New Member

[Yiwah]

Tân’si,

I'm Yiwah, from a Cree speaking Métis community in Alberta.  Currently (and probably permanently) living in Montréal now.  I believe I first saw your group when you were on Yahoo.  Brightly coloured if I remember correctly

I have a pet peeve with new age frauds, plastic shaman, and any others who try to pass off for whatever personal gain they seek.  I think this group is a really good resource and I'm glad it's here to be a voice. I've followed your work here intermittently.  Having a sort of database of frauds is a really, really good idea.

Glad to be here,

kinanâskomitinâwâw.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi, Tawow!

It is good to meet you!  I don't think that I could live in the big city anymore, but hope that you have found a good home in Montreal.  After living in many cities, I am now living in the Metis Village of Green Lake, Saskatchewan.  I hope to learn more about you, as time goes by.
Ric

[tecpaocelotl]

Welcome to the group.

[Yiwah]

Tansi, Tawow!

It is good to meet you!  I don't think that I could live in the big city anymore, but hope that you have found a good home in Montreal.  After living in many cities, I am now living in the Metis Village of Green Lake, Saskatchewan.  I hope to learn more about you, as time goes by.
Ric

kinanâskomitin for your welcome,  kinehiyawân cî.

I was living in Edmonton for a few years during my undergrad, and all I wanted was to get out of the city and back home!  My intention since I was a child was to live in my community, and any time spent in the city was purely temporary. 

Then I had children.  Wow.  Did that ever change my perspective!  I just didn't find living in the country to be sustainable anymore, because I wanted certain things for my kids my community just couldn't provide.  As well, I ended up being a defacto (now in truth) single mother, and it was growing increasingly difficult to expend the energy needed to do everything that needed to be done in addition to getting the sanity-saving socialising with adults that I needed. 

It's a vicious cycle in a way, because so many of us leave our communities because of the lack of opportunity, which causes there to be even less opportunity down the road.  I didn't want to be part of that trend, but the fact is, my community used to support itself by fishing and trapping, and that simply isn't possible anymore.  Beyond that, I was looking at living by myself on an acreage or a quarter section, and having to drive anywhere just to see other human beings.  My mother lives like that, as do most of my relations, but I suddenly found myself craving the support of more immediate access to others.  I moved back to Edmonton to finish another degree and found it made child-rearing a lot easier.

I didn't like Edmonton though.  It's not physically or socially set up for community.  When I visited Montreal, I really fell in love with it, and I'm very glad I made the switch.  My kids only have to step outside the door to play with others, and I know my neighbours well.  It's what I was missing from my own community, which has become so spread out and aged, as all the young families are migrating to the urban environment.  So here I am, what I never thought I'd be...an urban aboriginal, and very far from my territory.

mwestas.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

I can understand the reasons for leaving the community for a city.  Our children are all grown, so it is easier for us to stay in the community.

I also understand your point about the lack of opportunities, especially since the ways of the trapline and other Traditional forms of economy are very limited, now.  We have been working, for years, on the development of a Non Timber Forest Product industry, which will be one way of encouraging Cultural sustainability, using the concept of "Traditional Knowledge and Values, in a Modern Economy."  I don't know how to use links, but this has been a topic of discussion here, and can likely be accessed using the search function.  Actually, I am just waiting for government representatives to arrive, today, in order to formalize the creation of a harvesters Co-op, which will focus on producing value-added products, from our Blueberry harvest, which will be the introduction to this process.

It is our hope that, in the future, our young people will be able to be Proud of their Heritage and Culture and will be able to participate in a modern economy, while learning about and using Traditional knowledge and the natural resources of our regions.

Good to have you here!
Ric