I’m back in the US but not without a story to tell yet again from what it was like to cross the U.S. border as a Native-black-haired-darker skinned-young-woman-travelling-alone.

To give you some background, I have been stopped and questioned repeatedly in higher security levels when I bothered to tell the whole truth about why I was crossing. And let me tell you, they sure don’t like fighting for reproductive freedom or working for Native American rights.

In fact, last year when I actually said that I was going to do some work with the Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center, I was told to move to the next security level where I was fingerprinted, photographed, and had to explain my ancestry and why I would want to do “work like that”.

So I’ve learned to say the lesser activist reasons as to why I’m going to be in the US.

This time around I’m driving, and what do I see when get down to the long lineups for border crossing but 3 border patrol officials who are standing around amongst the plethora of cars, looking all stern and serious. This is new to me, I thought if you were going to be “randomly searched” it would happen when you at least get to the official in the booth.

Not anymore.

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So this is a new charitable organization called Little Geeks: “Little Geeks is a philanthropic organization and registered Canadian charity that collects, refurbishes and re-distributes donated home computers to children in need.” How about that graphic design - like Toys R’Us on poppers. I feel like Joe Matt must have done the illustrations since no-one has eyeballs. Seriously though, “Little Geeks”? I can’t say I like it.

Though it may seem harsh to take shots at a good-hearted enterprise, I strongly believe that people from the corporate sector, (and take a look at the board of directors if you want to know who’s backing this project) need as much educating about social change as people who barter for used monitors need educating about interest rates and borrowing to save.

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Me at the December 10th 2006 Rally for the Status of Women

While reading this Montreal Gazette article entitled “Harper’s failure to woo women could hurt him in the polls” I’m inclined to ask YOU Shameless readers, how has our Conservative government been doing so far with women in Canada?

Sure, we’ve passed the whole cuts to any women’s groups that “lobby or advocate”, the Court Challenges Program, and removing the word “equality” from the mandate of Status of Women, but I still don’t feel any safer and I’m actually still angry we have this government in power.

So before I painstakingly list off all the things that have happened since then, what say you?

Update: This post originally stated that June 13th was the initial date of National Aboriginal Day and that it was later moved to June 21st. It has been updated to read that June 21st was the designated date from the beginning.

Governor General Roméo LeBlanc signed the proclamation formally on June 13, 1996 designating June 21st as National Aboriginal Day. This date was chosen for its cultural significance - it marks the summer solstice, which is the first day of summer and the longest hours of sunlight we see during the year.

Every day to me is National Aboriginal Day; I’m a proud Native woman when I wake up every morning and when I go to sleep every night. I sort of equate it to the whole celebrating love only on Valentine’s Day kinda thing, but it’s good to take a moment to reflect on the rich heritage of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of this land.

Are you doing/thinking/reflecting on anything for this year’s National Aboriginal Day?

Click here for a full listing of events across Canada.

My sister and I, proudly representing the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations, Iroquois peoples)

Today’s the day that Stephen Harper is scheduled to apologize for the horrors of the residential schools where Aboriginal peoples in Canada were imprisoned for decades, creating generations of abuse and also of survival.

The apology is scheduled for 3pm today in the House of Commons and you can watch it online livestream on the CBC here.

For me, the government’s apology comes too late to be meaningful. It isn’t happening in concert with acknowledging the multiple thefts of land and culture that are still ongoing in land claim disputes, cultural appropriation, and lack of basic resources like clean water, culturally-relevant and sustaining education.

If I can find any hope today, I want this apology to galvanize and influence white settler folks. Sadly, I think that white folks are more likely to respond and react to white people talking about racism and cultural genocide than the survivors themselves. Will hearing Stephen Harper apologize start the unlearning?

For many, it will do nothing. For others, it will mean something. What does it mean to you?

So my little brother got married last week, and despite my total and overwhelming love for him and for my new sister-in-law, (and the fact that I was an awesome bridesmaid IMHO) there are moments when I was less then appreciative of the institution of marriage.

I loved their wedding. I loved the seven course Italian meal with scallops and steak (sorry vegetarians, that’s how I roll). And I loved dancing with my cousins to Michael Jackson. There is something about dancing with family members that is much much more fun then dancing at a club or a party. I think it’s because you’ve known then since you were two so they’ve already seen you do the “you put your right foot in…” dance, and they’ve already seen your awesome Milli-Vanilli lip sync routine for camp, so nothing you could possibly do dance-wise is going to embarass them anymore, it’s like free to be you and me with a DJ.

I digress, post wedding blitz I was feeling if not pro, then a little less anti-marriage, when I stumbled on this comment in the Globe and Mail this morning: Looking For Mr. Good Enough

Such is the new thinking from the front lines of modern dating. Forget about finding Mr. Right. You should settle for Mr. Good Enough. Heck, go for Mr. Just Okay. Don’t expect a head-spinning courtship. You should not even want love. In fact, you’d be wise to borrow a few pointers from arranged marriages.

It seems that getting married is hipper than skinny jeans these days, and maybe since matrimony is such a hot commodity, hooking up “for ever and ever” takes precedence over actually loving your partner?

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So Hillary is out. Or will drop out. Or has been voted out. Or is sticking it out. Or has outstayed her welcome.

So many lenses through which to view this historial event. Pundits, journalists, politicians, voters and every blogger in between has two cents to share.

What do Shameless readers think? When you look at this event, what do you see?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced that he will make an official apology on behalf of the government for the horrific abuse suffered by victims of Canada’s residential school system over the past 100 years.

Harper will make the apology in the House of Commons on June 11th.

While it is good to see the government showing some sort of accountability to the extreme genocide they have inflicted on Aboriginal peoples, I have to wonder if Harper even really knows what he’s apologizing for.

Because his government has so far:

-Refused to sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, making Canada an international human rights laughing stock

-Cut the Status of Women which included major funding losses for the Sisters in Spirit Initiative that advocated for victims of violence at the Native Women’s Association of Canada, which was their largest contribution agreement

-Thrown out the Kelowna Accord, which, say what you will about it, was the first time the government actually asked Aboriginal people to be at the same table and collectively make decisions for our own people

-Has not done anything to help our people protect our own land and silently watched our leaders be thrown in jail, from the KI6 in Northern Ontario to Mohawk territory to the tar sands in Alberta, etc. More than 20% of inmates in Canada are Aboriginal, while we only make up roughly 3% of the population.

And the list goes on……..

90% of Aboriginal people today are affected by the residential school system on some level, the last of these schools closing in Saskatchewan in 1996.

So is an apology in order? Absolutely. Does the Conservative government really know what they are doing? I think not.

For starters, it’s going to take much more than an apology.

Fort Resolution residential school, North West Territories

Mother’s Day comes and goes every year, many of us finding ourselves doing the usual flowers and brunch deal. Yet the actual celebration of this day has a lot more significance than Hallmark would like to admit.

It’s worth a click on Wikipedia to read some of the history behind the creation of Mother’s Day, however one thing that sticks out in my mind is how it used to be associated with the honouring of women as goddesses for our physical ability to actually become mothers, which is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

It’s also worth noting that before the Western blitz of the second weekend in May being Mother’s Day, many cultures around the world had and still perform ceremonies that recognize the strength and vitality of motherhood.

Being a mother is of course more than blood and skin deep. I am blessed to have many great friends who have been wonderful maternal influences on my life and whom I see really take care of everyone around them (see my pic below!)

So to all the rockin’ mama’s out there doin’ tha damn thang, nya weh! (thank you!)

Tina and Ariana Lopes who have been amazing mother figures to me.