Last month, I wrote a commentary on the documentary, Brockett 99: Rockin’ the Country  ("Brocket 99" Ain't Rockin' My World) about the cult status surrounding a racist, anti-Native audio tape made more than 20 years ago. In  another point of view, Rob Schmidt of Blue Corn Comics  (www.bluecorncomics.com) passes along this essay written by a Native filmmaker who goes by the name of “Cowboy SmithX.” The saga of Brocket 99  lives on…CQL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BY COWBOY SMITHX 

In my humble opinion! I present this…

Back in the mid-80's - a couple University students in Lethbridge, AB. got hold of a tape entitled "AIDS Radio," which was an attack on the gay community. They became inspired and decided to create a new tape that attack's the small native community of Brocket, which is located on the Piikani reserve in Southern Alberta - my home. In the Fall of 1986, a tape depicting a fake radio station on the Piikani, entitled Brocket 99  was born.

Brocket 99  defenders claim the tape is a "parody." According to my friends at Wikipedia,  a parody is "a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke affectionate fun at the work itself," - Brocket 99  does not poke any affectionate fun at the Piikani Nation, it is simply a work of pure hate and racism. It plays on stereotypes of Native people and makes light of substance abuse problems found throughout native communities. The main DJ Ernie Scar is presented as an elder native man, who is an alcoholic, misogynist, racist, sexist beast, that has a ridiculous Aboriginal affectation in his voice. I thought he was funny, but I didn't know any better and have since changed my opinion.

My name is Cowboy Smithx, (yes you heard me right, my name is Cowboy and I'm an Indian - ha, ha.) I am a full-blooded Blackfoot playwright, filmmaker, performing artist, producer and radio host from the Piikani Nation in Southern Alberta. I grew up on the Piikani reserve and was first exposed to Brocket 99  when I was 7. My grandfather brought it home one day and let me listen to it. Being the "swearing baby" that I was, I found Brocket 99 quite amusing and thought it was cool that we could make fun of ourselves without getting all angry about it. Not considering that the tape might be made by a  group of ignorant Caucasian racists, I simply assumed that it was produced by a pack of crazy natives. It inspired me to get into radio, which I did at a very young age.

In the Summer of 1995 I discovered that the tape was indeed made by a group of ignorant Caucasian racists. The entire aura of Brocket 99  became this inimical beast of racism, that was continually being perpetuated by people all over the world, copy-to-copy, download-to-download and quickly garnered a cult following that stretched across the globe. It sucked, because Brocket 99  (in a way) kick-started my artistic career. Radio led me to writing, writing led me to theatre and theatre led me to film.

It was a dark catalyst and it pisses me off that my artistic journey began with exposure to Brocket 99.  It's a classic love/hate relationship that I've built with that stupid tape. As a child I found it to be quite funny, but have since then lost value in it's humor. No one knew who made this tape. Assumptions began to spiral out of control, creating a lot of confusion around who actually made
the tape. I was even accused of making the tape. To this day no one knows who made Brocket 99.

It's a sad fact that some people's perception of Native people is solely based on the portrayal provided by Brocket 99.  Those people are lazy and ignorant. Fast-forward to 2006 (20 years later) Vancouver based filmmaker Nilesh Patel locks picture and sound on his documentary Brocket 99: Rockin' the Country  and begins to hit the film festival circuit. As soon as I heard there was a filmmaker addressing the Brocket 99  issue I was all about contributing to the dialogue.  

I am in the film, as one of the interview subjects and so is my Grandfather - the one who introduced me to the tape, I also serve as the film's narrator. The film explores the affects the tape has had on relations between Native's and non-Native's in and around Southern Alberta and Canada as a whole. It's not the film I would have made, but I'm glad it's there - for it has created an open dialogue available for people to discuss the issue of racism in Canada. Prior to the documentary, there was nothing counteracting, opposing or rebutting Brocket 99  in cyberspace. Just a bunch of stupid jokes and racism.

I think the most important interview in the film is that of Bryce Nicholson, a young man who believes mainstream society has fully paid back what "they've" taken away and done to Native people. Bryce is the founder of Brocket99.ca, a web-site dedicated to building on the ridiculous stereotypes of Native people as a whole "Native bashing is a positive thing." The reason I think that Bryce's interview is so important, is due to the simple fact that it clearly exposes the generational ignorance and racism that still exists in Southern Alberta and Canada, right now in 2006!

It is true - there are a great number of Aboriginals battling with substance abuse problems. Our ancestors had everything stripped away; the land, the language, the culture, the children. Substance abuse is a direct result of genocide, colonialism and systemic racism. Guess what? We're still here and we're waking up!

Denial is the enemy. Racism can be found "faaar and wide, ohhh Canada," andall over the States too, but I won't allow myself to be victimized by it. That extreme hate only makes me a stronger person. Besides…racism is an insipid act performed by unmotivated people. Not all white people are racist, not all native people are bitter. This I know is a fact!

Here is a timeline of events pertaining to Brocket 99

1986 - Brocket 99  is recorded and quickly spreads across North America in an unbelievable fashion by way of cassette tape dubbing..

Mid-90's - T.V. newscaster Mark Campbell is continually accused of creating the tape, but denies it through and through.

1995 - In response to the realization that Brocket 99  was actually a racist tape I create Persey Klaw: curmudgeon Radio DJ determined to fight against Ernie Scar and Brocket  99.  He can be heard on "Rhymes from the 49 Vol 1" a Native Hip Hop compilation produced by SNAG Records.

2001 - Bryce Nicholson creates Brocket99.ca - a web-site dedicated to perpetuating stereotypes cast upon Aboriginals in Canada, specifically in the town of Brocket.

2002 - Michael Anthony, a Virginia based shock-jock creates Brocket99.net: and allegedly purchases the copyrights from the creator of Brocket 99.  The web-site sells Brocket 99  t-shirts, coffee mugs and the actual tape itself on CD. Michael Anthony believes Brocket 99 is an issue of free speech, he is wrong.

2004 - Nilesh Patel begins production on his documentary Brocket 99 - Rockin the Country.  Filming on location in Kamloops, Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Cardston, Pincher Creek, Fort Macleod and eventually ends the film in Brocket itself. "Hopefully these actions will be lead to a better relationship where we do not deal with each other but work together for a better country as a whole. Fairly idealistic but it is an ideal time." -Nilesh Patel

2006 -  Patel's film wins best documentary honours at the First People's Film Festival in Montréal, PQ, and receives invites to the Thunder Bay, Calgary and Edmonton international Film Festival's.

Here are some relative links:
http://www.brocket99,net - Go and tell Michael Anthony what you think.
http://www.brocket99themovie.com - FIlm web-site
http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/printer_4227.php - Article from the Lethbridge Herald
http://www.brocket99,ca - Go and protest this Lethbridge based travesty!

Here are some of the other interview subjects in the film
Martin Whittles
Drew Hayden Taylor
Scott Sackatch
Bryce Nicholson
Kirby Smith
Trevor Prairie Chicken
Tobias Provost
Mark Campbell
Celest Strikes With a Gun
Floyd Smith

The key here is keeping an open mind while watching the film or addressing the pandemic issue of racism. The elimination of racism, excuse making, bigotry and blatant ignorance is a two-way street so let's get to work. Actions speak louder than any amount of words I can write.

I have faced a great deal of criticism from a diverse group of individuals, but I believe my fight is a good one and I will stand my ground. I am not racist, I am not a politician. I do not support Brocket 99.  I think colonialism is bull@&*%. I do support the film, I do wish great things for all people, regardless of their colour/color, race, religion, beliefs, sex, politics, sexual preference and age.

All blood is red
We all end up dead
Let's stop this crap
This is not a rap
Progress is not impossible
Progress is Ineluctable.

Kiitamutsiin!

—SMITHX—