Hunters Bay Radio
ON MOHAWK TIME SEPTEMBER 8 2024
Hey, this is Dr. Shervin, Muscoco Magazine is brought to you by Dairy Lane Dental, keeping Muscoco smiling for over 30 years. Please visit Dairylanedental.com. [Music] Hi, and welcome to another edition of On Mohawk Time. I am Joyce Jonathan Crone, coming to you from Hunters Bay Radio 88.7. Well, here we are in another month, it's fall, and maybe not officially, but it looks like it, it smells like it, and it feels like it. So, well, on Mohawk Time, I wanted to share a little bit with you today as you're having your coffee, and On Mohawk Time has really brought you on a journey, brought me on a journey as well in this community, and hopefully beyond if you're listening from somewhere else other than Huntsville, Ontario, and a journey in a path of understanding and learning, and it's my hope that you have discovered what I call a new way of knowing. And what does that mean? A new way of knowing is a new way of not learning, but a new way of knowing in who you are and what you represent and your values and beliefs. And a new way of knowing leads to a new way of being, and when you can be different, then that means that you can act and do differently, and think differently, and change. And really, that's been my goal that I've been able to help you teach you and give you some understandings of who First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people are in Canada and Turtle Island, which is North America. And I've been a volunteer radio show host here at Hunter's Bay Radio, thanks to their open arms, and On Mohawk Time. It's called On Mohawk Time because I am Mohawk. I am Haudenosaunee. So when I introduce myself, I say Sego Aguigle, Nidua Gano, Ganagahaga, Nidua Soda. And that is my language for telling you that I'm where I'm from. What my band is, what my clan is, Turtle Clan, and that I'm from the Haudenosaunee Nation, or what used to be called the Iroquois Nation. And so as a volunteer on Mohawk Time, I wanted to say that today is the last on Mohawk Time show that I'll be doing. It is bittersweet for me, as it's really not an ending, it's just a continuation. And I really walked in not knowing anything about broadcast radio, the equipment, the work or time and effort that it takes to be on air, let alone any of the technical side of radio. I knew nothing about, but again, Hunter's Bay radio was so awesome and patient. Thank you, Jeff and Sarah, for being so patient with me and teaching me. I've loved learning about radio. All I knew was that I had a story to tell and that I'm a talker. So as a former educator, it's not difficult for me to be presenting or on stage or speaking, having wanted to have been a teacher since grade two. And also, that's my strength. My strength is teaching. And so having grown up on a rez on Six Nations of the Grand, I bring a lived experience to you, an experience that I've shared, some personal experiences, experiences with being shamed for the color of my skin, experiences about not only being bullied for my skin color, but as an Indigenous woman as well. And so you know that I have brought you statistics regarding First Nations, Metis and Inuit women and our traditional role that we played and the fact that we were told we were unworthy. We were told that, you know, as you were being told and learned things in school about First Nations, Metis and Inuit people that weren't good, we were learning the same thing that we weren't good. We were being told that through the process of, you know, what I've shared in the past about residential school and all of the cause and effect that happens when you live in generation upon generation in that atmosphere of, you know, you drop the as I've shared, you drop you drop a stone into water and what happens, it ripples and creates that ripple effect, which is that intergenerational trauma effect. So as I bring a lived experience to you and hopefully have given you some information and have taught you and educated you and opened your eyes and opened your ears and your hearts and you've tuned in to hear about many, many, many topics and issues and teachings that I've shared, Indigenous teachings, knowledge and hopefully what I call compassionate thoughts and history about truth, truth and reconciliation about First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Canada and in North America, right? Turtle Island and I know I've shared things from treaties being made and broken, even pre-colonization thoughts and ideas to the government residential schools legacy, which was run by churches throughout Canada, the 60s scoop where children were taken by social services and continue to be taken today and outnumbered. We outnumber, you know, in different statistical rates, the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls that continues to happen today as well. And so these, these issues are not just in the past, but it's a cause and effect, right, which I've shared before. I've talked to you about land acknowledgments, what they mean, that they cannot just be a check mark, that it needs to be thoughts of the heart, that when you write one, maybe for your family or you learn about the traditional territory that you live on or maybe you camp on, but that's really important. And hopefully you'll say yes, Joyce, I know that that's important now and maybe I didn't realize that before. I've also shared with you about the land that we are guests of the land, that the land has been here before us and we'll continue to be here and that we have an effect on the land and the land has an effect on us and we need to have that reciprocal relationship with the land to live in appreciation and respect and harmony with the land as our kin, as our connection. And I know I've also had interviews with local First Nations and Métis guests, so I thank those guests for having come in. We've looked at the contributions and accomplishments of First Nations people throughout Turtle Island. I've given you some indigenous teachings, such as the Medicine Wheel, the Drum Teaching, Circle Teachings, the Gifts of the Seven Grandfather Teachings, which you will see on the downtown flags in Huntsville in the month of September and hopefully every year in the month of September in June. And you can see what those teachings are, their values to live by, simple values. And it's my hope that you've learned not just information but learning to lead with your heart versus your mind. First Nations people believe that we are created physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and that it's your heart that leads your mind, not your mind leading your heart as in the Western way of thinking. So the indigenous worldview I've taught you as well. And hopefully this has led you to an understanding of your own path and how to be an ally and to First Nations, Métis and Inui. And how to see past any stereotypes or myths or cultural bias and to really be able to deconstruct a colonial way of thinking that we were all part of, that we all have to unlearn the learning we were given, which was not necessarily the truth. Then we do have a collective history, but we also have the opportunity to change the future. And we are actually the ancestors of the future. And I was told that and that resonates with me and I hope it resonates with you, the ancestors of the future. We have the ability we each do to be changemakers. And when it comes to your vision of, you know, relationship with your family, with your community, with others and the connection that you have with others and with the land, with Mother Earth. And you know, I've been asked the question so many times, what can I do? Now that I know the truth, now that I know what can I do? And with that, we'll take a little break and we'll be right back with more on Mohawk Time. I'm Dr. Sherman from Dairy Lane Dental and you're listening to Muscoco Magazine. And welcome back to our Mohawk Time. I'm your host, Joyce Jonathan Crone. And as mentioned, this is the final show of on Mohawk Time. I have loved being a volunteer DJ. I've loved it. I have always wanted to be an educator. So this fits and I like being on stage and I love drama. So here we are with the second half. And just to finish off the last few minutes, I do hope that you can answer that question. Now that I know what can I do? How can I help? How can I be an ally? How can I stand with you? First Nations people are the fastest growing population in this country. And over 70% of us live off reserve. So we are urban Indigenous people. I mean, I grew up on a reserve, but I am an urban Indigenous, Indigenous woman in my community right now of Muscoco. And so you probably work with people who are First Nations, Métis or Inui, and you may not know. And so I just put it out there that they might be your neighbor. We might be your neighbors. We might work near you. If you see downtown Huntsville, you will see that many of the businesses have put the medicine wheel in their storefronts. And as First Nations people, we Indigenous people, we identify with that. We feel welcomed and we feel part of the community. I know that I shared in, I think, my very first show that when I first started coming to Muscoco in 2005, we had a cottage in Hidden Valley. And my husband and I were still teachers and we'd come up here in the summer and I go to, you know, Motivations Gym. And I never saw myself reflected in this community. And I was basically the only person of color that I saw. And when another person, Black Lady joined Motivations Gym, I was like, yeah, like, we are here. Come and stand by me in the bootcamp class. So I see it's changing. Huntsville is changing and, you know, welcoming people of color. And I think that's important. It's important for us because I'm not a white person. I'm not a settler. It's important for us to feel part of the community as well. And that doesn't mean just living here. It means being with my community, having relationship with community and working with community. And so on Mohawk time has been a reflection and an expression of my heart journey to you and my path of learning about who I am. I did not grow up knowing my language, my culture, my traditions. And I am learning that now. And I'm in my sixties. And I feel that it is my responsibility. And it can be a heavy load at times and to be a beacon of hope to be standing in the gap for helping others to learn and helping form relationships with between indigenous and non-indigenous people. And what does that look like? What does how do we show the two row wampum of peace, harmony and respect and friendship? How do I support hearts that can heal in this community? And I hope through on Mohawk time that you've gotten to understand that. And I hope you've been listening on a regular basis. And we're here in the community. And I also have my not-for-profit and directors with me. Hope Arise Project Incorporated. And we're on our way to becoming a charitable organization in this community where an indigenous led grassroots community collective that are here to change, be changemakers and assist you as an indigenous person if you're out there listening and non-indigenous to come together and to a journey on a path of reclamation and reconciliation. So I feel that my task as a and responsibility as a DJ has been more than just being a DJ. It's been teaching culture, teaching understanding, teaching hearts that can change and can come alongside because of the past that we've had, that we are the ancestors of the future and that we can work together to cultivate change and relationship and connection. So I feel that that's hopefully what I've done. And just to check in with the last few minutes that in my language, gunna gahaga or mohawk, Canada or canada means a village. It means that everyone has a role and responsibility and that everyone is cared for and that no one goes without and that we keep each other safe and maintain peace in our community. So again, I have hopefully led you to wonder, to self reflect, to ponder and to think, you know, and to maybe change your values, maybe change your beliefs, maybe dust off the any stereotypes that you might have of people of color or, you know, First Nations, Métis or people specifically, what you've learned that we can unlearn the learning. And so I just wanted to finish off with a couple of things. One is Richard Obagamas, his book called embers, someone gave me this as a gift and he's a wonderful wagamas, I'm sorry, Richard wagamas. He's an Ojibwe man and has written many books and this one is called embers and it has his writings and poems in it. And I'd like to share this one with you in in closing. In the dark depths of long winter nights, spirits slumber to and allow their stories to be told. These are the storytelling moons, elders and storytellers who have been given tales to carry, to speak softly, reverently, and the people hear them. The people do not merely listen, they hear. To hear is to have a spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical reaction to the words. Sometimes, at very special times, you have all four reactions and are changed forever. Share stories, feel cold nights with the warmth of your connections, your relationships, how each other can be made and made more. That is the power of storytelling. So again, I am a storyteller. I've always been a storyteller and have shared different personal aspects with you of my journey and it's just my hope that you have journeyed with me and that you've become more open. And I'd like to share with you just in closing again. There's the really quick, the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving address that we have brought our minds together as one and we send greetings and thanks to each other as people as we see the cycles of life continue. Our Mother Earth, we give thanks for she gives us everything that we need for the waters of the world that nurture life for all beings and all fish in the water. The vast fields of plant life that buries the trees, the medicine of the world, the herbs, the edible plants we harvest from the garden, especially the three sisters, the beautiful animal life of the world and all of the birds who move and fly over our heads. The powers we know as the four winds who purify the air we breathe and help to bring the change of seasons, our grandfathers, the thunder beings who live in the West, their lightning and thunder voices, our eldest brother, the son, our oldest grandma, the moon, and the stars who are spread across a sky like jewelry. The enlightened teachers who have come to help us through the ages are ancestors. We now turn our thoughts to the Creator or the great Spirit and send greetings and thanks to all for all the gifts of creation. Now, our minds. Our one. And that Thanksgiving address is said at very important times, at special times. And so that's why I share that with you in closing. And you know, as they say on the res, heck in it, we'll see you later, maybe up that hill over there. And I've been your host, Joyce Jonathan Krohn and Yawagoa, for on Mohawk time and for listening in this community. Keep journeying your journey and finding your truth in truth and reconciliation. Ona. Good night. [Music]