“The
City Within” an article written by Kenneth Bomberry
was
recently published in The Hamilton Spectator.
My interest in reading it, spurred me to write about
the
following experience.
More local citizens should better understand the various indigenous
tribes living on Six Nations!
They are our neighbours...and I have noted that, according to
Ancestry,
more and more people are discovering there is a degree of 'native
peoples'
in their genes...one Hamilton woman happily declaring
she is 26% native-Canadian...and most proud to be of that heritage!
Frequently I drove Regional Road 6 to and from Port Dover to enjoy
its sandy beaches, excellent stage productions at the Lighthouse
Theatre, restaurant dining on perch/or other locally caught seafood
or roaming the boutique shops. Returning home, we'd often stop for
ice cream at Hewitt's Dairy Bar. While in that vicinity, I'd turn
left into the 'Reservation' to purchase gas (less than highway
costs).
On one occasion a senior bridge friend, Mary, was so frightened that
with tightly clenched fists, she feared tomahawks, warriors, poverty
with dirt and filth; also expecting to see tepees and tents as
living quarters. Assuring her we were safe, she still trembled with
the possibility of 'attack' by these Indians! We dined at a native
restaurant near Ohsweken...excellent in taste and chatted peacefully
with the owner; he was dressed as an average Canadian...no feather
head-dress...no arrow in hand...and speaking educated English...all
to Mary's surprise! The owner was an artist who displayed his framed
artwork in an adjacent alcove. His paintings expressed his 'love of
the land', the Grand River and gently rolling land near its banks,
the beauty of the four seasons in its woodlands; surprised she was to
see the town's municipal buildings including shops, a recreation and
sports venue, library, churches and schools. Impressed she was with
the residential homes, TV towers, modern cars, well trimmed grass and
gardens...her fears tremendously out of sight!
The highlight of the afternoon was a small plaza with a craft shop
filled with beaded leather clothing, local art, dream-catchers and
unique jewellery designed by local tribal artisans. By this time,
Mary's fears were completely allayed as she viewed, with 'new eyes' a
society of people like ourselves whose culture is related through its
many tribes. Six Nations, she learned was comprised of six major
tribes: Iroquois, Cayuga, Lenape, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida.
The Six Nations is also known as “Six Nations of the Grand
River”...a total of about 25,660 members.
Very strongly, I agree with Eleanor Roosevelt's words:
You
gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience
in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You are able to say, “I lived through this horror;
I can take the next thing that comes along.”
Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...February 4, 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment