Canadian Aboriginal Influence on 2010 Olympic Winter Games

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An inukshuk on the Whistler Summit, British Columbia, Canada
Daniel Walsh photo @ courtesy of http://www.trekearth.com/

The Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C., had some remarkable influence of Canadian aboriginals. These influences were quite visible to the world.

Some of The Aboriginal Influences on the Olympics

Planning and Hosting of the Games: Out of 198 First Nations (indigenous people groups) in the province of British Columbia, the Chiefs and other members of the Four Host First Nations (of Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh) directly participated in the planning and hosting of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games with the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee.

Olympic Emblem (Logo): The Vancouver Olympic Games emblem depicts an inukshuk, a symbol used by Inuit (Eskimo) people of Canada's Arctic regions. This inukshuk represents an "eternal expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms every day."

Non-Inuit aboriginal groups criticized the acceptance of this Olympic emblem because they feel that the symbol did not reflect the native art and culture of the Vancouver region or the rest of the British Columbia where the actual Olympic games were being held.

Olympic Mascots: Each Olympic Game chooses its mascot (a person, animal or object that is supposed to bring good luck) according to some local legend or culture. The Vancouver Olympic Games chose Quatchi (the sasquatch -- also called the bigfoot -- is a large, hairy, apelike creature that roams the forests of North-West USA and Canada), Miga (the sea bear), Sumi (animal spirit) and Mukmuk (happy marmot -- a burrowing rodent), drawn from the First Nations legends and mythology. The Vancouver Olympic Games mascots were drawn by aboriginal artist Meomi.

Arenas, Cultural Centres and Pavilions: Some of the Sports arenas, cultural centres and pavilions were built following aboriginal architecture and arts.

Olympic Medals: Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals have aboriginal design of an orca whale.

Opening Ceremony: In this ceremony four aboriginal totem pole like large statues were displayed. Totem pole figures represent ancestors or supernatural beings. In addition, the chiefs of Four Host First Nations were present in both opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games with other VIPs. Members of many aboriginal groups also participated in the welcoming ceremony with their traditional costumes and head-gears by singing and dancing.

Olympic Games Telecast in Eight Aboriginal Languages: Canada has the Aboriginal People's Television Network (APTN) that is owned and run by indigenous people. It was launched in 1999. The eight languages, used in the telecast of Olympic news and events, were: Attikamek, Mohawk, Mi'kmaq, Ojibwe, Cree, Ogi-Cree, Micips and Inuktitut. This is the first time in the history of Olympic Games that sports broadcast or telecast was in any aboriginal language.

Anti-Olympic Sentiments and Demonstrations

Even if a good number of aboriginal groups gave their full cooperation in the planning and hosting of the Olympic Games, some aboriginals and their non-aboriginal supporters, from before the Olympic games, were against the winter games in Vancouver, B.C. They were vocal in expressing their sentiments against holding of the games. They felt that Olympic Games were capitalist machinations for making more profits at the cost of the common and poor people. They said that the games were being held on aboriginal lands with no real benefits to them.

There were some protest demonstrations with violence, followed by arrests of some of the protest activists.

To know about some of these anti-Olympic activities and protests, you may visit the following sites:

• All Out Against the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!
  
• Anti-Olympic Protesters Use Internet to Get Message Out
• DN! Vancouver Activists Prepare Anti-Olympic Protests
  
• Olympic Protests
  
• No 2010 Olympics on Stolen Native Land
• Olympic Resistance Network
• Vancouver Media Co-op
  

Papal Apology for Abuse of Aboriginal Children in Canadian Catholic Residential Schools

Canadian aboriginal children at a festival

(Photo Courtesy: www.flickr.com/photos/craigjenkins/)

Canadian aboriginal woman at a festival

(Photo Courtesy: www.flickr.com/photos/ocad123/)

Pope Benedict XVI on April 29, 2009, met with representatives of Canadian Catholic communities and aboriginal peoples in a special audience at the Vatican and expressed his sorrow for the physical and sexual abuse of students in government-funded Catholic residential (boarding) schools from 1840's to the 1970's. He also offered his prayerful solidarity to the aboriginal peoples as they move forward, reports Zenit news agency.

Among the persons present at the audience were a group of Canadian clergy and lay Catholics and Archbishop James Weisgerber (of Winnipeg, Manitoba), President of the Canadian Bishops' Conference, who accompanied a group of former aboriginal students and victims, including Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Canada.

A Vatican press release reported that the Pope, after listening to some stories and concerns of the First Nations representatives, acknowledged the "sufferings that some indigenous children experienced in the Canadian residential school system and expressed his sorrow at the anguish caused by the deplorable conduct of some members of the Church and offered his sympathy and prayerful solidarity."

Pope Benedict XVI also emphasized that "acts of abuse cannot be tolerated in society. He prayed that all those affected would experience healing, and he encouraged First Nations peoples to continue to more forward with renewed hope."

Grand Chief Phil Fontaine, who is also an abuse victim, said in a post-papal audience press conference that group members "heard what we came for" and were "very happy" with the meeting and response of the Pope, reports Catholic News Service.

"We hoped to hear the Holy Father talk about the residential school experience, but also about abuses and hurts inflicted on so many and to acknowledge the role of the Catholic Church. We wanted to hear him say that he understands and that he is sorry and that he feels our suffering and we heard that very clearly."

Background

The residential schools for the aboriginal students (1840's to 1990's) were founded through the Canadian government funding. A total of 130 residential schools were operated by the Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Presbyterian Church, and United Church. About 75% of these schools were administered by the Catholic Church through its Religious Orders. About 150,000 aboriginal students passed through this school system.

The Canadian government wanted to uproot these students from their own culture and assimilate them into the dominant white, Christian culture. Under the penalty of imprisonment, the aborginal families were required to send their children -- aged 6 to 15 -- away to live and study in these schools. Students were forbidden to speak in their own mother languages. They also could not engage in their own cultural and spiritual practices. Many of them were physically, emotionally and sexually abused. In addition, these schools also had problems of overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of facilities.

Apology from Other Churches and Canadian Government

The Canadian Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church leaders had already apologized to the aboriginals for the abuse in their schools. The Canadian government, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, made a formal apology in the parliament in June of 2008.

The Globe and Mail reports that the Catholic entities involved with the schools issued two written apologies in 1991. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) apologized for the physical and sexual abuse as well as for the very existence of the schools. The letter said the system was inspired by a "European superiority complex" that dismissed native spiritual practices as "pagan and superstitious."

The Canadian government, under an out-0f-court settlement with the former residential school students in 2006, is providing billions of dollars in compensation.

Peoples: Aborginal, Ethnic, First Nation, Indigenous, Native, Tribal

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A woman and her child, belonging to the Garo (Mandi) ethnic group,
is going to fish in a canal at Chengni village in Netrakona District, Bangladesh
Photo (March, 2009) © Raphael Palma

A group of people having a common cultural identity is called variously in different parts of the world. They are called aboriginals (in Australia, aborigines), the first nations (in Canada), ethnic people, indigenous people, native people, or tribals.

The whites or Europeans used these terms to mean the people living in a place before their arrival. Some of these terms gradually became depreciatory or pejorative. In the use of some of the terms, the dominant culture's parochialism and marginal existence of these people became aloud. For these reasons, these people do not want themselves to be called natives or tribals any more. They want an equal footing and status with any other race or ethnic group. They prefer the terms the aborginals, the first nations, the ethnic people (or groups) and the indigenous people.

We should give them proper respect, dignity, recognition and opportunities. They could be in the same position as us if they had got the equal treatment and same opportunities. In literacy, science or otherwise, they may be "behind us" but that does not mean that they are "primitive", "uncivilized" or "unteachable". Like different species of flowers, ethnic differences make this world a wonderful and beautiful place as no other in the unverse.

Two Books on the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

(L-R:) The Chittagong Hill Tracts: Life and Nature at Risk
and Bangladesher Khudra Jatishattar Sangskriti --
two books on the ethnic groups of Bangladesh

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I came across two profusely illustrated books that speak of the situation of the small ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. These groups, in face of dominant and encroaching Bangali (Bengalee) community, are struggling for their land, economic development, culture, and language.

The book on the left, The Chittagong Hill Tracts: Life and Nature at Risk, edited by Philip Gain, deals with life, administration, state hegemony, women's survival and resistance, and, finally, culture, identity, and development. Raja Devasish Roy, Amena Mohsin, Meghna Guhathakurta, Prashanta Tripura and Philip Gain are authors of chapters.

The book on the right, Bangladesher Khudra Jatishattar Sangskriti (Culture of Small Ethnic Communities of Bangladesh), in Bengali, is edited by Philip Gain and Partha Shankar Shaha, speaks of ethnic groups' culture, cultural rights, linguistic challenges, political struggles, and attempts for cultural links and unity between these groups and the majority Bengalee population.

Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) is the publisher of these books.