It is really amazing the amount of attention that two Elders can cause even here in Montreal. One day an elderly couple parked illegally in a bus lane just long enough to pick up a bunch of gifts for a wedding or something. Next thing we at The Nation hear down on the street is some parking ticket employee (known as “green onions”) wanting to give them a ticket. The old man tries to explain why he is doing this. The green onion sticks to his guns and the old man gets angry. He even calls the young man a “dog” for not having any compassion.
Next thing we see is more cars and tow trucks showing up. In all, nine city employees are here with five vehicles to intimidate this old couple. It doesn’t work and all of a sudden they (the green onions) look around and notice that there are several people coming out of their shops and businesses. Other passersby are stopping. The police are called in and, surprise, they end up letting the old man and his wife go without giving them a ticket.
We calculated that it cost the city about $200 or more in salaries for its employees to deal with this problem. The purpose of the ticket is when you block a bus lane you pay a fine. In this case the lane was blocked for almost an hour by five city vehicles, defeating the purpose.
It made me think of how people act sometimes in trying to get respect from other people. Some people think respect is when someone fears you. They are surprised when they (like the green onions) don’t get that “respect.”
True respect comes from actions that set an example in your community. For instance, in the past, Cree Elders were always assured a portion of the hunt or harvest.
Today, not everyone does this or teaches their children why this is practiced. When you bring a piece of meat, fish or other game to an Elder, you are showing them respect and honouring them. But at the same time you are gaining respect. This is a two-way street, this thing called respect. If you cannot respect others, how can you expect them to respect you?
Respect does not mean blindly following rules but knowing that what feels good and right (such as giving an Elder a portion of the land’s bounty) and that doing it usually leads to respect.
It is time to end the growing patterns of intimidation that may lead to violence and other self-destructive acts within our communities by concentrating on Cree culture, values and traditions. One of the things that bound our way of life in a beneficial way was respect and the gaining of it.
Respect for one’s self, other people, animals and the land is an important part of being a Cree. Let’s practice it as much as possible.
Bring a gift of the land’s bounty to an Elder (not necessarily your relative), spend some time with them and start on your own path to respect if you haven’t already.
