they'll take an entourage of elders. Okay, I'm I've never been a part of that. Never. And yet what? is it because I have a stinking way of thinking? Or is it because like I'm just a crabby old bitch? Or or why? Am I so fucking jealous? You know, all the lateral violence and even like the audacity for even s you know, Sutan Nation members to to write on anonymously of alleged corruption in terms of this new chief and counsel, when when it's when i e even in the dialogue or the email doesn't even look credible. Like like for me, I'm just grateful that that I I've had experience with people to you know, sending me stuff like that about people, especially when it came to Nathan Chasing horse, whether or not they were fabricating stories, I was able to collaborate. Like I do really I I'm I'm really grateful that I could collaborate that when people were not being factual because of just the connections I've had. But. What can I what can I say? Like I said, all this in in terms of just Tsuutina First Nation, we haven't even like I can talk because I'm from here. But I c I can't even imagine like just the reality of what's happening out there with the Chiefs. I I don't know their financial statements or anything like that. The only thing that I I do know is that throughout history in Alberta, when it comes to to blockades, when it comes to sovereignty, and when it comes for us to stand our grounds, we have done it. We have shut down the Canada the Trans Canada. The the one that goes right from Calgary to BC. We shut that down. Now all this, if they shut down that road going to Fort McMurray, like what what's that gonna be like? You know, they say, well, you know, like there's the R C and P well the R C and P now is investigating investigating Danielle Smith and all her courts. This this paper trail, this money trail. Like my like my childhood friend says to me, Marina, the Globe and Mail or any newspaper and even C B C they would not publish anything unless they had lo lawyers to consult. You know, because they're not gonna just chase after a story out of hearsay. That's why For me, I'm just voicing my opinion and anybody who sends me email or anything, I have no lawyers. And obviously they don't have any lawyers. I'm just going by my gut feeling and saying, look, this is the protocol and how la how law is and the evidence that you need in order to to report a sexual assault. Or or the for that matter, if you know, it's gotta come from the victim's mouth, not by hearsay, by anybody. 'Cause it's a learning process and the and it's a healing process. And the reality of just how horrible and how deviant sexual behavior is, not just in indigenous people inuit First Nations Metis. It's it's all over the world. It's all over the world, and that's why when this young white woman, bless her heart, yells out to Danielle Smith take your fascist pancakes. It made, you know, like she b she's become a trend a trend, a social trend, a meme, they call it, right? Just like when that Buffalo k tossed that elderly man, it became a meme. And I don't mean to make it sound like any blockades or anything that the chiefs of treaties of of Alberta are gonna become memes. I'm I'm just saying that from my own experience and my understanding of how hard it's been For the people who came before me to sacrifice how their hard-earned money, their hard-earned work, they're they're at the front lines. I mean, my mother would do home visits and dogs would attack her and she'd still go. She'd still go and talk to people about alcohol and drug addiction. The very foundation of Nietzsche and the mental health. Like all everything and anything that anybody does isn't perfect. It isn't. I've had controversy my whole life. Even when I helped my mother establish the first D detox treatment center in Tsuutina, the board who was Tsuutina didn't like it. And so they sent people from Nietzsche and those two consultants, they were they were womanizers. The the one guy like they I had my aunt come with me down to the International Hotel downtown because this one guy wanted the two men wanted to interview me in the hotel room. I get there making sure my aunt Is in the lobby, and and the guy sends his his cohort out and he's and he starts making a play for me. Why? Because of lateral violence, whatever gossip people had created about my sexual life? For what? I voluntarily did the work to do all the budgeting, investigation, research. to get th that money over I forget how many how much money I w was able to get. And again too, all this has to do with the federal government and monies trying to help like because it's a fiduciary obligation. It it it's the responsibility of the federal government. So that's why like even when people say, yeah, there's a nude beach on Tsuutina, they don't even say Tsuutina, they say Calgary. And I'm going, No, that's Tsuutina. That's that's land under that's still debatable, that's still Tsuutina. And yet you're saying it's Calgary? And then I get I get mansplayed by some Yahoo telling me that I I don't know like I'm so uneducated and I don't understand you know, like this is a municipality and we have a right to have a nude beach. And he says, I don't even go to that nude beach. And I'm going, why are you even making it an issue? Everybody knows this is Tsuutina land. This is Crown Land. You have no say on it. If you you're complaining, get a lawyer. You know, I mean the whole the whole idea is that for me and I hope a lot and I and I I'm really hoping people are listening, immigrants, and especially if you're from the United States. But you understand this. My whole life I've had to fight. Calling me wagon burner, bitch, whatever. Even even in school at university, having, you know, little little graphic notes left in the printer for me to see. Burn in hell bitch. Stealing stealing my my educational material from my own studio. Like like even even you know just the whole nature of me standing my ground. You know, the controversy of what I've done in terms of raising the red flag about Nathan Chasinghorse is nothing. It yes, it's part of the whole systemic racist con construct that I was born into. But damn it, I had really good parents and good grandparents on both sides. You know, and I've had a lot of people who I've grown up with, who have helped bury, who had strong voices, who were educated and smart, intelligent. And for you know, whatever we struggle with in terms of our addiction, our central nervous system, our human sexuality. We're human. We're human beings just trying to get along in this world. And with this world being so small now. Eight billion people. That's why, you know, every second we live is precious. Because any second an atomic bomb could explode. Let's just say one explodes, all of a sudden three others explode in the same area. The the impact of that on our environment is similar to asteroid hitting us that wiped out the the the the dinosaurs. Like ev even the whole construct of even how that happens. Like we we think we're so advanced We think we're so fucking advanced that if you know, an atomic bomb came that you know, just like Israel has this dome, that the United States has this invisible dome that if anybody threw an atomic bomb in the United States that you know, like they'll they'll they'll f they'll deflect it off into the atmosphere. That's bullshit. You know, all that anybody has to do, like if Putin really wanted to cause shit in the Americas, all he has to do is get an atomic bomb at at what they call that, Yellowstone National Park with old faithful. Any country, any world country that has an atomic bomb that wants to destroy the United States, that's all they have to do. Super volcano. That volcano will erupt will it'll reach as far north as me. I like right now with the smoke here and how I'm trying to struggle just to to be alive. You do you know in Europe o people over the age of seventy have died? Over ten thousand people have died from this heat. And here we are, you know, just like we have this woman in power because she's got all these cohorts that have been there again, who is really running Alberta? Just like you look at the United States, who's really running the United States? I'm telling you, when when the Chiefs say, you know, charge you with treason, show the money trail. Has the money trail come from Putin? Trump's hero? Think about it. You know, does does does Putin really want to send an atomic bomb to Yellowstone? Think about it. This whole dominance of the world and and trying to get control over people people's lives, people's livelihoods, people just wanting to live because you feel like you're a super superman in the Marvel Comics or something that you're the n the second coming of Christ. I mean, geez, when you have a leader in the United States having artificial intelligence creating a facade of how powerful he is. You know, it's it's incredible that that the United States has fallen so far from I shouldn't laugh. I was twelve years old, I think, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And and the fact is, like, if he wasn't assassinated, what the world would have been like? Especially when they were trying to stop Israel. And and look at look at the c the claws that Israel Israel has in the United States and around the world. You know, I mean, you can say whatever you want if you're Catholic or Muslim. you know, or or just a spiritual person or atheist, whatever. You know, it's it the reality of how powerful and influential a leader is. My mother said that when they announced in the market square that John F. Kennedy was assassinated, she says, all the Indians just fell to the ground and started n kneeling and they were praying, you know, bowing their heads down to the ground, praying that the atomic bomb wouldn't be dropped on India. You know, when when I that was when I was around like I said, ten, twelve. because, you know, I mean when when people say, Well Marina, you know, were you ever ashamed to be indigenous? Look, I'm grateful that my father and mother went to Machu Picchu in South America and saw all the poverty, all the like the the just the filth of how you know people were living and and just the chaos. Like it I mean again, you know you have everything happening now, and this is like fifty years of progress. Fifty years of progress is nothing compared to the lost civilizations of Machu Picchu, of Egypt, of China, all over the world. And yet here we are, supposedly civilized and quite advanced, thinking, what what a good human being I am. And yet the whole concept of evolution it has been just denied as if you know you have a religion that's going to go through this metamorphosis of human evolution when really it it's individuals all over the world that are evolving. I always talk about collective and holistic ways of approaching like we're in an ant pile. And that's where we're coming that's where we're going to in terms of evolution. This whole network of the world being so small and there are eight billion people. And how we just network and how things that happen shifts everything in the population, the way we think and how we digest information and and what we produce from the information that we were given. Now that's why I talk about childhood and teenagers and development, human development. A lot of My understanding of human development starts at a very young age and a lot of the perversion and the problems with behavior in in terms of not spotting people, not identifying people at a very young age. who whose fault is that? Whose fault is it? We're all tribal people. And every society, every walk of life has had those safeguards. in their in their cultures, in their communities. So when people look at indigenous people and think of us as like, like why didn't they know? How come this lasted so long? It didn't last that long. Look at Trump. He's what, eighty? It it it you know it's not something that just evolved overnight in or in ten years. This is every human being is an evolution. of a behavior that started when they were in as children. And the consequences of who they are and what they are or what we've become is is our responsibility, our own fiduciary obligation to ourselves. But at the same time too, I I want to reiterate this thing, patriarchy. You know, h I took art history and you know like I I grew up seeing my My grandmothers. That's those are my mom's aunties and my dad's aunties. I saw the matriarchy. I saw how they took care of of my mom and my dad. These are matriarchs. And and just the whole notion of women raising their children, like by age five. You were set in stone. I am set in stone. My name was Hapon. I'm the second oldest in my family. When I went to school at age five, I had a white woman looking down at me as a child, a baby, telling me that my Indian name was Hapan and my Christian name was Marina. I was already set in stone. It was my character, my whole personality was already set. So that's why I try to look at immigrants and and people that I've never met. And I know whatever culture you've come from and all the po what do they call it? protocols of your culture, those have been there to protect women and children. As diverse and as un misunderstood as it is for everybody, it's the reality. We're evolving. We have to. We have to because if we don't we're gonna we're we're not gonna last. And and for me, when people ask me things like that, I'm going, no. Like my white friend She's always saying, I wish Trump would die, and I'd say, Don't say that. Or or somebody says, Well, I I wish that that guy that you like, I wish his he would divorce. And I said, Don't say that. I said, you know, don't say things like that, because that's you know, those are hung prayers. You you don't want to say think bad about other people. So again, you embrace whatever thoughts you have. Talk to creator and the grandfathers and grandmothers in in why you want that embraced, that energy embraced. Because you're embracing humanity. And then again, you want to release whatever is holding you back or whatever people had thought. And you know, because you don't want that energy to come to to your friend or to yourself. So you say like I release it. So whatever struggle what it what they call it now,when you're really struggling, you know, though those are the those are what I'm saying. We we all have moments in our lives where we're really struggling. And for me I'm just grateful that I've lived in a life that that my struggles have been manageable. a lot of a lot of children haven't done that. And like My childhood friend says, Marina, there are thousands of indigenous children. Thousands and like I talk about children in Gaza and I look at my own parents and my grandparents, my great grandparents, and I I look at the genocide and I'm saying d I'm the voice. I'm the product of this genocide. And and look at how I'm I'm trying to use my voice. This is after how many years? Five hundred years? You know, like I'm seventy four. you know that what was my great grandmother? How many years of colonization, you know, again, you know, in the eighteen hundreds, even the seventeen hundreds, when most of the land of the United States was still indigenous. Like how fast does fifty years go by? It's a drop in the bucket. But yet look at what's happened. You know, our forests are on fire. our our the majority of the population doesn't really give a damn about driving a car or polluting the earth or or living off the land or even farming or you know, just you know, the amount of money that I could have saved if I had planted my my garden is phenomenal. And that's just me because the prices of food is outrageous. And and again it's gonna get harder and and again there are going to be people who are going to be struggling. Just to make the rent, mortgage, whatever. I I know. You know, I have family members who don't live in First Nations, Inuit, Metis communities. Like I'm saying, off the land. Because like look at Calgary, there's what, forty thousand indigenous people from across Canada living in the city. So, you now, people who are immigrants, y you you've met people like myself. And hopefully at as each new generation comes comes to fruition. That that this history and this legacy of just how dynamic the civilizations in the Americas were and still are. Because when shit hits the fan, what happens? This pile of ants come together to rebuild their ant pile. Talk about evolution and what spirituality means. These things have been handed down for thousands and thousands of years. And you know, whatever product we did have, especially the great Sioux Nation, the Oshati Shakoi, the seven council fires of the Sioux Nation, and the rituals and protocols that that represerved and created a huge bloodline, a unique bloodline. Who who did this? Our ancestors, our grandfathers, our grandmothers, creator's will being done for everybody. That's that's who who you know moves us. That's who gives us direction so that we move together as one organism. It's evolution. If we if you can understand that and you get the gist of it, and you understand like when you have somebody trying to throw a rock into a calm pond, a calm water, then you wonder wh why was it created that way? So yes, Daniel Smith is the rock in the quiet cave pond causing ripples and and there's Wrath and Mraiche, Malika Holmes, all of these constructs. And I'm pretty sure there are other people that that are deal like other minorities who are dealing with different lawyers and different connections with this province to privatize Alberta health care. That have affected minorities, not just First Nations anyway, or Metis communities. It's called systemic racism. So I hope like I said, the majority of people who listen to me, some are from France, some Japan from Japan, a few from India. Not India. Well yeah, India too, but most like I'll say the United States. And and if and if I can do a podcast that makes sense to you and g gets you thinking about exactly what it is and who we are as as we're all related. There's this connection with the whole world. And I don't know if even if people are ready to even hear it. 'Cause it it's taken me a lifetime. A lifetime of a lot of you know, distrust, people stabbing me in the back. But for every tricks trickster I've learned something. And and that's why I say don't give up hope. If you've been traumatized and and you feel like you just don't want to walk this earth, there there are invisible helping hands out there and I hope my voice is an invisible helping hand that sort of connects you to other invisible helping hands and creates a ripple. So that being said, I'm just grateful for this day and I'm just grateful I have an air conditioner. I shut I shut it off once in a while. I just put it on a little bit to cool and then I'm back into the heat. So stay healthy. Keep hydrated, wear sunscreen, wear a hat. If you have an umbrella, and and if you're over 70, wear a mask. Okay. I just wanted to share that TikTok with Brandy Morin. She's on YouTube and the same with that fellow that she that she was talking with. what's his name now? I didn't put his name down. Okay, but anyway, that's I I know I'm gonna go on and on and on, and I have the tendency to do that, which again I'm going, no. but let's see here. come on. Okay. As a matriarch, I know I'm going over my hour, but this again too was was is part of why I do what I do. From displacement to resurgence. Understanding the historical impacts and displacement of colonized colonialism on indigenous women. This is for all you immigrants or Americans in the United States who deny matriarchy. Egalitarian societies, the traditional roles and status of indigenous women. That's one period. Another period that came in was trade, kinship, betrayal, indigenous women in the fur trade era. Okay, another period. Treaty era. The exclusion of indigenous women from negotiations. Another one, Indian Act era, the legislation discrimination and its consequences. Like again, you know, women could not marry who they wanted. They'd lose their status. They'd lose every connection. You know, they died because they didn't have They're matriarchs to help in in childbirth or even child rearing. Modern era, advancing women's rights and ongoing challenges. So, you know, the the whole reality of women, like just the historian of of leadership and strength from like indigenous people, indigenous women. That's why like even when you have women from all over Talking about lateral violence and just what they've lost and why why people are so bitter to each other because of this legacy, these different periods of of how we evolved to who we are today. It it's not it's not something fabricated out of a Wild West show or a circus or you know, travelling medicine man selling snake oil. you know, these things that have happened. Like I said, my one of my great grandmothers she she died when she was being attacked and she was pregnant. She fell on her knife. She was fighting. Understand this. There were women who fought in the battle of Little Bighorn. Indigenous women. You know, even J Japan they had samurai, female samurai. I don't know why the world cannot see indigenous women as being strong. you know, I know I've been around women who have when it comes to family violence have beaten up their spouses. No, all all that, like there there's so much to like even hunting, you know, like the whole the whole nature of getting the state of Minnesota, all the indigenous people out of there. Lincoln, you know, put out a a bounty on Sioux Heads. you know, they created a town in South Dakota just strictly for were bounty hunters. And those bounty hunters were their favorite target were women, pregnant indigenous Sioux women, where they would kill the Sioux woman and gut the baby out of her and and scalp the baby as well, so they'd had two scalps. Yeah, a town was made like that. But do people know these things? I did an art show at the Glenbow Museum with regards to the thirty eight Sioux men who were hung, and the vest that one of the Sioux men had beautiful beaded vest. He gave to a jailer, so the jailer could give him some tobacco so he could prepare for his death the next morning. So that that that vest is at the Glenbow and there was a millionaire who bought all these indigenous artifacts and c sort of legacied it to the Glenbow. Okay, and part of them too w was this huge panel of of canvas, huge roll of canvas, probably ten feet and I don't know how many feet a long. wide and everything. And and that canvas traveled, there were various canvas rolls they traveled throughout the United States and Canada at different rodeos, white rodeos, white carnivals, where they would churn that canvas and you'd see the depiction of the what they call the savage beasts. Like how how uncivilized we were, even in terms of cannibalism. my goodness, you know, white people, use your history Greeks what do they say? They sat th they they ate people. The Greeks ate people, like y w what the Path Parthenon. Under under all that there's a there's a child that they ate. They buried it buried the child under under that that temple. Throughout history. You know, again, say what you weigh, there there's different factions and people all over the world having different l little, you know, whatever things that they did in life. This is part of the human condition. But the reality of it is like they they took this and they they really did it to take the land because again divine destiny, unless you're religious, they you you don't own nothing, you're not civilized, so we can take whatever away from you. And they use that as propaganda throughout the sev the what, the eighteen hundreds. So, you know, things like that, propaganda and then even now with Daniel Smith asking the chiefs to check themselves. You know, throughout my life I I I I repeat again, I've had white friends that I've helped in studying, helping them like in study groups who stabbed me in the back. And and when I challenge them, it's that same narrative. Go check yourself, Marina. You have anger problems, you have issues. Like it's such an easy cop out. It's such an easy cop out to not be able to stand up to my challenge. To not to not s stare to not be with me. To not to not share space with me. Like it's only w convenient for you. And yet when shit hits the fan and I I need to be you need to be there to bear witness with me the injustice. That that the majority of people cannot do that. So Wachashta waste, the only person in my life who has stood beside me to bear just in the injustice of Nathan Chasing horse. Like I tried to do my podcast to say like this is how bad it is for decades and even after Nathan was arrested, just to try and have someone Stand with me to bear witness that this was an injustice. So yes, I'm gonna do my podcast. Yes, I'm gonna talk about things that happened in my community. And if I can and influence people to continue fighting for for your right to have a opinion, to have a voice, and to help you heal in that process, then then I'm grateful. Because If I couldn't do this, that means I'm not grateful for the ally and cohort who bore witness with me. I know he he he makes comment he made comments with me and I said, I understand. But what I was trying to say is like I I understand what you're doing for me. You've done this for other people. You bore witness to injustice of other people. This is a great thing you do, I said to him. I'm just really grateful that I had the opportunity to talk to him this way. And so, you know, hopefully with my podcast that you're listening from whatever parts of the world you're listening to and understand that that being a cohort and an ally without stabbing the individual in the back means you follow you follow right from the challenge of being like like what they call it conflict resolution. That's a challenge. Agreeing to disagree and agreeing to participate. And then and then to to s you know, s whole space. It's one thing to hold space, but then when when you you're being critical and and and saying, well try this and if they it and if it's offensive and you back away, then then what are you doing in terms of bearing like bearing witness to the injustice? It it all plays a whole impact into how a human being thinks about who they are and what they represent. So there are good people out there from different countries, different walks of life. I I I know it's been a hard road for me. Because I just didn't see anybody doing that for my parents or my grandparents. As much as they named Crow Child Trail after my grandfather, you know, it's it it you know, I I I try not to to say anything when I go to meetings with immigrants. But as soon as I say who my grandfather is, all of a sudden the narrative changes. So I I try not to say anything. I I just know I just know it's been a long, long road of healing that I've had to go through. And and for all my siblings and cousins, like they just being there I'm not when I talk about collective and holistic ways of doing things. that's what I'm talking about. You know, I I I did my DNA and again, like I said, I'm part of the Shate Shakowi. It's in my DNA. I I I know I have over th seven thousand relatives throughout Canada and United States. Like I I I usually know my first and second cousins. That that's traditional. A lot of our young people don't know though don't even know their first cousins or their second cousins. But for me, even having connections and knowing that my bloodline and the ancestors that belonged to that Oshati Shakui like in the lur the late eighteen hundreds in the time of Sitting Bull and and Crazy Horse. Like though that's just that like like I said, my grandfather would have b would have been a teenager i if Sitting Bull had lived he would have been an elder. And my grandfather would have been a teenager. This isn't long ago. You know, even though I say, well, five hundred years ago, you know, the first the first one hundred years they killed five generations of our children in the Americas because of disease. And even how these civilizations over a period of four hundred years were just eaten up by the Amazon rainforest or the fields of of the fields in the United States where trees grew and covered up everything because they died off. they killed us. Generations in no time in humanity in the world. And yet is that what makes America great? Think about it. If we keep on thinking like this, we're gonna end up being extinct. Think about it.