When you cut my hair, you cut my Spirit

[Lori Anne]

''A Thunder Bay woman is demanding an explanation after a teacher's aide at her son's school cut his long hair — an action her lawyer says is clearly assault while the Crown insists there are no grounds for charges. [...]

The seven-year-old boy had chin-length hair before the incident last month. His mother said staff at McKellar Park Central Public School were aware her son was letting his hair grow so that he could take part in traditional First Nations dancing.

The mother told CBC News she was stunned when her son told her it was a teacher's assistant who lopped off 10 centimetres of his hair.

"I said, 'Why did she do this? Did she say anything?'" said the mother. "And he said, 'No, and after she cut my hair, she took me by the shoulders and forced me to stand in front of the mirror. She made me stand there and said look at you now.'"

 

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A teacher's aide in Thunder Bay, Ont., who last month cut the bangs of a First Nations student and was subsequently suspended, will not face charges, the region's acting Crown attorney said.

"Based on standing Crown policy, it was determined that this act was not criminal, per se," David MacKenzie said Friday, adding there was no reasonable prospect of conviction and that it was not in the public interest to proceed in court.

"This lies at the heart of the sense of First Nations that, when we speak of public interest, they are not included in that public," said Julian Falconer, the family's lawyer.

MacKenzie said the incident occurred on April 16 when a teacher's aide, who thought the seven-year-old student was having trouble reading because his bangs were in his eyes, "apparently removed him from the classroom and trimmed the bangs sufficient so he could see what he was reading. . . . There was no suggestion of any racial implications. There was nothing sinister about it."

"When a child is in any way physically approached by an adult, without consent, the suggestion of a failure to fight off the adult as an explanation for not prosecuting, is absurd," said Falconer.

"The law is very clear in this area," said Falconer, "The removal of hair, without consent, is an assault."

"If a First Nations teacher had taken the same actions with a non-native child, there would have been a swift and strong response," Falconer said. "The Crown attorney wouldn't be confused about the definition of consent and those non-native children would have been deemed worthy of protection.

"The message here is that First Nations children are somehow less worthy of protection than non-native children."

Falconer says the family feels betrayed by both the police and the Crown attorney.

The school board would not say how long the suspension would last.

Falconer said the parents had come to the school in the fall after the same teacher's aide ridiculed their older son, who also keeps his hair long. They explained that the boys wear their hair long in order to participate in ceremonial First Nations' dancing.

MacKenzie was not aware that the family already had spoken to the teacher's assistant, but confirmed that she has been suspended.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/haircutofaboriginalboy/

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/05/21/thunder-bay-hair.html

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Interesting story, but to get involved in (either) side of this, misses the point, imho.

Being defined by long hair, past beliefs of one's culture, yadda, yadda, is just being pinned down.

Let us be detached and at ease...

[//^\\]

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....or maybe the title should read, when You cut my hair, I cut my spirit.

We're responsible for ourselves...

[Lori Anne]

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....or maybe the title should read, when You cut my hair, I cut my spirit.

We're responsible for ourselves...

A 7 yr old child is responsible for himself?

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Of course.  Who else?

[Lori Anne]

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Of course.  Who else?

I understand your point.... but

I don't know that a 7 yr old is mature enough to be completely responsible for himself, especially in a school setting, where he relies on teachers to be responsible for him, when his parents can't be there.


I can understand where the parents are coming from, though.  I'd be ****ed myself, if somebody took it upon themself to cut my kids hair and I was deliberately growing it long for cultural or religious reasons.

Not their place.

[//^\\]

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I understand your point.... but

You can't do this....chuckles.  "I understand your point, but..."

I don't know that a 7 yr old is mature enough to be completely responsible for himself, especially in a school setting, where he relies on teachers to be responsible for him, when his parents can't be there.

First, children of any age are severely underestimated.  I don't know how you've raised your children, but I do know how I've raised mine.  So, obviously from my own experience, it's from a different perspective. 

I can understand where the parents are coming from, though.  I'd be ****ed myself, if somebody took it upon themself to cut my kids hair and I was deliberately growing it long for cultural or religious reasons.

Well, I seriously doubt 'you know where the parents are coming from.'  You know where 'you' are coming from, (I hope,)that's about it.

You mention 'cultural or religious reasons.'  Good point.  If 'mom' is so steeped in religion and culture, she would have hammered into the child her beliefs and the kid would have never allowed Anyone to mess with his hair, right?  I only saw one comment from the boy, (it was a boy, right?) and it was a straight-forward comment.  Mom's the one that got all worked up about it.  Maybe he liked his new hair cut.  Maybe he enjoyed looking at himself in the mirror.  Maybe, maybe, maybe...that's all we're working with, assumptions.  Damn shame (or good fortune) that she didn't have such an attitude in putting more beliefs in his head.  She sounds weak and conceited to me, as well as looking for air time.   

Growing up with Apache's, Hopi's, Navajo's and Hohokams, was quite interesting.  They have just as many issues as us round eyes.  Doesn't matter what one is complaining about, it's all the same.  I've been fortunate enough to meet Warriors of all walks of Life, and they were all unconcerned.  Religion, culture, yadda, yadda, all went by the wayside, as it's quickly figured out that one can't press on further will all that baggage.

Not their place.

Ah, passing judgement on them.  You know better 

Take care,

K

[Lori Anne]

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You can't do this....chuckles.  "I understand your point, but..."

Sure I can... I understand both sides of the argument.   

Ah, passing judgement on them.  You know better 

Take care,

K

Passing judgement?  Well we do that all the time, any time we form an opinion about something.  My point was, simply, that it's not up to the teacher to cut a kid's hair.

[mayflow]

A 7 yr old child is responsible for himself?

Each incur the Karma of their own reactions.

[Lori Anne]

Each incur the Karma of their own reactions.

Yes, this is very true,  May.