The Voice of my People beats strongly; the Fire in our Souls Burns Brightly.  After all, our passion for who we are is written in the Stars. All My Relations

The Song you are listening to is Thunderbird's, "Warrior's Lament for Corporal Matthew David James Dinning."  On Saturday in late April, 2006. as Thunderbird and Sandy were unloading equipment for their show at the Blyth Theatre in Blyth, ON, Corporal Dinning's hearse drove by in a somber line of cars headed to Wingham, just up the road for his burial. Corporal Dinning, Lieutenant William Turner, Bombadier Miles Mansell, Corporal Randy Payne were killed in a roadside blast near Kandahar, Afghanistan on April 22, 2006. The song came to Thunderbird in an inspirational moment as she stood on stage. She stopped the show, sang the song, Sandy quickly picked up the harmony, the audience stood, held hands and sang with them. It was a powerful, emotional moment. The song honours all Turtle Island's fallen warrior heroes. They will be in our hearts always.

Corporal Dinning's Comrades at Arms (From Left, Turner, Mansell, Payne)

THUNDERBIRD'S VISION STATEMENT

"The importance of learning about Native history and culture is not only to dispel myths, stereotypes and biases about Native people, but to also to take an ACCURATE (the web is full of inaccuracies!) look at Turtle Island's Indigenous history both pre- and post-European contact. As well, it is important to have a clear understanding of the contributions that First People continue to offer to the rich cultural diversity that IS Canada. 

Traditional teachings are as relevant today as it was in the time of my Ancestors. They are blueprints for human behaviour - they connect us to the teachers of the natural and supernatural worlds, celestial beings, plants, animals, earth, air, fire, water -- respected equals, in other words,  whose unique traits provide models for living in a "good way." There are lessons to be learned from both the secular and supernatural worlds -- to be passed down from generation to generation through songs, drumming, stories, sharing, caring, medicine wheel teachings and ceremony.

This website has not been designed to make anyone feel they must function as apologists for the mistakes of their Ancestors, but merely to cast a bright light on a people who have been neglected in Canada’s overall appreciation and understanding of its citizens. 

People should leave this site with a more informed view of the rich and vibrant Indigenous cultures that continue to exist all across Turtle Island, the heavy price that was paid to keep them alive and a renewed appreciation of the unique place of Canada’s First People in the grand scheme of things. Some pages will take courage to read to the end. If you do, I offer my respect and an honour song for your willingness to really know and understand who we are as Canada's Original Citizens."

 May Your Spirit Be Strong, All My Relations."

PRE-EUROPEAN CONTACT

& OTHER THINGS 

• Columbus Rant  (Honest Injun! It's not our fault we're called "Indian!")

• Facts and Fantasy About Turtle Island's Indigenous People  ("Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts", Pre and Post-European contact, and yes, a lot of us actually pay taxes!!)

• Indigenous History  (Off-beat and not so off-beat walk along Memory Lane: Here Come the Vikings, Here come the Missionaries, Foreign Diseases, Germ Warfare, Alcohol, That Persistent and Pesky Bering Strait Theory. Horses, Warfare and Conquering, John Wayne)

• Teaching Indigenous Studies and the Ontario Curriculum  (Culture, Spirituality, History: How it should be taught and what topics should be included)

  POST-EUROPEAN CONTACT,
POLITICS  & CONTEMPORARY ISSUES 

• Canadian Constitution  (Plus English Colonial Law, Ethnocentrism, Constitutional timeline)

• Indian Act  (Facts, Evolution, Amendments, Powers of Indian Agents, Meech Lake & Charlottetown Accords)

• Indigenous Women  (Place in society, place in ceremony, Women's Moontime, history, challenges in modern times: Bill C-31, 'Ghost People', Non-ownership of on-reserve property)

• Justice & Indigenous Rights  (What does it mean? Indigenous Nation Building, Women's Rights, Sentencing Circles, Haudenasaunne Great Law and other Interesting Facts)

• Modern 'Indian' Wars  (OKA, Ipperwash, Gustafson, Burnt Church, Caledonia)

• Residential Schools  (Canada's shame - lots on the so-called 'Apology')

• Royal Proclamation  (Where it all began...."At the Pleasure of the King....")

• Self-Government, Sovereignty and Land Claims  (Is it self-determination or sovereignty? Issues and concerns, Theft of Land, Terms and Definitions, Tribal Environment: Asserting Indigenous rights, conflict between Native and non-Native land claims, supporting traditional lifestyle)

• Thunderbird Thoughts  (Native Casinos/Gambling, What it is to be a Leader, the strength of shared Leadership)

TRIBAL SPIRITUAL BELIEFS

• Colours and Their Meanings  (Colours when combined with Nature's gifts have special meanings)

• Elder 'Speak' - In Their Own Words   (Past and Present Tribal Elders, Leaders and Traditional Teachers Speak their truths)

• Medicine Wheel Teachings  (What goes around comes around...walking the great circle of life)

• Pacific Northwest Coast  (Thunderbird's heritage: Art, Beliefs, World of the Spirit Doctor, Land of the Totems, Button Blankets, Feasts, Culture Hero Raven and more....)

• Prophecies and Teachings  (Hopi, 7 Fires (Ojibwa), Lakota, Cherokee, Onandaga, Inuit, Fiber-Optic Cable......)

• Sacred Symbols and Meanings  (Ancestors, Animals, Circle, Drums, Fire, Land, Medicine Shields, Parfleche, Pipe; Plants, Pottery, Power or Guardian Animals/Spirits; Rattles/Shakers; Sandpainting, Smudging (Sage, Cedar, Sweetgrass, Tobacco); Talking Stick; Talking Circles)

• Tribal Beliefs, Supernatural and Ceremonies  (Anishinaabe, Blackfoot Confederacy, Cree, Haudenosaunee (including Great Law), Masks, Mi'Kmaq, Plains, Smudging and the Four Sacred Plants Sweatlodge, Sun Dance, Powwow, Spirit Doctor, Universe, Visionquest, Wampum)

• Tribal Drum Teachings  (Drum is Female; Moonstone Women's Big Drum; Drum's voice; Messages from the drum, and more......)

• Tribal Spirituality  (When we are victims...Five Native Ethics, Five Native Beliefs, Respect, Spirit, Soul, Balance/Harmony, Wisdom, Healing, Sins of Spirit, Memory and Powerful Song of Divine Discontent...The Peace of Wild Things, Remembering Your Dreams, Four Agreement, and more....)

• Tribal Warriors  (Dedicated to all those historical and contemporary Warrior Heroes who continue to impact the world with their wise words and brave acts. Visionaries, Warrior Chiefs, Orators, Singers, Athletes, Dancers, Actors)

• Women and Ceremony  (Patriarchal, patently predictably pathetic!!)

TRIBAL LIFESTYLE   

• Native Contributions I  (Settlement of Canada, transportation, people, wealth, government, military service, language, sports, and on and on.......)

• Native Contributions II   (Food, Lifestyle, Medicine, Earth Wisdom, Healing properties of trees and plants)

• Protocol, Behaviour and Celebration  (General Conduct and Etiquette; Powwows: How to Behave, Grand Entry; Descriptions of Songs, Dances, Regalia; Interaction With Elders and Traditional Teachers; When money is a gift or a fee)

• Tribal Environment (Asserting Indigenous rights to hunt, trap and fish; conflict between Native and non-Native land claims; supporting traditional lifestyle)

• Tribal Infrastructures   (Gender roles, Elders)

• Tribal Housing and Transportation  (Plank House, Longhouse, Tipi, Hogan, Chickees, Brush Shelters, Adobes, Wattle, Wigwam, canoes, sleds, dogs, horses, and more......)

• Tribal Language and Cultural Groups  (Who's Who in Moccasin Country!)

• Tribal Lifestyle  (Pacific Northwest Coast, Haudenosaunee, Anishinsabe (including description of their 7-point star Clan system, Cree, Mi'Kmaq, Plains, Inuit, Warfare, Social Systems and on and on....)

HOME PAGE

VOICE@SHANNONTHUNDERBIRD.COM

Note to Gentle Readers:  Due to the almost mythical number of SPAM emails  (average: 3,000/mo),  anti-spam software has been installed - be patient and answer the question from IPermitmail; Thunderbird & Teya Peya look forward to hearing from you.