.NEWSLETTER 401 Main Street, V6A 21'7 604-665-2289

MAY 15,2009

carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www .carnnews.org ( 373 hits per Clay!) http://harvesters.sfu.ca/cbodarr (INDEX)

[On viewing Margaret Bourke-White's black-and-white photograph of a Depression-era Hamilton, Alabama female sharecropper, this came to me. The poem's title is borrowed from (and loosely based on) U2's song of the same name as well as President-elect Barack Obama's speech (November 4, 2008).]

For her

Under her hands she brings forth life Under her hands she brings forth hope Under her hands she brings forth joy Under her hands she brings forth music Under her hands she brings forth dreams

For her nation to bring forth .

In her heart she offers thanks for family In her heart she offers thanks for happiness In her heart she offers thanks for rain In her heart she offers thanks for peace In her heart she offers thanks for freedom

For her nation to offer thanks.

In her mind she builds strong roots In her mind she builds strong children In her mind she builds strong communities In her mind she builds strong beginnings In her mind she builds strong tomorrows

For her nation to build on .

This poem is dedicated to another woman who has strong hands, heart, and mind­Lisa David. Happy birthday, Lisa!- Barbara

ank You, ou Gave Us Harold Asham has taught me a lot about how to live with illness and still reach out to the world, how to laugh in the midst of pain and frustration, and how to bu~ld community by telling stories. He was a gifted wnter.

Hal worked with the Carnegie Community Action Project, and he said, "We have to fight in order to get even a small amount of justice." He was involved with Humanities I 0 I, Science I 0 I, and the Carnegie Book Club. He was on the Carnegie Board worked with the Neighbourhood Small Grants Pro~ram, and was part of an Oppenheimer Park band. He made a data base for the City Wide Hous ing Coalition, fixed computers, and taught people how to use them. And while all this was going on, he had to deal with the hospital and dialysis.

Hal had respect for all the people who worked in hospitals and for the street nurses, and he wrote "They seemed to be doing a good job, and with 'an amazing pleasantness considering the stress of their line of work. There must be a lot of sorrow with their job, stuff you're a part of and stuff you witness. I think it must be very hard on a person to witness this

on a daily basis, and my heart goes out to these love­filled persons."

All his projects were an adventure for Hal. He wrote about going to Victoria with a group of Downtown Eastsiders to protest a provincial governmenf that had $250 million dollars locked away in a bank that should be spent on social housing. Hal, and his fellow protesters, were dressed as pirates, and Hal wrote, "If you told me that one day I'd be sailing across Georgia Strait in a pirate costume, I would have had you committed or at least have you inspected for worms or something. But there I was with an earing on, false mustache and eyebrows, and sailing into Victoria with some other swarthy characters looking for a doubloon or two." But Hal knew the seriousness of this adventure, and he said, "It was a good day to meet people and to garner some attention to the plight of unhoused people in this land of plenty."

The Carnegie Centre and the Downtown Eastside meant a great deal to Hal. When writing about Car­negie volunteers he said, "I'm astounded at the heart in this place," and "I want everyone to know the heart of the community is alive and we ll in the Downtown Eastside." He voted in the federal election last fall, and wrote, "It's kinda nice being community-minded at election time. I remember when I never bothered to vote. I guess being in Carnegie just makes a person want to get involved. Today is Monday and I'm help­ing Jean make buttons for CCAP. On Wednesday I went over to Oppenheimer Park to take part in the band practice. I don't know how I got into the band, but it fee ls good. On Sunday I completely forgot the cake-making class. I was busy doing something else. You know how it goes. Maybe there'll be another class I can go to next week. Talk to you soon. Hope you have a good week- Hal."

Hal was thinking of making a small book of some kind with his stories. In the November I st, 2008, Carnegie Newsletter, he wrote that he might have something ready by the end of the year- or maybe not. In the December 15th Newsletter he gave us a little bit about what he had written. lt was about his family, for reaching out to his fam ily was very im­portant to Hal. In the 1950's, when he was j ust a boy, Hal and one of his sisters stayed with grandparents in the summer. Hal wrote, "l think it was Thursday nights when we used to walk a couple of miles to see a movie in the summer. It was just a big room with a projector somewhere near .the back, and we would

watch a movie with our relatives. It was always a :J great time, sitting on benches and watching movies back then. After the movie we'd walk home along the highway in the dark. We also swam in the river that passed in front of my grandparents' place, and we'd have fires at night and tell scarey stories. " Maybe sometime we can find out how many stories Hal had ready, and with the help and permission of his family, see if there's enough material for publication.

As most of you know, Hal was tremendously proud of his brother Clarence. He called Clarence, "Proba­bly the greatest person I know," and said, "There ain't no one like him, and I doubt if I wi ll ever meet another who is so friendly and full of grace." Hal went to Victoria to visit Clarence, and helped to ar­range a magical event for April I I th. That's when Clarence came to play his music at Carnegie. It was a special day for Hal. Along with Clarence, other members of his family were there, and his Carnegie and Downtown Eastside fami lies were there as well. Hal was so moved by the event that he called it "The greatest show ever played in Carnegie."

I'm happy for Hal because he was given the time to move closer to his fam ily, and because he knew he was loved and respected here in the Downtown East­side. Now Hal has gone to join that blessed fam ily of eternal love to which we all belong, brothers and sis­ters together. Thank you, Hal, for the gifts you have g iven us.

Sandy Cameron

FrLeli\,~S ( 1-tCtroL~ ) They are so special Treasure whatever you had with one Tomorrow brings sorrow You may not know When one special friend ends up leaving. Remember: life is so short-So forget all the wrongs Make amends Think of al l the good times you have shared

You are going to be missed My dear fr iend You will be with me always.

Love, Bonnie S.

Due to the number of people coming in only for coffee during the showing of the documentaries, (disturbing viewers while they get a cup of coffee then leave), we have decided to not serve any coffee during documentary viewings. Coffee, tea and pastry will be served after a viewing to viewers of the documentaries. We hope this allows those who come to view the documenta­ries an opportunity to do so undisturbed.

HUM 101 Documentaries for May Saturdays, 6:pm, Carnegie Theatre

May 16: THE OBAMA DECEPTION 2 hours and 20 minutes. I will try to get free copies of this movie made and distributed to the viewers who want it. This is of course with the blessing of the person who made the documentary, Alex Jones. May 23: All about Architectural Symbolism: Archi­tectural Colossus- 60 minutes, Where the Rich and Famous Dwell- 60 minutes and Baal's Shaft and Cleopatra's Needle- 60 minutes. Learn things you never knew about the buildings designs and why they are that way. May 30: Are Vaccines Safe? Mary Tacco and Le­nard Horowitz 2 hours 24 minutes and I hour, speak on this subject. It j ust may save your life knowing something about this subject.

Peace, I often find, walking Li fe's little bumps even out, walking Musi ng, the day's events, walking Sharing, stories, laughter, walking People smile, nod, walking Memories relived, walking Tears form, drop, alone, walking Footsteps echo in the night, walking I miss my sisters, walking I pray they are safe, walking Once again, together we meet, walking.

For Ana & Karen Robert Bonner

CCCA Annual General Meeting is coming! Voting for candidates for the Carnegie Community Centre Association's Board of Directors will take

place on June 4 at 5:30pm in the Theatre. Registra· tion is from 5:00pm-5:30pm; meeting starts at

5:30pm. To vote, one must hold a 2009 membership purchased on or before May 21, 2009.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES The following 20 nominees are eligible candidates to run for the CCCA Board Member elections at the June 4, 2009 Annual General Meeting:

);> Adrienne Macallum Ben Rampre Clyde Wright Collen Carroll Craig Hathaway Gary Mah Gena Thompson James Pau Jason Fleury Lisa David Martin Mellado Marvin Dennis Matthew Matthew Norma Jean Baptiste Paul Campbell Phoenix Wisebone Priscillia Tait Rolf Auer Sandra Pronteau Stephen Lytton

LLttle iyov..Les

Those who use the phrase "Don't insult my intelligence" Usually have little to protect

Curious how a psychopath Is always 100% right About everything All the time. Question it and you may End up insulting their intelligence

AI

Participate in the Hope in Shadows 3-day photography contest!

You could win: First prize ( I winner): $500 cash Second prize (5 winners): $100 cash each Third prize (1 0 winners): $50 cash each Honourable mention (24 winners): $25 cash each

Winning photos will be exhibited and may be used in the 2010 Hope in Shadows calendar Cost to enter? Free!! Cameras and training provided! How to enter? Pick up cameras at 10:30 a.m., Saturday june 6 Interurban Gallery ( I East Hastings) Contest ends 5 p.m., Tuesday June 9

Space is limited to 200 contestants - cameras are handed out on a first come, first served basis so get there early!

This contest is open only to low-income residents (including children) of the Downtown Eastside.

Each contestant receives a disposable camera. All pictures must be taken with an official contest cam­era. You enter your photos by returning your camera - we take care of the developing and printing! Con­test cameras must be returned to the Interurban Gal lery on Tuesday June 9 between I p.m. and 5 p.m.

For more information call 604.255.9701 Carolyn Wong Project Coordinator I Hope in Shadows Pivot Legal Society 1678 Hastings Street East Vancouver, BC V6A 1Rl tel: (604) 255-9700 ext 136 1 fax: (604) 255-1552 www.pivot legal.org

after homelessness ... :::>

Photography Contest

~sa part of our upcoming production AFTER HOMELESSNESS ... Headlines Theatre is excited to aunch a Photo Contest seeking photographs that speak to the following:

'What it feels like to have been homeless and to now find oneself in unsafe housing"

UTER HOMELESSNESS ... will be created and performed by people who have been touched by homelessness and its cotmections to mental health, e ither through their own lives or the lives of loved ones. AFTER

HOMELESSNESS ... will be a way for diverse audiences in Metro Vancouver to create a veh icle for people living the issues to help develop policy and plans to ensure that housing that is created is safe, appropriately supported and affordable. The Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Metro Vancouver Homelessness Secretariat, Raincity Housing and Coast Mental Health will use AFTER HOMELESSNESS . .. and the resulting 'Community Action Report' as part of thei r respective research for National and Regional Strategies on mental health and homelessness. More information can be found at: http://headlinestheatre.com/intro.htm

Guidelines for Photography Contest: 1) ONLY ONE entry per person 2) Accepted formats:

• Digital images. Please submit a low-resolution (72dpi) version. Please be aware that the winner of the First Prize will have to submit a high-resolution (300dpi) version as well.

• Print photographs, 8 x 10 maximum size 3) Both Black & White OR Colour photos will be accepted 4) Please submit materials along with your name and full contact information. Please note that materials will not be returned. 5) Submissions deadline: July 31 , 2009

Prizes: $500 First Place Plus use in publicity materials $250 Second Place Plus display on Headlines web site

The winning photograph will be used in all promotional materials for the AFTER HOMELESSNESS ... publicity campaign, including posters, flyers, bus shelter posters, web site and electronic communications. The possibility also exists to be showcased in a gallery exhibition and in a multimedia event, details TBA. The photographer will be credited in all materials. The photographer will retain all rights to the photographic image, and will grant Headlines Theatre the rights to the image in perpetuity for the purposes of both the production and ongoing publicity in relation to Headlines' work, and to reproduce/adapt the image as we see fit in both print and electronic form. If the winning images include a shot of a person who is identifiable, the photographer should have or be able to get a signed release form from that person to accompany the image.

Digital images can be submitted by email to: photocontest@headlinestheatre.com Send print photographs to: Headlines Theatre After Homelessness Photo Contest

323- 350 East 2nd Ave. Vancouver, BC V5T 4R8

Headlines Theatre is working with numerous grassroots organizations on this project and is the producer of the 2004 award winning community project Practicing Democracy, as well as the recent productions Here and Now and SHATTERING, (formerly known as METf-f) .

Thompson Highway's newest play reviewed By Rolf Auer

On Wednesday, May 6, l had the good fortune to be treated by the Carnegie Community Action Project that paid by donation for me to attend Thompson Highway's newest play at the Fireball Arts Centre.

lt's called Ernestine Shuswap gets her trout a~d takes place in 19 10, when then-Prime Min.ister Si~ Wi lfred Laurier was to pay a visit to BC Ftrst Nattons

peoples. ln turns tragic and comedic, it tells the story of four

Aboriginal women who are preparing a feast for the visit of the "Big Kahuna" of Canada.

Ernestine wakes up in the morning of the big day only to hear her husband saying to her, "Ernestine Shuswap, I'm going to get you." Startled, she asks why. "I'm going to get you the biggest trout eve~ seen in these parts," he says, and goes off to fish m the Thompson River. Delilah Rose is busy sewing 100 tablecloths, Isabel is try ing to bake 624 Saska­toon berry pies, and Annabelle is trying to boil a ton

of beaver. As the play proceeds, rights of theirs are gradually

taken away. It becomes illegal to fish in the Thomp­son River. It becomes illegal to cross their land. It

becomes illegal to pick Saskatoon berries. lt even becomes illegal for them to speak their native lan­guages-they are to neigh like horses instead.

As the situation steadily worsens, they are also try­ing to draft a letter to give to Laurier asking for better treatment by those governing them.

Vancouver Sun theatre critic Peter Birnie-who wrote an awful review of Bruce: The Musical and from whom I never expected a decent treatment of a play in the Downtown Eastside ever again-actually wrote a couple of laudatory reviews of it. In one, he wrote, " ... Highway has in fact crafted a winning piece of polemic." I wouldn't call it polemical (meaning of or pertaining to controversy); I found the play rather restrained, considering all of the action Whites have caused to happen to Native Aboriginals. But Birnie qualifies that statement later in the review: "Thankfully, this is not a screed." One reason I found it restrained is that there is barely a mention of the apprehension of Native children, and their place­ment in the too often abusive residential schools. There is no mention of the diseases (purposely) spread by Whites to kill off the Native population. In the one piece of narrative by an offstage male voice, the stealing of lands is mentioned, along with the loss ofNative rights.

Actually, the play kind of backhandedly compli­ments (some) Whites in places, calling the French Canadians superior to the English Canadians, the French trappers superior to the later arriving Whites, and so on.

We don't know what happens to Ernestine's hus­band, except to find out that by 6:00pm on the day of the feast, he still hasn't arrived home with the trout. So Earnest goes to catch one, and does, without even using fishing equipment.

There is tragedy in the play, but I won' t give it away, in case you ever get the chance to see it for yourselves.

Ernestine is played by Tantoo Card inal, "arguab ly the most widely recognized Native Actress of her time," it says in the handout. Probably her most famous role is as Black Shawl, the wife of Kicking Bird, and mother to an adopted white daughter in Dances With Wolves. The other actresses are all vet­eran actors as well.

The play ends with the declaration that "Ernestine Shuswap will be fishing in the Thompson River until the cows come home."

FROM

BUFFALO

MEAT

TO BALONEY

Carnegie Centre exhibition June 1 sl to 3o'h

opening reception Thursday, June 4 at 5 pm

The Art of Downtown Eastside Elder Bill Quinn

The invasion ofNorth America in 1492 brought pain and suffering to the people who had lived here for thousands of years. This powerful series of artwork is the result of a lifetime of experience on the underside of colonialism. The work reveals the different world views that animate indigenous and European cultures. With his art, Bill Quinn makes an unequivocal statement about the nature of imperialism and global capitalism and the impact these forces have had on the world's indigenous people.

Raised by his grandmother on Alberta's Saddle Lake reserve, Bill was forcibly taken away to residential school at the age of seven. A member of the Downtown Eastside community for forty years, Bill is fluent in his ancestral Cree and maintains a strong connection to the oral traditions of his people. Ten years ago he took an original approach to collage art and began transcribing his rich understanding of contemporary society into a visual discourse that layers tragedy and humor into this one-of-a-kind exploration of the journey from buffalo meat to baloney.

7

l· I.

Calling All Aboriginal you1:h

Cheer< This Qut:

Feas-t, Freesrrte, Fun ~Freebies June q.th, 2009, u-q. p.m.

HighlightS Include: Performances bY Local Indigenous HiP Hop ArtiStS, Food, ~'Prizes

Inspiration, Fun and a cnance ro snare reneetions about Aboriginal mentors

@The Justice Institute of British Columbia, 715 McBride Boulevard Centre for Aboriginal Programs & Services, New Westminster Campus

http://www.jibc.ca/aboriginal

We are currently conducting research on Aboriginal mentoring programs in the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), Centre for Aboriginal Programs (CAPS). We are interested in consulting with anum­ber of Aborigi nal communities and students in order to create awareness of our programs and to develop networks of Aboriginal mentors (both formal and informal). We would like to invite all Aboriginal youth to attend our Aboriginal Mentoring Focus Group and Performance Event at the New Westmin­ster Campus, 715 McBride Boulevard on June 4th, 2009 from 12-4 p.m. It's in the Theatre Room

One ofthe outcomes of the focus group is to devel­op an Aboriginal mentoring/coaching program to support students who attend the JIBC and to develop an informal network of mentors. The focus group format wi ll allow us to exchange information and generate ideas together based on our shared expertise. T he information your students will share will allow us to develop a framework for an Aboriginal mentor­ing program at the JIBC. The afternoon's festivities wi ll be hosted by Amanda

Nahanee from the Squamish/Nisga'a Nations and en­tertainment from local Aboriginal Hip Hop perfor­mers. This multifaceted event will not only provide students with information so they may consider fu­ture careers in the fields of leadership and social jus­tice and public safety. lt will also offer students the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise in the area of mentoring through an interactive focus group discussion with their peers.

Please contact Alannah Young at 604-822-0963 or

Amy Parent at amyparent@yahoo.com to confirm your attendance by May 30th, 2009.

Native Art fair o/ Auction Saturday, May 30, 2009 11:00-4:00 pm

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre 1607 East Hastings, Vancouver

The public is invited to share and experience silent & live art auctions, a loonie toonie auction and 20 First Nations craft booths.

Squamish First Nation member Rueben George will speak on "Honoring Our Traditions," and a special appearance by the hilarious Coyote Brothers rounds out the afternoon.

Works by: Lewis Evans, Mike Dangeli, Paul White, Donald Peters, Opie Oppenheimer, Derek Wilson, Cyrile Derrick & more!

Free admission Information: (604) 682-3269 Extension: 7718

Revolution

You are an endangered species The biological extermination The monetary retardation The dope and disease All concocted to see you dead

God never created AIDS They did to see you dead The good white folks Dealin' death by decree Ask Harper ask the Liberals of BC All guards in th is prison factory

Get a gun, a slingshot, a knife And when they come for you Fight for your life

AI

OPPENHEIMER PARK DTES COMMUNITIES "BACKYARD"

In June 2007, the landscape architecture consulting firm, Space2place, was hired to work with the Oppenheimer Park Redevelopment Committee, Parks Board staff, and area residents to develop a concept plan for park and field house improvements within the existing construction budget- $1,370,000

On November 201\ 2007 the public was invited to attend an IDEAS WORKSHOP to participate in

developing a vision for improvements to the Park and Field House.

After several community consultations the re-development committee included stakeholders representing our residents and community at large, businesses, Parks, current local organizations, Carnegie Association and staff. Many meetings took place, discussing and maintaining the vitality and importance of incorporat­ing these IDEAS into a safe, multi-use and workable Community Park.

On February 2ih, 2009 the Vancouver Park Board approved the recommended concept plan for Oppenheimer Park, which was well supported by the community and city departments. This approved concept plan was later challenged by the Japanese Canadian "Save the Legacy Sakura" Coalition, as this concept meant the removal of several historic Sakura Trees.

There was a lengthy discussion between the Coalition and the Redevelopment Committee regarding the concept planning. Resulting from this discussion, the Coalition has taken the position to accept a mutual concept which situates the new fie'ld house east of the Legacy Sakura thus ensuring they remain alive and standing. On July 14111 the final concept plan was approved, which is shown in the design that is included. Budget forecast is now approx. 2.3 million.

On the afternoon of February 12,2009 the spirit ofthe Issei once again radiated throughout Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park. Nearly 32 years have passed since a group of Issei seniors planted Sakura trees in the Park. A now healthy and full-grown Akebona Legacy Sakura tree was transplanted to a nearby site within the Park to accommodate space for redevelopment plans. Among the 50 to 60 people attending the ceremony was 93 year-old Mrs. Tokuko Inouye, one ofthe original planters from 1977. She epitomized the strength and spirit of the Issei as she stood for almost three hours, refusing to sit, while the tree was being moved. Before ending the celebration, Oppenheimer's First Nations drummers took part and played a song dedicated to the spirit of the tree and the occasion. The group's leader, Patrick Smith, remarked on the shared bond between both the First Nations and Japanese Canadians in that both communities had been expelled from the area and he agreed on the importance of paying tribute and respect to the histories of our ancestors that afternoon.

Another $55,000 has been secured for commemoration features to be installed during and after the construction phase. A commemoration task force continues to meet on 4 identified themes including: I) Legacy Sakura; 2) ~sahi Backstop; 3) First Nations feature; and 4) Labour Movement. Through this task force an agreement was made that the original Baseball backstop will remain in entirety until further monies was found to replace it. If you are interested in participating, please talk to Oppenheimer staff as to when the next task force meeting will be scheduled. (Excerpts taken from The Bulletin, a journal of the Japanese­Canadian community, history & culture OMarch 2009.)

Finally, Oppenheimer will be going under construction starting June 2009. Fences will be placed around the park, and you will start to see the red field house coming down, the children's playground removed, and bulldozers digging the field. Parks Board is optimistic that construction will be completed by January­February 20 I 0.

(

f

Oppenheimer staff will be relocated to 211 Dunlevy throughout this time, continuing community programs and services on both Powell Street and Dunlevy Street. A free phone will still be available throughout operational hours at this location. Many of the ongoing programs will continue. Several of the larger events held at Oppenheimer throughout the summer will be relocated to Crab Park this year, such as National Aboriginal Day which is celebrated on June 21 51

• Powell Street Festival has been relocated to Woodland Park (700 Woodland Drive).

JOIN US IN OUR FAREWELL BASEBALL GAME AGAINST THE CARNEGIE VOLUNTEERS -MAY 22N°, 2009. See our Park Staff if you think you have what it takes to KICK BUTT!

Dunlevy Street

COl (") 0 ... Q. 0 < I»

~ ... .., !?.

The details and labeling of elements on this map will be too small and un­readable once photocopy­ing is done. A larger map is available at the Park.

"I:) 0 ~ ; IJl -... "' !?.

r -=---dtes Centre for the arts

Creating Opportunities for

the Artist in Evervone

We are pleased to announce two programs that wi ll start at the end of May and beginning of June.

Fabric Arts Program presents The Community Quilt Project.

The Community Quilt Project will begin on Monday May 25 and take place Mondays & Tuesdays from 1-4:00 p.m at the InterUrban Gallery. Community residents are invited to come and partic­ipate in these afternoon workshops where they will learn the art of quilt-making and other fabric art.

Participants will work together to create quilts for the Downtown Eastside Quilt Exhibit which will be he ld in October at the InterUrban Gallery.

We will be inviting a broad range of cultural com­munity groups and have confirmed partnerships with local organizations for this project to realize the vi­sion of the Downtown Eastside Quilt exhibit.

Snacks, coffee & tea will be served.

Seniors "Move It' Program, starts June 3 This is a movement program designed for seniors

over 50. The class will be led by members of the Joe Ink "Move It" company who have designed a low­impact movement class specifically for seniors and those with low-mobility issues. The class will take place every Wednesday from 1 O­Il :00 and snacks/conversation from II :00- 11 :30.

The Crows Did Not Come Today

The crows did not come today I did not see their blue-black shapes Waiting in my tree.

I guess craw's breakfast time is past Anyway, I will throw the bread; It will disappear.

But I wi ll not see those bright, inquisiti ve eyes Nor witness the graceful plummeting to earth: A ritual that has given my morning meaning.

Wilhelmina

All programs will be held at the InterUrban Gallery at 1 East Hastings.

24 ARTISTS for 24 HOURS On April 18, the InterUrban Gallery was transformed into an art-on-the-spot hub of activity. Steered by Emily Sheppard, 24 young artists spent 24 hours creating a piece or pieces of art to DJ music and a company of onlookers who danced, conversed and contributed to make for a very successful event.

A II of the art created was auctioned to enthusiastic buyers to raise funds for the Downtown Eastside Centre For The Arts. Special kudos to Emily and all of the artists for a wonderful event and support.

Watch for the fOllow-up event.

CENTRE for the ARTS OPENHOUSE On April 23, the Downtown Eastside Centre for the

Arts held our Open House to announce our programs and to invite community members to come and see where we are and where we are going. .The OpenHouse was very successful with 92 people m attendance, lots of conversation and ideas. We'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to attend and for their input. For info: dalannah@decentreforthearts.com.

Stolen Heart

You've stolen away my obnoxious heart But I was the one- I tore it apart You made me feel all alone Like a lost dog without a bone.

Stolen heart in dire trouble Water emptied in an empty bubble Wicked is a naked heart turned around Facing lies, fables, and untruths underground

It's not always a feeble blame game 'Cause twisted and bleeding hearts are the same Especially if one doesn't acknowledge a stolen heart If both cannot willfully know they' ll drift apart

In a loving relationship stolen hearts don't exist Walking hand-in-hand love never dies; it persists. Neither does it wither nor fly Unless your hands let go of love 'n cry

I beg of you listen\to mine bleeding heart Don't hear me tremble at the end of our love

nor the start OK Stolen Heart! Stolen heart! Can't you see

1 I' m yours forever- come back to me · Or I'll always be the stolen heart

On wounded knee- Stolen Heart

All my relations, William Arnold Combes

IMMINENT KILLERS

Roaring down the road spinning wheels Clocked in at 110 m.p.h., burning rubber Imminent killers waiting to explode Blind fury on a winding road.

Cats 'n' dogs in a bloody coma Got hit by a _7' Chevy in North Dakota Imminent killers speeding on a dead-end road Looking for a target to zero in on overload.

Exit #666, a boundless power struggle · Hellish clouds of carbon emission~ bring road rage

Ghostly horrified victims standing in their way Trying to escape the wrathful spirit of decay.

Such a Scary Place

Yes the streets rumble with the noise Here and there loudly shout girls and boys The animals seem to just hardly survive Most bees can' t find their way back to the hive.

So the air fumes' odours are quite very foul Vehicles roar even nightly out on the prowl Now tell me for what do the many care? Can they with Mother Earth learn to share?

For another tree dies, the birds try to sing Electromagnetic radiation makes our ears ring, Oceans and other waters seem that they fade Just who are those seeking to dig our own grave?

Like monsters grown out of lies of the past Agenda groups plan to not make our world last, Inventions and toys clutter up people's mind & heart How easily the weakest lives have been torn apart.

Well it's the horror of the industrial revolution Brings daily only much more strange confusion, Place scary - a such twisted road is ahead Ev'ry censored hope could leave us soon all dead. ·

May

Evil dwellers in a four-wheel drive Road hogs of fire try in' to get high only to take a dive

, Imminent killers are still on the road Running over innocent creatures -even li'l toads.

Slick-minded oil providers fuel these untame hearts Flaming deadly journeys 'cross the middle line Weaving through the motherland in a rush of hurry Power engines create crime without judge & jury.

Imminent killers will now stand on trial Gasoline ran out, couldn't 'walk a mile, Murderers go to jail, you are the guilty killer, Drive fancy cars -your crimes aren't a Hollywood thriller. They are the Imminent Killers.

All our relations, William Arnold Combes, May K.

-~·. -·•n••••'-'tl\. 11111. LOI'+Ii.UU~

by Kevin D. Annett I committed treason last week, in front of a throng of RCMP and CS IS goons in front of what is called the Canadian Pari iament.

I've had it, you see. I've had it with something called "the Crown" getting away with mass murder, fraud and land theft. I've had it with its partner in crime, the Christian churches, absolving themselves of the tor­ture and slaughter of little kids in their "residential schools".

So I figure it's time to get rid of the whole mess. Picking up the megaphone from a Mohawk elder

who stood with me and a score of others, I shouted directly at the Mounties,

"You men are defending murderers and pedophiles. You're standing on stolen land, awash with rivers of blood. You have to ask yourselves what you're de­fending, and who is profiting from what you do, and who is suffering from it. I tell you, it's time for a new nation, a republic. We need to get rid of the Crown and create a republic where we can finally be equal with the native nations."

I paused, and added, "I just committed treason here. So arrest me! You say you want to bring me in for questioning. So here I am! But I have some questions for you, too: like why you refuse to bring known criminals to justice for the murder of 50,000 aboriginal children!"

None of the cops responded. They even looked va­guely embarrassed. But the sightseers seemed shocked. It was like that on April 28 in Ottawa, on the illegal­

ly occupied and never-treatied Algonquin land where Parliament perches. It was the same day that a guy who calls himself the

Pope was pretending to be sorry for what his church did to innocent children, and dishing out lies to his deluded followers. A bunch of us thought it was a good day to respond.

The sun smiled on the twenty or so of us, mostly Mohawk traditionalists from Kahnawake, as we crossed the river into Ottawa from the Quebec side. Under a banner that declared, "All the Children Need :t Proper Burial", and held aloft by three Mohawk ;hildren, our little army descended on three of the architects of genocide in Canada: Indian Affairs, the 'Supreme Court", and Parliament itself.

Our first stop, at Indian Affairs, featured us trying speak to manicured ex-Indians in fancy clothes wh• gaped at us from behind their office windows, or ~~ ried past us lest their white masters spotted them ~~~ tening. Two of them stood in the doorway smirking at us. But many others stared soberly at the words c our banner, and at the little ones clutching it. It was these children who drew all the quiet stares i

along our route. The kids led us down the street and over the bridge. Police cleared the way for us, light~ flashing, as we were accompanied too by so many spirits.

"Assholes!" yelled a white cab driver at us, as Stua Miyoh of the Mohawk Traditional Council exhorted those nearby to remember the disappeared children. T he silence that echoed back at us was deep, as frorr a grave. "Truth" and "Justice" were the words emblazoned o

the edifice of the Supreme Court as we fanned out 01 its steps. Taking them at their words, one of our people, a young native woman, said through the bul' horn,

"All we want is justice, and not to be criminalized whenever we defend our sacred mother earth. But this court makes us the wrongdoers and lets logging companies rape our mother. We'll never get justice i1 Canada's courts."

I asked her for the bullhorn and began to name the names of the judges who had been accused of pedo­philia in Canada. One cop gawked at me, shocked.

"That's the bravest thing I've ever seen" the woman told me, as the cops looked troubl_ed. But one o~then approached me as we neared Parliament and satd,

"People can hear you better if you're right up on the steps". .

Smiling, I felt the whole shaky edifice crumble a bt That's when I launched into my call for a new repub· I ic in front of the phalanx of Mounties.

Stuart was busy speaking to a group of high school students on a Parliamentary tour, declaring,

"You kids should know that people your age were murdered every day in the Indian residential schools

K ingdom of Horsepower Now now now chi ldren that includes the foo lish & dumb this woman Linda sounds neither Mrs. or Ma­dame sure has some nerve, Lida MacAdams you're crest of your clan beside a drawing of your hou8se being blessed as long as it passes the Swine flu. She should know better about pillars of salt & mankind's lesser lights that slave all night she knows who &how to serve when it's 34 minutes to get thru 91 1 (not the mythological Nanaimo bus clock) you still have to run to catch a bus fu ll of empty people. From the worse-case-scenario up to the Front Page where she goes to berate a homeless man on how to properly fold his body bag:m "No! No! No!" she screams "just fo llow the damn seams!!" 'Excuse him he never passed Homelessness I 0 I or camped or played on soccer teams, from Heritage buildings to character building we' llleave no building in our wake ... Then the Apologist arrived *all watches synchro­nized* acknowledge those left alive before declaring it all one big happy mistake- note: the best kept se­crets are the ones you' ll never know.

No One Left Alive Airlines confirms our latest catas­trophe is this really happening to me a monopoly card falls in my lap saying "Welcome to Hell"; yes this is where all falls fell no more questions I really want to leave RIGHT??! Like public land creating public trust now why the hell is cheating a must, like a difference between gen­tle daggers and those thrust through us.. there goes that unsettling sound of laughter again, I'd almost forgotten how important you say you are. Refresh me Readdress me Under arrest me that was all a lu­d icrous test, your wisdom glistens off my scars, con­valescent graves don't make waves looks like shovel takes all (for once no new car) This is not all people of this once great land nothing for me as far as far as my good eye can see. A King­dom of Horsepower vaccinated; lives lived out & not updated or emaciated; exhaust fume cylinder perfo­rated with a fragrance similar to Zyclon B don't avoid us join us & get incubated out of our brains it's all over/on me j ust no more unsettling sounds of laughter I' m losing much more than my way some­thing about happiness fulfilled reality landfi lled hap­piness? I digress. You can't handle the happiness but neither can I; if everyone pulled in the same direction what would be the outcome I will not know. Good

fate to those stroller children this will be their world to hold .. I have this one sense set on defence & it is blinking COSMIC CLEANSING IMMINENT::: I think I've just been sold again. So until the next solar system security check, check out!

By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY

SMASH ! fist to eye SCHREEK! comes fast beh ind

Tumbles, curses, grunts, kicks, punches and screams

fly through t he air

Child stares in wild surprise coming home

only for lunch

but feast ing instead on this Vision of violence

Glasses break Cups smash

Words whip, wound, wither Fists slam,

Flesh yields Tears, pleadings,

cursings flow

Child stands unnoticed

in frozen awe wishing on ly for

a sandwich and

a slice of serenity

Alaine LaFlamme

..

DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE .. YOQTH ACI'IVITIES

SOCIETY

541 E.Broadway

604-251-3310

NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN·-~ RouCet

604-6115-6561 City-St45pm -llc4Spm

Ovorglebt- tZ:30am- 8r30am

Downto)!n Easfnlde-5r30p1J! -l:lOa•

401 Main Street, V6A Zf7

THIS NEWSLETI'ER IS A PUBUCATION OF TilE O .RNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

Articles represent the views or iadividual Contributors and not o( the Assoc:iatiDIL

.- Edito;;-P~uiR Taylor ·-Cover photo by taylo7'stewart-I Conation & distribution crew: Harold, Uu Lin, Bill, Mary I 1 Ann, Miriam. Rolr •. Taoa. Videha, Kelly, ~. ~obY".', Niclc, 1

Jackie. Mauhew, Lisa. Red, Pablo, Ida, Prisalha. L1sa. r - - - - - - - - -~ - ~ - •

TIM STEVENSON CITY COUNCILLOR

SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PlUDE

arrHALL 45l Wtsr t2~~"~ Avr.. V5Y 1V4 Phonf: _7247

I r' ~~: ( ~ . )

I· I.

Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA Working for You

1070-1641 Commercial Dr, VSL JYJ Phone: 604-775-0790

; you Have a Legal Probletn7 Are you charged with a crlrne7

VIsit the UBC Law Clinic In the Jr• floor gallery of Carnegie Cenlre for free advice & representation.

L.aw Students Legal Advice Program (LSLAP) Drop-In, Tuesdays, 7- 9pm.

CFRO 102 •. 7 FM CO-OP ·RADIO

Next Issue is June 1st - -

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Thursday, May 28

Free showers for homeless persons at 327 carnll Wed 7-8:30am; Sat 7-10am; Women Only Fri 6-8pm

.-------------------, I We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and Uris Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Salish Territory. I •-------------------~

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletur

• SmaD iDustrations to aa:ompany articles and poetry

• Cover art -Maximum size: 17cm(6-3/41 wife x 15cm(li) high .

• SUbject matter relevant to issues pertaining to the Downtown Eastside preferred, but aB work will be considered;

• Black & White printing only • Size restrictions must be considered ~.e. if

your piece is too large, it wil be reduced and/or cropped to fit;

• AI artists wiH receive a-edit for their work; • Originals wi be relumed to the artist after

being copied for publication; • Remuneration: Carnegie volunteer tickets.

Please make submissions to: Paul Taylor, Editor.

2009 DONATIONS: Barry M.-$150, Ubby D.-$70 Rolf A.-$50, Uargaret D.-$40, Jenny K.-$23, Sue K.-$30, Sandy C.-$25, Christopher R.-$180 Uel L-$25, Greta P.-S~. Java B.-$75, Alayne-$25 Anonymous -$1500 Leslie S.-$25 The Edge -$200 Harvey B.-$25 Wilhelmina M.-$20

Defending Your Life Downturns, global, dollar, fluid , falling, rising, going sideways, sliding scales, odd even, out of balance, broken systems, static stocks, buyers, sellers rocked, jagged projections, sputtering, spitting blanks, spiral­ling, whirlpooling into the void of a distant vortex and vanishing off to nowheresville. Uncool, unruly, undone, unraveled; what 's up, what­ever, way wrong, totally trashed, beyond repair. Bu­reaucratic wasteland, bulldozing demolishing wreck­ing crews tlatlining, contested territories, with no conscience, unfeeling phonies sketching lies, stalling, refutable alibis backed up by bouncing counterfeit cheques, mismanagement mayhem, no maybe's, true future's, mired in a thickening flux of inertia, oozing in a sickening pit of your stomach, doomed, a crash course into a stark virtually vacant brick wall, solid, secure, unflinching though finite. Slamming, ticker-tape number-crunching seniority bumping nepotism; Plutocratic blunders beyond rea­son, reduxing down into a forever inscripted in-famy notoriously exposed, their previous anonymity cast off for all of us who wish to see as these kings & queens, captains of cruel commerce with baffling g business practices will eventually lie perpetually in perpetuity until dormant, on the scrap heap of history paying penance to no one in particular, if at all. Criminally, irreparably warped; potentates with no more senseless points to make. What's the point? Furthermore they, beyond being, vast irresponsibility incomparable cads and heels and add retrograde ra­conteurs- that's the bottom line now, that's their shredded profit margin the way they were and a lways will be. To remain contained, watched by cynically wary trusters of not much choice, taken more than once to the cleaners, fleeced, like lambs to the slaughter .. . the ever-cliched; once bitten twice shy; and you can take that to the bank -

ROBYN LIVINGSTONE

Home- Love it or leave it

Just now Big Richard from POP asks me "Where you been?" My reply is simple: "Been high in the West Kootenays" ... pot country #5 in High Times all time best pot localities, globally speaking. He asks why did I come back? Simple, sez l, the character. Them honky towns are all one colour and it's so white it's blinding.

Character in the sense we got nothing but characters around here. From the incredibly fat woman at the bus stop to the one-dimensional crackheads the wan­nabe gangbangers on Hastings ... hell, we g~t more colour than you can handle.

And I love it here. I love the people. Maybe fucked up but real in their poverty. Real in thei r despair. Beautiful in the day-to-day courage. Takes guts to endure day to day what we do. We are a tough lot. And we should be proud ~ I'd love to see the candy­ass hankies in rural BC handle a fraction of what we do. When I sit out on the patio here at the Carnegie I get more action in one hour tan days of TV. Reality hurts, it stinks, it sucks but it's ours.

In my time out east I heard the hillbillies complain and talk fearfully about how bad it is down here. How we all got HlV & HepC and everything from bedbugs to the bugs out front. I'd listen how they couldn't handle life here. Hillbillies and rural folk got no guts in my estimation. Anything that shakes them out of their semi-comatose sensibilities scares the shit out of them. Myself, on the other hand , revel in the kaleidoscopic view out the window.

Like Jack Nicholson once said, "You can't handle the truth." Too many people just can't but we do. I'm proud to be a part of the madness here. I only wish our detractors had the balls to spend some quality time with us. Maybe then they'd drop their denial, drop their hostility and see the reality of all of us struggling. In a world stacked against us (seem ingly at least) the denizens of the Downtown Eastside show incredible bravery and incredible dignity.

I love it here. I love the people. I know the people on the strip aren't pretending. Good or bad, right or wrong, the people in the DTES are real. In a plastic · world full of plastic people, I'll take people as they really are. Any time.

R.Loewen

'"'.t\.n..~..,M . ..tE VILLAGE PROJECT UPDATE We have been meeting regularly since the end of

March on every 2"d Monday afternoon, and have added Saturdays now as well. We have had 5 meet­ings so far, and will be meeting 5 more times in this session. See the schedule below for details.

At our first meeting we started out with a discussion of our roots, and discovered quite a magnificent range of material that we can share--- everything from our different ethnic and family roots; Irish, Eng­lish, Goan, German, First Nations, Ukrainian, Cana­dian, Scottish; to jazz, big band and popular music of the 60's, 70's and 80's, as well as original songs ex­pressing rootedness in home, land and country. We have listened to a variety of songs generously offered by several participating singers with First Nations, German, musical theatre, sea shanty, English folk and 60's rock classic roots.

We are learning "Mnohaya Lita", a Ukrainian ritual blessing song; "Wild Mountain Thyme", an English folksong; "As Tears Go By", a Rolling Stones 60's classic; and " In the Cherry Orchard", a Ukrainian folksong translated into English, in tribute to the late Roman Bociurkiw, local troubadour and Carnegie villager. In the next sessions we will also be learning a Chinese and Japanese song, as well as other songs offered by Carnegie villagers.

You are welcome to come and add your voice to the Carnegie Village. Meeting Times l-3pm: Saturday, May 16 Monday, May 25 Saturday, May 30 Monday, June 8 Saturday, June 13

Classroom2/3rd noor Classroom 2/3rd floor Classroom 2/3rd floor Carnegie Theatre Carnegie Theatre

In the summer, I will be offering vocal and ear train­ing workshops throughout July and August with the focus on skill building in preparation for a final per­forn1ance later in the year. I will also be spending time on visioning and creating a performance based on all the songs we have gathered this spring. Meet­ings and rehearsals will resume on a regular basis again in the fall. Thank you to all Carnegie Villagers who have come to share, learn, listen and sing together. I look forward to a continuing relationship!

Beverly Dobrinsky Carnegie Artist in Residence

News From -the LibrarY Hi everyone. It's great to be here while Beth is on

vacation, and exciting to bring you the latest in good reads from the Carnegie library.

Have you ever read the Bible? From cover to cover? David Plotz did, and his Good Book (221.6) is an interesting and entertainingly written look at what's actually in this book that is so much a part of our cul­ture, but so little understood by most of us.

From every word ofthe Bible, we go to every inch of the human body- the male body, to be exact. Zo­ologist Desmond Morris first came to prominence with his book The Naked Ape, which looked at hu­mans in relation to other animals. More recently he has published The Naked Woman, and now, The Naked Man: A Study of the Male Body (599.90). From the hair (chapter 2) to the feet (chapter 23) this fascinating book examines how and why the male body developed as it has. Most people who are familiar with Second Cup Cof­

fee know that it is one of Canada's most successful coffee chains. What most people probably don't know is that Second Cup co-founder Frank O'Dea spent his early 20s living on the streets of Toronto. In When All You Have is Hope (338.74), O'Dea tells his story, from the early alcoholism that led him to the streets, through his recovery and subsequent life as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The Journals of Knud Rasmussen is the second feature film by the makers of Atanarjuat, the world's first film made entirely in Inuktitut. The book based on the film (791.4372) includes not only the original English and Inuktitut screenplays, but a lso a wealth of essays by Inuit and non-Inuit writers reflecting on the film and its cultural impact.

Happy reading, everyone.

Randy, your librarian for the next few weeks

BC Liberals vernacular of "what Power IS:"

Power being explored here (in BC's puppet gov-~ emment) seems to be the intangible variety; it's hard ~ not to equate the word with destructive force, given

r that weapons, natural calamities etc. are very often r .. ~ ;p given descriptive rankings according to how much , r

!_' damage or mayhem each can wreak. Try comparing a

I

.- · ~ -~ _,. ~~~~~~~~~ tsunami with a tactical nuke. ~ --_- ~-:_:. .. ~ ___ · _. :.;_~--~~~---~· The impacts of the affectation of power are the most

Green

The affectation of Power and its Impacts

Recognising Power usually entails labeling those having power over; the power 'to', of an individual, is primarily an exercise in ideation, even relatively subconscious affirmation along the lines of "I can" or "lam " Having Power over assumes an acceptance of another entity's ability to effect change whether those upon whom it is exercised agree or not, but a proportional component of this ability is the affectation of many psychological and esoteric characteristics by the ent­ity/individual(s) either in the seat or assuming accep­tance of themselves in the capacity of speaking and/or acting for same. Myriad examples in mundane life include Phone companies, Cable TV, utility suppliers, banks and other financial institutions, virtually all aspects of the justice system from the law itself to the police to lawyers to court and most directly into prisons, and not least in corporate hierarchies in business and their corollaries (subsets?) in most gov­ernments (and certainly with Campbell's Liberals). It is too simple to parrot, even subtly, all the various

ideas or examinations or theories about the upward and downward flows of power and the dynamics in­volved, to name or identify the corporate CEO and equivalents and say "S/he has power over the VPs, they have power over the managers, each has power over .. . and so on, and then get into the deep (cough)

frustrating, given that such are layered on or assumed seemingly in direct proportion to the amount of con­trol the purveyor is under the illusion of wielding. i.e. petty power-trips, supervisory bullying, trainer over trainee, and so on. Gordon: Lack of accountability increases, perhaps, as arrogance, delusions about the effect of personal presence and vicious stupidity are displayed &/or employed to buttress one's perceived foundations, or just increase on a quid pro quo basis. The impacts of all this can be and often are received by holistic beings as something on the order of a Second­grader swaggering before and lording it over First graders - puerile at best and, depending on the fuse of the recipient, in need of a quick 'slap-up-the-side-of­the-head' to bring things back into clear focus . When the Power being exercised is on the order of Life and Death, the perceptions of and reactions to same are no longer in the realm of schoolyard strategies and emo­tional maturity; it becomes a matter of survival. The area between these two is not black & white· not from the sphere of 6 & 7-year-olds over a fine li~e to death-making, but a great expanse of perception wherein I keep as much peace within myself as the situation will apparently allow. On the deep end the words ofKierkegaard, found in something dated 1846, are apropos: "Never initiate force against anyone. This should be

the underlying prinCiple ofyour life. But, if someone does violence [uses arrogant power] to you, you should retaliate without hesitation, without reserva­tion, without quarter until you are sure that he will never wish to harm, or be capable of harming, you or yours again."

By PAULR TAYLOR

l