SHUTDOWN CORPORATE OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN!
MORE INFO ON THE 2010 OLYMPICS
The Winter Olympics is set to commence on February 12-27th 2010.
Already today in 2008 Indigenous people, the poor, and the homeless
are experiencing the affects of the Games. The vast destruction of
mountains, old growth forests, streams, hunting and fishing grounds
and delicate ecosystems in which are relied on by Indigenous people;
the closures of social housing and low income hotels; the high and
increasing rate of homelessness; and the criminalization of Indigenous
people and the poor are all part of the lead up to the 2010 Olympics.
THE OLYMPICS DESTROYS LANDS, HOMES AND COMMUNITIES
Indigenous communities in the interior and on the coast of so called
British Columbia including the Secwepemc people of Skelkwek'welt, the
St'at'imc of Sutikalh, and the Pilalt of Cheam have been critiquing
and resisting the objectives and activities of the 2010 Olympics since
2000. The threat and reality of new ski-resort development in the
province has prompted other groups, such as the Nlaka'Pamux Nation in
defense of the Coquihalla to take action. In all of these communities
hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to build new and
expand existing ski-resorts in order to accommodate tourists and
Olympian trainers for 2010. The mega-development on these Indigenous
lands has already disrupted hunting and fishing grounds and destroyed
sacred sites.
In the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver (which is home to an
overrepresentation of Indigenous people) 514 low-income housing units
were lost between June 2003 and June 2005. Almost 300 low-income
housing units have been lost in the same time period to rent
increases. Over 126,000 people in 56,000 households in Greater
Vancouver are at risk of homelessness according to the 2001 Canada
census. The massive influx of tourists in 2010 will encourage the
closures of more low-income housing and advance gentrification in
order to accommodate and appease the hungry visitors.
THE OLYMPICS MOCKS AND HURTS INDIGENOUS CULTURES
The Olympic mascots will help raise $46 million in merchandising
royalties on total sales of $500 million. The primary goal of the
mascots is to engage children in the Games. There are three official
2010 Olympic mascots and a 'mascot sidekick' that take the shape of
'mythical' animals that are to resemble a cross hybrid of First
Nations creatures and Japanese animation figures.
The four mascots were created by Vancouver-based children's
illustrator Vicki Wong and her partner, Los Angeles-based Michael
Murphy. The stuffed animals are as follows:
Sumi is an animal spirit wearing the green hat of an orca, with the
wings of the legendary thunderbird and the legs of a black bear. He's
the Paralympic Games mascot. Sumi's name comes from the Salish word
"Sumesh" which means "guardian spirit.
Miga is a young sea bear who lives in the ocean with her family pod,
out past Vancouver Island near Tofino, British Columbia. She also like
to surf and snowboard.
Quatchi is a sasquatch that dreams of being a hockey goalie. He also
has an Inukshuk tattoo on his arm.
Mukmuk, a' bonus mini-mascot', is a Vancouver Island marmot who will
play a "sidekick" role.
The mascots point to the problem of cultural appropriation; the
phenomenon that takes place when the 'dominant culture' (white
society) takes aspects of Indigenous cultures to validate or enrich
their own. In terms of the Olympics, the mascots are used as a (cute
and mocking) way to demonstrate Indigenous participation in the games
and to depict the 'color and vibrancy' of the Olympics in Vancouver.
In reality, the mascots bastardize sacred parts of Indigenous cultures
and condense elaborate meanings into simple and silly amusement
playthings. The Olympics mascots play into the use and abuse our
cultures for entertainment, while pretending issues like exploitation,
land theft and oppression do not exist.
THE OLYMPICS CO-OPTS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
The Squamish and Lil'wat band councils made a deal with government
and the Bid Corporation, including $20 million in land and money, and
a Squamish-Lil'wat Cultural Center to be built in nearby Whistler. In
2007, the costs expanded to $28 million, funded by the BC government,
INAC, Bell Canada, and other corporations. For receiving 122 hectares
of land zoned for industrial use, rural recourses and recreation (like
golf courses), the band councils agreed not to contest the expansion
of Whistler's boundaries into their territories.
The Four Host First Nations is an official Indigenous Olympic
Organization. The FHFN was established "to take advantage of
opportunities including economic, and establish a clear First Nations
presence on the Games.." (Nov. 24, 2004 press release).
The FHFN is composed of the Squamish, Musquem, Tseil-Watuth (Burrard)
and St'at'imc (at Mount Currie) band councils in traditional
territories where 2010 events are to occur in both Vancouver and
Whistler. It was established in November 2004 with an aim to act as
an official Indigenous Olympic Partner; to provide traditional
openings and welcomings for VANOC and Olympic events; to exploit
Indigenous culture, peoples, and lands for 2010; and to provide
legitimacy for the Olympic industry.
VANOC also attempts to co-op the Indigenous PEOPLE, not just the
chiefs and CEOS, in an attempt to quell dissent and portray and
peaceful relationship (one that has never existed between Indigenous
people and Canada).
A walk known as the "Reconciliation Walk"
(http://www.peopletogether.ca/), which was ceremonial blessed this
summer will showcase Aboriginal people walking across the Burrard
Bridge in September 2008 to show off our "First Nations, Métis and
Inuit" "color, culture, and vibrancy" under the umbrella of
"reconciliation" as a lead up to the 2010 Olympics. Knowing that
cultural genocide, land theft, criminalization and murder of our
people happens daily at the hands of Klananda, it is far fetched to
think that reconciliation is possible at this point. This tactic of
assimilation, with the use of culture as a cover, is text book
collaboration and utilized in an attempt to demand the "undivided
attention" of ALL ["cultures"] to the 2010 games whereas the reality
is they simply divide oppressed communities more by tokenizing some
voices (they want to hear) and by silencing others (they don't want to
hear).
THE OLYMPICS SUPPORTS THE SELLING OF WOMEN
The Olympic City Brothel was proposed in November 2007 as a co-op
brothel under the guise of making it safe for sex workers in Vancouver
in 2010. The city of Vancouver is now considering making an exemption
to the law to enable the legal operation of this brothel for the
two-week period of the 2010 Olympics.
The trafficking of women, in which Indigenous women and migrant women
are overrepresented, is a key feature of the Olympics as it is one of
the easiest illegal "commodities" to move. It also helps to
accommodate Olympic investors, businessmen and tourists who will come
to the Games to spend and "experience".
An estimated 10,000 sex workers plied their trade during the 2000
Olympics in Sydney, many imported from abroad. More than 40,000 women
and girls were brought to Athens for the 2004 Summer Games. For the
2006 World Cup in Germany, more than 20,000 women were imported.
Investors and businessmen who come to the 2010 games are inevitability
on the look out for cheap lands, resources and women.
THE OLYMPICS CRIMINALIZES INIDGNEOUS PEOPLE and THE POOR
In the city, the Olympic lead up has already had an impact on
Indigenous people. Harriet Nahanee's death, caused by her poor
treatment in a BC jail where she was imprisoned for protesting the
expansion of the Sea to Sky Highway, signaled a call for action. When
we fight to keep our Indigenous lands, to keep affordable housing and
against homelessness, we are criminalized. With over $175 million
being spent on security, there is no question we will be targets of
state oppression more than we already are. It is no secret that the
Olympics are linked with repressive laws. According to Maryanne Abbs,
author of 'Massacres and Profits: A Brief History of the Olympics',
"The games have been used as a convenient cover for permanent
repressive laws and to create new police and military units. In Sydney
there were four cops for each athlete at the Games for a total of
35,000 police and security guards, 4000 troops and elite commando
units, and Black Hawk helicopters."
In Vancouver the "eye in the sky" will include hundreds of security
cameras, spy planes, intelligence agents, police and soldiers.
Those who have stood up to defend their lands have been deeply
criminalized by the Canadian state. So far there have been hundreds of
arrests of Indigenous people (with an emphasis on Indigenous youth and
Elders) who have protested the Olympics 2010 and its objectives. While
some Native leaders, as part of the "Four Host First Nations" have
given their "ceremonial blessings" to the 2010 Olympics and have
gained economically many Indigenous people realize the political
reality - that many of our people have to endure brutal conditions
when disposed of land, on the street, in unfit living conditions, and
in prison as a result of the Olympics 2010.
In this regard, it is important not to confuse "ceremonial blessings
with genuine political consent". Our people are resisting the
Olympics, and a small handful of sell-out chiefs collaborators are
benefiting at an individual level.
Native people stands against the destruction of the land, the
non-recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and inherent rights,
poverty, homelessness, and criminalization that the Olympics 2010 has
brought and will bring.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
REFUSE TO BE IGNORANT about the Games. Gather more information and
learn more about what the Olympics plan to do in your community, and
take action. Throughout BC there are several Olympic venues being
built in towns to train Olympic athletes. Let your community know and
work together to oppose the 2010 Olympics.
Check out:
http://no2010.com/
http://2010watch.com/
harrietspirit@blogspot.com
RESIST OPPRESSION that you experience or witness. The lead up to the
games has already caused a colossal of damage, and we know you've seen
it. There are several campaigns against the Olympics happening all
over Klanada. Find out how you can get involved or better yet, take
initiative and create your own actions, groups, media or movement.
Speak up, Act up, Take Action.
RISE ABOVE.. Why wait? Do something today. Create your own magazine or
zine, organize a community forum against the Olympics, make a movie
about the Games, throw a movie night about the destruction of the
Games, host a tour of Indigenous speakers in your community, do art
against the Olympics, write an article………..do something Anti-2010!
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