The Rope

                                                                            The Rope
                                                                Guest Blog: Nathan Adler

Nathan's Bio:

Nathan Adler is a writer and artist who works in many different mediums, including video, film, drawing & painting, as well as glass and installation.  Nathan was the first place winner of the 2010 Aboriginal Writing Challenge http://www.our-story.ca/nathan-adler.html, he has had his writing published in Redwire magazine, Canada’s History magazine, and as a part of the Odemin Giizis Festival.  He is currently working as a glass artist, and is a member of Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation.

The Rope

Oskana Ska, Pile of Bones

The Queen’s City, Regina

Sask.

We go on a walking tour called:

“IN THE FOOT-STEPS OF RIEL!”

We see the Court House where He was Sentenced

a Plaque in the park

a Statue, of Sir. John

and the Place where they brought The Body after they Executed him

it used to be a Church, But Now

it’s a Drop-in Centre for Troubled Youth

We go on a tour of the RCMP Heritage Museum

We See, hanging on the wall

The rope

The Rope

they used to hang him with

We take tasteless photo’s

    my brother, posing

        in front of the noose

            eyes bulging

                tongue lolling out

“. . .  And just over there

is where they executed him,

over there by those barracks . . .”

strange

that on the site, where such an important Historical Figure Was Executed, there isn’t

some kind of Museum dedicated to the preservation and history of Metis culture. 

Instead

there’s an RCMP Heritage Museum symbolizing  the Authority and Power of The

State, A warning to all those who would challenge it.

maybe not so strange

“It’s a really nice space”

We say polite things

about the building

to our tour-guide.