As we look to the skies and see a smoke-free environment, you know that summer is back but a little too late for us Northerners. This so-called climate change just can’t seem to make up its mind. Is it going to be good or bad for the environment? Who knows, you’d be better off reading a horoscope and using that instead of the weather.
The story that has captivated North America and the world around is the uneasy truth about Indigenous history and the relationship with the Canadian government, the church and the on-going efforts for reconciliation.
The Kahnawake Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow returned July 8-9 after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Powwows are a powerful gathering where multiple communities and generations of people come together to witness the pride of Indigenous dancers, drummers and singers. And this year it seemed that there were more dancers, more vendors, more drummers and certainly more people attending than I have ever seen in the past.
As the fires wreak havoc with our summer plans and ceaseless smoke clogs our nostrils, we know that at some point the forests will yield and the wood that fueled this natural catastrophe is spent and deposited into a huge carbon footprint. I guess Mother Nature has its way to save any residual energy it has in its biomass and expending it with formidable fury. As any Elder has tried to explain before, just stay safely out of its way and let the rejuvenation begin its beautiful cycle.
It takes people to make change for the better in our society. Happily, I have known many people over the past few decades who have devoted their energy to making life better for Indigenous people. One effort I have experienced really stands out.
As of July 5, there are still 100 or more forest fires burning in Quebec. Only 67 of them are in the SOFEU “intensive protection zone”, where all fires are fought at once. As a result, only three of them are considered out of control and are in the Chibougamau region.
It wasn’t easy watching our territory burn while I had to stay indoors because the heavy smoke was a tough experience. Like many, I felt hopeless while frantically looking at the forest-fire maps online to see how they were progressing.
I look at the tiny patch of yellowing grass I call a backyard, then look up at a yellowish haze full of horse flies buzzing about the smoky skies. The sun’s heat is in the high 20s, as the ashy dust cakes your skin. Aaahhh, the summer weather this year.
It is always difficult to figure out what is happening with major issues in politics and how people are affected. A recent issue I have been watching makes me wonder how bright our leaders in government actually are. The federal government, which has been doing a fairly good job in dealing with Indigenous people in this country, went off the rails when they decided to push through legislation regarding the Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Agreement.
The house shuddered. The external wall started to cave in. A bulldozer was relentlessly plowing through the wood-structure home and then stopped. A man wearing a hard hat went to check the interior and discovered a good friend sleeping away soundly. After a lot of intense shaking and shouting, the man woke up to discover that he had to leave his home before he was buried in it.
