I have not written a blog post for quite some time. Paralysis by analysis has been my issue. Yeah! That's sounds much more interesting than saying I've been lazy. I have had some great ideas about blog posts but, I haven't written about those ideas for one reason or another. Intimidation by family members has occurred. Out respect and maybe a small amount of fear I have chosen to write nothing here. That is changing.
I have written some material but, it's not posted here. It was on my own private blog on myTonidoPlug 2 using an application called "Thots". Then I accidentally bricked my server while attempting to update the operating system and well, I'm still trying to revive that cute little Linux gadget but, my attempts have lead to frustration.
I have had concerns mentioned to me about some of the interesting pieces of information that I've come across. Family members have told me, not asked me, told me that I can't write about some of the things that I have discovered because the things that I had discovered were discovered by other's before me and that the information would show up in a book or several books that various cousins were going to write or are writing. Now, I am not sure if some of the information that I have found was actually discovered before I located it or not. It's possible. More and more information is available of the World Wide Web than ever before. Someone could have found something before me.
All of the information I'm writing about is in the public domain and is information made public by provincial governments as well as the Government of Canada. There's nothing at the "Wikileaks" level of intrigue here. Not even close. I'm not going to be hunted by anyone for sharing what I have found, except maybe by the odd family member for ruining their book. Unlike Julian Assange, who is holed up in an embassy in the United Kingdom, I shall continue to have my freedom. No clandestine or illegal activities took place.
As an amateur genealogist I have sat in front of a computer and searched for information about my family and other topics of interest. I know that some family members have known of the things that I have researched for years. I was able to find the documentation that attests to some of my family's folklore. I have also found documents that show some of what my family believes to have occurred over time is not true and did not happen. I have also discovered and can prove that some people that think they are family are not. People get testy when I tell them that. "Do your own research and see what you come up with," I say. Those people at that point just mumble something, lose interest immediately and wander off.
I have attempted to convince some of my family members interested in writing books to consider blogging. I've also told them to consider putting what they have up on Facebook (Shudder!). I have my issues with Facebook. That's why I'm not on Facebook anymore. I've explained to them that blogging is a way of presenting what you want to say, the way you want to say it, anytime you want to say it. The time table for writing and publishing material through blogging is your own. I've further explained that if you blog material attracts enough attention you might want to consider consolidating blog data into a book. I heard nothing but crickets coming from the other end of the phone! Not really but, the line was silent for a few seconds.
I am amongst the youngest of my cousins. Some of my older cousins are computer literate but, still think that writing a paper book is the way to go to tell the family story and possibly make some money to support further research or what have you. Has anyone written a book yet? No. None of my cousins have book deals with publishers to my knowledge. I don't think anything more than further attempts at intimidation will be forthcoming. At that point it won't matter because I'll have whatever I want to write about published here.
To my family I say: "Yep! I wrote that. Read it and weep. You've had lots of time and you did nothing with it! Someone has to write something before we're all gone. That is what I'm doing. Our tribe has been removed from history. Our family's nobility has been denied time and again by European settlers and everybody else who thinks they are chief of some tribe or another whether that tribe ever existed or not. Yet, you don't want me to write anything because I've never lived on the reserve. Fill your boots! I'm filling mine."
I will attempt to write at least once a month for now. I guarantee that blog posts will be much more frequent than they have been. Will I write about the Weiwaikum Kwiakah Treaty Society? Yes, I soon shall.
