" If our stance, our position, is arrogant because we stick up for what we
believe in, because we have a strong M�ori mandate which says that's what we
want you to do, if that's thuggish, then so be it. I'll wear that label, not
kindly, but at least we're advocating what we were put there to do. - Hon Tau
Henare Minister of M�ori Affairs"
For this year, I have travels to Africa, South America, the Gulf States and
the Caribbean planned - the Pacific was a thought, but not a surety - but when
I read these two statements from the family in Australia and in New Zealand!
The pacific is an area I had never been, but always wanted to go, and these
words demanded to me that this year was the time to go.
I have friends there, whom I have met through work and study in other places,
indigenous friends of course, and I even have a standing offer to travel
around papua new guinea to visit the various villages, as well as those in
Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Yet I kept putting it off, just my own
foolishness! The best (and perhaps the only good thing) about Nike is that
slogan "Just do it".
These speeches said to me "Just do it" - so I will.
I do so much appreciate the variety of people who in private mail pointed me
towards resources to learn more about "ecofeminism" and I even appreciate Joe
Dees for reminding me to temper my interest with an awareness that another
name simply means the same people.
So this experience simply pointed me back to women like Dr. Maathai and
Vandana Shiva. I even asked a friend of mine who knows Dr. Maathai personally,
to introduce me to her when I visit Kenya this year, and of course I will tell
her a bit - won't waste our time much - about this list, and sit at her knee
to learn rather continuing my life long tradition of not heeding the pretend
black woman call of Joe Dees. I know well the people of an organization on
which Shiva is on the board, so I will arrange to meet her too, and learn at
her knee.
Women like this are the reason, men like that are the reason, the blessings,
that I have the awareness and strength to not fall prey to people like Dees.
I have decided in this situation that here is the boundary line between
responding to his arrogant ignorance and tolerating the repeated publicizing
of his super sensitive man costume "with an impotent S". I have drawn that
line in the sand.
A list on which he would thrive, is not a list on which I belong
My next email to this list will be to sign off, though the moderator would be
greatly appreciated if I was signed off now.
Those with whom I have had positive conversation, we can continue via private
email.
Nicole
