See you on the road, brother

Page 5

Dear Editor: Re: Obituary for Ed Burnstick, February 2000 issue, Windspeaker.

In May 1999, I invited Ed Burnstick to share his experiences with our class.

"No problem," he said without hesitation. On his way to Montana, he modified his itinerary and schedule to talk to Native media workers who came to Regina from various regions of Canada.

I was lecturing there on international Indigenous issues, a month-long course offered by the Indian Communication Arts program of the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College. I knew that Ed's experiences and perspectives on journalism and international issues would enrich the participants.

I first met him in 1990 in Ecuador where Indigenous peoples from the Americas gathered to prepare the counter-celebration of the 500th anniversary of the so called "Discovering of the Americas." He was leading a First Nations delegation from Canada.

We met again in Guatemala. He was there with another delegation and American Indian Movement representatives. We kept in touch. Walking the same road, I knew that we were going to meet again.

Months and months would pass without contact and then I would get his phone call at my home in Montreal. We discussed the international Indigenous movement.

When I moved to Listuguj, Que., he tracked me down to renew contact and exchange information on what was going on in Indian Country, a country that goes from the Arctic to the Antarctic. So I was happy when he accepted my invitation to talk to my class.

"I introduce to you a brother whose footprints I found in various countries," I said as part of my presentation. Ed spoke about his experience in journalism, those times when almost nothing was in place to do journalism.

He spoke about the many Indigenous peoples he visited in more than 50 countries. He exhorted the need of covering international Indigenous issues.

Listening to details of his interaction with other Indigenous peoples, one could feel his enthusiasm, his emotions and the need to pursue these interactions.

I last met him on Dec. 14, 1999 in Regina where he was invited, together with other Indian people from Canada working on international issues, for a two-day discussion on the content of United Nations' conventions that will have an impact on our lives.

He told me he was planning to go to Guatemala for an Elders' meeting in January 2000. He also mentioned the Condor feather I had given him.

I told him about the prophecy of the Condor and the Eagle, whose encounter of both will invigorate our strength as Indigenous peoples - a powerful symbol. I believe in that. He believed in that. He represented that.

So, brother Ed, see you on the road again, you are just ahead of us again.

Felix Atencio-Gonzales

Quechua Nation