Canuck Pretendian shocked to learn truth about himself

Looks like the US of A isn't the only country where Pretendians (e.g. Senator Elizabeth Warren) rise to lofty heights, only to fall with a thud when they are outed as being, errr... white. Canada has them too, and has had them for at least a century, going back to the time of Grey Owl, shown at left in a portrait by Yousuf Karsh.

Grey Owl, was a popular Canadian writer, public speaker and conservationist. Born an Englishman, he immigrated to Canada and, in the latter years of his life, passed as half-Indian, falsely claiming he was the son of a Scottish man and an Apache woman. He achieved fame in the 1930s with books, articles and public appearances promoting wilderness conservation. Shortly after his death in 1938, his real identity -- Archibald Stansfeld Belaney -- was exposed. He was one of the first Pretendians.

Fast foward to this weekend, when celebrated Canadian author Thomas King told the meeja that he was shocked, shocked to find out that, despite believing so nearly all his life, he is not an Indian Indigenous First Nations person. 

Like Mr Belaney, Mr King wrote books about Indians, including The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative and The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America. Now, in a piece for the Groan & Wail [Globe & Mail, shurely. Ed.] titled "A most inconvenient Indian", the California born author says he learned of rumours several years ago that questioned his heritage. 

Mr King says he made a concerted effort this year to find their origin, which brought him to an American organization called Tribal Alliance Against Frauds, which investigated his past with help from a University of British Columbia scholar, and found no Cherokee heritage. 

Mr King writes that he did not purposefully pretend to have Indigenous roots. His father left the family when he was only 3, he says, and his mother rarely spoke of the man but said he was part Cherokee. King says the revelation a couple of weeks ago was "so very devastating, though 'devastating' is too pedestrian a word. At 82, I feel as though I’ve been ripped in half, a one-legged man in a two-legged story. Not the Indian I had in mind. Not an Indian at all."

Well, I'll take his word for it, as long as he promises never again to read out the Stolen Land Acknowledgment which is now de rigueur at all public events and ceremonies in the Great No-longer-white North.

True Facts about the first American Thanksgiving

Today Walt can reveal that what you were taught about pilgrims, pumpkins and Plymouth was fake news! Historian Rodney Kite Powell of the Tampa Bay History Center gives the credit for the first Thanksgiving celebration to Spanish soldiers and missionaries who, along with Native Americans, thanked God for His mercies, especially safe travel and arrival. 

This was on 8 September 1565, in... wait for it... St. Augustine, Florida! Yes, we have a picture... well, a painting, actually.

Those involved were all part of the expedition to the New World of Dom Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. There were around 800 crew members. and a variety of people -- not just Spaniards, but people from from all over Europe -- who were trying to create a settlement in Florida, and whose efforts were ultimately crowned with success. To celebrate, a Roman Catholic Mass and Te Deum were celebrated on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Don Pedro came ashore amid the sounding of trumpets, artillery salutes, and the firing of cannons to claim the land for King Philip II and Spain. The ship's chaplain, Fr. Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, chanted the Te Deum, the Church's great hymn of Thanksgiving, traditionally attributed to St. Ambrose of Milan, and presented a crucifix which Don Pedro ceremoniously kissed.

After that, 500 soldiers, 200 sailors and 100 families and artisans, along with the Timucuan Indians who inhabited the region, celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in gratitude to God, after which a thanksgiving feast was shared by the Indians and the Spaniards.

The second American Thanksgiving occurred on April 30, 1598, when Spanish explorer Don Juan de Onate requested the Franciscan friars to offer a Mass of Thanksgiving, after which he formally proclaimed "La Toma" (The Capture), claiming the land north of the Rio Grande for the King of Spain. The men feasted on duck, goose, and fish from the river. Some of the Spaniards dressed in costume and presented a play.

Even at Plymouth Rock in the Massachusetts Colony, where the Pilgrims later landed in 1620, Squanto, the Indian who organized their first Thanksgiving, was a Catholic. He had been enslaved by the English, but was freed by Spanish Franciscans and subsequently received the Catholic Sacrament of Baptism.

Catholics and all Americans should remember that the word "Thanksgiving" is also Catholic, from the Greek "Eucharistia", referring not to turkey with all the trimmings, but to the Heavenly Bread, the Catholic Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Say it ain't so, Buffy! CBC outs beloved Pretendian

2017, the 150th anniversary of Confederation, was made over by Blackie McBlackface, the Gliberal Prime Minister of all Canuckistan, into the Year of the Indian. It was time for guilty whites to acknowledge that they (or their "colonial" ancestors) stole the Great White North from the peoples who used to be called Indians and Eskimos, forever hence to be known as First Nations;and Inuit, respectively.

Canada's shrinking populaation of whites tried to give the land back to the indigenous ones, but they said they'd rather have money (prefereably US dollars), thank you. So "land acknowledgment ceremonies" became the order of the day, a Confiteor to be repeated at the beginning of any public event and even on radio and TV programmes such as Hockey Night in Canada (the only show that anyone watches).

Six years later, the "truth and reconciliation" bullshit goes on and on. But today the CBC (Canada's state-owned broadcaster) is set to reveal the real truth -- not the same as the fake truth which it normally broadcasts -- about one First Nations person who has become an icon of wokeness not just in Canada but also the US of A. 

Walt refers to Buffy Sainte-Marie, a musician known for decades of "Indigenous activism". CBC’s investigative show The Fifth Estate is scheduled to air tonight an episode titled "Making an Icon".

A description of the episode doesn't name Sainte-Marie but says an icon’s "claims to Indigenous ancestry are being called into question by family members" and that its investigation includes genealogical documentation and historical research.

In a statement yesterday, Ms Sainte-Marie said "I don’t know where I’m from or who my birth parents were, and I will never know. Which is why to be questioned in this way today is painful. To those who question my truth, I say with love, I know who I am."

The octogenarian also posted a video on social media addressing the upcoming episode, saying she has shared her story for 60 years. She called herself "a proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada.... But there are also many things I don’t know, which I’ve always been honest about. I don’t know where I’m from, who my birth parents are or how I ended up a misfit in a typical white Christian New England home."

Buffy Sainte-Marie became popular in the hippy-dippy `60s for her singing and songwriting, and used her fame to push the "Lo, the poor Indian" agenda at a time when it wasn't receiving much attention and indigenous women were still called "squaws". Her debut record, It’s My Way!, featured several notable songs, including "Universal Soldier", written about the individual responsibility for war. 

Her appearance on Sesame Street began a symbiotic relationship with the PBS groomerfest which has lasted right up to last year.* Here's a stanza she wrote for her first appearance on the show in 1976.

I’m an Indian and I like sunshine

I’m an Indian and I like friends 

And I am real and I can feel and I’d love to take your hand 

Way heyo he-yo! 

Way heyo he-yo!

*Source: "My time on 'Sesame Street' with Buffy Sainte-Marie", "American Masters" on PBS, 6/12/22. 

Excerpt: Sainte-Marie is iconic. She embodies a combination of fierce activism in her quest to fight for Indigenous rights and dignity and a strong belief that everything and everyone can change and ripen. The lyrics in her songs teach us about the devastating history of colonization while encouraging us to stay hopeful. Her educator roots shine bright in everything she does.

What a shame she isn't really an Indian, or First Nations or whatever. Still, she's the first Pretendian to rise to such lofty heights, even earlier than Fauxcahontas, the Senator who (for the time being) represents the great (?) state of Massachusetts, which is where Ms Sainte-Marie was raised. 

*Further reading if you want to brainwash your kids: "Celebrate Buffy Sainte-Marie and Amplify Indigenous Peoples With Your Kids", PBS (who else), 16/11/22.

Woke judges bend the law to excuse non-white criminals

It used to be said that there was one law for the rich and one law for the poor. Now it's one law for the white, and one law for the non-white, particularly when it comes to criminal "justice". And, unlike in the 19th and 20th centuries, it's the non-whites who get the benefit of the doubt, or should I say, liberal guilt. 

Yesterday, Walt held up the trials of "rap artist" Kodak Black as a horrible example of the reverse racism shown by American prosecutors and judges in dealing with a drug-addled habitual criminal who happens to be as black as  his name. Three Hail Mammies and it's back on the street for Mr Black.

The situation is no better in Canada, the only difference between the American and Canadian "systems" being that it's not just blacks but also Indians First Nations indigenous Canadians who are disproportionately charged, convicted and incarcerated.

This is not because of "systemic racism" as claimed by the SJWs, but because it is the BIPOCs are responsible for way more than their share of serious crime, particularly violent crime. They do the crime, so they have to do the time. But now, our sometimes-resident legal beagle, Agent 3, reports a recent example of activist judges bending the laws of the land to achieve equity and "social justice". In other words, to let BIPOCs of the hook easily.

Late last month, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled, in the precedent-setting case of Regina v. King, that the criminal records of Indigenous Persons can be excluded from their trials to "preserve fairness." 

Dale Burningsky King, pictured, was found to have fatally shot Yosif Al-Hasnawi [What part of Ireland was he from? Ed.] in Hamilton ON in 2017. Both men were 19 at the time. 

Mr Al-Hasnawi was a medical student. Mr King was a daily user and dealer in methamphetamine. On the way, with a friend, to a meth sale, Mr King had an "interaction" with an older man on the street where Mr Al-Hasnawi, unarmed, was gathered with his brothers getting fresh air during an event at a mosque. 

Mr Al-Hasnawi called out to Mr King [a friendly greeting, perhaps? Ed.] and Mr King and his friend approached. After some "talking", the friend punched Mr Al-Hasnawi and the two ran off. Mr Al-Hasnawi gave chase, until Mr King shot him in the stomach.

Mr King claimed self-defence and was ultimately acquitted of second degree murder. The appeal court agreed with this result. On appeal the Crown objected to the fact that part of King’s lengthy criminal record was suppressed at trial. The trial judge had reasoned that this was fair because of "systemic discrimination" against indigenous people and (of course) Mr King's "lived experience" -- the latest buzzphrase -- of family separation, transience, addiction and abuse. The trial judge felt disclosure of Mr King's full criminal record could prejudice the jury against him due to "racial stereotyping", so kept some of it out.

Ontario's top court thinks what the trial judge did -- creating race-based procedural rules to make up for the supposed effects of systemic racism -- was fair and just. It was not. In Canada, just as in the US of A, justice is no longer colour-blind. Softening laws which are supposed to apply to everybody, regardless of race, colour or creed, creates two "justice" systems -- one for whites and another for all the minorities who have been oppressed for centuries by the evil white colonialists. It isn't fair.

"Me heap sorry!" - Fauxcahontas apologizes to Cherokees

Anxious to make everything right as she tries to kick her campaign for the presidensity into second gear [first, shurely! Ed.], Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), aka Fauxcahontas, has issued an apology to the Cherokee Nation for taking a DNA test which she said proved she has indigenous heritage... well, a tiny bit, anyway... 1/1024th... maybe....

Ms Warren took the test in October after President Trump had mocked her for years over her assertion she has Native American ancestry, calling her "fake Pocahontas" at political rallies. The test revealed that the pale face indeed hid a Native-American thread in her DNA, though the ancestor probably lived six to ten generations ago.

The Indians [Native Americans, shurely! Ed.] assert that DNA proves nothing. A spokesthingy for Cherokee Nation told the meeja today that "being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests."

However, the spokesthingy said, "Senator Warren has reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe.... We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will come to an end."

You sorry, so everything OK. You betcha. Go hunt Republicans with bow and arrow. Ugh.

VIDEO: Alleged Native American videos self drinking beer

I complained on Saturday that my blood hadn't risen to a boil in the last few days. Well, the temperature has started to go up, but so far that's more the result of amusement than anger, for I just watched what must surely be the phoniest video of the new year. Here it is.



Yes, folks, it's Fauxcahontas, aka Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), proving that she's just a regular guy -- about as much "guy" as she is Indian -- slopping down a bottle of suds [Well, we only see her swallow a mouthful. Ed.] in her average American kitchen, where she is joined by her average American (non-Indian) husband. This proves they're not members of the east coast elite, you see -- just normal folks like us hinterland-dwellers.

But really, doesn't everyone know that ladies don't drink beer? And that Native Americans often have an extremely low tolerance to alcohol? [Alcohol? In American beer? Ed.] I'm going to run out and register the trade name "Fauxcahontas beer", because that brand is sure to be even more as popular than Billy Beer -- remember? -- when Liz becomes Prez.

Walt wishes Senator Warren good luck running for President!

The ladies who blab at The View and the lamestream media generally are gushing [Please don't go for a cheap joke... yet! Ed.] over reports that Senator Elizabeth Warren has formed an exploratory committee to see if it would be feasible to throw her headdress in the ring for the presidensity of the Excited States of America in 2020. She would presumably be vying for the Democratic nomination, along with at least a dozen other presidential wannabes including Senator Bernie Sanders [Isn't he an Independent, again? Ed.] and Senator Camela Harris. But Ms Warren is the first to announce, and that oughta count for something, right?

Senator Warren became a darling of the left in 2011 when she appeared in a viral video in which she defended federal taxes, which she spoke of as a form of "social responsibility", against the efforts of the newly-elected Republican majority in the House of Representatives to resist the efforts of the Prez [Who? Ed.] to raise taxes as an alternative to cutting out-of-control federal spending.

Before entering the Senate, Ms Warren had a job teaching bankruptcy law at Harvard. Her appointment had something to do with the university's affirmative action programme, but we'll come to that in a minute. In the aftermath of the financial meltdown of 2008, she was named by Guess Who to chair the Congressional Oversight Panel which oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the government's trillion-dollar bailout of Wall Street.

Sadly for Ms Warren, her reach exceeded her grasp. She jumped the shark [for the first time? Ed.] when she proposed the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency that lacked congressional oversight, and which many conservatives contended was established in violation of the Constitution. Republicans in Congress blocked her appointment to lead the new agency, but she rose, phoenix-like, from the ashes of that defeat to become a Senator from Massatushetts.

During her campaign for the Senate, it was discovered that Ms Warren had somewhat overstated her claims of Cherokee heritage, made at a time when Harvard Law School was under severe pressure to hire and promote female and minority faculty members. Critics took to calling her "Pocahontas", after the famous 17th-century daughter of an Indian chief and a popular figure in American history and pop culture.

Donald Trump stuck the "Pocahontas" appellation on her during the 2016 presidential campaign and she has worn it, along with "Fauxcahontas" and "Focahontas" ever since. Obviously stung by suggestions that she was guilty of cultural appropriation [at least! Ed.], Senator Warren took a DNA test a few months ago, and thought it not unwise to publish the results showing that she might have 1/1024 Native American ancestry. (Apparently there aren't enough full-blood Indians in the database to give reliable result.)

Though Senator Warren and her supporters touted the results as proof of her family lore, critics noted that it may actually have proven the opposite, since she had no more Native American ancestry than a typical white American like, for instance, Joy Behar. Being a charitable person, Walt accepts Ms Warren's claim for what it's worth, and wishes her well in her quest to run against President Trump. Anyone wishing to place money on the outcome of a Trump-Warren race should contact me at the usual address. Your dollar gets 1000 of mine if Focahontas wins. Lifetime pct .989.

Soap opera review: "North of 60"

And now for something completely different... I've been meaning for some time to write about North of 60, a soap opera ["mystery drama series", please. Ed.] about the joys and trials of life in the fictional village of Lynx River, in Canada's Northwest Territories. Agent 3 spent "an eternity" (actually six months) working amongst the native people in that general area and recommended the show, on which I'm now hooked.

Please note that in this post I'll use the abbreviation "FN" to refer to the people Americans and Canadians used to call "Indians", before that term became politically incorrect. "FN" stands for "First Nations" which is what the indigenous people north of the border want to be called, in preference to "Native Canadians" or "aborigines" or anything else. Except of course for the Métis and Inuit, the people formerly known as "Eskimos". [That's enough political correctness. Ed.]

North of 60 originally aired on Canada's state-owned broadcaster, the CBC, from 1992 through 1997. Apart from props like a fax machine, it's still a pretty accurate depiction of an FN settlement in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest -- north of 60° north latitude, hence the title. The settlement of Lynx River, in an FN reserve (= what Americans call a "reservation") is supposedly in the Dehcho Region of Canada's Northwest Territories. In fact the series was filmed in Bragg Creek AB, west of Calgary.

Lynx River is populated and managed mostly by FNs, with the help of a white manager, one or two white healthcare workers, and a white Mountie who has a FN partner, Michelle Kenidi (played by Tina Keeper), who is the star of the show.

Created by Wayne Grigsby and Barbara Samuels, North of 60 was originally positioned as a light-hearted show, the CBC's answer to Northern Exposure on CBS. Everyone knows Canucks can't do sitcoms [They're great at sketch comedy though. Ed.], so the show quickly became a drama (although it has its funny moments), exploring themes of poverty, alcoholism, cultural preservation, conflict over land settlements, and the exploitation of natural resources. Mixed in with all that are the greed, jealousy, anger, passion and other traits share by human beings of every colour.

In the picture above are some of the main characters -- six FNs, two whities:
Top row: Peter Bockstael as Corporal Brian Fletcher, the white Mountie; Tina Keeper; Tracey Cook as Sarah Birkett, a nurse in the first season, who marries the chief, Albert Golo, with disastrous consequences; Tom Jackson, as Peter Kenidi, Michelle's brother and later band chief.
Bottom row: Gordon Tootoosis, as Albert Golo, the villain of the piece, who makes J.R. Ewing look like a mischievous boy; Jimmy Hermon as Joe Gomba, a wise elder; Dakota House as Trevor 'Tee Vee' Tenia, the obnoxious smart-aleck who matures well; Wilma Pelly as Elsie Tsa Che, Tee Vee's wise and kind grandma.

Other characters included Lubomir Mykytiuk, a Ukrainian-Canadian, as Gerry Kisilenko (restaurant/general store/ motel owner), Simon R. Baker as Charlie Muskrat (young boy experiencing growing pains), and Michael Horse, as Andrew One Sky, an American Indian psychologist and counsellor who eventually gets into a relationship with Michelle Kenidi. Adam Beach and Tantoo Cardinal also appeared, and a large number of FNs round out the cast. Check IMDb for full lists of cast and credits.

Throughout its six-year run, the acting in North of 60 was well above average, and sometimes (Gordon Tootoosis, Tina Keeper and Dakota House) excellent. Almost all of the FNs are credible without playing to stereotypes. And why not? They don't have to act; they're just being themselves! Wilma Pelly quickly became a fan favourite because everyone, not just FNs, has a grandma like that.

The exception, IMHO, is Michael Horse. Perhaps being of mixed ancestry -- he's of Yaqui-Apache-Swedish-Hispanic descent -- explains it. He comes across as the "noble savage", not just smarter and better-educated than the others but better-looking too... and knows it. Really he just warmed up his character from The Legend of the Lone Ranger.

Other actors who fell short of the mark -- IMHO again -- Tracey Cook and Lubomir Mykytiuk. Like Mr Horse, Ms Cook is too good to be true. Or maybe I should say the role is improbable at best. What would a blonde, blue-eyed ice queen be doing up there in the back of beyond, in a place where she had to build her own house out of canvas, brush and logs? Just not believable. As for Mr Mykytiuk, his English is just too perfect. Not one "Yak she mash!" But that's just MHO... again.

In spite of a few flaws in the characterization and acting, it's possible for even a non-Northerner to relate to all the characters. Agent 3 says North of 60 looks, sounds and feels "pretty authentic". Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's a thriller, and sometimes it's a whodunnit. But always it shows real people with real problems and real emotions, struggling to get on with life in hard circumstances. I give it ***** (five stars).

North of 60 is still on TV, airing every day on Canada's APTN (Aboriginal People's Television Network). You can also find bits and pieces by searching YouTube, although watching isolated episodes is not as good as binge-watching a whole bunch, in order, because, hey, it's a soap opera! You might also try Showcase or other streaming services.

Footnotes:
Tina Keeper served one term as Member of Parliament for the riding of Churchill -- the land where the polar bears roam. She was elected in 2006 as the Liberal Party candidate, and served as the Official Opposition's Critic for Public Health and Canadian Heritage and as Special Advisor for Aboriginal Outreach. She was defeated in the 2008 general election.
Gordon Tootoosis was made a Member of the Order of Canada on 29 October 29 2004. His citation recognizes him as an inspirational role model for Aboriginal youth. It notes that as a veteran actor, he portrayed memorable characters in movie and television productions in Canada and the United States. He died on 5 July 2011.

What next? No more "fighting Irish"?

We live in a time of unparalleled iconoclasm. First it was statues that offended or "triggered" snowflakes and SJWs. Now it's mascots, logos and even team names. See "'Racist' logos, 'racist' mascots, 'racist' names - Where will it end?", WWW 20/1/18.

The great "racist" mascot controversy, occasioned by the Cleveland Indians pussified owner's decision to get rid of Chief Wahoo, is far from over. In the first of these posts, I warned that the PC police wouldn't stop at banning "racist" visual depictions of Native Americans. Historic team names -- Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Blackhawks -- will have to go. And why stop with Indians? What about other "marginalized people"?

Like who (I hear you ask)? Well, how about the poor, down-trodden Irish? You know, people like the Kennedys. Haven't they been offended by the stereotype of Irish men as a bunch of combative drunks? You know... the Fighting Irish... which also happens to be the name of the Notre Dame football team. The team has a mascot/logo too, an angry leprechaun whose name I'm waiting for Poor Len to tell me.

As surely as day follows night, during a debate over Chief Wahoo on ESPN's First Take today, co-host Max Kellerman called on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to follow the lead of the Cleveland team and get rid of their "pernicious" mascot (whatever his name is) because a minority in the Irish community group are offended by it. "[M]any Irish Americans are not offended, but many are," Mr Kellerman said. And should [the mascot] also change? The answer is unequivocally yes! ... Pernicious, negative stereotypes of marginalized people that offend even some among them should be changed. It's not that hard."

So Mr Kellerman thinks. As someone with about a pint of Irish in his blood, I'm warning him and all the other PC pussies that oi'll fight ivry man-jack o' yez if ye try to mess with our beloved mascot, whoever he is. Bejaysus it makes me blood boil! Why, oi'll..." Oh... wait... Well, stereotypes usually have some basis in fact, don't they. I say, take your political correctness and stick it!

Amnesty offered to 240 million illegal immigrants to USA

Note from Ed.: Thanks to Agent 34 for sending us the following item, from the CityWorldNews website.

The Native American National Council will offer amnesty to the estimated 240 million illegal white immigrants living in the United States. At a meeting in Taos NM, Native American leaders weighed a handful of proposals about the future of the United State’s large, illegal European population. After a long debate, NANC decided to extend a road to citizenship for those without criminal records or contagious diseases.

“We will give Europeans the option to apply for Native Citizenship,” explained Chief Sauti of the Nez Perce tribe. “To obtain legal status, each applicant must write a heartfelt apology for their ancestors’ crimes, pay an application fee of $5,000, and, if currently on any ancestral Native land, they must relinquish that land to NANC or pay the market price, which we decide.

“Any illegal European who has a criminal record of any sort, minus traffic and parking tickets, will be deported back to their native land. Anybody with contagious diseases like HIV, smallpox, herpes, etc, will not qualify and will also be deported.”

European colonization of North America began in the 16th and 17th centuries, when arrivals from France, Spain and England first established settlements on land that had been occupied by native peoples. Explorers Lewis & Clark further opened up western lands to settlement, which ultimately led to the creation of the Indian reservation system.

Despite the large number of Europeans residing in the United States, historical scholars mostly agree that indigenous lands were taken illegally through war, genocide and forced displacement.

However, a native group called True Americans lambasted the council's decision, claiming amnesty will only serve to reward lawbreakers. “They all need to be deported back to Europe,” John Dakota from True Americans said. “They came here illegally and took a giant crap on our land. They brought disease and alcoholism, stole everything we have because they were too lazy to improve and develop their own countries.”