"L'éveil au Cercle" - "Awakening to the Circle"

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Article

Part VIII: Matrimonial Property Scuffle Continues in Senate,
Conservatives Give Notice of Time Allocation;
C-24, Squamish Title Certainty, Gets Royal Assent

A Four Arrows Summary

Matrimonial Property Part 8

The Call of the Wolf
Return to the Sacred Hoop

August 17th to 24th 2010
Wolf Lake Airport
La Verendrye Park


(Click here for more Info)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER WITH AN ECO CANADA INTERNSHIP

ECO Canada is offering recent post-secondary graduates, the opportunity
to gain work experience in the environmental profession. We are now
accepting applications for the 2010 Environmental Youth Corps Internship
program.

An ECO Canada internship can increase recent graduate's chances of not
just finding employment, but also getting a jump-start in their career.
By becoming pre-approved for internship funding, they can target
companies that they want to work for and offer their potential employer
a wage subsidy. This subsidy can help cover some of the training costs
and risks involved with hiring a less experienced employee. The subsidy
may also give them an advantage over other candidates who are applying
for the same job. Funding is available on a first-come-first-served
basis, so apply now!

For a full list of eligibility criteria or to learn more about the
program, please visit: http://www.eco.ca/content.aspx?id=357



Training and Career Options for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Women

Click on Link for Information

Courage to Soar

Or for More Information Contact:

Tina Vincent

Minwaashin Lodge

613-741-5590 X 262 or via email at tvincent@minlodge.com

Articles

Matrimonial Property Parts 5, 6, & 7

Matrimonial Property Bill Still Before Senate --
 Which Is The Harder Bed To Lie In?           

A Four Arrows Summary

Matrimonial Property Part 5

Matrimonial Property Part 6

Matrimonial Property Part 7

Friday, June 25, 2010

Article

Matrimonial Property Bill in Senate, Part III:
Canadian Bar Assn. Says Bill "Falls Short"
-- Which Is The Harder Bed To Lie In?

A Four Arrows Summary

Matrimonial Property Part 3

Matrimonial Property Part 4

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Article

Matrimonial Property Bill in Senate, Part II:
"Underlying Issues Not Addressed, Bill Flawed"
-- Which Is The Harder Bed To Lie In?

A Four Arrows Summary
Matrimonial Property Part 2

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean: "Aboriginal Cultures Must Be Upheld"

Check out this article in the Ottawa Metro in which Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean states that Aboriginal Cultures in Canada must be upheld for future generations.

"Aboriginal Cultures Must Be Upheld"

3 Sister Soup – Iroquois style

Made with the three sisters of corn, beans and squash, this traditional Iroquois soup is both healthy and delicious.

2 cups corn kernels
2 cups green beans, chopped
2 cups butternut squash, cubed and peeled
1 ½ cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. softened butter
3/4 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

In a large pot, bring corn, green beans, squash and potatoes, and five cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender. Blend flour with butter and stir into soup; increase heat to medium and cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.


(Courtesy of Ron "Big Bear" Goddard)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Articles

Matrimonial Property Bill Introduced in Senate;
Which Is The Harder Bed To Lie In?

A Four Arrows Summary: Part I

S-4 Matrimonial Property Bill Introduced in Senate

House Committee Calls Upon Government
To Utilize Indigenous People’s Claims
To Help Establish Canada’s Arctic Sovereignty

A Four Arrows Summary


Arctic Sovereignty and Indigenous Peoples

For Those of You in the Toronto Area -- Hope You Check This Out

Reel Solutions - 2010 Peoples Summit Documentary Film series
The Toronto Underground Cinema 186 Spadina Ave.
Monday June 21st to Thursday June 24th 5pm - 11pm
Sponsored by SmartChange.ca and the 2010 Peoples Summit

11 Films, 4 Days
Newly opened Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave.
Social, Economic, Environmental Justice
Speakers Q & A with director

Series Passes are $20. Individual screenings are by suggested donation of $8.
Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds. The venue is wheelchair accessible.

Don't miss this great opportunity!

Canadian films include:

Under Rich Earth: an expose of a Canadian Mining company that hired thugs to intimidate Ecuadoran farmers

Myths for Profit: a film about Canada's role in industries of war and peace

Ghosts: which follows three Arab-Canadian men who were detained and tortured for months and years in Syria and Egypt

Six Miles Deep: which tells the story of the women who led the struggle for the land rights of the Six Nations Mohawks in Caledonia Ontario

H2Oil: a film about the peoples attempting to defend water in Alberta against tar sands expansion

Poor No More: which offers solutions to Canada's working poor by examining the Northern European model.

International films
Gasland: a shocking examination of de-regulation and how natural gas drilling and shale gas fracturing is destroying and contaminating aquifers and the drinking water supply

Plunder: which explores how the financial crisis was built on a foundation of criminal activity

Return to El Salvador: a compelling story of vibrant Salvadoran individuals and communities and the intricate geo-political systems that have so profoundly impacted their lives

Pray the Devil Back to Hell: the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

For film descriptions and additional information visit www.smartchange/reelsolutions

For further information contact
Paul Manly
Smart Change
250 729-1254
docs@smartchange.ca
FW: Rejoignez-nous-pour-le-colloque-forum_Join-us-for-the-colloquium-forumFW: Rejoignez-nous-pour-le-colloque-forum_Join-us-for-the-colloquium-forumArtial, un organisme à but non lucratif, présente le Colloque-Forum « Création et diversité dans l’art autochtone d’aujourd’hui » qui aura lieu la semaine prochaine, du 21 au 23 juin 2010 à l’Université du Québec à Montréal.

Artial is a non-profit organization which present its first colloquium-forum named «Creation and diversity in Today Native Art» which will take place, from June 21st to June 23d 2010 at UQAM.

Colloque : Création et diversité dans l’art autochtone actuel

Ce premier colloque-forum d'Artial : art et social réunira artistes, universitaires et responsables de la

diffusion pour des conférences gratuites, en plus d'offrir une variété d'activités culturelles en soirée...

Les conférences auront lieu à la salle D-R200 de l’UQÀM, 1440 St-Denis, du 21 au 23 juin 2010.

LUNDI 21 JUIN : ARTS VISUELS

9h00-11h00 – Artisanat / 11h15-13h15 – Sculpture et estampes

Conférence d’ouverture par Guy Sioui Durand : LES CHASSEURS/CHAMANS DE L'ART...

15h00 - 18h00 – Local M-450 - Grande Bibliothèque
, 475 De Maisonneuve Est

Précédée d'une brève cérémonie d'ouverture et suivie d’un cocktail aux saveurs autochtones

MARDI 22 JUIN : ARTS MÉDIATIQUES

9h00 - 11h00 – Installation et performance / 11h15-13h15 – Artistes multidisciplinaires

15h00 - 17h00 – Témoignages : art et société

'5 à 7' : Vernissage de l'EXPOSITION de photographies de Joni-Louka Bertrand et Félix Isiah

17h00 - 19h00 – Café L'Escalier
552 Ste-Catherine Est (Buffet végétarien et thé Inuit - Gratuit)

Pièce d'Ondinnok et de Baile Danza Rabinal Achi : THÉÂTRE dansé – Xajoj Tun Rabinal Achi

20h00 - 22h00 – L'eXcentris 3536 Boul. St-Laurent (prix réduit à 22$ avec le groupe d'Artial - RSVP)

Ré-interprétation d'une légende maya (Suivi d'une discussion avec les artistes des trois Amériques)

MERCREDI 23 JUIN : ÉCRITURE ET DIFFUSION

9h00 - 11h00 – Littérature / 11h15-13h00 – Chant et musique

15h00 - 17h00 – Art graphique et illustration

Des mots (démo) de MODE : Kim Picard, designer Innue

18h00 - 19h00
Local J-2805 - UQÀM, pavillon Judith-Jasmin, 1445 St-Denis (Gratuit)

CONCERT-Causerie avec Kathia Rock

20h00 - 21h00 – Studio de musique du Conseil des arts de Montréal 1210 Sherbrooke Est

(Durée: 1 heure; Gratuit – RSVP)

SPECTACLE de clôture « 'Rencontres' : Arts de l’interprétation »


21h30 - Minuit – L'Alizé 900 Ontario Est (au coin de St-André)

Aataentsic (théâtre de masques et flûte), Dany Bacon et Supay (reggae innu et musique des Andes)

et bien d'autres artistes unis pour célébrer la diversité de la création autochtone actuelle!

Animation: Jef Tremblay et Donna Larivière; Cérémonie de clôture: Mike Standup.

POUR PLUS D’INFORMATION: www.artial.qc.ca.

CONTACT: info@artial.qc.ca – 514-736-0318

Colloquium : Creation and Diversity in Native Art Today

This first colloquium-forum by Artial : art & social will bring together artists, academics, curators and

commissioners for free conferences, and will offer a variety of cultural activities in the evening...

Conferences will take place in UQÀM D-R200 room, 1440 St-Denis, from June 21
st to 23rd 2010.

MONDAY, JUNE 21: VISUAL ARTS

9 - 11 am – Craft / 11:15 - 1:15 pm – Sculpture and prints

Opening lecture by Guy Sioui Durand : THE HUNTERS/CHAMANS OF ART...

3 - 6 pm – Room M-450 – Grande Bibliothèque, 475 De Maisonneuve East

Preceded by an opening ceremony and followed by a cocktail with Native flavors

TUESDAY, JUNE 22: MEDIA ARTS

9 - 11 am – Installation and performance / 11:15 – 1:15 pm Multidisciplinary artists

3 - 5 pm – Testimonies about art and society

After-hour: Opening of Joni-Louka Bertrand and Félix Isiah’s photography EXHIBITION

5 - 7 pm – Café L’Escalier 552 Ste-Catherine East (Vegetarian buffet and Inuit thea – Free)

Play by Ondinnok and Baile Danza Rabinal Achi : Danced THEATER – Xajoj Tun Rabinal Achi

8 - 10 pm – L'eXcentris 3536 St-Laurent blvd. (cost lowered to 22$ with Artial's group - RSVP)

Re-interpretation of a Maya legend (Followed by a discussion with the artists from the three Americas)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23: WRITING AND DISSEMINATION

9 - 11 am – Literature / 11:15 - 13:15 pm – Songs and music

3 - 5 pm – Graphic arts and illustration

FASHION demonstration : Innu designer, Kim Picard

6 - 7 pm – Room J-2805 – UQÀM, Judith-Jasmin building, 1445 St-Denis (Free)

Chatting-CONCERT with Kathia Rock

8 - 9 pm – Studio de musique of Conseil des arts de Montréal, 1210 Sherbrooke East

(Duration: 1 hour; Free – RSVP)

Closing-SHOW “Encounters: Interpretative Arts, preceeded by a closing-ceremony

9:30 pm - Midnight – L’Alizé 900 Ontario East (at the intersection of St-André)

Aataentsic (masks theater and flute), Dany Bacon & Supay (Innu reggae and music from the Andes),

as well as many other artists united to celebrate the diversity of present Native creation!

Animation: Jef Tremblay and Donna Larivière; Closing ceremony: Mike Standup

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.artial.qc.ca.

CONTACT: info@artial.qc.ca – 514-736-0318

National Indigenous Center on Victoria Island

Please google asinabkaonline to visit the various related sites, including facebook and twitter.

Also, click on the links below to watch a video of Grandfather William Commanda explaining his vision for the Indigenous Centre on Victoria Island and its significance and importance.

Grandfather Commanda Video (YouTube version)

Grandfather Commanda Video (sd version on vimeo)

Visit www.asinabka.com for more information about the National Indigenous Centre and learn more about the sacred site of Chaudière Falls/Victoria Island in Ottawa.

Friday, June 18, 2010

*2010 Year of the Métis - 2010 L' Année des Métis*

*Proclaimed by Canada, Ontario & Saskatchewan - Proclamée au Canada, Ontario et Saskatchewan*

The following Motion was adopted in the House of Commons of Canada Dec. 9th, 2009 by unanimous consent:

"That, in the opinion of the House, the government should utilize next year, 2010, to commemorate the Year of the Métis in recognition of the 125th anniversary of the historic events of 1885 in Saskatchewan; and further, the government should recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of the Métis Nation across Canada which have enriched the lives of all Canadians socially, economically, politically and culturally."

La motion suivante fut adoptée par la Chambre des communes du Canada le 9 decembre, 2009 par consentement unanime:

"Que, de l'avis de la Chambre, le gouvernement devrait profiter de l'année 2010 pour commémorer L'Année des Métis et ainsi reconnaître le 125ième anniversaire des événements historiques de 1885 en Saskatchewan; de plus, le gouvernement devrait reconnaitre et célébrer les inestimables contributions de la Nation métisse à travers le Canada qui ont enrichi les vies de tous les Canadiens aux niveaux social, économique, politique et culturel."

Click on link for more details:

National Aboriginal Day Métis Traditional Feast Poster

ANOTHER REMINDER

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

GRANDFATHER WILLIAM COMMANDA, ALGONQUIN ELDER,
KEEPER OF THE SACRED WAMPUM BELTS

INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL SACRED PIPE CEREMONY ON VICTORIA ISLAND
AT 10.00 am on Monday JUNE 21, 2010 to

HONOUR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

COMMEMORATE THE SACRED CHAUDIÈRE SITE AS THE SPIRITUAL MEETING GROUNDS OF THE ANICINABE PEOPLES

CELEBRATE NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

LIGHT THE SACRED FIRE FOR THE GATHERING OF NATIONS HEALING AND PEACE BUILDING


Please forward this invitation to families and friends

Bring your picnic lunch and deck chairs and join in discussions
Socialize with us after the Pipe Ceremony, welcome canoeists paddling in support of the vision for Victoria Island, and join in National Aboriginal Day celebrations!

Special discussion on the Indigenous Centre after lunch

For more information, please call
613-599-8385 or 819-449-2668 or email circleofallnations@sympatico.ca

REMINDER

APTN - Annual 'Aboriginal Day Live' Concert

APTN will be holding their annual Aboriginal Day Live concert

at Victoria Island in Ottawa on June 20, 2010.

Visit www.aptn.ca for more info

Article

Keep Aboriginal Healing Foundation Alive,
House Committee Report Recommends

A Four Arrows Summary

Keep Aboriginal Healing Foundation Alive

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

First Nation's Education: Article

Roberta Jamieson Tells Senate Committee
Bold Transformational Change Is Needed
In First Nation Education:

Parliament should pass legislation stating that
every First Nations child on reserve should have access
to an equitable education that is funded at the same level
as their non-Aboriginal neighbours.

A Four Arrows Summary


(Click on title to read pdf)
Transformational Change Needed in First Nation's Education

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Save our Prison Farms Event – June 15 in Downtown Ottawa

THE THREE FOUNDING PEOPLES CALL ON OUR GOVERNMENT TO SAVE CANADA'S PRISON FARMS:

First Nations, English and French Canadians demand respect for rehabilitation, restorative justice and sustainable local farms and food.

Sacred Fire Ceremony on Victoria Island - 11:00am-12:00pm
Algonquian spiritual leader, Grandfather William Commanda supports this sacred fire blessing ceremony on Victoria Island and has called for the participation from the Algonquian peoples on this important issue of restorative justice and local farm and food sustainability. Water from the Little Cataraqui River (which runs past the Frontenac prison farm in Kingston) and soil from the Pittsburgh Institution prison farm fields will be offered at this ceremony and on Parliament Hill.

Canoeing past Parliament - 12:00pm-12:30pm
Supporters who have participated in the ceremony will paddle down the Ottawa River past Parliament with signs and flags unfurrowed in the canoes and land at the base of the Rideau Canal.

Portaging Up to Parliament Hill - 12:30-1:00pm
Others can walk and drive from Victoria Island and meet us at the base of the canal, where we will tape banners onto the sides of the canoes and portage/march them up to Parliament Hill via Wellington St.

Drumming Circle and Campaign Message on Parliament Hill - 1:00-2:00pm
We will gather on the Hill and meet with Members of Parliament from all opposition parties and place the canoes with messages on the lawn of the Hill. Larry McDermott (Algonquian Elder), Dianne Dowling (President of the National Farmers Union, Local 316) and Sister Shirley (of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul) will offer the campaign's letter to the group of Members of Parliament gathered there from all three opposition parties, who will deliver it to Parliament. A Drumming Circle will take place. A press conference will occur at 1:30pm and it is hoped that John Ralston Saul will make a live or prerecorded statement from where he will be in Europe .

The cooperation of Canada's three founding peoples on this urgent practical issue of our country's prison farms has broader and deeper implications for justice and farm and food sustainability in Canadian society.

All questions regarding this event should be directed to:

Andrew McCann, Urban Agriculture Kingston, 613-767-4127, mccann17@yahoo.com or Dianne Dowling, National Farmers Union, Local 316, 613-546-0869, dowling@kos.net

Friday, June 11, 2010


GRANDFATHER WILLIAM COMMANDA, ALGONQUIN ELDER,
KEEPER OF THE SACRED WAMPUM BELTS

INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL SACRED PIPE CEREMONY ON VICTORIA ISLAND
AT 10.00 am on Monday JUNE 21, 2010 to

HONOUR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

COMMEMORATE THE SACRED CHAUDIÈRE SITE AS THE SPIRITUAL MEETING GROUNDS OF THE ANICINABE PEOPLES

CELEBRATE NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

LIGHT THE SACRED FIRE FOR THE GATHERING OF NATIONS HEALING AND PEACE BUILDING


Please forward this invitation to families and friends

Bring your picnic lunch and deck chairs and join in discussions
Socialize with us after the Pipe Ceremony, welcome canoeists paddling in support of the vision for Victoria Island, and join in National Aboriginal Day celebrations!

Special discussion on the Indigenous Centre after lunch

For more information, please call
613-599-8385 or 819-449-2668 or email circleofallnations@sympatico.ca

from: Circle Of All Nations

A PROPOSAL FROM ALGONQUIN ELDER WILLIAM COMMANDA FOR THE CREATION OF A MEDICINE GARDEN ON LEBRETON FLATS, OTTAWA, ONTARIO

ISSUE: A PROPOSAL FROM ALGONQUIN ELDER WILLIAM COMMANDA FOR THE CREATION OF AN INDIGENOUS PLANTS MEDICINE GARDEN IN THIS SPECIAL UNITED NATIONS YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY AND RAPPROCHMENT OF CULTURE, ON THE SITE ON LEBRETON FLATS SITUATED TO THE EAST OF THE WAR MUSEUM, AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SACRED CHAUDIÈRE SITE

BACKGROUND:

1. Lebreton Flats was the site of many Aboriginal activities for countless years and served as pow wow grounds over many recent years. Right across from the War Museum, to the east, is a site managed by the National Capital Commission, rather a wasteland in the capital city over recent decades, and identified as an area that requires significant development.

2. For some years now, at the grass roots level, ideas have been circulating regarding the establishment of a memorial/Indigenous plants medicine garden:

  • to honour the Algonquins of the Ottawa River Watershed;
  • to honour the ancestral spirits along the Kichisipi/Ottawa/River, and others;
  • to counter-balance the sombre energy of the War Museum;
  • to vitalize principles of biodiversity (also advocated by City of Ottawa environmentalists for some years) and the reclamation of indigenous plants (possibly in cooperation with City of Ottawa tree planting programs); and
  • to transform the appearance of a presently dismal entry to the Sacred Chaudière Site, on the fringe of the developing residential zone.

3. It is noted that several parties have already approached Elder Commanda with ideas for a Medicine Garden:

  • local resident and grass roots historian Dean Jones has spent many years researching indigenous plants and animals of the area and has prepared landscaping plans which she has also shared with the National Capital Commission over the years;

· in Montreal, Gilles Vincent, Director of the Jardin Botanique, collaborated with Algonquin Elder Dominic Rankin to build an Indigenous Medicine Garden (http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/premieres_nations/premieres_nations.htm);

· and in April 2010, both of them supported the creation of a Medicine Garden in France;

· Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg created a memorial garden in the town of Maniwaki (Minister Cannon participated in its opening);

  • Jardin des plantes forestieres is developing Indigenous plants/preservation gardening strategies in Quebec to honour Algonquin heritage;
  • Quebec organizations Centre de Solidarité International du Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean, L'association du Parc sacré de Mashteuiatsh and Ecuador partner, Jambi Kiwa association (Women’s indigenous organisation (Quichua) specialist in medicinal plants) are collaborating on an Indigenous Medicine Plants project; and
  • Plenty Canada undertakes local and international work in biodiversity.

These parties are interested in supporting the development of an Indigenous Medicine Garden in the capital city and are willing to collaborate with others to develop such an initiative in the National Capital Region.

4. This concept of an Indigenous Medicine Garden holds great public interest for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Peoples and environmentalists, nationally and internationally, and could be developed to complement two significant United Nations initiatives.

5. This is both the United Nations Year of Biodiversity, as well as the United Nations Year for the Rapprochement of Culture. It is also noted that the capital City of Ottawa is currently embarked on a program of Cultural Renewal.

6. These factors combine to create momentum for a creative healing, reconciliatory and regenerative project to inspire citizens of the National Capital Region and elsewhere, nationally and internationally, to advance the concept of Sustainable Relationships, as reflected in the philosophy of Elder Commanda – that is, illustrating and animating the inter-relationship of the worlds of nature and humankind, and the need for reclamation of the ideologies that embrace both simultaneously.

SPECIAL NOTE

1. Please note also that Elder Commanda is almost 97, and while he holds a passionate interest in the traditional sacred territory of his ancestors, he does not have the resources to develop a project on this vision.

2. However, he is sharing this idea with organizations and individuals: Algonquins, the National Capital Commission, the City of Ottawa and others – who have the capacity and leadership to advance this further.

3. In this regard it is noted that there are several key dates looming that lend themselves to special acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples:

  • June 11, 2010 marks the anniversary of Canada’s historic Apology to First Peoples, and such a healing garden in the capital city would constitute a concrete statement of reconciliation;
  • June 4, 2013 is four years away - this is when Canada will celebrate Champlain's four hundred year anniversary arrival in the Ottawa valley, when he was acknowledged by Elder Commanda’s Algonquin ancestors; and
  • In 2017, Canada celebrates its one hundred and fiftieth birthday.

4. Many already know that the Sacred Chaudière Site lies at the heart of these commemorative moments; and that the vision of Ginawaydaganuc, We Are All Connected, is indeed the message of the times for the nation and the world, its peoples and Mother Earth herself.

5. Elder Commanda hopes that many will be inspired to collaborate to make this dream a reality. Discussions will be held on this initiative during the annual August Circle of All Nations Gathering.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Shortly, several files (including UN documents) to stimulate discussion and development of concrete action consistent with this vision will be hosted on our websites.

Photographs of the Medicine Garden in Montreal will also be available separately.

RALLY 4 MINING JUSTICE


Parliament Hill, Ottawa

June 15, 2010

4:30pm

Speakers, music and chants...

Bring an instrument or dress up!

Tell Government to Watch


And pass Bill C-300!

Philadelphia based documentary filmmaker Jamie Moffett will be screening his work Return to El Salvador (www.returntoelsalvador.com) to Canadian Parliamentarians and Ambassadors on June 15th 2010 at the behest of MP John McKay sponsor of Bill C-300, a Corporate Accountability Bill, which is invested in the film's message.

One aspect of the film outlines the disappearance of prominent mining activist Marcelo Rivera. Marcelo's kidnapping, torture and murder signifies a shift in El Salvador. No longer are people being disappeared solely for political reasons, but now social leaders who would dare to stand up for the environment. Investigating further, his crew found more and more signs in this mysterious disappearance pointing towards the Vancouver-based Pacific Rim Mining Company.

Pacific Rim, a Canadian mining company is currently pursuing an unjust lawsuit against the government of El Salvador. In 2009, the people and the Government of El Salvador decided they didn't want gold mining extraction on their land. Immediately afterward, through chapter 10 of CAFTA, Pacific Rim filled a lawsuit against the Salvadorian state for a loss of investment and future profits for over 100 million dollars.

This is why we need to pass Bill C-300, it represents the best chance we have to assure that Canadian extractive companies follow human rights and environmental best practices when they operate overseas. It assures that government financial and political support will not be provided to companies that breach human rights and environmental standards.

JOIN US on Parliament Hill June 15, 4:30pm

SHOW the people of El Salvador they are not alone in their sovereign decision

REQUEST Pacific Rim to drop its illegitimate lawsuit

DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALL PEOPLE affected by mining in-justice

TELL Government to pass Bill C-300!

RALLY FOR MINING JUSTICE endorsed by:

Association for Social Economic Development (ADES), El Salvador

Amanecer Ranchero FM 89.1

Amnesty International, Business and Human Rights Program

Barrio Nuevo

Breaking the Silence

Canadians Against Mining in El Salvador (CAMES)

Cafe Justicia,

Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA

Christian Hispanic Community of Emmanuel United Church

Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine / Committee for Human Rights in Latin America (CDHAL)

CLASP (Caribbean & Latin America Support Project - New Paltz, NY)

Council of Canadians

Education In Action

Emmanuel United Church

FMLN Ottawa-Gatineau

Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)

Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement Ottawa (IPSMO)

Kingston Central American Solidarity Committee

Latin American Solidarity Network

Magazine Vision Latina

Mining Watch Canada

OPIRG

Ottawa-Gatineau Coalition against mining in El Salvador

People Health's Movement

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Social Justice Fund

Punto de Encuentro, CKCU FM 93.1

Rights Action

Salvadorian Canadian Association of Ottawa and National Capital Region (ASCORCAN)

Salvadorian Women’s Association of Ottawa-Gatineau

Salvaide

Swedish - Salvadorian Friendship Association of Stockholm (Sweden's capital)

Territorio Libre

Radio Victoria, Cabanas, El Salvador

Also on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/event. php?eid=125982614089676&ref= ts#!/event.php?eid= 123569101011818&ref=ts


WRITE YOUR MP AND DEMAND THEY ATTEND THE SCREENING

The urgent message of Return to El Salvador is going to be made

available to Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on June 15. Moffett will

be in Ottawa the morning of June 15th from 7:30 to 9:00 am at Center

Block House of Commons to present the film to Canadian Parliament at

the behest of MP John McKay.

It is up to concerned Canadians like you to get MPs out to see the film

Click here for a sample letter and contacts for your MP:

http://www.returntoelsalvador. com/blog/125

Click to download poster:

http://returntoelsalvador.com/ ASSETS/RTES-movieposter- websize.jpg

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT OF RETURN TO EL SALVADOR

Filmmaker Jamie Moffett will internationally debut his feature, Return to El Salvador, in Toronto at the Underground Cinema June 17th at 7:30 pm, with other screenings at 9 pm June 18, 21, 22, and 24, and 4pm on June 20th.

Check out Facebook event:

http://www.facebook.com/home. php?#!/event.php?eid= 125982614089676&ref=ts





--

Asociación Salvadoreña Canadiense de Ottawa y Región de la Capital Nacional /
Salvadorian Canadian Association of Ottawa and National Capital Region
- ASCORCAN -

Ottawa, Canada

Email: ascorcan@gmail.com
Tel: 819.319.0904
--


Thursday, June 10, 2010

June 4, 2010 Message from William Commanda to Algonquins of the Ottawa River Watershed

Greetings!

I have been blessed by the guidance and strength of the Sacred Wampum Belts of our Anisninabe ancestors to assert their presence over the past forty years, and many, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, have been awakened to our history, wisdom and relevance in these times of unprecedented global uncertainty and chaos. But in our traditional way of thinking, the individual is only a cornerstone of a community, and we must bring our individual strengths together to recreate the strong communities we developed in the past. I have often said that Indigenous Peoples are the only ones who have never gone elsewhere to make new homes, we are at home here; we maintain the sacred unbreakable connections with Mother Earth, and we have to assert this reality with even greater vigour and perseverance in these times of war and strife, climate change and environmental crisis. Without doubt, Mother Earth's voice is loud now, and she is calling urgently to draw us back to her. We have a crucial role to play in restoring balance on Earth, and our Earth based and cyclical ways of thinking have a vitally important role to play in human evolution and growth. We can all see the huge deficit and spiritually bankrupt legacy looming in the global landscape.

I have been fortunate to express and assert my relationship with the Algonquins of the Ottawa River Watershed for many years, despite the fact that we have been separated by history, provincial and reserve boundaries, language, politics, and innumerable other devastatingly divisive factors that have been imposed on us, our ancestors and our children; and my life has been immeasurably enriched and strengthened by this experience with all my Algonquin brothers and sisters. I see in younger people of Algonquin ancestry unique strengths, skills, abilities and passions, which, when combined, will constitute a strong, wise and influential voice in the heart of the country. Still, our painful history of many centuries, of many generations, affects us all in various ways, and it has prevented us from unifying and finding our zones of common voice and purpose. It has also prevented the Algonquin Nation from occupying its rightful position in the national capital region, obliterated the real history of the region, as well as the contribution of our grand natural resources and labour, so crucial to the development of the entire country, from most minds. The capital city, which lies in the heart of our traditional territory, is only barely beginning to hear of us. Our history has also impacted the strength of other Aboriginal Peoples across the country, since it is us Algonquins of the Ottawa River Watershed who belong in the National Capital Region, and our invisibility here has been detrimental to the overall organic strengthening of the Aboriginal voice.

The challenges are great for all First Peoples; they are even greater and indeed more unique for Algonquins in this national capital region, who, having lost our common language, have been further separated by the English and French languages, hostilities and religious affiliations, both on and off reserve.

On June 4, 1613, our ancestors encountered Samuel de Champlain at our ancient meeting ground at Akikpautik, the Sacred Chaudière Falls, the pail rapids, that for centuries represented for us the womb of Mother Earth and the bowl of the pipe that took our prayers up to Kitchi Manitou; and they witnessed his arrival with prayer. Though recent history has removed us from this sacred site, Indigenous Peoples have nonetheless been drawn back there over the past forty decades to find strength to assert their voices. Despite the differences that continue to ravage the Algonquin Peoples, Algonquins from both sides of the Might Kitchisippi have expressed support for the vision for an Indigenous Centre of national and international potential at this sacred heartland.

This can be the starting place for us to find our common purpose, and in time, our restrengthened relationships will enable us to build bridges and understanding in the more contentious areas that divide us. But we need to make a start towards such healing now; the plight of our people - poverty, suicide, health, despair besiege us everywhere - is desperately urgent. It is said You make the road by walking it, and indeed, that the journey is the goal - we must embrace this idea and trust that new ideas and strengths for transforming old realities will present themselves to us again and again, if we give them a chance to emerge.
We need an Algonquin leadership group to focus energy into a common purpose that will serve not only the Algonquins of the Kicthisippi Watershed, but our relatives in the 84 Algonquin Nations beyond, Aboriginal Peoples across the country, Native Americans across the border, and all others who now occupy Turtle Island. We will not have to do all the work - but we must catalyze the energy for change and transformation as we are the peoples of this sacred heartland.

We can no longer let the differences that have been imposed upon us for years to continue to divide and oppress us - we must humble ourselves and in that process find true strength and transformation. That was the strength of our ancestors revealed in the sweat lodge fires dotting this valley when Champlain arrived; and though our spiritual heritage has been eroded, we can still reclaim its essential teachings. Indigenous Peoples are a miniscule number when compared with the thirty six million people who now occupy Canada; every voice returning to the source is essential for our journey forward.

When I look back over my almost one hundred years of life, I see much change; I see that despite near genocide, the authentic voice of our people is irrepressible. Today, younger people are seeking its strength in growing numbers, while the reality is also bleak for many others of our young people; once the door opens, more will move forward to reclaim their rightful heritage. I already see much strength reflected in our diverse voices - we have strong ceremonial people, Pipe Carriers and Sacred Fire Keepers and Elders who keep our spiritual heritage alive; high ranking bureaucrats who understand the workings of government; lawyers who know our rights and the legal system; traditional governance experts; academics, teachers and healers; environmental experts; historians who know our story; elders who keep our languages alive; chiefs who know the challenges our communities face; activists who push the edges; people with business and economic development expertise; we have expertise and passion in so many areas - but we need to regenerate a sense of community for these strengths to blossom, multiply and serve our people collectively.

It is time for the next steps forward.

As I have said, Algonquins of different backgrounds and from both Quebec and Ontario and beyond, see common purpose in supporting the vision for Asinabka National Indigenous Centre. We need a small group of Algonquins to initiate next steps to advance this work. Many non-Aboriginal peoples at grass roots and politically influential levels have been awakened and stand ready to assist and support. The larger Aboriginal community is also on alert. This central vision will in time give us an opportunity to find the wisdom to work together on other issues.
Beyond this, there is a tremendous need for Algonquin presence in key events and activities in the National Capital Region - for prayers, opening ceremonies, drumming and dancing, for visibility and influence. Since this is the capital city of a major globally important country, such activities are of national and international relevance. The demands could be overwhelming for one or a few; many of these opportunities are unfunded, and travel is not always easy; but a team of Algonquins could ensure our consistent,regular and visible presence here. The city of Ottawa is embarking on a cultural renewal program, but do not know where to go to find the genuine Aboriginal voice in the city, nor how to distinguish the Algonquin from the other urban Aboriginal voices. Communities are looking for Algonquin participation in their many activities, but don't know how to find this.

June 4, 2013 is four years away - this is when Canada will celebrate Champlain's four hundred year anniversary arrival in the Ottawa valley; in 2017, Canada celebrates its one hundred and fiftieth birthday. Many already know that the Sacred Chaudiere Site lies at the heart of these celebrations; and the vision of Ginawaydaganuc, We Are All Connected is indeed the message of the times for the nation and the world, its peoples and Mother Earth herself.
I pray that Algonquins come together to prepare for taking our rightful place in our sacred heartland. After all, 2013 is also the time of great transformation in Indigenous Prophecies, and our Sacred Wampum Belts, the ancient belt of the Seven Fires Prophecy, the Three Figure Welcoming and Sharing Belt, and the Border Crossing Belt, are preparing us for this moment. May we prepare ourselves now for the next stages of our unfolding destiny.

We need leadership to inspire and fire the next stages of our growth. On this June 4, 2010, may we light our individual and collective prayers in commemoration of the historic moment of 1613 and draw on the eternal strength of our ancestors to blaze a trail for our children.

I am looking for someone to organize a gathering of interested Algonquins to spark the next stages of our work in this uncharted area. The Gathering of Nations Pipe Ceremony on June 21 and the Circle of All Nations Spiritual Gathering August 6, 7 and 8 present as two opportunities to initiate such discussion. A gathering focused solely on Algonquin community building is also highly desirable - and this could be accommodated at my lodge or elsewhere during the summer.
I am anxious to hear from you before June 14, 2010.

Sincerely,

William Commanda

Algonquin Elder

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

National Forgiveness Sumit

Response to Harper's 2008 Apology

June 11 -13 @ the Ottawa Civic Centre

Click on the link below to register for "Free" Tickets:

www.i4give.ca
Crossings
A Performance Art Exchange. Ottawa-Belfast, 2010

June 17 - 20, 2010

Organized and presented by
Galerie SAW Gallery (Ottawa) + Bbeyond (Belfast)

ARTISTS Jackson 2bears (Victoria / Halifax), Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell (Belfast), Maria Hupfield (Vancouver), Sandra Johnston (Belfast), Alastair MacLennan (Belfast) + Skeena Reece (Vancouver)

CURATOR Christine Conley (Ottawa)

Crossings is an international exchange and performance art residency taking place in Ottawa and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Aboriginal Canadian artists will join with members of the Belfast-based Bbeyond performance art collective for a week of exchange and collaboration. Across geographical and cultural differences, these artists share practices conditioned by the effects of colonialism and recent political history that work toward agency and social transformation through the powerful immediacy of live art. Ottawa is a significant locale for such a crossing of paths, a site of parallel and intertwined histories of Native Peoples and Irish immigration. Site-specific public performances will take place at various locations in Ottawa between June 17 and 20 as well as a free workshop with renowned artist Alastair MacLennan. The Belfast residency is planned for October 2010.

SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 17

REINSCRIBE
Sandra Johnston + Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell
Bytown Museum (1 Canal Lane, Ottawa)
5PM - 8:30PM

2-day performance workshop with Alastair MacLennan
Thursday: 10AM - 5PM, Studio B, Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa)
Friday: 10AM - 5PM, Rehearsal Hall A, National Arts Centre (53 Elgin Street, Ottawa)
[Admission is free, but space is limited to 15 participants. To register, please call (613) 236-6181.]

Saturday, June 19

STUD DUST
Alastair MacLennan
SAW Outdoor Courtyard (67 Nicholas Street, Ottawa)
9AM - 6PM

Lady Moonrider: Time Traveller
Maria Hupfield
Outside the Canadian War Museum (1 Vimy Place, Ottawa)
2PM - 2:30PM

Round-table discussion
Speakers: Jackson 2bears, Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell, Maria Hupfield, Sandra Johnston, Alastair MacLennan + Skeena Reece
Moderated by Christine Conley (in English)
Club SAW (67 Nicholas Street, Ottawa)
7:30PM - 8:30PM

Talk by Guy Sioui Durand (Québec)
(in English and French)
Club SAW
9PM - 9:30PM

Iron Tomahawks: O Kanata
Jackson 2bears
Club SAW
9:30PM - 10:30PM

Reception and party
Music with DJ BEAR witness (Ottawa) + cash bar
Club SAW
10:30PM - 2AM

Sunday, June 20

Untitled
Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell
SAW + various locations
2PM onward

PLEA
Sandra Johnston
SAW + Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa)
4:30PM - 5:30PM

Prayer for Arrival
Skeena Reece
D’Arcy McGee’s Pub (44 Sparks Street, Ottawa)
8PM - 9PM

BIOGRAPHIES

Jackson 2bears is a Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) multimedia artist based in Victoria, British Columbia; he will soon relocate to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He studied in the collaborative program at the University of Toronto at Mississauga and Sheridan College (BA 1999), and at the University of Victoria (MFA 2003). He is currently nearing completion of his PhD at the University of Victoria. He has created VJ performances for commissions and exhibitions across Canada, notably at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Assume Nothing); the Indigenous Leadership Conference, University of Victoria; EMMEDIA, Calgary (Sonic Boom!); the Vancouver Art Gallery (How Soon is Now); InterAccess, Toronto (Electronic Shamanism), in 2009; Artengine, Ottawa (Electric Fields), in 2008; and the North American Indigenous Games, Cowichan, in 2008. He has also performed internationally in festivals and group exhibitions such as Digital Art Weeks, in Zurich, Switzerland. He is a co-founder of LiminaL Projects, an interdisciplinary artists’ collective (2002).

Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell is a Belfast-based artist who studied fine and applied art at the University of Ulster (BA 2007), where her dissertation was entitled “Play, Reception and Institution: Reassessing Strategies for Audiences and Practitioners through Play.” She also spent a year studying marketing, printmaking and philosophy at Centenary College, New Jersey, in the US (2006). She has participated in performance events in Belfast, Dublin, the UK, and most recently at the Open Art International Performance Festival in Beijing, China. She is the organizer and curator of “residence” with her sister Sighle in association with SHAC Housing Association, a founding member of “draw in” and Playgroup and a member of Bbeyond.

Guy Sioui Durand is Wendat (Huron) from Wendake, near Québec. A sociologist (Ph.D.) and social critic, he is active as a writer and independent curator in the field of Native art. He is co-founder of Inter, art actuel and Le Lieu, contemporary art centre (Québec).

Maria Hupfield is of Anishnaabe (Ojibway) heritage, a member of Wasauksing First Nation, in Ontario, and is based in Vancouver. She has an Honours BA in Art and Art History from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, and an MFA in Sculpture from York University. Her practice combines performance with photography and installation. Recent performance events include Museum Quality, with Merritt Johnson, at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York, the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado, and the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver (2008), and a solo performance at the Mountain Standard Time Performative Art Festival (M:ST) in Calgary (2005). Hupfield is currently Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Culture + Community at Emily Carr University, where she teaches drawing and Aboriginal approaches to visual expression.

Sandra Johnston is a Belfast-based artist who studied at the Kent Institute of Art & Design, Canterbury (BA 1991) and the University of Ulster, Belfast (MFA 1992). Since 2001 she has taught at the University of Ulster, where she is Lecturer in Time Based and Mixed Media Art. In 2007-2008 she was Guest Professor at the Bauhaus University, Weimar, in the “Public Art and New Artistic Strategies Program.” She is presently on a three-year leave to pursue a PhD project, entitled “Beyond Reasonable Doubt— A cross-disciplinary investigation into concepts of doubt and risk taking, explored through consideration of improvisational art processes and systems of legal justice.” Johnston is a founding member of Belfast’s Catalyst Arts (1993-1995), a member of Bbeyond, and AGENCY, a collaborative project initiated in 2007 with Susanne Bosch (Belfast) and Marilyn Arsem (Boston). She has participated in performance events extensively in the UK, Europe, Israel and North America, and represented Northern Ireland at the Venice Biennale in 2005.

Alastair MacLennan is a key performance practitioner in the UK, whose work has been influential nationally and internationally. He was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland, and studied at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee (diploma 1965), the College of Education, Dundee (specialist art teachers certificate 1966) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA 1968). He under- took za-zen practice under the guidance of Joshu Sasaki Roshi, a Japanese Rinzai Zen Master. After teaching in Halifax (NSCAD) and Vancouver, he accepted a lectureship in 1975 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at what is now the School of Fine Art, University of Ulster, where he taught until 2008. MacLennan is a founding member of Belfast’s Art and Research Exchange (1977), a member of Bbeyond performance collective, Belfast (2004), and the European performance group Black Market International since 1989. He represented Northern Ireland at the Venice Biennale in 1997. He is currently Professor Emeritus, University of Ulster, an Honorary Fellow of Dartington College of Art, Devon, England, and an Honorary Associate of the National Review of Live Art, Glasgow.

Skeena Reece is a Tsimshian/Gitksan and Cree multimedia artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She studied art at the Northwest Community College, Prince Rupert, and Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver (2005), moving on to training at The Banff Centre and grunt gallery as a Curatorial Practices Intern. She has participated in performance events across Canada including Nuit Blanche in Toronto (2009), and at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver (2008) and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC (2008); she recently took part in the Biennale of Sydney in Australia (2010). Reece is a singer and songwriter; her first collection of short stories and songs was released in 2010. She is active on the boards of groups working with Native youth through media arts (Redwire Magazine), is past director of the Indigenous Media Arts Group (2005-2007), and the founder of the Native Youth Artists Collective.

Crossings: A Performance Art Exchange. Ottawa-Belfast, 2010 is made possible by the support of the Aboriginal Arts Office and Visual Arts Section of the Canada Council for the Arts, the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the University of Ottawa’s Academic and Professional Development Fund. Partners include the Bytown Museum, the National Arts Centre, D'Arcy McGee's, Bread & Roses Bakery, Steam Whistle Brewing and SpaceMan Music.


Galerie SAW Gallery
67 Nicholas Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 7B9
Information : (613) 236-6181

--

Traversées
Un échange de performances. Ottawa-Belfast, 2010

Du 17 au 20 juin 2010

Organisé et présenté par
la Galerie SAW Gallery (Ottawa) + Bbeyond (Belfast)

ARTISTES Jackson 2bears (Victoria / Halifax), Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell (Belfast), Maria Hupfield (Vancouver), Sandra Johnston (Belfast), Alastair MacLennan (Belfast) + Skeena Reece (Vancouver)

COMMISSAIRE Christine Conley (Ottawa)

Traversées est un projet d’échange international, consacré à des résidences pour artistes de la performance, qui se déroule à Ottawa et à Belfast, en Irlande du Nord. Des artistes autochtones canadiens se réuniront avec des membres de Bbeyond, un collectif de performance basé à Bbeyond, pour une semaine d'échange et de collaboration. Par-delà les différences géographiques et culturelles, ces artistes ont en commun des pratiques conditionnées par les effets du colonialisme et l'histoire politique récente, qui visent l'action et la transformation sociale à travers l'immédiateté puissante de l'art vivant. Ottawa est un endroit significatif pour cette traversée de parcours, un site où s’entremêlent densément les histoires parallèles des Premières Nations et des immigrants irlandais. Des performances publiques contextuelles se tiendront dans divers lieux à Ottawa entre les 17 et 20 juin, ainsi qu'un atelier gratuit avec l'artiste de renom Alastair MacLennan. La résidence à Belfast aura lieu en octobre 2010.

HORAIRE

Le jeudi 17 juin

REINSCRIBE
Sandra Johnston + Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell
Musée Bytown (1, ruelle Canal, Ottawa)
17 h - 20h30

Atelier de performance d’une durée de deux jours avec Alastair MacLennan
Jeudi : 10 h - 17 h, Studio B, Cour des arts (2, avenue Daly, Ottawa)
Vendredi : 10 h - 17 h, Salle de répétition A, Centre national des Arts (53, rue Elgin, Ottawa)
[L'atelier est gratuit, mais le nombre de places est limité à 15 participants. Pour vous inscrire, veuillez téléphoner au (613) 236-6181.]

Le samedi 19 juin

STUD DUST
Alastair MacLennan
Cour extérieure de SAW (67, rue Nicholas, Ottawa)
9 h - 18 h

Lady Moonrider: Time Traveller
Maria Hupfield
À l'extérieur du Musée canadien de la guerre (1, place Vimy, Ottawa)
14 h - 14h30

Table ronde
Conférenciers : Jackson 2bears, Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell, Maria Hupfield, Sandra Johnston, Alastair MacLennan + Skeena Reece
Animée par Christine Conley (en anglais)
Club SAW (67, rue Nicholas, Ottawa)
19h30 - 20h30

Conférence de Guy Sioui Durand (Québec)
(en français et en anglais)
Club SAW
21 h - 21h30

Iron Tomahawks: O Kanata
Jackson 2bears
Club SAW
21h30 - 22h30

Réception et fête
Musique avec le DJ BEAR witness (Ottawa) + bar payant
Club SAW
22h30 - 2 h

Le dimanche 20 juin

Sans titre
Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell
SAW + divers lieux
À compter de 14 h

PLEA
Sandra Johnston
SAW + la Cour des arts (2, avenue Daly, Ottawa)
16h30 - 17h30

Prayer for Arrival
Skeena Reece
D’Arcy McGee’s Pub (44, rue Sparks, Ottawa)
20 h - 21 h

BIOGRAPHIES

Jackson 2bears est un artiste multimédia kanien’kehaka (mohawk). Il vit en ce moment à Victoria, en Colombie- Britannique, mais s’établira bientôt à Halifax, en Nouvelle- Écosse. Il a étudié dans le cadre du programme partenaire de l’Université de Toronto au Mississauga and Sheridan College (baccalauréat en beaux-arts, 1999) de même qu’à l’Université de Victoria (maîtrise en beaux-arts, 2003). Il est présentement doctorant à l’Université de Victoria. Il a créé des performances VJ en réponse à des commandes et dans le cadre d’expositions au Canada, notamment à l’Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Assume Nothing); pour l’Indigenous Leadership Conference, Université de Victoria; pour EMMEDIA, Calgary (Sonic Boom!); à la Vancouver Art Gallery (How Soon is Now); à InterAccess, Toronto (Electronic Shamanism), en 2009; pour Artengine, Ottawa (Electric Fields), en 2008; et pour les North American Indigenous Games, Cowichan, en 2008. Il s’est également produit sur la scène internationale dans des festivals et des expositions collectives comme Digital Art Weeks, à Zurich, en Suisse. Il est cofondateur de LiminaL Projects, un collectif d’artistes interdisciplinaires (2002).

Sinéad Bhreathnach-Cashell est une artiste établie à Belfast. Elle a étudié les beaux-arts et les arts appliqués à l’Université d’Ulster (baccalauréat en beaux-arts, 2007), où son mémoire s’intitulait « Play, Reception and Institution: Reassessing Strategies for Audiences and Practitioners through Play ». Elle a également étudié pendant une année le marketing, la gravure et la philosophe au Centenary College, aux États-Unis (New Jersey), en 2006. Elle a participé à des événements consacrés à la performance à Belfast, à Dublin, au Royaume-Uni et, plus récemment, au Open Art International Performance Festival à Beijing, en Chine. Elle est l’organisatrice et la commissaire de « residence », avec sa sœur Sighle, en collaboration avec la SHAC Housing Association, membre fondatrice de « draw in » et de Playgroup, et membre de Bbeyond.

Guy Sioui Durand est un Huron-Wendat originaire de Wendake. Sociologue critique (Ph. D.), commissaire indépendant et critique d'art, il a fait de l'art actuel au Québec et de l'art autochtone contemporain ses domaines d’intervention. Il est co-fondateur de la revue Inter, art actuel et du Lieu, centre en art actuel (Québec).

Maria Hupfield est de descendance anishnaabe (ojibway), membre de la Première nation Wasauksing, en Ontario, et elle vit à Vancouver. Elle détient un baccalauréat avec mention en art et en histoire de l’art de l’Université de Toronto et du Sheridan College, de même qu’une maîtrise en beaux-arts (sculpture) de l’Université York. Sa pratique combine la performance, la photographie et l’installation. Parmi ses performances récentes, mentionnons Museum Quality, avec Merritt Johnson, au National Museum of the American Indian à New York, au Denver Art Museum à Denver, au Colorado, et au Museum of Anthropology à Vancouver (2008), et un solo au Mountain Standard Time Performative Art Festival (M:ST) à Calgary (2005). Hupfield est présentement professeure adjointe à la faculté Culture + Community à l’Université Emily Carr, où elle enseigne le dessin et les modes autochtones d’expression visuelle.

Sandra Johnston est une artiste de Belfast qui a étudié au Kent Institute of Art & Design, à Canterbury (baccalauréat en beaux-arts, 1991) et à l’Université d’Ulster, à Belfast (maîtrise en beaux-arts, 1992). Depuis 2001, elle enseigne à l’Université d’Ulster où elle donne des cours sur l’art vidéo et audio, le cinéma et les arts multidisciplinaires. En 2007-2008, elle était professeure invitée à l’Université Bauhaus, à Weimar, dans le cadre du programme « Public Art and New Artistic Strategies ». Elle est présentement en sabbatique afin de poursuivre une thèse doctorale intitulée « Beyond Reasonable Doubt – A cross- disciplinary investigation into concepts of doubt and risk taking, explored through consideration of improvisational art processes and systems of legal justice ». Johnston est l’un des membres fondateurs de Catalyst Arts (1993-1995) à Belfast, membre de Bbeyond et d’AGENCY, un projet initié en 2007 en collaboration avec Susanne Bosch (Belfast) et Marilyn Arsem (Boston). Elle a participé à de nombreux événements consacrés à la performance au Royaume-Uni, en Europe, en Israël et en Amérique du Nord, et elle a représenté l’Irlande du Nord à la Biennale de Venise en 2005.

Alastair MacLennan joue un rôle clé dans l’art de la performance au Royaume-Uni, et son une influence a une portée nationale et internationale. Né à Blair Atholl, en Écosse, il a étudié au Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art (diplômé en 1965) et au College of Education (certificat d’enseignement spécialisé en art, 1966) à Dundee, de même qu’à la School of the Art Institute of Chicago (maîtrise en arts plastiques, 1968). Il a une pratique de zazen avec Joshu Sasaki Roshi, un maître japonais du zen Rinzai. Après avoir enseigné à Halifax (NSCAD) et à Vancouver, il accepte un poste d’enseignant en 1975 à l’institution portant aujourd’hui le nom de School of Fine Art, University of Ulster, à Belfast, en Irlande du Nord, où il a enseigné jusqu’en 2008. MacLennan est un membre fondateur de l’Art and Research Exchange (1977) à Belfast, un membre du collectif de performance Bbeyond (2004) à Belfast et du groupe de performance européen Black Market International depuis 1989. Il a représenté l’Irlande du Nord à la Biennale de Venise en 1997. Il est présentement professeur émérite, University of Ulster, ainsi qu’associé honoraire au Dartington College of Art à Devon, en Angleterre, et à la National Review of Live Art, à Glasgow, en Écosse.

Skeena Reece est une artiste multimédia de descendance tsimshian/gitksan et crie qui vit à Vancouver, en Colombie- Britannique. Elle a étudié l’art au Northwest Community College, à Prince Rupert, et au Emily Carr University of Art + Design, à Vancouver (2005), puis a complété sa formation au Banff Centre ainsi qu’à la grunt gallery à titre de stagiaire en pratique commissariale. Elle a pris part à des événements consacrés à la performance au Canada, notamment à Nuit Blanche à Toronto (2009), au Museum of Anthropology à l’Université de Colombie- Britannique (UBC) à Vancouver (2008) et au National Museum of the American Indian à Washington, DC (2008); elle a récemment fait partie de la Biennale of Sydney en Australie (2010). Reece est auteure-compositrice; son premier recueil de nouvelles et de chansons a été publié en 2010. Elle joue un rôle actif au sein de conseils d’administration de groupes qui travaillent avec de jeunes Autochtones en utilisant les arts médiatiques (Redwire Magazine), a été directrice de l’Indigenous Media Arts Group (2005-2007) et fondatrice du Native Youth Artists Collective.

Traversées : Un échange de performances. Ottawa-Belfast, 2010 a été rendu possible grâce au soutien du Bureau des arts autochtones et du Service des arts visuels du Conseil des Arts du Canada; de la Ville d'Ottawa; du Conseil des arts de l'Ontario et du Fonds de développement académique et professionnel de l’Université d’Ottawa. Nos partenaires sont : le Musée Bytown, le Centre national des Arts, D'Arcy McGee's, Bread & Roses Bakery, Steam Whistle Brewing et SpaceMan Music.


Galerie SAW Gallery
67, rue Nicholas
Ottawa (Ontario)
Canada K1N 7B9
Renseignements : (613) 236-6181