#J28 is International Day of Action for Idle No More movement.

I see a striking gap of understanding between poverty and wealth. The level of poverty seen through the  lens of the outsider is no match for the  mental consciousness lived within the neat rows of Canadian suburbia. Lived reality is something experienced only through the cultural lens of ones identity. What privilege lives on the other side of the lens, the viewer, the observer? What exists outside those lens, the missing parts of the story that puts it all together to make sense of it all? 

Poverty comes with a feeling, a gnawing, a hunger, a pang in the stomach, something that threatens and pulls at ones skin, distorting ones face, ones eyes. But then so does privilege. It comes with its own blinders, its own posturing. Both poverty and privilege, calling each other, unable to name the experience. 

Who are the Idle No More allies? I myself prefer the term ‘ally’ to ‘settler’, argue as you may. I see our allies, standing within the drumbeat,  with  a slight sense of uncertainty and discomfort-  but moving to the beat, feeling, sensing and believing. Commonality lives in moment, a belief in the residing relationship between humanity and the environment.

Who are the allies of the Idle No More movement? A believer in better democracy? Inner city residents? Public servants? Greens? Senior Citizens? Unions? hippies?   

The Lived reality bringing poverty and privilege together; there is another way, another way to live, another way to experience each other. This way exists in the higher structures of our indigenous languages, it lives in the stories of place, of being. It exists armed with only a song and a drum beat, that calls out an invitation to share and live a new reality, Idle No More.

I raise my hands 

After Transformation’s trip to Australia this fall to the World Indigenous Business Forum, the time to reflect is essential to integrate learnings, observations and connections. We left Australia both  inspired and excited to learn of the scope and scale of engagement through Indigenous Organizations such as AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience), The National Centre for Indigenous Excellence and Reconciliation Australia. Hearing of early success in interception of the value chain of Australian economy to shift consciousness and education and Aboriginal and mainstream relations was amazing to hear of their success. While the work of the National Centre and AIME in accessing over 14,000 Aboriginal Youth, and new social enterprise business models was fascinating.

Adding further to the excitement was hearing Buffy St. Marie speak of her work in the early 60’s, her philanthropy, PHD in Education and successes in seeing Native people succeed in their dreams. The world Indigenous network is alive and firing new possibilities for resilience  and opportunity through new relationships, strength in dialogue and constructive design!