One of our interviews in the Takla First Nation Reserve took us to the home of Monique….
Our purpose in visiting her was to hear of her passion for the mental health of the Takla Nation, particularly for the youth.
She is actively involved in programs designed to bring healing, beginning with the adults who are still struggling with the scars from the Residential Schools that I mentioned in yesterday’s post.
Monique spoke with great reverence about the importance of the hereditary Elder system in the Takla Nation. She herself is a Chief and a medicine maker. Her title will become “Elder” once she turns 65.
Just as Julie had, she told of how she gives away the things that she makes…whether it is canned bear meat or an elixir to cure a cold.
She also talked to us about the importance of the Potlatch. I had actually seen this word written in RED on the calendar at the school……
….but I hadn’t understood what it meant. The word itself looks like “pot luck” and that was my immediate thought……
I WAS WRONG!!
The Potlatch is a ceremonial gathering of all of the clans in the reserve. It can be a celebration where someone gains “status” (more about that later), a sending out of the spirit of someone who has died, a celebration of a new birth, or even a shaming ceremony to discipline members of the clan.
We were told that the four clans…. Beaver, Bear/Wolf, Frog and Caribou…. enter the room separately and sit on the four sides of the room. As the ceremony progresses, individuals share their resources with other clans, handing out food, supplies and even money if needed.
Just like Julie, Monique had a beading setup sitting on the table in front of her….
As she talked, she absentmindedly took a stitch or two….
When I asked what she was working on, she said she was making a headdress for a “Naming Ceremony”, the next step up on their “status”. This is where one receives their spirit name, which tells you something about that person, their personality, or their mission in this life. They are often given names from their Ancestors.
The woman who will wear this headdress is in her mid-thirties and is being given her grandmother’s name. She has already been thru the “smoke ceremony” where smoke is used to cleanse. She has also appeared before the Elders and has proven that she is a good person.
Monique has already made the apron that she will wear…..
….and also the shawl….
I love the beads and bells….
Isn’t that a fun way to attach the button…..as a square rather than two lines!!
So, Monique now has to finish the headdress….
The center will feature a professionally embroidered “Bear/Wolf”clan emblem and the beaded flowers will decorate each side of the piece.
I asked about the color purple and was there a significance to the color. Monique smiled and said….”no, it is just her favorite color”.
From looking at Monique’s house, I think that it is also HER favorite….
As we left, she thanked us for coming and thanked Michael (our guide) for his continued work with the young men. As the decal on her truck said, she is a…..
….to the youth of the Takla Lake First Nation!!!
.
Michael and I love to travel and see new parts of the world and then I love to take those memories and turn them into quilts!!! I hope that you enjoy traveling along with us!!
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