The Canada Thread

I've been to quite a few homelands as well, visited nearly all pueblos ... in New Mexico. (dys taught me a lot about it over the years.)
What I noticed there, however, was that not many US-Americans know much about it. And aren't interested a lot in that history ... looked at from the Indian American viewpoint.

No probably not. I've been to exhibits in many cities across the country. Canadian Museum of Civilization (Museum of Man) in Gatineau, QB has a really good permanent installation as does the Vancouver Museum. The best collection of Inuit Art is in the National Gallery. But for the most part these collections are of mixed origins, from across the country. Not a look at one tribe in particular. Although, there's an excellent collection of Haida or the West Coast People on Haida Gwaii or the Queen Charlottes.

The migration of the Na dene speaking tribes (that include the Comanche and Navajo in Southwestern US) is covered in a complete exhibit in the Smithsonian Institutes Museum ofthe American Indian. After the "Long Walk" and BAsque Redondo , the Navajos petitioned to have their names changed back to the original tribal name of D'ine.

They are all ethnically associated with the AThabaskan languages and STR alleles.

Interesting. I believe there are just over 20 aboriginal languages in Canada. The Dene (the people) here in Alberta are in the far north, with many tribes separating them from their southern cousins. The Athabaskan river flows through this area.
The Chipewyan, and the Slave (pronounce slavey) are Dene too, they all speak dialects of the Athabascan language. Interesting that the Navahos are related. The Comanche, weren't they the feared nemesis of the first settlers way down south? And we call Columbus, who seemed to trip over all his discoveries, a great explorer.. irony. A winter on the prairies would have killed that soft caribbean sailor.
I forgot to mention the Sioux, who live in the mountains. Like the most of rest of the natives speakers here, they too speak some form of Cree as do the vast majority of native speaking Canucks. However, the language changes from place to place and a speaker in Alberta probably wouldn't understand a lot of what was spoken in Quebec, even though technically the same language, but would understand almost everything said by someone in Saskatchewan.
The other language/s is Blackfoot. But very few people speak it, mostly in the south. Again, even Cree is more predominant there as well. I believe Cree was the first N. American language to have an english translation dictionary.?.? It was written by Father Albert Lacombe.
I've always wanted to go to the Smithsonian. I swear, I could probably spend a year snooping. A local radio station was very involved with the Moses Asch Folkway Collection, a 24 part radio series that is now part of their permanent collection. You'd probably enjoy it. If you're interested here is the link. http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/folkways_collection.aspx
I'm going to have to do some reading. I'd never heard of the basque redondo, I'm almost scared to ask about the name... Regardless, is the 'long walk' the 'trail of tears', or were there two or more forced marches?
Were the Navajos denied their request? If so, how did they get the Navajos name?

In retrospect, you're probably right. I live in a city with the largest native population in Canada. When I was in school, we weren't taught a great deal. We probably learned more than most areas in Canada because of the population. But there is a lot of ignorance here about their history and culture. Partially because a lot of terrible stuff was done to them and it was pretty much government policy to erase the indian from the child.. person. And to brush the crimes under the carpet and forget about it. As most nations that have a bad reputation on the human rights front find out, that ain't so easy.
But in the last few years, things have started to change. There are native festivals, film fests, music and art shows. A new 'ethnic' restaurant, the first of it's kind in this city, opened just recently, they serve bannock and pemican. The biases are changing on both sides and people are starting to seek each other out. Issues that were long ignored are front and centre in the newspapers on a daily basis.
Again, I live in a heavily populated area, many of my neighbours are native. While I'm interested in their history, I'd be interested how many of them would be interested in going to a museum exhibit on Ireland, or France or even Germany. My point is... I guess, not everyone is interested in going to a museum and in this hockey crazy country.. Museums aren't a high priority. Sadly.
The Star Wars exhibit had a line up around the block when it first opened though...

The long walk was the march of the Navajo to Bosque Redondo, which is Spanish for round forest. I was at the headquarters of Bosque Redondo some years ago, and can only say that the person who named it was long on imagination, or short of knowledge about trees. Trail of Tears applies to the Cherokee, who were mostly in the Carolinas, but ended up in Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Capitalize Indian Territory. It was a specific bit of geography, into which a number of tribes were forced. If one means land mostly inhabited by Indians, the term is Indian country.

Apaches and Navajos both use Athabaskan languages. I asked one of the Navajo girls I worked with, and she said it was the same language, but Apaches talked faster. She also said Navajos had more class, culture, and character. I never asked an Apache about that. Navajos in NW New Mexico typically call themselves Navajo when speaking English, and Dine (with an i) when speaking Navajo.

Navajo humor often relies on word play. I used to pass a small Navajo restaurant on the way to work. It was called the Diner bei Diner. The first word is Navajo, and the last is the English word diner. This is typical of what passes for funny on the Rez.

By the way, I've been to a pow wow and seen and heard many Indian drum circles, which is mostly a bunch of guys whaling away at this huge drum. The only drummings that struck me as worthwhile were by the Jicarilla Apache. Practically no change in rhythm, but a fascinating variation in intensity. They use a really big drum, and even the softest sections carry a long ways when the breeze is right.

Comanche are closely related to Shoshoni, and I don't believe either has any friendly relationship with either Navajo or Apache. I used to work at the Four Corners Power Plant and had at least a nodding and speaking relationship with hundreds of Navajo. I have never met a one that admitted to having ever known a Comanche. Comanches were mostly Texans, though they certainly raided into the Spanish settlements in New Mexico, and also raided Apache and Navajo while they were incarcerated at Basque Redondo. They were also the Bad Indians in The Searchers, with John Wayne and Natalie Wood. The movie was filmed in Monument Valley in Utah, though, and all the Indians were really Navajo.

Some writers familiar with both tribes consider the Navajo to be one tribe of Apache. There are lots of Apache tribes, by the way. I do wish JLNobody would drop in and clear up that particular point. I would take his soft spoken 'suggestions' as gospel.

Holy Mackerel. This must be one slow night for A2K to spend this much time rambling on about Indians.

Interesting, thanks roger.
I went to the link. What a terrible chapter in their history. Would I be correct in thinking the rez is relatively rare in the US? We have a ton but I was under the impression this wasn't so in the USA..
Does diner sound like diner? And what does it or bei mean?
It wasn't till a few months ago that I realized they were actually singing songs around the drum circle. I always thought it was just different sounds, but it's words!!
As for the slow night... I was kinda looking forward to Saturday Night Live, but it's a repeat with the beebs. This is far more interesting.

Depends on which part of the US you are talking about. I left Albuquerque at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and passed through Sandia, Santa Anna, Zia, Jemez, and Jicarilla Apache reservations. I also passed through parts of Councilor and Nagazii Chapters, but I'm not sure they are actually part of the Navajo reservation. All this in 180 miles of highway driving. Twenty - five miles to the west of Farmington is the Big Rez, the largest reservation in the country. It runs to something like 25,000 sq miles. It's mostly in Arizona, but extends into New Mexico and (I believe) Utah. Immediately north of the Big Rez is the Ute Mountain Ute reservation. Seventy miles to our north is the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado. I have heard it said that if you subtracted the reservations, BLM and National Forest land, military bases, and national laboratories like Los Alamos and Sandia labs, the state would be smaller than Rhode Island.

Diner (Navajo) sounds very much like the English diner. Dine, their word for their tribe sounds more like Dee Nay. I have no idea what bei means, but is pronounced like 'by'. My knowledge of the language is pretty much limited to translations of individual names. There are still Navajos who speak no English, by they way, though those tend to be pretty old. There are some who speak only English. The community college offers courses in the language, as do several tribal schools.

I'm embarassed to admit I never notice any singing. I assume they didn't because when the Jicarilla show up from time to time in the river walk park, you can get as close as you want. There are a few old guys dressed cowboy except for long shawls that are half red and half blue. They kind of flex their knees in time to the beat, and generally look important. They probably are.

great stuff roger. I was always interested in "where do the tribes come from?". The genetic studies of tribes has helped clear some of that up and the AThabaskan roots of the SW tribes and some of the NW ones too show a definite link in language, tools and genetics.
Ive always been a fan of Joe Leaphorn ever since I used to have to go to meetings about "cleaning up" old Manhattan poject uranium claims and mine dumps. Always the Navajo environmnetal Agency and the medicine men would be involved and each meeting ALWAYS had a traditional meal to which all the invitees brought something. (This included my group). We brought cannolis and they were a hit.

Ha. Joe Leaphorn is a character in Tony Hillerman's mysteries involving the Hopi. Ever read one? Quite good I thought. He's stopped writing that series, though.

J Leaphorn and Jim Chi were both NAvajo cops , not Hopi. Hillerman was very particlular about the culture of the Dine since these cultural elements often came to play important roles in Hillermans books. My wife got me to read em all. Yeh too bad that Hillerman quit before he died

I've been in the Four Corners region three times ... it was great that I 'knew' it already before from Hillermans books, but in reality it's a fantastic part of country (roger certainly will agree).

I have read all of Hillerman's work. He used to out sell Louis L'amor around here when both were writing. I've been told that he was as accurate as possible without giving away secrets.

Did you sing along with Chris Hadfield today?

Wasn't it fabulous!

I missed it!! Had to go to stupid work. People kept bugging me and the time zipped by. Then I missed the news. I'm going to try and find it online. I'm assuming CBC will have some coverage.

The 29 most Canadian things to ever Canada in Canada

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/the-29-most-canadian-things-to-ever-canada-in-canada

Yup, some of those things you'd only see here, for sure. Made me laugh. Thanks.

Admittedly not Canadian, it's hilarious none the less.

How can anybody eat that ****? It tastes like a salty mixture of flour and sardine paste

I dunno. I've never had it, or a sardine.