Given the escalating turmoil across this land, I decided to write a letter to the government of Canada, Albert and BC. Â The letter is attached to this post for anybody interested in reading it. Â Â Â
With all the protests going on across Canada, I think it is prudent to explore what is going on and how it can be resolved peacefully. The challenge though, is that this process will be very uncomfortable, especially for those who see nothing wrong with the way this country is setup, how industry works or those who are dependent on it all for their jobs or survival.
2000 years ago the mark of the centurion was a brand or tattoo used by the Roman government to mark their centurions of the roman army. What most people don’t realize is that this mark was expanded to also include those people who worked in the factories making weapons and armor.
If we fast forward to today, would it surprise you that the mark is no longer a brand or tattoo but now consists of pieces of plastic with numbers on them called social insurance numbers, etc? You cannot work for the government war machine without one. The problem is … almost everyone works for the war machine and does not even realize it.
Nearly everyone is at war and we wonder why we struggle to find peace in our lives. This way of life has been normalized through years of brainwashing, lies and ignorance. But with work, knowledge and awareness, we can turn that around. By consciously and objectively evaluating our relationships and exploring what healthy relationships look like, we can start making decisions that would change how we are living our lives.
To do that requires some blunt truths to be realized. This process can be very uncomfortable, disruptive and heart wrenching, especially when we realize that we have engaged in socially acceptable violence while breaking spiritual laws against one another.
Our indigenous friends are standing up against 500 years of oppression and this will make life very uncomfortable for a lot of people. They are angry, hurting, frustrated and feeling unheard and taken advantage. They are standing up to protect Mother Earth, the air, water, land and their own sovereignty.
To find a peaceful solution will require that people look long and hard in the mirror. Unfortunately, that is often the most difficult thing for any individual to do. What is my roll in all of this? How am I contributing to the war machine? How is my own privilege hindering me and others from equality, peace and freedom?
When we admit to ourselves that we have contributed to the violence against others, we are confronted with healing and forgiving ourselves while we explore new ways of living and interacting with one another. When we finally see the sacredness of life, water, air and each other, we must also acknowledge that putting a price on that is a desecration of that which is holy. That realization then puts our whole economic, financial and every other system into disrepute.
How do we live without putting a price tag on everything? Our whole social, political and economic way of life must change. There are people who are tackling all of these questions and many are turning to the older tribal ways of our ancestors to find inspiration and guidance while leveraging modern technology to help with the transition.
But it is the human condition that is being confronted. Our own thoughts, beliefs, behaviours, vices, addictions and way of life that is under the microscope.
My ancestors came from Europe and I stand as a beacon for others to confront what we are doing and meet our cousins from Turtle Island in the middle, peacefully. Our ancestors signed a treaty. It is represented by a white belt with two blue stripes. This wampum belt signifies two groups of people flowing down the river of life. They in one canoe, with their laws, customs, language and traditions and us in another. We live side by side without interfering with one another, but instead as brothers and sisters.
This is all that they ask of us. They just want the war to stop and peace to be restored. They are standing up, making life very uncomfortable so that we will stop and pay attention to what is going on. I welcome all tribes to this school so that we can do this work. This is hard work, but it is important work to do. I will work hard to build a safe place to get this done so that we can make changes to how we live.
We will learn how to declare peace and live peacefully. But that requires that we be brutally honest with ourselves. Boundaries are key and I set boundaries that make even the most gifted shake their head. We are talking about protocols that go far beyond what most of us would ever imagine. Spiritual protocols taught to us by some of the most gifted teachers in history.
Now is the time. Time to choose which path to follow. The one of war and destruction, or the one of peace, freedom and prosperity. The unveiling has happened. Time to choose.
