Xavier Kataquapit

Kirkland and Englehart and District Hospitals recently hosted a series of Cultural Mindfulness Workshops for frontline health care staff to inform them on Indigenous history and issues affecting First Nation communities. George Couchie, a recognized workshop facilitator with over 20 years of experience in teaching First Nation culture, issues and awareness training, led three workshops which took place on September 11 and 13 at the Kirkland and District Hospital and on the 12th at the Englehart and District Hospital.

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It is that time of year again. After a long, cold and hard winter we are enjoying our summer here in the north. The weather has been hot right across Canada for a few weeks now and although we welcome this sunny, dry and balmy weather here in the north, in cities this heat is deadly.

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I have always felt a sense of hope through the Native political organizations that represent my people. For better or worse, we looked up to our leaders at the local level and at the regional level because at the very least, we knew that there were people out there that were working for our best interests. Many of us on the James Bay coast were acquainted with our home Chiefs and some of us knew who represented other communities in our regional tribal council known as Mushkegowuk Council.

This weekend I was working on a little bit of an electrical problem as one of my lights was not working and it ended up being a connection. While I was trying to figure out this little problem I thought back in time and recalled all the interesting electricians I had met over the years. One fellow came to mind immediately, Jimmy Bigelow of Iroquois Falls.

I have always found it a natural part of my life to want to head out into the wilderness to be surrounded by pines, to be next to a river or lake and to feel the cool northern air about me. My first instinct in this setting is always to start a fire and to sit by its warmth, listen to the crackling flames and smell the scent of fresh cut pine and the burning embers. No matter where I seem to find myself in my life often I take a break to head out on to the land. I get this craving to spend time in the northern mushkego wilderness I was raised in.