Like Magic

Separated from the earth by cement

Separated from the sky by steel and concrete

The buses roar into the terminal

Where I wait.

A thin line of blue sky is visible

Between the roof and the road

I glimpse cars racing along the Allen 

And hear subway trains rattling into the station

If I was to take a deep breath

And from this I refrain instinctively

I would smell the exhaust that

Bellows out from all the machines

One green GO bus idly rumbles at rest in its bay

While another growls, toots its horn and exits

Over and over, even the sounds of cars and trains

Are drowned out by the noise of roaring bus engines

Then suddenly,

into this inhospitable, mechanical

Vehicular, hard, grey environment

Fly two small, brown sparrows

Landing, they hop along the concrete

Searching for crumbs, food dropped

Nutrition in the forgotten, the trampled

They twitter to each other

And I find myself smiling at them

And saying hello there

Then chuckling with delight at their

Animated, musical conversation 

These two little, feathered balls of life

Transform the space like magic

And I feel alive once more

Connected, not cut off, from life.

Just like magic!

For Canada 150 Let's Celebrate New Partnerships

As Canada prepares to celebrate 150 years since confederation, I think we can use this anniversary to celebrate the beginning of new partnerships between the people that have lived here for thousands of years and those who have come in the last 400.  They are being created all over this country.  People aren’t waiting for the government to begin the process.  Instead they are leading the way.  Here are three such partnerships.

Classroom Buddies

I recently heard a CBC radio interview with  Lisa Howell, a teacher in Gatineau, PQ who uses a buddy program with seniors to work with her students. There are also many indigenous students in her class.  The seniors and students work together once a week on all kinds of projects. It gives the students the experience of elders and the seniors the experience of being with the youth.

   Teacher Lisa Howell (centre) and senior buddy Louis Comerton
chat with a student at Pierre Elliott Trudeau elementary
school in Gatineau. (Halima Sogbesan/CBC)

Recently, she taught the class about Jordan’s principle, residential schools and reconciliation.  Jordan's Principle  is used in Canada to resolve jurisdictional disputes about which government will provide services for First Nations children.  It was created after Jordan River Anderson, an indigenous child born with a complex medical condition, spent all 5 years of his short life in hospital because the provincial and federal governments fought over who would pay for his medical care at home.  In the radio interview, the teacher relates how her students felt when they learned about Jordan.  As the students worked with their  buddies, they told the seniors about Jordan’s Principle.  Many of the seniors had never heard about Jordan or residential schools and they learned about them from their young buddies. 

On another occasion, one senior went home and looked up the First Nation that some of the kids are from and came back to share that she now knew where they were from.  The kids were very happy to have their homes recognized.  This offers a new way of understanding Canada for the seniors and new partnerships of respect are being formed across ages and cultures.

Hockey Cares

 I recently got an email from the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund letting me know that my earlier donation is being put to use.  The first recipient of a $5000 ReconciliACTION grant is Hockey Cares.  The email from co-chairs Mike Downey and Charlene  Bearhead goes on to say,

“With the help of this grant, young Indigenous hockey players from Attawapiskat, Ontario will be supported to take part in a hockey tournament to play on teams of combined Indigenous and non-Indigenous players in Oakville, Ontario.  Through this project, all players will make new cross-cultural connections, share their stories and learn from one another – cornerstones to our collective reconciliation journey.”

Hockey Cares participants from Attawapiskat

Springwater Park

In 2012, the Ontario government changed the status of Springwater Park, near Barrie, ON from operating to non-operating because of financial losses.  Some in the community decided to challenge this.  Two grassroots organizations, the Springwater Park Citizen’s Coalition and the Friends of Springwater tried to keep the park open.  But it was the women from Beausoleil First Nation who occupied the park throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2013 to bring attention to the fact that the park is on traditional Beausoleil First Nation territory who were successful.  Eventually a deal was struck between the First Nation and the Ontario government to keep the park open.  The five year deal between 2015 and 2019 gives the First Nation the responsibility to staff the park and increase revenue.

Some aspects of the park were taken away due to high maintenance cost such as the wild animal exhibits and playground equipment.  The park is for day use now with hiking trails, a large playing field, pond and picnic areas. Beausoleil First Nation is doing education programs with local schools at the site as well.

I was recently at Springwater Park for the Barrie Native Friendship Centre Pow Wow at which everyone is welcome.  It was wonderful to see the dancers from toddlers to grandparents dance in their beautiful regalia. The announcer explained what was going on, when pictures could be taken and when the dance was a ceremonial one in which pictures were not appropriate.  He added dances as they were requested and cracked jokes along the way.

“The Great Responsibility: The Throwing and the Catching
 of the Ball of Life” by Mary Lou Meiers printed on aluminum
and mounted on cedar

We also found that the 16 works of art in the Call to Action 83 project had been printed on sheets of aluminum which allow them to be displayed outside permanently.  We were looking at the first 5 when a staff member on a small motorized machine pulling a trailer stopped to talk.  He asked us if we knew about the art and we told him that we had been at the opening at the McLaren Art Centre.  He went on to tell us that he had used old cedar park benches to make the frames for the aluminum prints.  The weathered wood looked perfect with the bright paintings and spoke of the history of the park as well.  He had only managed to get 5 out that day because he was so busy with the pow wow but he pointed out the posts he had put in to hold all 16.  “The others are in the park office if you want to see them,” he added.

Painting number 4 by Negik, Star Otter
You can read his statement here

Curious to see what they looked like in their new form, we walked the short distance to the park office.  The staff member there was happy to let us in to see them.  She knew one of the artists, who had taught her daughter to paint.  She proudly pointed out one of her daughter’s paintings she had displayed in the office.  As we looked at the paintings and talked to the woman, we shared stories about the artists we knew and talked about how powerful the project was.  Initially, Steve, the man we met earlier will put all 16 out each day and take them down again in the evening to prevent vandalism.  They will be officially opened on June 21 which happens to be National Aboriginal Day.

It wasn’t until I came home that I researched more about this unique park partnership.  In an article  in Anishinabek News  the author writes, “Ontario and the Beausoleil First Nation have embarked on this journey to develop a relationship based on mutual respect, sharing and the principles of recognition and reconciliation.”

While I can't celebrate many aspects of the history of Canada, I can celebrate the wonderful people that are taking chances, showing courage and offering leadership in how we can move forward together.  These stories are everywhere if you start looking out for them.  We can celebrate our new story together on July 1st.

Concert Celebrates the Contributions of Refugees

We are far too familiar with the story of refugees fleeing from violence and genocide.  We are somewhat familiar with the story of refugees settling in safe countries which don’t always end up being safe.  We are sharing the story recently of Syrian refugees coming to Canada and the communities that have welcomed them.  But this is only part of the story.

June 21^st is International Refugee Day so this past weekend, the story of the resilience, extraordinary contributions, talents and hearts of refugees was celebrated in Toronto at the We Want Peace Celebrating Refugees concert.

The concert was spearheaded by South Sudanese refugee who now live in Canada, rapper Emmanuel Jal who was joined by Nelly Furtado, Faarow, the Love Peace Harmony Ensemble and Vibe with the Tribe.  The music shared was hip-hop, jazz, R&B, afrobeats and spiritual sounds.  Once again musicians came together showing the unity and collaboration that we need in the world.  They honoured and showed respect for the struggle of refugees all over the world with their music.

In addition, the concert raised funds for Jal’s charity Gua Africa which builds schools in East Africa and gives scholarships to young Sudanese refugees.  Funds also went to Matthew House which is a Toronto organization that provides shelter for people seeking asylum.

Emmanuel Jal

Emmanuel Jal knows all too well what it is like to need asylum.  As a young child in war-torn Sudan, he lost his whole family and became one of the 20,000 lost children of Sudan.  Many of these children walked all the way to Ethiopia looking for help.  Most died but Jal was one of the ones who made it.  However the UN refugee camp that he found was run by rebels at night and he was taken to be a child soldier at the age of 8.  He was a child soldier for 4 years before being rescued by a British aid worker who smuggled him to Kenya.  He ended up living in a slum of Nairobi after the worker died in a car accident.  It was in Kenya that he combined hip-hop music and political activism and he recorded a hit song while there.

In 2005, Jal made it to Britain where he released the album War Child in 2008 as well as a documentary about his life and an autobiography.  In 2012 Jal came to Canada and co-starred in The Good Lie with Reese Witherspoon about Sudan’s Lost Boys.  He continued recording, including a duet with Nelly Furtado.

Emmanuel Jal at Jal Gua cafe

Emmanuel Jal came to Canada with nothing and now has three businesses which employ Canadians. He has his own recording label and he also opened a café in Toronto called Jal Gua to help support his charity and launched a dietary supplement made with sorghum for vegans with the same name.  Jal Gua means walk in peace in the Naath language.

Jal has founded We Want Peace which is dedicated to raising awareness of justice, equality and freedom for all through the power of music worldwide.  He launched this campaign in 2010 and released the song We Want Peace (view it here.)  which includes Alicia Keyes, Peter Gabriel, George Clooney, Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter and Richard Branson.

In a Huffington Post article,  Jal is quoted as saying "[People think] that they (refugees) are coming to take our jobs, they are desperate people, needy people, violent people, dirty people, sick, traumatized. But people forget the resilience; they are human beings that have survived. And the journeys they have overcome, we can learn a lot from it; we can learn courage, we can learn faith, we can learn resistance, we can learn endurance, we can learn loyalty. We can learn so much from each and every refugee."

In the same article he concludes by saying,  "[Refugees] can inspire Canadians to be grateful for what they have. People don't know to be grateful. You wake up and there's no bomb here. You wake up and nobody's coming to arrest you in your house. You get sick and you have a free hospital." "Gratitude is the key for enjoying peace."

So on International Refugee Day we can be grateful that all the refugees Canada has welcomed over the years have a safe place to live.  We can be grateful for all that they have contributed to our communities and we can be grateful that for the most part we all find a way to live together peacefully.  And we can enjoy and celebrate all the people that work together to create that peace because this is an important part of our story.

Coming Home

Part of Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve

The UNESCO Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR) is holding four events this year to celebrate the Anishinaabe lunar calendar.  I wrote about the GBBR in an earlier blogpost and since I live nearby, I have wanted to find ways to connect with this innovative project.  So I was very happy to read in their email about the celebration for the Flower Moon (Waawaakone Giizis) which happens in the lunar month in May.  We were invited to visit Wasauksing First Nation just outside of Parry Sound for a Medicine Walk with one of the community members. 

I love plants.  I grow them for food and for beauty and I am continually learning about medicinal uses for plants as well.  I was told that my grandmother in England used herbal remedies which she used to mail to my mom here in Canada.  But my mother was trying to be Canadian so she never used them and that knowledge was never passed down.  

I had a very early interest in plants and my parents taught me about the plants that they knew and grew in our backyard.  I would ask adults what certain plants that attracted me were used for.  If I was told that they were weeds and were useless I didn`t believe them.  I just figured that they didn’t know either.  As I got older I read books, learned from other women who knew about medicinal plants, grew them and made some remedies to use myself.  Although the knowledge was severed between my grandmother and me, I have spent most of my adult life trying to reclaim this knowledge so that I can pass it down to my family.

So on the last Sunday in May, we headed north.  After going through Parry Sound, we crossed the swing bridge on Rose Point Road,  and the road changed its name to Wasauksing Rd.  We followed it to Geewadin Road and found the Wasauksing Seniors' Centre where we were to meet.  Two staff members from GBBR were there and we were introduced to Faith Pegahmagabow, the community member who would take us on the walk.  She told us that she didn`t know everything about the plants but she would show us the ones that she did know.

 

We carpooled out to the part of the island that used to house a settler community of 2500 in the past.  It is now a ghost town as the company that built the community is now gone.  The buildings have crumbled and only the foundations and some steps are visible. Since the land was leased from the First Nation, it has returned now to the use of the community members and they use the area for pow wows and gathering medicines as well as the plants left behind by the settlers such as apples and lilacs.

Mullein leaves

Faith pointed out plants all along the roadway and told us what they were used for.  She showed us plantain, burdock, yellow dock, jewelweed, balsam poplar, white pine, pin cherry, sweetgrass and even mullein.  Mullein is the velvety leaved plant that shoots up a tall yellow flower spike.  This is the plant that first caught my attention as a child.  I remember stroking the fuzzy leaves and knowing that it must be a healing kind of a plant.  When I asked my parents, they told me it was a weed and it wasn’t good for anything.  So when Faith told us about its uses, I bent down and stroked my old friend who is even more beautiful to me now that I am a grandmother.  It was as if time warped as I realized that after more than fifty years, the little girl’s question was being answered by someone whose people have been here for thousands of years.  It felt like coming home somehow – like coming home to myself, to what I knew as a child.  It felt like my persistence in being true to what I knew inside all these years had come full circle.

Faith went on to tell us that she is going to visit another woman who knows about plants to learn more from her.  It seems that there are many of us who are trying to recover the knowledge that the hubris of modern science deemed worthless.  As the 18 participants asked Faith questions about many plants, she told us that she figured everything was good for something but she didn`t know what all of that was.  I loved that idea.  I think that will change my way of looking at many things.  Just because I don`t know the use of something doesn't mean that it is useless.

As we walked through the remains of the destructive slag of an old railway yard and down the sidewalk and steps of a church now gone I could see how nature was growing over and through all of these signs of “progress”.  The lilac bushes, apple trees, day lilies and snow-on-the-mountain ground cover were all species brought in by the non-Indigenous town’s folk who are now gone.  However, the plants remain.  People on the reserve come and take cutting for their own gardens.  They come and pick the huge heritage apples and make apple butter.  And they gather the medicines that have grown there for thousands of years.  The plants mingle and thrive side by side.

Fiddleheads of Ostrich ferns

Faith told us that when people on the island gather plants for their use, they leave behind some tobacco as a thank you.  “You don`t take anything for nothing,” she told us.   When she showed us where she picks fiddleheads, someone asked her how she knew that they were from the right kind of ferns (ostrich ferns).  “Because I was shown by someone that these were the ones,” she replied.  Of course this is the best way to learn about plants, to be shown.  That was the gift I had longed for as a child.  I had substituted book learning which has taken me a certain distance.  But to be on the land with Faith and have her show us the plants and talk about them was a huge gift.  It was what the little girl inside of me had longed for.  It was healing.

And so when we parted, I gave Faith one of the Heart Berry pins from the Call to Action #83  and told her where it was from.  She told me that when girls become young women in their community, they have a strawberry ceremony and that her granddaughter was about to take part in that.  “Maybe this is for her,” I said.  Faith nodded and we two grandmothers hugged.