Mary Lawrence

Socials
September 12, 2016
Current Events Assignment
1) What is the article you chose? Briefly summarize the article.
For this assignment, I chose an article titled A Tribe Called Red DJ: standing
for national anthem doesnt make any sense by Liam Britten. It was
published on August 31, 2016, on CBC.com. In this article, DJ Bear Witness, a
producer with the band A Tribe Called Red, discusses why he was not raised
to stand during the national anthem. He elaborates by explaining that he felt
a disconnect between his Nation (Haudenosaunee) and the nations of North
America, because [hes] from a nation that was a sovereign nation before
this country was colonized. The topic and controversy surrounding standing
for the national anthem began with football player Colin Kaepernik, who
remained seated during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner before a
game in order to protest police brutality against Black Americans. DJ Bear
Witness adds that because North America is based on the exploitation of
Indigenous people and people of colour, any challenge to that foundation is
calling into question the things this country is based on, which explains the
reaction of the public in the wake of Kaeperniks protest.
2) When and where is this news taking place? Who is affected?
While A Tribe Called Red is from Canada, the story that DJ Bear Witness is
commenting on occurred in the United States. Similarly, the concerns about
police brutality are often seen as an American problem, despite many
Canadian organizations who work to demonstrate that this is also a Canadian
problem. This is a continuing news story, as many other sports players have
been following the example of Kaepernik (for example, Marcus Peters, who
raised his fist throughout the anthem). Similarly, the issue of police brutality
against people of colour remains a serious and deadly concern.
3) Your thoughts: Why did you choose to share this news with the class? Why
do you think it is important for us to know about it? Do you have any
thoughts you would like to share? Any questions? Reactions? Connections?
I chose this article for many reasons, mainly my personal interest in protest
and social activism (but also because I really like A Tribe Called Red). Its
important to understand the realities that those around us experience,
especially if we do not share those experiences. Sometimes, these types of
news stories seen very disconnected from us, but its important to remember
that the root causes are ever-present. However, while prejudice and racism
are visible in most communities, from New York to Mackenzie, this article

highlights that resisting those forces can come from the simplest action. I
found the support in this article similarly important. While DJ Bear Witness
comes from a vastly difference background than Kaepernik, and has a vastly
different set of experiences, he reaches out to support Kaepernik in his
actions. In my research, I found a page on the Black Lives Matter website that
discussed their support of Indigenous folks in North Dakota who are
protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline due to environmental concerns. BLM
writes:
The Indigenous peoples leading this work have traveled from towns and
reservations from all over the country, representing over seventy Nations and
making this the largest gathering of Indigenous Nations since 1973. This is a
critical moment in our history, where we must decide if we want to stand
together for our collective wellbeing or ignore what is happening the further
corruption of our water sources and the intentional disregard of the treaty
rights and self-determination of Indigenous folks in North Dakota.
What stood out the most to me in exploring these articles was the innate
understanding that improving the lives of our most vulnerable, our most
exploited, improves the lives of all.
4) Bibliography: Where did you get your information?
A Tribe Called Red DJ: standing for the national anthem doesnt mke any
sense by Liam Britten. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tribecalled-red-anthem-1.3743624
Chief puts spin on Kaeperniks national anthem movement by Mark Sanchez.
http://nypost.com/2016/09/11/chief-puts-spin-on-kaepernicks-national-anthemmovement/
Solidarity with Standing Rock http://blacklivesmatter.com/solidarity-withstanding-rock/