The time to break bread with people.

This is Chloe at her first Pow-wow in Roseau River Reserve. Her dance outfit is a Jingle dress made by our cousin Sheryl Daniels-Blacksmith.



My wife and I like to have bar-b-ques with friends and family. We hosted quite a few meals with my Mom and Dad and cousins in summers past. This Elder said the most humbling and nice thing to me; he referred to me as "the one who feeds people". Can you imagine that? An Elder saying that about you. I will never forget that Old Man Joe for saying that. It is something that I got from my Mom. My wife is the exact same way. She loves to cook and to have family over. Even when my Mom was facing death with cancer she still wanted her kids to make sure they fed people. She was the one who told us to never eat in front of people, you make sure to feed them. I see that trait in many people, many relatives, many Indians. Food and sharing food is a very sacred event. Mom had put it in her last written thoughts to make sure that we are to keep feeding people. Mom loved my wife Suz. I think she saw that Suz is the same way of thinking.

When I went to Rocky Boy Reservation (that's the difference between the U.S. and Canada, the terms are Reservation for the U.S. Indian and Reserves for the Canadian Indian)I went to visit one of the Windyboys. He immediately made tea and gave us some Klick (or Spam) sandwiches. Cool, I thought.

This winter is the time to share meals with people in your home. I have friends or acquaintances that don't like that kind of thing. They don't like people in their homes. I try to understand that and I think, maybe it's a privacy thing. Or maybe it's a sanctuary thing. I don't really know, but there must be some deep meaning behind that.


Remember kids see what you do and follow what you do. Share with them and they will carry on that Teaching.


So I hope that you and your friends, your family have something to eat. It doesn't have to be the big turkey or even a big production of a meal, it's the act of sitting, sharing, visiting and making good memories that is what it's about. My wife, my children and I still share food with my Son. We will put a plate aside for him. We did it for my Mom, but Suz and I haven't shared food with her in a while, so I think this year we will put a plate aside for her as well. We should never forget to remember them and share some meal with their Spirit.

Cheers



Visiting the Don! Our Boy. My Mom called him the Don. :-)