Myth busting: the FBI director and the RCMP commissioner

Since Friday, a few readers – and others – have suggested that the FBI’s mid-campaign move in 2016 was just like the RCMP’s mid-campaign move in 2006.  With the conservative option benefitting.

The FBI’s stunt won’t change the election’s outcome, just as the RCMP’s didn’t.  But, just for the sake of argument, let’s ask ourselves: did the Mounties change history?

Um, no. And here’s the response I just gave a commenter:

This is one of the great myths of Canadian politics.

Ipsos and others showed that the CPC moved ahead of the LPC immediately after Jane Creba was gunned down on Yonge Street. It happened over the Christmas holidays, and it provided dramatic support for the Cons’ “law and order” message.  That’s when the numbers moved, big time.

The Martin Liberals lost because (a) they spectacularly mismanaged the sponsorship affair (b) they had a million messages instead of just five (like Harper) and (c) they were running the shittiest campaign in Canadian history (“soldiers in the streets,” etc.).

The RCMP didn’t win the election for Harper. The Martin Liberals did that all on their own.

(Oh, and the NDP were the ones who sent the complaint to the Mounties and released the response, by the way.)


Cultural misappropriation and misplaced indignation

So, this:

This fall, Ottawa greenlit a controversial LNG terminal near the breeding grounds of one of B.C.’s biggest salmon runs. The Haida are among those First Nations opposed to the Petronas LNG terminal slated for Lelu Island, on B.C.’s North Coast. Already, Davidson says he’ll be among those willing to stand at Lelu Island to block heavy machinery from landing on its shores. Many Haida are equally angry with Trudeau’s decision to allow B.C.’s controversial Site C Dam to go ahead before the Federal Court of Appeal can rule on treaty rights. And the Haida, like most British Columbians, are anxiously awaiting Ottawa’s decision on the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, expected by Dec. 19.

Today Lantin says the Haida are increasingly angry and offended by Trudeau’s tattoo. Delvina Lawrence, a Haida local, says Trudeau “presents himself as an ally . . . with our ink on his body. We feel he’s stabbed us in the back.”

Look, we have three big totems – three – in our house, and another big one in Daisy’s boardroom. We have more masks and carvings than I can count.  Anybody who knows me will tell you I revere Northwest native art like it is from God (because it is). More broadly, we work with First Nations and indigenous people more than we work with anybody else. Our families include First Nations peoples.

So you will perhaps forgive me for saying that this Maclean’s story made me go meh.

Trudeau has a Raven-and-light tattoo on his shoulder.  When I heard about that, I was pretty surprised, too.  That creation story is really important – we have a huge print depicting the Raven releasing the sun from the giant’s box on our living room wall – and I was impressed, at the time, that (a) Trudeau apparently knew about it and (b) thought it was important enough to put it on his arm.

My next ink will be a Raven, too, The Hands of Creation.  It’s by Beau Dick, and my B.C. buddy David Plewes gave me a limited print of it about thirty years ago, which still hangs in a prominent spot near our door. The Raven is the trickster, and I love all of the many stories about how he is part of us but also sometimes against us.

These Haida artists quoted in the Maclean’s story would have a legitimate beef, I think, were it not for stuff like this: Raven toys.  Raven scarves. Raven candles. Raven rings (I’ve been wearing one of those for years).  And so on.

I guess my point is this: you either sell your culture to people who don’t understand it and/or don’t deserve it – or you don’t.  Share it or don’t.  Let a well-intentioned guy like Trudeau put it on his arm, forever, or don’t.

You don’t get to be “bemused” by it when you like someone, and then call them a knife-wielding traitor when they have an opinion you don’t like.

Either you sell bits of your culture, or you don’t.  

They sold it.

 

 


SFH do Ramones tribute song

These guys got together last night and didn’t play this song they wrote for Da Brudders.


 

However, you may be able to see them play it if you go to this:


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