Last year I was honored by having an article written about me in Vol.19, Winter 2004 issue, of The Canadian Blind Monitor that is a publication created by (AEBC) The Alliance For The Quality of Blind Canadians. (Formerly known as (NFB: AE) the National Federation of the Blind: Advocates For Equality) I would like to give special thanks to Sara for writing such a wonderful article and thank you to the creators of the Canadian Blind Monitor for including me in their interesting and informative publication! To become a member of AFBC, subscribe to the Canadian Blind Monitor or obtain a copy of Vol.19 Winter 2004 issue (limited number of copies available) please call: Toll Free: 1-800-561-4774 or E-mail: info@blindcanadians.ca Also don’t forget to drop by and visit the website at: www.blindcanadians.ca |
Wow it is hard to believe that a year has gone by so quickly! Once again I did traditional dance at our local Kootenay bands pow wow held every year during our annual May long weekend Creston Blossom Festival. It was a great honor to once again have my sister Michelle and my spirit sister Bear Two Feathers dance by my side! |
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Well once again David and I and my folks made the long trek to our reservation in Wood Mountain Saskatchewan. Every time I go there it’s like taking a walk back in time, there is so much history in those rolling hills. As I walk I can hear the voices of my ancestors whispering in my ear as the prairie winds blow through my hair. It is both subtle and powerful, without a doubt it touches the very soul and reminds you where you came from. I have seen it bring people to tears, myself included. While we were their once again I got to reconnect with family members whom I haven’t seen for a long time. We also got to meet some family from our reservation in South Dakota (Cheyenne River Reservation) that was awesome! I certainly met some wonderful people at the potluck dinner! At my moms family reunion potluck dinner we met a very interesting man named Ron Papandrea who is documenting the history of the Lakota people who stayed in Canada via his book ‘They Never Surrendered’. This book is amazing I have learned so much from it. It is such an honor that someone would take so much interest in documenting the history of my people, which is such a big part of North American history. Most people know who Sitting Bull is or have at least heard his name. To find out that he is actually one of my ancestors touches my soul deeply. Thank you Ron for all your efforts it was so nice to meet you. Drop by and visit Ron’s website at: www.theyneversurrendered.com This year was extra special because Saskatchewan was celebrating its 100th year. At the celebration several artists and myself displayed our artwork which was well received. We also got to hear my cousin Preston tell stories. Story telling is a vital part of keeping the spirit of our people alive and I must say that Preston did a fantastic job of keeping the tradition going. Thank you Preston for sharing your wonderful stories with us! I look forward to hearing more some day! I hope that they will have a pow wow at my reservation one day. It would be such an honor to do traditional dance on the land where my ancestors first settled in Canada. Until our next visit I will dream of Micky’s yummy pancakes the best I have ever tasted. Thank God for old family recipes! See you next year? To see more pictures of our trip to Saskatchewan visit: My Personal Photo Album |
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This year my folks, my husband David and I went to visit an old growth cedar forest at Ross Creek Montana. It is difficult to put into words just how magical and beautiful this amazing old growth forest was. As we walked through the ancient forest along well-maintained paths the cool fresh air was perfectly still. If you stopped and listened you could hear a gentle breeze whispering the ancient words of the faerie folk high above you in the treetops. The trees were so wide and tall that it made you feel like Alice in Wonderland. Is this what they mean by 'you can't see the forest for the trees'? Some of the trees had died long ago and were still standing. What I thought was so amazing was that some of these trees were completely hollow inside right to the top. Some were so big that you could actually stand up and walk around inside them. I felt like I was walking inside one of my drawings. This forest was truly the realm of the faerie folk. We took our time walking along the paths stopping at every point of interest to read every sign. I was so sad when it was time to go. My husband and I will most certainly return to this beautiful forest some day and hopefully we can bring some friends to share the magical experience with us. What an amazing gift this old cedar forest is the creator is so good to us. Our beautiful earth mother is so full of wonders for us to enjoy. My hope is that one-day humanity can let go of their greed and learn to appreciate and respect the beautiful gift that we have been given. I feel sad for those people who live in large cities who never get a chance to enjoy the creators beautiful gifts. I have actually met people who have said, ”If you have seen one tree you have seen them all.” I feel even more sorry for these individuals who don’t consider our earth to be a precious gift. One important thing that I think these individuals should remember is that civilizations come and go but the earth is constant. I for one feel privileged to be able to enjoy her beauty! See more pictures of our trip to Ross Creek by visiting My Personal Photo Album |
Our little Luna is a celebrity. Some months ago we submitted a photo of her to ‘Cutest Pets Around The Globe’. We are proud to say that our little girl was one of the pets selected to be featured in their publication, that we received in September 2005. The photo they used is the third one down on the right on Cats Where It’s At. As you can see Luna has become quite glamorous. We told her not to let this go to her head but she told us to, “ tell it to her people!” Luna has people? I think Mandu and Karmen are a bit jealous but we told them we love them all the same! Drop by and visit: www.cutestpetscontest.com |
Well folks, that's about all that I have to say for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my stories. We hope that you have enjoyed our website and that you will come back soon!
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