Opening Night Success!

[Angel]

So, the play I'm directing opened last night. It's a major project, incorporating film into live stage, 8 actors portraying 20 characters, the majority of them kids.

My kids did awesome! It's about Aboriginal education in Canada. A friend of mine brought 14 grade 8 and 9 students with her. One of them said she learned more from my play than she did in her Indigenous Studies class. Mission Accomplished!!!

The best part though...the play opens and closes with "Beats Workin". No matter what, I always manage to slip some VH in to my projects. It's become my trademark, lol

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[SunisinuS]

The best part though...the play opens and closes with "Beats Workin". No matter what, I always manage to slip some VH in to my projects. It's become my trademark, lol

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Rotheth Oneth o Yoric!

[katina]

Congratulations, good job.

[Nitro Express]

I heard some horrid shit went on in those aboriginal schools. A bunch of kids were abused and even killed. They did the same thing in Australia. Parents had to sue the government to get their children back.

[Angel]

I heard some horrid shit went on in those aboriginal schools. A bunch of kids were abused and even killed. They did the same thing in Australia. Parents had to sue the government to get their children back.

Oh boy, Residential schools. The kids were indentured servants more than students, went on for over 70 years. I know a woman that had a hot needle put through her tongue for speaking her Native language. A better term than horrid shit would be cultural genocide.

It was law that all children at the age of 6 must be removed from their homes and placed in church run "schools". The mandate of the schools was to "destroy the Indian to save the child". Of course, with there being priests and nuns involved, there was a lot of sexual abuse going on. Sick fucking shit.

The generational impact is astounding. Pretty hard to grow up in those places and turn out okay, let alone know how to raise a child. Most Canadians are clueless as to the true history of our relations with First Nations people, and a lot still look at them as "dirty savages".

The producer told me a few people walked out tonight saying "I didn't come here for this shit". Mission accomplished! My goal was to make people uncomfortable, and be in their face. I know I succeeded when people leave. I don't care, we got your $!

Besides, I find that when I'm directing, I don't measure success by the audience. I measure it by the personal growth I see in my actors. I saw two timid little girls with low self-esteem come out of their shells. THAT is success!!!

[katina]

Oh boy, Residential schools. The kids were indentured servants more than students, went on for over 70 years. I know a woman that had a hot needle put through her tongue for speaking her Native language. A better term than horrid shit would be cultural genocide.

It was law that all children at the age of 6 must be removed from their homes and placed in church run "schools". The mandate of the schools was to "destroy the Indian to save the child". Of course, with there being priests and nuns involved, there was a lot of sexual abuse going on. Sick fucking shit.

The generational impact is astounding. Pretty hard to grow up in those places and turn out okay, let alone know how to raise a child. Most Canadians are clueless as to the true history of our relations with First Nations people, and a lot still look at them as "dirty savages".

The producer told me a few people walked out tonight saying "I didn't come here for this shit". Mission accomplished! My goal was to make people uncomfortable, and be in their face. I know I succeeded when people leave. I don't care, we got your $!

Besides, I find that when I'm directing, I don't measure success by the audience. I measure it by the personal growth I see in my actors. I saw two timid little girls with low self-esteem come out of their shells. THAT is success!!!

That´s sad.....but excellent job Angel. They need someone like you over there.

[Angel]

Thanks, Katina. What they need to do is teach Canadians the TRUTH about our history. Until they do there will always be a division between the people.

I have a profound respect for the North American Aboriginal worldview. If the colonists had adopted their ways instead of trying to push Eurocentric ideology on them I think the world would be a much better place.

[Nitro Express]

I was always fascinated by American indians. My uncle had a farm I would work on and every time he plowed a field arrow heads, spear heads, scrapers, and grinding stones would come up. I had a huge arrow head collection that unfortunately got stolen. My mom worked with the navajos and hoppe tribes on land leases. Nobody could get along with them but her and basically she grew up with them. She knew the lingo and really all you have to do is show them some respect and obey their rules and that goes a long ways. My brother in law and I were riding trail bikes by the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and we were right on the reservation line. There was a fence and every couple of sign posts it was posted that it was reservation land and you needed to get a permit to enter and where to get the permit. My dumb brother in law rode across the line and I just stopped. I know they patrol it and they will throw you in tribal jail to make the point stick. He noticed I stopped and he comes back and goes why did you stop? I told him he might go to jail and he said aw come on. I finally talked him out of it.

That's the problem most people have with native americans. They show no respect. If you show respect and obey their rules that goes a very long way with them.

[Nitro Express]

Thanks, Katina. What they need to do is teach Canadians the TRUTH about our history. Until they do there will always be a division between the people.

I have a profound respect for the North American Aboriginal worldview. If the colonists had adopted their ways instead of trying to push Eurocentric ideology on them I think the world would be a much better place.

Most people from Europe came here to escape the smothering control system that was in place there at the time. Then they settle here and start doing the same to the people who were already here. It boils down to loot and power. The Europeans are the bad guys because they had guns, gun powder, and an industrial base. Go down to Latin America and read what the Spanish did. They tried to erase whole cultures from history.

Hell it still goes on. But now they use the media, education system, and debt. Trying to rewrite history and get people to sell their future for a few beads and trinkets.

[Sweet Irony]

Nice, Angel!!! Go YOU!!

[sadaist]

The best part though...the play opens and closes with "Beats Workin". No matter what, I always manage to slip some VH in to my projects. It's become my trademark, lol

Or you are slipping projects into your VH?

[katina]

Thanks, Katina. What they need to do is teach Canadians the TRUTH about our history. Until they do there will always be a division between the people.

I have a profound respect for the North American Aboriginal worldview. If the colonists had adopted their ways instead of trying to push Eurocentric ideology on them I think the world would be a much better place.

I agree with you.
Trying to learn a little, I found this site about the killing of Canadian Aboriginal People: http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/

[Angel]

It's our dirty little secret. We harp at the world about how bad they are, while we deny our genocidal history.

The South African pass system was based on Canada's reserve pass system. That same model is what is used in Israel/Palestine. Our gifts to the world: peace-keeping, human rights, and how to successfully oppress and subjugate "others"...ironic, eh?

The CBC recently ran a documentary series outlining Aboriginal history and issues. http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire/mo...uch/index.html. One of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

I'm pretty sure once I have my degree I'll be moving to some remote northern community so I can be a part of the de-colonization process.

[katina]

Angel, you are a brave woman , thank you for the link.

The aboriginal issue is very complicated, here in Latin America the spaniards did such a mess.... and the consequences are almost impossible to reverse.
Plus, the HIGH RATE OF CORRUPTION we have......the picture for the indians is terrible, it is very sad.

[ThrillsNSpills]

Oh boy, Residential schools. The kids were indentured servants more than students, went on for over 70 years. I know a woman that had a hot needle put through her tongue for speaking her Native language. A better term than horrid shit would be cultural genocide.

It was law that all children at the age of 6 must be removed from their homes and placed in church run "schools". The mandate of the schools was to "destroy the Indian to save the child". Of course, with there being priests and nuns involved, there was a lot of sexual abuse going on. Sick fucking shit.

The generational impact is astounding. Pretty hard to grow up in those places and turn out okay, let alone know how to raise a child. Most Canadians are clueless as to the true history of our relations with First Nations people, and a lot still look at them as "dirty savages".

The producer told me a few people walked out tonight saying "I didn't come here for this shit". Mission accomplished! My goal was to make people uncomfortable, and be in their face. I know I succeeded when people leave. I don't care, we got your $!

Besides, I find that when I'm directing, I don't measure success by the audience. I measure it by the personal growth I see in my actors. I saw two timid little girls with low self-esteem come out of their shells. THAT is success!!!

Reminds me of the purpose of art just needing to change the way you feel, so it sounds like it was a success.
Sometimes people need to be jolted out of their complacency if there's an important issue to be addressed.
I'm glad it worked for you.