Hmm...I'm very concerned and gravely disappointed in certain aspects and behaviours at prominent Aboriginal events this week Winnipeg. I want to raise an issue that has become highlighted by recent events - the issue of violence in the Aboriginal community.
First, I feel there needs to be an acknowledgement that the Aboriginal Community is growing from traditional cultural societies as historically portrayed, to a community that is mirroring and embracing the development and competitive nature of what may be referred to as mainstream society. These influences are accompanied by challenges of incorporating and adopting part of a culture this is not our own – in this perspective, focusing on the professional culture, arts and music industries.
A video recently uploaded to YouTube, “The Pink Party Winnipeg. Winnipeg's Most in action.” reveals violence at an Aboriginal Entertainment event.
First, I feel there needs to be an acknowledgement that the Aboriginal Community is growing from traditional cultural societies as historically portrayed, to a community that is mirroring and embracing the development and competitive nature of what may be referred to as mainstream society. These influences are accompanied by challenges of incorporating and adopting part of a culture this is not our own – in this perspective, focusing on the professional culture, arts and music industries.
A video recently uploaded to YouTube, “The Pink Party Winnipeg. Winnipeg's Most in action.” reveals violence at an Aboriginal Entertainment event.
This video captures alcoholism and violence taking place at event referred to as “2015 Indigenous Music Awards Official After Party – THE PINK PARTY.
This event is coordinated by Native Model Studio Canada, as part of Indigenous Music Awards
Native Model Studio Canada is a group, who “provide fashion show coordination, event planning, model training services and facilitate workshops on Confidence, self-esteem and support issues our young people face”; with the goal of breaking the stereotypes of Native America,
Upon viewing this video, it is SHOCKING to see people known in the Aboriginal music community, identified as role models for Aboriginal Young people, committing acts of violence against each other. Particularly shocking is to see Aboriginal men committing acts of violence against an Aboriginal woman.
This situation undermines the community's work regarding a national inquiry into Missing & Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada, and the grassroots movement in Winnipeg- Meet Me at The Bell Tower - Stop The Violence.
What we see on the video is three Aboriginal Men, purportedly professional musicians of “Winnipeg’s Most” (Winnipeg Aboriginal hip hop recording group), visibly ganging up and assaulting an Aboriginal woman at a public event.
So many of us are working hard to address the challenges faced in the Aboriginal community, and we will now have to deal with the repercussions of this particular situation. They have added fuel to the perspective that Aboriginal people are solely responsible for the murdered and missing women. That is so wrong!
The question that comes to mind now is, “who will take responsibility for their own loss of control?” (the video may not show all that took place in that situation, but it did capture actions of a few individuals in that moment – who’s “famous as f*ck” now?) Will those who have supported this group continue to do so? Will the PINK PARTY organizers accept responsibility for what occurred at their event? How will this affect the Aboriginal community as a whole? We are not savages! Stop acting like it! This is not what we want to teach our children! Aboriginal Women's Lives Matter!
Kinanaskomitinawa!
Niiganii
Kinanaskomitinawa!
Niiganii
The video has since been removed, but the violence I witnessed in the video was very really and cared enough about a persons well-being to say something. Should we not speak up when we see a wrong? Should we remain silent bystanders? Violence comes in many forms, including lateral violence – Should it be “normal” to accept violence as part of our community?
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking out. THIS is the kind of action that brings awareness to the violence in our communities whether urban or on the rez. Yes it exists and yes it's sometimes those with 'prvilege' who perpetuate it.
DeleteThank you for your comment. Yes when we see violence happening we have a duty to each other to point it out, violence is not acceptable. You are correct that violence exists in our community, we all know it does, and removing a video that captures the violence does not change the fact that a woman was assaulted that this event by three men. I hope that she charges these men because their behaviour was despicable, and being intoxicated is not an excuse. If alcohol was the cause, then events such as this should reconsider serving alcohol at the event.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat feedback! It perturbs me to know that the request to remove the video was based on placing the "image" of the event above the well-being and protection of a woman - a woman who was violently assaulted by three men. Thank you for your comment!
DeleteThis is my response made public on my facebook page regarding a message I got in reference to this issue:
ReplyDeleteMessage from a sister of one of the organizers:
"its funny how your husband is making rounds to my sister. Promoting violence. I guess you have alot of time on your hands to lash out. Its you. I know you are behind that."
This is my response:
"A few days ago I saw a video of violence that occurred here in Winnipeg where there was a brawl at an Aboriginal Social event where a woman was punched several times by several men. This was so shocking and disgusting to me, it prompted me to say something here on my page and further. it prompted my husband to write a blog about it.
We see so much good in our community and so many people working so hard to change the way people think about Aboriginal people and to end violence in our community. I guess we just felt like we had to say something to point out what happened in the Aboriginal Community on September 11, 2015 and to say that it was wrong.
It is very hard to speak up against violence because there is always backlash. It takes courage. I just knew that what I saw was wrong.
I know the video has been taken off Youtube and I thought it might get swept under the rug, like so many other violent situations that happen in our community. But then I got an inbox message. I decided to share because this is proof of the violence that exists.
Can we ever be able to speak up about an issue that affects us all with out being attacked.
The bottom line is. What happened was wrong. What happened made us all look bad. What happened affects all of us. What happened mocks all the work that many groups here in Winnipeg are trying achieve...which is stop the violence against women and in our community.
I refuse to be bullied. The violence stops here."
I still hope this issue is addressed and resolved. Violence is not traditional.
ok. but who what and why? This article only says a woman was assaulted by some dudes and theres no video to back it up. Yeah we gotta say something when a great wrong like that occurs, but for all of us who weren't there , how can it be resolved if no one knows what happened? I say this because i have been to a pink party and from what i remember, they are about helping women with health issues. Which is a good thing. but i could be wrong. I would think that anyone who ever performed or attended because they believe in their cause , that they would want to see this resolved so that the cause does not get brought down by some messed up men.
ReplyDeleteThank for your comment! Yes, it would be beneficial for all who are reading my blog to see the video, but unfortunately, it has been removed from YouTube. I am aware that the original version of the video had appeared on Facebook and received approximately 20.000 views and about 600 shares within 3 hours. Comments ranged from “shock to laughter”.
DeleteFrom what I understand, there was a request made to remove the original video, as it would reflect negatively on the image of the event and the work of the organizers. I can appreciate their damage control efforts, it is a necessary skill needed to work in the industry.
However, in the YouTube video entitled, “The Pink Party Winnipeg. Winnipeg's Most in action.” the amount of violence in the footage was extreme and disturbing to see. It was seeing three Aboriginal Men visibly ganging up and assaulting an Aboriginal woman that caught my eye. With so many murder and missing indigenous women in Canada, it is important to recognize the violence that is happening to women in our community and to stop it. I agree that supporters who believe in the cause would like to see this resolved.
I hope the group has plans to put out a press release – it’s important to acknowledge that it happened, what they learned from the situation, how they are currently assisting those who were directly harmed by the situation, and to take this opportunity to strengthen their commitment to the community and the work they do.