Category: Rez Notes
Every Christmas Holiday season, I notice that the Cree world speeds up a notch or two. Everyone has a destination to get to and a store or mall to hang around, wishing that their bank account was like Santa’s bag of tricks, never-ending and magically full of gifts and presents.
Although ...
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What are you drinking today? Water, blood and juice were the basic thirst quenchers for many pre-contact communities around here, with the notable exception of the occasional pot of Labrador tea.
Tea quickly gained a foothold in many a packsack, meechuwap and Hudson Bay Store in most of northern Canada. Tea ...
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The old tune “Bobby McGee” floated into the cabin of the SUV early this morning and with it memories of the first time I heard the gutsy bluesy voice of Janis Joplin singing this song. Sure, I heard the old version many times, but this one was a sticker in ...
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Since 9/11, the world has changed and so have we. No longer can we board an aircraft with guns and ammunition, casually handled and stored under the seat. Nope. Today, we have to run a gauntlet of security guards, drug and bomb-sniffing dogs, chemical detectors and metal detector wands. Not ...
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Some things never change. The other day, I heard hunting ducks was still in fashion. I’m one who believes in eating ducks unlimited, and can concoct a succulent roast duck a l’orange at the twist of the rind and Cointreau cap, turning an otherwise traditional roast duck into a tangy ...
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I used to think that Einstein’s theory of relativity was something God would think of. Einstein’s most famous theory, the one about relativity and energy, makes me think of other spinoff theories. Time travel is limited by memory and history and can only go as far back as recorded history. ...
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After the election, calm settled over the Cree universe, and then reality set in. The headlines peeped in quietly and a thankful fax appeared on the front desks of band offices from the new head honcho. Apparently a discussion was held about the new leader on CBC North but it ...
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I predicted a runoff election and boy, was I ever right, eh? I knew that our people are still for one side or another and it just goes to show how diversified our train of thought is. As nation incorporate, we grew exponentially as a nation, faster than Canada itself. ...
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I see a certain flair to the articles flying about in cyber/paper-space that are driven by sensational stories of killings, bad politicians, rampant substance abuse, chronic alcoholism and poor grades. I brush those aside and think about how good life is and get on with my day.
Sure, there are problems; ...
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Driving my SUV at 150 kilometres per hour on the autobahn of the north, the James Bay Highway, I watched my gas level go down steadily. Not to worry, I reassured my white knuckled passengers, we’ll have enough fuel to get to our destination. True to my word, we reached ...
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Now why is it that when you need to get in touch with someone with political power, you can’t, and when you do see them, it’s because their face is plastered on every porch bulletin board in town asking for our support? Argh! The irony! Yep, it’s election time again.
This ...
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I thought May was bad for heat, reaching 28 Celsius, until the other day, I felt like I was blow-dried on high when I went for a so-called cool ride in the breeze. The wind, imported directly from the Arizona desert, tortured my now blistered red skin with constant burning ...
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I watched the chanting crowd dodging the spit being spewed from the ugly face of the wrestler in the ring, as they eagerly absorbed themselves in a live version (albeit smaller) of the WWE. A few elderly men, who were previously in the higher seats of the small arena, moved ...
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It’s funny how we Cree seem to know what is happening in other communities, usually through the radio, via this magazine or by the totally reliable and accurate method known as word of mouth. The news travels faster than wildfires and can sometimes be just as damaging. When the word ...
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May has come and gone in a blur of heat, fire and smoke. The inconvenience of forest fires seem to be handled quite well and the early summer has some folks puzzled and perplexed. Aren’t we supposed to be bound in snow and ice at this time of the year? ...
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The reports came in slowly, each word carefully pronounced over the crackle of the HF radio. Camp by camp, the intelligence grew to another inconclusive conclusion. The geese were not showing as in the past years. The camps slowly emptied, children were brought back to school and workers gladly went ...
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The helicopter had reached its weight limit and hovered for what seemed an eternity before ungracefully stirring enough sand to uncover a pyramid, then flew up and beyond the trees and towards the north. Meanwhile, a Twin Otter loaded to the gills with supplies taxied off the tarmac and buzzed ...
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The days whizzed by into weeks and then months drifted by in a haze of nonstop administrative fervour, numbers crunching into the millions drifted past my screen in the oblivion I call work. Twenty moons circled the earth before my brain told my body to stop before I dropped into ...
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Inner peace is something of a rarity these days. It is a feeling without the adrenaline to interfere with the mind’s ability to comprehend sensible things. Like, for instance, why is that guy looking at my girlfriend that way? Should I react with my face or fist? Should I smile ...
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Many things come to mind when thinking of the holiday that accompanies spring’s joyful arrival. One of them is how the dates are determined. I checked the Bible and it seems to end in the year 2016, which I interpret as being the next time good ol’ J.C. is to ...
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Basking in a moonlit night, the dome of the igloo contrasted with the night sky. A barely discernable glow from the crack in the snow house was the only indication that human life forms were here. Three hundred meters away, the last house on the southern side of town began ...
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In one of my rare forays to Quebec City, I chanced upon a tavern rare, just feet away from the hotel exit. Strangely enough, the bar was half full of mainly men. I and two chums commented on the “Louie-ish” aroma that pervaded the air and brought back memories of ...
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I know many people, who I consider to be good friends from childhood, who went through the residential school system. I, on the other hand, lived a privileged life alongside the system for many years. I grew up with those who had to live that life in the system and ...
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Before Eeyouch could afford even a grungy Suburban, public bus transportation was the only way for people in those communities connected by road. Experiences that reflect that era come to mind as I ready myself for the chiropractically challenging and gruelling haul from Montreal to Val d’Or on the red-eye ...
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One of the many things that we enjoy is the fact that in the North, snow is around for about eight months of the year. Another true fact is that it gets damn cold, yet it is an important time for people of the north. I happen to like using ...
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Auld Lang Syne could barely be heard over the din of the New Year’s revellers’ cheers and quiet kisses to loved ones or even total strangers as it swept over North America, chiming in the New Year in four different time zones and memories of past years come to rest ...
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