THE DIGNITY PROJECT — 15 YEARS LATER 🧡

 THE DIGNITY PROJECT — 15 YEARS LATER 🧡

I wrote this in March 2011.

I found this old post today and honestly, it broke my heart.

Fifteen years ago, I was asking a very simple question:

Do you really believe people choose to be poor?

I wrote about single mothers struggling to survive.
People falling through the cracks.
People living on the streets.
Young people escaping abuse.
People struggling with addiction and mental illness.
Seniors who couldn't afford to live.
People living in poverty who were treated as though their circumstances were somehow their fault.

I wrote about food banks, housing, dignity, community gardens, art, empathy and the importance of simply seeing people as human beings.

I wrote:

“These people do not choose this life. They do not choose to be poor.”

That was 2011.

Now it is 2026.

And I wish I could say we solved these problems.

We didn't.

In fact, in many ways, things have become dramatically harder.

Housing costs have exploded.
Homelessness is everywhere.
Food is expensive.
People are struggling to survive.
And B.C. has now lost roughly 18,000 people to toxic drugs since the public-health emergency began in 2016.

Think about that number.

18,000 human beings.

Not statistics.

Someone's child.
Someone's brother or sister.
Someone's mother or father.
Someone's friend.
Someone who was once somebody's beautiful little baby.

And still, we hear:

“They chose it.”

Did they?

Did the abused child choose trauma?

Did the teenager who aged out of care choose homelessness?

Did the person who lost their job choose poverty?

Did the person who became sick choose illness?

Did the person who became addicted choose a toxic drug supply?

Did the senior who can no longer afford their rent choose this?

Sometimes people make choices that hurt themselves or others. Of course they do.

But a human being's worst moment should not become their identity.

And when people fall through enough cracks, eventually those cracks become a chasm.

That is what I was trying to talk about in 2011.

Dignity.

Not pity.

Not judgment.

Not pretending difficult problems don't exist.

Dignity.

Seeing the person before the problem.

Seeing the human being before the label.

And asking:

“What happened to you?”

instead of immediately asking:

“What's wrong with you?”

I still believe there is hope.

I still believe in community.

I still believe gardens can bring people together.

I still believe art can heal.

I still believe children can learn empathy.

I still believe ordinary people can create extraordinary change.

And I still believe we have to stop looking away.

Because this isn't somebody else's problem.

It is our community.
It is our province.
It is our country.
It is our humanity.

Fifteen years ago I ended my post with:

“We must be Changemakers.”

I still believe that.

Maybe now, more than ever.

🧡

Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Dignity Project — originally written March 1, 2011

Summer Pow Wow and The Last Word

 

I watched both films today — Summer Pow Wow and The Last Word — and they stayed with me in a quiet, reflective way. Not because of any single dramatic moment, but because of how familiar the emotional landscapes felt: love mixed with tension, care mixed with control, humour sitting beside sadness.

What stood out most was how both stories circled mothers and daughters, even though it was Father’s Day. That timing made it interesting — the focus drifted toward maternal relationships instead, almost as if the films were inviting a different kind of reflection about family dynamics.

In Summer Pow Wow, I saw a mother whose love expressed itself through control. She seemed to be doing everything she could to give her daughter what she never had. But in doing so, she also limited her daughter’s sense of independence. It was a difficult balance to watch unfold. I saw myself in her and it was unsettling.

I didn’t see her as a “villain,” but as someone shaped by her own history — someone trying to protect through the only tools she knew. At the same time, I could feel the daughter’s need for space, for self-definition, for something that felt like her own life.

There was sadness in that distance, because even when love is present, it doesn’t always land the way it’s intended. Sometimes care can still feel heavy.

The second film, The Last Word, brought a different tone but a similar emotional thread. Shirley MacLaine’s character was sharp, humorous, and deeply flawed in her relationships. She carried a strong sense of self that often crossed into control or self-centredness, especially in how she treated others. Yet the film also allowed her moments of vulnerability and humour that made her feel fully human rather than one-dimensional.

What struck me most was the long shadow between mother and daughter — years of resentment, misunderstanding, and emotional distance. And yet, the daughter’s life turned out successful in external terms. It raised an interesting contrast: how someone can build a full, accomplished life while still carrying unresolved emotional history.

Watching both films back to back made me reflect on how complex family relationships really are. People are rarely simply “good” or “bad.” They are shaped by what they experienced, what they lacked, and what they tried to pass on — sometimes gently, sometimes not.

What I noticed most in myself while watching was empathy for everyone involved. Not taking sides, but seeing the full picture: the mother trying to protect, the daughter trying to become herself, and the space between them where misunderstanding grows.

Both films left me with a quiet thought: that love, even when it is real, is not always enough to guarantee understanding. And sometimes the most difficult part of family life is learning how much of each other’s inner world we never fully get to see.

Reflective questions

1. Where in your own life have you seen love expressed in ways that felt more like control than care?

2. When do you find it easiest to understand someone’s behaviour, even if it hurt you or others?

3. What helps you distinguish between intention and impact in relationships?

4. Have you ever felt torn between empathy for a parent (or authority figure) and empathy for your younger self?

5. What does “independence” mean to you when it comes to family relationships?

6. How do you process long-term emotional distance while still acknowledging moments of connection?

7. What role does forgiveness play for you — is it necessary, optional, or separate from understanding?

8. Where in your life have you witnessed people repeat patterns they inherited from their own upbringing?

9. What emotions come up when you see successful people who still carry unresolved family history?

10. How do films or stories help you understand your own lived experiences differently?

Keywords

family dynamics, maternal relationships, control vs care, emotional distance, empathy, intergenerational patterns, identity formation, forgiveness, resilience, storytelling, reflection, memory, human complexity, reconciliation

#FilmReflection #EmotionalComplexity #FamilyDynamics #MotherDaughterStories #EmpathyInAction #LifeAndStorytelling #InnerReflection #HumanRelationships #HealingThroughUnderstanding #PersonalInsight

Why Do We Treat Grief Like an Inconvenience?

💔 Why Do We Treat Grief Like an Inconvenience?

Grief is the invisible backpack every one of us eventually has to carry. Yet somehow, our society treats it like a purse you should tuck neatly under your chair and get back to work by Monday morning. 🤯 It’s wild when you really think about it.

We offer weeks of support if someone is physically ill, and thank goodness for that. But for grief, the emotional hurricane 🌪️ that tears through the heart and changes everything, we get… three days? Maybe five if someone important enough dies.

What a cruel calculation.
What a frightening misunderstanding of what it means to be human. 🫀

---

In olden days, mourning was seen and acknowledged. People wore black 🖤 or tied armbands around their sleeves. The world had to notice.

Even Scarlett O’Hara hated those symbols, but they served a purpose:

They told the community:
“Someone they loved has vanished from the world.
Treat this person gently.” 🤲

---

Today, we sprint back into routines, slap on the “I’m fine!” mask 😐, and hope nobody hears the crack in our voice. Loss becomes a private battle instead of a shared human experience.

Companies hand out bereavement leave like they’re rationing emotional oxygen.

📌 Lose a parent? 3 days
📌 Lose a partner? Maybe 5
📌 Lose the piece of your heart that shaped your life?
➡️ Better get back to your emails

It’s absurd. It’s cruel.
It denies our most basic human truth:

Grief is a catastrophic illness of the soul. 💥🖤

It alters the brain.
It weakens the body.
It changes every waking moment.

And instead of support, we are asked to pretend everything is normal.

---

We cannot call ourselves a “civilized society” if we refuse to honor grief.

Empathy is our greatest human technology. 🤝
Without it, our survival as a species? Not guaranteed.

Because a world that ignores suffering… forgets how to care.

---

Maybe the world we need is one where grief is visible again. Not to wallow in sadness, but to say:

“This person is grieving.
Make space for their healing.” 🌱

Imagine if someone could wear a small symbol after a loss:
a pin 🎗️, a bracelet 📿, a ribbon 🪢.

Not a mark of pity
But a reminder to treat them with patience and gentleness.

A quiet message:

“Please walk beside me while I hurt.” 💞

---

This isn’t just nostalgia.
This is a blueprint for a kinder future.

A world where grief isn’t rushed.
Where love is honored even in its most painful form.

We can build that world
One compassionate choice at a time. 🕊️✨

When Compassion Triggers Cruelty

 Tina Winterlik: When Compassion Triggers Cruelty

(October 2025)

Yesterday, I shared a post that said, “Being homeless is a full-time job.”
It struck a chord with me — because it’s true. When someone has no home, every single thing becomes harder. Finding food, staying warm, looking for work, protecting belongings, staying safe — it’s exhausting. Survival itself becomes a full-time job.

I didn’t expect that post to stir up what it did.

A woman I knew — not very well — texted me shortly after I shared it. Then she called. She said she wanted to know if I wanted to work at a market selling nuts. I thought it was a little strange since it wasn’t even her business — she said she was calling for her boss. Something about it just felt off.

At first, I tried to be polite. But the conversation quickly took a turn I didn’t see coming. Out of nowhere, she started saying awful things about trans people — hateful, cruel, and full of judgment. She called them vicious and obsessed with sexuality. I was stunned.

It broke my heart because I’d just been talking about compassion — about understanding what people go through — and here she was, tearing down others for being themselves. I froze. I had shared personal things earlier in the conversation, and suddenly I wished I hadn’t.

The whole thing left me shaken.

This woman is 67. She told me she retired in 2019, but she’s still working. So she likely gets a full pension and still earns income — yet instead of using that privilege to lift others up, she used her time to judge and belittle. And I can’t help but wonder: why?

Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s bitterness. Maybe some people, even after a lifetime of working, can’t find peace inside themselves — so they try to control or diminish others.

It reminded me of another moment years ago. A woman I knew a long time as acquaintance, always wearing her usual purple outfits, bright and eccentric. One day, before Trump was elected, she said, “He’s not a racist.” I remember my stomach twisting even then. I pulled away and never spoke to her after that. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised this time either.

Still, I was. Because I always want to believe people can grow.

But what I learned — again — is that you can’t predict who will turn hateful when the topic shifts to something real. Some people hide their prejudice behind politeness or humor until they feel safe enough to let it spill out.

Yesterday reminded me of why empathy matters so much — and how fragile it can feel when met with cruelty. But I refuse to let that kind of energy change who I am. I’ll keep standing beside love, acceptance, and truth.

I share stories about poverty, homelessness, injustice, and human rights because I believe in connection, not division. We can’t solve anything if we’re busy attacking each other’s existence.

So to anyone reading this who has ever been dismissed, judged, or hurt just for being who you are — please know: there are still people out here who care deeply. People who see your struggle. People who want a better, kinder world.

Because the real full-time job isn’t being homeless —
It’s surviving a world that has forgotten how to care.

---

💬 Reflection Question:
When was the last time someone’s cruelty caught you off guard — and how did you keep your heart open instead of closing it?

💭 Quote to Remember:

“Stop working your shit out on other people.”
— Brené Brown

— Tina Winterlik 🌍💜

🎄✨ Don’t Ignore the Poor ✨🎄

A Modern Christmas Play for Schools

🌟 Scene 1: Opening – Chip’s Mansion (Point Grey Road, Vancouver)

EXT. POINT GREY MANSION – NIGHT
The camera opens on Chip’s lavish mansion 🏠 overlooking the ocean 🌊. The lights from the North Shore Mountains twinkle ✨ in the distance. Inside, the house is dimly lit but extravagant—spacious, beautiful, but sterile. The sound of the wind outside 🌬️ contrasts with the stillness inside.

INT. MANSION – CHIP’S OFFICE
Chip Wilson (mid-60s, athletic build, neatly dressed) sits behind a large desk. In front of him, a news report plays on a flat-screen TV 📺 with the headline: “Homeless Crisis in Vancouver Escalates.”

He barely looks at it, instead swiping on his tablet 📱 through real estate updates, investments, and luxury goods 💼.

Chip sets the tablet down and gazes out the window. Below, he sees the bike path 🚴—dark now, but in his mind, bustling with cyclists. A world he feels disconnected from.

Suddenly, his phone BUZZES 📳. A message from his PR Manager.

PR MANAGER (text):
“Chip, need a statement about the vandalism on your property. Let’s blame local activists.”

Chip (texting back):
“Yeah, just say it’s a group of radicals trying to destroy what I’ve built.”

He tosses the phone aside, takes a sip of whiskey 🥃, and stares out at the waves crashing quietly, oblivious to the rising storm in the city below.

🌟 Scene 2: DTES – Sarah and Timmy’s Tent

EXT. DTES TENT COMMUNITY – NIGHT
A stark contrast: the Downtown Eastside. Rows of tents ⛺ and tarps, dimly lit by streetlamps and flashlights. Inside one tent: SARAH (30s, thin, weary but kind), with her son TIMMY (8, pale but spirited).

Sarah holds a flashlight 🔦, reading aloud from a book.

SARAH:
“And the prince said, ‘One day, we’ll all live in a castle by the sea…’”

TIMMY (coughing 🤧):
“By the sea…like the one we saw last week?”

SARAH (smiling, brushing his hair):
“Yes, just like that. One day, we’ll have our little house by the ocean too. Just wait.”

Timmy smiles weakly 😊. Sarah forces hope, though worry lines crease her face. As he drifts to sleep, she peers outside the tent flap at others huddling in the cold ❄️.

🌟 Scene 3: Chip’s First Ghostly Visit

INT. MANSION – CHIP’S BEDROOM – LATE NIGHT
Chip sleeps in his enormous bed 🛏️. Outside, a storm rages 🌩️. He tosses and turns uneasily.

Suddenly—a RUSH of cold air 🌬️. His eyes snap open. At the foot of his bed stands the GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST 👻—a glowing young woman in old-fashioned clothes.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST:
“Chip Wilson.”

Chip (startled):
“What the—who are you?! How did you get in here?”

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST:
“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. I’m here to show you the moments that shaped you, that made you… like this.”

Chip (angrily 😠):
“Like what? What are you talking about?”

The ghost gestures silently toward the window. Chip hesitates, then follows.

EXT. CHIP’S CHILDHOOD HOME – NIGHT
The mansion vanishes. In its place: a small, modest house 🏚️.

A 10-year-old Chip beams as his exhausted mother hands him a small, worn toy 🧸 for Christmas.

YOUNG CHIP:
“Thanks, Mom! I’ll take care of it.”

She wipes her brow, tired but smiling.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST (gently):
“Do you remember how hard she worked? How you once treasured even the smallest things?”

Chip stares, wordless, shaken.

🌟 Scene 4: The Ghost of Christmas Present – Sarah and Timmy

INT. MANSION – CHIP’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Chip paces nervously. Suddenly, the GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT 👻 (a robust, middle-aged man with a serious kindness) appears.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:
“Look around you, Chip. This is the present. This is your city.”

He waves his hand ✋—the room dissolves into Sarah and Timmy’s tent.

EXT. DTES – TENT – NIGHT
Sarah hugs Timmy tighter as he coughs again 🤒. She rubs his back, whispering comfort.

Chip (defensive 😤):
“What am I supposed to do? Poverty always exists. It’s not my fault!”

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:
“You built your empire while ignoring it. You looked away. They don’t have that luxury.”

Timmy coughs harder, and Chip flinches, seeing his own boyhood reflected. His face softens, guilt creeping in.

🌟 Scene 5: The Ghost of Christmas Future

EXT. POINT GREY ROAD – FUTURE
A silent, cloaked ghost looms—the GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE 👻.

The stage is bleak and dark ⚫. Vancouver lies divided: gated communities 🏰 for the ultra-rich, while outside, the poor wander in despair. Roads are empty. Bike paths abandoned.

Chip (horrified 😱):
“No… this can’t be. Not my city. Please! Tell me it’s not too late!”

The ghost points silently. Chip falls to his knees 🙏.

🌟 Scene 6: Chip’s Transformation

INT. MANSION – MORNING
Chip wakes with a start, sunlight streaming 🌞 into the room. He sits upright, breathing hard, then looks around—relieved.

Chip (overjoyed 😲):
I’m alive! It’s Christmas morning!
*(He rushes to the window, throws it open, and breathes in the fresh air 🌬️.)*
Merry Christmas, Vancouver!

🌟 Scene 7: Chip Helps Sarah and Timmy

EXT. DTES – TENT COMMUNITY – DAY
Sarah is tending to Timmy, who is coughing weakly 🤧. Suddenly, Chip appears, carrying blankets 🧣, food 🍲, and a small wooden model of a house 🏡.

Sarah (alarmed 😟):
What do you want?

Chip (gently):
Not what I want. What you need.

(He kneels, wrapping the blanket around Timmy. Sarah looks stunned.)

Chip (earnestly ❤️):
I was blind to your suffering. But no more. From this day on, I’ll build tiny homes for families like yours. Safe, warm, filled with hope.

(He holds out the little house model to Timmy.)

Timmy (smiling weakly 😊):
It’s… beautiful.

Sarah (tears in her eyes 😢):
Why now? Why help us?

Chip (looking skyward):
Because I’ve been given another chance. And I won’t waste it.

🌟 Scene 8: Community Rejoices

EXT. BIKE PATH – FUTURE VISION
Stage fills with people: children, families, volunteers. A line of tiny colourful homes 🏠🌈 appears along the bike path. Music plays softly 🎶.

Narrator:
And so, Chip Wilson transformed his life—and his city. What was once cold and empty became warm with compassion.

(Sarah and Timmy move into a tiny home. They wave happily. Chip helps hang decorations 🎄 on their little porch. The Ghosts watch from a distance, smiling.)

Narrator (closing):
This Christmas, may we all remember:

• 💖 Compassion is the greatest gift of all.
• 💖 No one should be ignored.
• 💖 Don’t ignore the poor.

(All cast join on stage, holding hands, singing a short holiday refrain or simply bowing together.)

🌟 Notes for Schools 🎭

• ✔️ Simple to stage – mansion

Has Vancouver Lost Its Heart

Has Vancouver Lost Its Heart? ❤️💔🤔😢Lessons from New York and a Call for Compassion

By Tina Winterlik (Zipolita)

Yesterday, a horrifying scene unfolded on the streets of Vancouver. A man was on fire, and most passersby simply walked by. It wasn’t until someone in a car stopped that help arrived. This shocking incident has left me deeply shaken and questioning what’s happened to our sense of community.

It reminded me of the stories I once heard about New York City in the 1970s and 1980s. Back then, the city was notorious for its crime, violence, and apathy. Tales of people walking past others in need—or even ignoring cries for help—painted a grim picture of urban life. But then, supposedly, things got better. Initiatives to reduce crime and foster community pride were credited with turning the tide.

Has Vancouver reached that same breaking point now? And if so, can we learn from New York’s transformation?

The Cold Reality of Vancouver Today

Over the years, Vancouver has changed dramatically. What was once a city known for its beauty and community spirit has become cold and detached. Fear, apathy, and division now seem to define our interactions.

This detachment has many layers. The COVID-19 pandemic created a culture of isolation and mistrust. Social interactions became tinged with fear, and even as restrictions eased, the scars of those years remain.

At the same time, the city’s extreme inequality and housing crisis have created visible suffering. Poverty, addiction, and mental health struggles are everywhere, and many residents feel overwhelmed or unsure how to help.

For newcomers, the challenges are different. Fear of racism or distrust of authorities may keep some from getting involved. Even though Vancouver’s police force is now more diverse, the history of misconduct still looms large, especially for those who are racialized.

And then there are policies that, while designed to protect, inadvertently create more disconnect. For example, bus drivers—who have faced violent attacks—are now instructed to avoid engaging directly with passed-out passengers. This combination of fear, apathy, and systemic breakdown has made Vancouver feel colder and more divided than ever before.

What Can We Learn from New York?

New York’s transformation was far from perfect, but it offers lessons. Community-focused initiatives, neighborhood policing, and increased civic engagement helped shift the culture. People began to reclaim their streets and rebuild trust in one another.

Vancouver now faces a similar choice. Do we accept this growing indifference, or do we act to create a city where no one is left behind?

Rebuilding Vancouver’s Compassion

One of the best ways to heal a community is through connection, and art, gardening, and shared meals are powerful tools for bringing people together. Here are some ideas to foster empathy and rebuild trust in Vancouver:

1. Community Art Projects:

Organize murals or public art installations that reflect local stories and cultures.

Host art workshops in parks or community centers to bring people together to create and connect.

Support initiatives like street performers or pop-up galleries that celebrate the city's diversity.

2. Gardening for Connection:

Create more community gardens where residents can grow food, share knowledge, and build friendships.

Incorporate gardening into schools, encouraging young people to learn about sustainability while connecting with neighbours.

Host gardening days where people come together to beautify neglected spaces.

3. Soup Kitchens and Food Programs:

Establish more community kitchens where people can cook and eat together, breaking down barriers through shared meals.

Encourage restaurants and grocery stores to donate surplus food to local programs.

Organize "soup nights" where neighbors gather to cook, share, and connect.

4. Skill-Sharing and Volunteering:

Start free workshops where people can teach each other skills like sewing, cooking, or repairing household items.

Partner with local businesses to sponsor volunteer days focused on helping the unhoused or cleaning up public spaces.

5. Storytelling Events:

Host storytelling nights where residents can share their experiences, building empathy and understanding across diverse groups.

Create spaces for newcomers to share their journeys and connect with long-time residents.

6. Youth-Led Initiatives:

Encourage young people to lead projects like clothing drives, tree-planting events, or community cleanups.

Provide mentorship programs that teach youth about leadership and compassion.

A Call to Action

Vancouver has the potential to turn things around, but it requires all of us to step up. Let’s rebuild our city by fostering connection, compassion, and care. Whether it’s through art, a shared garden, or a simple act of kindness, we can make a difference.

This city is our shared home. Together, we can ensure that Vancouver becomes a place where no one is ignored, and everyone feels they belongs

Choose Love-Be a Good Neighbour!

 I saw a disturbing post about the world being on the brink of nuclear war and Nazi's in the streets....sound familiar...only this wasn't in the past ...it's right now...this weekend.

STOP!! Right now....
Look at the state of the world and think well about the future you want for yourself, your families and those you love.

Do not let history repeat. Practice love. Teach Love! Love yourself, your family, your neighbour, love the differences. Never embrace hate, greed or ignorance or this will be our fate. Watch this film from 1952.. it was made 10 years before I was born. I saw it in grade 5. It was shocking and imprinted deeply...but it would take years before I realized it.

Warning: violence - not suitable for young children or those triggered by violence.



Related Links
https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2016/06/love-thy-neighbour.html
https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2016/06/listen-humanity-speech.html
https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2015/11/have-you-heard-of-peace-prayer-flag.html

Beatles - All You Need Is Love from SimDo on Vimeo.

The Beatles Lyrics
"All You Need Is Love"

Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love

There's nothing you can do that can't be done
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy

Nothing you can make that can't be made
No one you can save that can't be saved
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It's easy

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

Nothing you can know that isn't known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
It's easy

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

All you need is love (All together, now!)
All you need is love (Everybody!)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Yee-hai! (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)

Yesterday (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Love is all you need (Love is all you need)
Oh yeah! (Love is all you need)
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah (Love is all you need)
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah (Love is all you need)

Ryan McMahon - Dear Canada- Podcast & More

"There are MASSIVE, fundamental gaps in knowledge, understanding & commitment to making this place better than it is. Fundamentally, most people do not have a grasp of basic Canadian history. Hell. Who wrote the text books you learned about Confederation and the settling of Canada? Likely, dead White Dudes."  http://www.rmcomedy.com/blog/canada-statement-of-facts
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, I can totally relate to the first speaker. Please listen to the podcast. Powerful words.

*The second speaker is so ignorant on the truth, these opinions are so hurtful, they make me want scream and cry and vomit.... I wish she would read the Survivor's Speak
http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Survivors_Speak_2015_05_30_web_o.pdf


*That awful guilty paralysis of wondering "what can we do?"

*I love what the caller said about a "broken heart" and the empathy is needed and a deep look at yourself.


 *Inside the circle and Outside the circle conversations.. crooked Chiefs"

"No Drinking Water" how is the possible in this day and age in so called "Canada"

Look at the root of the problem-
"Important point about what happens when youth must leave their communities that makes them vulnerable  to gangs. "

"Poverty breeds poverty. "

How do you break out a bad situation?
How do you escape /survivor the intergenerational abuses.

One practical thing we can do is to follow the TRC and look at the 94 calls of action
The TRC was paid for by Residential School Survivors.

Side Note: After I read some of Survivor's Speak..which was also the week honoring the Missing and Murdered Indigenous women I painted a painting called "Tail of Tears" I painted it to help vent some of the pain that I felt for the Residential School Survivor's and all Indigenous peoples, for all the INJUSTICES they have suffered...for the 125 year war on children and so much more.  https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/10/tail-of-tears-painting.html

I totally relate to the caller "asking what we can do? "
I believe our Carving for Reconciliation program
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/ 
this program as difficult as it was, has helped me a lot and but truthfully we have so much work to do and we must educate everyone....because so many still don't know and there are so many unhealthy people.

Oh my gosh, that guy talking about the plan to unite Indigenous & Federal Gov. I hope he reads the links and info here and takes a course like the one  I took.  It wasn't perfect, it didn't have all the answers but I believe it was the start of something very special. I am grateful for all the experiences good and bad. Since I completed my course I reached out to my daughter's school and her Social's teacher was very nice and invited me in to talk about it and soon I hope to meet with the principal who responded that she would like to discuss this in more detail. See links below too. Read this blog

I think that is a big part. Justin Wilson was challenge by another collegue on what were they doing about Reconciliation. So that is what I did. I took the course and I am in a constant state of learning and I challenged my daughter's teacher to do something in regards to Reconciliation. He is willing. That's a great start. It's a starting place, I think we need to challenge people...to take action. 

Photography by Angel Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

The Chiefs of Ontario- have a plan  http://www.chiefs-of-ontario.org/

This is a side note but look at this in how people were treated in regards to treaties...
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2017/03/oregons-broken-treaties-kalapuya-grande.html 

other good info
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/mistreatment-then-now.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/listen-to-sharon-venne-speak-about.html


LAND- STOLEN LANDS!!!! and how that affects EVERYTHING today!

"We Need You to Save Our Lives!" #VoteABC
 https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2017/05/we-need-you-to-save-our-lives-voteabc.html

 

 Reposted from http://www.rmcomedy.com/blog/canada-statement-of-facts

SOME LIGHT READING

Read the Indian Act. Seriously. It's hilarious. It's a good place to start. From there, you'll see the deep seeded racism shine through the text. If it helps, imagine Kevin Spacey, or Sir Ben Kingsley or Keanu Reeves dressed up in pre-confederation garb, close your eyes and imagine them it reading out loud! http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_indian_act/

You can read the White Paper - a terrible policy paper from 1969 that then Minister of Indian Affairs, Jean Chretien, proposed to eliminate Indian Status (and the rights therein), assimilate Indians into the body politic and complete the wholesale theft of Indigenous lands & territories by adopting fee simple/private land ownership and extinguish lands held in reserve (AKA - extinguish Aboriginal Title). http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100010189/1100100010191

You can dig into the Red Paper , https://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/aps/article/view/11690/8926  or the Citizens Plus document, the ground breaking document created by a group of great Indigenous thinkers, community leaders, philosophers and political leaders in 1970. The document fundamentally outlines the opposition to colonial rule and the top down Government approach Canada takes with Indigenous Peoples. Here's the summary - it's a quick read.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150302042148/http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/_textpopups/aboriginals/doc75_e.html


You can read the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. A ROYAL COMMISSION. This is in reference to your Queen, Canada. It doesn't get much bigger than this - a ROYAL commission. It's 4000 pages long but it essentially gives you the truth behind the country, it gives answers and solutions, it provides a framework on a pathway forward. https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/handle/1974/6874

Or. Maybe read the Kelowna Accord. Again, it was an exhaustive effort to come to an agreement on a framework in which to move forward with in Canada. It costs millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of negotiations, meetings and best practices to come up with the plan. Ultimately, Harper's Conservative Government squashed it, and opportunity was lost. BUT. It was a plan. It was a plan that Canadian's forget exists when they talk about the impossibility of moving forward in 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelowna_Accord

Thumb through UNDRIP. Implementation of UNDRIP in Canada would mean constitutional talks (which we need anyway, if we're going to make things right in Canada) and it'd essentially the mean the end of the Big White Daddy attitude the government holds towards Indigenous Peoples. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf

You could peruse the thousands of pages of documents that the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada has gifted us! Maybe start with the Summary Report for overall context, or read the words of Survivors themselves, or, hit the 94 Calls To Action to understand the work that your children, their children and their children's children will be undertaking in the next 100 years. http://ipolitics.ca/2016/01/12/unpacking-undrip-how-trudeau-could-take-crownfirst-nations-law-into-uncharted-waters/

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Related Links
TRC website   http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=905
https://www.facebook.com/National-Centre-for-Truth-and-Reconciliation-933534973335967/ 
TRC Summary
http://nctr.ca/assets/reports/Final%20Reports/Executive_Summary_English_Web.pdf
Words of the Survivors http://nctr.ca/assets/reports/Final%20Reports/Survivors_Speak_English_Web.pdf 
94 Calls to Action http://nctr.ca/assets/reports/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/RyanMichaelMcMahon
https://twitter.com/RMLpodcast
redmanlaughing.com 
https://twitter.com/SFTLpodcast 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/programs/ontariotoday

Here's a few photos from the Carving 4 Reconciliation class that I participated at Langara College in Vancouver  from Sept 2016 to April 2017
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2017/04/photos-from-langara-pop-grad-carving-4.html 

https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2017/04/ceremony-passing-panels-responisibility.html

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

 

Design by Aaron Nelson Moody Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

The Snowy Day & the blues...

Hi Everyone,
How are you?

Can I tell you something? I am having a blue day. It's getting better now, I went for a walk and had a good talk with friend so that helped.

I was trying to figure out how I got to this place. It was a lot of things accumulating and then today it burst open with lots of tears and (if I am honest) some yelling.

Like I said the walk helped. I took lots of photos and made you a video. I like sharing so that helps.

I do this weird thing when I am sad. I don't even really realize it, it's almost subconcious. It is this sound. I call it "wounded kitty".  It's this sad sort of meow. And it comes out without me even realizing it. It's like a sigh but this "meeoooowwwwwww"  but there's more of a "muuurrrooowwww" sound.

Well like I said, feeling a bit better. Made some comfort food and we are all snuggled in while the snow falls outside.




Saw the tree on my walk. Heavy wet snow is hard on big trees. My friend in the valley has no power. So grateful we do.



Missed my class yesterday so maybe that's why I was feeling disappointed.



Really wanted to go to this...partly why I was sad.



Here's some photos from my walk that I took to cheer myself up.

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

Saw this post this morning and found it very appropriate for today.



I am sure that all the bad energy in the world right now has a lot to do with how I feel. I sure like this cartoon. Art is so great for expressing oneself and waking up others.









I like Benjamin's post, helps me get perspective!




I hope you are well and have a happy day!

What do you do when you get blue?

Are you highly sensitive. I know I am. Good to understand why you feel and act as you do.
16 Habits Of Highly Sensitive People


I watched these videos this morning. I found them helpful.
I hope you do too!







Well we need some happiness, here's a little song that might help!

What the World Needs Now...

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last 'till the end of time

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh, listen, lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for ever, every, everyone

What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)
What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)
What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)


Songwriters BURT BACHARACH, HAL DAVID Read more: Jackie Deshannon - What The World Needs Now Is Love Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Videos that will Brighten Your Day!!

Are you struggling with something right now. I just watched these powerful videos and they are so beautiful, inspiring and full of wisdom. I hope they help you.

Sending out love and light!

photo by Alan Light

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Empathy and Fort McMurray

I must say I was shocked that people would even mention "climate change" during the horrifying exodus of the city of Fort McMurray. (And I am always on about that...)

For 4 days now... 4 or more...I have been sharing tweets and info on the #FortMacFire

It started when I saw this tweet,  then saw her other tweets and was trying to figure out if it was real.

Flames across the highway 😔 #ymm pic.twitter.com/YqQ1SwZW4d

— Kimberlee Clemens (@BloomKimberlee) May 3, 2016

All the other news stations reports were from earlier in the day and I was suddenly not sure if I should retweet it and at the same time feeling the shock, terror and grief of  of Kimberlee leaving.

I started following all the tweets, you can see here and the horror of the day was revealing itself quickly as people shared photos and tweets that the news was not even aware of yet. 
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2016/05/fort-mcmurray-evacuating-ymm-ymmfire.html

Pics I took just before this campground burnt to the ground 😔#ymm pic.twitter.com/yW4RKXlArL

— Kimberlee Clemens (@BloomKimberlee) May 3, 2016

My poor city before the flames reached it 😔 #ymm pic.twitter.com/8qWqgzLFIS

— Kimberlee Clemens (@BloomKimberlee) May 3, 2016

After seeing these and searching other sites the realization of what was taking place was overwhelming. While I had the option, to get up, step away from the computer, eat something, use the bathroom, make some tea....horrors were happening.

It was too much. At points in the evening I broke into tears as I watched tweet after tweet telling us and showing the insanity and terror of the situation.

Perhaps if you just saw the photos after, you could be sort of numbed by the inferno that raged in the city and against the desperate people racing to escape...

But if you say anything at this time against these people and their apocalyptic reality, then I am sorry to inform you, but it's about time that someone obviously did, but you lack empathy. You need to watch the videos below.

Please friends text me when you are safe very worried haven't heard from some of you ❤️❤️❤️#ymm

— Kimberlee Clemens (@BloomKimberlee) May 3, 2016

So this is terrifying. She's trying to flee the flames in Fort Mac pic.twitter.com/jzboxQOI9t

— David Cochrane (@CochraneCBC) May 3, 2016

"@jstuffcocrimlaw: My harrowing drive evacuating #ymm praying for my friends pic.twitter.com/ngiFG8gFto" Couldn't imagine, be safe.

— Robert Rafuse (@RobRafuse) May 3, 2016

Let me just say that while I am no expert on Karma, I don't believe it works that way.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/05/fort-mcmurray-fire_n_9851942.html

Two, people who are enlightened would never speak such things. Three and this is the weird thing that I wanted to mention.... did we make it happen.



Did the collective minds of the world, send such negativity to the place ....did it create the turbulence of nature...and if we did then it's time to meditate and shut that fire down with lots and lots of rain.




I'm not saying we wished harm to these beautiful souls but just that a collective minds we wished that Tarsands to not be there... we had all seen so much negativity about it, ...and that's just me, the Aquarius...


And the last point I wanted make, if you have ever been through a fire, then you will have huge empathy for these poor souls who have lost everything and will be traumatized for years. Seriously, they are going to need a lot of help.

My sweetie's well worded account of his time at #ymmfire Holy hell. #ymmstrong #FortMacFire pic.twitter.com/Itf6QoZ99e

— Jessica Evans (@westofjess) May 6, 2016

Through tears and with a heavy but grateful heart, I wrote it out. This is my story of #ymmfire #ymm https://t.co/fvhaxCxON3

— Theresa E Wells (@McMurrayMusings) May 5, 2016

FOUND HORSE WAS NOT MYA. MYA AND PESO STILL MISSING #ymmfire #ymmhelps #FortMacFire #AlbertaStrong pic.twitter.com/t2C0bunY4r

— TiggyCat (@KatyaBella) May 6, 2016

Reading these triggered old memories of the fire in Zipolite, Mexico, running down the street, no shoes, terrified that I was almost trapped in a court yard because the fire was in the palapa across the street, and hot embers were about to rain down (it would burn straight back...burn the whole town...or so I thought in the chaos of it all. )

I was confused standing at the end of the street, thinking I need to go back for my stuff but it was all about to go...and the other tourists standing there with me, with nothing on their backs. Later meeting the locals who lost all as the cars gas tanks and propane tanks would explode and the wind would whip the flames higher and more voracious. Wind- it's the bad guy in the fire.


You don't forget that kind of thing and every little fire experience will trigger you, some more than others. Every time you smell smoke, you will be at attention, and I didn't have insurance, so I never had anything replaced. I lost a lot of material things, that's the important thing right, I wasn't burned, I didn't die. Still the sense of loss, the grief will haunt you for a very long time. I have great empathy for all the children, their mommies and daddies, the grandparents, the animals, everyone and everything.
http://zipolitefire2001.blogspot.ca/

Fire in Zipolite 2001

http://zipolitefire2001.blogspot.ca/

So anyone to even consider anything other than love, compassion and understanding at this fragile and mind-numbing time, really needs to study up and practice empathy. 

Just to note, not all can...learn it, some sociopaths lack the capacity.
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2015/06/whos-sociopath-and-how-to-protect.html

And for people like Kimberlee, where is the help, can the RED CROSS reach out to Kimberlee.

@redcrosscanada   

Has anyone even heard from Red Cross I've met hundreds here that haven't and are getting scared ? #ymm #yeg #ymmfire #notcoolgiveushope

— Kimberlee Clemens (@BloomKimberlee) May 6, 2016

Where is it ? https://t.co/nYAFQC71bT

— Kimberlee Clemens (@BloomKimberlee) May 6, 2016

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

http://lesliefieger.ca/bytes/b-roll/revolution/#prettyPhoto/0/

https://www.google.ca/search?q=revolution&biw=1525&bih=736&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiil_fZ-vjLAhWJW5QKHdxDBPM4FBD8BQgHKAI&dpr=0.9#tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACRH873m0o5QEIjhEj0eMVlWSpQaYZIg-J76hgrNxI4ByjY_1BAUWdUV2wKahi6-BFHT0F5g6ww92RwX47snJV8atnqioSCUSPR4xWVZKlEQnqfCxSTFOQKhIJBphkiD4nvqERp7K0hRq8af4qEgmCs3EjgHKNjxHA5N990ka36yoSCcEBRZ1RXbApEWE-sfw_1FOBaKhIJqGLr4EUdPQUREMacU86aQjAqEgnmDrDD3ZHBfhH5yKhk8CvieCoSCTuyclXxq2eqEYoWuGc-ECh3&q=revolution

Why The Revolution Will Not Be Televised









http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2014/01/we-shall-overcome-we-will-walk-hand-in.html

CONGRATULATIONS @BernieSanders winner of #WisconsinPrimary !
Shhhhh, don't tell @CNN ! #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/mr00H3lfha

— CaliforniaForBernie (@VirginiaInCal) April 6, 2016

Occupy CNN: Why The Revolution Will Not Be Televised https://t.co/LKTg2iwaYM via @theyoungturks @berniesanders I guess CNN was unaware

— James Scott (@Jscott1145) April 6, 2016

@TweetingYarnie @maryaliceparks @BernieSanders From CNN seconds ago pic.twitter.com/fW6gMCTrQr

— James Scott (@Jscott1145) April 6, 2016

"When has Hillary ever been swayed by big money interest" #ApoligizeForWhat #Bernie2016 pic.twitter.com/zw5tDEliyb

— A Teen 4 Bernie (@TeenForBernie) April 2, 2016

How the #PanamaPapers could hand @BernieSanders the keys to the White House https://t.co/0NC3aBtzHi #WIPrimary #FeelTheBern #Bernie2016

— Tommie Sunshine (@tommiesunshine) April 5, 2016

Way to #FeelTheBern & #Vote4Bernie #Wisconsin!!! #WIPrimary #NewYorkCity #Philadelphia #Pittsburgh #PAPrimary #NYC pic.twitter.com/wBl9Yw3BdL

— Teabar.com (@MAHAMOSA) April 6, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised