Read Neil Young’s “Honor The Treaties” Facebook Posts

While Neil Young was up in Canada for his “Honor The Treaties” tour, he was also posting on Facebook, sometimes signing his posts “The Passenger.”

Here are some of Young’s posts. The rest are here.

Neil Young
January 15
Stew
15/01/14

The Chief’s making stew in the crock pot on the bus. Smells fantastic. We’re rolling west after a night of cold clean air and good sleep in Thunder Bay. Nobody’s tired, nobody’s complaining, no downers on this ride – there is a lot of love in the camp. That’s what happens when music and cause come together.

It confuses me to hear people shouting at us that musicians should just shut up and entertain. Where the hell did that lame-ass idea come from? Music was, is and always will be about social condition and cause and change. Music speaks for the oppressed and downtrodden. Music launches revolution. Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams and Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell and Willie Nelson and John Lennon and Eddie Vedder and Neil Young and all the giants of the art know this. What the fuck kind of
music and musicians are these boneheads actually listening to?

Just wonderin’.
Onward
The Passenger

Last Leg
18/01/14
From The Passenger

Good morning. We are in Moose Jaw getting ready for the final haul into Calgary. Yep, we are on a bus and we’re burning bio-diesel, our cleanest available option. Yell all you want but it is way cleaner that gas or regular diesel. And please note, one more time, I am the passenger. I’ve been the passenger all along. I wrote a lot about our journeys on
lincvolt.com and it might be a good idea to check it out. The Passenger Chronicles. A little research never hurts.

The Driver put on an amazing show last night and the good people of Regina filled our hearts for this final push. We are really looking forward to Calgary. I’ve spent a significant amount of time there throughout my life. I love how the city has grown emotionally. Best mayor in Canada. I might have
a big Alberta rib-eye steak tonight. Can’t beat Alberta beef.

A lot of you are talking us down. Sorry you feel the way you do. For those of you with big opinions but little knowledge, check out this year’s nominee list for Grammy Awards. Yep, there it is – Psychedelic Pill – nominated for Rock Album of the year. Is that relevant enough for you?

In the last federal election the balance of power in 40 ridings swung on the absence of a significant Native Peoples vote. With a national voice of 1.6 million I’m thinking that the Native vote, if motivated, could help decide the next election – the one where Stephen Harper and his gang of in-way-
over-their-heads second raters are swept into political oblivion. I hope this message starts to get out there. The only true weapon of change we have is our vote. I am a proud Canadian – I vote.

We’re getting ready to roll. The prairie beckons. There’s much work to be done.

Onward.

Calgary

19/01/14

The Passenger

The sun is rising up off of the beautiful prairie. Orange and red and pink and purple. This is Indian country. My heart is full. Last night at dinner we took a look back down the trail we just rode. We remebered the people who danced outside Massey Hall and closed Shuter St. We remebered the people who showed up in Winnipeg in the freezing cold just to wish us safe travels. We remebered the fantastic audience in Regina that hung on every song The Driver played. We feel your love. We thank you for it.

Today is going to be a big one. This is, after all, the heart of the business of Big Oil. Here is where the predominently foreign owned corporations have built towering glass monuments to symbolize their extreme wealth and power. We don’t feel much love from them. But we do honour their commitment to their cause. My morning wish is that some of them take off their suits today, put on their jeans and come to the concert. If they can take some deep breaths with us and feel the music and feel the emotion of the people, maybe they will also start to feel the beating heart of Mother Earth. Maybe they’ll start to see something greater and more powerful than money.

We also honour the men and women who work in the tar sands putting their health and lives on the line No matter what they try to tell you we have never ever wanted you to lose your jobs. We honour your families and your lives. We just want your bosses to clean up the mess that’s been made and to stop expansion until they prove that can be done. Stop the empty television ad campaigns and do something real. We all know you are lying. We just want the oil-glazed governments of Alberta and Canada to stop supporting Big Oil at the expense of human rights. Remeber, if they can do this to the

First Nations, they can do it to you. Honour The Treaties.

Calgary – come on down to the demonstration. It is gonna rock.

Onward

The Passenger

Neil Young shared a link.
Yesterday
After Calgary
20/01/14
From The Passenger

Thank you Calgary.

We slept well last night thanks to you and to all the wonderful Canadians who supported us. Our financial goals for the ACFN legal defence fund were overwhelmingly surpassed. Global environmental forces have rallied to our cause. The legal effort to take on Big Oil and the Harper government will be fully funded. Our message to Stephen Harper is simple, we won’t take no for an answer. Honour the treaties.

I have spent the second most time in my life living in Alberta. I have always loved the spirit and pride and honour of the people there. In Alberta your word is your bond. So I know it must rattle you to know that Canada has not kept its word to the First Nations. To you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Please take control of your province and throw this corrupt gang of thugs running Alberta out on their asses. They are making you look very uncool. Vote.

To Randy and the multi-personalty bile spewing personae you have created. You have tenacity. I’ll give you that. You are well versed in the Preston Manning school of media manipulation. But your methods are old and tired. Just like your politics. We all know who you represent. We are not stupid. That’s your fundemental flaw – you underestimate us. We are Canadians. We read. We know things. You have no moral compass. I have nothing but disdain for your tactics.

To the woman from the editorial board of the Calgary Herald who asked the sophomoric questions about plane travel at yesterday’s press conference. You are dragging a once great newspaper – remember, I used to live in Calgary – into the muck. You are no journalist madame. Sneaking around our buses was petty and rude and intrusive. You represent a great city. It is incumbant upon you to show some class. I truly hope you can find some grace. It will make you a better person.

To the people of Sun News Media. What are you going to tell your children when they ask what believe in?

We are heading home. The Driver to California. Me to Ontario. We’ve earned a little r ‘n r. Our mission though has just begun. If you want, you can check in on lincvolt.com at the portal for The Passenger Chronicles to catch our next moves. See you down the road.

Onward

Neil Young
8 hours ago [January 21, 2014}
Check out a recent cartoon about the #honourthetreaties campaign.

Neil Young
6 hours ago [January 21, 2014]
Folks, whether you agree with Honour the Treaties or not, please try to back up what you say with facts as we have that will help your points. Diatribes against old rockers are water off a duck’s back for me and don’t help your cause or educate ours. If you are able to, try to add something meaningful when you contribute. everyone would benefit.
respect, ny #honourthetreaties

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-

About Michael Goldberg

Michael Goldberg is a distinguished pioneer in the online music space; Newsweek magazine called him an ‘Internet visionary.’ In 1994 he founded Addicted To Noise (ATN), the highly influential music web site. He was a senior vice-president and editor in chief at SonicNet from March 1997 through May 2000. In 1997, Addicted To Noise won Webby awards for best music site in 1998 and 1999, and also won Yahoo Internet Life! awards for three years running as best music site in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Prior to starting Addicted To Noise, Goldberg was an editor and senior writer at Rolling Stone magazine for 10 years. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Esquire, Vibe, Details, Downbeat, NME and numerous other publications. Michael has had three novels published that comprise the "Freak Scene Dream trilogy": "True Love Scars," "The Flowers Lied" and "Untitled" which can be ordered here. His new book, "Wicked Game: The True Story of Guitarist James Calvin Wilsey," can be pre-ordered from HoZac Books. In November Backbeat Books will publish "Addicted To Noise: The Music Writings of Michael Goldberg," which can be be pre-ordered here.

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