Scott Hayden's Blog
March 25, 2020
Challenging times
It has been a while! I stayed in Thailand all through 2019 and returned to Canada last month. The coronavirus has shut everything down and we’re facing massive job losses. I’m making plans for a new book, but I will keep the details to myself for the time being. Be safe.
July 24, 2017
Voices from Chernobyl
This is a riveting book. One of the best I've read this year.
March 29, 2017
Red Snow
On December 29, 1890, Sioux Indians living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota were cold, hungry, and at the end of their rope. Their independent way of life had been all but destroyed by capricious government policies.
Like other Native American bands, the Sioux ended up on reservations by a combination of military force, dishonesty, and coercion. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which guaranteed the Sioux would have land without encroachment from white settlers, was nullified when gold was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1874. The Sioux were compelled to move to smaller reservations were farming was difficult or impossible. But their problems didn't matter in the corridors of power in Washington. There was land to seize and fortunes to make.
There was no reason for the Sioux to trust the whites. However, they did trust one man: Wovoka. A shaman from the Paiute band, Wovoka claimed to have had a vision in which the Sioux returned to their land without interference from the white man. In order for this to become reality, they needed to practice the Ghost Dance. If any group of Native Americans needed a ray of hope it was the Sioux. So they chanted, danced, and prayed to spirits. This made the whites nervous, edgy. The chasm of mistrust and suspicion was widening, and it would have lethal consequences.
It was time to do something about the Indian "problem" and if they weren't dealt with soon they would revolt, and perhaps the Cheyenne and Arapaho would join them. What if the Ghost Dance inspired other bands like the Kiowa, Apache, and Navajo? In a panic, agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs called for reinforcements to Pine Ridge near Wounded Knee Creek.
Troops of the U.S. 7th Cavalry showed up with rifles and four Hotchkiss guns, a forerunner of the machine gun. When the soldiers ordered the Sioux to drop their weapons one of them, apparently deaf, misunderstood and resisted. His rifle discharged, and it's uncertain if it was accidental or on purpose. The army opened fire.
Bullets ripped through tipis as the Sioux responded with fierce war cries. The frozen South Dakota ground turned red. When the shooting stopped, 25 U.S. soldiers were killed by friendly fire and the number of dead Sioux was reported to be as high as 300. It's not known how many died because there is no single, accurate record. Unarmed Sioux women and children were given no quarter.
Depending on who was asked, the events of that day were either a victory or a massacre. In 1876, George Custer was killed by the Sioux at Bighorn Creek in Montana. It was known many people wanted to avenge his death. Remember the Black Hills fiasco? Custer was the man who led the miners into that territory to collect gold.
Wounded Knee was the last major confrontation of the Indian Wars. Medals of Honor were awarded to twenty men for their gallantry at the battle site. The U.S. government refuses to quash those medals. A century later in 1990, Congress expressed "deep regret" for the bloodshed at Wounded Knee but no formal apology was given.
Philip Sheridan, a Union veteran of the Civil War, said, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." He denied making that statement but witnesses confirmed that he did and Sheridan's hatred of Native Americans was no secret. If he had been at Wounded Knee, he probably would have been overjoyed.
Like other Native American bands, the Sioux ended up on reservations by a combination of military force, dishonesty, and coercion. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which guaranteed the Sioux would have land without encroachment from white settlers, was nullified when gold was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1874. The Sioux were compelled to move to smaller reservations were farming was difficult or impossible. But their problems didn't matter in the corridors of power in Washington. There was land to seize and fortunes to make.
There was no reason for the Sioux to trust the whites. However, they did trust one man: Wovoka. A shaman from the Paiute band, Wovoka claimed to have had a vision in which the Sioux returned to their land without interference from the white man. In order for this to become reality, they needed to practice the Ghost Dance. If any group of Native Americans needed a ray of hope it was the Sioux. So they chanted, danced, and prayed to spirits. This made the whites nervous, edgy. The chasm of mistrust and suspicion was widening, and it would have lethal consequences.
It was time to do something about the Indian "problem" and if they weren't dealt with soon they would revolt, and perhaps the Cheyenne and Arapaho would join them. What if the Ghost Dance inspired other bands like the Kiowa, Apache, and Navajo? In a panic, agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs called for reinforcements to Pine Ridge near Wounded Knee Creek.
Troops of the U.S. 7th Cavalry showed up with rifles and four Hotchkiss guns, a forerunner of the machine gun. When the soldiers ordered the Sioux to drop their weapons one of them, apparently deaf, misunderstood and resisted. His rifle discharged, and it's uncertain if it was accidental or on purpose. The army opened fire.
Bullets ripped through tipis as the Sioux responded with fierce war cries. The frozen South Dakota ground turned red. When the shooting stopped, 25 U.S. soldiers were killed by friendly fire and the number of dead Sioux was reported to be as high as 300. It's not known how many died because there is no single, accurate record. Unarmed Sioux women and children were given no quarter.
Depending on who was asked, the events of that day were either a victory or a massacre. In 1876, George Custer was killed by the Sioux at Bighorn Creek in Montana. It was known many people wanted to avenge his death. Remember the Black Hills fiasco? Custer was the man who led the miners into that territory to collect gold.
Wounded Knee was the last major confrontation of the Indian Wars. Medals of Honor were awarded to twenty men for their gallantry at the battle site. The U.S. government refuses to quash those medals. A century later in 1990, Congress expressed "deep regret" for the bloodshed at Wounded Knee but no formal apology was given.
Philip Sheridan, a Union veteran of the Civil War, said, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." He denied making that statement but witnesses confirmed that he did and Sheridan's hatred of Native Americans was no secret. If he had been at Wounded Knee, he probably would have been overjoyed.
March 12, 2017
Heads up paranormal lovers!
This was published on Ranker the other day. I'm proud to see it there:
http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-abou...
http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-abou...
December 27, 2016
Getting ready to turn the page...
I've had a wonderful Christmas with my mum in Victoria, British Columbia. Tomorrow I'm off to Vancouver for a week then it's back in Toronto in January. Bring on 2017! Things will be far better in the new year.
November 2, 2016
Remembering Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Digging out movies about holiday craziness is a yearly tradition for me. Every Thanksgiving I like to watch the loony classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and the late Canadian funnyman, John Candy.
This movie came out in 1987, long before 9/11. Extended pat-downs at airports and body scanners weren't the norm yet. This is why PT&A is such a treat to watch, because it shows a simpler time when technology wasn't all consuming and getting home for Thanksgiving involved more than just a few detours.
The on-screen chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy is priceless. There are endearing and tender moments thrown in, like Candy's "I like me" speech. That particular scene reminds me of just how good an actor he was. Steve Martin's rant at the car rental agency is impossible to forget. I think we've all been on the edge of losing our minds in times of overwhelming stress, and unleash hateful speech to airport ticket agents or customer service reps.
I learned a lot about life from this movie. If possible, try to avoid buses because they're far slower than planes. Never yell at customer service employees, no matter how angry you are. Do not carry loads of cash in your wallet. Tough luck if it's lost or stolen. Life will throw curveballs and travel isn't easy. It's best to go with the flow. Last but not least, try not to let assumptions get in the way of what could be a great friendship.
John Candy (1950-1994) RIP big guy.
This movie came out in 1987, long before 9/11. Extended pat-downs at airports and body scanners weren't the norm yet. This is why PT&A is such a treat to watch, because it shows a simpler time when technology wasn't all consuming and getting home for Thanksgiving involved more than just a few detours.
The on-screen chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy is priceless. There are endearing and tender moments thrown in, like Candy's "I like me" speech. That particular scene reminds me of just how good an actor he was. Steve Martin's rant at the car rental agency is impossible to forget. I think we've all been on the edge of losing our minds in times of overwhelming stress, and unleash hateful speech to airport ticket agents or customer service reps.
I learned a lot about life from this movie. If possible, try to avoid buses because they're far slower than planes. Never yell at customer service employees, no matter how angry you are. Do not carry loads of cash in your wallet. Tough luck if it's lost or stolen. Life will throw curveballs and travel isn't easy. It's best to go with the flow. Last but not least, try not to let assumptions get in the way of what could be a great friendship.
John Candy (1950-1994) RIP big guy.
August 19, 2016
So many questions. Few answers......
I enjoy reading about cold cases. They appeal to my curious nature. Like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle, a cold case is put on the shelf while newer crimes take priority. One such case, which is still an active investigation, is the sudden disappearance of Nicole Louise Morin, who was eight years old when she left her Toronto apartment to go swimming with a friend. The date was Tuesday, July 30, 1985, and it was turning into a hot day. Just before 11 a.m., Nicole walked out of her 20th floor apartment, made her way to the elevators down the hall....and vanished. She hasn't been seen or heard from since.
I never knew Nicole, but I can't help but think back to the summer of '85 and how similar my life was. I lived in a building with a pool next to it. I loved to swim and often did on sunny mornings. But I came home. Nicole didn't. I thought my neighborhood was the safest place in the world. But then the posters went up with the word 'missing' in big letters along with a composite image of Nicole with her swimsuit, towel, and other bits and pieces she took to the pool. My friends and I were just a bit more uneasy as Nicole became another statistic, a child the police couldn't find.
Other than deciding whether to hang out by the pool or the mini mall down the street, there was little to be concerned about. I'm sure Nicole had similar thoughts. Most of the residents of her building were probably at work, and the elderly and/or retired might have decided to stay inside where it was cooler. One theory is that on the way down to the lobby someone boarded the elevator, grabbed Nicole, and got off. Another report suggested she made it downstairs and was taken outside the building. One way or another, nobody was around to see where Nicole might have gone. Unlike New York City few, if any, apartment complexes in Toronto in the mid-80s had doormen or surveillance cameras. Mine didn't. It was a simpler time, more innocent. Bad things did happen, though, and the Toronto police had their work cut out for them as they questioned hundreds of people.
Nicole's building had multiple underground garages, utility sheds and storage rooms separated by vast lawns and parking lots. No dice. Likewise, a search of creeks and parks near Pearson International Airport revealed nothing. In a time when the internet was a long way off and no one had cell phones equipped with cameras, the trail went cold. The 31st anniversary of this crime has come and gone, and the police are none the wiser. Perfect crimes do exist, and some people are too clever to be identified.
I never knew Nicole, but I can't help but think back to the summer of '85 and how similar my life was. I lived in a building with a pool next to it. I loved to swim and often did on sunny mornings. But I came home. Nicole didn't. I thought my neighborhood was the safest place in the world. But then the posters went up with the word 'missing' in big letters along with a composite image of Nicole with her swimsuit, towel, and other bits and pieces she took to the pool. My friends and I were just a bit more uneasy as Nicole became another statistic, a child the police couldn't find.
Other than deciding whether to hang out by the pool or the mini mall down the street, there was little to be concerned about. I'm sure Nicole had similar thoughts. Most of the residents of her building were probably at work, and the elderly and/or retired might have decided to stay inside where it was cooler. One theory is that on the way down to the lobby someone boarded the elevator, grabbed Nicole, and got off. Another report suggested she made it downstairs and was taken outside the building. One way or another, nobody was around to see where Nicole might have gone. Unlike New York City few, if any, apartment complexes in Toronto in the mid-80s had doormen or surveillance cameras. Mine didn't. It was a simpler time, more innocent. Bad things did happen, though, and the Toronto police had their work cut out for them as they questioned hundreds of people.
Nicole's building had multiple underground garages, utility sheds and storage rooms separated by vast lawns and parking lots. No dice. Likewise, a search of creeks and parks near Pearson International Airport revealed nothing. In a time when the internet was a long way off and no one had cell phones equipped with cameras, the trail went cold. The 31st anniversary of this crime has come and gone, and the police are none the wiser. Perfect crimes do exist, and some people are too clever to be identified.
July 28, 2016
Cold case from Australia
Perfect crimes exist! Read about this case of the missing Beaumont children the other day. It's fifty years old and unsolved. Parents Jim and Nancy are still alive, he's 90 and she's 88. I hope they get closure before it's too late :(
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real...
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real...
June 8, 2016
For the love of the paranormal
I love reading and writing about these events. Check out the other articles on the site. They're quite intriguing! Here's mine: http://www.aliens.exposed/alienarticl...
June 1, 2016
Memories
I'm feeling nostalgic today. Going through old photos, thinking about how things used to be way back in the 1980s and even in the late 70s.
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