West Coast Acadian

Fun! I may go listen when they announce more. Happy dance for Indigenous Storytellers! Plus, Eagle clan Nisga'a?! Way to go Mr. Parnell!

(The Eagle clan has always treated my family well.)

The Prince Rupert Library | Wap Liitsx is excited to introduce Luke Parnell, the Indigenous Storyteller in Residence for Fall/Winter 2026! Luke comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and extensive background in a variety of mediums:

"My Nisga'a name is Guxw Gahlgan (always carving) and is Laxgiik (eagle) from Wilps Kwa'kaans. My mother is Nisga'a from Gingolx and my father was Haida from Masset. I have been a carver for over 20 years and though my primary medium is wood, my materiality is determined on a project by project basis.

My practice explores the relationship between Northwest Coast Indigenous oral histories and Northwest Coast Indigenous art, centring on narrative. I create these artworks in order to understand these histories and concepts and their relationship to contemporary events."

There are a number of events planned that will be hosted by Luke at the Library, as well as a community art piece which seeks to answer the question, "What does the Library mean to you?"

Stay tuned for more dates and details. Welcome Luke!

First of a new series I have been working on to support the podcast content: Words Mean Something.

The first official word is "Autumn," and you can read the encyclopedic-style entry I wrote. Another essay is coming out on Sunday to talk a little bit about "How" the word Autumn came to be and why we still use it. :)

https://writerramsay.substack.com/p/autumn-noun-words-mean-something?r=32ab0x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Did you know that "Goth" was an insult within the Roman empire? Today it is an aesthetic, a period of history, but people forget there was a whole culture and nation that was culturally cannibalized by the forces of the Empire.

Instead, we forget that by shaming rural and Indigenous cultures, the Roman empire, the Greeks, the Persians, etc. These occupational forces use shame to drive assimilation and the shedding of other identities. It was a rule of survival that "When in Rome, do as Romans do," which reminds me that conformity is the first force of colonialism.

This is why residential school deniers, assimilation apologists, and '60's scoop deniers continue to deny these events. Not because they didn't happen, but because it's part of the colonization process. All of our ancestors went through colonization and now live in capitalist western society as "settlers." Know how I know? My ancestors were French on one side and Scottish on the other.

If I weren't colonized, I would have been raised in one of those countries. Instead, I live on the traditional and unceded territories of the Ts’msyen (Tsimshian) Nations, specifically the Kitselas and Kitsumkalum who are currently going through the modern treaty process.

So, as you continue to use the word Goth, day to day, or you hear it used in media... remember that names are meant to divide people to make them easier to assimilate and force to conform. If you really wouldn't follow someone off a bridge just because they're jumping, try not to use colonial apologetics. If you don't know something, like why a person behaves the way they do, don't just label them because it's easy. Ask them questions and get to know them. Most people are pretty happy tot tell you about themselves, as long as you don't look like a predator. XD

https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/why-gothic-originally-insult

If you want to weigh in on the protection of these waterways, please go to this page and follow their directions.

I've officially set a launch date and now the song Anxiety is playing in my head on repeat at least once a week. I might be anxious.

Get Tickets – ValhallaFest 2026 3 Stages: Asgard, Leif's Beach, AgehaCamping on site, art installations, free workshops and 50 beautiful acres of festival grounds.Direct flights from Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George & CalgaryBe sure to check out our rules and prep page https://valhallafest.ca/faqPLEASE NOTE A waiver mu...

New article about seaweed. Love the stuff, you?

Included are some photos I took of Prince Rupert Harbour (2024), Nanaimo Harbour (2026), and a few photos of seaweed, etc. from other creators.

Which photo is your favourite? I will update which are mine next week. I'm currently edited / data-entried out now. This article took longer and had a lot more research that I really dove into because darn, seaweed is interesting...!

https://writerramsay.substack.com/p/seaweed-isnt-magic-but-its-close

May's Horoscopes are up, sorry for the lateness!

Am

May to June 2026 Horoscopes From the northern edge of the Pacific North West Coast of British Columbia, Canada.