Xavier Kataquapit

Remembrance Day went by and once again I found myself in sadness for those who lost their lives in war. In the Cree language we have no word for ‘war’, the idea of conflict that involves hundreds or millions of people. Instead we call it ‘Mah-shi-keh-win’ which translates to ‘fighting’. We use the same word to describe two people fighting or to talk about either of the world wars. The Great War and the Second World War took the lives of millions of people as did subsequent conflicts and wars throughout the 20th century.

Tah-gwah-gun, or the fall season has always been a time of foreboding and worry for every culture in the northern hemisphere. It means that winter is on the way and for my people, it meant that we must prepare if we are to survive and endure another freezing season. In many ways this particular fall demands that we need to prepare for dealing with historic developments. With the turning of this season there are other changes on the horizon that are somewhat threatening.

Last week, I had an opportunity while visiting a northern cottage to sit outside and contemplate the night time sky. Normally, in the summer this is almost always impossible as either the weather is not favourable, the bugs are too numerous or a full or partial moon throws too much light to see many stars clearly. On this night, all the conditions were perfect as there was no moon, the sky was completely clear of weather and the biting insects somehow had miraculously disappeared.

We humans are definitely good at adapting. Although the going has been tough, in the middle of a terrible pandemic with Covid-19, we are all for the most part dealing with it. I see people out and about now at stores and offices with masks on, being careful with each other and staying two meters away. Things are opening up slowly and we are adapting to a new normal.

It is raining. It will be raining most of this week and that very much puts my plans on hold as Mother Earth reminds me that my notions don’t mean much in the big picture. At times like this as I feel helpless in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic, a number of rainy days in a row really drives home the fact that nature rules all.