Buffy and the Olympics

I apologize for my reactionary and angry response to finding out that Buffy St. Marie would be playing at the Olympics. Out of respect for Jim and Buffy, and for you as well, Dan, though I don't really know you, I will explain my response and post it to the comment section of my blog as well without your comments made in this e-mail out of respect for you, Dan.

I have known of Buffy's activism for years. She has done more to help Indian folks than I can imagine every accomplishing myself. That is why it was so horrifically to me to find out that she would be singing at the Olympics. Someone with her activist experience and and understanding of what has and is happening to indigenous folk, she had to have known that the Olympics are taking place on Indian land in an illegal occupation and land grab that will be felt by the indigenous there for years to come, as the land will not be relinquished after the athletes have left. I can only allege that she has this knowledge, I do not know for sure, that is true, Dan, but I cannot imagine her not knowing having learned the type of person she is. Still, there is a possibility that she didn't.

I also allege that it wasn't the activist indigenous that brought her there. With the searches
going on at the borders, with the micro management of everything anybody says, communicates, or sings at the Olympics, I can only allege that it was either the corporate owned IOC or the sell out tribal councils that brought her here. I can only imagine it was the IOC because I doubt the sell-outs would have put forth the money.

I have no idea what she did or sang on the stage last night. Again, knowing that the micromanagement of all communications at the Olympics are done only to make the Olympics look good, I can only allege that she did not speak in favor more than likely said nothing about the stolen Indian land that the Olympics is taking place upon. Thems the rules.

Here is where the pain of my angry reaction is motivated from. When someone like Buffy shows support for an organization that has illegally taken Indian land and furthers its genocide of indigenous peoples (article 2c of the UN convention specifically: imposing conditions upon life to bring about the end of a peoples in whole or in part), it has a legitimizing effect upon the populace. "A famous Indian and well known indigenous activist for decades supports the Olympics, thus the claims that Indian suffering is happening can't be all bad, if not an outright lie." It is different when council people do it because we all know most of them are sell-outs anyway. When a well know Indian rights activist for decades comes to sing at the "bone thrown" to indigenous types to get them to shut up about resisting the rule of force, aka the "Aboriginal Pavilion," to me, it is like getting kicked in the balls, my jaw broken, and both my hands smashed with a claw hammer. No matter what, she has added a tinge (at least) of legitimacy to the illegal takeover of indigenous lands and the oppression of indigenous peoples through her participation as a well known decades long indigenous activist.

I do not in any way take away from her prior work. Nor her future work. I do not know what she sang or said, but if it wasn't going to go along with the edicts of the Olympics dictatorship, all the evidence points to the fact that she would not have even been let into the country.

However, maybe she did turn coat. I'll check if I can find anything on the news.

more later, REVOLUTION NOW!

Eugene Douglas Johnson
Itsu Tapi Kuwan

PS Years ago, I also tried to interview her. After about two months of dealing with her go betweens, I finally gave up on the idea.