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HAWK BELL & PUBLIC HOUSE HARMONY GRILL August 2013 ã 24th Edition ã Free ã BrantAdvocate.com Local Content ã Locally Owned ã Locally Produced August 2013 ã 24th Edition ã Free ã BrantAdvocate.com Local Content ã Locally Owned ã Locally Produced A Candidate for aHeart Attack by Michael St. Amant Coping withSexual Violence by Carrie Sinkowski The Creator’s Game by Jenn Hill In celebration of our secondanniversary we’ll be taking a lookback on some of the many greatstories of the past two years. A Wampum Giftto The Six Nations by Zig Misiak Fighting Illiteracywith iPads by Patti Berardi Finding the BalanceBetween Highs& Lows by Ryan Jamula John the Baptist by Brian Beattie Taking a StandAgainst Bullying by Steph Paige A Grander Vision of Conservatism by Dave Carrol Conflict is Not Pretty by Tina Draycott Freddy: Painting,Healing & Surviving by L.M. Van Every Jack Calbeck, 1972.Grand Opening, Fairview Drive 1979.West Brant Location, circa 1950.Calbecks Delivery Truck circa 1940. August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com ã Facebook: The Brant Advocate ã Twitter: @BrantAdvocate Pae 2 I can’t say for sure if I’ll have children in the future, butI am pretty sure that if I do, they won’t be of my ownflesh and blood. There are far too many children who areparentless already, so why not adopt one of them andraise them as my own?If I become a dad, I’d do my best to prepare them for thefun times, the sad times, the great times, and the hardtimes. I’d like to impart my advice to them, and, well,you too. So here goes:As much as you won’t like it, you will have chores to doaround the house. So many teenagers these days do notknow how to do their own laundry, or clean up afterthemselves, or empty a garbage can when it’s full, or dothe dishes when they’re dirty. Believe me, you’ll thankme when you go off to college or university and you haveto live with a bunch of other spoiled kids.Don’t worry about dating until you’re sixteen…betteryet, eighteen. I didn’t have my first boyfriend until I wasnineteen, and I turned out okay, right? Well, when thetime comes, your boyfriend or girlfriend should betteryou. They should be someone you can count on and lookforward to seeing. Yes, relationships require work butthey shouldn’t become a daily stress, or worse, a constantloathing. Don’t become a possession to be controlled,and never tolerate abuse. When you fight, argue cleanly.Name-calling doesn’t fix the problem and just shows yourimmaturity. Did I mention your other half should betteryou, not bring you down?I will always have an ear for you, so approach me aboutanything. Math problems, friend issues, drugs andalcohol, food, dealing with taxes, sex, gossip, gift ideas – anything. Granted, you might not always want to talkto me, so find a friend with whom you can. Sharing is anecessary part of life. And don’t be discouraged if youdon’t have many friends. Remember, it’s the quality of thefriendships, not the quantity of friends.Life is a game of balance. Although we are creatures of habit, we also need the right amount of variation andmoderation. Allow yourself some spontaneity; no onelikes an uptight timekeeper. But also maintain somestructure in order to take on your ever-growingresponsibilities.As a potential dad who is gay, I feel I shouldn’t need tosay this, but I will. Your sexual orientation will never,ever affect my love for you. You will be adored whetheryou’re gay, straight, bi or trans. What matters most isyour happiness!Keep in mind that everyone has a unique way of thinking. However, opinions aren’t facts, so be kind tothose who think differently than you.I encourage you to take a world religions class in orderto learn about the different beliefs that circulate thisplanet. I don’t expect you to choose a religion to obey; just be aware of them. You have the freedom to formyour own ideas. You might want to create a personalbelief system by taking pieces of each religion you like,pray to your own goddess, become a Buddhist, ordisregard religion altogether.Life is too short, so have some fun with it! Don’t wasteit away by working constantly; you need to make timefor play. Take a night off and go out with your friends.Better yet, take a vacation to one of your dream locations.Work to live, don’t live to work. Unless you love your job, you’re only there to pay the bills. And let’s face it,you can’t take your money with you to heaven or yournext life.It takes time to heal a cut, right? As such, it takes timeto heal an emotional wound. I know this because I’veseen it happen, and I’ve experienced it. Only I don’t usea Band-Aid to help with the pain. A tub of ice cream, aseries of chick flicks, and a healthy dose of supportivefriends is my recipe. Things don’t heal overnight,unfortunately. Sometimes it can take months, if notyears. But I’ll be there to hold your hand and help youthrough it.And there will be times when your heart will bebroken, and there will be times when you will breaksomeone else’s heart. It’s never easy mending ashattered heart, or feeling responsible for crushinganother’s. You are allowed to cry. Don’t worry, no onelooks pretty when they cry. So let it all out. Let out allthe ugly, hurtful emotions you’re feeling. You can alwaysget a hug from Dad. “Keep in mind thateveryone has a unique wayof thinking. However,opinions aren’t facts, so bekind to those who thinkdifferently than you.” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say you arebeautiful as you are. Never base your appearance on thegirls or guys in the magazines; they are photo-shoppedand therefore fake. I’ll let you get a piercing or two, justpromise to think a moment before getting a tattoo onyour forehead, please.Enjoy the moments you can, because I can guarantee itwon’t last. Soak it in. Bask in life's delight. Don’t mullin the past. Don’t constantly fret about the future. Getoff your phone during special occasions. The present isright in front of you, so enjoy it sweetie. The saying,“This too shall pass,” is applicable to any situation, bothgood and bad.Choose music as your drug of choice. You don’tnecessarily have to play any music (I sure can’t), butlistening to music and exploring different genres andmusicians can be rewarding. I used to be shy of mymusic choices because I thought people would judge me,but now I don’t care. It’s what makes your ears happythat counts!I can’t emphasize this enough: communication is a keyelement to happiness. As much as super powers are awesome,no one can read your mind. So many friendships,relationships, and various bonds have suffered or endeddue to lack of proper communication. I encourage you tolearn when to listen and when to considerately speak yourmind. You’ll notice a difference!You are your toughest critic. It’s been said again andagain, but it’s true. You will critique yourself,incessantly trying to make improvements either on yourschool assignments, your art projects, your musicalpieces, your writing endeavors, your life goals – I couldgo on. Sometimes you have to just stop the critiquingand let it go. Otherwise, you’ll inhibit yourself and nothingwill get accomplished. Imperfection is a part of life. Embrace it!I’m sure I’ll find more advice to tell you as life goes on,so I’ll leave you with this final one for now. For the restof your life, there will be only one person you’ll have tolive with consistently and tolerate endlessly. Yourself.Learn to love yourself and get comfortable in your ownskin; because you’re gonna have it for a good while!This may sound cheesy, but others can’t love youentirely until you love you. Advice for my Unadopted Son By Markus McDaniel, Blog: schnippits.wordpress.com The Convocation Question by Andrew Macklin, Twitter: @AMacklin Back in June, I had the distinct pleasure of attending aconvocation ceremony for one of the graduating classesof Laurier Brantford. The ceremony was full of excitedgraduates, proud family and friends and members of theLaurier faculty and staff eager to congratulate the formerstudents for their incredible accomplishment.One of the practices I have always enjoyed with convocationceremonies is the awarding of an honourary degree, andthen having that person give a speech to inspire thegraduates to leave that day ready to tackle the challengesof the world in front of them. This is a perfect opportunityto give credit to someone’s academic contributions thatare long overdue, or introduce someone new to the uni-versity who has done work for the greater good that hasnoticeably trickled down to communities across theprovince or country.A perfect example of that second idea is the person whowas chosen as the recipient of the honourary degree onthe day I attended the convocation. Kim Pate has workedas the executive director for the Elizabeth Fry Societyfor the past 21 years. The Elizabeth Fry Society isinternationally known for its work on issues affectinggirls and women in the judicial system. Pate is aninternationally-acclaimed advocate for criminalized andinstitutionalized women, and frequently is involved inproviding reports to parliamentary committees, and theUnited Nations, on issues in this regard.She is clearly someone who deserves the honourarydegree that was bestowed on her at the Convocationceremony.Her involvement in the ceremony, as a recipient of thedegree, is NOT AT ALL in question in this article.Dr. Pate started with an impassioned speech about thework she has done helping girls and women in need of the legal rights they so justly deserve. In the midst of herspeech, she began speaking about some of the atrocitiesthese women had faced while imprisoned. She spokeabout the absolute hell of sexual abuse, rape, andphysical beatings that had been suffered by some of thewomen she has represented in her career.While I appreciated the level of inspiration that she wasattempting to instill into the hearts and minds of thegraduates, two things felt out of place to me. First, I havealways seen a convocation as a time for celebration,motivating through words of positive encouragement. Isit also a time to show graduates the most horrific of issues that their generation needs to combat? Second,many families attending the ceremony brought youngerrelatives to also celebrate the day. Was a discussion of rape and sexual abuse really something that should fallon their ears in this type of setting?I was so torn by this that I posted these questions onFacebook the next day seeking an alternative perspectiveto my own in order to try and appreciate the other sideof the issue. Immediately another friend who alsograduated talked about the fact that she found the speechvery inspirational and did not have any issue with thetone and subject matter used in the speech. Anotherfriend, one who often provides me with a very fairopposing view, reminded me that the speaker was chosenbased on the field of those graduating, and one of theclasses that was part of the ceremony was Criminology.So sure, maybe I just didn’t like the subject matter anddidn’t gain the inspiration that others did. Maybe that isall that this needs to be summed up to. Maybe I’m justbeing picky.But there is still one point that remains unanswered.Whose responsibility is it to inform the audience of thesubject matter of the speech? Clearly the university waswell aware of the contents of the speech in advance of the convocation ceremony, as I understand that it iscustomary for the institution to know what will be saidin the speech. But knowing that a graduation ceremonyis a family affair, does it not then demand that theuniversity should have given some sort of fair warningthat sensitive content would be addressed. Or, perhaps,even a recommendation to parents of the graduates thatyoung children are not an appropriate audience in thisinstance?Typically you are made aware of sensitive or adult languagebefore it is used. Movies use a ratings system, televisionuses a verbal disclaimer, and some special events whereoffensive language is possible will use age limitations.But what about something like a convocation speech?Where does this sort of a presentation fall under thedisclaimer/advisement spectrum?Perhaps the conclusion is that we expect the parents tobear the brunt of what his/her child might be offendedby under this circumstance? Maybe the universityneeded to advise parents? Maybe the speaker shouldhave read the audience in front of her and not used suchvivid language?Personally, I have not come up with a definitive answerto any of these questions. This is why I am writing thisarticle. The decision to use such vivid and scaryexamples of the kind of atrocities that Pate has dealtwith during her career, while completely appropriatebased on her work, was not appropriate with youngchildren in the room. That is the one point I am sure of.But who bears the responsibility for its use? 90 Morton Ave East Brantford ã 519.757.1800 ã www.handcraftedwood.ca August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com ã Facebook: The Brant Advocate ã Twitter: @BrantAdvocate Pae 3 YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT OUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT VISION ISION YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT OUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT VISION ISION EXPERIENCE Authorized by the CFO for the Brant PC Association. In July I turned 65, just one year short of the nationalaverage age for men born during the baby-boom era.Fate, however, was clearly undecided as to whether Iwas going to reach this age or not.While the scales obviously tipped towards keeping mearound for a while, it was not so clear on February 12th.It was that day that I experienced a heart attack whiledriving to review materials for a charity fundraiser thatI was involved in.If someone had asked me earlier that morning if I wasa candidate for a heart attack, I would have thought theywere crazy. After all, I had had my annual physical afew weeks before and my blood pressure and choles-terol levels showed no cause for concern. Although Ihad experienced some pain in my right arm, I attributedthat to muscle pain caused by shoveling snow duringmost of the weekend. Like many people, I was ignorantof the signs of a heart attack. “While I wasunconscious, myChrysler 300 droveinto the corner of Beni’s Barber Shop just off the corner of Market & GreyStreet.” As I drove along Marlborough Street, I began to feel anintense pain in my right arm, which was followed by anequally intense pain in my left arm. By the time Ireached the Market Street intersection I was perspiringlarge droplets from my forehead. As I turned the corner,a sharp pain shot up my chest followed by extremepressure as if someone was sitting on me. By this time,I realized that something was seriously wrong and Itried to pull over to the side of the road. That was thelast thing I remembered. While I was unconscious, myChrysler 300 drove into the corner of Beni’s BarberShop just off the corner of Market and Grey Street.Fortunately, no one was hurt though there was damageto the building and my Chrysler 300 was totaled. WhileI had a few inkling memories of my rescue, they werelimited to someone trying to cut my jacket, a doctortelling the ambulance driver to take me to Hamilton,someone shaving my groin then being told to hold myarm because they didn’t have time for that, and thenwaking up in the Cardiac Ward at Hamilton GeneralHospital.In retrospect, I can see fate was wrestling with its deci-sion over what to do with me much like some characterfrom a Thomas Hardy novel.If my heart attack had occurred fifteen minutes earlier,I would have been at home alone. My wife was out formost of the day. It is unlikely I would have survived.Had I stopped somewhere on the deserted MalboroughStreet, I doubt that anyone would have found me intime. Fortunately, I guess, there was so much snow piledup at the side of the street that there was no place topark. Twenty-four hours later, we would have been onan American highway heading towards Hilton Head,S.C.The decision to pull over on Market Street, andsubsequent collision with the barbershop, probablysaved my life according to the cardiologist. When I hitthe building the airbag inflated, hitting my chestabruptly, shocking my heart to start again. As one of the cardiologists later said, “It was an “auto” start!”What was interesting in perspective was the fact that Idid not realize that I had hit the building until the nextday when a picture of my Chrysler 300 was on the frontpage of the Expositor.My near death experience left me with four stents in myright artery and another two were installed in theleft artery in March. I saw no white lights and allI remember in blankness. Nonetheless, it has hadan impact on my lifestyle. I quit smoking. I eathealthier by trying to follow Dr. Barnard’s PowerFoods for the Brain. I walk more and bicycle weatherpermitting.I am not the first person to have had a heart attack andsurvived, nor do I claim any special status in terms of defining a meaning to the fact that I survived.The larger question, of why did I not die at that partic-ular time has not really played on my mind. Someonesaid to me that it just wasn’t my time, and I supposefrom a mechanical process, your heart either starts topump blood throughout your body, or it doesn’t. Manypeople would probably be satisfied with that explanationas an answer and that the circumstances surrounding theevent that occurred are not relevant. In the light of day,your body works or it doesn’t!While I don’t believe that God was keeping around forsome special purpose, I am truly grateful that for thetime being, I am still around and that I am functional inmind and body. The truth be known, I wasn’t ready todie – there’s too much to be done. There are things Iwant to do with my family, places I want to see, andmissions I want to accomplish. Death would havecheated me of all that, and though it may sound selfish,I am glad that Fate moved in my favour.So, as a survivor, I have been focused on getting myhouse in order. I want to share my good fortune withothers. Know he Sins of aHear Aack: Ches Discomfor or Pain This discomfort or pain can feel like a tightache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in thecenter of your chest lasting more than a fewminutes. This discomfort may come and go. Upper Body Pain Pain or discomfort may spread beyond yourchest to your shoulders, arms, back, neck,teeth or jaw. You may have upper body painwith no chest discomfort. Somach Pain Pain may extend downward into yourabdominal area and may feel like heartburn. Shorness of Breah You may pant for breath or try to take in deepbreaths. This often occurs before youdevelop chest discomfort or you may notexperience any chest discomfort. Anxiey You may feel a sense of doom or feel as ifyou're having a panic attack for no apparentreason. Lihheadedness In addition to chest pressure, you may feeldizzy or feel like you might pass out. Sweain You may suddenly break into a sweat withcold, clammy skin. Nausea and Vomiin You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit. By Michael St. Amant “I died when I was six.”It was 1951 and Freddy was taking one of his first carrides out of his community of Curve Lake near Peter-borough. The government people were driving him toBrantford, the site of the Mohawk Institute ResidentialSchool.For the next ten years, Freddy would fight to survive,stealing food from other students, sneaking out of theschool at night to pick through garbage at the city dumpso he could eat and enduring years of sexual abuse. Henever saw his parents again as long as he was at the res-idential school.Freddy describes his first hour at the school as nothingshort of horrible. His hair was cut and he was beaten forspeaking his traditional Ojibway language.This was the day Freddy became residential schoolnumber 39 and his identity became numerical.Freddy’s shoes were numbered….39. His clothes wereall numbered…39. Freddy was the 39th kid standingin line for food. Everything was 39 for Freddy for thenext ten years.It took Freddy one year to learn English. The moreEnglish he learned, the more Ojibway he forgot. Heremembers hating the law by the time he turned sevenor eight. Freddy began to notice some of the boys beingsummoned from their beds late at night. He figured theyhadn’t completed their chores from that day and neededto finish them. About two years into Freddy’s night-mare, his turn came. The next day, he told the principalthinking his abuser would be stopped. Freddy was madeto stand in a corner for over half an hour and then takento the playroom in the basement, stripped naked and tiedto a chair. He was beaten by the principal and his abuser.Describing the whip they used in visual detail, Freddyrecalls this beating like it happened five minutes ago. Itwas three inches wide with horse studs on the sides.Freddy’s hatred and anger continued to grow inside hiseight year old body. Occasionally Freddy would see hissister at the school. She was four years older. He’d waveto her but if he got caught, he knew the consequences.Sometimes she’d leave him a sandwich in the tall grassso he could eat.Freddy never went home on weekends or holidays likesome students did. Soon, he forgot his parent’s names.He learned how not to care about the things around him.Freddy learned how to survive in a criminal way.In 1961, Freddy was sixteen years old and was allowedto leave the Mush Hole. The government people drovehim back to his community and dropped him off outsideof his house. This old woman came out on the step with abottle of whiskey in her hand. “Oh there’s my little baby.”Freddy’s family was having a party that day. The alcoholwas flowing. Freddy thought they were celebrating hishomecoming. This was the first time he drank alcohol.It would take Freddy on a ride of destruction andincarceration for the next 25 years of his life. If Freddydidn’t have a problem, he’d make a problem. “Occasionally Freddywould see his sister atthe school. She wasfour years older. He’dwave to her but if hegot caught, heknew the conse-quences.” Freddy left his community again not long after returning.Too much had changed. He had changed. Too much wasgone out of him.In 1986, Freddy landed in a hospital with a head injuryafter falling down a flight of stairs, unable to see, callingout for help. He received the help he desired in aprofoundly spiritual way. Freddy likened it to a miracle.His sight was restored and his craving for alcohol wastaken away. Freddy immediately knew what he neededto do to heal and he knew he was given the gift to do it.Today, Freddy paints. He takes the pain and anger thatgrew in him every day for ten years in residential schooland he buries it in each canvas. Through his art, Freddyheals his soul.When people tell Freddy to get over it and to forget it,he doesn’t understand. “How can you forget that? It’slike it happened yesterday. I’m 67 and I still cry at night.If their good Lord came and sat right here and asked meto forgive them, I’d tell him to move on.”Even though Freddy can’t forget or forgive yet, hepaints and he heals and he doesn’t drink. Maybe that’sall we can ask of him right now.Writer’s Note:I met Freddy at a Truth and Reconciliation conferencesponsored by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC). The TRC are halfway through their five-yearmandate of travelling the country acknowledging residentialschool experiences, impacts and consequences. Freddy: Painting, Healing & Surviving by L.M. Van Every August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com ã Facebook: The Brant Advocate ã Twitter: @BrantAdvocate Pae 4 A Wampum Gift to the Six Nations by Zig Misiak, Facebook: Zig Misiak Learning to Lead by Sonia Hayer, Facebook: Sonia Hayer The 200th Commemoration of the War of 1812started last year and is very much alive and activeall through 2013 and 2014. Hundreds of local,national and international activities haveeither taken place or are still to be announced.The War of 1812 took place over nearly three years.Therefore, the 200th anniversary events that correlateto the past are coordinated to current dates.Recently many of you saw the tall ships that werein Hamilton Harbour. The Battle of Stoney Creekand the Battle at Chryslers Farm also took placethis year and a very important First Nations victorywas celebrated at the Battle of Beaverdams. Inconjunction with the Battle of BeaverdamsLaura Secord’s famous walk was replicated by1000’s of people.In 2012 Brantford, Brant County and the GrandRiver Six Nations paid a tribute to General Brock’sinteraction with the Six Nations at the MohawkChapel. He was on his way to attack Fort Detroitin 1812. There will be other announcementsmade regarding commemorative sites to do withthe War of 1812 in our communities.The Battle of the Thames re-enactment andcommemoration is on the weekend of October 5,2013. Tecumseh was killed during an engagementby the pursuing American forces. Fort Malden wasabandoned by the British, which led to the exodusof thousands of Native people and loyalistsettlers. Many days later the survivors camped atBurford then made their way crossing at Brant’sFording Place on their way to safety at BurlingtonHeights.The Mississauga, now located adjacent to theGrand River Six Nations Territory, have alreadyerected a plaque near Fort York, Toronto,commemorating and remembering theirnations sacrifices and alliances to Britain fightingagainst the common American foe. Outside ourcommunity Stoney Creek and Queenston Heightswill be erecting monuments in tribute toFirst/Native nations War of 1812 alliances. A newQueenston Heights’ commemorative monumentwas designed in part by a friend of mine living inBrantford but of Haudenosaunee ancestry. Thissignificant and highly visible national andinternational addition to Brock’s Monument willbe announced in due course.There are all kinds of people living in Brantfordand Brant County that have roots going back manygenerations in North America. Some of you areaware of it and yet I have met many people thatknow that their ancestry goes back quite a ways buthave not investigated actual facts. Others, such asthe United Empire Loyalists and the localGenealogical Society members, are well aware of their roots, which they gladly share withothers interested in tracing their own roots. Thesecommitted family historians are heavily involvedwith the War of 1812 200th commemoration onmany levels across this country, the United Statesand Europe.We, as Canadian and First Nations people, north of the Great Lakes and rivers collectively havecelebrations and/or commemorations that arerelatively new compared to the rest of the world.Our shared histories are only a few hundred yearsold as witnessed by the 200 years commemorationof the War of 1812. This year Canada is only 146years old and Brantford was incorporated just tenyears later in 1877.The United Empire Loyalists moved north of theGreat Lakes as a result of the American Revolution.The Americans forced both them and theHaudenosaunee/Six Nations into a mass exodusdue to their loyalty to England and their persecution.The Loyalists were friends, neighbours and allieswith the various Six Nations people for manydecades in and around the Finger Lakes region inwhat is now called New York State. The GrandRiver Valley was only one area settled by theHaudenosaunee.This entire update and background informationleads us to this year's National United EmpireLoyalist Conference in Burlington Ontario. DonMonture, an elder from the Grand River SixNations and I were invited to attend. Ruth Nicholson, UEL event Chairperson, Don Monture, Grand River Six Nations and Zig Misiak. She continued to fall from the Skyworld and kept heading toward earth.On the planet far below lived many forms of the winged creatures. They werebusy with their everyday duties when they heard the cries coming from highabove where they were flying. Although some storytellers firmly believe theywere the winged brothers and sisters called the geese, others say the eagle orthe hawk, in any case, the birds that lived during the time of creation, quicklyagreed to help the being which was headed straight toward them. They flewup to where the woman was falling. They offered to bring her to the earth ontheir wings in order to save her life and break her fall.When the birds arrived back on the earth with the strange guest on their backs,they soon realized that there would be a different concern. The entire earthwould be an obstacle, as it was completely covered with water. If they let goof the woman, she would surely drown. They paused not knowing what todo. They asked all the other creatures for suggestions. Turtle Island It was then that a giant sea turtle rose up out of the water. The sea turtle wasmajestic in form and presence. He sounded wise and his shell looked strongand sturdy for the woman to rest. The sea turtle offered his back to the woman.The turtle reminded them that he could stay afloat for a long period of time.If the birds placed her on his back, she would be able to rest until they couldfigure out another plan for her. All agreed and the woman was placed on theturtles back.Soon the small sea animals surrounded the turtle. They were curious aboutthe new being that was now on the earth. They decided that in order to makeher stay more comfortable that she would benefit from having soil to standon. They agreed to take turns diving into the sea to try to retrieve some soil.One by one the small creatures dove deep into the ocean. One by one theirlifeless bodies rose to the surface. The muskrat was the last animal to try. Hehad been gone for a long time. Skywoman found herself waiting once again.When the muskrat’s lifeless body rose to the surface of the water the womansaw that he had soil in his claws and his mouth. Because the muskrat and theother small water creatures sacrificed their lives for the woman, she promisedto remember to honor them: those that worked so selflessly for the woman.The woman took the soil from the lifeless muskrat. She placed the soil onthe back of the turtle. She started to walk in the direction that (now) greetsthe sun. As she walked she started to sing and she started to dance. Her dancewas gentle. Her feet massaged the soil on the back of the great turtle. As shedanced the soil stretched. After many verses of her song, the soil covered anarea that was further than her eyes could see.Sky woman took the plants that were ripped from near the roots of the greattree. She planted them in the soil and saw two plants grow from them: straw-berries and tobacco. They continue to remind the earth people of the Sky-world. Strawberry Did you ever look at a strawberry?And see that it’s shaped like a heart?They’re red and juicy and good for youAnd they’re an important part...Of the cycle of life that we honourAs they first bear fruit in the springThey begin our thanksgiving cycleAs we give thanks for everythingThe strawberry came from the SkyworldWhen the entire world was seaThey were in the hand of the womanWho fell through the hole near the treeAs she fell she called for helpAnd the birds answered her callThey brought her to the earthTo gently break her fallThey sat her onThe turtle’s giant shellShe planted the roots on the turtles backWith tobacco roots as wellShe lived alone for awhileBut Skywoman soon gave birthShe loved and raised her daughterNow there were two women living on the earthWhen the daughter was fully grownShe too gave birth but to twinsAnd this is the start of the story of How life on earth beginsThis year when the white flowers have blossomedAnd the berries all picked as wellRemember the Skywoman’s journeyFrom Skyworld to Turtle Island’s shell Where the Smoke Rises An ongoing series to promote peace through story sharing by Elizabeth Doxtater David Hill Morrison, a Mohawk from Tyendinaga,spoke to the assembly about the bondsbetween the Haudenosaunee and the Loyalists;then and now. Following David, I was asked to speakabout the calamity at Burlington Heights and therelationship between the First Nations, Britain andloyalist during the War of 1812. FredHayward, the UEL President, directed everyone’sattention to the highlight of the evening andperhaps the entire conference: a wampum beltpresentation.Ken Maracle, from the Grand River Six Nations,made the belt and in his words this is what itrepresents:The belt has two boxes at each end representing thetwo cultures or people. The diagonal linesrepresent the agreement or alliance. In the middleare the four directions of the great roots of the greattree of the long leaves and the diagonal linerepresents the three concepts of Peace Power andRighteousness. The belt is put down so thediagonal line slopes to the right. The first boxrepresents the presenter and the second is thereceiver.So Don, who was the receiver, wearing his SixNations Veterans attire, stood and approached thepodium to accept this special wampum beltreaffirming the United Empire Loyalists century’sold good relationship with the Six Nations.To be in attendance at that moment was verytouching and quite emotional. Don, who standsover 6’ 3”, spoke using a soft appreciative and areaffirming tone. He was visibly humbled andtouched by this reaching out by the United EmpireLoyalists to the Haudenosaunee. He was therunner, the messenger, bringing home the wampumbelt to his community.The UEL also gifted Janice Monture of theWoodland Cultural Center with $5000.00 to gotowards educating the youth and supporting othercultural programs being developed by therejuvenated Center.I’m 16 years old. So far, in my short life, I can sayI have done things that the average teenager, oreven a 30 year old, has never done. I have attendedand conducted board meetings, made presentationsto the council of Brantford, met MPPs and MPs,and helped lead local youth initiatives such asEarth Hour Brantford. I have also accustomedmyself to going up to new people, usually adults,shaking their hands and introducing myself as “ThePresident of the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth As-sociation”, and conferring with them as thoughwe’re on the same level. When I’m in that role, I’mno longer a teenager going to high school andbarely thinking about my future – I’m a leader.I cannot say I always was a leader or I was “born”a leader. In a way, I was taught to be a leader in ourcommunity.I joined the Branlyn Neighbourhood YouthAssociation when I was 12 years old. It was not of my own free will though. My father decided tovolunteer me to the group as he thought it was anexcellent extra-curricular activity to be involved inand he was part of the Branlyn NeighbourhoodAssociation. At first, I was doubtful of the idea andvery leery about having to speak up and give myopinion on things that we may be doing in the com-munity. I was also one of the youngest members atthe time.Soon, I learned that my opinion was actuallylistened to and important in each of our discus-sions. And I had a vote. It was the first time that Ifelt that my opinion actually mattered, and I wasonly a General Director at the time.When it came to the actual reaching out to thecommunity part, I was still daunted by the thoughtof actually having to call and meet with adults.That’s when I learned the meaning of being“volun-told”, which is something that I can almostguarantee started in the B.N.Y.A.! It started likethis. We need to contact about 40 local businessesand 4 out of our 10 members say, “I can’t talk topeople over the phone and ask them that!” Thenour Youth Services Director or President wouldsay, “Guess what? Sonia – the job is yours then!”The 4 of us were stuck with making the phone callson our own. By the end of our second event, I wasable to call businesses and I had my lines down,“Hi, my name is Sonia Hayer and I’m a memberof the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth Association.I would like to speak to a manager about a collab-orating opportunity for one of our community proj-ects”. I began becoming less of the “volun-told”kind of member and more of the volunteer kind. Ialso began “volun-telling” along with the seniormembers of the group.Teenagers are usually considered the “trouble-makers”of our community. We’re the ones who writegraffiti on public property, hang out with friends atungodly hours, wear the latest and most outrageousclothing, talk in slang, and are often associatedwith drugs and alcohol. And our opinions areusually overlooked as we’re “young and still learning”.I can personally say that I have spent more week-ends and evenings doing volunteer work eitherwith the B.N.Y.A. or in collaboration with othergroups, going to meetings or attending communityevents, than I have doing any of the previouslymentioned activities. And I can honestly say that if everyone of the older generations listened and ac-tually cared about the opinion of the youth in ourcommunity, then we would have more youth doingmore constructive things in their spare time, andbetter leaders for our future.Youth, in my opinion, are the best leaders. Eventhough we are still learning, we are able to makemistakes, own up and fix them. That’s somethingthat a lot of adults still have trouble doing,” JohnF. Kennedy once said. “Leadership and learning areindispensable to each other.” Youth are alwayslearning, and if they are put into a leadership roleat a younger age, they will be prepared for whenthey are older and will become leaders in theireveryday lives.I am advocating for an increase in the number of youth that are positively involved in the communityand for the value that our opinions actually give toour community. Youth need to know that there areopportunities such as the one that I took, no matterwhere their interests lie. Sports, the arts, theenvironment, and other interest-based initiativesare all available in this community and shouldbecome involved in all that they want to.
