What home is….for me. – Assignment 2.2

“It is the place we still haven’t found but are looking for. The place that give us a sense of our self, and of others. But figuring this place out turns out to be a problem for many of us.” (Chamberlin 87)

I think the reason why ‘home’ is so difficult to find is because home is something that evolves as you experience life. We are born in only one location no matter who we are despite where life might take us. That ties us to only one location throughout our lives in a way that no other location may occupy and for me that place would be Edmonton, Alberta. However, I have lived in three different countries for various amounts of time (6 months to 2 years) as well as moving around Canada trying to find that place called home. I have many fond memories of the experiences I had while residing in Edmonton, Calgary in Alberta as well as in Perth in Ontario. For the past 14 years, I have resided in Vancouver, BC and for a short time during that 14 years, I lived in Victoria, BC. These are just the locations of where our physical body is but it doesn’t really describe our home which is so much more personal than the city and country we reside in. Yet location influences how we may find our home.

I have lived in Edmonton (AB), Beaumont (AB), Calgary (AB), Perth (ON), London (UK), Santa Cruz (CA), and finally, Vancouver, BC. I lived in Edmonton for less than half my life and of course, didn’t have a choice in the matter. I left my parent’s home at 15 years old to live with my aunt and uncle due to abuse. Luckily for me this experience gave me the chance to see a home that was filled with love and respect. I did eventually return to my parent’s home because that was what it was, my home. I greatly appreciated the help my relatives had provided (potentially gave me a fighting chance for my life) but they still weren’t my parents and the room I was sleeping in still wasn’t mine.

Due to ongoing problems, I continued to try to move away from them as it couldn’t feel like home no matter how much I may have wanted it to as they were my parents. I moved to London, England as my father is from England so I am a British Citizen due to the rules of British citizenship. I lasted 6 months before I fell apart and had to return to Edmonton. Next, I tried Perth. I lived above the most famous horse in Canada, Big Ben, the only animal in the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. I worked travelling around Canada as a groom for Ian Miller, an Olympic Medalist and Gail Greenough who won World Champion many years ago. While I was young, I had a poster of her on my wall riding Mr. T, that was signed by her. It was a dream come true but eventually burnt out as during competitions, we worked 20 hour days and earned $400 a week. I returned to Edmonton again.

The real problem was that regardless of where I was physically located, I felt the same; depressed, unworthy, and a waste of space. It was like home had imploded and I didn’t know what to do. All I wanted was to find a place that felt safe, comfortable, and where I was surround by those that valued me. It isn’t a good way to live. As Chamberlin says, “place gives us a sense of our self, and of others” (87). My sense of self, and of others was distorted by my early family life. I always felt unsafe, uncomfortable and undervalued. It was furthered by becoming part of something that few people know about. It is difficult to disclose what this subculture is despite growing in popularity and acceptance including being in the mainstream media more frequently. Due to the location of my physical self being in Vancouver I have access to belonging that I haven’t experienced previously and thus, I feel at home. I love Vancouver!

Perhaps some of you will have figured out what this subculture might be. I am not sure but I am hoping that one day, I can be myself and live without feeling the need to sensor what I have to say as I am currently. In spite of my negative childhood, and subsequent near death, I have gained a place in the community I am looking for which doesn’t mean simply geographical such as being located in the West End of Vancouver, although this place influences if I feel at home or not. I don’t have to hide my lifestyle as much in this area. But I am very lucky as some countries continue to execute people like me.

As my subculture is so highly stigmatized, being part of it can have devastating consequences for some in European countries however, they won’t get the death penalty. It varies by region but it is still considered criminal in the eyes of United Nations. This subculture is especially difficult to be connected to for particular ethnicities such as Black American and First Nations. Discrimination of any sort regardless of reason is harmful. It could be due to sex orientation, gender identity, skill set, age, ethnicity, education, clothing, language, religion, and any other difference that might exist between different groups of people that share a culture such as rituals, beliefs, traditions and more. It is the biggest threat to the safety of my home, being singled out and potentially thrown in jail. For myself, every day is like a safety dance with having to sensor what I say or how I try to say something.

Works Cited

“Ian Miller.” Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, http://www.sportshall.ca/stories.html?proID=405&catID=all, accessed 4 Oct. 2016.

Chamberlin, J. Edward. If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?  Vintage Canada, 2004.

“Artie (Glee) Safety Dance Flash Mob.” Youtube, uploaded by GuinanTheCat, 23 Sep. 2010. www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-9mbTufphY.

Atmo – Assignment 1.5

I have a great story to tell you. It began long ago before the world was full of hate and distrust. Well it was long before humans. Atmo who was an entity without mass had been growing tired of floating from universe to universe, planet to planet when it came across Earth. At this time there was only early life and so it decided it might as well see where this life goes, like he had done many times before.

After patiently waiting, humans evolved. However, Atmo hadn’t remained patient. Many years had passed and the entity had grown isolated, desolate, and resented the creatures for taking so long. Atmo had planned on providing the newly formed beings with love, forethought and compassion but it changed its mind after a couple hundred million years had gone by. Waiting.

As the first humans were beginning to develop and expand the population, Atmo made a visit late one evening. Atmo floated up the river to a small enclosure that housed the new creatures. It walked up the beach and gazed down upon their sleeping faces only to be reminded of the innocence that it had wanted from the beginning.

So now Atmo was torn about what to do with the creatures. He had planned on killing them and then moving onto the next planet but that had also grown tired for him. What would another planet get Atmo? Atmo was about to attempt something it had never done before with any other life forces.

Atmo decided not to kill this creature but instead to instill it with both love and hate, forethought and impulse, compassion and resentment. It created the good and the bad in all human beings because Atmo wanted to watch the creatures kill themselves. Atmo did sometimes laughed to itself and wondered if the creatures wished it would take the story back (King 10).

Storytelling is something I feel I do a lot in my day to day yet hadn’t really realized that when I asked a few friends and family to listen. Most were surprised by the content as it is totally different from the usual stories I tell. One commented that it was just weird and obviously fictional. I explained a bit about what the class was about and a few things fell into place in terms of what King and Chamberlin were discussing in terms of stories becoming part of our lives. I certainly felt very passionate towards Atmo and its desire to destroy the human creature while my listeners were not quite as caught up in the story, at least that is what it felt like.

However, I was just surprised that I came up with a story that made some sense related to how evil came about. I struggled with that. It took me some time to even consider what I might write about but then I just managed to sit down and wrote it in about 20 minutes. Once it began flowing, it became like a story that filled itself in and worked itself out. I barely had to put much thought into it however, I do admit, one listener did make the ending better with regards to wanting to watch the creatures kill themselves. This tells me that ideas for stories are always great when bounced off others.

Works Cited

King, Thomas. The Truth about Stories. New York : House of Anansi Press, 2011. Print.

 

 

 

 

Settlement and Conflict – Ass #1.3

Settlement (natural) versus Conflict (unnatural)

Assignment 1.3 (Blog post – Chamberlin – Question #4)

“The sad fact is that the history of settlement around the world is the history of displacing other people from their lands, of discounting their livelihoods and destroying their languages” (Chamberlin 78)

“The history of many of the world’s conflicts is a history of dismissing a different belief or different behaviour as unbelief or misbehaviour, and of discrediting those who believe or behave differently as infidels or savages.” (Chamberlin  78)

Above are two different ways of examining and understanding the history of settlement in Canada. The first way of understanding history “naturalizes” notions of settlement and civilization which was first proposed by Lewis Henry Morgan in, Ancient Society (1877). As described by Morgan, “The remote ancestors of the Aryan nations presumptively passed through an experience similar to that of existing barbarous and savage tribes” (6). For more of the original document, it is available here (digitally that is), the Introduction of Ancient Society by Morgan.

Internet Archive
Internet Archive

The different way of looking at this way of explaining history, not through settlement but rather through conflict, which is simultaneously occurring for many people. This way of understanding the history of Canada is to attempt to prevent the denial of the Indigenous people’s experiences, stories and voices. By considering that conflict between humans are often as a result of diverse cultural differences (beliefs, behaviours, ceremonies) rather than absolute hierarchical linear evolution from the ‘savage’ to the ‘civilized, it redefines “Them and Us”.

It brings all of us together by considering both sides of the story, the them and the us as part of an interrelated version of historical story. If one attempts to consider history through the exploration of different beliefs rather than in a way that reinforces the colonizers view of the settler versus others, it becomes difficult to see the ‘other’ as being the opposite of ‘us’. Instead one begins to view the pain and suffering of the ‘other’, of Them.

So when exploring history through conflict, the meaning of home becomes much more difficult to isolate. However, I think a recent clip by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah begins to sum up the different stories that arise if one views the oppressed individuals as human beings with a voice that should be heard.  Watch the clip from Hasan Minhaj from the Daily Show with Trevor Noah as well as watch some additional footage about the protest.

That clip is available here:

http://uproxx.com/tv/daily-show-pipeline-protest-north-dakota/

I felt this recent clip was relevant as little mainstream media attention is being paid to this story illustrating that the story is still considering the view of the settlers rather than the dislocated (homeless). If we were to consider this through the eyes of conflict rather than what is ‘natural’ perhaps mainstream media would be airing some of the personal stories that would likely be heard if one were to go there and talk to some of the occupiers (aka protestors) but really they are occupying their land with culture, stories, and voices in order to contest the future of the area. All they want to do is protect their home despite what the settlers hope they do which is approve the pipeline which if one looks carefully, it isn’t difficult to see the ongoing colonization (and forced spread of capitalism – oil isn’t shared by all) in the current situation in North Dakota. It is rather disturbing to myself, much like many of the historical stories Chamberlin mentioned in relation to being homesick, homeless and homelessness.

Works Cited

Chamberlin, J. Edward. If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?  Vintage Canada, 2004.

Morgan, Lewis Henry. “Ancient Society.” Internet Archive, archive.org/stream/ancientsociety035004mbp#page/n25/mode/2up. Accessed 17 September 2016.

Roberts, Andrew. “‘The Daily Show’ Lends a Hand to End the Native American Pipeline Protest in North Dakota.” uproxx.com. uproxx.com/tv/daily-show-pipeline-protest-north-dakota/. Accessed 18 September 2016.

Welcome to Colleen’s English 470 Blog – Brief Introduction

Welcome! My name is Colleen Fish and I am finishing up a BA with a major in Anthropology. I completed a BSc with a specialization in psychology many years ago, long before this online learning system was in existence. I am intrigued by the way in which we are having to do an online blog as it certainly has become a skill worth having in the 21st century. In addition, I am excited to begin to delve into the material for this course.

I am ashamed to admit that my knowledge related to specifically Canadian authors is limited except perhaps Douglas Coupland yet I haven’t read any of his novels. Unlike many of you, I am not an English Major and in fact, it is one of my weakest areas but I love to write. I do have an interest in First Nations and History in general due to my interest in Anthropology and my own personal ancestral background.

The course will focus on who’s stories we listen to, and those we do not along with the way in which stories are told in literature. In a past course I completed,  Anthropology of Media, the way in which the image of a ‘savage, or ‘ Indian’ (First Nation/Native American) is manipulated to create a particular story such as the ‘Indian’ being close to nature and/or less ‘civilized’ (whatever that means). This becomes so much more apparent in popular culture after developing a deeper appreciation for the way stories are told/not told such as with the movie Pocahontas.

screenshot-2016-09-10-17-04-51

My expectations for this course mainly revolve around learning more about what constitutes Canadian literature especially as it relates to historical contexts, First Nations, and colonialism. I am looking forward to reading Chamberlin and King as well as learning more about these two influential writers as well as the other writers to be covered during the course.

Turns out I do know a Canadian author, Kelley Armstrong. She wrote the series Bitten which is about Werewolves, specifically a female werewolf which isn’t supposed to exist. There was a TV series created but has been now discontinued, or rather finished.

The SYFY TV Series – http://www.syfy.com/bitten

The Bitten Book Series – http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/series/otherworld/

Citations

Armstrong, Kelley. Otherworld, http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/series/otherworld/Accessed 10 September 2016.

Disney Princess. “Dream Big Princess.” Found, Walt Disney Productions, 10 September 2016, princess.disney.com/pocahontas.

SYFY. Bitten, www.syfy.com/bitten. Accessed 10 September 2016.

 

 

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