Welcome to 2020
Mino-oosh-kee-poo-poo-n – This is the Cree way of saying ‘Happy New Year’.
Well, our short summer up here in Northern Ontario is beginning to fade. Summer is so precious to all of us in the north and this year we started very late with warm weather. Even the blueberries are holding back but hopefully they will be ready for picking in a week or two.
The 13th Annual Wabun Youth Gathering was held July 22 to August 2, 2019. The event brought together junior youth aged 11 to 14 during the first week from July 22 to 26 and senior youth aged 15 to 19 from July 29 to August 2. The annual event brings together Indigenous youth from the Wabun Tribal Council First Nations in northeastern Ontario for a two week long gathering that provides educational workshops on culture, heritage, outdoor activities as well as presentations on mental health and wellness. Wabun First Nations are situated primarily near Timmins, Kirkland Lake and Chapleau.
First Nation owned and operated, Sunset Lodge, near Brunswick House First Nation and the town of Chapleau, has enjoyed a successful first year of operation and is quickly developing as a first rate wilderness experience venue in Northern Ontario.
The lodge, owned and managed by Kevin Tangie, former Chief of Brunswick House FN and current Economic Development Officer (EDO) for Chapleau Cree FN, had a good first summer season 2018 with only word of mouth promotion and is developing as an easy escape to the northern wilderness.
The Temiskaming Native Women’s Support Group (TNWSG) hosted a weekend Language Gathering at Dorothy Lake near Kirkland Lake on July 6 and 7 to promote and encourage language speakers in the north to share their knowledge. The event brought together First Nation Elders and language speakers from the First Nations of Beaverhouse, Matachewan, Temiskaming, Wahgoshig and citizens of the Metis Nation. They came together for the event with community citizens and their children who wanted to learn the language of the Ojibway dialects of Matachewan and Beaverhouse.
Two Indigenous youth from Northern Ontario were selected to compete in the 2019 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) held this past May in Whitehorse, Yukon. Kira Tangie, a citizen of Brunswick House First Nation (FN) and Tanner Flood from Matachewan FN joined more than 400 elite Indigenous hockey players from across Canada to compete in the week long event.
Like that old song says “there aint no cure for the summer time blues”. I remember very well what it was like being a teen in summer back home up the James Bay coast in Attawapiskat. I always had to work and that was good in a way because it kept me busy and out of trouble more or less. Still, when I was 16, 17 and 18 I wished that I could leave my dusty, remote rez and head out to the big world where cities with sky scrapers, thousands of people, cars, trains and planes captivated my imagination.
Summer is a great time to really enjoy Northern Ontario. I would not want to be anywhere else in the world at this time of the year because although it gets hot for a few weeks, mostly the temperature is bearable and it is very easy to get into the wilderness and to a wonderful, cool northern lake. Most other parts of the world and in particular in cities it is terribly hot and many people actually die of heat related health issues. We are the lucky ones.
I have just gotten over a terrible flu. I felt miserable for 10 days and this sickness lingered on giving me congestion in my lungs, problems with my sinuses as well as a headache and weakness. I have been so careful this flu season and have been watching out for people with symptoms and staying away from them. In addition I have been staying away from groups of people and washing my hands often. One of the reasons I am taking such great care is due to the fact that my partner Mike has a lung condition and it is dangerous for him to end up with a cold or flu.
Sometimes the world seems like such an upside down and negative place and I have to dig deep to find something to be really positive and hopeful about. Well, I am so happy to report that these past few weeks have been all about good news. I love good news because most of the time it means that people I know and those around me are having positive lives and success.
Blogs & Columns
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My home community is mourning the loss of two special Elders who were deeply loved and admired by so many in Attawapiskat. My Aunt Theresa Kataquapit was a...