Once again, my apologies for the length of time between this and the last post. Once again, travel is the culprit. But hopefully, I'll be around for the next few weeks, at least. So, here goes:
I’ve--and you!-- have to meet this guy.
He’s one hell of an Aboriginal. His name is Calvin Helin, a lawyer. I don’t frequently speak highly of lawyers. I
don’t know many of them. In fact, I know only one on a personal basis and have
high respect for him. The few others that I’ve met, mostly for business reasons, seem
to me little more than mere money mongers.
You can have them, the whole lot. Of course, I haven’t met them all! But
this Calvin is something else. I hope to get to meet him some day.
In addition to being a
lawyer, Helin is also the author of the finest, most blunt and most honest book
on Aboriginal affairs I’ve ever read. This post is about what others say of his
book and a high recommendation. I will soon write another post reviewing some
of its contents.
Bibliographic info: Dances
with Dependency: Indigenous Success through Self-Reliance. Vancouver: Orca Spirit Publishing and
Communications, 2006.
On the front sleeve,
capitals and all:
The INCREDIBLE story of the
rise and fall of indigenous nations… and potential rise again. Offering REAL
SOLUTIONS to indigenous and developing nations’ poverty by “just doing it.”
But don’t take it just from
me. Here are the recommendations on the back sleeve that should persuade you to
read it from page 1 to page 265, not counting the 27 pages of end notes. Of
course, you can dismiss these recommendations as mere advertising. True, but
take it from me, they totally reflect this amazingly honest book by an
Aboriginal lawyer about Aboriginals. I’ve read it with deep appreciation. If you’re at all interested in Aboriginals,
especially their welfare, this is the
book for you.
The first item on the back sleeve is a brief description of the book’s artwork, again, capitals and all:
A RICHLY TEXTURED work
featuring 25 full page artworks on the mystical culture and cosmology of the
Northwest Coast Tsimshian peoples by internationally renowed artist, BILL
HELIN.
And now the recommendations:
“Calvin Helin’s Dances with Dependency offers a
compelling portrayal and analysis of polverty among Canada’s indigenous people.
His message of self-reliance as a way forward rests on thoughtful and creative
economic strategies and offers hope in cynical times.”
-- Joy Kogawa, nationally
renowned poet and novelist
“I am awestruck by Dances with Dependency. Calvin Helin has
been guided by the Raven and has managed to speak honestly and respectfully
about the problems faced by Aboriginal communities. The truth strikes at the
heart, and is messaged in such a way that no one can be offended. I would like
to thank him, “howa’a (Haida for “thank
you”), for speaking out on behalf of our youth. The book is truly beautiful. I
loved the analogy of the canoe journey, it is so poignant and appropriate.”
--Kelly A. Macdonald, B.A.,
LL.B., LL;.M., Aboriginal Lawyer, Member of the National Parole Board, and Senior
Adjudicator, Indian Residential Schools Adjudications.
“Dances with Dependency paints the most complete and honest portrait
of indigenous people that has existed to date. It goes far beyond cataloging
the problems to showing a path to real solutions. This book may unquestionably
be the most important single piece of literature and analysis for moving
indigenous people forward. It is time now to heed the call to more focused
strategic action and to start making a difference now—it is time to move beyond
the dependency mindset to the self-reliance of our ancestors.”
Dave Tuccaro, President of
Tuccaro Inc., Group of Companies.
“All parents need to read
this book. Avoiding welfare starts in the home, and the book’s message of self-reliance
applies to everyone, regardless of race or country of origin.”
--John Corbiere, former
Batchewana Band Chief who won the landmark Supreme Court Corbiere decision,
dramatically changing the Canadian Indian Act.
I hope you get it. I can’t
add anything worthwhile to this, except to summarize content materials, and that’s
not the goal of this post.
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