Black Coffee Poet Review on Broken Arrow 2: Our Footprints: Journeys On The Red Road

h1 class="entry-title" INTERVIEWS WITH BROKEN ARROW 2 CONTRIBUTORS TRISTAN span data-scayt_word="MARTELL" data-scaytid="1"MARTELL/span AND RYAN span data-scayt_word="RAINVILLE" data-scaytid="2"RAINVILLE/span + ARTWORK FROM BROKEN ARROW 2: OUR FOOTPRINTS: JOURNEYS ON THE REDnbsp;ROAD/h1 p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/tristan-martell-head-shot.jpg"img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3249" height="300" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/tristan-martell-head-shot-e1323885680719.jpg?w=256h=300" title="Tristan Martell head shot" width="256" //aTristan span data-scayt_word="Martell" data-scaytid="3"Martell/span is from span data-scayt_word="Waterhen" data-scaytid="4"Waterhen/span Lake First Nations Saskatchewan. He is Cree and Cambodian mix and identifies himself as Cree heritage. He is a B-boy (span data-scayt_word="breakdancer" data-scaytid="5"breakdancer/span), span data-scayt_word="Powow" data-scaytid="6"Powow/span span data-scayt_word="Grassdancer" data-scaytid="7"Grassdancer/span, youth worker , and is anbsp;spiritual student of indigenous knowledge. He plans to continue his studies in theology, indigenous based healing and addictions counselor specifically for Native, Inuit, span data-scayt_word="Metis" data-scaytid="8"Metis/span youth./p p span data-scayt_word="Martell’s" data-scaytid="9"Martellrsquo;s/span poems and artwork appear in ema href="http://blackcoffeepoet.com/2011/12/12/broken-arrow-2-our-footprints-journeys-on-the-red-road/"Broken Arrow 2: Our Footprints: Journeys On The Red Road/a/ema href="http://blackcoffeepoet.com/2011/12/12/broken-arrow-2-our-footprints-journeys-on-the-red-road/"./a/p p strongemArtwork featured throughout the interviews originally appears in Broken Arrow 2: Our Footprints: Journeys On The Red Road/em/strong/p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="10"BCP/span:/strong Why a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.com/2011/12/16/broken-arrow-2-poets-tristan-martell-and-ryan-rainville-read-their-poems-tomahawk-time-action-double-standard/"poetry/a?/p p strongTM:/strong I grew up in Edmonton Alberta and span data-scayt_word="Hiphop" data-scaytid="12"Hiphop/span was the outlet for many friends that were struggling with various scenarios like identity , racism, classism, addiction. I was inspired on how they coped and had a great sense of humor on some of there tracks. Slam poetry is the cousin of rapping./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="11"BCP/span:/strong What is your process?/p p strongTM:/strong I inspire on spiritual teachings that Irsquo;ve learned from elders, sages, indigenous healers, whatever the medicine needs to be said I clarify in a modern way./p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-sweatlodge-painting.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3256" height="220" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-sweatlodge-painting-e1323887143999.jpg?w=300h=220" title="Broken Arrow 2 Sweatlodge Painting" width="300" //a/p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="14"BCP/span:/strong How long have you been writing poetry?/p p strongTM:/strong Writing poetry is a recent outlet within this year. You can say span data-scayt_word="iam" data-scaytid="19"iam/span new reciting but not new to the experience of the culture. I have studied indigenous medicine teachings for 5 years now./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="16"BCP/span:/strong Who, or what, are your influences?/p p strongTM:/strong span data-scayt_word="Mahlikah" data-scaytid="23"Mahlikah/span span data-scayt_word="Aweri" data-scaytid="24"Aweri/span from span data-scayt_word="RedSlam" data-scaytid="25"RedSlam/span collective (slam poetry) , Hawaiian elder span data-scayt_word="Kahuna" data-scaytid="26"Kahuna/span span data-scayt_word="Sachitanada" data-scaytid="27"Sachitanada/span for teachings me how to be a greatnbsp;nbsp;Native Indian, Christian , Hindu, Buddhist, a true warrior of soul.nbsp; Indigenous art activist span data-scayt_word="Tannis" data-scaytid="28"Tannis/span Nielsen for her passion to apply native sovereignty in her artwork. span data-scayt_word="HIPHOP" data-scaytid="29"HIPHOP/span and the 4 elements (span data-scayt_word="Bboying" data-scaytid="30"Bboying/span, span data-scayt_word="Graffitti" data-scaytid="31"Graffitti/span, span data-scayt_word="Djing" data-scaytid="32"Djing/span, span data-scayt_word="Mcing" data-scaytid="33"Mcing/span) is the mother ship of influence for sure./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="18"BCP/span:/strong Your poetry is experimental. What do you try to convey to your readers?/p p strongTM:/strong Pipe ceremonies was the recent one- I have had amazing teachings within the pipe ceremony. A lot has to do with teachings from my Cree culture about Spirit world and how it connects to the science of nature./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="22"BCP/span:/strong How long were you working on the poems that are featured in Broken Arrow?/p p strongTM:/strong There is 2 of them so it took took 2 days to pick and choose the heart of the message. One was very much so about ceremonies, other one was very span data-scayt_word="cartoony" data-scaytid="38"cartoony/span and inspired by the choose your own adventure books./p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-innu-art.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3258" height="300" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-innu-art-e1323887422243.jpg?w=173h=300" title="Broken Arrow 2 Innu Art" width="173" //a/p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="36"BCP/span:/strong Was writing in a group helpful to you?/p p strongTM:/strong It was a very fresh experience, it helped me connect to the ones that were studying around me./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="40"BCP/span:/strong You have visual art and poetry in Broken Arrow 2.nbsp; Does one art help with the other?/p p strongTM:/strong The art that submitted was experimental. It shows a fragment of what I feel and the medicine I span data-scayt_word="wanna" data-scaytid="46"wanna/span share./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="41"BCP/span:/strong What advice do you have for other artists out there?/p p strongTM:/strong Be real nows your time to share your medicine. I was told by my elder teacher everything you say impregnates the Universe. So mind how you go. nbsp;/p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-footprints-painting.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3253" height="300" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-footprints-painting-e1323886115418.jpg?w=277h=300" title="Broken Arrow Footprints painting" width="277" //a/p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/ryan-rainville-head-shot.jpg"img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3251" height="150" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/ryan-rainville-head-shot-e1323885851371.jpg?w=97h=150" title="Ryan Rainville head shot" width="97" //aRyan span data-scayt_word="Rainville" data-scaytid="47"Rainville/span (Cree) is a vegan anarchist who was recently sentenced in relation to resisting the imperialist ambitions of the leaders of the span data-scayt_word="G20" data-scaytid="48"G20/span states. nbsp;/p p span data-scayt_word="Rainville’s" data-scaytid="50"Rainvillersquo;s/spannbsp;poem appears innbsp;ema href="http://blackcoffeepoet.com/2011/12/12/broken-arrow-2-our-footprints-journeys-on-the-red-road/"Broken Arrow 2: Our Footprints: Journeys On The Red Road/a/ema href="http://blackcoffeepoet.com/2011/12/12/broken-arrow-2-our-footprints-journeys-on-the-red-road/"./a/p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="49"BCP/span:/strong Why a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.com/2011/12/16/broken-arrow-2-poets-tristan-martell-and-ryan-rainville-read-their-poems-tomahawk-time-action-double-standard/"poetry/a?/p p strongRR:/strong Irsquo;m not actually a poet. In class I had been asked to write a poem and had decided to give it a shot. It turns out itrsquo;d garnered more positive rapport then Irsquo;d anticipated./p p strongspan data-scayt_word="BCP" data-scaytid="52"BCP/span:/strong What was your process?/p p strongRR:/strong I felt that, given my anarchist convictions,nbsp;precluding something intellectually stimulating which I had not previously participated in would be counter productive and so therefore felt that it couldnrsquo;t hurt to attempt to flex my creative capacities./p p strongBCP:/strong Who, or what, are your influences?/p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-mother-and-child-painting.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3264" height="300" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-mother-and-child-painting-e1323888548730.jpg?w=244h=300" title="Broken Arrow 2 Mother and Child painting" width="244" //a/p p strongRR:/strong Not specific to the realm of poetry, I am heavily influenced by the radical spirit of my mother, as well as my step-father who was a revolutionary guerrilla fighter opposing the imperialist imposed war that afflicted the state of El Salvador, at the behest of the U.S. and to a lesser extent Canada (read Yves Englerrsquo;s lsquo;black book of Canadian foreign policyrsquo;, for insight on how the Canadian navy had helped assist in a destabilization campaign directed against well known and well supported revolutionary emFarabundo Marti/em). I am also influenced by my close comrade Trevor Sutherland, who is currently doing a bid held up at the West (in Toronto), for he helped me articulate my thoughts on my own experience within the walls of the KKKanadian gulags (referred to as prison)./p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-power-painting.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3260" height="300" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-power-painting-e1323887983127.jpg?w=166h=300" title="Broken Arrow 2 Power painting" width="166" //a/p p In terms of more ubiquitous authors and figures within the global revolutionary (anti-capitlist/statist) movement, I really admire cats like Malcolm X, George Jackson, Nestor Makhno, Alexander Berkman, Ed Mead, Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, Assata Shakur, Sundiata Acoli, Kuwasi Balagoon, Alprentice lsquo;Bunchyrsquo; Carter, Fred Hampton, Mark Clark, David Gilbert, Roger Clement, Leah Henderson, Alex Hundert, Mandy Hiscocks, Eric Mcdavid, Marie Mason, Daniel Mcgowan, John Africa, and Oso Blanco (Byron Chubbuck). In terms of authors I have spent alot of time readin Noam Chomsky, Ward Churchill, Nestor Makhno, Andrea Smith, Edward Said, Norman Finkelstein, Kristian Williams, Mumia Abu Jamal, Ed Herman,nbsp;and David Harvey./p p strongBCP:/strong You read more non-fiction than anything else. What are you reading now?/p p strongRR:/strong Currently I am reading emAgents of repression/em (Churchill), emOutlaws of America/em (on the history of the Weather Underground) and emCreating A Movement With Teeth/em (a historiography of the George Jackson Brigade)./p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-ed-bennett-painting.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3266" height="454" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-ed-bennett-painting-e1323889054284.jpg?w=640h=454" title="Broken Arrow 2 Ed Bennett painting" width="640" //a/p p strongBCP:/strong Can you provide a recommended anarchist reading list for people? Anarchistnbsp;poetry, perhaps?/p p strongRR:/strong Certainly:/p p emWhat is Anarchism/em (Berkman)/p p emMutual Aid/em (Kropotkin)/p p emAccumulation of freedom/em (Nocella)/p p emAnarchyrsquo;s Cossack/em (Skirda)/p p emNestor Makhnorsquo;s memoirs/em/p p emNo gods no masters/em (Guerin)/p p emHistory of Anarchism volumes 1 and 2/em (Graham)/p p strongBCP:/strong Your poetry is very political. What do you try to convey to your readers?/p p strongRR:/strong In this poem specifically my messaging is fairly clear. I want to demonstrate that the capitalist interests that propagate media coverage in Canada portray freedom fighting in another territory as being liberatory or justified, meanwhile portraying a comparable response to repression at lsquo;homersquo; as being mindless vandalism and an assault on lsquo;freedomrsquo;; a freedom which does not exist as is fed to the vast majority of the canadian states population. Living under the constraints of a representational democracy I have learned that the purpose of democracy is not to assign equal rights to every being (humyn or non-humyn animal), but rather to convince the population to consent to participation within our own subjugation and oppression within the system. That is what democracy looks like; we live in it./p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-painting-by-jason-boucher.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3268" height="630" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-painting-by-jason-boucher-e1323889480114.jpg?w=640h=630" title="Broken Arrow 2 painting by Jason Boucher" width="640" //a/p p strongBCP:/strong Poetry is not seen in political spaces as much as it should. Why do you think thatnbsp;is? Would you consider reading your poem at a rally in future?/p p strongRR:/strong I would say that radical poetry is fairly ubiquitous to those who seek it and that, although I feel itrsquo;d be great to have it lsquo;betterrsquo; represented, at least there is a solid base (from where I stand) preventing that which is radicalized from becoming co-opted and liberalized. And if I were asked to I surely would, however I am not one who enjoys the spotlight. So therefore I wouldnrsquo;t go out of my way to make myself heard at a rally./p p strongBCP:/strong How long were you working on the poem featured in Broken Arrow 2?/p p strongRR:/strong I wrote it on the spot./p p strongBCP:/strong Was writing in a group helpful to you?/p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-peace-flad-painting.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3262" height="179" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-peace-flad-painting-e1323888186727.jpg?w=300h=179" title="Broken Arrow 2 Peace Flad painting" width="300" //a/p p strongRR:/strong It did offer a sense of inclusion and community, which is great, and also offered a substantiative motivation to participate. So I would say yes./p p strongBCP:/strong What advice do you have for other political artists out there?/p p strongRR:/strong To say lsquo;politicalrsquo; in a general and abstract sense would be to incorporate opposing view points into one amorphous sphere. So what I would say is that any one who seeks to total liberation of humyn and non-humyn anaimal life, and the planet, the abolition of the patriarchal state structure, the abolition of institutionalized white supremacy, and who believes another world is possible should get involved in local struggles relevant to, not only where they live, but nbsp;the struggle against state-capitalist oppression as a whole. Anti-poverty work is fairly common and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) does a wonderful job of bringing this to the light. Furthermore, engaging in anti-white supremacy resistance, such as that exemplified by the Anti Racist Action (ARA) and the Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) networks, I would also recommend. Labor intensive reading helped, however if you prefer, there exist a plethora of audio books on the net in which one could find themselves wrapped. Anything from Co-opertaive organic food shares, to opposing police and military violence through various awareness campaigns, I believe, are necessary. Also supporting local war resisters, who have chosen to defect from the physical manifestations of white supremacist colonial imperialism, is necessary and definitely commendable. Supporting struggles from Palestine, to Chiapas (the EZLN), and resistance movements across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (to white supremacist colonial subjugation), are also fundamentally important. I would like to finish up by saying that No one is illegal and fuck prisons, borders and law and order!!!!/p p Existence is resistance!/p p a href="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-footpint.jpg"img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3271" height="227" src="http://blackcoffeepoet.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/broken-arrow-2-footpint-e1323891463625.jpg?w=300h=227" title="Broken Arrow 2 Footpint" width="300" //a/p p nbsp;/p p emJorge Antonio/em emspan data-scayt_word="Vallejos" data-scaytid="7"Vallejos/span is a mixed race, Toronto based, poet, essayist and journalist. He is the creator of blackcoffeepoet.com. His writing has appeared in span data-scayt_word="COLORLINES" data-scaytid="8"COLORLINES/span, span data-scayt_word="XTRA" data-scaytid="9"XTRA/span!, THIS Magazine, span data-scayt_word="Anishinabek" data-scaytid="10"Anishinabek/span News, Toronto Star, The Kenyon Review, and Descant. Jorge can be reached at blackcoffeepoet@gmail.com./em/p