The following is from an artist profile Tofino Time did on me and my recent endeavours…

Here is a quote from The Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper – the local First Nations news source.

She had been born on a beach in the territory where the whales would be brought to share among the people, she said. Whales were a gift given to the worthy. She thought deeply about the love and dreams her parents had for her when she was small. Swan said she then determined that she should use her art to discover more about her people and their traditions.

Becoming Worthy is a celebration of what she sees alive in her people today, she said. The lessons and the teachings remind us to be ready for the big gifts in life.

Here is the poster from my recent woodblock show exploring my communities natural and supernatural relationship with the whales of our coast. What an incredible night!

that washed up on the beach

first there was one at one end

nestled in the soft slippery seaweed

placed there by the tides

then another appeared

also miraculously full and round

they danced in the waves on the beach for days

and then one evening

the same as any other

there they were, laying side by side

forming a little humble yin-yang

amongst the wreckage from the storms

-//-

i dont know a lot about what it means to be a wife

or what it takes to “make things work”

all I know

is that when we are together

i feel at peace deep inside

if we can just enjoy this moment

this little blissful respite

maybe we can provide each other with the comfort

to let the creator’s light shine through

-//-

- marika swan (2012)

photo – Chris Martin

From the 2nd Indigenous Gathering Against Mining and Pipelines, read my full report back on redwiremag.com

Official Statement from the Gathering:

The plans of Christy Clark and the BC government to push mining (including eight new mines in four years) and pipeline developments into unceded Indigenous territories will fail. We are opposing these plans and will be protesting the Provincial and Federal Government for continually violating inherent Aboriginal Rights and Title.

The BC government also hopes to proceed with a plan of signing ten non-treaty agreements to create economic certainty for corporations. But Clark’s government has no jurisdiction to pursue her economic agenda without free, prior, and informed consent because we – grassroots Indigenous peoples – legally, politically, economically, spiritually, culturally, and inherently maintain Aboriginal title and jurisdiction over our territories.

The promoters of the exclusive “Meeting Minds, Making Mines” Conference give the false impression that mining has broad support from Indigenous Peoples. But there are only a small number of Indigenous Peoples benefiting from industrial developments. The meagre share of profits and the few jobs that are promised by corporations and the government are not worth the devastating impact on our water, salmon, food base, spiritual sites, cultural well-being, traditional livelihoods, children and future generations. Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately impacted by industrial development with high rates of toxic waste, pollution and ill health in our communities, as well as systemic poverty through the encroachment into and destruction of our territories.

For this reason, we reject the short-term interests of profit that motivates those mining and pipeline developments that are trespassing on our unceded Indigenous lands. We are Indigenous People United Stopping Pipelines and Mining!

The blood in the veins of our land has always been the salmon. Its yearly heartbeat feeds everything from the bears and wolves to our big cedar trees. We closely monitored our salmon runs with complex weir systems, skillfully mixed our stocks, and never took more than we needed to ensure their healthy return year after year.

However, there has been a huge disruption in passing down our natural laws and we need to acknowledge that our current way of life is degrading our vital relationship with our wild salmon. Where once foreign diseases decimated our own people, our salmon now face similar threats. We have allowed open-net fish farms into our waters, breeding grounds for sea lice and disease, infecting the wild salmon stocks that swim by.

Concerned about the decline in our salmon stocks, we set out with seven Tla-o-qui-aht paddlers in the canoe of our Ha’wilth Hiyoueah (hereditary Chief Ray Seitcher Jr) from Sydney to join the Paddle for Wild Salmon on Oct 23rd. Despite discouraging weather reports, we had an incredible paddle through the Gulf Islands. Canoes converged on the Musqueam’s traditional territory from many different communities.

We rested and shared songs with the other crews before paddling out together the next day into the City of Vancouver. Crowds of people and media gathered in the pouring rain to greet us at the shore before marching to the Cohen Commission, the public inquiry into the decline of wild salmon stocks in Fraser River.

Our paddlers came from very diverse backgrounds but we were joined by our desire to demonstrate our respect and commitment to the wild salmon. We are healing as a people, reassuming our roles as stewards and finding new ways to work in partnership with other communities on issues that affect us all.

Check out the entire issue online… lots of awesome articles, video and artwork

http://maaiingan.com/muskratmag/muskrat-features/salmon-paddle

http://www.columbiancentresociety.com/pfr.php

I attended the 2nd Indigenous Assembly against Mining and Pipelines last November. You can check out my full report back on redwiremag.com

If you are patient enough… you can see me letting one rip about half way through this photo, music and video collage.

these guys knows lots : http://www.miningwatch.ca

” The Pass It On Program is an opportunity for young women in the Tofino, Opitsaht, Esowista, Ucluelet and Hitacuu area to share their experiences, to support each other and to learn more about themselves through their friendships with each other. Currently 9 mentors from Ucluelet Secondary are matched up with 18 mentees from grades 7&8. Through workshops, community dinners, volunteer opportunities, sports nights and other healthy activities they are assuming their places as influential women in their west coast communities.” - http://www.passitonwestcoast.wordpress.com

Cut n paste the web addy from above or click on the link under My Other Web Projects at the bottom of the page >>:.