8th Fire

8th Fire

Episode 2 - It's Time

1.  In this episode, we meet Howie Miller and his family. What experience did Miller have while

growing up? How has this impacted his identity as an Aboriginal man? What does he do today? Why is this significant?

Howie Miller was born on a reserve but was adopted by a Caucasian family and grew up not knowing a lot about his heritage.  This affected his identity by creating a feeling of not belonging to either side of the society.  He is trying to regain his identity as an Aboriginal man by talking about it is his stand up comedy acts. He wants to bring an awareness of the Native people's issues and bridge the gap between the Native and non-Native parts of the society.

2.  Howie Miller’s son, Tyson Houseman, wants to be a role model for Aboriginal youth. Why does he want this, and how is he achieving this goal? How has he explored his own Aboriginal identity?

Tyson Houseman is an actor whose first major role was playing a werewolf in the Twilight series, which is a very popular movie amongst young people. The significance of his role is that all actors playing werewolves in the film were of Aboriginal descent. Tyson’s hope is that spreading awareness about aboriginal issues will empower young aboriginal people and encourage them to work towards their goals. He is researching the history of First Nations in Canada and wants to share his knowledge with other Aboriginal youth.

4.  Why was the Indian Act (1876) created by the Government of Canada? What were some of the controls placed on Status Indians as a result of the Indian Act? How did the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982 change the Indian Act?

The Indian Act of 1876 was created by the government of Canada to prevent conflict and war between the settlers and the aboriginal peoples. The Aboriginal peoples were hoping that the act would allow them access to education, healthcare, land and other rights that settlers had in Canada, however they found that there were many restrictions placed on them. Some of them were the institution of reservations, the Indian Agent who controlled life on the reserve and their rights, residential schools and total government control of almost all aspects of their lives.

The Constitution Act of 1982 recognized the existing treaty rights of the Native peoples in Canada. It reinforced the rights of the Native peoples to practice their traditions and extended these rights to Indian, Inuit, and Métis people.

5.  The Vancouver 2010 Olympics made a profound impact on many local First Nations, particularly those in the Whistler area. Discuss the impact on the Lil’wat Nation in terms of recognition, acknowledgement and economic gains. In terms of the rest of Canada, what is the significance of this fundamental relationship change?

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics opened the door for the Aboriginal peoples in the area and in particular the Lil’wat Nation to negotiate their rights and receive recognition of their right of original ownership of the land. Some of the positive impacts of this agreement were recognition of the their cultural achievements as well as economic gains for the First Nations peoples. This set a precedent for the rest of the First Nations groups in Canada who became galvanized in their strive for being treated as a respected part of the Canadian society.

7.  We meet Vanessa, a 32-year-old mother of six, who has just received a job offer from a financial institution. How has she moved beyond what some might have expected of her? Why is she participating in Nadya Kwandibens’s “Concrete Indian” photo series?

Vanessa is an aboriginal woman who dropped out of high school at 16, had several children as a teen and stayed in an abusive relationship for a long time. The expectation was that she would become another single mother living on welfare, however she realized that her future depended on her and that she wanted to become a good role model for her children.  She completed high school, entered university and ended the abusive relationship. To show a positive impact of education and strive to achieve your own goals, she decided to participate in the Concrete Indian photo series of Nadya Kwandibens’s. This artist is trying to break the stereotypes that most Canadians hold true about the First Nations people living in the cities.

9.  Throughout the episode, we see segments of a workshop presented by John Lagimodiere, owner of Aboriginal Consulting Services. What is his approach in his workshops? Initially, what are the reactions from participants? By the end of the workshop, how have their reactions changed?

John Lagimodiere, the owner of Aboriginal Consulting Services, provides educational workshops to non-native members of society throughout Canada. John educates people about first nation’s history in Canada and by doing so, he aims to break the stereotypes about Native peoples in Canadian society. He uses a "no-nonsense" approach and doesn’t sugar-coat any facts. Initially in the workshop we observe the participants having very strong opinions about Native people having it "easier" than the rest of society, and wondering why they cannot "get over" their past and move on. By the end of the workshop, the reactions of the participants change dramatically  By learning the facts about the native peoples’ history in Canada, they realize that they were denied basic human rights and became a marginalized part of society.