New Year New Life

Happy New Years everyone! Have a safe and happy night and I'll be Tweeting and Instagramming the night away :). 

"Make your goal your hobby." ~Jon Crowley (from Attention Surpus podcast)

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Igloos in the City

It's no secret how much I hate the cold snow. I was raised outside of Vancouver and our winters were very mild. Like seriously wear only your spring coat all winter mild. So when I moved to Toronto I was in serious snow shock. I still am actually. I know I'm supposed to get used to it but as soon as January hits I am conjuring up ways to escape. My ultimate goal is to fly south like a young snowbird, but for now I am just never leaving my house until April dealing with it.

It has been snowing for the past two days here in Toronto and I've decided not to venture outside so I don't have to be cold making one freezing footprint at a time. So anyways it's one of my besties, Kateryna's, birthday tonight at some communist joint on the east end so I have to actually leave my place. She's lucky I love her.

I do wish that this car service Uber was already in Toronto because then I would just call them up and pretend I live in NYC and say things like "I'm just going to call my car service" obnoxiously before I exit the communist party while people are clutching their Metropasses. Okay so yeah I am probably going to just take a cab because I'm always running late the TTC there. Meh, see why I hate the cold snow?

One year when I was a kid living in the Lower Mainland in BC it snowed really, really hard. I was excited that year because it was one of the first times I actually got to play in the snow since when I lived out near my rez when I was super little. My brothers and I made an igloo. We made one when I was a little kid on the rez too but that one was better. I think one of the only cool things about the snow (besides the obvious snowboarding and skiing) are igloos.

 Igloos are dope.

 How could you pass this and not want to go inside?

In case you didn't know.

I was so stoked when I saw this igloo in the middle of downtown Toronto a few weeks back. I wanted to stop right then and there and go play inside but I was with a boy who I think was more interested in getting a coffee than playing inside an igloo. Oh well. I did go back and take some pics of it though. Now this kind of cold snow I can get behind. Anyone want to go play with me? The "exhibit" is on until the end of January, just before I escape to Jamaica.

You can also stay awhile and watch a free screening 

to learn more about Inuit culture.

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Nicolas Galanin: Awesome Tlingit Artist

Hanging with a wolf. I think we look foxxxy together.

Earlier this month I went to the Association for Native Development in the Visual and Performing Arts (ANDVPA) Members feast at the Toronto Free Gallery and was surprised with this awesome exhibit by Nicolas Galanin.

First I saw the Inert Wolf in the window and I was slightly scared, and then intrigued. It took me the entire dinner to work up the courage to go get a photo with him (thanks to Dee for the photo). It was slightly awkward because I was posing for a while and Clifford Cardinal was laughing at me about what a poser I was while his mother, Tantoo (yes the Tantoo), was staring at me strangely. Ha! It was all worth it though. Priceless photo.

“Mainstream society often looks at Indigenous or Native American art through a romantic lens, not allowing a culture like my Tlingit community room for creative sovereign growth. The back half of this piece is contained, a captured trophy or rug to bring into the home, while the front continues to move. It is sad and the struggle is evident." Nicolas Galanin on the Inert Wolf to My Modern Net

 ‘Inert Wolf’ by Nicholas Galanin

‘What Have We Become’ by Nicholas Galanin

 ‘Si’geika’awu: Ghost’ by Nicholas Galanin

‘The Imaginary Indian Series’ by Nicholas Galanin

"Nicholas Galanin's First Law of Motion is the movement of culture and its transformation. The first law of motion states that things will keep moving at a constant velocity unless some external force comes into play so if you make something stop it will want to stay immobile. Galanin examines the state of culture arrested by colonialism and kitsched by tourism." ANDVPA

Nicholas Galanin is a Tlingit and Aleut multidisciplinary artist born in Sitka, Alaska. He is also known as Silver Jackson, which is his musical alter ego. Check his work in NYC at the Peter Blum Gallery in Soho until January 28 or at the Vancouver Art Gallery from February 25 to June 23rd.

N.B. 

Nicolas Galanin's FB Page

Nicolas Galanin's Tumblr

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PIPs versus POPs

Late night inspiration after coming home from Joel's place where my roomie, Jas, and I ate awesome food and listened to fascinating conversations. We couldn't stop talking about PIPs and POPs on our way home and thought why not put my new vlogging prezzie to good use and discuss on camera. Yes we are ridiculous, we quite like it that way. Enjoy!

Also I am never wearing a turtleneck ever again. Uggh.

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A Valentine (K) for the Holidays

All images from Valentine K site 

As if you guys aren't lost and trying to figure out at the very last minute gift for that lucky lady in your life. My vote for this year is cashmere. I like to swathe myself in as much cashmere as humanly possible each winter, and my guess is your girl will like that too.

 Yes I need proper lighting, an HDSLR and a tripod. I knows.

I was lucky enough to be gifted a gorgeous cashmere sweater by Valentine K a tad early this holiday season. I pretty much am already in love with it. I wore it to my very first holiday party at my pad, to #HoHoTO, and then cruising around the Yonge/Lawrence hood crashing holiday themed lawns.

Valentine K is a new line launched here in Toronto by Lauren Waters, who's studied fashion at Fanshawe College, interned at Moschino in NYC, and worked for Fashion Television. Her unique eye has brought together cashmere and leather elbow patches. Geek chic gone casual. I. am. obsessed.

Get your Valentine (K) for the holidays in Toronto at Canopy Blue, DEW, Riant, and TNT Blue (see list of stores here).

NB
-Valentine K Designs
-Valentine K Facebook Page
-Valentine K Twitter

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Connect Four

Applique 4 by Fresh Vintage Designs

Yesterday marked the 4th year of this blog. It's interesting that I chose to start this blog on the day of solstice. It has been such a journey these past 4 years learning, living, writing and sharing all along the way.

I started the blog simply because I wanted to write. I was getting very busy in school and lacked the sufficient time to pitch and write for periodicals yet I still greatly desired the opportunity to continue to write about all of the different things that appealed to me: Indigenous issues, fashion, films, pop culture, beauty. The various topics I wanted to cover contributed to why the blog was named "stuff" because the blog would cover all the things that appealled to me as an urban Native girl.

I also wanted to see if there was an audience for writing from this Indigenous female perspective ... did people care? How many other Native girls feel the same as me ... or would I lose readership if I started sprinkling my fashion and beauty banter with topics that relate to my identity? In the end, I felt that it was most important to be myself and write about whatever is fascinating me at that moment and not be restricted by any specific beat and this blog has really been reflective of that.

The last few posts have been deeply personal and have been shared not only because they were really on my mind but also because I think there is a commonality in the experience of Indigenous people all over the world. I hope that you have found them to be meaningful to you as well and I thank you for reading my blog and giving me a platform in which to be able to write, share stories, and connect with you all.

NB
-I like to Tweet a lot
-Find me on Facebook
-I have a Facebook page for UNGS
-I also Tumble

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The dating woes of a half-breed

 

Still of Paulette Goddard from North West Mounted Police

True love will conquer all. That is what most people are told from friends, from relatives, from society. That is all that matters when you are choosing your life partner. That is, unless you are Native. If you are Native (or even a half-breed like myself), then you have a whole history of colonization, assimilation, legislation, and expectations weighing down on your decision making process in the dating arena.

It becomes greater than the more typical type of family pressure to marry a certain type of person, or marry within a certain race or religion. It is different because it is something that has plagued Native communities for the past few decades. I say plagued because the thought process in itself has become an epidemic of it's own sort. The thought process is that if you marry Native and have Native babies (preferably a lot of them), then we as a collective nation will grow stronger because we are stronger in numbers and we are not diluting our Native Indian status, our blood quantum. The goal would be then that the government and Canadian population will have to listen to our viewpoints as we would have strength in numbers. This is evident today as our political voice is strengthened in matters close to the land, and close to our communities. The results of this disposition are also evident as Aboriginal youth are now the fastest growing demographic in Canada. So the pressure is huge from the community, to say the least.

I don't have pressure from my immediate family to date Native men, they will be content with whomever I choose, just as long as I am happy. Although I do think that my brothers would much prefer I marry someone that they can talk to about Indian things like hunting, fishing, and traditional life. But on the other side I was raised a "city girl" so their expectations of me being with a man interested and skilled in these areas is next to nothing. It's more of a wish list, just as I would love for them to marry a woman that I can go shopping in Yorkville with and connect on that level, but that's not likely either. We simply live entirely different lives, hence the name "Urban Native Girl".

Not having that pressure from my family does not mean that it does not exist for me. Dating Native is the quietly spoken rule that pervades the very essence of all of the Native communities that I exist in. How else can the community be preserved? If one of us dates outside our genetic pool, we inevitably become further from our culture and participate less in community and gatherings. I know that this isn't true for everyone, but generally when two people partner and have varied circles, they tend to split their time amongst them rather than just joining at one.

These expectations that exist are very strong for me as I have been raised outside my culture, apart from tradition, in the suburbs, as a half-breed in a European household, and thus I am looked upon by many as an "outsider" in Native circles. If I date Native I am gaining greater acceptance and access into a culture that I have always been outside of. But isn't that precisely why all of the rules regarding blood quantum were created: to exclude, to assimilate and disenfranchise?

Dating as a half-breed isn’t an easy task when faced with all of these legacies and proposed limitations. When I get down to the core essence of what love is all about and the implications that arise from choosing a partner, I only get one phrase in my head … “to thine own self be true.” Polonius gave great advice to Laertes in Hamlet in that phrase, which is that you always have to take care of yourself first before you can be in a position to take care of others. And that is precisely what needs to be done before one can contribute to building healthy and strong communities.

A country is not a mere territory; the particular territory is only its foundation. The country is the idea which rises upon that foundation; it is the sentiment of love, the sense of fellowship which binds together all the sons of that territory.  ~Giuseppe Mazzini

N.B.
-Club Native trailer for NFB
-Native Appropriations 'Love in the the Time of Blood Quantum'
-My last post on the subject (same title as above, which was accidental ... )
-NY Times Op-Ed 'How Do you Prove Your an Indian?'

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Circle of Life

 Photo by Ray Auger (aka @ojibray)

  Joseph Boyden at Circle of Light by iBo 

Last month Joseph Boyden spoke at the 'Circle of Light' conference here in Toronto. Instead of promoting one of his books or speaking about his writing life, he chose to talk about suicide amongst Aboriginal youth.

"After much soul-searching these last years I've decided I need to speak out in ways beyond my novels and short stories. I've decided in these last couple of years not to become a hermit but to instead become an advocate for myself and for people spread out across this country who are important to me. I don't want to squander the opportunity to speak just because it would be easier not to ... I know from experience that is too easy to just simply fade into the background even when your gut is telling you that you should be raising your voice. So allow me to raise my voice today to speak about something, that for better or for worse, is a part of me."

Boyden told three stories. His first story was about his own suicide attempt when he was a teenager. His second was 'Driving Lessons' his 2006 piece for Walrus on life and death. The third story was a personal story about suicide in Moosonee. "Over a six month period not that long ago there were over a hundred suicide attempts amongst teens in Moosonee," Boyden says.

What really struck me about his keynote address was the connection that Boyden brought out between residential school residue and the current youth suicide epidemic.

"An Anishinaabe medicine man that I know when he speaks of the creation of residential schools says that a door was opened that should have never been unlocked ... One of the many evils that escaped out that door, the medicine man believes, is the tremendously high Aboriginal youth suicide rate in our country. He believes, as do many, that the suicide epidemic is a direct effect of residential schools where generation after generation of families were torn apart by the system. What's certainly fact is that suicide among Aboriginal persons before residential schools is almost unheard of."

I remember that moment when I realized that I was personally affected by residential schools. It was in 2007 when the news about the residential school payouts began. I felt so distant from the news, so removed, as if it had nothing to do with me. Then I remembered that my father went to residential school. My father committed suicide when I was just four years old. I then wondered what my life would have been like had my father never gone to residential school. He would still be alive, and I would've been raised in tradition, culture, and language instead of in the suburbs. Most importantly I would have had a father in my life. I would be an entirely different human being.

That's when I realized how much that residential school residue has affected my life. It affects every single second that I exist. It's not this vague concept of something that happened so long ago and something that should just be forgotten or buried, it is something that sits with me every single day. It is the loss of a father, the grieving that is left unfinished and always sits just barely below the surface. It is the constant longing for a part of me that I never quite got the chance to know and the continuous quest to know more, and learn more.

For the longest time I used to not tell anyone about my father's suicide. It did not make polite dinner conversation. I always dreaded that awkward moment when sitting at a table of a friend or a boyfriend where the parents inevitably ask me about my parents. I always tried to be evasive, to talk of my mother and my stepfather. Sometimes people get curious and ask directly about my father, I say he passed when I was really young. Sometimes people get really curious and ask how he died. That awkward moment. I think if I tell them that they will immediately judge me and my character based on my father's actions that I will be deemed unworthy of their child's friendship or love. And so I buried the past and tried to forget it and not tell a soul.

Once I realized the truth about the impact of residential school on my father and thus upon myself, I began being able to tell my truth, my father's truth. This keynote address that Joseph Boyden gave reminded me of that truth and how important it is for all of us to tell our truths so that we can continue that healing process and collectively heal together as a nation.

I will quote Boyden once again here: "I know from experience that is too easy to just simply fade into the background even when your gut is telling you that you should be raising your voice. So allow me to raise my voice today to speak about something, that for better or for worse, is a part of me." 

*Studies have estimated that the suicide rate among Canadian First Nations is five to six times higher than among non-Aboriginal Canadians.

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Crooked Arrows to your heart

Michael Hudson to the left, Tyler Hill (Mohawk) to the right.

I first wrote about Crooked Arrows April 25, 2009 and yet here we are 2.5 years later finally getting some real info (and not just endless casting calls) about the flick.

It's a comedy about lacrosse with a Native American twist. The movie is about a 30-year-old of mixed lineage who must postpone his casino-building dreams to coach the inept local Native American high school lacrosse squad against the prep school league in which he used to star. It is set in an upstate New York reservation and will be directed by Steve Rash (of American Pie and Road Trip fame).

I just caught wind of the Crooked Arrows 'Meet the Cast' trailer last night (it fell off my radar mmmkay) and I was a little umm ... blown away.

Michael Hudson (Reed) - Mohawk

Aaron Printup (Maug)- Tuscarora

Polo Ralph Lauren Native Lacrosse style shot right there.

Oh I meant right there. Oh ma gawd.

Okay so now you ladies (and some gents) are getting what I am talking about right? So when does this movie come out because I want to watch it RIGHT NOW. Tentative release date Spring 2012. Tune in below for the straight goods.

Crooked Arrows on FB

Crooked Arrows on Twitter

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My xmas wish list

Illustration by LittleZ

This is my 3rd year creating this wonderful little post here. I loves it because it really helps me visualize what I am truly lusting after. It works for me more of a "what do I really want" list for 2012 than a "what people should buy me" list. I look at it as setting intention. The first year I did it (in 2009), I got 67% of the items listed, and last year (in 2010), I got 50% of the items. Less as impressive, but I did put a condo and a car on that last list.

Anyhow, some of these desired items are carried over from previous years, I figure that one day soon they will get fulfilled so I must keep putting intention toward them. Okay here goes ... 

L'Occitane Lavender Shea Butter Hand Cream. $28.

I am more than mildly obsessed with this hand cream. Here's the thing, the small purse size in only available in the US. So everytime I am there, I buy them in bulk and hoard them at home. Unfortunately for me it's been 9 solid months since my last stock up and the supply has long since been depleted. These are the most essential in winter here in freezing Toronto, and I would love to have just a box of these in storage at all times.

Alessi Mediterraneo Fruit Bowl. $80.

I love Alessi products, and have for many years but for some reason in the last year I have become totally enamoured with this here fruit bowl. I think it would just look so stunning on my kitchen table and I would just smile at it every day. I would even be sure to have fresh(ish) fruit just to put in it every day. Umm nesting much?

Vlogging handheld. $149. 

I have used my MB Pro, my iPhone, and my Canon PowerShot S90 for vlogging lately but need to improve my game. My roomie, Jas, has been killing it with her vlogs for Two Mangoes and she swears by her handheld camera. This Sony Bloggie above has a flip lens so you can watch yourself while taping (essential for me). Me likey, I want to vlog more. Hai hai.

Dene Moosehide Moccasins. $171.

I have this beautiful pair of authentic, handmade red moccasins but I am really wanting an authentic, cozy winterized pair. Enter Dene moosehide moccasins. These are much harder to source online but these beauties above are calling out my name. I love that the top part is all white and the flowered beading detail? Can't even handle it. This pair is handmade in Fort Liard, Northwest Territories and I am guaranteed to be extra cozy with these on my feet.

Dawn Simulator Alarm Clock. $249.

I had this on my list last year and I didn't prioritize it just yet but I think the time is now. Yes I hate winter, and I hate getting up in the dark. This alarm clock simulates dawn so the light will come on gradually (from 30 minutes to 2 hours) to simulate the sun rising. Just like if I was living in LA in the winter ... okay well, maybe not, but it will have to work for now.

Nespresso. $299.

Motivation for getting up every day in the dark. Ha! Well when I was in Miami this past spring I wondered into the Nespresso Cafe and my friend and I immediately fell in love with their sleek design as well as their delicious coffee. My friend got this Nespresso machine immediately upon return to Toronto (along with a gajillion pods) and I tested it out again. Love. I love the simplicity as well as the superior tastes. I have a Tassimo which is kind of awesome but less so once the Starbucks deal went south. Now I have to hunt down Gevalia pods in each store I enter. So yes, I want one of these hot little numbers, it will match my sexy fruit bowl.

LG + Apple TV. $800.

I don't own a TV. Thankfully my roomie's friend Z was generous enough to donate us his old tube for us to watch cable on. For the past few weeks I have been home and watching TV more than I have in the entire past year. It has been eye-opening because I realize just how much cable sucks. I want to watch Netflix and my own movies on demand on a beautiful new TV. I was lusting after a smart TV, but this combination of TV and Apple TV seems just as nifty (and one that I can work in steps). Not that I plan on spending all of my time lazing about the couch, but while it's cold out it is highly likely that I'll do some more of that.

HDSLR. $830.

I had this on the list two years ago and settled for an in-between camera in the interim but I want to play with the big(ger) boys now and get on this already. Mostly I want to take awesome self pics at home with a tripod and try vlogging and such with it ... but I am sure it will come in handy for many types of occasions. High on the wish list this year. It is "the" year for this Canon EOS Rebel T3i to happen.

Warm Winter White Coat. $915.

I have been really wanting a Moncler coat for the past two years, but upon closer look at their latest collection I was left a little bit disenchanted. Thankfully I was pointed toward Bloomingdales site by a few male Twitter friends and came across this lovely Dawn Levy vision. It is white, has fur lining, has goose down and doesn't make you look like the Michelin Man. Perfection. My main goal in winter is to make it through as warmly and with the least amount of complaining as possible. I see this jacket + my white Manitobah Mukluks as a great solution for those cold January days.

Diamond Solitaires. $1250.

This one is also a repost from my 2009 version, apparently they got bumped off for one year *fixed*. This is another tale of one lost and never replaced. Yes I got a pair and then somewhere along the way I lost one (sorry Mom). Then I got them replaced by another donor, but they bought them in a size appropriate for a child of eight and thus they are lost on my lobe. So I need a hefty pair, since I'd like to wear them almost every day. A classic diamond stud that will last longer than perhaps than the last stud who bought my current pair (sacré bleu). 

Mercedes Benz C250 Coupe. $40 k.

Last year I was really into that Audi S5. Then I rented this little babe here when my most famous friend was in town and I kind of fell in love with it. Oh hello lover. I really want a car so that I don't have to take the dreaded TTC all over and get oh so cold, but mostly I just really like to drive. The tagline for this series is "Wolf In Wolf's clothing" - perfect. I love that it's just small enough for me to still look like I am an awesome parallel parker. Yes please sugar daddy Santa universe.

Downtown Toronto Townhouse. $400 k.

Second year that it's made the list ... Okay so maybe I won't get my dream place (the Richmond townhouse pictured above - it's a cool mill) for $400 K, but I would be happy with a two bedroom condo or townhouse in the downtown area that's close to all the fun things I like to do (west-end). And yes granite countertops with stainless steel appliances are non-negotiable.

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'Mukking Around Toronto': Guest blog by Sarah Yankoo

Jarret and I strike a pose. Why do we look so Gossip Girl?

By, Guest Blogger, Sarah Yankoo

Walking in to the Bata Shoe Museum last week on Wednesday made me feel right at home: branded birchbark ornaments, a selection of delicious traditional comfort foods (bison, venison and bannock), A Tribe Called Red (ATCR) and, of course, mukluks everywhere!

 The evening started off with a chance to peruse the entire collection with Manitobah signature cocktail and bison skewer in hand and some low key beats provided by ATCR. The evening was hosted by the fabulous Waneek Horn Miller, whose rockabilly hairstyle and rockstar attitude kept the festivities rolling. The early part of the evening saw a celebs including MuchMusic VJs Jesse Giddings and Sarah Taylor. Giddings took a moment to speak to the crowd about the tour of the Manitobah Mukluks facilities, which he took while in Winnipeg a few weeks prior, and the all around love he has for the brand.

Waneek Horn-Miller and Jesse Giddings

When Horn-Miller took over the mic she spoke about how the vision and journey of Manitobah Mukluks mirrored her own journey as an Aboriginal person and athlete. And since she was celebrating her birthday that evening, the team at Manitobah surprised her with a Mukluk-shaped birthday cake! Once the crowd concluded their rendition of happy birthday for Waneek, she introduced Christina Bomberry, a champion fancy shawl dancer, followed by a men’s fancy dancer.

After the performance, ATCR took the stage and Electric Pow Wow commenced. People absolutely loved what the Tribe brought to the room and, needless to say, I now have an even longer list of people to be notifying when the boys come back to town.

Storyboots by Annie McKay

The night was a great expression of real success story. During the first part of the event there was documentary about the company’s “Story Boot Project” (video here) in Norway House, MB (where my current roomie hails from) playing in the background. Some of the stunning boots that are produced through this program were among the props available for the photobooth so I got to really interact with the beautiful craftsmanship of each unique boot.

Look how #NativeAwesome the soles of Manitobah Mukluks are!

I could really feel the pride emanating from the Manitobah Mukluk's team and I’m sure that comes from being a shining example of what an Aboriginal company and Aboriginal people are capable of. Seeing all the happy faces in mukluks kicking around the dance floor to the sounds of A Tribe Called Red brought that all together for one fabulous evening.

It’s not too late to make an addition to your own holiday wishlist, or to shop for your friends and family online here or in person here (in Toronto).

Hold on tight, you know she's a little bit dangerous ...

She's sexy and she knows it ...

Round dance time!

Boom.

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Wapsi not WASPy

Yesterday I got a fashion shot-out by Paul Taylor, creator of Wapsi Square.

A few weeks back I hung out with my Mohawk stuntman friend and tried on one of his many fur hats. This one in particular is coyote. Yes coyote. It lends a fuzzy feel to ones head much unlike when you have too many mimosas.

Thanks for the nod Paul, I think Shelly looks great in her furry hat! 

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