On May 22 at 5 p.m., a powerful renaming ceremony will take place in British Columbia. Name and Blood both hold important power of identity for First Nations communities, as many seek to take back both language and landscape.

Indigenous activists and their allies have been working hard on a campaign to reclaim and reinstate the traditional name of the mountain known now as Mount Douglas, and along with it, reclaim the area where the Douglas Treaties were first signed in British Columbia, Canada.

May 22, 2013, at 5 p.m., Mount Douglas will be known as PKOLS.

PKOLS Mountain -- pronounced p'cawls -- according to Indigenous tongue -- is translated into "White Rock" or "White Head".

Activist Communique: Biskaabiiyaang- We are returning

The Deets:

Wednesday May 22, 2013

6:30 pm

Allan Gardens - 10
Horticultural Avenue

Toronto, Ontario

The Call Out:

Fwd: Please note that we will meet in the Park only if it is nice! (The weather says it might rain)

Feel free to bring your drums/shakers and singing voices and perhaps some fruit or light snacks.

...

Through the process of colonization, we have misplaced or forgotten the Seven Grandfather Teachings. We are beginning the process of our "Return" by re-installing our sacred teachings.

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2013

Members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Sarnia Residents to Confront Industry Conference, Say No to Line 9 and Tar Sands Oil

SARNIA—Today at 11am, Sarnia residents and members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation will be joined by supporters from other impacted communities for a rally at City Hall (255 North Christina St) to demonstrate opposition to Tar Sands development—including Enbridge's Line 9 reversal. At 11:30, the group will be marching to the site of the Bitumen – Adding Value industry conference (Best Western Guildwood Inn, 1400 Venetian Blvd.) to challenge those who would pipe Tar Sands oil through communities all across Ontario, and process additional Tar Sands in Chemical Valley.

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2013

Members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Sarnia Residents to Confront Industry Conference, Say No to Line 9 and Tar Sands Oil

SARNIA—Today at 11am, Sarnia residents and members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation will be joined by supporters from other impacted communities for a rally at City Hall (255 North Christina St) to demonstrate opposition to Tar Sands development—including Enbridge's Line 9 reversal. At 11:30, the group will be marching to the site of the Bitumen – Adding Value industry conference (Best Western Guildwood Inn, 1400 Venetian Blvd.) to challenge those who would pipe Tar Sands oil through communities all across Ontario, and process additional Tar Sands in Chemical Valley.

In my years of activism, I have pounded down many pairs of boots on the streets of Toronto. I don't regret any of it, but I can reflect on the temporary nature of street demonstrations.

You get a flier or an email, you show up, you march around, shout some slogans and you go home.

Sometimes the powers that be hear you and sometimes they don't.

But the point I'm making here is that while it's important to manifest our anger or solidarity towards a certain cause -- like Idle No More and the all important Round Dances that helped spread ceremony and public awareness around First Nations issues in Canada -- the manifestation isn't permanent.

"Bitumen: Canada's National Disaster" Day of Action on Tuesday, May 21

The Deets:

Tuesday May 21, 2013

11:00 am

Sarnia City Hall

255 North Christina Street

Sarnia, Ontario

The Call Out:

I thought I had heard it all when I survived Mel Lastman as being mayor of Toronto.

For those of you that don't remember, he was Toronto's post-amalgamation mayor from 1998 to 2003, until he was eventually defeated by "clean sweep" David Miller.

At the time, I thought "NOOOBODY" could beat the ridiculous mouth of Mayor Lastman:

How he mistook the Hell's Angels as real angels.

How he was afraid to tour Africa because he feared cannibals would put his family in a pot of boiling oil.

Yup, that was our mayor. Some laughed. Some cringed. Other cities laughed as we cringed.

Coming off as one of the most magical and successful aspects of Occupy Toronto, Occupy Gardens took root in our city starting at St. James Park back in the fall of 2011.

Against all odds - ok, there were many many odds both human and nature in origin - Occupy Gardens survived while Occupy Toronto proper did not during the winter months.

By the love of volunteers - who carried seeds to term in their hearts - Occupy Gardens emerged fresh in the spring of 2012.

There were seed-bomb making workshops and guerrilla gardening in undisclosed locations (though maybe you biked past of the those locations, got off your thin, iron horse to smell the roses).

The Deets:

Tuesday May 14, 2013

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Council Fire

439 Dundas Street East

Toronto, ON

The Call Out:

FWD: You're invited to learn about teachings of the 8th Fire and how they relate to Idle No More with respected traditional Anishinaabe knowledge keeper Jim Dumont. Traditional Teacher Ojibway-Anishinabe, Waubezhayshee (Marten) Clan.

Jim Dumont is Onaubinisay (Walks Above the Ground), an Ojibway-Anishinabe of the Waubezhayshee (Marten) Clan. He is a 4th Degree Midewiwin of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge, originally from the Shawanaga First Nation on Eastern Georgian Bay.

Since 1970 Jim has pursued the cultural and spiritual roots of the traditional Anishinabe Way of Life.

In early Spring, Idle No More, in conjunction with Defenders of the Land, issued a joint call out for a Sovereignty Summer - to heat up the political landscape across Canada.

This new trend was to really spread the message out and perfect the actions and tactics needed to challenge colonialism in Canada and as far away as Palestine.

This is indeed a wake up call.

From the press release: "We have shaken the foundations of inequality in Canada, and invited communities to join in a movement for social and environmental justice.