Downtown Charlie Brown

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10 October 2012

This morning was even colder than yesterday. I had a picture of Silver, from the funeral home. I gave it  to Metro. He would have seen him every morning for nearly eleven years. Joy was wrapped in her blanket, rubbing her legs.” I wore the wrong shoes today. These Pumas, given to me by Wolf, are worth about a hundred and fifty bucks. People look at me and they figure, Why are you panhandling if you can afford shoes like that? I try to hide them, but I have to straighten my legs out to rub them every once in a while. They’re really bad today.”

“How are you and Chester getting along?”

“He got really drunk last night. I gave him some money and asked him to buy a bottle for me. He used my money to buy himself more beer. He went through an eighteen pack yesterday. Usually, after six he’ll be asleep.

“He was saying to me, ‘Joy, I love you. I wont mind if you stay after Christmas. Then he touched my leg. He hasn’t done that for a while.”

“I said to him, ‘Chester, you don’t like to be touched. I feel the same way, so keep your hands to yourself.’

“Later, he was banging around in the kitchen stark naked. He said, ‘What’s for supper?’ I told him, ‘I’m having this box of Kraft Dinner. I don’t know what your having. When are you going to buy some groceries?’ I’ve really spent a lot this month supplying him with cigarettes — and he chain smokes, one right after another. I’ve bought all the food. He hasn’t bought any.

“Well, I don’t think I’m going to be making any more money this morning. I had a good day yesterday.”

“I’ll see you later, Joy. Stella will be bringing pumpkin tarts.”

“I’ll give mine to Albert. I can’t stand pumpkin. I don’t mind the seeds, but that’s all.”

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Later, at 10:00, I went to the park. Stella and her husband Tim were there. Stella loves to walk Weasel’s dog, Bear. She’s known him since he was a pup — at that time he was owned by Andre, who has since passed away. Stella had brought pumpkin tarts, with whipped cream, for everybody. She also brought me a package of photos and a photo copy of a newspaper article entitled, ‘Street Sister.’

Joy said, “Janice, my worker, is meeting me here to take me to my Elizabeth Fry appointment.” She poured some wine in her water bottle, added water and placed it in her bag. Little Jake, said, “can you roll me a joint?”

Janice arrived and said hello to the people she knew. Andre asked, “We’re meeting tomorrow, right? You’re coming here?”

“That’s right Andre.”

Joy asked, “How many buses do we have to take, and how far do we have to walk?”

“We can just walk down to the next cross street and board an 85. That will take us right there.”

Joy asked, “Can you just wait until I finish this joint? Then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Sure, we have time.”

Joy hoisted her heavy backpack onto her shoulders and they walked down the sidewalk towards the bus stop.

I said hello to everybody I knew. Shakes introduced me to Clifford.

He said, “So, you’re Dennis the Menace! I’m Downtown Charlie Brown. I’ve been on the street for the past few days. Before that I was in a recovery program. I’m native Algonquin. I was born, on the Madawaska River, near Algonquin Park. I have a deep history. My grandfather was a guide for the Group of Seven, from 1920 to 1933, when they painted in the park. He served three terms as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. I’m also related to the President of the Odawa Native Friendship Center. My father is a millionaire, but he won’t even answer the phone to me. He wont give me fifty bucks; won’t even give the price for a bottle. My sister is the same, she has a great big house; I sleep on the street. She says, ‘You got yourself this way, you get yourself out.’ ”

I said, “I’m really interested in learning about native culture. Is the Odawa Center a good place to go?”

The best place is the Aboriginal Drop-In Center. Every Wednesday the native ladies host a meal, storytelling, chanting and drumming. You’ll get to see Shakes dance, sing and play guitar.”

“Shakes,” I said. “I didn’t know you sang and played guitar.”

Clifford said, “Shakes and I used to sing in the park, He taught me some boxcar Willie and other blues songs:

Boxcar’s my home, railroad my friend
It’s been that way since I don’t know when
I’m here today, tomorrow I’m gone
Where I hang my hat is where I call home

Stars at night my roof over head
The ground below where I make my bed
Horizons you see, well that is my walls
When the sun comes up my hobo blood calls.”

“I love Boxcar Willie, and all the old blues singers.” I said.

Clifford said, “When I think of native culture I get so angry. In school the nuns forced us to speak English. They called what we spoke, ‘the devil’s language’. If we were ever caught speaking Algonquin or any other native language we would be beaten with the edge of a ruler or a leather strap. Can you imagine if something like that happened today, especially to the children of white people. The nuns would be arrested.

“All this land we’re on was given to the Algonquin by treaty, even the land where the Parliament buildings stand. The government decided that it was a good military location, so they just took it. The Rideau canal was built mostly with native labor. They were paid starvation wages, most of them had families to feed, so they’d feed their families first. Many were worked to death. There isn’t even a plaque to commemorate the natives who died.

“Most native people would rather sleep outside, than in one of the shelters. Last night the guy in the bunk on my right kept saying, ‘six, six, six, six, six…’ all night long. He never stopped. The guy on my left was a crack head. Every twenty minutes he’d get up and walk around. I didn’t trust him, so I was trying to sleep with one eye open. Whenever he got up, or went back to bed I woke up.”

…

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Smudging Ceremony – 8 July 2014

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Image: http://www.sacredserpent.net/smudging.html

8 July 2014

 Our Native elders have taught us that before a person can be healed or heal another, one must be cleansed of any bad feelings, negative thoughts, bad spirits or negative energy – cleansed both physically and spiritually. This helps the healing to come through in a clear way, without being distorted or sidetracked by negative “stuff” in either the healer or the client. The elders say that all ceremonies, tribal or private, must be entered into with a good heart so that we can pray, sing, and walk in a sacred manner, and be helped by the spirits to enter the sacred realm.

Native people throughout the world use herbs to accomplish this. One common ceremony is to burn certain herbs, take the smoke in one’s hands and rub or brush it over the body. Today this is commonly called “smudging.” In Western North America the three plants most frequently used in smudging are sage, cedar, and sweet grass.

(By Adrienne Borden and Steve Coyote:  http://www.asunam.com/smudge_ceremony.html)

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At noon, as I was passing the entrance to the park, I heard my name being called. I turned and saw Sammy sitting at the gate, on his rolled sleeping bag. Hi Sammy, “Do you know when the memorial service is being held for Shakes?”

“It was yesterday at St. Paul’s church.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear any information about it. I would have attended, had I known.”

“A lot of people hadn’t heard about it. I’m holding my own Smudging Ceremony here. I’ve been here since midnight and will be staying until midnight tonight. I mix sweet grass and sage, light it, then waft the smoke with an eagle feather.

“When we were staying together Shakes told me his last wishes. I blame myself for not being there for him. I even showed him my ticket indicating that I would be back in a few days, but our tribal chief, of the Fort William First Nation, asked me to stay to submit a proposal to the government.  It kept being delayed, then on the day it was to be presented, the federal Minister of  Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development wasn’t in attendance, so they just submitted my notes.

“The Fort William Reserve, on the western end of Lake Superior near Thunder Bay, was set aside under the provisions of the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850, also known as the Crown Treaty Number 60. The agreements arrived at have never been met. We now have the support of the Supreme Court of Canada and the United Nations.

“I came back to Toronto and on my way to Osgoode Hall, where the Law Society of Upper Canada meets, I met a lawyer friend of mine. He said he would accompany me. Near the end of their session, the judge asks if there is anybody has anything to add. I asked my friend to open and close the door when he said that. Then I went in and said that I wished to address the Society concerning our proposal. The judge said that they had our proposal on file, but I told him that was only in point form, that I would like to elaborate. He gave me the floor.

“As soon as I heard about the death of Shakes, I came straight home. Unfortunately, when he was evicted from our apartment, he had no way of storing my belongings and art supplies. He tried for three days to contact his worker, but when she didn’t return his calls he just said, ‘To hell with it.’ You know how Shakes is. Someone was able to save my talking stick. I’m very grateful for that. As for the other things, they can be replaced.

“Dennis, would you do me a favor and go to the native store up the street and get me some sage?”

“Of course, Sammy, I’ll go now.” I went to the store, but unfortunately, they were out of sage.  It was suggested that I try another store about six blocks away. I gave Sammy the news, then I had to return to work.

Before I left I wanted to pay my respects to Shakes. Sammy instructed me to take some tobacco in my left hand, sprinkle a bit in the smoking bowl, say a prayer, then put the rest in a container off to the side. This would be taken to Sacred Mountain, where there would be an Ojibwa tribal ceremony held in his honor. I said my prayer and my goodbye to a great friend.

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What a Day! – 6 June 2014

 

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6 June 2014

“Hi Chuck.”

“Hi! What a day I’ve had already. You already know how bad my week was. I did something really stupid yesterday. When I got home I set up my chair for charging,  positioned it next to an electrical outlet. I turned off the controller power and put the chair in drive. Then the phone rang. It was my friend, telling me that she didn’t have to work today, so we could meet at noon.

“I forgot all about  plugging the chair into the electrical outlet. I only noticed it this morning at five o’clock. I charged it for an hour before coming down here. I had a lot of things planned for today —  going to the bank to pay a few bills. I keep forgetting when the due dates are. If I’m a couple of days late they charge me a penalty. I also wanted to be able to stop for a pizza, but that would take me too far out of my way. I might run out of power.

“What I’m going to do is drive down two blocks where I’ll meet my friend. Then I’m going to wait for the bus that takes me closest to my apartment. It doesn’t come as often as some of the others, but it brings me right to the top of the hill, near my place. They’re doing all kinds of construction around there, which might mean closing off my street entirely. I don’t know what I’m going to do then. Anyway, I’ll go home, put some frozen chicken in the microwave to defrost. Then I’ll do a stir fry with some vegetables. I’d prefer the pizza or a hamburger from Harvey’s.

“I wish I could get a job handing out that free newspaper. The only problem is rain. I can’t allow my hand controls to get wet. I was hoping that they’d let me set up in the mall, between the main doors, near Sears. I asked Sears and they wouldn’t give me permission. There are other malls, but that one is the most convenient for me.”

I asked, “Have you ever thought about being a greeter at Walmart? From watching what they do, it seems to me that you’d be able to handle that.”

“That’s something I hadn’t thought of. There is one on my bus route. That would be perfect.

“I got so mad on the bus this morning. There was this bozo standing beside me, blocking my view of the driver. I asked him to please move, because I had to let the driver know to lower the ramp. I was polite about it. The guy said, ‘You can’t tell me where I can stand. I’ll stand anywhere I want.’  That got me boiling mad. I asked the guy, “Were you born ignorant, or did you have to practice being stupid.’ I don’t know if people just don’t think, or what their problem is, but if you see a wheelchair waiting at the bus stop, you don’t try to jump on as the ramp is coming down.

“I was thinking back ten years ago. That’s when I left my wife. I moved to an apartment building where a lot of natives lived. I was still drinking then. I met three of them down near the river, two women and a man. They were enjoying a beer. I’d gone there for the same reason. We got to talking, it started getting cold, so I said, “Let’s continue this party at my place. Well, the one woman never left. It was no problem moving her things from one floor to another. We were together about three years. She was Inuit. Her name was Kunik which means kiss. How could I resist a name like that? She was waiting for the bus in front of the mall. I’m not sure how it happened, whether she slipped on the ice, or if someone bumped her, but she fell in the path of a bus and was killed instantly. I tell you, I cried when I heard the news. She was such a gentle person.

“If she got riled though, she could be vicious. I remember she had a run in with an Apache guy in the building, originally from New Mexico. The names she called him. I couldn’t believe that she even knew some of the words she used to describe him. I’ve noticed that with some other groups. Blacks from the Caribbean often don’t get along with blacks from Africa. I guess there’s a lot of history that we don’t know.

“Well, they’re forecasting a nice weekend. Hot on Saturday and Sunday with rain on Monday. So, I don’t know when I’ll be here.”

I said, “It’s time for me to go to work. Enjoy your weekend, Chuck.”

“See you sometime next week, bud. Take care. “

 

 

Canada Rejects Criticism

National Post, Dec 20, 2012

Canada rejects UN human rights criticism detailed in Amnesty International

Republish Reprint

Allison Cross | December 19, 2012 | Last Updated: Dec 20, 2013 9:27 AM ET
More from Allison Cross | @AllisonCross

Jean Levac / Postmedia NewsAttawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence announces the beginning of a hunger strike while on Parliament HIll in Ottawa, on Dec. 1

 

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Canada is again rejecting criticism of its human rights record after the release of a report that highlights the longstanding issues facing Aboriginal peoples.

Three mandatory United Nations reviews conducted in 2012 all found “very serious human rights challenges facing Indigenous peoples” in Canada, says an Amnesty International report released Wednesday.

“By every measure, be it respect for treaty and land rights, levels of poverty, average life spans, violence against women and girls, dramatically disproportionate levels of arrest and incarceration or access to government services such as housing, health care, education, water and child protection, Indigenous peoples across Canada continue to face a grave human rights crisis,” the report says.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs minister John Baird said it was odd the UN was using its resources to evaluate Canada.

“We find it strange that the United Nations Special Rapporteurs are devoting their scarce resources to countries like Canada, instead of countries like Iran and Syria where citizens do not enjoy rights and are subject to serious human rights violations at the hands of those regimes,” Rick Roth said.

“Our government has a clear objective to focus on freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world. We take strong, principled positions in our dealings with other nations whether popular or not, and that is what the world can count on from Canada.”

Related

• Harper cabinet about-face: health minister meets with UN hunger envoy
• UN, Jason Kenney exchange words on scathing report on Canadian poverty, inequality
• Chris Selley: Why not go to Attawapiskat, Mr. Harper?

In addition to the rights of Aboriginal peoples, Wednesday’s report says Canada needs improvement in seven other areas: women’s human rights, corporate accountability and trade policy, the rights of refugees and migrants, Canadians subject to human rights violations abroad, economic, social and cultural rights, the shrinking space for advocacy and dissent, and engagement with the multilateral human rights system.

Amnesty International recommends that Canada develop a national action plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Concerted action is needed,” Alex Neve, Secretary General of the English branch of Amnesty International Canada, said in a written statement.

“It will take leadership, and long overdue cooperation and coordination among federal, provincial and territorial governments. But it cannot wait any longer. Canadians whose rights are affected need assurance that Canada will meet the country’s international obligations.”

A spokesman for John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, said they too are anxious to see change.

“While we are making progress, we too are impatient to see more change that will benefit First Nation communities,” Jason MacDonald said.

“For instance, First Nations are calling for discussion on the treaty relationship between the Crown and First Nations. We agree that on this point more work is required. That is one of the reasons we have proposed to the Assembly of First Nations that we explore how best to work together on improving the treaty relationship.”

The federal government has taken concrete action since 2006, MacDonald said, which has included building 30 new schools and 10,000 new homes on reserves, investing money in safe drinking water systems and settling more than 80 outstanding land claims.

The report also chastises the government for its reactions to past visits from UN experts and independent committees, wherein politicians rejected advice and “insulted” those giving it out.

“In all instances, the suggestion was that because Canada’s record is not as bad as that of many countries, Canada’s record should not be internationally scrutinized,” the report says.

In May, a United Nations envoy who specializes in the right to food blasted Canada for failing to deal with the issue of food insecurity — criticism the federal government dismissed.

Critics questioned why envoy Olivier De Schutter bothered to visit a wealthy, democratic nation like Canada, given the number of other countries in the world coping with extreme hunger.

The envoy also highlighted the lack of appropriate food on remote First Nations reserves. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq called De Schutter’s advice “ill-informed and “patronizing,” referencing the fact that he didn’t visit Canada’s north.

In October, the federal government rejected UN claims that Bill C-10, an omnibus crime bill that included tougher penalties for youth, was too harsh for children. Earlier this month, Canada joined other Western nations in rejecting a UN telecommunications treaty amid concerns it would give governments teeth to control the internet.

National Post

 

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Report on violence

Parliamentary committee’s report on violence against Indigenous women ‘sanitized’

 
UNCATEGORIZED | 07. MAR, 2014 BY APTN NATIONAL NEWS |

Reposted from: http://aptn.ca/news/2014/03/07/conservative-mps-keep-call-public-inquiry-violence-indigenous-women-committees-main-recommendations/

APTN National News

OTTAWA–The Conservative MPs on the House of Commons special committee on violence against Indigenous women refused to add calls for a public inquiry as part of the main recommendations in the committee’s report tabled Friday in Parliament.

The committee’s main recommendations, which were essentially those of Conservative MPs on the committee, generally reflected the Harper government’s current policy on the issue.

There are an estimated 800 murdered and missing Indigenous women across the country.

The report included the dissenting opinions of the NDP and Liberals MPs on the committee who both recommended the government to call a public inquiry and issued a separate set of recommendations. The NDP and Liberals also recommended the government develop a national action plan to combat violence against Indigenous women.

“It is appalling that after hearing witness after witness testify that much more needs to be done on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, the Conservatives could produce a sanitized report saying that everything is fine,” said NDP Aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder.

“That this report only contains recommendations approved by the government, and does not reflect the testimony of witnesses, is in flagrant disregard of Parliamentary principles,” said Liberal Aboriginal affairs critic Carolyn Bennett.

Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) president Michelle Audette said the report marked a “sad day for the families.”

Audette said Indigenous women needed concrete action from Ottawa.

“Look how much they spend for nothing when we are dying on the streets,” said Audette.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo said he would be meeting with NWAC, the Metis National Council and the inuit Tapiriit Kanatami to discuss what to do to up pressure on the issue.

“This report is disappointing to Indigenous women and girls and all Canadians who stand with us,” said Atleo.

According to the evidence heard by the committee, 70 per cent of disappearances and 60 per cent of murders of Indigenous women happen in urban centres. The committee heard that over 87 per cent of these women were mothers of at least one child, according to data provided by NWAC.

NWAC also told the committee that of the over 582 cases they’ve tallied, 39 per cent occurred after 2000 and 17 per cent in the 1990s. NWAC also found that half of the cases remain unsolved. The Canadian average for homicide investigation is a 75 per cent solve rate.

Indigenous women are also far more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women. Between 2004 and 2011, Indigenous women accounted for 8 per cent of murders while being only 4 per cent of the total population of women.

Indigenous women are also more likely to be attacked by a stranger than non-Indigenous women, the committee heard.

Indigenous women are also more likely to face violence in domestic situations. According to the 2009 General Social Survey, indigenous women face twice the rate of domestic violence than the general population.

While the Conservative MP’s recommendations in the report called on Ottawa to work with provinces, territories and municipalities to create “public awareness and prevention” campaigns in its first recommendation, the four that followed simply mirrored already announced initiatives by the federal government.

The committee called on the government to “strengthen the criminal justice system” so “violent and repeat offenders serve appropriate sentences.” It recommended the Harper government “maintain its commitment to develop the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights” and implement a national DNA missing persons index, which was announced in the most recent budget.

The committee also recommended Ottawa support on-reserve K-12 education, which was recently the subject of joint federal government-Assembly of First Nations announcement.

The committee stopped short of calling for funding for women’s shelters and front-line services on reserve, but instead called on Ottawa to “engage First nation communities to examine how to improve” them.

APTN National News reported Thursday that an Iqaluit woman was murdered by her partner shortly before she was turned away by a shelter because it had no more room.

The committee recommended Ottawa address poverty as a root cause of violence against Indigenous women by providing economic development and job skills training. It also called on the federal government to ensure territorial and First Nation childcare agencies have “effective and accountable service delivery.”

Ottawa is currently facing a human rights complaint alleging it underfunds on reserve child and family services compared to the provinces.

The committee recommended the federal government work with municipal, provincial and territorial governments to collect police data on violence against Indigenous women that “includes an ethnicity variable.”

The RCMP is already collective missing and murdered case data from police forces across the country but it is not specific to First Nations, Metis and Inuit women.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada has already dismissed the work of the committee.

Amnesty International said in a statement that the report failed Indigenous women.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is personally against calling an inquiry and has relayed his views to AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo.

 news@aptn.ca

Followup: Loretta Saunders Murder

Originally posted :  http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/hon-kellie-leitch-minister-for-the-status-of-women-call-a-public-inquiry-into-hundreds-of-missing-and-murdered-aboriginal-women-like-my-cousin-loretta-saunders

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Petition by

Holly Jarrett

Cornwall, Canada

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8 March 2013

Dennis —

Today, while my family lays Loretta’s body to rest in Labrador, millions around the world are marking International Women’s Day, a day to honour achievements of women and re-commit to all the work that still needs to be done. It’s a painful and also a powerful day to remember and honour my cousin.

On Thursday the federal Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women tabled a shameful report that pretends there is no problem and says there should be no inquiry. It’s a slap in the face for our family and the families of all other missing and murdered Aboriginal women. It’s also motivation to work harder.

As we grieve and celebrate Loretta’s life today, please hold our family in your thoughts, and help us complete her work by spreading the call for a public inquiry into the deaths and disappearances of Aboriginal women across Canada. 

Please ask your friends to add their voices to my petition by forwarding the email below.

Our call for public inquiry into the over 800 cases of murdered and missing Aboriginal women is growing and will only get louder. Minister for the Status of Women Kellie Leitch must understand this.

Over 100,000 have signed my petition. 23,000 have signed the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s petition that they delivered the day Loretta went missing. Premiers across the country, federal NDP opposition critics Niki Ashton and Jean Crowder, as well as Liberal critic Carolyn Bennett, every political party leader in Nova Scotia, and the UN Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Issues have all said a public inquiry is needed. It’s only a matter of time.

This morning, I had a grounding phone conversation with Loretta’s thesis supervisor Darryl Leroux, the person who was closest to Loretta’s work. He told me he believed Loretta would fully support our current efforts to have this subject brought to light for indigenous women.

Please forward the message below to your friends and help us build a powerful call to action for aboriginal women that the Government cannot ignore. 

Thank you,

Holly Jarrett

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Hi,

I’m supporting this petition started by Loretta Saunders’ cousin Holly Jarrett calling for a national public inquiry into the deaths and disappearances of over 800 Aboriginal women in Canada.

Loretta was a 26 year old Inuit woman who was writing her university honours thesis on missing and murdered Aboriginal women when tragically, last month, she was added to that list. She went missing on February 13th and her body was found last week.

Holly has committed to completing Loretta’s work for justice for aboriginal women and now over 100,000 have signed her petition. Several Provincial Premiers, all three political party leader in Nova Scotia, and the UN Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Issues have all said a public inquiry is needed.

Will you sign? www.change.org/forloretta

Downtown Charlie Brown – 10 October 2012

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10 October 2012

This morning was even colder than yesterday. I gave a picture of Silver, from the funeral home, to Metro. He would have seen him every morning for nearly eleven years. Joy was wrapped in her blanket, rubbing her legs.” I wore the wrong shoes today. These Pumas, given to me by Wolf, are worth about a hundred and fifty bucks. People look at me and they figure, Why are you panhandling if you can afford shoes like that? I try to hide them, but I have to straighten my legs out to rub them every once in a while. They’re really bad today.”

“How are you and Chester getting along these days?”

“He got really drunk last night. I gave him some money and asked him to buy a bottle for me. He used my money to buy himself more beer. He went through an eighteen pack yesterday. Usually, after six he’ll be asleep.

“He was saying to me, ‘Joy, I love you. I wont mind if you stay after Christmas. Then he touched my leg. He hasn’t done that for a while.”

“I said to him, ‘Chester, you don’t like to be touched. I feel the same way, so keep your hands to yourself.’

“Later, he was banging around in the kitchen stark naked. He said, ‘What’s for supper?’ I told him, ‘I’m having this box of Kraft Dinner. I dont know what your having. When are you going to buy some groceries?’ I’ve really spent a lot this month supplying him with cigarettes — and he chain smokes, one right after another. I’ve bought all the food. He hasn’t bought any.

“Well, I don’t think I’m going to be making any more money this morning. I had a good day yesterday.”

“I’ll see you later, Joy. Stella will be bringing pumpkin tarts.”

“I’ll give mine to Albert. I can’t stand pumpkin. I don’t mind the seeds, but that’s all.”

…

Later, at 10:00, I went to the park. Stella and her husband Tim were there. Stella loves to walk Weasel’s dog, Bear. She’s known him since he was a pup — at that time he was owned by Andre, who has since passed away. Stella had brought pumpkin tarts, with whipped cream, for everybody. She also brought me a package of photos and a photo copy of a newspaper article entitled, ‘Street Sister.’

Mo said, “Janice, my worker, is meeting me here to take me to my Elizabeth Fry appointment.” She poured some wine in her water bottle, added water and placed it in her bag. Little Jake, said, “can you roll me a joint?”

Janice arrived and said hello to the people she knew. Andre asked, “We’re meeting tomorrow, right? You’re coming here?”

“That’s right Andre.”

Joy asked, “How many busses do we have to take, and how far do we have to walk?”

“We can just walk down to Metcalfe and take an 85. That will take us right there.”

Joy asked, “Can you just wait until I finish this joint? Then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Sure, we have time.”

Joy hoisted her heavy backpack onto her shoulders and they walked down the sidewalk towards the bus stop.

I said hello to everybody I knew. Shakes introduced me to Clifford.

He said, “So, you’re Dennis the Menace! I’m Downtown Charlie Brown. I’ve been on the street for the past few days. Before that I was in a recovery program. I’m native Algonquin. I was born, on the Madawaska River, near Algonquin Park. I have a deep history. My grandfather was a guide for the Group of Seven, from 1920 to 1933, when they painted in the park. Phil Fontaine is my uncle. He served three terms as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. I’m also related to John Henri Commanda, President of the Odawa Native Friendship Center. My father is a millionaire, but he won’t even answer the phone to me. He wont give me fifty bucks; won’t even give the price for a bottle. My sister is the same, she has a great big house; I sleep on the street. She says, ‘You got yourself this way, you get yourself out.'”

I said, “I’m really interested in learning about native culture. Is the Odawa Center a good place to go?

The best place is the Aboriginal Drop-In Center, at 510 Rideau. Every Wednesday the native ladies host a meal, storytelling, chanting and drumming. You’ll get to see Shakes dance, sing and play guitar.”

“Shakes,” I said. “I didn’t know you sang and played guitar.”

Clifford said, “Shakes and I used to sing in the park, He taught me some boxcar Willie and other blues songs.”

Boxcar’s my home, railroad my friend
It’s been that way since I don’t know when
I’m here today, tomorrow I’m gone
Where I hang my hat is where I call home

Stars at night my roof over head
The ground below where I make my bed
Horizons you see, well that is my walls
When the sun comes up my hobo blood calls.

“I love Boxcar Willie, and all the old blues singers.” I said.

Clifford said, “When I think of native culture I get so angry. In school the nuns forced us to speak English. They called what we spoke, ‘the devil’s language’. If we were ever caught speaking Algonquin or any other native language we would be beaten with the edge of a ruler or a leather strap. Can you imagine if something like that happened today, especially to the children of white people. The nuns would be arrested.

“All this land we’re on was given to the Algonquin by treaty, even the land where the Parliament buildings stand. The government decided that it was a good military location, so they just took it. The Rideau canal was built mostly with native labor. They were paid starvation wages, most of them had families to feed, so they’d feed their families first. Many were worked to death. There isn’t even a plaque to commemorate the natives who died.

“Most native people would rather sleep outside, than in one of the shelters. Last night the guy in the bunk on my right kept saying, ‘six, six, six, six, six…’ all night long. He never stopped. The guy on my left was a crack head. Every twenty minutes he’d get up and walk around. I didn’t trust him, so I was trying to sleep with one eye open. Whenever he got up, or went back to bed I woke up.”

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