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Greetings Fellow Canadians, Settlers & Immigrants alike, it's Time to Speak up against the latest attempt to Terminate Indigenous Rights in Canada.
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About
The seeds of 2RowFlow were sown during the "winter we danced." In December 2012, a spark ignited Idle No More. Thanks to the viral nature of social media and the inter- connectedness of First Peoples, Idle No More "quickly became one of the largest Indigenous mass movements in Canadian history. What began as a series of teach-ins throughout Saskatchewan to protest impending parliamentary bills that erode Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections changed the social and political landscape of Canada."
In January 2018, after years of reflection on what it now means to be a Settler in Canada the conceptual art project known as Collective Karmic Debt began. It arose from a phrase coined by Artist & Information Architect, Su-san Koch, to describe her lived experience as a Settler in Canada. Su-san is the daughter of a mother who belongs to one of the first Scottish Settler families/clans who came by ship from Europe to Canada in the late 1700's and settled in Prince Edward Island. Her father, an Immigrant, came from Germany to Canada as a young man, following the 2nd world war where he witnessed the horrors of Nazi Germany. His father, Su-san's Grandfather, was a teacher, violinist, and German soldier who refused to pledge allegiance to Hitler and was imprisoned during the war.
Knowledge of her European roots, her Grandmother was Dutch: and its extensive history of race theory and white supremacy has infused Su-san's personal life experience as a single mother who was married, briefly, to an African Immigrant. Su-san has lived, studied and worked in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. She discovered the music of Bob Marley as a teen, listening to late night radio in Edmonton, Alberta. If asked what impact that musical encounter had on her life Su-san will say with a broad smile that the soundtrack of her life is Roots Rock Reggae. She will then sum up her life experience in 2 words: "Apartheid LOVE".
Apartheid LOVE is the sum effect of living in Canada as a Settler possessing total artistic perception. Awareness that the "Government of Canada" has committed over 150 years of genocide towards the First Peoples of this land is a great injustice. This was achieved by forcibly separating First Peoples from their lands, their children, languages and cultures and also, from Settlers. Over 600 tribes and nations who used to roam freely on this land were confined to reserve camps and must carry "Indian" ID cards as proof that they are second class citizens of this "nation'. This knowledge held in one's consciousness, over time, results in a distinct state of mind. Apartheid Love becomes a frame of reference for all things "Canadian". Further, knowledge that Canada created the concept of APARTHEID, which was later exported to South Africa, makes this state one of global consciousness.
This feeling of apartness and the reality that it is still in effect -- has created a terrible social unbalance, along with high levels of ignorance, greed, mistrust and racism in Canadian Society. It fuels the ultimate imposter experience for Settlers. Worse still, the government of Canada continues to lie and coverup the truth of WHY this mess happened -- in a never ending power play to steal the land and resources of First Peoples, keep Treaty People apart and rewrite History thru the fraudulent narrative of being the manifest masters of this land.
The Collective Karmic Debt Project is, in part, a response to the Government's 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Report. Unlike the Truth and Reconciliation process that occurred in South Africa, Su-san noticed that the report did not make suggestions for the everyday Canadian citizen to act on or even declare their remorse. TREATY PEOPLE were, once again, cut out of the half baked apology that took no real responsibility for the magnitude of the genocide that occurred since contact and which has failed to take action on even the most basic treaty obligations of creating a safe environment for the woman and children of First Peoples, who are still preyed on in astonishing numbers. All the suggestions made in the report were directed at government and corporations who failed to get it right the first time, a stunning example of Apartheid Love, in action. Sending the signal that We care, but not "that" much, not enough to re-think the divides that we have built into our racist system of governance.
It is You and I, fellow citizens, who are obliged to seek the truth and reconcile our Collective Karmic Debt to First Peoples. Governments come and go. Settlers who are born and die on this land may have roots that go back six generations spanning the entire history of this "nation" and it's legacy of genocide. The notion of Collective Karma aligns with the encoded message of the 2 Row Wumpum Belt, in which both First Peoples and Settlers of North America are shown to be floating along, side by side, on a river for "as long as the sun shines and the river flows". Each is in their own vessel, with their own ways of knowing, being and doing. A holistic systems thinker, Su-san feels that these symbols include the unseen energetic flow of information, wisdom and knowledge that moves between cultures and from one generation to another over time. This creative flow needs an outlet as it contains solutions. The creation of the digital commons known as 2RowFlow, which will be built on Holochain, will act as a space in which to grapple with the hidden ground of what it means to be Treaty People.
Contact
We are seeking input from First Peoples and Settlers regarding the design and creation of 2RowFlow. If you have any feedback, ideas or suggestions that you want to share please email us below.
We are also seeking developers who are familiar with JavaScript and Rust -- to work with us on creating our open source h'app on Holochain over the next year.
Address
Blackfoot Territory,
Southern Alberta, Canada
