Goose feasts and beaver tail feats
It’s June and I am honking over the four geese I bagged during Goose Break. It’s not my usual haul but my tiny freezer wouldn’t handle any more.
My time at Met’dootgone with William and Harriet Wapachee and famjam was pure heaven. No Facebook, no Instagram, no Twitter, email or any other outside distractions. It was just what I needed. The only thing I heard once on the bush radio was “when beyeh’doot!?”. Undoo’heenou’s original Facebook is what I say!
I think at some point everyone needs some of nature’s peace, especially for Eeyouch since nature is our natural habitat. The land is our rejuvenator and it brings calm into our weary, busy spirits. I love our cultural breaks and I hope we all continue to practice our traditional ways of life in the real bush.
I went to visit Elder Helen Mettaweskum after my therapeutic time in the bush. I helped her skin the beaver “chemskw” while “Wabs” looked on her special friend. During our time together, she reminisced about the old days and shared plenty of stories.
I learned something from Helen. Her knife wasn’t “cutting it” and she grabbed the beaver’s tail and began to file her knife. She filed her knife on the beaver’s tail! She said that this was nature’s file! I was so impressed and thought how wonderful it is to learn something new from our Elders.
At the end of our visit, she thanked us for coming and for helping her with the beaver, but she was most thankful that we came to listen and learn. “I will teach anyone who wishes to learn,” she told us. As our Elders get older and so many have gone home, it is imperative that we must continue to visit, hear and learn from those who broke the trail.
I normally don’t have much negative to say, nor do I give negativity a platform for discussion. But one story I heard about an elderly couple living on the James Bay Highway angered me. Their cabin was shot up and completely ravaged.
Who would do such a thing? I feel for the elderly couple and what they have to repurchase, renovate and clean. I do not know who is responsible for this act of cruelty but I still speak a blessing over the imbecile. If you have any details please call your local police detachment. Tell them to read to Josh’s Reznotes if they want more info.
To help the pet population all over Eeyou Istchee, it’s time to spay or neuter your furry companions. To my knowledge, every community has a dog bylaw and that baffles me because we have a pet problem. I encourage you to see the visiting vet and book your canine/cat an appointment. The best part of this operation is that it’s free! FREE I SAY! Perhaps a bylaw for new pet owners would be best. Just a thought. I’m gonna enjoy my last goose now…