Xavier Kataquapit

I’ve had a busy few months of meeting so many people I haven’t seen in a long time. This year has been the first time I have been around so many people and it is a big change for me. I thoroughly enjoy it and have had lots of fun but with all the running around, I’ve caught several colds and flus over the past few months. In January, I caught a minor bug that I easily got over but it left me with a long-lasting cough that lingered for five months. It took plenty of treatment and doctor visits before I got over that.

This past month, I was happy to attend two Pow Wows I hadn't been to in years. I attended the Mattagami First Nation Pow Wow and the Matachewan First Nation Pow Wow. These are two special communities I have had the good fortune to be involved in for over 30 years.

Mattagami First Nation hosted its 12th Annual Pow Wow on August 15 and 16, with a great turnout of family, friends and visitors.

In an opening address, Chief Jennifer Constant thanked the community for their support, the Pow Wow planning committee for their hard work, volunteers for joining in and all the performers, singers and dancers for being part of this year’s event.

Forest fires have always been a deep worry for those of us who live in the far north of Ontario. We are surrounded by endless forests and we know full well what it means when these trees start to burn in the peak heat of summer.

I remember a few hot summers in the 1980s, when I was growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, seeing large columns of smoke rising west of our community. It is a frightful thing to know that you are isolated from the world and that fire might reach your home.

My home community of Attawapiskat First Nation is celebrating the annual graduations of students from Kattawapiskak Elementary School and Vezina Secondary School. These are proud moments for our community as families get to celebrate their children.