A-M Mawhiney, author

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11/21/2021

What’s in your go-bag?

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On Monday, November 15, 2021 my debut novel, Spindrifts—a book that envisions life fifty years from now when climate change has mostly been addressed—was published. It was a very exciting day for me. And then I read a cousin’s post on Facebook. She lives in Victoria B.C. and was highlighting the catastrophic and unprecedented flooding that parts of B.C. were experiencing that same day.

The juxtaposition of my book release and another horrific example of climate crisis—flooding following on the summer’s wildfires in that province—brings home in a startling and stark way to Canadians what other parts of our planet, and indeed First Nations and farmers on these lands have been sounding the alarm for many years: wildfires, droughts, food insecurity, contaminated water, and evacuations are caused by our actions.

I cannot help wondering what it will finally take to motivate humans to make concrete changes at the individual, community, government, and international levels now, before it is too late.
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Abbostsford, BC, after the flood. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies)

​In 
Spindrifts people came together all over the planet to heal Earth after two international crises. It required changes in values from competition to collaboration, from hierarchy to team work, from conflict to a unified world indefatigably focused solely on resolving the climate emergency of our times now. I imagined a world fifty years from 2020 that overcame racism, understanding and expecting every person on earth had a contribution to make to heal our planet. Fifty years from now in an imagined world, decades of attention to the earth project reaped enormous gains in healing the planet, with more work still left to do.

Just imagine what we all could accomplish together if we were to turn our attention to resolving climate change as our primary priority. Pause here to consider what shifts in our thinking and ways of living would follow from this. And think of what you can already contribute right now.
COP26 Glasgow ended recently, but the proposed timelines and commitments are slow and insufficient in relation to our urgent realities: unified action is needed now, not five, ten, thirty years from now. Our priorities internationally need to shift, and our values and commitment to humanity’s survival mean moving away from our current ways and our value conflicts.

Spindrifts is inspired by young climate strikers from all over the world. They understand the urgency of taking action and the responsibility of social and political leaders to lead the way. Youths point out that they will carry the heavy burden if we fail to take action now, and we all have a responsibility to them as well as future generations.
 
Without immediate action we will continue to lurch from one catastrophe to another as if these are isolated incidents. This leads me to wonder: How prepared are you for an emergency evacuation? What’s in your go-bag?

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9/24/2021

ReconcilIation

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​ I have been asking myself lately what our country would be like now in 2021 had Europeans, at first contact in these lands now called Canada, seen themselves as anything other than a superior race? What if newcomers had adopted the ways of the original peoples instead of imposing Europeans ways? 


There would have inevitably still been a process of working out relationships between the various groups about how to co-exist and on what basis resources should be shared— similar to current treaties, only fair,  honoured,  and updated regularly to keep up with changes over time. It would have been a relationship building process undertaken with the original peoples holding the power and authority. What would Canada be like by now, I wonder?


Instead, in 1867 settlers sat together and worked out geographic boundaries for provinces and political responsibilities of the federation and the provinces, leaving out the voices and authority of original peoples from these lands. It is similar to be willing to have guests stay in your home and before long they have taken completely over, appropriating all rooms and land, establishing the rules and ways of living, pushing you into a small dank corner, of the unfinished basement and raiding your income and bank accounts. I am not the first to use this metaphor but it does highlight what has occurred.


For reconciliation to occur in any meaningful way, it is my opinion as one settler, that we need first to consider what our lives would be like now had the original settlers listened and respected the ways of living, believing, and doing of those who were here for millennia before European contact. This should be the starting point for honest and respectful reconciliation, and yes we will have to change institutions, political, social, and economic relations and practices in order to create balance and fairness in sharing of power, resources, and opportunities. 


Of course such an idea cannot help to raise important questions for which I have no answers because those must rest first and foremost with First Nations. And the rest of us need to be willing to listen with open minds and honourable intent.


Would it not be reasonable for First Nations, at least as a first step and as the original stewards of these lands, to regain their control over the lands currently called Crown and parklands, and resume leadership for all decisions of their lands? 


If the federal and provincial governments can respect each others’ jurisdictions, why do they, and we, not recognize and respect the jurisdiction and authority of each First Nation? Can we not finally begin to honour the treaty commitments to share land and resources fairly? Why don’t First Nations have a fair share in the wealth generated by resource extraction and indeed the authority to determine if, where, how and when such extraction might occur?  Why can we not honour the intent of treaties? Why are settler-run companies unable to share the enormous profits from resource extraction on these lands when there is clearly more than enough wealth to share with original peoples?


What if we could transform our ways into a fair distribution of resources and wealth so all benefit? What if this resulted in living more lightly on our planet with ways of living that restore balance for the benefit of all living creatures instead of the one percent?


These questions informed the world I created in Spindrifts. But the ways of living in Spindrifts reflect only my ideas, which are inevitably flawed. But what if they provoke better ideas? When we talk about reconciliation what will that look like in fifty years?


I believe reconciliation is a microcosm of what needs to happen to create fairness and equity in other relationships as well, and not just with humans. If we can’t even take steps towards real reconciliation with First Nations then what chance do we have to save our planet? Isn’t our planet in crisis because of our inability to live based on equality, fairness, and balance?


I suspect many readers might be uncomfortable with the questions I am posing here. But I ask you, are you prepared to gamble the future of our planet by continuing to do things the way we do now, or will you instead dare to consider transformative changes that may save us all and our future generations? 


We can’t go back to the first European contact with First Nations but we can move in  a respectful way forward embracing new ways of relating and living. The lives of Earth’s children may depend on it. 


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9/24/2021

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8/18/2021

Why I have a farm as my setting in SpiNdrifts.

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Why i have a farm as my setting in Spindrifts

I know next to nothing about farming except for what I observed and learned by visiting extended family farms in the summers when I was a young child. My great-grampa Nide was a farmer and several of his sons and their wives, my great-uncles and great aunts, were as well. I have many happy memories of visiting them and playing with cousins, running free all over the farm land and hunting for fresh eggs.

Then one of my sisters married into a farming family and I observed and learned a bit more about farming. But mainly I developed a healthy respect for how much hard work goes into farming, and how the farming community always pulls together when someone needs help. Injured during harvest? Your neighbours will show up with their farm equipment and bring your crops in, in a matter of a day or two. Need a new roof on your barn? Things go better when farmers work together. We can all learn from farmers' neighbourly helping.

And fifty years from now, in the time of Spindrifts, we will still need to eat, and will definitely still need farmers. And the challenges of climate change currently makes food security a key issue for our planet's survival. We will need to continue to count on farmers to feed us. Yet urban spread has resulted in the loss of much of our farmland in the last 100 years while our population has has increased significantly. On their website the Canadians for a Sustainable Society report that we have lost 65% of farmland in the Maritimes, Quebec, and Ontario alone in the last 100 years. If this trend continues partnered with arid summer conditions our food supply chain will inevitable become even more challenged.

The idea of using greenhouses and hydroponic growing containers in my novel is not my idea. Close to where I live, where winters are harsh and snowfalls are meters deep, is a farm that provides year-round lettuce, kale, and other produce to communities throughout northern Ontario. I based this concept on the success of Truly Northern Farms, a family run business.

Each one of us plays a key part in supporting local farms. In summers we can buy from local farmers, we can shop in small independently owned stores and frequent stores that bring in local products. When shopping in grocery stores, do you purchase locally, provincially, and nationally produced food? Do you ask your supermarkets to support local farmers?

Supporting our local farmers is an investment in food security, and the food is also fresher and healthier for us. Just something to think about the next time you go shopping.

I know next to nothing about farming except for what I observed and learned by visiting extended family farms in the summers when I was a young child. My great-Grampa Nide was a farmer and his sons, my great-uncles and their wives, were as well. I have many happy memories of visiting them and playing with cousins, running free all over the farm and hunting for fresh eggs.
Then one of my sisters married into a farming family and I observed and learned a bit more about farming, but mainly I developed an awe and healthy respect for how much hard work goes into farming, and how the farming community always pulls together when someone needs help. Injured during harvest? Your neighbours will show up with their farm equipment and bring in your crops in a matter of a day or two.  Need a new roof on your barn? Things go better when farmers work together. We can all learn from farmers’ value of neighbourly helping. 
And fifty years in the future? We will still need to eat, and will definitely still need farmers. And the challenges of climate change currently makes food security a key issue for our planet’s survival. We will need to continue to count on farmers to feed all of us. Yet urban spread has resulted in the loss of much of our farmland in the last 100 years while our population has increased significantly. On their website the Canadians for a Sustainable Society report that we have lost 65% of farmland in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario in the last 100 years. If this trend continues partnered by arid summer conditions our food supply chain will inevitably become even more challenged. 
The idea of using greenhouses and hydroponic growing containers in my novel is not my idea.  Close to where I live, where winters are harsh and snowfalls are meters deep, is a farm that provides year-round lettuce, kale and other produce to communities throughout northern Ontario. I based my story on the success of Truly Northern Farms, a family run business.
Each one of us plays a key part in supporting local farms. In summers we can buy from local farmers, we can shop in small independently owned stores and frequent stores that bring in products from local farmers.  When shopping in grocery stores, do you support farmers from your community, province, and nation? Do you encourage your supermarkets and other shops to support farmers from your community, province, or nation? 
Supporting our local farmers is an investment in food security, and the food is fresher and healthier for us, too. Just something to think about. WWWhy I chose a farm for the main setting Ihy

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8/6/2021

why I wrote Spindrifts

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Writing about a world based on collaboration and equality requires more than just imagination when the story’s roots are found in our current world. This is the main reason I wrote Spindrifts as a futuristic fantasy. Originally I hoped to write about a Utopian world until I started to hear less than Utopian whispers from my characters as I wrote.

While life in the Land of Hope and beyond has, it appears, addressed discrimination and privilege, echoes of the past still shape the lives of this family. And some secrets, once uncovered, might lead the reader to question the Utopian nature of this world.

I hope that I have captured the essence of how the past, our present time in 2021, might shape the lived experiences in the future world but I recognize my vision for a better future will inevitably have flaws. But I challenge readers, in identifying faults with Land Of Hope, to be inspired to envision the world they want to see in fifty years, and to start along a path to realize their own vision and hope for the future— for that was my goal in writing Spindrifts, to inspire you, the reader, to consider ways you can contribute to a healthier future for our planet.

All evidence is showing us the climate crisis faced by our planet is upon us right now, as highlighted by the pandemic, floods, wild fires and unprecedented, record breaking temperatures. Urgent action is needed now, not in five, ten, twenty or thirty years from now.

I urge each one of us to consider how our actions, small and large, can ensure a healthy future for children, youth, and future generations. We each can take immediate action. But we also need to urge and expect political, economic, and social leaders to create winning conditions to reverse climate change.

I hope reading Spindrifts inspires you to take concrete actions for a better future.


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7/23/2021

Blog #1: What experiences led me to create the world we see in Spindrifts?

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​I am excited to be launching my first-ever blog! This is the place where I plan to post photos, comments about events I will be attending, my take on current affairs, and any exciting news as I start my journey as a writer.


What experiences led me to create the world we see in Spindrifts?


For most of my academic career, I was an outsider: one of two women on a team of thirteen in a woman-dominated discipline; then a bilingual Anglophone working in French; next, a settler working along side First Nations educators and wise Indigenous teachers, and so on. From these experiences, I learned a great deal about the importance of respectful communication, being always mindful of being sensitive to the ways my comments might be understood, and healthy boundaries: being clear in my own identity and place as an invited outsider.
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Working closely with BIPOC students and colleagues, I also observed the racism, discrimination, and inequities that Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour experience in Canada because there were times I was with them when such racism occurred; for example, a restaurant closing an hour before their usual time when we arrived.

Then there were also many examples of micro-aggressions I observed when with colleagues and friends; occasionally some were directed to me when people made assumptions about me based on the work I was doing. One time, I was asked by the First Nations working group to speak to French media about the launch of the Indigenous social work program. The next day I ran into a French colleague who commented that he didn’t know any “other” First Nations people who spoke French so fluently outside of Quebec. (This occurred years ago). I was shocked that he assumed I was First Nations, when I so clearly am not, and replied in French, “That is a huge compliment however am I not First Nations, and I’m actually a bilingual Anglophone.” Another time an Anglophone colleague commented that I spoke English fluently and without an accent—he assumed because I spoke French I was Francophone. These kinds of assumptions tell us a great deal about the ways people judge others without really knowing us. In both cases there was marked patronization in the way the comments were delivered.

These two experiences, and many others, gave me opportunity to reflect what it would be like to hear that tone of superiority and to experience the racism had I been First Nations, Black, or Francophone, or the homophobia if my identity was one of LGBQT2S+. It was safe for me confront the mistaken identity by questioning the basis of their assumptions and challenging their inappropriate comments. This was a privileged position to have, and I know full well that many BIPOC and others do not have this same safety to speak up when dealing with racism, homophobia or other forms of discrimination.

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    Welcome to the blog of A-M Mawhiney. I am the author of Spindrifts - A futuristic fantasy to inspire and give hope to all who are interested in changing the world, now available to order from most major online retailers here​.

    Follow me @ammawhiney on Twitter and Instagram!

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