Alex Paterson: Gord Hill, in Upping the Anti (http://uppingtheanti.org/node/3014), mentions in a brush off way that you and Wasase are associated with the university and seems to imply that class divisions in the Indigenous movement matter in your legitimacy. I was hoping you could comment on this.
Taiaiake: If I’m correct, and I believe I am because this is the only quote from Gord Hill in that journal, you’re referring to this response Hill gave to the question of his relationship to the “Wasáse” group, as it was referred to by the interviewer:
I’m not involved with them. My understanding is that they’re more of a university student-oriented group. They have an annual gathering over in Victoria, which is where Taiaiake Alfred (a University of Victoria professor who wrote a book called Wasasé upon which this movement is built) is based. I myself don’t have much interaction with them, and I’m critical of some of their analysis and strategy for change, such as their reliance on Gandhi. We communicate with each other, and I’m aware of what their positions are on things. On the AFN Day of Action they came out and were critical of what they called the AFN’s half-hearted steps and its militant posturing.
Hill’s response to the question seems fair and accurate to me. At the time, there was a group calling itself “Wasáse” and we did meet here in Victoria. Most of the people involved were educated and my book was a reference point because it summarizes and analyzes various strategies of Indigenous resistance. And Gord Hill did not have any involvement with the group.
But “The Wasáse Movement” was just a short-lived attempt to build a political organization that we chose to abandon because we saw this kind of effort as premature in the social-cultural environment in our communities. We did not believe that such a radical idea as confronting the government with contention had the potential to attract significant numbers of people - beyond a small circle of activists - in a movement without us and others first engaging in the work of reculturing, educating and decolonizing people’s minds.
I don’t see how you can say from his answer here that this is a “brush off” or that he is questioning my legitimacy. I also do not see any implication of class divisions in his comment. I think that you are reading your own views into what Hill said.
Alex Paterson: I was wondering whether you would clarify and dispute Gord Hill’s accusations and perception of you as an anti-warrior and clarify and give truth to why the WestCoast Warrior Society as a whole is disparaged by some in the NYM. I was hoping you could further comment on the question of the utility of revolutionary violence vs. Gandhi, that Hill mentions.
Taiaiake: In most people’s understanding, the term “warrior” refers to someone who engages in battle and who fights for a cause. I try to expand that notion in my book, but I think it’s fair to say that this is the basic idea of what a warrior is across cultures. Given this, Gord Hill’s accusations (assuming you are conveying them accurately here) are meaningless and even laughable. It would be a bizarre upside-down world in which the man who carried arms for two causes and his own nation was an anti-warrior, especially if a man who has never done anything more militant than draw a cartoon was being put forward as his “warrior” opposite. But it’s also hard to take anything serious coming from 40 year-olds who still call themselves a “youth” movement. I don’t know why they disparage other Native activists, you’ll have to ask them that question. All I know is that Gord Hill, despite claiming to understand my work, has never emailed me, never came to talk to me, and always deferred on conversing with me whenever I have encountered him in person.
My comment on Hill’s valorization of “the utility of revolutionary violence” versus Gandhian nonviolence? What’s there to comment on: it’s all rhetoric? Gord Hill and the NYM have never done anything revolutionary or violent to demonstrate that they are anything but posturing protest radicals; I don’t see stealing an Olympic flag as very revolutionary or violent.
Alex Paterson: I see in much of your writing a way of talking about settler society only in relation to a state, this is more obvious before Wasáse. I think it seems to leave invisible the need for the state relationship to be destroyed by settlers for settlers. Do you think this would make it easier for an authentic decolonization in these territories? How do you think an anarchist-Indigenist movement would or could relate respectfully to a state which occupies former Indigenous territories?
Taiaiake: My writing responds to the realities we face as Indigenous people. The fact is that as collectivities and individuals our relationship is primarily with the state and its various institutions. When you and the other Settler anarchists are a bit closer to your goal of destroying the state, I’ll start thinking and writing about that future. For now, my responsibility is to think through the real problems facing our people, and these all have to do with the coercive assimilation of the state and of the collective greed and ignorance of North American society on the whole. As for anarcha-indigenism as a movement, and such a movement’s relationship to other groups, your question has been thought through and answered in detail already in a publication I co-edited: http://www.newsocialist.org/index.php?id=981
June 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I was a organizer within the Westcoast Warriors. The WWS began as an alliance between Some Native Youth Movement members who at the time wanted to engage in more direct way, with members of the Cheam first nation. After completing a 6 week training program which involved self defence a core of 40 members decided to call this new group the West Coast warriors.
At the time an elitist attitude was developed by the former NYM members that joined the WWS. I was a part of this. I felt at the time that no one else was as hard or as real as the group we had formed. This attitude created tension between The WWS and the NYM. In my time since then i have realised how juvenile and pretentious this elitist outlook was.
Recently gord hill under his pen name Zig Zag has made strong indictments against the former WWS. These include Womanising and drunken Debauchery. I don’t speak for others but I believe now that this behaviour was a part big part of that movement for sure. I also know that the WWS did a lot for the protection of indigenous rights in cheam in the okanogan and in burnt-church. But to be sure there was never any action that I would describe as revolutionary. although at the time our rhetoric was at about level 10.
I think it safe to say that a lot of what the whole blame the band council has stunted the growth of our native movement and for a time i was a big part of that. In fact i would see more of a charge off of some folks who write Analysis of native organizations than when we were faced off against the DFO and RCMP in conflict. If you read behind the lines you can really see what its about. Self Hatred. Its like we get more off of telling another brother or sister about how they are not real enough or how they are selling out, then contribute to anything that will teach us self reliance and problem solving.
One time as I was sitting complaining about another activist as i have done many times in my bullshit and Zig Zag said to me, “You should Judge people on how they are around their family, their children”
In my opinion this is were being real and being indigenous begins and ends. It takes us to a better part of ourselves and it doesn’t allow non-native intellectuals to exploit our colonial attitudes we carry around about each other.
From what i have witnessed, this whole 70’s divisive us and them politics’s serves only those that thrive off of conflict.
So Mr, Peterson if this is the only thing that’s important for you to understand about NYM or WWS or wasase is conflict then there it is. If you really want to know hows its made a difference then get in contact with me. dave@unns.bc.ca
Thank you
David Dennis
Ha’wiilth’ap
June 10th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Am not sure what to say about Alex’s or Gord Hill’s interpretation of what Wasase has done in the past considering the role some of us played in it’s preparation, understanding, support and of course the coming together to consider establishing a Movement.
My own personal motivations were to confirm, affirm that there are like-minds in wanting revive, retain, and save what traditions in our respective territories we have left in the face of progress. It takes interest to really listen to what our stories, songs, ceremony, celebrations, languages, governance entail to appreciate where we have come from and take pride in bringing it to the future. That was my desire to support Wasase and do what we could in the prairies.
It’s always unfortunate when we have to stop in our tracks of coming together to address adult professional growth, some stay stuck and don’t move forward. Some get extremely jealous of others and instead of being team players want to haul the cart before the horse sometimes to the detriment of a group consensus. That’s what I see taking place day in day out of our communities.
I am not Ghand-ian or Ghand-iest or Movement material, what I am is carrying on the words, expectations, and lifestyle of good parenting, socialization in my culture, learning respect and thinking of the community. It bothers me when we simple brown faces have to explain our intentions, sincerity in what we do to be ourselves. Frankly I think Gord could use some growing up and move along. We have bigger fishes to fry than to try shame those who are making effort to guide, inspire, and live out the wishes of our ancestors.
Kihtam and mwestas, Darlene R. Okemaysim
June 11th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I’ve finally tuned into the existence of this website - and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. I am fascinated to read the dialogue posted just hours ago in response to Gord Hill.
There is much to discuss about the the shift away from building the political organization that was known as the “Wasase Movement.” The ability of the Wasase activists to analyze the conditions of working within communities and determine strategy and priorities in response to this is remarkable. Far superior to the abstract formulas that often dominate political organizations.
Certainly the socio-cultural conditions among the non-indigenous majority are nothing to celebrate either, and the tasks of of reculturing, educating and decolonizing non-indigenous people’s minds is equally as immense if not more so than the project that Dr. Alfred refers to within indigenous communities. I experience this on a daily basis where I live in Denendeh (the Northwest Territories).
The challenge now for non-indigenous supporters such as myself is perhaps twofold: to understand the implications of the shift in emphasis among indigenous radicals for building effective solidarity - and to learn what might be useful about this indigenous experience in thinking strategically about the conditions of building radical thinking and action among non-indigenous people during this period of grim quiescence.
Thank goodness this is the 50th anniversary of 1968, and we have an opportunity to remember (and think critically about) the great social explosions of that time - which can happen again in the future. If we all learn well the lessons of that history….
I look forward to reading more discussion on this site about the role of theory and activism after the Wasase Movement (and prefiguring the next radical indigenous movement?).
/in solidarity, Deb
June 17th, 2008 at 10:20 am
NYM is Movement who believes in the way of life our ancestors, we strive to live and raise our childern in a principled manner living by Warrior Virtues and Codes of Respect. There are no leaders who can dictate who is or is not NYM, it is the individuals actions, the way they live their life that decides a persons membership and role in the Movement.
The paper that was written was a joke, there was no attempt to contact those chapters of NYM who were ‘annalized’. At times it looked more like a threat assesment from CSIS or the RCMP than a thesis.
Taiaiake, just to clarify, Gord Hill is not an NYM memeber, Advisor, Leader, or artisit. He is a rover who does not speak for the Movement, and his writing do not represent NYM, his critique of Wasase had nothing to do with us, we highly disapproved of it. Besides being a total waste of time and effort talking about others who believe in fighting the system (Wasase), it has also has mis-information and lies in it (concerning James Ward, and i’m sure more, but we did’nt even finish reading the irrellivant ramblings of Mr. Hill).
Please avoid reactionary comments that talk down on NYM just because a student who knows nothing about NYM claims Hill to be an NYM representative, and created a fake seperation between allies.
Gord Hill had good information, and atrwork for Native Youth in the past, but has become incresingly obbsesed with other Natives and what tactics they choose to fight with, so we must distance ourselves from that destructive practice, he has also denounced NYM in his recent writing, but failed to establish face-to-face communication, that is something we refer to as being an Internet gangster, and we have nothing to do with him, and he has nothing to do with us.
Being Indian in this day and age is a Revolutionary act in itself, collecting medicines, berries, roots, and hunting are all revolutionary acts in a white world that is doing its best to kill the Earth.
We have a high respect for Taiaiake, and his role in the Movement, and would never write anything negative about him. Dave Dennis is also respected by current NYM generation, he was an eloquant and charismatic speaker for his generation, and did a wonderfull job denouncing the Treaty Process and educating people. Spokespeople come and go, but NYM has always existed and will always exist because each generation of Young Warriorz has an unstoppable Fire, and determination for Survival and Life. We believe in passing the torch, that’s why it’s called NYM, so each generation remembers their responsiblities as Warriorz, and when the young get old, then they can advide based on their expiences so we avoid repeats in our-story, and the next generation is stronger, and smarter. As Carter Camp, an NYM advisor states: “Each generation in its turn, must stand up and face the enemy to ensure the survival of our Red Nations” NYM is stronger now that last generation of NYM, and the following after us will be that much stronger, A Warrior is always srtiving for self-improvement.
Being ‘violent’ is not who we are, and we dont celebrate violence, we fight violence, the only violent ones are those who destroy Water, Food and Air, there is nothing more violent than the white-man and their indusrties.
We believe all Natives who have a shred of consiousness and genuine intention to help the future generations are aliies, tactical differences are irrellivant at this point, let us come together and talk face to face and organize all those who sincerley care about the babies and the Earth, and not let distractions such as patterson and hill distrupt our collective efforts towards Land and Freedom.
Hope that we make good out of this distraction and it forces us to work together in a Unified manner, and lets us open up clear communication that goes beyond crackah computers. Free Leonard Peltier! Free Mumia! Down with this rotten ass system! Nothing can defeat the Earth and Sky!
NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT
WARRIOR SOCIETY
June 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Shekon Brothers and Sisters: It’s good to hear the true voice of the NYM and the movement again… I feared for a while - and from the comments in that paper he wrote - that the group had been taken over by Gord Hill and his ilk. I appreciate you setting the record straight on this.
And I apologize to you for my sloppy wording in the response I gave above to the question about NYM:
“Gord Hill and the NYM have never done anything revolutionary or violent to demonstrate that they are anything but posturing protest radicals; I don’t see stealing an Olympic flag as very revolutionary or violent.”
I’m should have been more careful with my words and said that in my mind that statement applies to Gord Hill and the “some in NYM” people who were quoted by Alex Paterson.
My heart and commitments and the respect I have for you true warriors is the same as always… In peace and friendship and solidarity, Taiaiake.
ps, “crakah computers” says it all! Yeah, let’s get together and talk again sometime soon.