As Strong As Our Weakest Link.

I am kym a. hines, visitor in Lkwungen WSANEC Territories, I am Acadian from 1660’s settler and Metis from Red River Cree Territory.

I was visiting Coast Salish Musqueam Territories aka Burnaby Mountain. Diverse folks came and used their bodies to vote against pipelines in this area: many of us want an end to oil and gas as well as other resource extraction like mining and to end unnecessary suffering in the form of wars.

I was at Burnaby Mountain Because my heart responded to the First Nations led resistance to Pipelines, Oil, Gas and Fracking and unhealthy mining practice that are destroying all our future’s.

My fave quoate which moved me:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip after processing on #BurnabyMountain. Arrested for “my grandchildren…future generations”.

Sut-Lut, a Squamish Elder who was one of the sacred fire keepers.

A mom and 11 yr. old, a mom and 19 yr. old. Christi Clarks disgusting remarks about them after in media!

David Suzuki’s grandson and his wife, his impassioned talk to RCMP, I was there the day David Suzuki’s wife and her comrades got arrested and educated us and Grandmothers saying no for over ten years! http://www.theklabonakeepers.com/

I went to a party on Saturday at the mountain after I had planned to risk arrest the day Kinder Morgan stated they were leaving!

I got to Burnaby Mountain quiet tired; I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, PTSD and was in a flare up hoping for a ride to party/gathering. I waited quite some time at bottom of hill, I noticed many cars driving up so, I hit the road and started to hitch hike up. I never got a ride! It was despairing to watch all these fancy cars drive up with empty back seats. What changed? I got to where stand off was and just then realize I was not half way up. I cannot tell you the exhaustion I was experiencing, I began to ask for help. I got a lot of blank stares, I went to what I thought was the sacred fire, maybe Sut-Lut was there, whom I had been honored to film just days before, with RCMP being so disrespectful of sacred fire and our elder.

I had a young woman come and say yes, she’d help me get a ride no problem.

We had at least three or four cars drive past when she suggests I draw a rune on the snow to “help my vibe be more receptive.” Ok, excuse me? I asked, she repeated it and began what was a lecture on how one needs to be receptive…

I said “excuse me, maybe draw a rune for the folks who keep driving by me, I really think they can use it, not to mention a lesson in UNITY and INCLUSION!”

I asked her to just stop and I walked away, my last words to her were “you are no help at all sadly.” I filmed this and that and will get that up soon. For now, I can share I await to hear WHICH Kinder Morgan Pipeline area WE ARE GOING TO GO AND REMOVE THEM FROM!?

Many of us wait the call from First Nations, from community networks which are hearing where the need is greatest NOW. That is what I was thinking when I filmed this piece.

I was done and had just enough energy to begin my journey back down Mountain and filmed this piece.

I then headed to the DTES for a vigil for Mike Brown, Ferguson victim of police murder. I learned a great deal and struggle to hook up with folks who organized it. It had 60-100 people in the end. I was moved to action.

I wound up back in Pitt Meadows with a dear friend to whom I hole UP in the highest regard. Carol Romanow is and always has been honest, I know where I stand and I love her for it. I also was able to talk to an old dear friend, ally and comrade Calvin Woida who struggles with a broken heart, Big Hugs and Big Respect to both of you, this was inspired by you both.

In ending, we have work to do in regards to Unity, when we look around at our core group, sadly, they all mirror us too much, in my radical anti oppression 101 perspective.

Please, I beg you to reach out to “that group” to whom you keep a distance. Unite and we will move forward. We can figure out how to respect boundaries needed with action needed. The time is NOW. None of us are without need of constant vigilance and compassion. Martin Luther King was assassinated when he was just about to begin an International campaign towards the eradication of poverty thru the use of a Guaranteed Livable income, he understood how greed economics worked and, he finally understood the white man and the black man had a lot in common in poverty economics.

Malcom X was killed just after he realized the white man was not the devil.

Ellen Kaschick stated she believed that humans were not emotionally or mentally capable of living under oppressive state such as we have been for generations now.

These there points are critical to me, they come together and weave an answer we have all known.   We are as strong as our weakest link, we all got work to do.

Environment seems to bring us all together. It has potential too anyways!

Respect and in the spirit of wanting solidarity.

Work for solidarity or divide and fall.

kym hothead

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