She's baaaaaaack: Rachel Marsden versus Vancouver's 2010 Games

[Rusty Gull]

From Metro:
http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/lo...t-former-chief

Blog racist: Former chief

Kristen Thompson
09 October 2009 03:06

A controversial blog written by a Vancouver-born political columnist and posted on the website of British newspaper The Daily Telegraph is inflammatory and discriminatory against aboriginal people, says the former chief of a Vancouver Island First Nation.

Rachel Marsden’s article, which was posted on Tuesday, claims the Olympics are “peddling a politically correct fantasy” by placing First Nations culture on a pedestal and failing to give Europeans — who transformed Vancouver into a “metropolis” — their due praise.

“Canada … was third-worldish until the … Europeans arrived and started planning and building infrastructure and government, and teaching the natives discipline, order, and capitalism,” writes Marsden — who has also worked for the National Post, CNN and Fox News.

“The logo for the Games is some sort of native Indian stone carving resembling a bloke with massive oedema of the legs. While the natives were carving away at such lovely things, the Europeans were busy building an entire world around them.”

Judith Sayers, strategic adviser, Hupacasath First Nation and adjunct professor with the faculty of law at the University of Victoria, said the article is ignorant, and a “slap” in the face of First Nations people.

“It’s beyond belief that in 2009 such blatant racism is being allowed to be made public,” said Sayers.

“If the First Nations weren’t there when the white man arrived to give them food and tell them where the trails were, they would not have survived in this country.”

Sayers said if Marsden’s motivation is simply to be controversial, it’s not serving any purpose, and that touting outdated imperialist ideals is counter-productive to a Games and a nation intent on promoting inclusion.

Metro Vancouver

[Metro-One]

who has also worked for the National Post, CNN and Fox News

That says it all folks!

Why is it that the only comments/ramblings that get published are far left pipe dreams and far right crazies? (this one being a prime example of the far right crazies)

[nova9]

The things I'd like to have happen to her.

Why do these things actually get publicized, we barely allow it in online forums and that's the place where crazy goes to die. How can any publication allow that?

[mr.x]

Ignore her, she's the Canadian version of Ann Coulter.

[mooks28]

She's doing it for the attention. This is the same woman who went after the swim coach at SFU a few years back with false charges.

[flight_from_kamakura]

that broad cracks me up.

[djmk]

the funny part is that she is entirely wrong.

the olympic logo, the inukshuk, is an inuit symbol. Now anybody who has paid attention during a Canadian History class should know that the Inuit came to this great land around 1000AD from northern russia, around the same time as Leif Eriksson, the famous viking explorer found North America. The inuit, then called the Thule, destroyed the original "first nations" the Dorest and then promptly gave the vikings a run for their money.

Furthermore, the definition of "third world" refers to non-aligned or neutral countries during the Cold War.

[WarrenC12]

I don't advocate violence against women, but this bitch needs the shit kicked out of her.

I was attending SFU when her 1st attempt at self-promoting bullshit ruined that coach's life, I've hated her for a loooong time.

[nova9]

The bitch responds:

from: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ra...y-im-a-racist/

I knew I would have a lot of opposition when I chose to speak out in this blog on behalf of Canadians of European origin and their lack of representation in official Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics material, but I wasn’t expecting so much blatant racist rhetoric from anti-Europeans.

In this Toronto Star column, ethnic representatives call my point of view “racist”, while apparently theirs isn’t:
The blog derides the Games logo, which depicts an inukshuk – an Inuit stone sculpture – as “some sort of native Indian stone carving resembling a bloke with massive oedema of the legs,” and mocks the Games mascots, a sasquatch, a guardian animal spirit and a sea bear (part bear, part killer whale).

Judith Sayers, now strategic adviser for the Hupacasath First Nation and adjunct professor of law at the University of Victoria, said the article is ignorant. “It’s beyond belief that in 2009 such blatant racism is being allowed to be made public.”

Note that I’m not even making a big deal of my cultural identity – just pointing out that the European immigrants who built Canada have been completely marginalised in the Olympics material, which is true. And making fun of the Inuit stone sculpture featured in the Vancouver 2010 logo isn’t a racist thing. It’s an anti crap art thing.

[duener]

For anyone interested in understanding the background to this topic, I highly recommend "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. If you wonder why, for example, didn't South Americans invade Africa bringing Asian slaves with them instead of what did happen he's got some rational ideas.

He explains that "Eurasia" had advantages in creating civilisations due to geography and access to edible animals/plants. e.g. the Mayans mainly had access to corn but not sources of protein like chickens that would nourish a population and allow non-farmers (artisans, priests, soldiers) to exist.

That being said, some of you, with your vitriol towards this woman, sound like you want to harm and silence her. Consider Voltaire's remark: "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death to let you say it".

[nova9]

oh, she's allowed to say it. people will just make sure she pays for it.

[Prometheus]

Although crudely put and clumsily written, Marsden stated a general truth: symbols and themes from aboriginal culture are typically put front and centre while Western principles of reason, industrialism and modernity (i.e., the principles that built the city of Vancouver and the modern nation of Canada) are downplayed.

[zivan56]

^^ Agreed. Native people should be included, but everyone else who built Vancouver (which includes both European and Asian people) should have a more prominent role in the games. And the Native people included should be mostly from this area, not NW Territories/Nunavut.

[Millennium2002]

The article is derogatory. Yes, we may be promoting Aboriginal culture but you're leaving out key parts of history. From the founding of Canada in 1867 to around the late 1900s First Nations were subject to unfair and despicable treatment by the federal government (think sex abuse in residential schools and why the Red River Rebellion + Northwest Rebellion occurred) in their attempts to destroy this culture. There are plenty of events that point to a bad track record in treating First Nations here.

Isn't it fair then for us to say that we should bring this into the big stage as a gesture of respect for what we did to them? Or are we going to keep it under wraps?

(BTW I'm Chinese + an Olympic supporter.)

EDIT:
zivan56, your ideas of localizing the First Nations and showing diversity are actually good ones... I'm not too sure how they went all the way to the North to get their promotion ideas... =O

- Allan Kuan

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Although crudely put and clumsily written, Marsden stated a general truth: symbols and themes from aboriginal culture are typically put front and centre while Western principles of reason, industrialism and modernity (i.e., the principles that built the city of Vancouver and the modern nation of Canada) are downplayed.

Agreed. Its the same fountain that garbage ideas like renaming Georgia Strait the Salish Sea spring from.

[SpongeG]

i hope she isn't standing next to any stairs should i see her somewhere - just saying

a horrible horrible accident accident push her down backwards push her down backwards

sorry drag queen song stuck in my head

[mr.x]

Marsden has another article coming out in the Times tomorrow, this time it's on the medals.

[WBC]

At first I was against the games, but now I realize I was wrong. These games will provide me with endless entertainment for the next 6 months...

This just keeps getting better and better...

Guess what happens when some RCMP dude from Red Deer helping out with security during the games discovers one of these...Priceless

--------------------------
VANCOUVER — Sikhs will be permitted to wear ceremonial daggers less than 7.5 inches in length to Vancouver 2010 Winter Games venues, the RCMP’s Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit announced Thursday.

The dagger, called a kirpan, is one of the articles of faith that all observant Sikhs must wear.

To be admitted to Olympic venues, Sikhs wearing the kirpan must notify security personnel before being screened for admittance. The blade may be no longer than four inches and must be worn beneath the clothing, secured in a sheath.

The kirpan must be worn with all five Sikh articles of faith, including uncut hair, a wooden comb to secure the hair often worn in combination with a turban, an iron bracelet and a cotton singlet.

“These rules are consistent with the normal practices of Sikhs,” said Palbinder Shergill, legal counsel for the World Sikh Organization. “It’s a very positive step towards ensuring that Vanoc’s security needs are protected, but also ensuring that we accommodate the needs of different minorities.”

The RCMP sought advice about creating rules for wearing kirpans from the Sikh community through its community relations group, which includes members of many of the city’s religious and ethnic groups, the B.C. Multi-Faith Action Society and the World Sikh Organization.

The consultation took several months, according to Shergill.

Research conducted by the RCMP’s Olympic security unit suggested that violence involving kirpans is extremely rare and that allowing them into venues will not incur additional risk.

“The new guidelines provide reasonable accommodation for religious freedoms as defined by Canadian laws and values, while clearly identifying the conditions under which the kirpan may be worn,” according to a statement from the Olympic security unit.

The Supreme Court of Canada in 2006 paved the way for kirpans to be allowed in all public places. The court ruled unanimously in favour of a 17-year-old Montreal high-school student who was forced to leave the public school system after the local school board banned him from wearing the dagger as an article of faith, claiming it was a potentially dangerous weapon.

The court noted that in 100 years that Sikhs had been wearing kirpans in school, not a single incidence of violence had ever been recorded and that it was likely less dangerous than a pair of scissors or a baseball bat, both commonly found in schools.

“The law is what it is,” said Shergill. “What’s important is that this decision is consistent with the values that we all share as Canadians.”

BY RANDY SHORE, VANCOUVER SUN

[vansky]

i think the indies built the toilet, and the europeans sat on it, and shitted on it, which is what u get now...a pile of shit. but now, there's more asian shit too..

btw, asians only mostly built richmond or some parts in coquitlam, the rest is mostly by europeans

the natives emphasis is biased, we all had some shit here...dont forget us

[nova9]

is this sarcasm or...? i dunno, internet messages should come with facial expressions.