Forum for Global Exchange
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February 18, 2012
Systemic Rage
In his paper Colonialism and State Dependency, CWIS associate scholar Gerald Taiaiake Alfred -- professor at the School of Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria -- discusses the disturbing mentalities, psychologies and behaviors characteristic of colonized indigenous peoples. Noting the damage done to the cultural integrity and mental and physical health of First Nations peoples in Canada, Alfred advocates a radical approach to recovery. Rejecting the colonial mandate to assimilate or suffer, professor Alfred says we must recognize the systemic rage that comes from the erosion of an ethic of universal respect and responsibility that used to be the hallmark of indigenous societies.
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February 09, 2012
Conservation Coup
As documented by Jonathan Latham, the greenwashing of rainforest liquidation is now a fait accompli. Having captured the boards of such notable NGOs as World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International and Nature Conservancy, the international agribusiness corporations are now certified by these mega non-profits as sustainable. Never mind the ethnic cleansing of indigenous peoples, genetically-modified crops, or the application of herbicides and pesticides; for a few million euros, these conservation non-profits will stamp their approval on the deal.
Now that's a conservation coup worth celebrating--in the board rooms on Wall Street. -
February 07, 2012
Native Daughters
In 1997, Ms. Magazine named Winona LaDuke woman of the year. Currently on the Ms. blog, they note the publication by University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communication of Native Daughters: Understanding the Past for a Brighter Future, a magazine about the contributions of Native women. -
January 30, 2012
Nuking the Reserves
As noted on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, environmental racism in Canada mirrors that of the United States. Through deception, coercion and corruption, the government and nuclear industry in Canada promote indigenous lands as prime targets for dumping nuclear waste. Noting what the US attempted to do on Shoshone territory is the same as Canada is trying to do on First Nations reserves in Canada, Mohawk editor and publisher John Schertow says aboriginal people in Canada need to be on their guard. -
January 25, 2012
Backward Modern States
Indian Country Today highlights the upcoming gathering of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where the theme will be the Doctrine of Discovery, an outdated Christian colonial mandate that continues to plague indigenous peoples under the laws of backward modern states like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US. -
January 15, 2012
Tar Sands Psywar
Intercontinental Cry's editorial on the psychological warfare waged by the Government of Canada and the oil companies mining the Alberta Tar Sands is instructive for activists engaged in trying to limit the harm of one of the world's most destructive industrial projects. It also illuminates a blindspot most activists are unaware of. -
January 13, 2012
Indigenous World Conference
Indigenous representatives from around the world meet today and tomorrow in Copenhagen to discuss participation in the planning for the 2014 UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
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