[evolution's rainbow]

Latest reading project -- though, considering there's 450 pages of small print, I selectively read some sections and skimmed others, rather than reading the whole thing.

Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People

For a quick peek at what kinds of things this book talks about, check out this visual summary by @alokvmenon on Instagram:

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bon repos

Trigger warning: Indian Residential Schools

_______________

We stole your children.

We buried them in whiteness.

We buried them in the fields.

News is getting out.

We fly the colonizers' flag at half-mast, 

a false apology at best.

Poem and photo by rob goetze

[he drew a circle...]

He drew a circle that shut me out -

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle and took him in.

Edwin Markham1852-1940, "Outwitted"

(emphasis added)

See other posts about moral circles

march for peace

Winnipeg in the early 80's was a radical kind of place, and that's where I lived for the high school and two years of post secondary education. 

It was the time of pro-disarmament marches, as seen in this poster which I found while cleaning out the garage this weekend:

I also found the following, which I'd made in 1982 and wore (note the holes for attaching strings - I wore these like a "sandwich billboard") when I went on the Walk for Peace

     

[celebrating Indigenous picture books]

I want to let you know about this amazing resource put out by International Board on Books for Young People (Canada) (IBBY) in 2018 - a catalogue of the 100 best of Indigenous picture books! 

Plus, issued in June 2021, an additional catalogue of the best new 25 books!

From board books to picture books for older readers, this collection is a selection of 100 of the best books by Indigenous authors, many illustrated by Indigenous artists, published in Canada and currently in print. The titles reflect the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures, languages, perspectives, and experiences from sea to sea to sea. Attention was given to including picture books that promote and support Indigenous languages. All titles reflect authentic First Nations, Métis, and Inuit voices and offer insight into their distinct histories and current realities of these communities. (from IBBY website newsletter)

IBBY Introduction to the Catalogue

The Original "From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books" Catalogue (PDF)

The 2021 "From Sea to Sea to Sea (2021 edition)" Catalogue (PDF)

IBBY Canada Special Edition Newsletter: From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books

in memoriam: my dad, Richard Goetze

In memory of Richard Goetze

December 16, 1938 - April 26, 2020

Like me, many people have been positively influenced by Richard's ministry as a pastor over the years, and have missed his good teaching and preaching.

Here's one more opportunity to learn and grow:

No, it's not a never heard before sermon, found tucked away in the back of a filing cabinet. It was a conversation...

But before that, some background, some remembering about my dad:

Richard wanted to know more about grace and mercy, about the love of God for us. He wasn’t into petty rules and gatekeeping and the many other things that keep people out of the church. He hoped everyone would end up with our heavenly father; he wanted to open wide the gates of heaven. He was not content to believe that a God of love would let millions of beloved children end up in eternal torment.

That was my dad. Hoping and believing that God is so much bigger than we are and better than our theology. Believing in a God who would find wonderful amazing ways to bring all their beautiful children home in the end, so that when we all find ourselves in heaven there will be far more people than we expect to see there.

This was my dad. This was Richard, believing in grace and love and mercy for everyone. Believing that God’s arms are open wider than the church imagines, wider than you and I can imagine.

[LGBTQ2S artists from the north featured at Qaumajuq]

"A commitment to showcase diversity is at the heart of the Winnipeg Art Gallery's new addition, Qaumajuq, the world's largest public collection of Inuit art — and that includes highlighting a range of works by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirit creators from the north."

From https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/qaumajuq-lgbtq2-artists-winnipeg-art-gallery-inuit-art-inua-1.5963732, written by Bryce Hoye.

Along with works of art by queer artists, two of the four Inuk co-curators of the inaugural exhibit are queer. You can read more and see pictures here.

What I'd like to focus on here, is some key quotes:

"I think it's a moment in time where we're ready for a push for the broader communities and every small town and everywhere to have more space and understanding for diversity and gender expression and peoples' sexual attractions." (Asinnijaq)

"The effects of colonialism and capitalism — of homophobic, anti-trans sentiments — still run deep in many communities, northern or not. It's important that we raise up these community members who are unafraid to be themselves, and I also understand that it's a privilege to be able to come out and live openly as queer." (Kablusiak)

"It's really important because I am thinking of all the young LGBTQ Inuit living all across the north, and throughout southern Canada and all around the world, and I want them to see this." (Heather Igloliorte). 

This is about representation -- seeing others like you in the world around you.

This is about returning to traditional values -- where everyone belonged and had a role in the community.

Read more about the INUA exhibit here.

Read more about Qaumaju, the amazing new gallery, here.

Read more articles and see many photos of artwork, at the Inuit Art Quarterly website.

The Inuit Art Foundation, in conjunction with the Smithsonian, held a webinar on Conversations: Queer Inuit Art, which can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_SlEIkTCJ8M.

[Qaumajuq - "it is bright, it is lit"]

Qaumajuq "is an innovative new museum, home of the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. This first-of-its-kind centre connects to the Winnipeg Art Gallery on all levels, creating a 185,000-square-foot cultural campus in the heart of downtown Winnipeg."

The new Qaumajuq (on the left) connects to the existing Winnipeg Art Gallery building (in the right). Image and new gallery design by Michael Maltzan Architecture.

The two Virtual Opening events include a tour of Qaumajuq and its art, interviews with curators, performances and more:

Relive the two-part virtual celebration of Qaumajuq, the new Inuit art centre at the WAG.

 https://www.wag.ca/qaumajuq/opening/ 

On a personal note, I grew up in Winnipeg and loved going to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The building has a solid timeless feel to it, without the showiness of more recent museums being built around the world. I particularly remember visiting the exhibit of works by Jacques Lipchitz which included some of his Mother and Child sculptures. Gorgeous stuff!

Now, having just watched the virtual opening of Qaumajuq, going there again in person to revisit the old and discover the new is definitely on my bucket list!

Read more at: https://www.wag.ca/qaumajuq/

For pictures of the interior and exterior of the space, scroll down to the "From Old Space to New" section on the Inuit Art Foundation website.

tastawiyiniwak

Edmonton has recreated its electoral ward boundaries, and at the same time, named the new wards based on names gifted by the Committee of Indigenous Matriarchs. 

I’d like to highlight one new ward in particular:

tastawiyiniwak - ᑕᐢᑕᐃᐧᔨᓂᐊᐧᐠ

You may have heard of the term “Two Spirit”, used to refer to Indigenous people who do not fit a Western gender binary and who had specific roles and responsibilities in their nations. The term is a cross-nation umbrella term for use only by Indigenous peoples, coined in contrast to Western labels and because many original Indigenous words have been lost due to the impact of colonization. 

Tastawiyiniwak – pronounced TASS-TAW-WIN-EE-WOK – is the Cree-specific word for those who are Two Spirit. It means “the in-between people”, and “was only used when referring to all of the iskwêhkânak ekwah nâpêhkânak. Each was free to move between gender roles”. 

To clarify, iskwêhkânak is the Cree word for “fake woman” (but without the negative connotations) and nâpêhkânak is the Cree word for “fake man”. Depending on the Cree nations, there were up to five additional words for gender beyond the “traditional Western” words male and female. Tastawiyiniwak is a word that refers to all Cree people whose gender roles are other than male or female. 

So why was this name gifted to that particular new ward?

Terri Suntjens, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at MacEwan University, explains:

“We have grandmothers within our spiritual realm, within our ceremonies, that sit in different directions. We have the east, the west, the south, the north, the southeast. They each have different responsibilities. They look after different people and have different … responsibilities. And so, the grandmother that sits in the north direction, when the pipe is gifted and held up to the north, is the grandmother that takes care of our LGBTQ2S+ community” (shared at Edmonton Council meeting, Sept. 21, 2020)

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For more information:

Introduction to Two Spirit People

Edmonton's Ward Naming