During my studies at university many of my classes dealt with contemporary Native issues, decoding years of oppression and layers of injustices. This time in my life was very passionate and emotional, having had the opportunity to work and live with different peoples for whom these issues are their lives. I am very aware of these layers and the impact on today's culture (both native and non) when my kids are asking questions about traditional cultures, when they are playing Hurons collecting cranberries canoeing on the playgym. It has been a long time since I could be in the moment, the magic of history without intermingling those layers. Being with the kids today, I got to enjoy the smell of the hemlock tea, be in awe of the time and effort it would take to create beautiful moccasins, imagine what bedtime would be like in a long house. Not that I will be forgetting the layers because they are part of the picturem, but it was great to be in the moment.
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