In our Weenabaykoo Ininew Peemahteeseewin, our James Bay Cree way of life, Elders play a pivotal role in the lives of everyone in a community. In the James Bay Cree culture, our language, stories and history are all passed down in an oral tradition. We learn from the time we are children by listening to the stories our parents share with us and the teachings we hear from our Elders.
The news that the graves of 215 children had been discovered near the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia came as shock to me, my family and to every First Nation person across the country. As shocking as it was, it was also knowledge we had known about our entire lives.
Beaverhouse First Nation along with many organizations in the province are filling the gap in vaccinating the urban Indigenous population against Covid19. The vaccine roll out has been moving ahead in Northeastern Ontario Indigenous First Nations through the efforts of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Chiefs of Ontario (COO), Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN), Mushkegowuk Council, Wabun Tribal Council and other Tribal Councils in association with the government of Canada, government of Ontario and local public health agencies.
When I look up at the clear blue sky these days I am missing something. For about a year now during this wretched pandemic I have hardly seen any contrails of national and international flights. For the first time in modern flight history there are hardly any aircraft in the skies. Worldwide air travel has decreased by an average of 80 percent, with Europe last December falling to as much as 98 percent less air travel than the previous year as countries closed their borders. I think we all miss air travel and the ability to move about freely.
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 kind matriarch to her family and encouraged and supported those around her quietly with openness and love. My Uncle John Paulmartin was a highly respected hunter and trapper who raised his family to become strong capable individuals and he taught so many of us to be good and hard working through his quiet example.
I haven’t been out and about much this past winter. It’s been almost a year since I last visited a restaurant or fast food place. I would in more normal times before the pandemic take walks to the local coffee shop or restaurant during the winter. This winter, I’ve been to a some local retail stores but only for quick visits. I do curb side pickup for my groceries mostly but there are times when I do venture inside for specific items. These are quick stressful visits when I wear a mask, latex gloves and use hand sanitization and washing as a followup.
We are still dealing with this Covid19 pandemic after more than a year and it is not looking like there is any light at the end of the tunnel just yet. Thankfully there are vaccines being rolled out but it is not happening fast enough to keep this virus in check. Governments continue to open everything up way too much and rapidly even though the virologists and epidemiologists have been warning us that is far too dangerous as this virus is mutating into new variants which are much more contagious.
My people have always had a great fear of new diseases and illnesses.
On a whim, I built a snowman on my front lawn the other day. I was shovelling the driveway during a warm spell when the temperature rose to zero degrees here in northern Ontario. At that temperature, snow turns from a crystalline sandy consistency to a more sticky substance like bread dough. It is cold enough to stay a white mass but damp enough to form into solid shapes that can stick to itself. It was perfect snowman making material and the kid in me moved into snow creative action.
I am happy to report that during this pandemic I am spending a lot of time meditating in my kitchen. I just wrapped up a big breakfast that I made with fried eggs, bacon, toast and a generous helping of air fried home fries. While cooking, I cleaned the pans, soaked some dishes and kept wiping down the counter. All this choreographed dancing in the kitchen was something I learned from my mom Susan who had taught me years ago in a fast food kitchen. At one time my parents ran a fast food restaurant in Attawapiskat.
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