First Nation Elders want Eagle Staff gifted to Canada’s UN ambassador returned
Some First Nation Elders want to repatriate an Eagle Staff gifted by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde to a Canadian diplomat in honour of the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Maybe we need our National chief to expose and explain what maybe of a gift that was exchanged back from the UN, be Nice to Know what peace keeping honor is and will be honored to our people of Canada.
Stop giving away Native things. ‘These’ people have taken the land, they have plundered, they have told you lies and ‘fairy tales’ (Bible) practiced ongoing discrimination. They have raped and abused you. Stop giving what little you have away.
It is sad that you got advice from Ed John. He is not a grand chief, he got that title fro a band council resolution put forward by himself. Ed is from Tlazten reserve in BC, 1000 band members. He was only given that title by himself and the band council ok’d it. I am from that area and we do not have the chief system. Our system is with the clans and the clan leaders. Please check into these people that you mention. Ed John is only interested in what Ed John can get for himself. He is not the grand chief of any people. He doesn’t even live in his reserve, he lives in Vancouver. Also, we do not use the eagle as an animal that is sacred to us. So therefore ed jjohn is talking about something that he just made up. He is one of those white Indians.
As a recognized & ceremonialized elder what AFN chief Bellegarde & anyone else involved on did with respect to the gifting and/or passing of the eagle staff in my view, as well as other elders, is totally unacceptable: The eagle staff must be retrieved at once: no one has the authority to gift and/or pass a very sacred item that defines who and what we are as indigenous people: every fabric of our identity rests on the eagle staff
A trip to Japan and the eagle staff can be had for a “days made in Japan”. When presenting a gift-remember it is not yours any longer and just common sense calls for an apology from the ‘chief’ to the gift bearer. Class is important to same people.
Hi,
The gesture of releasing the Eagle Staff to a non-native is not the Blackfoot way. The staff is used by the Holy Father’s of our tribe. I find it disrespectful and a medium of selling off our culture. The AFN Chief should know better. Shame on him.
The Eagle Staff symbolizes our nationhood. If it sits at the UN, then our nationhood is acknowledged and recognized.