happy international pronouns day!

 

To all the hes and the shes,

The aes and the faes,

The pers and the xes,

The zes and the zies,

The eys and the others,

And most of all, to all the theys

(but only cuz there’s more of them):

Happy International Pronouns Day!

To make your day even happier, here's a new cartoon by me:

[shame and prejudice - a story of resilience (book and exhibition)]

"Kent Monkman’s Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience takes you on a journey through the past 150 years of Canada. It is a journey that reclaims and reinserts Indigenous voices into the collective memory of our country, challenging and shattering colonial ideas of our history."

(from website)

Through his art, Kent Monkman has been critiquing the colonial world of the museums which have been so silent about Canada's history of colonization, which have presented the colonizers' view of history, which have whitewashed the horrible things that were done.

Expand your mind by taking part in this excellent curatorial tour of the exhibition:

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACqPVUXzk8

Read the book online, in Cree, English and French: https://online.fliphtml5.com/xkla/ttia/#p=1. Note: I'd suggest watching the above video first, as it gives a clearer explanation if you are new to this.

things god forgot to put into the Bible (#9)

 

In honour of yesterday's social media outage.

[face equality]

With another 007 film about to come out, featuring more villains with disfigured faces, it's timely to mention Face Equality International, an organization whose goal is:

Creating a world where everyone is treated fairly whatever their face looks like.

"Face Equality International is an alliance of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), charities and support groups which are working at national, regional or international levels to promote the campaign for ‘face equality’."

"The campaign for ‘face equality’ was launched in May 2008 by the UK charity/NGO, Changing Faces, with the aim of creating a world in which people who have disfigurements to their face from any cause are accepted and valued as equal citizens, free of prejudice, low expectations and stigma. The campaign has attracted worldwide attention and has strong parallels with those against racism and sexism."

Even though I'm involved in a lot of diversity and inclusion initiatives and projects, it had never crossed my mind to consider how people whose faces are disfigured (for any number of reasons) are typically portrayed as villains and "bad guys" in the movies and TV shows. I certainly notice how most shows feature white people as the primary characters, perhaps with a Black person as a secondary character -- the friend, or the neighbour, etc.

Read more:

https://faceequalityinternational.org/

Including great resources for schools and teachers: https://faceequalityinternational.org/resources/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/faceequalityint

Metro article on new 007 movie and how it promotes fears of facial scars:

https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/30/why-i-worry-bonds-new-villain-will-promote-fears-of-facial-scars-15310850/

[Indigenous art in the public eye]

Lori Blondeau, Asiniy Iskwew, 2016

"How do you make the work of First Nations, Inuit and Métis women artists in Canada more visible? Some people write research papers. Some people build collections. Some people advocate for funding.

Mohawk curator and scholar Lee-Ann Martin has participated in all of these modes of support in the past. But this summer, she is taking a very different approach—namely, putting the art of 50 Indigenous women artists on 167 billboards from coast to coast to coast." Leah Sandals, 

https://canadianart.ca/news/mawa-resilience-lee-ann-martin/

While this project took place three years ago, the Resilience Project is still offering two great resources:

"Resilience: 50 Indigenous Art Cards and Teaching Guide is a boxed set that contains 50 full-colour, 8" x 10" reproductions of contemporary Indigenous art and a bilingual (English/French) teaching guide, full of ideas on how to use the art cards to animate discussions and inspire activities in all subjects, from kindergarten to grade 12. It is based on the exhibition curated by Lee-Ann Martin, with teaching guide developed by Yvette Cenerini, Lita Fontaine, Dawn Knight and Albert McLeod." 

You can download the guide for free or purchase the complete box set at http://resilienceproject.ca/en/.

Nadya Kwandibens, Concrete Indians – 10 Indigenous Lawyers, 2012.

a practical guide to the new world of pronouns

Here's a great learning opportunity that I've created for you -- a practical guide to the new world of pronouns. 

This 36 minute video covers key topics like:

• Correct Pronouns Matter
• People Who Might Use Other Pronouns
• Pronouns for the New World We Live In
• Getting Practical About Sharing Pronouns
• Messing up with Grace

Link to watch directly at YouTube.com: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdtVLgU6OxA&t=6s

[feeling through - film]

This is a pretty cool short film, featuring an unhoused youth and a DeafBlind man. 

"After a late-night chance encounter with a DeafBlind man on a New York City street, writer/director Doug Roland wrote the award winning short film, Feeling Through. Doug knew from the start he wanted to cast a DeafBlind actor to star, so he partnered with Helen Keller Services to realize that mission."

(from the website).

While casting a DeafBlind actor to play a DeafBlind character might seem like the logical thing to do, too often this does not happen and able-bodied people are cast to play disabled people.

 Watch this short film and read more about it at: https://www.feelingthrough.com/

Watch directly on YouTube

[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:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ALOK (@alokvmenon)

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.