Native American Art Etc.

The medicine wheel earrings are $25 each plus shipping.

Shipping varies on location.

My job cut my hours in half this last month so I am short on rent by quite a lot, almost all of it. So trying to make enough by the end of the week to pay it. If you don’t want to buy anything but want to help out my paypal is [email protected]

Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things: new documentary explores hidden history of LGB Inuit

A new film about homosexuality in the Inuit society shines a light on an often forgotten group of people.

The Inuit are Indigenous Nations who come from the northern territories of Canada. The word “Inuit” means “the people” in the Inuktitut language. It is commonly believed that homosexuality does not exist in Inuit society, or is a choice, but documentary filmmakers Mark Kenneth Woods and Michael Yerxa aim to prove this untrue in their documentary, Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things.

The title for the film comes from the Inuit word for homosexuals. The word for lesbians translates to “two soft things rubbing against each other” and the word for gay men means “two hard things rubbing against each other.”

Back in 2014 a rainbow flag was flown outside of city hall in the town of Iqaluit, and it sparked a debate among the Inuit community about whether homosexuality was a traditional part of their society, and should be accepted.

Even though Pride picnics were held in Iqaluit from 2000 to 2006, and a larger Pride event was held in 2014, the subject of homosexuality is still taboo among the Inuit people.

How else would you explain that Indigenous people are imprisoned at such astronomical rates in proportion to their population, and that white people are actually being imprisoned less as time goes on.

Indigenous people only represent 4% of the population and now make up 25% of the population of prisons. Some prisons are now 90% indigenous.

Its readily obvious reading the statistics that this is a major issue of systematic racism. This is from 2013 but it is very relevant here.

Aboriginal corrections report finds ‘systemic discrimination’

Aboriginal people are so vastly over-represented in Canada’s federal prison system that current policies are clearly failing them, according to a new report by the Office of the Correctional Investigator.

The report found “no new significant investments at the community level for federal aboriginal initiatives. No deputy commissioner dedicated solely to and responsible for aboriginal programs, planning, implementation and results. And worst of all, no progress in closing the large gaps in correctional outcomes between aboriginal and non-aboriginal inmates,” Howard Sapers, the correctional investigator for Canada, said during a news conference in Ottawa.

The report was tabled in the House of Commons Thursday morning — only the second special report ever written by the investigator since the office’s creation 40 years ago.

The trail of many social policies which have marginalized one group of our population “defines systemic discrimination,” Sapers said.

“It’s not that anybody designed the CSC programs to be discriminatory but in fact, there are differential outcomes between aboriginal and non-aboriginal inmates,” Sapers said.

The correctional investigator pointed to what he called “alarming” statistics.

“There are just over 3,400 aboriginal men and women making up 23 per cent of the country’s federal prison inmate population,” Sapers said.

“In other words, while aboriginal people in Canada comprise just four per cent of the population, in federal prisons nearly one in four is Métis, Inuit, or First Nations.”

Sapers found almost 40 per cent increase in the aboriginal incarcerated population between 2001-02 and 2010-11.

Additionally, aboriginal inmates are sentenced to longer terms, and spend more time in segregation and maximum security. They are less likely to be granted parole and are more likely to have parole revoked for minor problems.

“If I were releasing a report card on aboriginal corrections today, it would be filled with failing grades,” Sapers said.

The correctional investigator called on CSC to implement the following actions:

To appoint a deputy commissioner for aboriginal corrections.

The development of a long-term strategy to increase opportunities for the care and custody of aboriginal offenders by aboriginal communities, and the re-allocation of adequate funds for these purposes.

The creation of more community-based healing lodges and permanent funding for them, equal to CSC facilities.

Ongoing training of CSC staff to ensure adequate understanding of aboriginal people, culture and traditions.

New and enhanced measures to ensure aboriginal leadership and elders are equal partners in the delivery of community release and re-integration program and services.

The immediate hiring of more aboriginal community development officers.

Improving and streamlining the process around accepting and monitoring released offenders into aboriginal communities.

A ‘cloud’ over Canada’s human rights record

“The overrepresentation of aboriginal people in federal corrections and the lack of progress to improve the disparity in correctional outcomes continues to cloud Canada’s domestic human rights record,” Sapers said.

The acting chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, David Langtry, commended Sapers for a “bold” report, calling the findings “grave,” “troubling,” and requiring “urgent attention.”

“We are still seeing a disproportionate number of aboriginal women in solitary confinement, which creates barriers to access to rehabilitation programs. As a result, aboriginal women in corrections do not get paroled early, if at all. Not only are they over-represented, they are serving more time. These facts were confirmed by the correctional investigator today,” Langtry said in a written statement.

Originally posted by memento-mori-inaeternum

Did you know March is Women’s History Month?

The HT #NAWomenTaughtMe spotlights the historical influence and accomplishments by Native American women.

Please share Native American women who you believe have made notable accomplishments for their tribe, communities, etc. so that Natives and Non-Natives alike can learn and not forget the names of the many Native women who made sacrifices for future generations.

Lucy Telles (1855-1955/6)

Art by by Marea Korea (tumblr, website)

AHOICIPE