This interview took place on the traditional, unceded, occupied, and stolen land of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The Talon believes it is important to interrogate and remain critical of settler colonial educational institutions, such as the University of British Columbia.
Rodney Little Mustache is a Two-spirit member of the Piikani Nation of the Niitsitapi Confederacy and is a third year undergraduate student majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Political Science at the University of British Columbia. He is running in the AMS Presidential elections that are currently in progress from March 5th to 9th.
Little Mustache is proud and honoured to carry the traditional Niitsitapi name Maistoo’a waastaan or “Crow Flag”. He strives to live up to the legacy of this name, which he shares with his great-great grandfather who was an advocate and teacher of traditions within their nation. Little Mustache has been living on Coast Salish territories in Vancouver for the past 26 years after moving from the territory of the Niitsitapi Confederacy (southern Alberta). When he arrived to the city he found that there were more opportunities and services for Indigenous peoples living with HIV and was pleased to find a large Two Spirit community. He started working at the Pacific AIDS Resource Centre, where he met many supportive people. He later got involved with organizations such as Healing Our Spirit and Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network where he learned a lot as a board member helping these organizations grow.
Throughout his experience living with HIV, and through attending conferences about residential schools, homelessness, addictions, education, and Hepatitis C, Little Mustache recalls people speaking about the importance of land, which gave him a greater understanding of land-based relationships. This learning changed his perspective and he began to identify a relational importance between Indigenous people and the land, which filled him with immense joy. At the interview with the Talon, he wore a shirt he designed for the Aboriginal AIDS Network with a white turtle (to signify the land that encompasses Turtle Island) and four symbols including an inuksuk (Inuit), tipi (First Nations), infinity sign (Metis) and a city skyline (representing Indigenous peoples in urban centers). Asked about his stance with regards to the environment, he stated, “I’m First Nations, enough said” and laughed. Little Mustache is passionate about environmental issues such as climate change, and connecting with nature ––“the land is important to us, it makes us who we are. It provides for us.” Little Mustache stated that his relationship to the land informs the knowledge and experience he brings to his bid for the AMS presidential nomination.
Little Mustache recalls attending previous AMS election debates and noticing that there were not many Inuit, Metis or First Nations people present. He remembers taking the candidates by surprise by asking “Where are all the First Nations… and what are you doing to get them here?” He continues to ask these questions at debates and stated that he would like to see more “First Nations involvement and participation within the AMS.”
In 2017, he came up with a direction plan for the AMS to establish an Indigenous committee, which was largely ignored. Little Mustache was asked by an interviewer why he had given them one year to accomplish this and he responded by stating that the AMS has already had over “100 years to do it” referring to its initial establishment in 1915. Then, three weeks ago, the Board of Governors announced that it was going to establish an Indigenous committee. Little Mustache recalls being told “not to concentrate too much on Indigenous issues” but states that if he had “not spoken up in the last few years, none of this would be happening right now [at the AMS level]”. Little Mustache continues to push for seats to be set aside for Indigenous men, women and Two-spirit people within the Board of Governors, the AMS Senate and Council and he encourages other students to get involved with social justice struggles and Indigenous issues. He believes that more Indigenous peoples need to sit on committees and be included in events to ensure their voices are heard. He stated that there should be more transparency and no more closed doors to Indigenous peoples and students at UBC. He asked “will there be Indigenous students in the room when issues are being discussed behind AMS closed doors?” Furthermore, Little Mustache is pushing for the year 2020 to be the year of honouring Indigenous students across Canada to help bring them into the dialogue and increase the numbers of Indigenous students on campus.
Recently, the Indigenous Students Council at the University of Saskatchewan, which represents about 2,500 Indigenous students, decided to reject the University’s ‘empty’ attempts at reconciliation. This month, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSC) is set to open to the public here at UBC. The Talon asked Little Mustache about his thoughts on UBC’s efforts with regards to reconciliation. He believes that UBC can do a better job in its attempts at reconciliation by:
- Honouring Indigenous students by creating more opportunities for Indigenous students, not just at UBC but at other post-secondary institutions
- Creating a seat in the AMS for a Vice President of Indigenous Affairs
- Creating an Indigenous affairs committee and getting FNIS groups together to discuss what this committee could do for Indigenous students and staff
- Hiring more Indigenous staff
- Declaring 2020 as the year of Indigenous students
- Encouraging more Indigenous students to sit on committees
- Creating seats for Indigenous peoples on the Senate, Council and the Board of Governors
- Ensuring the inclusion of more Indigenous content/contributors in the Ubyssey and other university publications
The Talon also asked Little Mustache how UBC can make the campus more inclusive in regards to gender, race, sexuality, ability, class etc. issues. He recalled being laughed at and discriminated against on campus for being a mature student and because of his age. He urges people to challenge their preconceived notions and try to understand one another by asking questions, being uncomfortable, and accepting others and who they are. Furthermore, his platform is based on the Seven Sacred Teachings ––honesty, respect, courage, wisdom, truth, love, humility–– that have been passed down generationally for many First Nations peoples. “We learn to live by them,” Little Mustache professed. “They are the rules for life that make us First Nations people and those are the kinds of values I want to bring to UBC.” However, he recognizes that he “can’t speak for all Indigenous students and can only speak for [himself].” He states that it is important to be honest with who you are, respect and help one another, step out of our comfort zones, educate ourselves and others, speak our truths, stand up and act, reach out when needed, love ourselves and others, and listen with an open heart. He advocates for everyone to embrace these values at UBC. As a result “maybe something will change inside of you, you never know.”
The Talon would like to thank Rodney Little Mustache for taking the time to speak with us and we wish him the best of luck in the election.
Students have until 4pm Friday March 9, 2018 to vote in the AMS elections. Sign in to vote at this link.
Special thanks to editors M-A Murphy and Jacob Fischer-Schmidt
