Highly controversial points to follow!!
1. They are being held on First Nation Lands while only representing a small minority.
2. They are appropriating Native art and culture to appear to the world as a perfectly multicultural community while there are still high levels of racism, especially towards First Nations.
3. They have reduced funding from many social services to increase spending for the games.
4. They have broken the promise of housing.
5. They have changed the laws to highly discriminate homeless people.
6. They have changed the laws to reduce our civil liberties.
7. They are a market place for corporations without ethics like McDonalds and Coca Cola.
8. They have broken the promise of Green Games.
9. They act as if they hadn’t broken their promises.
10. They are militarizing Vancouver’s streets, using fear as a tactic of oppression.
11. They are detaining people in the borders if they have any anti-olympic history.
12. They have done their best to oppress any anti-olympic movement, denying people their basic right of freedom of speech.
Thank you.
Look no further than the 20-year life expectancy gap between DTES and Richmond, where the Olympic flame burns so prosperously (blindly) in both areas as if the inequities do no exist. Or the advertising of deadly Golden Arches, going for “Gold” (obesity) along with the medals table. But, hey, when the media tells us to celebrate (legitimise) and enjoy (forget) this wonderful occasion (social problems), who’s there to think otherwise?
I don’t necessarily disagree with all of your points, but I take issue with the first two. On the one hand, yes, a lot of First Nations people disagree with the Olympics (as do a lot of other Vancouverites and Canadians). But there are also a lot who are happy that the Olympics are here. The Four Host First Nations are the four communities located in the areas where the games are happening, and not only did they symbolically welcome the Games at the opening ceremonies last night, they have been an integral part of the Games since the bidding process. Have you forgotten UBC is also on Musqueam land? And yet, all events at the Museum of Anthropology start with a Musqueam welcome, asserting Musqueam rights but also welcoming us there. I’m assuming that you’re not First Nations yourself, based on what I’ve been reading here since September, and I find it silly when outsiders get outraged on behalf of First Nations because they think they should. Yes there is an economic issue and a racism issue, but there are some First Nations who see the Games as helping these, not aggravating them, so don’t forget about them.
As far as appropriating Native art and culture, I haven’t seen that happen either, except maybe with the Inukshuk logo (because they should’ve chosen a Coast Salish symbol, at least). All the First Nations art and symbolism you see associated with the Olympics comes from Canadian Aboriginal artists. Look up Xwa Lack Tun, I’m sure you’ve seen his work on Olympic merchandise. Or go to the Museum of Anthropology on campus and see the Musqueam-designed hockey jersey and the First Nations Snowboard Team board. Nike went to the Debra Sparrow to design that jersey, and Musqueam is so proud of it that it’s now in the Musqueam section of the Multiversity Galleries. Watching the Opening Ceremonies last night, I recognized at least one First Nations dance group that has performed at UBC before. They didn’t hire random dancers to impersonate First Nations – they went to the communities themselves and sought out their best artists and performers.
Sorry for being long-winded. I still agree that there are many valid reasons to dislike the Olympics, but I’m trying to give you the other perspective to remind you that there is more than one side to every story.