Fish Out Of Water

Tonight we finally got to see the episode of Fish Out of Water we've been waiting for! Don Kelly visits Haida Gwaii! It was really nice to see the islands and a few familiar faces like Willie's cousins, Auntie Ruthie and Nika. I got to see how you skin an octopus and make fried octopus balls (not something I'm going to rush out and try..but perhaps I will for the sake of my blog!), how to sink a rival canoe, and how to get low (not in the FloRida way, but in the men's traditional dance way). The most entertaining 30 minutes on television tonight!

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of watching Don Kelly make a complete idiot of himself, it's really quite entertaining. The basis of the show is Don, an "urban Ojibway", tries to get back to his roots by immersing himself in the culture of one aboriginal group in North America per week. He tastes some traditional cuisine, takes on challenges unique to that group, and at the end receives his grade and traditional name. HILARIOUS. Really. He's so awkward and a comic in his time off..so you can just imagine the laughs. It airs on APTN and it's definitely worth checking out.

As I watched (and laughed numerous times), I gave some serious thought to the title of the show. Fish Out of Water. I've been that! I am the fish out of water (I can be a fish without particularly liking fish...it's allowed!). I've taken myself from a VERY small community in the wooded countryside, population: 99.9% white*, on the East Coast of Canada and planted myself on an island reserve, population: 10% white*, on the outskirts of the West Coast of Canada.
*don't quote me on the numbers...it's just a rough visual estimate, well, I asked Willie for the estimate for Skidegate...I tend not to notice skin colour at first glance (or second, or third...you get my point).

Before moving the first time, I didn't give much thought to that comparison. As stated above, I don't focus on things like race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc when it comes to making friends, choosing a partner, or deciding where to live. I love having friends from around the world and that's one thing I LOVED about going to Saint Mary's University...something like 30+ countries were being represented in the student population. Now there's your education right there, forget the books! How lucky am I to experience so many different cultures just by going to class? My core group of friends came from Canada, Norway, Oman, Mexico, Zambia, Nigeria, India, the Bahamas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the list goes on and on.

Now, in a country like ours where the people come from all corners of the world, why is it that the people who have been here since the beginning have such a stigma attached to them? When I mentioned to a friend that I would be moving back to Haida Gwaii, and yes, to the RESERVE, I was told "it's not a place for someone like me" and that I would probably be resented for "stealing one of their men" or trying to learn the culture. Um.....what??? C'mon people...this is 2010 not the 1800s. Are people still under the impression that "natives" are bad people? That reserves are scary places where white people shouldn't even consider going, especially at night? I'll be the first to say that yes, SOME people are bad and there ARE things that go on that I do not approve of, such as substance abuse or violence or child abuse, BUT I know of people very close to home who have been involved in the same things, and surprise, they're WHITE.

This wasn't the first time I'd been looked down upon for living on a rez. I lost a childhood friend (who is also a relative) because he made a very inappropriate comment on Facebook. I had posted pictures of the house we were renting last April to show everyone at home. The "friend" wrote that he hoped I was enjoying a house paid for by his tax dollars. Needless to say, this didn't end well. I deleted it and when he confronted me about the removal of his comment, he proceeded to pick a fight with the underlying tone that I'm wasting my life with a native guy because they're no good. We are no longer friends.

Now....I didn't necessairly mean for this post to take such a somber tone but I think the stigma which follows First Nations people around is a big load of crap! Ask questions before passing judgement...you'd be surprised at the things you'll learn! Some of the best people I have ever met, including my fiance AND daughter, happen to be a bit brown! So what?

However, there some people I have met "on the rez" who I really do not care to know further. I am lucky that I never experienced the "let's do drugs and have fun" stage and, thankfully,Willie is on the same wavelength as me. We also do not drink and party ALL the time. We don't immerse ourselves in other people's drama, either. That's just who we are. We come from different backgrounds, yet we ended up on the same page. There are pros and cons to living anywhere, but for now, our decision is to raise our daughter in Skidegate.

View from the old Band Council building

I can't say if I've had any really negative personal experiences...if I have, I've been oblivious to them. I'm not naive in thinking everyone will like me, no matter where I go, but I can't be anyone but myself.

A fish out of water...and this fish is excited to try out her wings!