My Backyard

Not the greatest of photos (webcams don't give great resolution), but here's what I get to look out at every day from the back side of the teacherage where we live this summer.

Almost There

We moved out of Longbow Lake Bible Camp and into White Dog today. When we arrived to the teacherage we're living in for the summer, we found it with no refrigerator, no laundry and just one mattress. It was pretty dirty, too. After a few moments of discouragement, such as "what about all of the groceries we just bought?", we got straight to cleaning and organizing. Our director, Austin, got talking to the neighbour who not only lent us some fridge and freezer space, but also her vacuum and a dish towel - all very important items in getting the place to feel more homey.

Currently we're all back at Austin's place in Minaki, about 45 minutes away, sitting with stomachs full of grilled cheese, salad and tomato soup, sharing stories, with hot tea on the stove. The thunder and lightning is periodically rumbling and lighting up the sky, the rain is falling lightly, and all seems well.

I am thankful for this wonderful team of people. Not a lazy soul among us (or perhaps they're good at hiding it like me). Tomorrow will be another day of getting last-minute supplies in Kenora and trying to get settled in our home for the next eight weeks. The best part about the place is the backyard view: a perfect northwestern Ontario scene: trees, rock and river. Monday we'll be meeting the children and their parents who will participate in READ and the Arts & Rec programs this summer.

For now, we rest.

***

P.S. Bald eagles, pelicans, four black bears, and two foxes have been spotted. Many many mosquitoes and black flies, too. I'm scratching new and old bites and thankful the swollen eye I woke up to has now gone back to normal. I get at least one of those bites every year.

From Kenora with Love

My talk at Grassroots Church on what I'll be doing with Agidasin went well. People came up to me and shared various pieces of their Aborginal connections. One woman shared that her mom was Aboriginal from Manitoulin, but never ever talked about it.

Chris & Shawnee gave me a ride to Kenora on Sunday. We had a great drive catching up and getting to know each other better. We arrived to Longbow Lake Bible Camp, where Agidasin's orientation week is taking place.

I learned when I arrived that I'm actually going to be in White Dog this summer, and not Grassy Narrows as originally planned. I'm fine with that - I'll still be tutoring kids through READ. It's actually better because I'll be more connected to my team, since we'll all be living in the same house. This may be challenging with six people in a small townhouse: four women, two men, two bedrooms, one bathroom. You be the judge. I've met most of my team and they're great people, so I'm not too worried. We're sitting in the local cafe right now discussing what we'll be eating, how we'll do groceries, all those fun living-in-community things to work out.

Tomorrow we'll be headed to White Dog to celebrate with the school. It's graduation day. I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with the the people and community.

As an aside: the bugs aren't TOO bad, which is good. Except for last night when Beth and I sat on the dock to play guitar. I did get bitten a few times through my jeans! Welcome to Northwestern Ontario! I saw a fish jump right out of the water Free-Willy style to catch his dinner, and many turtles. Dear spotting has happened, too. No bears or eagles or pelicans yet.

Gotta get back to camp now, so until next time, peace!

Here we go!

Orientation begins tomorrow! And tomorrow I'm sharing at Grassroots Church in Thunder Bay about Agidasin Initiatives. Praying for, well I'm not even sure. Praying for attentiveness to God's Spirit. For openness. For clarity. And joy.

Peace be with you.

One week to go!

It's hard to believe that I have been teaching for nearly seven weeks. I should really clarify, I don't teach so much as facilitate learning, mark, and build relationships with my students. In many ways I feel as though I am being paid to learn. Being a teacher in the alternative school system, in a culture different from my own, has proved very rewarding. I have been fortunate to attend two camping trips with my students, for which I am truly grateful. Elders, singers, drummers, corn soup (!!), canoeing, swimming, campfires, medicine walks, and great conversations are just some of the many highlights of these trips. The end of this full-time teaching term will be a sad one. I could write a novel about all of the stories and learning that has happened.

Just hours after my last day at the school I will be on a plane to Thunder Bay. I'm stopping there first to reconnect with old friends from teachers' college. The church I attended while at Lakehead U called Grassroots, is also giving me some time to share with the congregation about Agidasin Initiatives. There is a partnership in the works between Grassroots and AI, which excites me very much. Pastor Chris and his wife Shawnee will be driving me to Kenora from Tbay, so they can meet Austin and Rachel, the couple who run AI. I certainly don't mind driving with Chris & Shawnee for the five hour trip, not to mention it means I won't have to take the bus!

Orientation will just be getting underway when I arrive to Kenora on the 20th. By June 26th we will be moving to our respective communities. I cannot wait to meet the team and especially the people we will be serving and working for!

Like I said before, I have been learning so much through my job with the Aboriginal Alternative High School. To call it a blessing doesn't even begin to describe it. What's more, the way everything is coming together, the support coming in, the connections being made - it all blows my mind. Words won't do justice so I'll stop the rambling.

One last thing before I go: this weekend is the National Forgiven Summit, an Aboriginal conference about forgiving the wounds of the past in order to move forward in grace and love (at least, I think that's what it's about? see i4give.ca for proper info). How incredibly timely and relevant, just days before I head out to the reserve. I hope to learn more about people's experiences with the injustices and what some Aboriginal people are doing to deal with such hurts in a positive way.

Until next time, miigwetch!

On Camp & Respect

This past week a camp was organized for high school students in the area who are or will be taking Native Studies. It was held at a camp on the Ottawa River, about an hour west of the city. Teachers and students gathered to learn from Aboriginal and Inuit people about various cultural practices such as smudging, talking circles, sweat lodges, Inuit Throat singing, drumming and games, and more. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. Not only would I get to be out in the woods for two days, but I'd get to learn and experience more about FN people and ways of life.

Highlights of the two days included interacting with staff and students outside of the stuffy classroom environment, sharing meals together, laughing, camp fires, and watching young people open themselves up to a culture that for most, was quite different than their own. I got to watch my own students open up and teach their peers about their background. I listened to beautiful singing and drumming by my colleague.

The most special part was listening to a 96 year old Elder speak. Grandfather William shared about sustainability and going back to the ways of the past. He prayed to the Creator that we would save this earth, that healing would come. He spoke of respect, one of the Seven Grandfather Teachings. Respect of self, of each other, and the world we live in. Never have I seen a group of teenagers more quiet, more respectful, than in this room listening to the Grandfather. It was hot in that room, but no one was complaining. Just open ears to hear the wisdom of nearly a century's worth life experience.

I went to thank him for sharing. I had no tobacco tie to offer, as others were giving. He said that was okay. He held my hand and I knelt beside him and he talked about the water. The water is being polluted he said, and we need to take care of it, to respect it, to heal it. I promised him I would try and I would encourage others to do the same.

There's something about old people. About people who are closer to death than we are. Like they know something we don't (and they know lots of things we don't!!). Why oh why is Western culture so anti-aging? This man was so special. Every wrinkle on his face tells a story. Every spot, gray hair - his quiet voice pulls you in closer to hear. I wish we all had more respect.

A word on HST

Some thoughts from the Facebook group called "First Nation and Aboriginal Rights":

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/posts/454154?m=0ce4b78a