Reflections: At least dreams are free
- Maria Campbell | July 18, 2014
"The government of Canada is committed to improving the health and saving the lives of Aboriginal women and children in Canada," reads the headline of a national newspaper. Excited, I read on.
"Surrounded by First Nations children at a broken down elementary school with no running water in Somewhere, Northern Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has just announced his government will be gifting 2.85 Billion dollars to "Miyo Pimachihowin," a project intended to improving and strengthening health conditions in our Canada as well as safe and non-violent places to grow up. The project itself has since its conception five years ago (how come we never heard about it) has already set up several smaller projects in several communities, among them Attawapiskat. (I wonder why Chief Theresa has not mentioned this.) Examples of these projects are, Making Motherhood Safe, which aims to improve access to quality health services to mothers, their babies and children.
Scaling Up Nutrition, this project supports the efforts to eliminate child hunger in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities especially in the north where the cost of food is exhorbent. This is exciting because they are talking about purchasing a special plane, imagine that, which would fly in healthy food at affordable prices. Milk alone in some northern communities sells for up to five dollars and more per quart never mind the veggies and fruit children need to build strong bones and bodies. And hey, there is also a Water Sanitation and Hygiene project, which is aimed at improving the health of the people in the most vulnerable communities. It will address the need for safe water and sanitation facilities. Wow! I can hardly believe what I am reading. This is so wonderful. That Stephen Harper is maybe not such a bad guy after all. They even have a project called Iskwewak, which will set up a Commission immediately to address the issue of Missing and Murdered Women and to helping create safe and non-violent communities for children to grow up.
"Mom! Mom, wake up!"
"What? What are you talking about? I am awake."
"No, you're not. It's 8 o'clock and your conference on Creating Safe Families starts in an hour. Hurry up, you're going to be late."
"Oh, crap! You mean I've been dreaming about Harper's Miyo Pimachihowin Project?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. The paper says he is funding a Muskoka Project for developing countires. Never heard of Miyo...what did you call it?"
"Nevermind, it was just a dream, and I am probably being politically incorrect again by even daring to wish our government would do for Canadian Indigenous people what it does for the poor nations of the world."
Well, it was a good dream, don't you think? Anyways, dreams don't cost anything, and sometimes they come true. Who knows, maybe it will be Justin Trudeau who will make them real. If not, at least we will have a handsome PM for a while. I don't think I can handle too much more of "ole shark eyes."
Speaking about leaders, how are ours doing? I've been out of the country for a while so I've been missing local news and gossip but I hear there has been some activity or has it been just the usual flexing of muscles, scrapping and whatever?
I was in Hawaii and attended a conference where I listened to some amazing speakers from home talk about Indigenous education. Many of them are leaders in their areas of expertise and other countries look to them for leadership. They certainly did us proud.
New moon and time for gardening, I am home for the summer this weekend and will begin planting with the help of a several great grandchildren. Each of them will get their own little plot so who knows what we will be eating, but whatever it is it will be fun. We planted a Cherry tree a few years ago and last year we had our first crop. The tree was loaded but they were not quite ripe so we decided to wait another day. Well guess what? We went to for water and groceries thinking we will pick in the afternoon. Several hours later we arrived home to a tree that had been picked clean by the birds. Not one single cherry did they leave us? But not this year! We have purchased a net and will rig it up over the tree somehow and we will have Cherry jelly and Cherry pie.
Gardening is a part of our history and something we rarely do anymore but we should reclaim it again. Healthy food is more then just sustenance for all of us it is full of all kinds of wonderful things, love, history, and great stories. The food we feed our children impacts their health for all their lives in all kinds of ways, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And its not that hard to do. A spade, hoe and a few seeds are all you need to get started. If you live in the city you can plant in an old pail, wash tub or dig up along the fence or around the house. You can mix lettuce, spinach, flowers and tomatoes together and the results are beautiful. We don't have to do those straight uptight residential school rows. We can be creative and do whatever. Just water and weed and presto! What a wonderful feast we can cook together and share. Have a great summer, all of you.