Layout made byGrowing up, I used to watch my father spend each evening ensconced in his armchair, reading his latest acquisition from the local library. It wasn’t long until at the age of seven, I could read a full paperback by myself, without pictures! My love for reading grew and matured as I did, and I can probably say I’ve read thousands of books to date. My love for the written word and verse has turned me into a self-professed linguaphile, a lover of words.During my 20 year career in sales and corporate business management, I also found an affinity for business correspondence and legal documents. My tenacity at finding and utilizing the perfect word, the correct terminology led me down roads I never could have anticipated. Having to end my career short of my goal of President due to illness, seemed a anchor around my neck at that time. Yet, almost 3 years later, I can appreciate the options and avenues it has brought to my life.During my teenage years, I wrote much poetry (some good, and some very, very bad!) and songs, but as the years progressed my life and career took over, and I stopped writing. It was only in this last year that I picked up my pen and tablet and commenced writing again. I have found some success with my poetry, winning one award for Outstanding Achievement from The International Society of Poets, as well as a second award for Editor’s Choice for Outstanding Achievement from the same Society. Recently I was honoured with a Poet Fellowship from Noble House Publishers of London, England. My work has also been honoured in two hardbound poetry collections, one published this year (Centres of Expression – Noble House of London, England) and the second being released in 2008, (Immortal Verses - Noble House of London, England).Having recently re-located to Victoria, B.C., I am currently doing research for a book I hope to get published, regarding a little known period of Canadian and Aboriginal history, so named the 60’s Scoop.During the 1960’s to the mid 80’s, the Canadian Child Welfare System and the Canadian Government put into place a program wherein they removed, and in some instances outright kidnapped, over 11,000 Aboriginal children from their homes and their communities, citing the need to “save†these children from poverty, abuse and mistreatment due to their view of the “inferiority†of the native people’s ways and culture. Over 70% were adopted into non-native families, with a large majority of those children “loosing†their status as a result of the omission of their status on their adoption records. The irony being that these children who ceased to be Status Indians upon adoption- are now are faced with proving to the same government who took them in the first place- that they are indeed status Indians.I call out to all who read this, if you know someone who was directly or indirectly affected by this travesty, please give them my details as it is my deepest wish to reveal and bring this subject to an international light.My own personal history has been revealed to me recently, and while I am still searching, it would seem I have a direct bloodline link to...UPDATE! just when I think I've reached a impass, another road opens up. Through dogged reasearch my heritage has now been revealed as...drum role please! lol Iroquois Mohawk of Kahnawake (Caughnawaga). Through fear and ignorance, my ancestors hid this fact, and it has only been due to my dogged pursuit of my “feelings of being native†that I was able to get even this far in my research. Although I am proud to be a direct descendant of Zacharie Cloutier, a French European edifice builder, who came to New France (Quebec) Canada in 1630; my spirituality was never Catholic, my culture never naturally french. My natural understanding and kinship of Aboriginal beliefs and culture put me in a position to be ostracized and scorned in my Catholic schooling.In an effort to heal myself, and others, I am dedicating myself to this project as I start a new life on the west coast of Canada. I do support the recent Lakotah movement to seperate from the US! Come on Canada! Check it out at www.lakotafreedom.com. Support your relatives!
Took The Children Away http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpNSrqsU1eI
Pls read my blog section for the full lyrics.
