Editor's note: The following fictitious correspondence between two First Nations women was submitted by a resident of an area First Nation.
Dear Lydia,
My friend, forever. Many thanks for the smoked fish, the dried blueberries and muskeg tea leaves you mailed to me for Christmas. I hope you received the canned raspberries, jams and jellies I sent you. How is the northern bush life treating you? Quiet and peaceful as usual, I hope. As for me, living on the reserve near a city has its ups and downs, eh? I'm grateful for the convenience it brings, but wah-huh, it's so easy for the young people to get into trouble with alcohol and drugs.
It's too bad the Indian residential schools taught us overflowing religion laced with abuse and crushed individualism, instead of giving us tools to provide for ourselves. Like you said in your last letter, every snowflake is different, but all are special and beautiful. And so the Creator has created us. But we have detached ourselves from bonding to each other in families because of the invisible bondage we each carry around. It's hard to go forward, when we approach ourselves and our children with a, "Jeez you, boy you, what do you know, get out of my way, you're no good" attitude.
We have free education, so every Indian should be an accomplished and successful Canadian. Why is it not so? Because it stems from the crushing school experience and the inferiority complex that was solidly instilled in us. The motion was set way, way back then and its waves of emotions are still strong in this generation as it was then. How do we free ourselves from this invisible bondage?
Watch and learn and then take the most important step forward. Do you know my dear friend? Both you and I are old ladies now and we have seen too much. I'm glad that we've both been watchers.
Still I go sit at the Indian gatherings watching our people go about the old traditions -smudge purify, fasting, honouring the four directions, honouring the Creator, honouring the Mother Earth. I agree with you, Lydia, education begins at home. Persistence and love and respect are the best education for our people.
When our young people get involved in alcohol and drugs, be persistent and brave enough to tell them, "smudge instead of smoke, fast instead of drink, purify to honour our Creator, honour our Mother Earth by keeping ourselves, our homes and our reserves clean.
You know, Lydia, I was driving home from a Sun Dance one day and I saw garbage and diapers on the side of the road. How honourable is that to our Mother Earth?
As I watch people with their children at gatherings, I see which children are going to have a greater advantage at being successful and sure of themselves. I see the parents of these children hugging them, giving them more positive enegry, praising them and making more eye contact. I had tears in my eyes as I saw two children run toward their parents, laughing and joyful and at that instant I saw the parents give their children real eye contact. Their eyes were full of love and a sense of security. Now that, my friend, is a sign of a win win contact. It's an assurance those children are going to grow up with the best fighting chance at life.
You commented on the Idle No More movement in your last letter. I'm sitting here drinking a cup of muskeg tea and nibbling a bannock and lard sandwich contemplating your disgust and thoughts about Theresa Spence. Yes, yes, your opinion is the same as mine. A chief of long ago served the people not himself and so it should be in this modern day. I am ashamed our people would give so much reign over this important battle of wills and treaties and covenants to a person who can't account for millions of dollars of missing money.
I am no judge, and as you know God is the one and only true judge of character, but by some miracle, if He asked me my opinion I would say, "This woman is not in the right spot at the Idle No More movement. Our people should give that place of honour to some wise old elder who is not serving themself." That's what I would say.
I knew a powerful leader once. He said no to alcohol, drugs and gambling. He said, "These three are the worst distractions in life. These three shorten and thin life."
Oh, yes, the last question of worldly issues. OK, hmm, let me light my little old pipe and look at the ceiling for awhile. I know the answer to this one, but how to put it on paper without being long winded.
Merry Christmas! My friend, it is an exchange of "happiness" and "gratitude." It's a time of family gatherings, of people you haven't seen in along time. It's a time of delightful surprises and peace and contentment. What's all the fuss? This great country is a place of peace and prosperity and mostly all of us have celebrated this end of the year holiday forever. And people are welcome and helped to make themselves right at home here from other countries, but come with respect for our traditions and leave their grievances and intolerances back in their old countries.
Thank God we all try to live peacefully with each other in this great country of ours.
One giggly thought, Lydia. I can imagine myself going around in my jingle buckskin dress or my husband going to work in his war bonnet. Wah-huh! That would be something else, eh?
Well, my friend, give your grandkids a hug and a pinch on the cheek for me and slap on the butt for your old man. 'Til I hear from you again, good rabbit hunting.
Your friend forever
Cleo
