34. Dallas Courchene and the Magick of Courage
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34. Dallas Courchene and the Magick of Courage
In today's podcast, I talk with Dallas Courchene, the founder of the Rise Up Initiative and a powerful advocate for Indigenous Sovereignty in Treaty 1 territory.
You can find Dallas around the web as @Makoonz. Click here for his Tiktok.
This has been a Spirit-Lead experience for me. Half-way through, Dallas opens the door to Spirit and leading with heart and things get magickal.
The following are approximate time stamps for different topics - they may not be exact.
4:09 - I start the convo with Dallas.
8:30 - Hemp for economic independence.
31:00 - Vision for future economy.
33:45 - Wholeness + the start of magick.
40:00 - Vision of Turtle Lodge by Elder Dr. Dave Courchene Jr. (Nii Gaani Aki Inini)
49:00 - Wahbanang
1:02:00 - similar vision
1:10:00 - Miigwetch, Tapadh Leat, Thank You.
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34. Dallas and the Magick of Courage
Transcript
Lezley (00:00:00):
My husband is so not impressed that your name's Dallas. 'cause His first baby mama's name is Dallas, and he is just, he's getting post-traumatic stress disorder every time. I'm like, well, I'm gonna go talk to Dallas. He's like, God dammit,
Dallas (00:00:14):
<Laugh>. Oh my God.
Lezley (00:00:27):
Hi folks. Welcome to the Beloved Presence Podcast. Today I talk with Dallas Courchene, and we talk for an hour about a lot of different stuff. He spends about half an hour sharing his vision and ideas for Indigenous economic sovereignty. And then things get a little magical and wild, about half an hour in. And it, it was, it's, it was amazing. It was really an amazing interaction. And I hope that Dallas and I are able to continue together with our vision for, for sharing. So check it out. I have listed in the description, like all the timestamps, just kind of where stuff happens. If you wanted to jump around and, and look at stuff, there's a lot of links to further resources and education. If you're interested. If you like this, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe. We're just kind of starting out again.
(00:01:31):
And it really helps if you like this kind of thing, to spread it out and help to grow the community. If you're interested in being a guest on either the Beloved President's podcast or the Virtual Turtle Lodge with Dallas and I, please get in contact with me. Just message me through, through here, through social media or at my email, Lezley@LezleyDavidson.com. I'm interested in knowing what your vision is for Turtle Island for ongoing reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. I, I really want to have those conversations and share that kind of information and those perspectives that's very important to me and part of my vision for why I'm here <laugh> this time around. So, I'd really like you to to share, share on the comments. Contact me directly. Contact Dallas. This is really important stuff.
(00:02:38):
It's really important. If you know of people who would be interested in this, please share. Please encourage them to contact me to be invited on the podcast as well. Like, I, I'm very, very, very open and encouraging, and I'm inviting everyone who wants to have these conversations to come have them with us. So, Dallas is the founder of the RiseUP Initiative. Link is in the description. It's basically a free online education portal for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Like to learn more about reconciliation and the truth of our history and dispelling myths that we have inherited without reflection regarding Indigenous people's on Turtle Island and our shared history. He's also very very passionate and dedicated to helping to build economic sovereignty and independence for his people. And encouraging Indigenous communities to reach out in business partnership and research and development in sustainable technologies, all of which is important for, for Indigenous communities, economic independence, but also for Turtle Island sustainability and for ongoing stewardship of our environment.
(00:04:09):
So it was great talking with Dallas. I, I had a Spiritual <laugh> emotional connection to the, to our meeting. It's very, it was Spirit led for sure. And I'm, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. So thanks for being here. I've been like, obviously following you on TikTok and watching what you've been doing which has been really, really actually helpful and integral for my own kind of healing path and my own vocational path. You've actually delivered some really valuable nuggets for me to find my own way. So I'm really grateful to you personally for that. And for me, I'd like you to talk to me if you could, about, like your vision how it includes the, the Rise Up initiative, what your vision is for the, sorry, this is a lot. Tell me what your vision for the future of Canada is. Dallas, like, calm down, Lezley, calm down. But that's kind of, that's kind of what I'm interested in. I wanna like, like I'm really interested in what you see happening and, and what in particular you see like settler's role in that. Like what can we do to be part of that and not get in the way and, you know, that kind of thing. So,
Dallas (00:05:39):
Gotcha. What's the Rise Up initiative? What I envisioned for the Rise Up Initiative is that basically over the past over 20 years or so, I've went on a own personal journey to figure out why I felt the way I did. Like why I dealt with trauma such as battling addiction, suicide, well, not addiction, but that's not until later on in life, but suicide, primarily in depression, right? So I went through, like this entire journey and out of it, I had this vision that I could bring this knowledge to not only Indigenous people here in Canada, but North America worldwide. And I started noticing that in our healing and, and eliminate basically addressing the effects of ongoing colonialism such as economic disparities various other systemic racism that, that still proliferates a lot of the systems. That by through education and through me bringing this knowledge to my people, that we can start crafting our own solutions to address the very issues that not only plague our communities, but are often the pain points for society where they say like, we get free money, or we are, you know, 30% of us are in the make up the prison population here in Canada are Indigenous 30% of the prison population.
(00:07:09):
So it's these facts that people see from a distance and they kind of make these assumptions. 'cause There's missing information. There's that lack of understanding where in regards to our traditional ways of life that have been taken away from us, that in the restoration of these ways, Indigenous sovereignty our traditional wave ceremonies, because our ceremonies are actually what constitute our sovereignty. That's what makes us constitutes our nationhood. And when the residential schools took those away, that was basically replacing that with the Indian Act. And through our sovereignty, we can actually utilize the laws that are inherent in every nation on earth to create an economic prosperity that, that we Indigenous have not seen in Turtle Island, you know, since the onset of colonization. But it's through these mechanisms that if Canadians were to support Indigenous sovereignty, our right to just, not, not, that doesn't mean that we own Canada. What it means is that Indigenous sovereignty simply means that we have jurisdiction over the laws over reserve land.
Editing Lezley (00:08:19):
All right, this is later editing. Lezley, I'm just popping in here to say, and I didn't share this with Dallas, so maybe it's not fair to me for me to just pop in and say this right here. But for me personally I would prefer if Indigenous nations in sovereign Indigenous nations had stewardship over all crown land, I have far more faith and trust in them to steward the land sustainably and to make choices based on the value of the land and its being valuable as it is, and not just in how can provide profit to a small group of people. So I just wanted to pop in and say that back to Dallas,
Dallas (00:09:03):
Over lands that are unceded, the lands that are basically for treaty one territory, it would be, you know, the reserve land that we have. We would have no jurisdiction over, or laws over power over any laws in Canada, but we'd simply be able to make the laws on our land, such as hemp laws in Canada. It's very, very restrictive to grow and process hemp and sell it on the market in Canada with our own laws, we'd be able to grow, say marijuana for medicinal purposes, cannabis for medicinal purposes, and create an industry from that piggybacking on that, create a Hempcrete industry, which would provide low cost housing addressing the housing crisis within First Nation communities with hemp creed, which is mold, mold proof, fireproof pest proof, and is actually sequesters carbon whilst reducing energy consumption every year. So it is win-win all the way around these sorts of innovations and collaborations I envision for the Rise Up initiative in bringing not only the knowledge that we need, but also creating the systems and creating the collaborations, the relationships that are needed to make these things a reality in the future.
(00:10:15):
I see. I foresee, for example if we get into this Hempcrete and other innovations with hemp and cannabis, what we can actually do is create like research and development facilities on our land where we actually gather support to fund hemp based battery innovation, for example. Hmm. This stuff is is superior to lithium. There's an an an invent a group of inventors that developed this hemp battery that doesn't require heavy metal, such as nickel or cobalt, which means the cobalt mining in in Congo. That can literally come to an end within 10 years. If we had the, basically the awareness that we as Indigenous peoples under our sovereign lawmaking abilities are moving towards ending dependency on outside funding, whether it be treaty obligations or social assistance from the Canadian government. What I envision is Indigenous communities able to self sustainably rely upon our own economic in industrial opportunities which are environmentally sustainable, which actually benefit the environment and actually leave something behind for future generations where we're not dependent upon outside funding, where we're self-sufficient, and where we can actually then be in a position to provide contribute value to the economies of the Canadian and us economy.
(00:11:58):
So I see it as the way Canadians can support us is recognizing our what we can achieve. If we had sovereignty recognized in Canada and the United States, if our law making abilities on our over our lands, not over any other Canadian or any other people's, but just over the lands, we would be able to not only create economic prosperity, but the issues that are caused by the residential schools that are caused by ongoing colonization. This I found in all my research to be the most effective way that would on a mass scale, alleviate the problems associated with intergenerational trauma caused by the residential schools such as domestic abuse crime rates, addiction, these issues have a cause. And if we address the underlying issues, which is that lack of identity, lack of sense of community, sense of belonging and purpose, when we restore our ceremonies, our ways of life, our sovereignty, and we have, and our people see that we actually can make a difference in our lives, that we have the ability, structural ability to actually do these things.
(00:13:20):
I can almost guarantee that you would see a dramatic shift in not only our people, but in Canadian society in general. As attitudes begin to shift, as we start to realize that there are solutions, what we previously thought was true about one another even is actually not true at all. That through doing these things, achieving these external successes that we can forge a new relationship, new understanding of where we can go not only as, you know nations, but as treaty partners and as a global humanity, as a family, human family together. Because what affects us affects everyone. We have to recognize the, the web of life is, you know, it's, you know, for example, our smartphones is contributing to the genocide in Congo, right? Like, there's nothing that we don't do that doesn't have ripple effects to everyone and everything around us. And we gotta start recognizing this sacredness of life, reconnecting the Spirit, which is something that we all need to do as, you know, as another thing sellers can do to help us is also reconnect with their own sense of Spirituality, their own sense of identity outside of these colonial constructs. Like, we have an opportunity to create new identity for all of us. One that we all are proud to call, you know, this is who we are. Right.
Lezley (00:14:52):
Okay. Let me, let me jump in for a sec 'cause I have a couple questions. Okay. One is, the first one is specifically how do settlers support sovereignty for Indigenous nations? 'cause I'm a hundred percent on board. I've been on board. You don't need to convince me I'm here, but what, like, what do I do? Like how, like what do we do to help? Because I don't know what to do. And the second is maybe that's enough. Maybe start there. You can answer that question. 'cause Yeah, that's the, I have a lot of questions for, but, and I wanna ask just before we continue, why are you called Makoonz? I know this, I just took it way off course, but like, I wanted to ask that first. Why are you called Makoonz and can I call you Dallas? Or what do you wanna be called? Yeah,
Dallas (00:15:39):
Either or. You call me Dallas. Makoonz is my Spirit name. It means Little Bear. It's the name I've gotten <inaudible> five years old, I think. Okay. But I had it all my life. So that's my Spirit name is, that's who I'm <laugh>
Editing Lezley (00:15:53):
Hi, editing Lezley here again. I wanted to pop in and just express how meaningful it was for me to learn that Dallas's Spirit name is Makoonz and it means Little Bear. 'cause I've been learning about the Seven Sacred Laws to the Anishnaabe Nation, or Ojibwe, I'm sorry, I'm not sure specifically who it pertains to. But Seven Sacred Laws and the Bear is the symbol of the Sacred Law of Courage. And one of the aspects of Courage is the Courage to be who you are in the world, to accept who you are, to accept that Spirit makes no mistakes. And that you were created exactly as you were meant to be created. And Bear says to have courage to accept your gifts and share them with the world. And that I felt was very synchronistic in meeting and speaking with Dallas that he he is Little Bear. Okay. Back to Dallas.
Lezley (00:17:09):
Okay, beautiful. Thank you. I had no idea. Thank you. Okay. Yeah. So what, what do, what do settlers need to do to support Indigenous sovereignty? Because like, I was listening to a podcast called The Salmon People, and there was a moment when BC nation's sovereign Indigenous nations sat on the same side of the table with the provincial government as two sovereign governments regulating industry. And I cried because that's the vision I hold for Canada. That's the vision. I think that we have the best possible future, especially environmentally if Indigenous nations are sovereign and work in partnership with provincial federal governments together equal on the same table regulating industry. But anyway, so what do we do? What do we do?
Dallas (00:18:05):
The major step would be I this is right up my alley because I like figuring out problems. But one of the tools that we can use I, I learned from the book, the influencer, the power to change anything. And in order to change anything and to sustain that change is required basically six factors of change. But basically in a nutshell, you need to identify two to three key behaviors you want people to emulate. You gotta give the social rewards for it, and the structural ability for people to engage in those behaviors. So the behaviors that we need right now first and foremost would be awareness advocacy. People need to be aware what Indigenous sovereignty means, the fact that we are nations and what nationhood actually represents. And furthermore, what Indigenous sovereignty, if properly utilized, what it could represent not only for Indigenous nations, but also Canada and the GDP as, as Canada as a whole.
(00:19:04):
Like in regards to if we're able to get atmospheric water generators energy food, and, you know, indoor vertical farms that are automated that provide hemp and also even food. Like we would become not only an asset to our own communities, but nearby towns and cities that right, we reduce the transportation of fresh produce. I mean, that's, that's at the bottom line of every single Canadian. They would directly benefit in many different ways. So advocacy would be the primarily the, the first key behavior, I think would be first and foremost. So there would have to be ways of basically communicating and, and building awareness of what can be achieved through Indigenous sovereignty if fully recognized and realized to this full potential. I've been trying to do that in my own way, like whether through on TikTok and whatnot.
(00:20:01):
But if there were to be a way for non-Indigenous peoples to help that would be, I guess, involve a coordinated effort. 'cause Again, like there's so many moving parts, there's so many Indigenous nations that, that are separate from each other. So they make their own laws, they have their own customs and their own ways of dealing with stuff. So we have to kind of be mindful and respectful of their territories and their jurisdictions as well. Right? So it would have to be on our side, Indigenous peoples is they own us again, kind of falls on us in a way, in a, in a huge way for us to actually lay out, you know, this is what our aims are. This is what we want to accomplish. This is what we envision under Indigenous sovereignty. If Canadians were to like, say we were to petition for a referendum in Canada to be held to recognize Indigenous sovereignty, that we have full control over the full control over the Indian act of protections therein. But we then take the time to make our own laws that basically provide the same protections of the Indian Act whilst enabling us control over the relationship over our lands, how Canada treats us, and how we engage on a nation to nation basis with Canada, where there may be possible disputes in the future in regards to land or resources or basic infrastructure like maintaining of a, of a certain infrastructure, for example, if that's applicable. Yeah.
Lezley (00:21:36):
So you would not want to eliminate the Indian Act, you would want to reform the Indian Act?
Dallas (00:21:42):
No. Indigenous sovereignty would be basically, well, what I, what I was explaining was the, the, the reason why we have the Indian Act and we don't get rid of it. There's a lot of debate around that. A lot of people say, we gotta get rid of Indian Act, which is true, which is true. We need Indigenous sovereignty. We need to be able to have control over our destinies. But at the same time, on the, on the same token, at the same hand, on the same hand, we have the fact that the Indian Act provides us legal protections that, for example, the Capon Barracks in Winnipeg, Manitoba we recently acquired that land as a result of Indian Act provisions. There was stipulated that any land that was not basically utilized by the Canadian government that we would have first shot instead of them putting up for bid for sale auction, that we would have the first chance at acquiring of that land.
(00:22:39):
Right. And Kapyong Barracks had been unused for several years of military barracks used for, and it was unused, so for several years, and they put up for auction, but then Treaty one stepped in, said, no, actually, Indian Acts states that you can't sell this land. Like you have to consult with us first, and we have to have first shot at acquiring it if we so choose. So we did that and we acquired that urban Reserve in Winnipeg. So that's producing the first one on Madison, for example, produce a incredible amount of revenue for our reservations, because those tax free gas for First Nations, they would come to us and we would not only did we have excellent customer service, right? That's why they came, they would drive across town just to be serviced there at the, at our gas station on Madison.
(00:23:28):
But we brought a lot of business, right? We, the income generated right from our businesses and our employment, when we do these sorts of things, these economic endeavors, they, they benefit Canadians directly. The bottom line, we to town to spend our, our money, right? Right. So, yeah. So all these it may seem like, like, oh, they don't pay taxes. I, that's an unfair advantage in reality, in exchange Canada gets to exist as a country. We all get to benefit and share land and resources. Originally intended was that, that was the point of the treaties was that we'd have a way to peacefully coexist that it protected each other's interests, right? And Indigenous sovereignty. Without that, we cannot fully protect our own interests based on our nationhood, based on our ways of life, based on our laws. So, yeah, it's I forget where we were going at kind.
Lezley (00:24:27):
I don't, I don't know. We're, we're like, we're going here. Okay, so I just thought of another question. I don't, I didn't really want to talk about this, but I am interested in your response if say a Canadian would say, I don't want Indigenous people to have sovereignty because it's going to be a competition for my own business. They're gonna be competition and have, like you said, unfair advantage. By the way, I don't, I don't agree with this. I'm just bringing it up because I, I wanna know kind of what these arguments, how they can be handled for my own stuff when they come up.
Dallas (00:25:08):
Exactly. I, I totally agree with you. It's, it is a very valid point, too. It's a very valid concern. I mean at, at hindsight, you know, first glance it could look like that we come there and scuba business 'cause right. We get you know, tax advantages or various other benefits. But the way I see it is that the industry that I envision that can happen through Indigenous sovereignty wouldn't be simply, you know, like put up a new Walmart. Like, we're never, never gonna have that kind of pull in society, right? Like the, the best. We the, the best case scenario I envision would be that we utilize our, say for example, to build a research and development facility for hemp batteries, right? A hundred million dollars facility, for example, built anywhere else. They have to, number one, acquire the land.
(00:26:05):
It has to be proper zoning, it has to abide by several other regulations, city regulations. However, under Indigenous sovereignty where we can control the laws of the land on reserve land, we would be able to allocate certain land for research and development tax free. A hundred million dollars would equal about 14 million in savings. That 14 million can go towards a Hemp Creek facility that can produce for example, a thousand homes a year at, you know, we get a retainer. Basically we get reserves that get 10 year block funding for housing. And we say we have X amount of houses that we can provide you if you provide that, those funds upfront. So we can right then expand into other things and stuff. But this is the ultimate vision, is that we would be able to lower the cost of building construction housing for all Canadians, lower the cost of living, right?
(00:27:02):
These ulti, ultimately the high strategic areas where Indigenous sovereignty would produce the most benefits, would sure assuredly offset any possible competition that would arise from, say, Indigenous building their own business in direct competition to smaller owned businesses. That overall, the cost of living, that we can actually lower, you know, the cost of building houses through Hempcrete housing, you know, hemp-based batteries over time, plant-based solar panels, the, those are way off in the future. Like, you know, yeah, shows the sky high, but tangible today, Hempcrete housing, we can achieve that. We can lower the cost of building and construction. And housing is a huge thing in Canada right now. Mm-Hmm. They say by 2025 there's gonna be a housing crisis. Well, first Nations, our communities, if we had the ability to make our own laws, make our own basically shed the Indian Act in a way that we don't lose the protections of the Indian Act, such as, so yeah, that's why I mentioned Kapyong Barracks, is that we were able to acquire that through these legal protections that Indian Act provides.
(00:28:12):
We would need a framework. Sovereignty would be that framework, Indigenous sovereignty. But we would have to basically assure that over time we phase out the Indian Act and it becomes a hundred percent Indigenous di directed. And our, and our interests is, interests are protected just as much as Canadian interests are. And I believe that's the best way of going forward. 'cause You mentioned, you know, business owners, they, they might have no concerns about possible conflicts of like, like competition might be like too much or whatever, because we have these perceived advantages. I would think that having an open discussion with Canadians talking about Indigenous sovereignty, that we had the ability micro own laws, like would Canadians support that in the sense of what I just described, re housing, that the conversation, if it was changed, instead of saying like, oh, you know, this guy's going to have a competition over you. The conversation should be more of what can this provide for all Canadians as a whole, you know, cost of living wise, housing, everything else. Like, we should be looking as an opportunity rather, rather than as competition, because people would say in capitalistic society as well, they owe competition healthy. So that's another argument as well. I saw
Lezley (00:29:33):
You, you, you made a point where you said, oh, we would be like Indigenous sovereignty. We would have protections like, like Canadians do. But I'll be honest with you, my, I don't feel that my rights are protected by my governments right now because they do not care about natural resources in the way that I assume Indigenous sovereignty would care about natural resources. And that's an assumption that I'm making that maybe is it accurate or not accurate? Like, that's part of my desire for Indigenous sovereignty is the understanding that it would be stewarded in a sustainable way and wouldn't be perceived as the value coming only from it providing profit to industry and capitalism
Editing Lezley (00:30:30):
Editing. Lezley, I'm popping in here to apologize. I'm embarrassed that I referred to the land as it, I'm very sorry. I apologize. To land for the, the misuse of pronouns. You are not an it, and I apologize. I love you.
Dallas (00:30:54):
Exactly. That's I'm glad. That's a great point too, because if we had control over our laws of our lands, we would be able to prevent harmful industry. For example the copper mines in bc there were there's a couple copper mines in BC that are known for you know, the copper industry itself is very environmentally destructive while the nations over there, the native nations there basically held them account and prevented a lot of environmental devastation by holding them accountable and making sure that their practices adhered to the highest standards in the world. So that's an example of what Indigenous sovereign can achieve as well I only talking means of capitalistic self sustainability because our economic, economic prosperity is integral to Indigenous sovereign. We cannot have sovereignty unless we have the ability to produce our own hospitals, to produce our own schools, and to fund the doctors there and the teachers there in, to be able to basically take care of ourselves as a nation.
(00:32:06):
We have to unfortunately do that until the point where I ultimately envision the resources that we have. We no longer even have to deal with money, right? That we'd be producing enough products that we can trade, but either trade with other Indigenous nations worldwide, globally, or, right. We could have these things refined and basically we can basically operate without money. That if the economic system were to collapse, or the energy grid were to collapse that, or climate change affect water crops, all of that, we would remain untouched and be able to provide as a safety buffer the rest of North American society. In the event of, say, one year, a drought just absolutely devastates the, the crops due to climate change. We would be in a position where we'd have those resources to provide that without the need for money that we can provide that free of charge, because we have so much abundance. And that's ultimately what the vision of Indigenous sovereign is, that we outgrow the need for money altogether. But until we can get to that point, we have to utilize the resources available to us, one of which is monetary needs. Economic prosperity is, is one of them. So the only reason why I talk about don't,
Lezley (00:33:24):
That's not even a question. I don't, I don't disagree with that or question that at all. I think that's a, just a standard foundation for sovereignty is to have economic independence, for sure. <Laugh>, I, why would Indigenous nations once sovereign and profitable and independent, have any interest in helping the rest of North America? Like, why, why would they?
Dallas (00:33:54):
It's our way of life. It's our ceremonies. Our nationhood is based like I mentioned earlier, is based on our ceremonies. And when one connects to the land and connects to the Spirit through ceremony, they naturally and cannot help but think about everyone and the interconnectedness of of all life. That's why our, my ancestors in the first place were always friendly to settlers, always wanted them to exist here. Co co-exist peacefully. Whereas, you know, that was never the intention of the original colonizers that brought, well-meaning settlers, but used them as ponds to basically colonize the land for them and take control of the large loss of land. So that's why I think that my people would not only think about that, but in a way it is many Indigenous prophecies talk about this day, right? When my generation would rise up in defensive land, and we would serve as an example, not only for the rest of the world, but we would provide the means to actually unite with all colours of all peoples of this planet to basically not only protect the mother earth, but enrich Mother Earth to provide future generations of more sustainable lifestyle.
(00:35:26):
That we're coming to a crossroads, and we're at that crossroads right now where humanity has that ability to make that decision right now, to continue on the path we're on right now, or join us in a new way, a new vision for humanity that includes all life, not just, you know, the for capitalistic name, or one person, or one race, or one nation, but everyone, yeah,
Lezley (00:35:54):
I mean, that's why I reached out to you is my own path of ancestral healing has led me directly to land as the first teacher. And Indigenous knowledge is the only way forward. Like, it's, it's literally the only way that I can follow my vocation in this life, which is literally a Spiritual calling for this. So what I assume that I'm not the only one. I assume that European immigrants, similar to myself, who are doing ancestral healing work, who are reconnecting to their Celtic roots, pre-Christian Celtic roots on Turtle Island, are having this same understanding that the only education that is suitable for us going forward is land, is first teachers Indigenous knowledge. Like what do we, what do we do <laugh>, like, I'm sorry that I keep asking you that. It's like, I'm, I'm, I'm being led, I am being led to resources.
(00:37:04):
I am learning like what I am needing to learn, but I would like, I feel that, I'm sorry, I'm talking a lot now about me. I feel that my role is to help bridge this for Celtic reconnecting people. There are so many similarities between Celtic pre, pre-Christian Celtic culture and Indigenous culture. The similarities are so sim like they're, so, it's very, very similar. I'm not saying it's the same, but there are very, very similar beliefs and cultural practices that for me to, to connect to my Celtic culture on Turtle Island. My allyship is for Indigenous sovereignty. My allyship is for promoting Indigenous leadership and Indigenous stewardship over the land because Celtic culture is just as connected to land. Tuatha de Denaan means, means the land and the people of Danu, “tuatha” means land and people, it is the same word in Irish.
Dallas (00:38:16):
Wow.
Lezley (00:38:17):
Yeah. So, I mean, this is like, this is just what I've been coming to understand, and I've always had a connection to, and a resonance with like Indigenous culture as I've come into contact with it. But I also think that until European descendants, specifically of Celtic heritage, until we connect to our own roots, there is like an appropriation of Indigenous knowledge when it's not rooted in our own cultural roots and language where we're not connect. I don't know if I'm being clear, but this is, this is just what I've been learning myself on my own journey, is that I didn't know what to do with Indigenous resonance until I connected to Celtic heritage, to Celtic culture. Then I understood where that resonance was coming from. Do you know what I mean? And I could be, I could be a support too, and I could learn from, it wasn't a taking to myself the roots of your people. Do you know what I mean? Like that's a big difference.
Dallas (00:39:29):
Yeah, totally understand. I guess the best way, the simplest way I could understand it in my context would be the Spirit is it transcends religion. It transcends race, creed, everything. Spirit is the core essence. Like, for example, some Indigenous nations might have different ceremonies, but our way to connecting with the land, connecting with the Spirit, right? That's all that inherently is, is what is priorities, our ability to do that. So what I based on what you're telling me, my late elder, Dave Courchene Jr. Had a vision of the Turtle Lodge. And the Turtle Lodge was to be built around the world. These Turtle Lodges would be built around the world and to be connected to the main lodge in Fort Alexander here in Treaty one territory. And this lodge, these lodges, they're meant for all colours, all nations to come together to share each other's knowledge, and primarily to learn from Indigenous ways of life.
(00:40:31):
However, it's, so that's what the main focus is for Indigenous ways of life to be presented and shared with our ceremonies, shared with the people and our ways of life shared openly with the people. And that we also come together with various other Spiritual leaders and practices that we allow the, the sharing of our cultures in a new way of our Spirits in a new way. And I'm thinking, this is kind of what you're looking for would be something that you're looking for. 'cause If we had like a spear lodge saying like, one in every state, one in every province, and we start expanding worldwide with these spear lodges, there'll be a way to connect them via, you know, zoom conference where, where people who are in North America that have no way to reconnect with, say their, their Celtic roots. That there would be, say a spear lodge built over there and a Turtle Lodge built over there where they would be able to Right. Have their elders and their knowledge shared with us, right. And our practices shared in that way. So I'm thinking that, that these Turtle Lodges are actually really integral to a lot of what's happening.
Lezley (00:41:46):
Well, when I told you, oh, I'm being led and I'm finding resources, Turtle Lodge was the resource that I meant. I have just recent. Really? Yes. And I'm, I might cut this out 'cause I don't know whether I'm prepared to talk about this publicly right now. Is David Courchene a, like a relative of yours or just an elder?
Dallas (00:42:08):
No, he's no relation. The Courchene family. We are okay. We're very big. Alright. Very
Lezley (00:42:13):
Big. Okay.
Dallas (00:42:14):
Yeah, it's like it's like the last name Smith to Indigenous Peoples. Okay. <laugh>. There's a lot of people with
Lezley (00:42:19):
Courchene. Okay.
Dallas (00:42:20):
Yeah. Courchene is like this, the Smith name of the Indigenous in, in Fort Alexander Treaty one.
Lezley (00:42:26):
Okay. can I tell you about something that just happened then? I, I'm very nervous about telling this 'cause it's, it's fucking weird. Sorry. Do you, do you curse Dallas? Do you swear?
Dallas (00:42:39):
Yeah,
Lezley (00:42:39):
Yeah. Okay, good. Yeah, no problem. Like I do, I have a potty mouth, but it's, it's just fucking weird, Dallas, what's happening? I have over the past eight months gone public with the fact that I talked to the “dead”. I have my whole life. But I didn't do it publicly because it wasn't something that was supported growing up. My mom's quite afraid of it. Other people, you know, it's not normal. You're weird. Like it's not, some people can be very just unsupportive of it, you know what I mean? Yeah. So, but I have been guided to go public with that recently and have started to offer the services and do readings for people. And it's being received really positively. People love knowing that “dead” isn't stopping that people go on. So I watched a video with David Courchene, and I thought it was the Seven Sacred Laws video where he's talking about the seven Sacred laws. And I thought, oh, it would be great to talk to him. And he said, “you can”. And I was like, come on, <laugh>. But I, a few days ago ago had a conversation with David Courchene, who is, how do you pronounce his Spirit name? It's Nii Gaani Aki Inini.
Editing Lezley (00:44:22):
I have been practicing, and it's Nii Gaani Aki Inini, which means leading Earth man, Nii Gaani Aki Inini.
Dallas (00:44:34):
Close. My pronunciation too is very, very yeah, you probably pronounce it better than I can though, but yeah. Leading Earth man is leading
Lezley (00:44:45):
Earth man. Yeah. Leading, leading Earth, man. And I call him Dr. Dave. and he was okay with that. I'm really emotional about it because it's, it's fucking weird, right? And it's also, he is the teacher that I've been waiting for, for years, and I assumed that he would be in a body when I, when I met, when I was ready for that teacher. But I also wouldn't have been able to probably learn from him until he released his body. So he's told me that what I do is called Sacred Listening. And that's what I'm doing for Celtic culture on Turtle Island is Sacred, listening for our culture and how it roots here on this land. Because we're not connecting to Ireland, we're not connecting to Scotland. We're connecting as Celts on Turtle Island. And so that's what I'm doing, and he is teaching me.
(00:45:56):
And I don't know if that's okay. Like, I just, I'm very nervous about sharing that because like I, I asked him, I'm like, is this okay? 'cause Like, I'm, you know, I'm a settler. I'm, I'm white, I'm, you know, I'm not. And he, he is, he is like, that's, that's why this is important. That's why this, this is necessary. That's why we're doing this, is to, and I wanted to ask you before we started, if you would do ceremony with me before we started this conversation. 'cause He's been teaching me about ceremony. And you started off with ceremony. You started off speaking about ceremony. And I was like, darn it. I was gonna say that in the beginning for us to start on with ceremony. 'cause He, he taught that ceremony can, can heal everything he said, ceremony solves everything. And he was explaining to me what ceremony meant. And it's like, it's making things sacred. It's making relationships sacred. And I'm sorry, I'm not here to teach any, any Indigenous person anything. Okay? I'm here to learn. Do you know what I mean? Like, I'm here to sit and learn. That's what I am in relationship with with Indigenous individuals and Nations about, I'm here to learn and then deliver that understanding of Laws on Turtle Island to Celtic reconnecting people to European immigrant descendant seekers. I just want that to be really clear, <laugh>,
Dallas (00:47:39):
That is actually a very great initiative. I mean, there's nothing like that ever that has ever existed. I think that's very important. But what you're talking about late Dave Courchene Jr. That's in line with what he teaches. Everything that you, that you mentioned is actually on point especially with with ceremony and and land and reconnecting, like all the there was one point in figure, I just kinda lost my train of thought on it, but it's something you mentioned that that I wanna draw attention to, that, that I felt was important. But in any event, though, I think, I believe that he is indeed talking with you, because that's what Oh, yeah, that's right. When he mentioned that, you know, this, that's why this is important is because that's what he, he honestly envisioned with the Turtle Lodge.
(00:48:30):
And back when I was he wanted to mentor me. This was, this was quite some time ago, 13 years ago. And he wanted to mentor me. And, and back then I thought too much with my mind. Right? I, he told me that the longest path and, and I know it was a quote from somewhere else, but it's true. But what he said was that the longest path man takes is from his mind to his heart. And at the time I thought like, well, no, this is the solution. I know the solution, right? We, we gotta heal from the intergenerational effects. We gotta deal with depression, suicide, we gotta do this, we gotta do that. So I was relying on my mind the whole time, and I didn't see or understand his message until after he passed, unfortunately. And it wasn't until then I realized then, and I started learning from him more. And this, this book too, you can,
(Dallas holds up a copy of Wahbanang.)
Lezley (00:49:23):
What's I, it's blurry. What is it?
Dallas (00:49:26):
WAHABANANG. This, you can get a copy from copy of
Lezley (00:49:32):
Okay. Thank you.
Dallas (00:49:33):
Yeah. The Turtle Lodge. Yeah. Wabanang. Oh. this here is Dr. Dave Courchene, late Dr. Dave Courchene Jr's legacy to the world. This is our ceremonies, this is our knowledge, our understandings, our teachings that our knowledge keepers have passed down. It includes many different Indigenous nations, including Dakota Anishinabe. And so it's a very comprehensive, and it, it, it provides a framework for non-Indigenous people as well to how to connect, reconnect here on Turtle Island, like, based on our ways of life, based on the laws that Gitchi Manitou has given us to walk upon this earth. So I think it's a very great resource, even you're gonna love what what he has left behind. So
Lezley (00:50:26):
Thank you. Yeah. I'm definitely gonna pick that up like right away.
Dallas (00:50:30):
Thank you. Yeah. And yeah, ceremony is everything. You're right about that. Ceremony is everything. And if we are out to continue these talks and like, like an ongoing basis, I would love to, it'd be great to have these kind of discussions. And yeah, ceremony would definitely have to be technical part of it. Every single one, because this's a sacred space that we're creating here. It's kind of like what would happen in the Turtle Lodge, right?
Lezley (00:50:51):
Yes. Exactly. Exactly. I'm, I'm kind of disappointed in myself that I had intended to do that and then was like nervous with the first meeting to, to bring it up and didn't know how you would respond. So I didn't, and, you know, lost an opportunity to, to be in ceremony with you, but that's okay. That's learning in life.
Dallas (00:51:16):
Yeah. Now on nowhere we can go. That's where the whole point, imagine we had Turtle Lodges like this everywhere, right? We had a place where people can actually talk about these sorts of things.
Lezley (00:51:27):
This is amazing. Yes. This is like, this is part of my vision that's like, I don't know how I get to be involved in that, but that is, that's that it, that's it for me. Hmm, for sure.
Dallas (00:51:45):
Definitely. I think damn <laugh>. Now the more and more I think about is like the Turtle Lodge, I believe the vision of it. 'cause Back when the late Elder Dave Courchene Jr. was was was alive, and I had the opportunity, privilege of meeting him and, and learning from him firsthand while hearing him, not learning. I didn't learn until way later. But
Lezley (00:52:07):
<Laugh> nice
Dallas (00:52:09):
<Laugh>, yeah. His his, his knowledge, his teachings. I see the vision of the Turtle Lodge being so important. I see, I understand now why the Turtle Lodge and ceremonies are so important and, and even to zoo this conversation. Like it's really becoming evident, becoming clear. Like this is what needs to, needs to happen, right? Yeah. if, if somehow some way there, these Turtle Lodges can be built in like every single state, every single province, like yeah. Have it festival like more than one need be, right? Than I believe these should be, should be built somehow some way. Well, this,
Lezley (00:52:46):
This is to me, a Spiritual foundation of human connection with land that's missing, obviously from, from the, from the settler community, from the non-Indigenous community. It's not just settlers, I guess, but non-Indigenous community. That connection with land is so needed and necessary for health, for wellbeing, for Spiritual groundedness, for like, everything. Everything. To me, it's the foundation to all of life. So, yes. I, all right, <laugh>, what do we do now? Awareness. Awareness. Thank you so much for this. I would, if you're open, would love to continue these conversations. If you're up for that, that would be great.
Dallas (00:53:42):
Definitely. Yeah. Like this would, this would be amazing to, like, for example, even right now, like having this discussion, like opened my mind to the possibility that this would be valuable and useful for a lot of people to have these kinds of discussions. Yes. Talking about it like, in so many ways, not for both sides. Like for me as well. Like, like then, you know, I would have pride in being able to say, Hey, I know someone a knowledge keeper that can bring some knowledge and Right. And we can, like say we continue on, this becomes a thing where, where there's so many people that are interested in sharing and learning from us and sharing and learning from each other, right? That we start, dude, who knows what can come from, from all of this? I mean
Lezley (00:54:25):
Well this is, I, this is part of my vocation and my vision is, is teaching this to non-Indigenous people. Like there is a desperation for it, but I also think maybe that's not my place. Maybe it needs to come directly from Indigenous people. Do, you know, like, I don't wanna overstep, I don't know. I don't know. Like it's fraught right now with, you know, proper relationship and overstep and racism and white supremacy and colonization. Like, I'm not sure what the right way forward is. You know what I mean? Like, I just, I don't know. <Laugh>.
Dallas (00:55:09):
Yeah. So I think that's why there would be a lot of value in having Turtle Lodges, even though like a virtual Turtle Lodge, right? Yeah. Where we come together virtually like this and we, we do these ceremonies where we have you know, prayer and we have that connection to Spirit and when the discussions that we have that we have as rooted as much as we can rooted in ceremony and Yeah. You know, with the intent that we're coming together in this Spiritual way to reconnect with the land, with ourselves, with one another. Yeah. And to, you know, yeah. I think it would be great. Just who knows what, if this is the start of it, right?
Lezley (00:55:43):
Listen, I'm on board. I'm on board for doing this virtually and broadcasting as often as you want. This is like <inaudible> manna and nurturance to me. This is, this is why I'm alive. Like, this is it. This is the stuff. So yeah. Sign me up anytime, anywhere I'm there,
Dallas (00:56:04):
<Laugh> awesome. Yeah, totally. I would be down for that. That sounds great.
Lezley (00:56:09):
Okay. well how about if you would like to send me kind of your ideas about what you see for this, and we could like, and then make a plan. 'cause It would be great to invite other people on, not just be you and I, not that I don't love this. I do, but also to have other people on who have different ideas and can share and, you know what I mean? Like just
Dallas (00:56:39):
Yes. I totally hear, I totally hear. That would be great to have. I mean, it'll be so valuable, not only for Indigenous, like my, my people, but everyone, I mean, having this available and this information available doesn't happen off so often. Right. People's only real interaction with us is Right. What they see on the media or, right. Well,
Lezley (00:56:58):
This is something that I, I, I don't know if it's overblown or like love bombing when I say this, but it's really important for me to express how important this is for me Spiritually, how valuable this knowledge is. Like, <laugh>, I feel like I'm standing on the doorstep of Indigenous knowledge and being like, please, like, feed me. 'cause I need this to be whole in this world. I'm not even like mincing words. This is how valuable it is. And I'm, I can't be the only one. Like, there's no way that I'm the only one that's desperate for this knowledge.
Dallas (00:57:41):
Yeah. I think you're in the right place. I, I, I think for humanity to move forward, I believe that's what, that's what we have to do. I mean, the antithesis to racism, to everything right? Is what we're doing here. And if we can do this and, you know, continue on as, and other people start doing this, we have a Turtle Lodge, even if it's a virtual one. Like, we started doing that, we started connecting in this way. I mean, we can create something else that other people who are looking for the same thing can find, because there there is more like people like us. I truly believe that. I truly do that. I'm
Lezley (00:58:18):
Sure there has to be, there's no way. It's not just us <laugh>. There's no way. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Okay. What do you have in, what do you envision then, let's talk about this right now. What do you envision happening? Like, what would you like to see and how often? I'm very like, like, let's go with <laugh> with this. Like, let's set it up because why wait. Yeah. So what, like, what do you have planned? Like what's your, what's your initial vision and to saying it, allowing that this can change. We can both change our minds, change our direction. Like it's all wide open for us to maneuver this the way it's best.
Dallas (00:58:56):
I think what could be a good idea is to make this like a a weekly thing every Sunday like this. And once a, like once a week, like say we just kind of cover some basic stuff, but over time, maybe every other week or even every week, we get someone else to join us third party that has a different perspective, right? It could be come from a, come from a different Indigenous nation, different Spiritual leader, different teacher, or like just a various in various fields that we come and we, we discuss nice various topics that that are intersectional that relate to not only Indigenous sovereignty and culture and Spirituality, but also settler society and, and non-Indigenous people's relation with US Indigenous here in Turtle Island.
Lezley (00:59:46):
Okay.
Dallas (00:59:47):
That's, yeah. So I think we could have, I think it, it could just be something that, that this goes go with the flow type thing. 'cause A lot of these, when it comes to Spirits, right, if we can't force, right? We can want our minds to want something, but the Spirit leads us something. Spirit
Lezley (01:00:02):
Says something different.
Dallas (01:00:03):
<Laugh>. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We gotta go with our hearts, right? So it's
Lezley (01:00:06):
True. It's true. That'd be great. I think that's fantastic. I'm super excited about this. Do you have an idea already idea of people that you'd like to invite on? And I'm also wondering how much do you, how much do you want Dr. Dave involved in this
Dallas (01:00:34):
As much as possible, I guess? Yeah, because I, I never had the opportunity to learn <laugh>. I never had the opportunity and I feel like guilty that I, I didn't take the time to learn from him, direct them when I had the chance, right? And it was because I, you know, lived too much up in my own mind, thought I knew everything. I thought I knew the way it, so I disregarded his teachings. But now, you know, I'm, you know, feeling that regret, you know, I'm starting to recognize, you know, the values of what he was trying to teach me, and, you know, so yeah. Okay. Like I said, that's what he said the lot, longest journey was from the Mind to the heart. And it took me, yeah, years or more to really take his lessons to hearts and yeah. So maybe this is his way of reaching out to me too, you know?
Lezley (01:01:27):
Yeah. I don't doubt it actually the way all of this has happened. I have no doubt.
Dallas (01:01:36):
Wow. I'm pretty yeah, pretty excited about it. Just, I hope it definitely goes somewhere good.
Lezley (01:01:43):
You know what? I'm gonna be frank with you. I, I am just excited that it's happening. I don't wanna put any ideas about where it's gonna go or what it's gonna be, just 'cause I wanna just enjoy what's happening here. This is finally me living this vision that I've had for years and never been able to do anything about. Like, I, I, I don't know that you understand what this means to me.
Dallas (01:02:13):
It mean to me, if I could share, I, I probably have an idea. This is actually my vision that, that I was given, I don't know how many years, maybe 14, 15 years ago or more. But that's the vision that kind of guided me throughout my year, my life. And once I had that vision, that's what guided my life, pretty much gave my purpose. But part of that vision was, was I was told I was supposed to lead everyone back to a certain place, and I understood that place to be like a Spiritual place. It wasn't a physical place, but they said, you're gonna lead everyone, everyone back here. And I was like, you know, how do I do that? Right? And I asked how, and, and I got one word answer, which was patience. And I thought it was telling me to be patient that I'll one day be shown away.
(01:03:03):
But it turns out that patience through patience, my patient answers, right? Ah, and my interactions of wanting to bridge that connection via bridge between white society, non-Indigenous society and my people, right? That is gonna take patience for me to develop that relationship. Because I've noticed, and I, the only reason why TikTok is still this you know, these very could be very inviting videos and people see as very abrasive videos. But the reason why is because the tick TikTok algorithm, that's what is promoted. You know, I talk about, you know, unity and love and all that and all this good stuff, and it, you know, 300 views, 200 views, no messages get out there. My objective when I ever, whenever I make those kinds of videos, are, are twofold. Number one, to show to validate the justified anger of my people so that it is verbalized in a way that they can say yes.
(01:04:02):
I always knew that that was right, but I couldn't say it. I didn't have the words for it, but you're right. That's, you're right. And they feel that, that you know, that validation. So they get, they, they have their anger validated in one. And the second reason is, is ultimately in my own experience, is that if you just come across nonchalantly you know, just try to educate someone, like they're just the information will go in one ear out the other. Whereas if I take what was said about us and realize and show them that actually the reverse is true for example, like natives are lazy, that's that's a common one. The Indian “Grab-a-Hoe” industry actually existed from the 1950s to the 1980s. And it decimated not only Indigenous agriculture where we enjoyed the most prosperous times, even throughout the Great Depression because of our agricultural ability and our hard work ethic that the Canadian governments through the Indian Act and enact laws where it decimated not only our agricultural industry, but then in order to support our families even children had to work 14 hour days in the sun working the farmland of nearby farmers.
(01:05:20):
The Indian “Grab-a-Hoe” industry, basically because Canadians didn't wanna do the labor necessary. It was hard work. They didn't wanna do, do
Lezley (01:05:30):
It. Sorry. You're gonna, I do not know what grab ahoe is. You said that twice, like nonchalantly <laugh>. I just, I have no idea what grab Aho is.
Dallas (01:05:41):
Oh, Indian grab. The Indian “Grab-a-Hoe” era is, is what the, the natives called each other. Indian Grabaho, the Grabaho Indian. Basically when they were recruited to work the farms, Canadian farms they're told to grab a hoe, right? And get out there and start digging. So they call themselves grab a hoe. And that's where the, so I call it the Indian “Grab-a’Hoe” era is when from the fifties eighties, our, our economy was decimated, and we worked, we worked hard, even children, 14 hour days doing the work that farmers and Canadians didn't wanna do because it was too hard. So the idea that you are, that Indigenous peoples are lazy, is the, the reverse was true. And actually Canadians were too lazy to work the farms that our children had to do the work for them, that they were too lazy to do.
(01:06:31):
So the idea that, oh, natives are lazy, no, if you actually go to employers around across Canada, they'll tell you that natives are the hardest workers they've ever had that they love working with natives. You know, people that that hire natives from like nearby reserves or whatever. And they utilized us as a glove for employment. They said we're the hardest workers. I remember case in point, I was 14 years old. My first job was working South River Farms, and it was a potato seed, basically cutting potato seed and on a conveyor belt wear all day, about 12 hours a day or so. I was only 14 years old, and I was the only person that completed the entire season. I was only 14. Yeah. I was working the old, I love the work. 15 years old, working 14 hour days with the Conco and gear on working with the fairs, having fair, no, that sounds man,
Lezley (01:07:22):
Awful. <Laugh>.
Dallas (01:07:23):
I loved it. It was great. I literally 50 pound bags of ice and sugar, right? Like, I, I was working, it was 30 degree weather. And I'm like, I was like walking over with these bags of ice and sugar, and I loved it. I don't know why. I was like, I love hard work. I don't know. It's like, yeah. So anyways, yeah. The, my content on TikTok is the only reason why it's like that is 'cause I have to get the message out there somehow some way. And the most way effective way I found is to get people's attention in a way that kind of just shocks 'em outta their apathy, shocks 'em, and gets 'em to a point where they're like, like, what the fuck? Like, emotionally, for some people it would emotionally disturb them, get them upset, right? But that is important because what that does, it plants a seed within their minds.
(01:08:09):
There's a, a saying, a mind stretch to a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. Mm-Hmm, <affirmative>. So when I mention something about, say, Indigenous sovereignty, or, or I wrap something around, I say, you know, I, I use the term uncivilized savage colonizer, right? What I'm doing is I'm actually wrapping that around a seed of knowledge, a seed of truth within it, so that when the emotional shock of it wears off, because they're not gonna be able to forget that they're gonna remember the interaction that I had with them. And people have actually come back years later after I engaged with them on, say, Facebook. We had a, like a big long debate. They would actually seek me out and they would so at least a couple people were to pass three, four years alone. They actually came forward and said, I'm glad I found you again.
(01:08:57):
You know, I wanna apologize. You know, I didn't understand what you were trying to tell me before, but now I understand, you know, I'm sorry for, you know, not listening and not, you know, learning for me. But see, what I was doing was my method of, you know, method to my mad, or I say something in a way that gets em emotionally invested in the conversation, in the debate. It's not because I'm trying to be petty or I'm trying to one up the other person, but, 'cause I recognize that in my experience in 20 years of doing this, that's the most effective way to get not only someone to pay attention, to continue to engage, but also to actually make that knowledge that I'm passing onto him imbued with emotion in a way that once the emotion dies down, that idea begins to bear fruit.
(01:09:44):
They begin to understand and see, oh, actually he's right. I see it now. Like what that young man told me he was, you know, he was right. You know, Hey, you know, I would feel the same way too if I did, you know, denied these truth. Right? So then they have that, they acquire that knowledge in their own understanding, right? Mm-Hmm. Without being told directly, Hey, just believe this, this is true, right? They, they have experientially able to understand and cog what I told them because of the method of which I employed it on, which is, you know, making them emotional and, you know, yeah. Even aggravating at some point, right? But the ultimately you're brave, brave to do it. You're brave to
Lezley (01:10:23):
Do it 'cause you've like, what are you on fourth version four? Like, you get banned. 'cause People can't handle their feels
Dallas (01:10:31):
<Laugh>. Not only that, but white supremacists, like, I'm like targeted. I've been dock it is very dangerous what I'm doing, but I've, you know, the path that I've led up until this point has preparing me for it. Holy shit. So if you say that, the connection to Spirit, right? That's why I believe the connection to Spirit, connection to each other, connection to heart, that's what's gonna save us.
Lezley (01:10:52):
Yeah, you're right, you're right. Miigwetch. Tapadh Leat. Thank you,
Dallas (01:11:04):
<Inaudible>. Thanks for inviting me.
Lezley (01:11:06):
<Laugh>. That's my new thing now, is thank you. In three languages. <Laugh> Tapadh Leat is, thank you, in Gaelic.
Dallas (01:11:17):
Oh wow. My name Dallas, I believe is a Gaelic name, isn't it?
Lezley (01:11:21):
I just have to tell you, my husband is so not impressed that your name's Dallas. 'cause His first baby mama's name is Dallas and he is just, he's getting post-traumatic stress disorder. Every time I'm like, well, I'm gonna go talk to Dallas. He's like, God dammit,
Dallas (01:11:37):
<Laugh>. Oh my God.