Uncle Tom-A-Hawk and His Bushel of Apples

donato Uncle Tom A Hawk and His Bushel of ApplesToronto Sun Cartoonist, Andy Donato inspired by the famous Ojibway artist Norval Morriseau satirically comments on the recent media reports that have disclosed salaries of 82 INAC Band Chiefs by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation

A majority of people in the Indigenous community feel that the Chiefs are abusing the imposed Indian Act system and that cartoonist Andy Donato hit below the belt in his recent opinion in Sundays Toronto Sun.

“This is in the Toronto Sun commentary pages today, that piece of garbage newspaper. I’m not in favour of any Chiefs making outrageous salaries while the people most in need go without. But this, this goes too far and mocks an entire culture! Using a Morriseau painting at that.” explains an active First Nations women.

INAC Chiefs advocate for their Sovereignty harping about “Nation to Nation Relationships” while continuing to embrace the Indian Act which is illegally imposed by Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada and breach’s the Canadian Constitution the Royal Proclamation which affirms First Nation’s Sovereignty and Rights

Uncle Tom A Hawk and His Bushel of Apples

AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo acknowledged in an interview that many chiefs have come to the conclusion that the best way to respond to the controversy is to provide full disclosure.

“I’ve had a good number of calls from chiefs saying, ‘You know, there’s every reason why we should just confront this directly,’ and they will be bringing a resolution forward,” he said. “In speaking with chiefs, there’s a great concern that the public discussion, the information that’s come out of the [Canadian Taxpayers Federation], has really painted all chiefs with a broad brush. It just isn’t true that all 633 chiefs are corrupt or are receiving pay that isn’t acceptable or are not accountable to their citizens and their communities. It’s just simply not the case.” explained Atleo

Chiefs and their Chief Organizations preach Sovereignty but when threatened by the Canadian Tax Payers or Government they always back down which contradicts our Sovereignty which they are paid substantially well to protect.

Chiefs exploit Sovereignty and Cultural Teachings and Symbols and only seem to use it to for photo opts and to sugar coat funding proposals.

Uncle Tom A Hawk and His Bushel of Apples

Casino Rama or Rama First Nation, what are you really dealing?

Shawn A-in Chut Atleo is a Herditary Chief of Ahousaht First Nation along with the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.  By representing INAC elected system he his dishonoring the authority of his Clan Mothers and responsibility as a Hereditary Chief.

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake are currently exercising their Sovereignty reestablishing their Traditional Governance while Atleo and AFN hide behind their eagle feathers and headdresses.  Our Afro American brothers and sisters called this Uncle Tom today we can call this Uncle Tomahawk. This is the real Exploitation of our Culture.

“The Canadian and Quebec Governments are shamefully treating our community like criminals for peacefully protecting our inherent right to govern ourselves according to our customs,” says Tony Wawatie community spokesperson for Barrier Lake. “The Canadian government is attempting to unconstitutionally abolish our traditional leadership selection. They claim imposing this regime is a democratic move, but the overwhelming majority of our community members are opposed and want instead to maintain our own system of government.”

Uncle Tom A Hawk and His Bushel of Apples

Assembly of First Nations the real culprit of Cultural Exploitation

The Six Nations Confederacy, with their Warrior Societies, Hereditary Chiefs and Clan mothers are another one of the few Indigenous Nations in Canada that does not acknowledge AFN, Chiefs Organizations and the Indian Act. They have participated in many Actions that exercises their Sovereignty and never back down from threats by Canada or their Tax Payers.

Andy Donatos cartoon is brilliant. Some in the “aboriginal” community feel he has exploited our culture by mimicking Norval Morrsieaus woodland style of art. However it is just a comment on how Chiefs are the real culprits when it comes to exploiting aboriginal culture.

If First Nations people wish to lash out at this artist we then lash out at our own freedom of speech becoming hypocrites and dictators just like the Chiefs.

- Anishinabek Confederacy to Invoke Our Nationhood (ACTION)

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One Comment to “Uncle Tom-A-Hawk and His Bushel of Apples”

  1. shawna 14 December 2010 at 7:20 am #

    Johnny, I hear you trying to paint this picture, particularly with your last statement, “If First Nations people wish to lash out at this artist we then lash out at our own freedom of speech becoming hypocrites and dictators just like the Chiefs” but I’m not seeing it. I don’t feel like a hypocrite for being angry about my culture being mocked by Donato. Having your culutre mocked in a publication such as the Toronto Sun does nothing for public support of our situation. It tears us down. Ever read the comments section whenever an article based on First Nations lives or lifestyles goes to print? It’s disheartening. Our culture has nothing to do with Chiefs who feel that they actually DESERVE $3000 Christmas bonuses and make more than the National Chief. I am someone who has stated my position very clearly in my community and beyond about how I feel about Rama Chief and Council’s salaries, and at the same time I feel very offended by this commentary mocking Morriseau and our culture using the wampum belt and making us sound like we speak broken english! I also don’t believe or support a system of governance forced upon our people and I think the biggest joke is a self-important INAC Chief! We know that our own systems of governance worked best, and in this time and place and this day and age where we see ‘systems’ failing people, not just our people, but Canadian Citizens every day, we can take comfort in KNOWING that our own traditional governance never left anyone one the fringes of society. We know that we are the dominant culture and that everything current society is based upon is crumbling. We can SEE it everyday.

    Still it angers me to have my culutre mocked publicly because of a birch bark basket of INAC Chiefs and Councils who are following the bureaucratic agenda of assimilation and cultural genocide.

    A man made a remark on Facebook the other day to a woman who had posted seeing an eagle that day. “Oooooooooohhhh, did ya feel real Nish?” he posted. What the hell does seeing and eagle have to do with ‘feeling Nish’. How can you ‘feel’ something your spirit knows you are? By the way, this man is a card carrying member of INAC first nation, and it made my heart sink to read his comments. Who mocks their own culture that way? Those that have already been absorbed into the body politic, that’s who. And there are plenty of those, but as long as there are those of us who don’t ever feel ‘canadian’ but know who we are, where we come from and our striving and struggling to maintain our soveriegnty within our hearts and our homes, the white paper agenda will fail, like the rest of the canadian structure and framework. Doomed to failure and when they do, I think we’ll be ready. It’s people like you JH, who will be there to show us the way, when the rest of it falls away and goes to hell in a handbasket. But don’t give Donato kudos for mocking who we are(n’t).