Splash Campbell Media

Gotta help Morven out lol

Victim Impact Statement delivered today, by a former classmate of mine. I can't think of anything harder to do in one's lifetime.

My dearest Yellowknife, This is a call to action. This is my home. My entire life has centred in and around this city, especially the music, arts, and cultura...l community. It’s not perfect, but it's my everything. The people who are here now, and were here before us, matter more to me than the air in my lungs. I will always try to do better for us and for them. But people don't feel safe here. They aren't safe here. That needs to change. We all know people who have victimized others. In relationships, abusive behaviours have been normalized. They are dismissed as unhealthy or incompatible; communication barriers and lapses in judgment. Too often, women, trans, and non-binary folk are left to deal with the lasting impacts of these relationships, and it is time to call those impacts what they are: trauma. Men (hashtag not all men, and not exclusively men, but enough men that you need to read this): this is YOUR problem, and your responsibility. We know that you don't think it's that bad. But it is that bad. We have normalized horrible actions and words to the point that we no longer recognize them. We need to recognize them. We can't move forward this way. This isn't a few of us. These stories are rampant. When you attend an event or big meeting, most of the women around you are on guard about something or somebody. You may not realize this. We've checked the attendance list in advance, made escape plans, arranged for friends to check in on us. This is not an overreaction. It's a trauma response. It affects most of us. And it is awful. We are at an impasse. We've done as much as we can, and have been found lacking. It's time for a new approach. One in which YOU talk to each other. In which you don't expect perfection, but a genuine commitment to do better - this time, next time, every time. In which you hold each other accountable, truly accountable. Not through cancel culture, but with active engagement and education amongst yourselves. I am calling on men in Yellowknife to create a group/coalition/organization with the goal of ending gender-based and sexual violence in all its forms. These men should be committed to: - the advocacy for, and belief and support of victims of gender-based and sexual violence; - an anti-colonialist, anti-homophobic, anti-transphobic, and anti-racist approach that incorporates traditional methods of healing and education; - an integrative educational approach to calling out actions and calling in people, including members of your group, working with them to end misogynistic and violent behaviours; - doing the ongoing internal work required to unlearn toxic behaviours, with the understanding that no person is perfect, but we can all always do better; - addressing deeply ingrained and socialized behaviours through challenging and probably uncomfortable conversations; - promoting a culture of active, enthusiastic, and ongoing consent; and - uplifting and incorporating the voices of women, trans, and non-binary folks, especially Indigenous folks and people of colour. This group should also be a resource for people who have been harmed and need a way to ensure that an abuser is being held to account, while maintaining their own safety. Victims and survivors need to know that if or when their identities become public, that people will advocate for them, on social media and during in-person interactions. People who have harmed others also need resources and support to help unpack the belief system that leads them to harm. This needs to be created with the understanding that people are not tidy, and that toxic masculinity isn't something you can unlearn in a day. This affects all of us and while it isn't necessarily your fault, it is your responsibility. I want to acknowledge that while this problem affects many of us, I hold a position of privilege in this city and in the arts community. As a longtime Yellowknifer (city dweller), a settler, and a white cis woman, I don't feel that it's my place to decide on content or approach when it comes to the healing of others. I do, however, feel a responsibility to use my platform and position to initiate this conversation, and to publicly place the workload where it belongs. While I genuinely believe that women and gender-queer folks have done enough labour on this issue, I also recognize that our input is critical to a comprehensive, whole-community approach to starting to solve this problem. For this reason, I'm holding space for both the men who want to initiate this important work, and others who want to contribute their time or voices about what this approach or group should look like. We're tired. I'm tired. I'm so tired of people feeling unsafe in our home. I hate that people have to leave our home before feeling safe enough to speak their truths. I believe that we all want to be better, but it's not going to just happen. It's going to take a lot of work. We need you to take this one and run with it. Tag in, gentlemen. All eyes on you.

#TGIF cue up the #possum

Caught this guy on my trail cam. Anybody recognize him?

George Strait - Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind

Good morning #oilers #nhl #yeg

Happy Friday! Good day for a #hotrod cruise!

July 24th 2003... Johnny Cash picks up six nominations in the MTV Video Music Awards for his remake of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" from his album, American IV: The Man Comes Around. The video, featuring images from Cash's life and directed by Mark Romanek, was also named the best video of the year by the Grammy Awards and CMA Awards, and the best video of all time by NME. https://youtu.be/8AHCfZTRGiI

Great piece on education and history of Jean Marie River by #APTN's Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs

High water in the NWT capital. #OldTown

Tried to karaoke with Amy (Do not own rights to the music)

More bad news for Caribou in the NWT...

Drop the puck! | #oilers #nhl #yeg

We’ve got a potential timeline! | #oilers #nhl #yeg