This article talks about my motorcycle bike touring packing setup and I packed during my cross-Canada tour with a sport touring motorcycle, Suzuki Bandit 600.
As a quick background, this is my longest and biggest trip I’ve done on my motorcycle. I’ve done several long-weekend tours and other adventures. This worked for me with my style of touring, camping background and experience. This may not work for everyone due to style preference or motorcycle.
The bike, fully loaded with rain cover on the packs, cutting across the prairie grasslands
If you have a basic understanding of, and practice some ultra-light camping, then this style of motorcycle touring set up may be for you. Prior to this trip, I had done zero research on how to pack. I took my previous experience from bicycle touring the Atlantic maritime and back country camping experience to piece it together. I wanted to carry my kitchen, sleeping arrangements, food, clothes, water, and repair kit on the trip with me. Additionally, I had planned to go rock climbing and brought some basic gear. So, admittedly, I wasn’t going ultra-light, but there were a few more things I wanted to do along the way.
Essentially, this was my set up for self-sufficiency and didn’t need to buy food for about 4 to 5 days (all three meals) with my set up. With that said, let’s get into it.
The Packs
I had a total of 145 litres of of space for packing. I had two 25 litre panniers (50L total), 20 litre tank bag (which was my back pack), and the main 75 litre backpack. I had decided on my pack, as I knew I was going to be hiking at some point during my trip.
At the very end of the bike, I had a 5 litre Jerry can for gas, which I was grateful for as I had pushed the range on my bike in territory with few gas stations in between. I will advise, during hot days with the sun beating down, I’d open the vent to reduce the hot pressure inside.
What Did I Bring?
As you know, space is valuable on the motorcycle and especially on a bike touring, the packing setup, will have to be very strategic.. The list here is not the complete list, but instead, outside of the “normal” things, ie tent, toiletries, etc., there were a few items here I brought that helped me out immensely and was very grateful for.
Tarp laid out over the gear to keep it from getting wet
A 3/4 inch thick, 2×1 foot plywood for the centre and kickstand, along with holding my 75L pack.
Mosquito repellent, the Thermacell. Better than the spray, as this creates a barrier, in a sphere, around you.
Water filtration pump by MSR
Baby wipes, not only for the bum, but general cleaning when showers weren’t available and especially after bike maintenance.
3 litre water bladder, 1 litre Nalgene (4L per day, folks!)
2 pairs of boots; 1) waterproof, heavy multi-day backpacking boots and, 2) Combat boots from the army surplus, which are my regular riding boots. I know, this set up isn’t ultralight, but there was plans for hiking around for a couple of days and the surplus boots were not waterproof.
Multi-tool Leatherman
Radio that also had NOAA radio frequency; this was very helpful for outside of cell signal and needed to know the weather
Bear horn/bangers/whistles – I’ve come to liking having the security of the bear horn and whistle with me inside the tent at night, as it would be impossible to set off a banger. During outings, bangers and whistle are still my go to.
1 burner gas stove, set of pots and pans, kitchenware, 1 large and 1 small Iso-butane gas; this worked for both my cooking and the Thermacell
1/6 dozen Egg carton protector – this is actually more valuable than you’d think!
10L Bear vault, I’ve tried many different ones and they were relatively ok. But this one is supposedly the standard that’s used and accepted in most States, ie, you need to show you have this vault before going back country. The vault apparently was tested with actual grizzly bears and was fine. Bringing this was a good peace of mind about protecting my food, but it doesn’t have scent protection.
What Should I have Left Home?
The tarp. Because the tarp set up didn’t work out, I could’ve left my mosquito net at home as well. However, I do recommend it in other trips. They took up a lot of space and found little use for. It was hard to set up in “proper” camping spots, with minimal trees around. I thought I could throw it on the ground and use it as a quick shelter, but in the end the set up was way more cumbersome than my tent.
PAC Safe pack locking wire mesh. This mesh wire product wrapped around bags to prevent theft. I was hoping to deter any thieves if I left my bags and motorcycle unattended in the city. Turns out, every time I was in a city, I took my bags into an AirBNB or hotel. And when I was passing through, well, I was passing through. Museum drop-in going through a city? Never happened. I only visited when I had several nights.
WHAT I WISH I BROUGHT INSTEAD was my camp saw and axe. As I didn’t think I’d make a campfire, I sorely regretted that. It was one easy way to stave off loneliness at the campsite at night. There were more opportunities than I thought when I could’ve made a fire. I was on a budget and didn’t want to buy those items along the way.
How Did I Organize my Packing?
As I’m used to camping, so I used my big 75L for nearly all my equipment, sleeping bags, food, tent, etc.
The only things I left in the panniers were the extra set of boots, the rain gear for easy access, and repair and cleaning kit for the bike.
I put my 3 litre water bladder in my day pack, which I had elastic straps to use as a tank bag, along with some snacks and food.
And voila, if you made it this far in the article, I hope it was helpful for you to understand or get inspired from more information on bike touring packing setup.
This post is a quick guide on changing a stubborn oil filter. Just north of 6,000km on my odometer reading, it indicated it’s about time for regular motorcycle maintenance. I have a Suzuki Bandit 600. Normally, oil changes for me are quite quick and takes maybe just about an hour, including running around my basement and garage to find all the tools. I can be a bit better organized for that. But regardless, if you have a stubborn oil filter, these are a few things I’ve tried and might work for you.
My normal set of tools of the trade that kind of worked.
The Situation
During my motorcycle’s last oil change, some gorilla mechanic tightened the filter incredibly tight. Later on, I learned that the filter, Suzuki proprietary, required 3 full turns to tighten. Other filters I’ve used only instructed 1.5 to 2 turns maximum.
The oil filter on the Suzuki Bandit sits behind the exhaust pipes and between the engine block. This provides very little room between the engine block and exhaust pipes.
Some basic oil removal tools:
Belt Wrench
Having the belt wrench is great for removing an oil filter from the car. But when there isn’t enough room between the engine block and the exhaust pipes on my motorcycle, it proved useless. The belt would stretch too much to create the tension needed by the time the handle meets the limits of the turning radius required.
Wrench Cap
This is probably the most useless tool and wasted CAD $9 bucks on. I went out to buy one, thinking it would fit perfectly and handle the torque required. Instead, it kept slipping. I tried the elastic band trick by wrapping the elastic band around the oil filter and putting the wrench cap on. It still slipped.
The filter after being crushed by the pliers
My next idea was to drill screws into the wrench cap and onto the oil filter. Upon boring a hole through the wrench cap, I realized it was going to take too much effort. I didn’t have the right equipment to drill through the metal, and subsequently, drill into the oil filter.
What I also wanted to do, was maintain the integrity of the oil filter, so when it needed to be torqued, it won’t rip apart.
Filter Plier Wrench
This ended up doing the trick. I was apprehensive at first, partially I was feeling cheap as I already had some tools. I purchased an off-set one, as the area I was working in was really tight. It literally took a minute. It did crush the oil filter a bit, but it didn’t puncture it.
Some other ideas that I’ve come across and have known people to try:
Successfully drilling the wrench cap on. 3 screws even spaced seemed to have worked.
Stabbing the filter with a screwdriver and turning it. The filter will rip, as I’m told, and may lose the integrity to keep going.
There are a variety of oil filter removal tools. If the belt or pliers don’t work, I would still try and acquire another tool. There are other still: Strap wrench, band wrench and 3 arm adjustable. Having the right tool saves so much more time.
Hope these tips and tricks help you with changing a stubborn oil filter! Good luck, happy maintenance!
Another little gem I came across on finding places to hike around Toronto is the Nashville Conservation in Vaughan, under an hour from Toronto. Situated on the Humber River, the conservation seem to be taken over by the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) from, what appears to be, formerly Humber Valley Heritage Trail Association (HVHTA). There are several entrances to this park, but I chose, probably, the most popular one, as there were several cars.
There were maps around online I consulted. These two map, are the most comprehensive I’ve come to seeing. One provided by Humber Valley Heritage Trail Association (HVHTA) and the other from the trail head. However, after I started into the trail, it appears many of the trails are closed, at the time of writing (summer 2020), as TRCA is making changes.
As for the trail itself, as many of the trails were closed off with signs and barriers, we respected the signs and decided to not pursue. However, the trail does take you through forested and meadow areas, after crossing a beautiful old bridge, with tons of character. Apparently this bridge was last used in 1970’s and was abandoned. Read more on it here.
There’s not a lot of entrances to the Humber River, that I found, either sandbars or otherwise. However, there a lot of nice side trails that take you into more forested areas to wander and trample around. It would seem a section of it had be rehabilitated with predominantly pine trees, though, wish it were a better mix of various types of trees to increase ecosystem resilience
This is a very nice relaxing trail and I would suggest the Nashville Conservation would be suitable for a nice stroll with an old puppers. If you enjoyed Nashville Conservation, you like Greenwood Conservation!
While working 9 to 5, it’s hard to get out of Toronto and into nature. I found this little small gem as one of many places to hike near Toronto, by under an hour. The Greenwood Conservation is just north of Ajax, is a pretty little forest with trails to hike, a running creek, appears to be dog friendly, and a forest to wander in. There are several entrances to this conservation. On my first time heading out there, I chose only the North Entrance as it seemed on the map to be away from crowds and larger parks. Especially these days with Covid-19. The main entrance seem to be quite family friendly, but I cannot speak to it as I only looped through the parking lot.
The North Entrance has plenty of parking and seems like a better alternative, for me, than the main entrance. I didn’t research any maps prior to going, but it would appear there are several trails marked out on this web page. I would certainly go back with more knowledge of the trails and explore further.
As you’re walking through the main stretch, watch out for dog poo. I will advise, though, when taking your pup through the trail, please do pick up after the little one, as it makes it quite unpleasant for everyone else. But, also, if everyone’s pup did that, the source point pollution may exceed the ecosystem services threshold for filtering all the bacteria in the fecal matter.
Happy to see restoration programs
However, once your down the trail a hundred meters or so, you’ll come to a fork and the trail becomes much more pleasant. It would seem all the trails are unmarked, but trodden down enough so that you can find your way back.
Maybe 20 minutes later, I ended up finding a nice little pebble bar in the meandering river that you could relax on. It was nice and cool in the mid morning, but can heat up significantly in the afternoon as the sun wraps around south with no trees to break the light. There is a slight current with the creek at this point, so if you have an old puppers like mine or have younger children, keep an eye out in case they may not be able to swim against the current. However, the creek is relatively shallow for an adult for easy supervision. Depending on the time of year, probably up to the knees for an average adult size.
Unbeknownst to me, the hike took me out of the conservation area further north of the pebble bar, and I decided double back around. The trail has marking signs for cross country skiing and would love to come back and do that in the winter.
This is a very nice relaxing trail and I would suggest it would be suitable for a nice stroll with an old puppers. There aren’t many places to have a picnic, that I would chose, aside from the pebble bar, being the highlight. If you enjoyed Greenwood Conservation, you may also like Nashville Conservation!
This is a quick update that I will begin again, writing a bit more onto the blog. I had been struggling to write something profound and thought provoking about my hiatus, in addition to a launch of the new Explorations website. However, in the exercise of writing, that will eventually come. In the mean time, please enjoy the the writing that is up. I had taken some time off the blog as there were several things going on in my life and navigating life in general.
Still adventuring and more to come!
There are old posts up, which I have curated. They are not, by any means, any posts I feel strongly about. Au contraire, they are the posts where I reflect the most about who I was back then and who I am now. More posts will be coming to discuss what I’ve learned in the journey of life, my relationship with the world, and myself.
There have several lessons learned since my last post. There have been other adventures as well and more to come. Admittedly, professional life is a challenge in balancing a private life, but I strive to continue to seek out adventures where I can. I will continue to write upon my experiences and my relationship with the world. Some reconciling needed to be done to find the angle in which I would like to narrate my stories. But now, I’m mostly ready (are we ever fully really ready?) to share more.
Below is a course paper during my Peace and Conflict Studies. The core concepts of the course used non-violent resistance as the primary approach for resolving conflict, including violent conflict. The most influential study statistically proved that non-violent resistance (NVR) is the most sound approach to winning a conflict. This study by Chenoweth and Stephan (2008) should be primary source of reasoning as to why violent conflict should never occur.
Other parts of the course included peacebuilding approaches and different mechanisms to enable peacebuilding. I focused my research on the Aboriginal and Canada relationship. Below is the course paper, reproduced.
Abstract
While Canada has built a reputation as peacekeepers as Lester B Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for creating the UN Peacekeeping Forces as a non-partisan body to reinforce ceasefires, Canada itself suffers from a different conflict. From the long colonization process, harsh treatments of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada were assimilated to become “Canadian”. Methods that were used include land and resource control, cultural genocide, disenfranchisement and dis empowerment of the peoples, and the infamous residential schools. Over 200 years of systematic cultural genocide and colonization continues to this day. This paper presents one possible solution of decolonization and reconciliation through the study of peace and conflict scholars, Aboriginal grassroots initiatives, the Calls of Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), and the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Canada’s Challenges toward Decolonization and the Next Steps
The Conceptual Framework
The arrival of European settlers to North America required the help of the Aboriginal peoples of North America. Disease, war and broken promises killed, assimilated and created a two century-long genocide against the Aboriginals who had helped the settlers. European politics took precedence and changed the face of the land leading toward the creation of a new country over existing ones. The struggle and battles carry long lasting effects of colonization which is still ongoing to this day without resolve. The aim of the paper is to examine the challenges ahead of Canada’s decolonization process and give recommendations for a stronger reconciliation process. Discussion of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 based on Terra Nullius sets the stage for Canada’s current Aboriginal issues regarding UN Declaration of Rights on Indigenous People (UNDRIP), Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada, land, treaties, relationships and community impacts and how these recommendations can move Aboriginals and settlers working together toward a peaceful and equitable co-existence.
To fully appreciate recommendations discussed later in the essay, an understanding of the approach will draw further insights. Taking Lederach’s Progression of Conflict Framework, based off Curle’s matrix, it discusses peacebuilding as a processes and can help to map certain events between Canada and the Aboriginals people along the progression to sustainable peace.
Beginning at the “education” and “latent conflict”, there must be certain power relationships that are unbalanced which has many influences that set up the precursor to conflict. To further draw out the contextual situation, applying the Social Cube Analytical Model (Byrne and Nadan, 2011) can provide further insight to a given situation. This list includes:
Historical Force
Religious Force
Political Force
Psycho-cultural Force
Demographic Force
Economic Force
Upon analysis of these forces, it can provide a deeper understanding of the problem. In relation to the Aboriginal peoples and Canada, the next section introduces the history and power imbalance and relationship the two parties have with each other.
In Lederach’s framework, the perceived area between the relationship of Canada and the Aboriginals is between open conflict and negotiation.“By the end of the 1970s, new battle lines had been drawn. Native groups and territorial politicians alike chafed against southern development priorities and political domination. Different conceptions of the northern territories held by native groups, regional politicians, and the federal government, were raised and debated. Little had been resolved, however, leaving the political future of Canada’s colonies very much in doubt” (Coates, 226). Open conflict quadrant can be seen in the infamous 1990 Oka Crisis and more recently the protests against the Northern Gateway Pipeline in British Columbia (Kane, 2015). Negotiation quadrant currently involves the Calls to Action has been issued by the TRC and recently by Prime Minister Trudeau calling for working relationships with the Aboriginals people, where in December 8, 2015 he announced that “The victims deserve justice, their families an opportunity to be heard and to heal” (Mas, 2015).
To achieve sustainable peace, the recommendations discussed will be based upon Kantowitz and Raik’s Integrated Peace and Development Framework (IPAD). The IPAD framework is based upon:
1)Creating a culture of good governance
2)Transforming persons
3)Working in coalitions
4)Enhancing communities to generate hope, and;
5)Developing sustainable livelihoods with just distribution of resources
This process would begin at the intersection of open conflict and negotiation leading up to the top right corner of the Progression of Conflict framework. Given the examples of the open conflict and negotiation processes mentioned earlier, it is the prime time to implement such peacebuilding programs and initiatives to rebuild relationships for the benefit of both Aboriginals and Canada.
For divided society to find reconciliation, they must “envision the future [as] the necessary ingredient” (Lederach, 27). This means that Canada and the Aboriginal peoples must build a life together in which they can both see living in each other space. Lederach states that “reconciliation is understood as a process of relationship building” (Lederach, 151). As the paper will discuss later, the Aboriginal’s philosophy on building relationship will be an important factor for reconciliation and is reflected in the recommendations set out by the TRC.
In line with Funk’s paper on Building on What’s Already There (2012), taking indigenous practices would be vital to the reconciliation process as the culture is rich and pre-disposed to this concept, as we will explore later. “Peace must ultimately be constructed locally on a foundation that is recognized as legitimate” (Funk, 399). This concept runs integrated into the reconciliation process to help construct the necessary infrastructures for peace. The main challenge will be the acceptance of indigenous practices by Canada.
Terra Nullius sets the Stage for Colonization
To understand the forces at work, the Social Cube Analytical Model can be used in conjunction with the Conflict Progression Framework to begin to unpack the Aboriginal issues. The legal doctrine set out by the Europeans titled “Terra Nullius”, contextually translated as “Nobody’s Land” declared that any discovered lands that do not have civilized humans are considered empty lands and could be colonized to be made fruitful. Having this doctrine in relation to Europeans discovery of Canada, it allowed the European settlers to assert their sovereignty over the Indigenous peoples of Canada. “The legal doctrine of terra nullius… enabled Europeans to believe that aboriginal peoples were incapable of being considered sovereign over the territories they occupied, because they did not make ‘proper’ use of the land, were supposedly without law or the institutions of (European) civil government or were otherwise considered too low in the hierarchy of civilized races” (Boyce, 1). Terra Nullius set the stage for the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which was written as an agreement between British North America (BNA) and the different Aboriginal nations.
During this period, the Aboriginal peoples were working in harmony together with the European settlers. “Over the first two hundred and fifty years of settler life in Canada, the newcomers had at best reached the level of partnership with the Aboriginals. New France, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company consciously built their place here on the indigenous ideas of mutual dependency and partnership” (Saul, 5). The Truth and Reconciliation Commission also states that“Aboriginal peoples have always remembered the original relationship they had with early Canadians. This relationship of mutual support, respect, and assistance was confirmed by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Treaties with the Crown that were negotiated in good faith by their leaders” (TRC, 20). Both Aboriginals and settlers have been learning about each other’s culture and way of life. However, not both sides always saw eye to eye. “On one side – the First Nations – this was a traditional way to build alliances. On the other-the new comers- it was a policy aimed at improving their lives and at stabilizing and controlling the fur trade” (Saul, 11). Power relations between the different parties began to shift in the nineteenth century and over time, the understanding of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 is looked at differently as the BNA giving order to the Aboriginal nations[1]. “The long, rich history of Indigenous diplomacy and covenant making has been largely forgotten or misunderstood by Canadians” (TRC, 39 – 40). By 1876, almost a decade after the European settlers founded Canada, the Aboriginals were caught in a struggle to have their rights on their lands against the newly created Indian Act.
The Indian Act became a binding document which dictated the lives of the Aboriginal peoples on their own lands by the British crown with no consultation with the Aboriginals. This Act included limiting the practice of their culture, strips rights to fight for land, and they are no longer considered an Aboriginal if they become lawyers, teachers or soldiers, all to propagate Canadian citizenship and the assimilation of the Aboriginal[2]. Following the Indian Act came the Forestry Act, Natural Resources Act, and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act all created, arguably, to disenfranchise the Aboriginals through controlling their natural resources[3][4]and putting the Aboriginal onto reserves. In these reserves, “communities were not consulted before they were relocated from their vast traditional territories to much smaller, more remote, and more crowded reserves to make way for government and industrial land and resource development projects. Even when they were not relocated, Aboriginal peoples were economically marginalized in their own homelands when irreversible environmental damage was done in the name of ‘progress’” (TRC, 204). Six years earlier in 1870, the residential schools began taking Aboriginal children to be assimilated by the church and the height of it in the 1960 roundup.
Susan Neylan, a history Professor at Laurier University researching Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Canada in the 19th and 20th century Christian missions, states that the church’s intentons were in good faith to try and integrate the Aboriginals people into Canadian society [5]. However, the approach was poorly executed causing lasting resentment and hatred from the Aboriginals people in Canada.”Many Aboriginal people have a deep and abiding distrust of Canada’s political and legal systems because of the damage the systems have caused” (TRC, 48). Some of the effects of the residential schools were loss of connection to family and community, effectively destroying their identity [6]. With the last residential school closing in 1996, but continued a turbulent relationship between the Aboriginals people and Canada.
There are three stages to colonization. The first is dispossession by segregating them from the land and each other. The second, create dependency onto the state by giving handouts and disempowering them. The third, oppression against those who try and rise up [7]. This colonial trauma creates three types of dependency, where there is a strained relationship with authority, being Canada. “First, dependency is a historical and learned dynamic in many post-conflict countries, resulting from the oppressive, authoritarian and/or colonialist systems… Second, paternalism and dependency have been created… Finally, dependency is a result of a legacy of violence in settings where those whot ook up leadship roles or spoke out against authority were severly persecuted” (Kantowitz and Riak, 7). These kinds of sustained long-term trauma create division in communities. “Heightened rates of prostitution, rape, domestic violence and other forms of criminal and gang behaviour are common in so called “post-conflict” societies” (Barsalou, 29). The reservations continue to see all these symptoms of a post-conflict society.
Along with these traumas, abusive stories from residential schools began to surface and 23 class action lawsuits and up to 15,000 legal claims were filed[8]. This called for a public inquiry calling which created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). By December 18th, 2015, the TRC closed with their Call to Action presented as the next steps for Canada to follow as the road to Reconciliation with the Aboriginals people.
Exploring the Dimensions of Aboriginal and Settler Culture
Before giving the recommendations, understanding the Aboriginal culture can show insight of the clashes of culture with Canada. The author does not claim to understand the complexities of Aboriginal culture, but the visible relevant and fundamental philosophical approaches to different issues can target the areas where more work is required. Aboriginals are a collectivist society with spiritual binding to nature in contrast to meritocracy and ownership of resources. Finding common ground between Aboriginals and Canada will be the next steps toward reconciliation and sustainable peace.
In the spirit of the Aboriginal oral tradition, a story best illustrates the cultural relationship with the land: The hunters one day woke up to find that all their deer and moose have been missing. The hunters tracked day and night to find where they have gone, as they relied heavily on these animals for food, clothing, resources and trade. Finally, they tracked the deer and the moose to far distances of the forest guarded by owls. They asked the owls if they have the deer and the moose and why they were kidnapped and they replied, “You will never get them back!” With this, the hunters and the owl went to war until the owls conceded and led them to where the deer and the moose were hidden. The hunters approached them and said they are free from the kidnappers. They replied, “We were never kidnapped. We came here voluntarily. Man has forgotten how to respect us and celebrate our gift to man when we are hunted. We were hunted so much we could not be safe and reproduce and have families. That is why we all left.” The hunters apologized and made sure that they are allowed to flourish and only hunt when needed and most importantly celebrate the life in which they gave for man to survive. Peace was made and all lived a fruitful life[9]. This morality story dictates we must respect which gives us life as reciprocity. This kind of spiritual relationship with the land is not found in Canada’s legislation with the environment. Instead it is viewed as ownership which could be bought, bartered and sold.
“The First Nations leaders weren’t even negotiating ownership. Instead, they were putting on the table concepts of complex, inclusive, balanced existence on the land. The newcomers were pressed for time because they didn’t have much to say and had only come to conclude what they thought of as a legal transfer. They were driven by a simple utilitarian desire for ownership. This was the straightforward, low-level stuff of Western property law described behind the grandiose and romantic idea of Queen Victoria as everyone’s mother” (Saul, 50).
The Aboriginals still view this land as a sacred land in which they negotiated in good faith to maintaining the welfare of the land, upon which all humankind rely on. The different Acts implemented in the Constitution emphasize “protecting private property, [which] runs contrary to Haudenosaunee traditions of communal ownership” (Mann, 333) and co-stewardship of the land.
In the aspect of law and reconciliation, “the confederacy of the Five Nations, to take a single example, was based on the Great Law, which said that clans transcended the boundaries of the nations” (Saul, 61). Mann explains further that “the great law of peace consisted of a council from all five nations, with members titled sachems. They could be impeached if they displeased their clan” (Mann, 331). This shows accountability, which Canadian government lacks and is an attribute of leaders (Anderson and Wallace, 2013). The Aboriginal laws have been so powerful, it required some of the concepts to be incorporated into the Constitution (Mann, 333). “Indigenous law is diverse; each Indigenous nation across the country has its own laws and legal traditions. Aboriginal law is the body of law that exists within the Canadian legal system” (TRC, 45). Saul echoed this in his book A Fair Country discussing how Canadians are more “native” than we think. The TRC went to great lengths to explore some of the Aboriginal nations law and reconciliation processes. This included the Haudenosaunee, Cree, Inuit, Mi’kmaq, Metis, Tlingit, Anishinabee, Hul’q’umi’num, and the Gitxsan peoples (TRC, 2015). “Legal scholar John Borrows explains that, ‘First Nations and powerful individuals would participate in such activities as smoking the peace pipe, feasting, holding a Potlatch, exchanging ceremonial objects, and engaging in long orations, discussions and negotiations. Diplomatic traditions among Indigenous peoples were designed to prevent more direct confrontation….’” (TRC, 45). Mann, taking example from the Haudenosaunee, states that “the general approach of the First nations to people from outside their nation was that a relationship needed to be worked out so that they could deal with each other… Relationships with people from other nations were formalized by defining a place for them in each nation’s family. It was in this state of mind that Aboriginals entered into treaty negotiations” (Mann, 331). All these normal relationship processes are the two Ledearch concepts introduced earlier of envisioning the future together and reconciliation as a process. These concepts and practices do not exist in Canadian legislation and in contrast, Canada required the Aboriginals to assimilate to their perceptively, “lower” Constitution. Understanding how indigenous laws draws us to the next aspect of relationship building.
In relationship with people the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee people regarded everything as mutually beneficial interaction to create an ongoing relationship. When treaties were created, Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee people regarded this as the sacred word of cooperation. “Treaty law is family law”[10]based upon respect, trust and friendship, in this order. Treaties are a process of relationship building[11], not just a document signed for title of land. Canada is regarded as a brother upon signing of treaties. A violation in this treaty is breaking of trust in the family. Canada cannot be trusted for the future if Canada does not respect the past treaties. “The most significant damage is to the trust that has been broken between the Crown and Aboriginal peoples. This broken trust must be repaired” (TRC, 20). Through negotiation to build relationships, the Aboriginals always had one pipe negotiator who deal with others, in particular the Canadian representatives, for as long as they are capable to build respect, trust, relationship and remember the past discussions. Canadian negotiators change frequently and do not understand the context in which they approach the negotiation table because they were not present at the previous meetings[12]. “In indigenous terms, talking negotiating, developing relationships, enlarging the circle was all about the intellectual superiority… If you have to fight, you fight. But that represents a failure of relationships, a failure of foreign policy, not an extension of it, as the classic European phrase would have it” (Saul, 65). The Calls to Action by the TRC are ultimate minimum goals and require a process to achieve it and if Canada can see it through, Canada will be regarded as higher intellectually trusting family member.
While not all aspects of Aboriginal culture is explored here, these examples illustrate the differences in approaches, expectations and philosophy each side brought to the negotiation table. Exploring indigenous techniques may yield several entry points for reconciliation, as it is building on what’s already there (Funk, 2012), should Canada choose to listen.
Reconciliation and Peacebuilding Recommendations
The definition of reconciliation needs to be agreed upon between the Aboriginals and Canada, as currently there are two different definitions. As the Aboriginals see it, Canada (and the Supreme Court) see reconciliation as the Aboriginals reconciling amongst themselves. In contrast to the TRC, reconciliation is healing through rebuilding relationship[13] (TRC (B), 2015). Bob Rae echoed this saying that courts will always say that Aboriginals are Canadian[14], ignoring colonialization that took place and that it is Canadians who are Aboriginals (Saul, 2008).
Reconciliation is a process to rebuild the relationships, which Lederach presented and was the basis for Aboriginal life. Paul Williams[15]had stated “There is no reconciliation, only reconciling”, using the verb depicting it as an active process.
“Reconciliation must become a way of life. It will take many years to repair damaged trust and relationships in Aboriginal communities and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Not only does reconciliation require apologies, reparations, the relearning of Canada’s national history, and public commemoration, but it also needs real social, political, and economic change” (TRC, 20)
Through this process, it is the rebuilding of relationships which Lederach, Aboriginal peoples and the TRC all are aiming toward. By this definition, Canada needs to learn and submit to these definitions as the first sign of respect to the process laid out by the TRC.
This section will discuss the thematic areas as set out by the IPAD framework surrounding one key TRC recommendation, the Call to Action 45: Royal Proclamation and Covenant of Reconciliation. This Call to Action would mean the Canadian government and Aboriginal nations would sign a new Proclamation for a working relationship. It states “The proclamation would build on the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Treaty of Niagara of 1764, and reaffirm the nation-to-nation relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown” (Calls to Action, 5). Using this as the stepping stone is important because it encompasses the spirit of the TRC and provides an arena which all other Calls to Action and initiatives can build upon. Bob Rae[16]believes this is the path to rebuilding, re-establishing a deep and truthful respect as the old Proclamation was meant for the crown and not a mutually beneficial document.
This Call to Action has its critics and justifiably so. Speaking with two elders[17]Cat Criger and Traditional Healer Jacqui Lavalley, they have voiced their opinion stating they want action instead of more talks, broken promises and apologies. Both criticized the apologies made by Canada, first by Stephen Harper in 2008 and Justin Trudeau in 2015 saying it needs to be followed through with actions. This was echoed by Douglas Sanderson[18]stating that, there is no reason for this document to be drafted. If Canada really wanted to show their intentions, they would just carry out their actions and obey the treaties. Paul Williams[19] stated it is an aspirational document, citing Harper did not even want to implement UNDRIP. “In 2010, Canada endorsed the Declaration as a “non-legally binding aspirational document” (TRC, 26), where the Aboriginals required it to be recognized as international law which Canada will implement.He re-emphasized that this document is as good as nothing if there is no trust built. Heather Dorries[20]criticized that the document is not needed because, not committing genocide does not require a piece of legislation. These are some of the varying criticisms of enacting Call to Action 45 of creating a new Royal Proclamation.
Creating a culture of good governance
The whole of TRC Calls to Action is heavily based upon UNDRIP framework as many of the Calls to Action require Canada to follow the UNDRIP framework. The TRC explicitly states in Call to Action 43 “We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation” (Calls to Action, 4). These documents are created to tell Canada (and other colonized nation states) how to behave themselves and that these are the minimum requirements for understanding and collaboration with indigenous people[21].
In this attempt to build good governance, a few scholars have voiced their imaging of the future together. This would require a restructuring of the legislation and policies which consists of a large of part in the TRC. John Kim Bell[22]in his keynote speech had stated that Canada needs to repeal the Indian Act so that the New Proclamation can take place. The Indian Act had long dictated the affairs of the Aboriginals in Canada and needs to be removed to give freedom of action to begin reconciliation. The New Proclamation would be the alternative solution Bartkowski[23]envisioned in the abandonment of one institution for another. Douglas Sanderson had suggested to use a common law system for both Aboriginal and Canadian legal system to work together, as it may not be possible to integrate but could run in parallel to each other. This is echoed by John Kim Bell who had suggested the same parallel concept as there was evidence that the ancient Persian Empire was able to integrate both Islam and Christian laws into their society.
Using both John and Douglas’s idea, a parallel common law system with the Indian Act repealed and instituting the Aboriginals indigenous laws can resolve the issue of different systems running in the same country. Ideas of reconciliation in a common law system with Canada would be acting from top down (repealing the Indian Act) and bottom up (from Aboriginal communities instituting their Indigenous laws) building upon grass root initiatives, which will be discussed in the subsequent components. Building from the bottom up as Funk (2012) discussed can further establish and strengthen the process of implementing the two systems for building good governance. With the integration of international law to federal law to Aboriginal law, it speaks to the component of good governance. The Royal Proclamation will create an enabling environment where the UNDRIP and the TRC Calls to Action can thrive.
Transforming persons
With the New Proclamation in place and the Indian Act repealed, this can give room to foster transformation in people. Transformation can be seen through education to decolonize the non-Aboriginals and settlers, to become an ally and take action to join their cause, and lastly for the Aboriginals to heal from the past traumas. If campaigns “fail to produce loyalty shifts within security or civilian bureaucracy are unlikely to achieve success” (Chenoweth and Stephan, 40). Transformation is imperative for a movement to succeed.
TRC creates fundamental changes to give capacity for the Aboriginals to govern themselves, not through the Indian Act. The transformation required are the mindset of the both Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals and of all, Canada. Education is crucial factor for mindset change. Martin, Renee, Monica, and Jean have discussed the use of education to decolonize settlers way of thinking, requires Indigenous leadership, and have control over own education on top of policy and legislation changes[24]. They believe universities are at the root of continuing the colonization process, whereby changing and decolonizing the faculty will reform the education and knowledge of Aboriginal people. Through rediscovery of identity will provide empowerment of Aboriginal people and this can be achieved through education[25]. “The new native leaders, often graduates of the residential schools and frequently university educated, debated effectively on the southern terms, but did so with the special conviction of a threatened people” (Coates, 223). The educated Aboriginal leaders help protect their rights and further push for reform and legislation restructuring. Bob Rae has seen lots of communities beginning to rejuvenate their own laws[26]through education and re-identification of who they are.
The transformation that is required is the understanding from Canada to acknowledge that they are on Aboriginal grounds and not the other way around and education will be the driving force of this transformation. Institutional changes need to come from the provinces and operationalizing the Calls to Action can be the changes.
Working in coalitions
Kantowitz and Riak describes this as “strengthen[ing] formal and informal coalitions and alliances that intentionally impact across boundaries and differences” (Kantowitz and Riak, 15). Cooperation can be between “opposition politicians, workers, students, businesspeople, Catholic Church leaders, and others” (Chenoweth and Stephan, 32) to come together to confront the adversary. As discussed before, for the first few hundred years, the Aboriginals and the European settlers have been working in coalitions before the migration of more Europeans which create the power shift. This coalition can once more be achieved.
Already the United Church of Canada has begun the process of reconciliation as they were at the front lines of the assimilation process. The church has acknowledged the past by changing the crest to include indigenous culture. The church has further acknowledged and acted upon the relevant Calls to Action (United Church, 2015). Not only was this transformative and reconciliatory, but it is working in coalition with the Aboriginals who have taken their apology and consecrated it with ceremony (TRC, 2015).
Working together with Canada, being the adversary, has been a challenge. Some scholars view the relationship working together under the common law, which can also fall under creating a culture of good governance, includes co-management of land. Co-management means coming to a consensus together. Currently the Ministers can veto any decision showing the crown still has control and not the Aboriginals[27]. This will also mean that planning will be set by Aboriginals and not treated as beneficiaries[28].
Coalitions are not limited to Canada, Universities and the Church. There are a series of networks which the Aboriginals have built upon, including the international community of UNDRIP, UNCESCR, and UN Human Rights Committee[29]. However further coalitions can be built, as Aboriginal issues are still not prevalent enough through daily Canadian life and new settlers to Canada
Enhancing communities to generate hope
Kantowitz and Riak describes this as “strengthening both traditional and emerging mechanisms, values, wisdom and resources that enhance people and systems” (Kantowitz and Riak, 15). As Cat Criger and Jacqui Lavalley has stated, through the re-discovery of self, it engages and empowers the communities to be proud to be Aboriginals once again. Re-identification and re-discovery of ethnic heritage will be the crucial part of this component. This ties in with the earlier discussion of education and transforming of persons through education. To expand further, Renee McGurry[30] presented and explored a matrix (Figure 1) where instituting education can enhance culture, identity, and hope. Beginning with Curriculum, she believes there needs to be hands on learning and the Aboriginal teachers can empower others to embark on the journey of healing and hope. Through this, the rediscovery of Culture needs to be taught for further empowerment, unity, and mobilization of the community. This affirmation of culture Connects them to who they are, to family, and to community. This encompasses the last quadrant of the matrix for Community. These kind of actions foster grassroots movements like Idle no More (INMM, 2016).
Further connection to concepts include Funk’s discussion of building on what’s already there. He states that “to meet the peacebuilding needs of the 21st century and create a more sound and equitable basis for engaging global governance challenges, more genuinely empowering forms of grassroots mobilization and local-international partnership are needed” (Funk, 396). These are not 21st century approaches. These have been the Aboriginal traditional practices of relationship building. This includes what we would now call “international” partnership as discussed earlier that “relationships with people from other nations were formalized by defining a place for them in each nation’s family” (Mann, 331). This type of grassroots mobilization can be further enhanced upon the removal of the Indian Act and implementing the Royal Proclamation.
Developing sustainable livelihoods with just distribution of resources
As discussed earlier, the Aboriginals have a spiritual connection to the land. They believed themselves to be stewards of the land to give to their grandchildren and that they do not own it[31]. Land planning becomes an important issue and has been the most visible conflict for attention of media. All the Acts created to control the natural resources under the crown and away from the Aboriginals show an imbalance of distribution. Even though there are jurisdictional control on the reserves, the pollution that enter the reserves from oil fields or other sources do not observe these jurisdictional boundaries. Regional ecosystem services do not follow the artificially man made boundaries. Large fauna will migrate and rivers will run. The small allocated plots of lands designated for the reserves are under the scrutiny of the larger surrounding ecosystems. If that surrounding land loses ecosystem capacity, it would adversely affect the reserves. Even with the “duty to consult” Aboriginal groups[32], the Canadian Ministers can veto any land development claims and boundaries.
The common goal that could be used to map environmental peacebuilding is the long term planning on how to allocate resources and land[33]. While the common discourse of protection of the environment is to adapt to the effects of climate change instead of addressing the underlying issues and practices that endanger it (Levy and Vaillancourt, 2011). There is a great potential here to address environmental concerns using a co-management approach, where it ties into working in coalitions. The fundamental behavioural change needs to see the “I can just take” point of view to be “stewards” of the land. Hayden stated that this needs to assimilate settlers to indigenous points of view and need to take on the larger discourse of capitalism, which expands this scope of this paper.
In Conca’s (2002) article, there are two ways environmental peacekeeping can occur. One, “transforming more immediate problems of mistrust, uncertainty, suspicion, divergent interest, and short time horizons that typically accompany conflictual situations.” And two, peace is viewed as a “shared collective identity within which violent conflict becomes inconceivable” (Conca, 10). The Walpole Island First Nation[34]is a successful example of co-management between the Aboriginals and Canada (Walpole First Island Nation, 2016). There would be less water and lands conflict pushed by the Idle No More Movement (INMM, 2016) as the characteristics of the first environmental peacekeeping outcome would be solved. Funk’s concept of building on what’s already there can play a large role as there is much Aboriginal knowledge to cultivate in this component.
Given the right environment to foster, there can be more examples of Walpole Island and less Idle No More Movement conflicts. The two results of environmental peacekeeping could be the result of co-management of the land between Canada and the Aboriginals. By allowing planning to be set by the Aboriginals, the Royal Proclamation would hopefully be the catalyst to enable the legislation to allow it.
Conclusion
This paper has explored some of the main developments of Aboriginal-settler relationship, but there are many more detailed issues that require further examination. The main overarching goal is for Canada to accept reconciliation on the Aboriginal terms. When this is achieved, then it would be possible to begin a renewed relationship with each other based upon Calls to Action 45, new Royal Proclamation. The IPAD framework can be used to disseminate the conditions the new Royal Proclamation will enable.
Summarizing the five components:
Creating a culture of good governance; focuses on implementing the Royal Proclamation upon which creates the necessary conditions for the remainder of the recommendations to foster
Tranforming people, focuses on indigenous education, leadership for re-identification of ethnicity, and trauma healing
Working in coalitions, focuses on working with Canada, univeresities and increasing Indigenous visibility
Enhancing communites that generate hope; focuses on empowering the indigenous community through educational transformation
Developing sustainable livelihoods with just distribution of resources; focuses on landy, treaty, distribution and natural resources and people as stewards of land and not consumers.
Each of these sections are tied into each other which support each other through the framework creating a holistic approach to building sustainable peace. “Renée Dupuis, chief commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission, argues that the “history of North America has not yet been written. It is still written in English from an Anglophone point of view… We are stuck on the colonizing roots” (Saul, 21). With the history of the Aboriginals slowly being revealed through the TRC, this is the crucial juncture as there is renewed ambition from Canada to better improve relationships, this can prove a new beginnings of everyone living on Aboriginal land.
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[1] Douglas stated this at this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24, 2016. Douglas Sanderson is a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and an Associate Professor at the University Of Toronto Faculty Of Law and holds a LL.M from Columbia University.
[2] Statements from facilitators of the Reconciliation Blanket Exercise at University of Toronto, March 17th, 2016
[3] Arther Manual stated this at 150 years of Colonization and Self Determination seminar on February 22nd, 2016
[4] Statements from facilitators of the Reconciliation Blanket Exercise at University of Toronto, March 17th, 2016
[5] Susan Neylan at the Churches and TRC panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24, 2016
[6] Statements from facilitators of the Reconciliation Blanket Exercise at University of Toronto, March 17th, 2016
[7] Arther Manual stated this at 150 years of Colonization and Self Determination seminar on February 22nd, 2016
[8] Statistics from Frank Lacobucci, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1991 to 2004 at the Churches and TRC Panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24
[9] Hayden King shared this story at the Land and Treaty panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24, 2016. He is the Director for the Centre of Indigenous Governance and an Assistant Professor of Politics at Ryerson University.
[10] Paul Williams stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016. He is a negotiator for the Indigenous nations for forty years. He writes on the Great Law of Peace of the Haudenosaunee while teaching at University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Mc Master University, and First Nations University.
[11] Douglas Sanderson stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016.
[12] Paul Williams stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[13] John Kim Bell stated this at the Key Note Speech at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016. He founded the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation
[14] Bob Rae stated this at the Key Note Panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24, 2016.
[15] Paul Williams stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[16] Bob Rae stated this at the Key Note Panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24, 2016. He is a former Premier of Ontario and is a senior partner at the Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP, a law firm advising Indigenous people.
[17] Oral dialogue, February 22, 2016 at Indigenous Education Network (IEN) at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at University of Toronto
[18] Douglas Sanderson stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[19] Paul Williams stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[20] Heather Dorries stated this at the Land and Treaty panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016. She is an assistant professor at Carleton University where she teachers Indigenous Policy and Administration Program.
[21] Deborah McGregor stated this at the Nation to Nation panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[22] John Kim Bell stated this at the Key Note Speech at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016. He founded the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation.
[23] Machiej Bartkowski presented at the ICNC Academic Seminar. Civil Resistance; Scholarship and Practiceheld at University of Toronto on Feb 27-28 2016.
[24] The speakers for the panel Educational Institutions Respond to the TRC’s Report? at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[25] Cat Criger and Jackqui Lavalley oral dialogue, February 22, 2016 at Indigenous Education Network (IEN) at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at University of Toronto
[26] Bob Rae stated this at the Key Note Panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto heled, March 23 to 24, 2016.
[27] Hayden King stated this at the Land and Treaty panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016.
[28] Heather Dorries stated this at the Land and Treaty panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016.
[29] Arther Manual stated this at 150 years of Colonization and Self Determination seminar on February 22nd, 2016
[30] Renee McGurry stated this at the Education Institution Response to TRC panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[31] John Kim Bell stated this at the Key Note Speech at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016.
[32] Dean Jacobs stated this at the Land and Treaty Relationship Panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016. He is the Consultation Manager for Walpole Island First Nation.
[33] Hayden King stated this at the Land and Treaty panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
[34] Hayden King stated this at the Land and Treaty panel at Restoring Respectful Relationships: Designing a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation Walter Gordon Symposium at University of Toronto held, March 23 to 24, 2016
“Gaza During and After” is a documentary by my colleague Tarek when he was working as a journalist.
In 2008, he produced a documentary showcasing the Palestinians daily life, suffering and resilience during the Israeli siege. Using internationally banned weapons, they targeted social infrastructure to destroy livelihoods so that the Palestinians do not have a source of income, trade or a way to live. The documentary takes us through Palestinian lives that the Western media rarely shows. Scroll to the bottom to watch the documentary.
“They shot her even though she was the one carrying the white flag, the flag of peace”
Palestinians wants peace and is asking for global support to achieve it
“We want these pictures to reach the European and American people so that they can see. Let the American people see what is happening to the Palestinian people… enough, enough destruction, let us live!” “He wants the American people to know that they are unknowingly contributing to the predicament of the Palestinian people”
America, being the largest supporter of arms deal to Israel, is being blamed. They believe if citizens in America sees what is happening here, they will push their government to stop supplying arms to Israel. However, this is happening because “they see the events in our region through the perspective of Israeli media.” And this perspective is of “Americans Jews portray[ing] Israel as a last line of defense against another Holocaust and paint its actions as purely defensive.” (American Aljazeera, 2015)
Furthermore, as of late (2010 onwards), Canada’s actions has been supplying Israel with arms as well, with the Harper government ramping up his war machine to create a more militant Canada on the world stage. Canada’s reputation as a peace keeper, recognized by a Nobel Peace prize to Lester B. Pearson in 1957 for creating the UN Peacekeepers, is being demolished by the Canadian conservative government. This documentary is as much for Canadians, Europeans and other countries supporting Israel as it is for Americans. Read more about Canada’s involvement with Israel.
I do not condone violence from either side, but Israel is literally shooting fish (Palestinians) in a barrel with superior firepower and support. That crime against humanity is what needs to be known. Once its known, there can be more global pressure to force governments to stop supplying arms and begin the process of reconciliation.
Soft targets and destruction of livelihoods
Soft targets where the main targets in 2008. UN Refugees camps were targeted by the Israeli military were bombed inside Palestine in the UN compound in Gaza even though they clearly marked as UN facilities. Millions of dollars worth of food and medicine were destroyed. Image below shows UN and International Red Crescent trying to evacuate people from a school while phosphorus bombs rain down.
Seen here, International Red Crescent and UN personnel, providing neutral humanitarian aid fighting phosphorus fire and evacuating people while Israelis target a school. They are also being targeted.
Factories that produced goods were targeted. The aim of this attack was to cripple the economy and infrastructure to destroy livelihoods, morale and their ability to sustain themselves, ultimately leading to their death.
Violence begets violence
“It’s easy to predict the future, if people don’t have justice people will turn to violence to get justice” Said John Ging, with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) “That’s human nature everywhere” addressing the indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
And as soon as John Ging said that, the next clip is of young men asking for support from Arab nations to help arm them so they can defend themselves against the invasion of Israel. This also shows and implies that Palestinians do not have weapons to defend themselves against fighter jets, missiles and superior firepower.
Gaza during and after documentary, Palestinian youth addressing 2008 Israel siege
Gaza during and after documentary, Palestinian youth addressing 2008 Israel siege
“When we talk about the war being over, no it’s not over. How can it be over when you are stopping basic human freedoms. Remember in this world the issue of human rights is something the USA was built on.” Says Rizwan Hussein at the Human Appeal International. The crimes against humanity are devastating, where social infrastructure, schools and hospitals are deliberately targeted.
To get supplies around the siege, “siege breakers” are at the front line digging tunnels under the border to Egypt to transfer supplies in. Supplies such as food, medicine and other basic necessities. This move is desperate but is the only way to continue to feed the population and bring medical supplies.
Tarek interviewing the “siege breakers”, who are the tunnel diggers to get supply into Gaza
Outside of the documentary though, not all hope is lost. There have been Jewish support of Palestine, “It is thus not surprising that Holocaust survivors and their descendants openly opposed Israel’s onslaught on Gaza last summer” and that “If anyone could empathize with being a Palestinian, it would probably be someone of Jewish background” (American Aljazeera, 2015). This is because they are both peoples of Diaspora. This goes to show that there is support and not all hope is utterly lost.
I hobbled around the Gaspesie cap and did a Quebec maritime tour, after breaking my ankle. I had anticipated my trip of spending 4 nights in the back country of Jacques Cartier National Park just north of Quebec city fell through. However, instead I explored an area I haven’t visited since I was in my single digit years. However, a lifetime ago, I was also a tour guide to Quebec City for middle school students, before I moved to Korea. The city and I have history together. This could be a suggested itinerary for those looking for a short trip to Quebec.
Light house with flying buttress
The morning we landed, we picked up the rental car and charged our way out to Rimouski with previous plans of camping also at Parc National du Bic. However, we ended up staying at Motel au Soleil Couchant. In the morning, we went to do a quick peek at the historical site of Pointe au Pere, where one of six light house with flying buttresses still stand today. The St. Lawrence River defined what Canada become through out history as it is the gateway into as far as the prairies. Control over this waterway during the colonial years meant the control over the rest of the continent. It allowed large amounts of support, troops, settlers and otherwise to enter into the interior of North America. These light houses light the way through the treacherous shallows of the river.
Traditional houses in Maritime Quebec
Our next night landed us right into Gaspe, just outside of Forillon National Park. We stayed at Auberge La Petite Ecole de Forillon. Given my ankle, not much hiking could be done through the snow that sat on the ground through the early spring. It was a great change of pace and view than the normal grind of the city life. The Maritimes of Quebec provided a quick little vacation with seafood and Appalachian mountain views. Even in the midst of the rain, the cloud covered mountains exuded their presence as we drove through their valleys. Out into Gaspe, the sleepy little town, the gulf of the St. Lawrence the cold ocean air served to remind me of how I miss my travels. The poisonneries, or fish markets, carried a large variety of sea food, fresh right from the ocean that is indicative of maritime towns.
Coastal towns of Maritime Quebec on the St. Lawrence
The next driving day took us through the interior of the Appalachian mountain range through the middle of Gaspe. We took a day at St. Anne des Monts and stayed at Auberge International La Vielle Ecole. The drive took us up to 600m Above Sea Level (ASL). The day after we followed the road back into Quebec City. We stayed at Maison du Roy
Quebec city itself, being one of the first cities in North America, over 400 years old, carries a rich distinct European flavour in her architectural layout. Especially in Le Vieux, the city’s cobble stone originate from France herself. They were shipped across on the voyages through the Atlantic as ballast and unloaded the stones into the city, while carrying the riches of the New World back to France. With these bricks, Quebec City was laid down brick by brick.
Chez Marie where you can buy fresh oven baked bread
Heading further down la fleuve de st. laurent, and away from Quebec Maritime tour, we visited Beaupre, or beautiful meadows, as declared by Samuel de Champlain and visited the Bascilica of St. Anne (Jesus’s grandmother). With Neo-Gothic and Romanesque styles of architecture, this church was rebuilt three times due to fire and other catastrophes. The church is located on Avenue Royale, one of the first roads in North America. On this road lays Chez Marie, where you can purchase fresh baked bread that are cooked in her wood oven as traditional as can be, in their red roofed traditional Quebec houses. Red depicted their influence and power as in the 1600’s, building roofs with blood from cattle implied you were rich to own so many cows you can use their blood to paint the roof red. Green roofs meant wealth as the roofs were built with copper (same as the Parliament buildings in Ottawa) but would oxidize and become green, which would increase the strength of the roof. Stairs would be built on the outside of the house as winter time would bury entirely, the first story door and so they can still enter and exit through the second story.
Montmorency Falls
Quebec means the narrowing of the river in a First Nations language and is the source of it’s name. The Citadel located right at the Cap Diamat, provided protection to those entering the river and into the lakes. As mentioned before, those who control the river, control the flow of supplies into the new lands. Placing a fort right at the bottle neck of this river is a smart militarily strategic placement. In 1759, however, the British camped across the river in Levis and spent the summer months bombarding Quebec city, sieging it. The battle of the Plains of Abraham occurred after the siege between General Montcalme and General Wolf. The British won and General Wolf declared victory. In the winter, there was resistance in St. Foy, now suburb of Quebec City, to try and defeat the British, but ultimately, the clearing of the ice in the St. Lawrence river in spring would seal the victors of the battle. As the ice cleared up, the first ship down the St. Lawrence were the British ships, sealing the transition of power from the French to the British in the New World in 1760.
As the history lesson ends in Quebec, we return the car to Jean Lesage airport and boarded the short flight back to Toronto to wrap up a little historical vacation. That concludes the quick Quebec Maritime Tour!
As part of my masters program at the University of Waterloo in Masters of Development Practice, on the course of Water Security, I aimed to do research in water security in Trinidad and Tobago to understand more of the subject area. To track my understanding and what I’ve learned through the research, a journal for each day was produced. These are my thoughts as I go through my days in Trinidad and Tobago. The University of West Indies (UWI) helped host our trip. Naturally, we were discussing issues with the professors and various students.
The different sites we had explored included Waste and Sewage Authority (WASA) treatment plant, aquaponics facility, University of West Indies, tourism association, and the Department of Natural Resource in the forestry sector. We spent 3 days in Trinidad and 2 days in Tobago.
Feb 15 – Predeparture Trinidad and Tobago
The pre departure, and the first, log. The expectations for this trip is simply just trying to beat the heat the first day and then dive right into seeing, learning and experiencing the country. While gazing over the academic part of the program, it came to my attention that I knew very little about water security in Trinidad and Tobago other than the little research I have done. I’m hoping to gain insightful knowledge of water issues and measures the country is taking to implement to improve their water supply. Though, what issues remain a mystery to me, however, I can speculate non-potable water, lack of access and infrastructure to supply the population. These issues could be caused by several factors including lack of government funding resulting in poor infrastructure; poor management of consumption of water, especially ground water, reducing its reservoirs and not allowing time for it to replenish, resulting in invading rising sea water levels and salinating the ground water rendering the water non-potable; industries not being checked for compliance of environmental pollution causing chemicals to leak into the soil and subsequently into the drinking water. Read More >>
Feb 17 – Day 1 – Carnival
First day in Trinidad. As suspected, trying to beat the heat during carnival. On the bus ride into downtown, I notice that the city works on water storage tanks, something that is familiar with me through my travels. This can imply that water can easily cut out and therefore require a back up storage of water for the household, as from experience. Other observations were the WASA facilities on the ride down and there seems to be sewage treatment plant in the heart of the city. Not too far down is a Dasani plant for filtering bottling water. It is possible there is a deal struck between WASA and Dasani for bottling water. Read more >>
Feb 18 – Day 2 – WASA treatment facility visit
First real visit out to the Waste and Sewage Authority (WASA) to study water security in Trinidad and Tobago. This gave us the first real impression of the water security issues on the island. While talking to the WHO Compliance Officer at WASA, it was noted that a bit more than 50% of the population has access to water 24/7. This was quite staggering to me considering how much water was used during carnival. I suppose Port of Spain would be better suited for receiving water as it is the capital of Trinidad. Further surprises was that the tap water is 100% potable as it follows the WHO guidelines of water. I might attempt my stomach’s fate at the tap water seeing as I wouldn’t want to purchase anymore water. Read More >>
Feb 19 – Day 3 – Aquaponics
Finally my most anticipated visit of the trip, the aquaponics facility. Seeing a smaller scale aquaponic system provides a better realistic goal to building one as the previous one I have seen before was in Cape Town and was a large system meant to sustain a restaurant. The most I learned from this visit is seeing another type of set up and filtering process. This can help solve both food and water security because of the lack of water loss in the whole aquaponic system. This system uses less than 10% of water compared to traditional agriculture. Though, it cannot grow crops like roots and tubulars as they require soil to be grown in and not water or clay media. Regardless, this can help answer some questions of increased agricultural production but with a goal of sustaining water security as the issue was raised from the previous day. Read more >>
Feb 20 – Day 4 – Tobago – Department of Natural Resources
At the Botanical Gardens with the Department of Natural Resources, Forestry management sector, it seems the presentation should’ve been done on the first day of breaking down the issues of water security and how it affects different sectors and key players. The presentation addressed many key issues surrounding water security including climate change, which is a focus of my groups research project. However, there was not much information about lowering water in aquifers and more salination in the groundwater or the effects of the removal of mangroves. They said it wasn’t much of a pressing issue at the moment so it seems there was not much focus regarding it. Read more >>
Feb 21 – Day 5 – Tobago – Tourism Association
Talking with Christopher at the Tourism association, we learnt that there is “no” water issue because hotels get the priority from WASA and so they don’t “feel” the lack of water supply running through the country. This is one point of view compared to the other visits we have had where the others have been saying there is a security issue. However, Christopher is still an advocate of water conservation. Some measures implemented are more efficient shower heads, adopting farmers who grow food for the restaurant and WASA has been metering the water on the hotels.Read more >>
Feb 23 – Post trip reflection
The post trip reflection journal. Overall, this trip has been a fantastic understanding of what water security in Trinidad and Tobago is like, looking at other countries other than Canada. It helped put in perspective the economic, governance and management of water security. The biggest takeaway has been the agricultural use of water. First at UWI’s research field and the seemingly absolute neglect put toward protecting it’s local groundwater supply from chemical seepage is inconceivable, especially coming from a university. Secondly from driving from the southern part of Tobago to the northern part, seeing all the slashing and burning. Though out of the control of the forestry management, those farmers can be better educated on the effects of burning of fields that destroy the infiltration process into the ground. Third, the aquaponic system provides solutions to the agricultural challenges posed by water insecurity. Not only does it use less than 10% of water compared to traditional agriculture, it can be easily constructed anywhere at any scale. This could help reduce the water stress while increasing local agricultural production for the increase tourism that will demand more food, decreasing the reliance on imported food. Read more >>
