Americans

Tuesday June 19, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday June 19, 2012

First Nations role in the War of 1812 ‘critical’

The Shawnee chief Tecumseh had gathered 10,000 warriors in what is now southern Ontario in 1812, hoping to unify First Nations peoples into a confederacy with their own land and government.

With Americans pushing aboriginal people off their lands to the south, Tecumseh and his supporters agreed to join the British and Canadian side during the War of 1812. British troops in North America were stretched and the participation of native warriors was a key to defending the country that would later be Canada.

“There’s no question that the role of native warriors in the southwest corner of Upper Canada, at Queenston Heights and throughout the War of 1812 is absolutely critical. They were indispensible,” says James Laxer, a political science professor at York University.

As Canada marks 200 years since the conflict, there are efforts underway to draw attention to First Nations involvement, which is too often ignored, CBC’s Deana Sumanac reports.

At Fort York, the garrison used to defend the tiny town of York, which later became Toronto, an art installation is telling the stories of natives involved with the war. The Encampment gathered 200 stories of people of all backgrounds and stations in life who were affected by the war and asked artists to create installations based on those stories.

Each exhibit is installed in a tent and the tents fill the grounds of the old fort. More than 30 stories are about aboriginal men and women.

Contributing artist Sarena Johnson, who is of Cree and Ojibway background, devoted her tent to the story of Tecumseh’s second in command, Stiahta, also known as Roundhead. (Source: CBC News) 

 

Thursday August 7, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday August 7, 2008 About those U.S. cyclists with gas masks American athletes arriving to compete at the 2008 Olympics and wearing protective masks inside the Beijing airport they wereÊacting like jerks. Yeah, no kidding, the air in Beijing is worth complaining about. These are athletes at the peak of their conditioning. But they can't endure the air inside a building? While they're walking,Êrather than running or breathing hard? And for the few minutes it would take to get past all the photographers and into theÊprivacy of their buses or cars? But complaints should come in the context of realizing that Chinese officials, companies, and citizens actually have done quiteÊa lot to try to cope with the problem (details here) -- and that it's sad in many ways, rather than contemptible, that the first viewÊthe world's TV audience will have of spiffed-up Beijing will be of the opaque gray-brown skies. Unless, of course, there's aÊbig cleansing wind out of Mongolia right now. It's embarrassing enough for the Chinese hosts that the air looks so bad. It's tasteless, prissy, and showboating for visitors toÊrub it in this way. (Again, I'm talking about wearing the masks inside, in front of cameras, while standing around -- notÊsensible precautions for training.) (Source: The Atlantic)Êhttp://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2008/08/about-those-us-cyclists-with-gas-masks/8658/ International, China, Beijing, Summer, Olympic, games, restrictions, freedom, USA, ugly, Americans, obnoxious, rude, demanding, media, complaining

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 7, 2008

About those U.S. cyclists with gas masks

American athletes arriving to compete at the 2008 Olympics and wearing protective masks inside the Beijing airport they were acting like jerks.

Yeah, no kidding, the air in Beijing is worth complaining about.

These are athletes at the peak of their conditioning. But they can’t endure the air inside a building? While they’re walking, rather than running or breathing hard? And for the few minutes it would take to get past all the photographers and into the privacy of their buses or cars?

But complaints should come in the context of realizing that Chinese officials, companies, and citizens actually have done quite a lot to try to cope with the problem (details here) — and that it’s sad in many ways, rather than contemptible, that the first view the world’s TV audience will have of spiffed-up Beijing will be of the opaque gray-brown skies. Unless, of course, there’s a big cleansing wind out of Mongolia right now.

It’s embarrassing enough for the Chinese hosts that the air looks so bad. It’s tasteless, prissy, and showboating for visitors to rub it in this way. (Again, I’m talking about wearing the masks inside, in front of cameras, while standing around — not sensible precautions for training.) (Source: The Atlantic)