Transcript
Page 1: Suzuki's Grandson is Here, Get the Cameras

Scott  Knowles  December  5,  2014  

SUZUKI’S  GRANDSON  IS  HERE,  GET  THE  CAMERAS    

 

For  anyone  who  is  following  the  protests  that  have  broken  out  on  Burnaby  Mountain,  it  is  likely  that  you  have  read,  heard  about,  or  watched  David  Suzuki’s  grandson  speak.  He  has   been   making   headlines   and   giving   speeches   since   November   20,   when   he   was  dragged  over  the  injunction  line  by  police  officers  and  arrested.  There  has  been  a  lot  of  hype  built  up  around  his  grandson  and  a  lot  of  attention  focused  on  him.  I  want  to  set  the  record  straight;  David  Suzuki’s  grandson  has  not  accomplished  anything.    

After  the  arrest,  Suzuki  wrote  an  open  letter,   it   has   been   read   thousands   of  times  and  shared  all  over  social  media.  It  also  aided  in  focusing  a  spotlight  on  his   grandson.   He   later   showed   up   on  the  mountain  and  gave  a  fiery  speech  to   the   RCMP   officers,   stating,   “my  grandson  was  dragged  across   the   line  yesterday,   or   the   day   before,   and  arrested,   you   are   breaking   the   law!”  Despite   a   group   of   powerful   women  giving   speeches,   singing   the  women’s  warrior   song,   and   crossing   the  injunction   line   to   be   arrested,  moments   before   the   speech,   media  outlets   focused   the   majority   of   their  attention  on  David  Suzuki.      

It  is  very  telling  that  until  Tamo  had  been  revealed  as  David  Suzuki’s  grandson,  his  arrest  was  not  highlighted.  Many  people  on  the  mountain  were  arrested  that  day,  and  he  was  considered   one   of   the  many.  Until   of   course,   the  media   got  wind   that   Tamo  was   the  grandson  of  David  Suzuki.  It  was  at  this  time  that  his  story  became  worthy  of  reporting  on.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  got  an  outburst  of  attention  and  support.  Our  society  and  media   outlets   seem   to   have   an   obsession   with   celebrity   figures;   they   give   more  importance  to  celebrities  than  to  the  issue  at  hand.    I  read  Suzuki’s  open  letter  soon  after  it  was  written,  there  was  one  section  in  particular  that  stood  out  to  me,  “My  grandson   is   taking  an  active  role   in   the  struggle   for  human  rights,  social  justice  and  environmental  protection,  he  is  not  a  criminal.  He  has  done  this  without  attempting  to  ride  on  or  hide  behind  my  coat  tails.  He  is  a  role  model  for  young  people   today,   inspiring   them   to   get   involved   in   issues   of   their   future.”   These   words  

 Photo  by  Hannah  Campbell  

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could  not  hold  more  truth.  They  are  the  reason  that  I  say;  David  Suzuki’s  grandson  has  not  accomplished  anything.      Tamo  Campos  is  the  name  of  Suzuki’s  grandson,  he  is  one  of  my  best  friends,  and  he  is  one  of  the  most  inspirational  people  I  have  ever  met.  He  has  been  working  tirelessly  on  environmental   justice  organizing  over  the  past  three  years,  without  using  the   leverage  of  his  grandfather  to  further  him  in  his  work  –  something  that  I  have  always  appreciated.    Through  his  teenage  years,  Tamo  was  a   professional   snowboarder   –   a   story  that   he   would   be   able   to   tell   much  better   than   I.   A   few   years   ago   Tamo  co-­‐founded   an   organization   called  Beyond   Boarding.   The   aim   of   the  organization   was   to   leverage   the  energy   of   the   snowboard   community  in  aims  of   creating  positive  change.   It  has   come   a   long   way   over   these   last  few  years,  and  has  proven  to  be  a  very  dynamic  organization.    In   the   winter   of   2013,   Tamo   and   his  good  friend  John  bought  an  old  school  bus   for   their   next   big   adventure.  We   ripped   the   seats   out   of   the   bus,   put   in   beds,   a  kitchen,   storage   space,   and   most   notably,   a   wood   burning   stove.   Next   the   bus   was  converted   to   run   on   waste   vegetable   oil   and   it   was   loaded   up   with   snowboards,  surfboards,  warms  clothes,  cameras,  and  of  course,  a  lot  of  vegetable  oil.  The  plan  was  to   take   this   bus   throughout   British   Columbia   to   learn   about   the   effects   of   industrial  projects   on   communities,   find   solutions   to   our   energy   crisis,   and   hike   into   the  backcountry  to  snowboard  the  untouched  powder,  remaining  carbon  neutral  the  entire  time.  Unfortunately,  I  was  stuck  in  school  at  the  time  and  could  not  join  them  on  their  adventure,  but  after  a  month  of  planning  and  working  on  the  bus,  Tamo,  John  and  their  friend  Jasper  were  on  the  road.    I  don’t  think  any  of  them  could  have  prepared  themselves  for  what  was  to  come.  They  met  people  who  were  suffering  from  the  social  impacts  of  work  camps  and  boomtowns.  They   met   people   who   were   living   off   the   grid,   but   were   still   unable   to   escape   the  negative  effects  of  industry.  And  most  notably,  they  built  a  strong  relationship  with  the  Klabona  Keepers,  who  describe   themselves   as,   “an  organization  of   Tahltan  elders   and  families   who   occupy   and   use   traditional   lands   near   Iskut,   British   Columbia   known   as  Tl’abāne,   the   Sacred   Headwaters   of   the   Stikine,   Nass   and   Skeena   Rivers.”   This   entire  journey  was   filmed  and  turned   into  a  documentary  called  Northern  Grease,  which  has  been  shown  to  communities  throughout  BC.    

 Photo  by  Marshal  Chupa  

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For  Tamo,  this  journey  has  never  really  ended.  He  has  spent  the  better  part  of  the  last  two  years   living   in  his  bus,  which   is  now  more  of  a  home   than  a  vehicle.  The  bus  has  been   to   blockades   and   frontline   communities   all   across   BC.   From  Haida   Gwaii   to   the  Unist’ot’en  Camp,  Madii  Lii  Camp  to  the  Sacred  Headwaters,  Fort  McMurray  to  Fort  St.  John.  Along  the  way  Tamo  has  spoken  with  thousands  of  students,  snowboarded  in  the  endless  backcountry  and  surfed  waves  along  the  coast.  When  he  runs  out  of  money,  he  makes  stops  to  hold  down  a  job  for  a  while;  he  has  worked  to  fund  the  next  leg  of  his  life  by  making   smoothies,  making   ice   cream,   and   selling   snowboard  gear.  But  none  of  his  adventures  would  be  complete  without  his  friends,  family  and  partner.  Tamo  has  taken  us   places   we   would   otherwise   never   have   been,   he   has   taught   us   things   we   would  otherwise  never  have  learned,  and  he  has  made  strong  connections  with  folks  at  every  stop  along  the  way.    A   few  days   ago,   footage  of   Tamo’s   arrest  was   released.  Much  of   it  was   filmed  by   his  partner,  and  my  good   friend,  Hannah  Campbell.  Hannah   is  one  of   the   loveliest  people  you   will   ever   meet.   She   has   been   on   a   number   of   Tamo’s   crazy   adventures,   and   he  would  be  the  first  to  tell  you  that  he  has  learned  as  much  from  Hannah  as  any  of  us  have  learned  from  him.  The  footage  that  was  released  is  heartbreaking  for  me  to  watch.  As  Tamo  is  dragged  over  the  injunction  line,  you  can  hear  Hannah’s  screams,  and  you  can  see  Tamo  slip  out  of  her  hands  and  be  swarmed  by  police  officers.    

 A   couple   of   days   after  Tamo’s   arrest,   five   powerful  women  decided  to  cross   the  injunction   line   and   be  arrested.   These   women   all  have  close  relationships  with  Tamo  –  Hannah,  his  partner,  Tamiko,   his   mother,   Midori,  his   sister,   Desiree,   his   good  friend,   and   Loretta,   a  Klabona   Keeper.   These   are  the   people   that  make   Tamo  who  he   is   today,   the  people  that  hold  him  up,  encourage  him  to  keep  going,  and  teach  him  much  of  what  he  knows.                

 It  is  in  this  spirit  that  I  say  David  Suzuki’s  grandson  has  not  accomplished  anything.  It  is  in   this  spirit   that   I   say  Hannah’s  partner,  Tamiko’s  son,  Midori’s  brother,  and  my  good  friend  Tamo,  has  accomplished  a  lot.  So  please,  next  time  you  recognize  Tamo  at  a  rally,  ask  him  to  come  speak  at  your  event,  or  add  him  as  a   friend  on  Facebook,  make  sure  you  are  doing  so  because  of  what  he  has  accomplished,  not  because  he  is  David  Suzuki’s  grandson.  

 Photo  by  Tamo  Campos  


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