Sunday October 30th.

This past week has brought some tough 'curve balls' to the field. Last Tuesday night, another 12 year old female commited suicide, throwing the community back into caos and confusion. After doing some research, I've realized that it is a very complex situation which has no quick solutions. Given the sociopolitical undertones of the issue, the results have to come from the community, and their want of resolving the issue. The white community can become resources to consult and provide some direction, but the bottom line has to be provided locally.
With water contamination hitting the news, the reserves are getting a lot of attention. Perhaps this will become a catalyst...
More and more I've been remembering the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling that I learnt when I was in St. Andrew's (my high school), and using it as a guiding light.

[IF]
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling

Here we go again.....This morning in the early hours, another thirteen year old girl took her life. We decided as a staff, to be at the school although there officially it isn't a school day. The message has been put out that we are here for those who want to come in, providing breakfast and grief dealing activities.
This past thanksgiving, Ricardo wrote a poem that I'm posting as it expresses much of what is on our minds.

An enriched Aboriginal prayer
October 10th, 2005


Great Spirit, I am thankful for streams and lakes, for clouds, rain and snow; because there are plenty of fish in the lake nearby, for large and small game, for roots and berries[1]. For the trees and forest surrounding us, where fiery colours dance with the wind, I am thankful for I can appreciate their splendor.

Great Spirit, I am thankful for the land to plant seed and harvest, and for the animals which share life with us on earth, sea and sky; I hope with Your help animals and humans can find the right balance to live in harmony enjoying each other’s company. I don’t really care who owns this free land, for we are all passing by. Who owns a parcel of sky, the cold breeze in the morning, a ray of sun-light, the warmth of the noon hour, a cloud passing by, layers and layers of dust resting at our feet, one mile of beauty? We should all just share it, for this land is yours and mine and ours and yet it is also no one’s[2], we are just entrusted with its care for a brief period of time, a minute in the millions of years since creation.

Great Spirit, I am thankful for family and friends: for daughters, sons and grandchildren; for long time ancestors, grandparents and parents; some of whom are already gone, but remain with us in spirit and guide us by thought and example, if not by word. I am thankful for the women in my family: my mother who gave me life, my wife who complements my life, my daughter who brightens up my life. I am thankful for my brother and for my sons, improvements of reflections in the mirrors of life left by my father and I; for cousins, nephews and nieces. They all give my life meaning by their presence and company and I don’t feel lonely. For those You entrusted to my care, let them survive me and continue with our tradition as I watch over them, closely or from a distance; always to the best of my skill.

Great Spirit, I am thankful for all children, hope of a better future, and I pledge to protect them and guide them and teach them and love them to the best of my ability; for this I will be humble enough to learn from my past mistakes and I will listen to their voices, which are the extension of Your voice. And I thank those who are trying to clear the way for children everywhere; those whose efforts often go unappreciated; You know who they are and what they endeavour to do; help them and guide them and don’t let them falter.

Great Spirit, I am thankful for the music of drums, for books and all other forms of art, expressions of feelings that can defeat age and allow us to vibrate in unison with other spirits, in defiance of time and distance. I am thankful for health and money, I understand these are resources given to me momentarily to make good use of them, for my enjoyment or to help others in need.

Great Spirit, I am thankful for technology that allows us to fly, travel roads or lakes, for images and sounds that brings us closer; guide us to use it to enable those in need, rescue those at risk and cure those in illness. I am thankful for all sports and martial arts because they teach me I am just the measure of my limits; my most forceful enemy. I also feel thankful for golf, a sport that resembles life—for one cannot win; only keep trying to excel. I thank you for all activity that makes me forget that time goes by and that I am getting older.

Great Spirit, I am thankful for my country, old Kanata[3]; arguably the best in the world in spite of some problems or disagreements; being idealistic, I hope one bright day in the future You decide to make countries and borders unnecessary as all humankind joins together; being realistic it often seems to me we are marching the opposite way.

Great Spirit, I am thankful because there is love, and in spite of suffering and despair--those unwanted travel companions always walking with us side by side—I believe love has a great track record and finds a way to prevail; like the smoke from the sacred pipes it smolders high, elevates us and takes our thoughts and commitments to You.


Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes to you all!

Ricardo Pickering writing from Wunnumin Lake First Nation;
Somewhere around parallel 53 N in Ontario, Canada.
[1] The Iroquois Thanksgiving prayer is based on the belief that the world can not be taken for granted, and that we must thank all living things in order to align our minds with the natural world. This prayer is the backbone of the Iroquois culture.

[2] Inspired by readings of Nicolas Guillen in Puedes?: Cuban Poet, 1902-1989.
[3] Original name for Canada, “the meeting place” in Huron or Iroquois tongue, more liberal translations include “village” or “settlement”, circa 1535.

Sunday, October 16th.

Life sure seems to get busy in a hurry! Hardly a blink and two weeks have gone by...The first week I had meetings to attend in Thunder Bay, so I took the opportunity of being closer to Toronto, and flew there to visit with my dad. Inge has been recovering from major abdominal surgery, and being almost 90 has put his recovery in a very slow mode. He was delighted to see me, not expecting it and being Thanksgiving and all...
The grandson is getting big, and most adorable (biased grandma). I enjoyed spending time with all the members of my family, however due to previous schedules it became a 'spend time with mom/sister/daughter/grandma (all my hats) whenever possible. So, although there was no big family get together with turkey, I was very fortunate to have precious moments with all.
Thomas now is at the fast crawling, get to the table or anything by that matter and pull himself up stage. Gone are the days of the placid baby, not having to worry about, welcome mama to the "can't leave him for an instant" days....
Our only missing member was Ricardo, keeping an eye on Moopy and viceversa, up in Wunnumin. As I got back on Monday, the first snow reported had gone, and the "Indian Summer" set in. Back to the warm, short sleeve shirts....

The second week brought some other community issues to the forefront. The boy I previously mentioned, passed on on Friday evening at the young age of fifteen (correction of previous entry). Tomorrow will be the burial, so we will close the school for the second time for a funeral. The sad part is that all this is having quite an impact on the children's behaviour, and even some security issues are beginning to emerge. Hopefully the band will deal with these, and we can get on with the matter of education.

Sunday, October 2nd.

Finally September exhausted itself, or better said me! Looking back, I must say that it was a very tough month for the community, in dealing with suicide and now a terminal cancer case of a boy just barely eleven. Many students have been dealing with grief, and I think that being in a small community seems to touch everyone in one way or another. The staff has been dealing with all of this quite united, and with care.
My boss, Sam caught a huge Sturgeon, five foot six which given the times went unnoticed, so I'm posting the picture for posterity. It was also full of caviar! (fish eggs to them....) As you can see, it took two lawn chairs to hold it, and fed many!
The aboriginals here fish with nets, they tie them to a bush on the shore, and drape it out into the lake. This is what Sam did, and left it for a couple of days. Was he ever surprised when he went back, he says it is the biggest he's ever caught.

Unfortunately, this week a couple of kids broke into our house. It is a nasty feeling, and hard to get over. Yet, the police found out right away who the culprits were and we are supposed to get everything back, some cash and a mini-recorder. I guess these things happen everywhere, it's just that in a big city you don't see it unless you are the victim....

Weatherwise, we had our first snowflakes but they didn't stay on the ground. Today, however we were out walking in our short sleeves, a beautiful afternoon. We enjoy the warmth while we can, as there is not much left of it....