“I may grieve for some time.
But then again…
we have been grieving a long time.
This is why
we can’t “just get over it and move on”.
My country won’t let me.”
-Murray Sinclair
By Andrea Loewen
@ms_andreajoy
A monthly round up of Resistance Research, including quotes, news, analysis, inspiration, and action items. Let’s break this regime down into actionable items and take it down, bit by bit.
This Month’s Action:
It’s been another month jam-packed with nightmares, and while there is always a bushfire in Trump’s America, it was also a rough month in Canada thanks to the trials and acquittals of the accused killers of Colten Bushie and Tina Fontaine, so we’re primarily focusing on those realities.
There are a number of important things you can do:
Demand an appeal for Colten Bushie’s death.
Contact Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Rabould and Prime MInister Justin Trudeau and demand we do better.
Support small businesses by Aboriginal women.
Donate to your nearest Friendship Centre, The Native Women’s Association of Canada, Idle No More, or directly to Colten Bushie’s family.
Share news and stories on your social media about these issues. Keep bringing it up.
This Month’s Reading:
WTF List (Keeping Up With the News):
What the Fuck Just Happened Today: Because you might still want to keep in the loop on what is going on in the Whitehouse.
The Night Colten Bushie Died: What His Family and Police Files Say About His Last Day, and What Came After: A breakdown of the course of events with Colten Bushie’s death.
Jury Finds Raymond Cormier Not Guilty in Death of Tina Fontaine: Here’s what happened in and around the trial for Tina Fontaine’s accused killer – we still don’t know exactly how she died.
Human Rights Lawyer Calls for Appeal of Verdict in Colten Boushie Shooting Case: There is more movement afoot.
Action Inspo and Instructionals:
Let these alternate guides and examples of resistance inspire you!
#JusticeForColten: Why This Matters and How You Can Help: A guide to different ways to support Colten Bushie’s family and make sure this never happens again.
Idle No More: This group has been leading resistance on Turtle Island for years, and they are just getting started. There are a number of actions you can participate in across the country.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: If you haven’t read the calls to action and history compiled here, now is the time to get started.
Montana Man Quit State Job Rather Than Help Work on Federal Immigration Agency Subpoenas: Unrelated, but a great reminder that there are always other options.
Continue to Fight for Justice for Colten: A variety of actions still relevant after the initial protests have ended.
Florida Student to NRA and Trump ‘We Call BS’: We can’t ignore that, despite the heartbreak up in Canada right now, there is an outpouring of grief after another school shooting in America. Emma Gonzalez’s speech is a powerful reminder that the most entrenched practices – be they gun law or colonialism – need to have an expiry date.
Analysis, Opinion, and Enrichment:
These will help you better understand how what’s feeding the madness and expose you to perspectives different from your own (regardless of their direct connection to Trump’s madness).
I Am Colten Bushie. Canada is the All-White Jury That Acquitted His Killer.: A thorough examination, not only of the events surrounding Colten Bushie’s murder, but the history of the territory on which he was slain.
Why Has Colten Bushie’s Mother Had to Work So Hard to Prove Her Son’s Humanity?: She was notified of her son’s death by officers with their guns drawn, had her home searched, and was asked if she was drunk.
Canada’s Racism Problem? It’s Even Worse Than America’s: This breakdown of Canada’s treatment of Aboriginal people has been around for a while, but it’s still relevant.
Justice Denied for Tina Fontaine and Colten Bushie: How Their Cases Illustrate Racism in Canadian Courts: Challenging jury secrecy, and other practices that might allow racism to fester in our courts.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: The official investigation has been fraught, but there are resources here.
Andrea is a Vancouver-based writer, theatre producer and promoter, choreographer, and yoga instructor with a big dose of love for sci fi/fantasy, her cat, green tea, riding her bike no matter the weather, and using a robot to vacuum her floors so she doesn’t have to. She covers dance for Vancouver Presents, as well as writing for her own blog, The Receptionist. www.andrealoewen.com
