Circle and roots: Mary Dale

My Grandma Mary-bah was one of 48K war brides who immigrated to Canada. She arrived to the wilderness of Mable Lake BC in 1945 from Glasgow. My Grandfather Norman served in the Army Logging Corps in Scotland as he was a skilled horse logger. They lived in a logs cabin on the lands of the Shushwap and the Secwepemc Peoples. Mary settled only 79 years after the first European arrived. Into the 1980s the telephone lines were shared and there was no television signal until satellite arrived.

The ladies of the area organized themselves into a Kitchen Band with instruments made from what they could find. They started by play local gatherings. In 1986 they played at the Expo in Vancouver. Here is a video of the Kingfisher Kitchen Band at Creative Chaos. Mary is the one playing the washboard. What a gift to have this video to share with this story! Each year, my Auntie Wendy-bah would sell sewing at this event. My cousin and I would "help" her, visit the vendors and listen to the musicians. So when I was gifted the spirit dolls by Wendy-bah it seemed only right to make the kitchen band using her dolls.

The safe passage of those war brides was entrusted to married military personnel. One of these was Major Francois Bergeron, posted at the Vernon BC Military Base (my hometown). Today Major Bergeron's daughter lives two doors down from me  - in the home she was born in. She and her partner are our street grandparents and knowledge keepers. Circles and roots to you.

Women and security - for warriors - Warriors - Evergreen references

 Metis Women's Council on Economic Security (mmiwg-ffada.ca)

Refference to the Bubble Gum gang in thesis about Jim Brady - last section

WOMEN OF THE MÉTIS NATION 

These are refferences to women`s activity as warriors - loosly sorted - numbers refference pages

Women`s activity to support Battles

89 melting down metal goods to make bullets, cutting down and remelting cannon balls they have collected from the active battle fields.

81 Giving birth during battle

82 Argued with the soldiers who looted the items she needed for her baby. She spoke English and got her stuff back.

77 cared for wounded and kept spirits up with song

76 present at battles

70 involved in the resistance movement. She washed her floor during the shooting. She asked Louie to send help to some men who were pinned down - Riel told her to pray but she was too angry so she organized a recue party with the other woman. She was rewarded for her service and cooking and was paid $28 per anum to recognize her contribution. For a week after the battle, stayed with the old and children and coking had to move places frequently. Later she saw an officer riding her horse - she goes and seizes it - the officer lets her take it.

63 Put her baby in a tub to keep it safe during the battle. The Indigenous folks broke trees and hung clothes on them to fool the soldiers so they wasted ammunication.

10 not only combattants dies - lots of starvations - gives number of deaths of children and infants

147 - captured by BIG Bear - she helped her condition as she was able to speak Cree and could advocate for herself

163 he helped melt down ordinance for use in battle - was sent out by Dumont to pick up used ordinance

 165 refference that the soldiers looted her farm, burned it, stole her horse. This made her very angry so she walked across the lines to demand her horse back. The troops were so impressed by her that she got the horse back

9 - women`s role in 1885. Carried food, messages, supplies, tended to children and wounded. They did this under constant gun fire. There are some pictures we could use - note the one arm bands to show their non combattant status. Their homes were destroyed. They still found rounds on the family farm into 1940s. The women scavenged spent ammunation and lived in the caves with the children FOR 4 DAYS. 12 men died in battel and 9 women who died afterwards because of health issues be of harm. The troops looted food, clothing, livestock and clothing. LM our wounded don`t get counted.

LM THOUGHTS - How much K was lost during these times of distruction. It was also an ecomic attack. 169 look us the rebellion lossed commission. It should be in the departmental records and it would have a lot of economic info

Other Battle adjescent

• 79 Daughter of an English war bride from WW2
• 119 was in the woman army corps from 1939-1954
• 145 husband served in WW 2
• 149Prominant philanthropist - in WW1 worked for the Patriots fund which distributed money to the families of soldiers
• 159 her father fought on the British side in 1812 and there is mention that she was present during the Indian War of 1815
• 82 son died in WW1
• 7 Father was in WW2 - stayed in force due to the lack of other employment
• 74 father killed in the Civil war
• 51 she got cheques from her husband who was serving for $104 a month
• 47 she served in the RCAF in WW2
• 47 refference to a book about women Indigenous vetrans
• 174 WW2 volunteer in the Patriotic Salvage Corps and she was one of 4 women sent to the UK to work there for the war efforts. She later recieved and OBE for her contributions
• 193 Joined the RCAF in 1942 at 17 years and served to the end of the war. She worked at a lot of different roles and also learned to drive
• 197 father was in both world wars. She joined the reserves and worked in the canteen. She siblings served in the army and navy as well.

NEW ONES

125 FEMALE RUNNERS AND WARRiors were warlike maiden and 126 took scalps and there was a prophesy of a great runners

126 she took her own scalp "It is...no rarity here for women and girls to take part in the employ of men and even their wars"

127 - women hold own powers

128 Woman who sacrificed her own lover

68 Euoropeans were rately attacked for their riches - for In folks they must first think og the other and then the self

Warriors - Evergreen references

 Coverage of rebellions The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (metismuseum.ca)

This book by a Dakota, western trained Dr contains a lot of info about Warrior, kinds of leadership and how Warriors are trained. It is free on Amazon as an E book Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains eBook : Eastman, Charles Alexander: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

These  are links about warriors and math

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0AOwdODmMA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_VQC1tkQ_k

galverino

John Stark was captured by the Abenaki prior to the French and Indian War and lived with them. Later he joined Roger's Raiders where he was second in command and then later during the American Revolution he was a Colonel who defeated a column German auxiliaries from Brunswick during the Saratoga Campaign when they tried to forage in Vermont.

but my ancestor was Dragging canoe and he was considered the Cherokee Napoleon.. so yeah they were great strategist and don't forget there were women warriors too.. general Custer got his butt killed by a woman..it was his widow who made his legend bigger than it was and became the bilgewater in history books.. please consider a video on dragging canoe and Nancy ward..they're amazing and worth learning about..Nancy ward was in the French and Indian war and as the story goes she helped defend a fort I believe by taking bullets and sharpening them on a rock like arrow tips and shooting them from a musket pretty bad butt I'd say and I'm proud to be related to her and dragging canoe..this video reminded me them but I wish I read about them and people like Pontiac and others like them in school as usual weird history good video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81YQbAsJjZA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jemison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7EGkuY424w

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Yerry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7EGkuY424w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmWVXOIQblM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcbPcGrQZU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRM-YZmd8BA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkb7aweiB_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gnM1l9S6nk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD3D5YeB0yE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2TyxXmdQ58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht1k60MFmKo&pp=ygUad2FycmlvciBpbmRpZ2Vub3VzIHN0b3JpZXM%3D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPccNtblV8Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsHdB0M2Sq4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpbKkZmeRxM&pp=ygUUZGVjb2xvbml6aW5nIG51bWJlcnM%3D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=523SvsbqwXY&pp=ygUUZGVjb2xvbml6aW5nIG51bWJlcnM%3D

other links

https://metistradingpost.shop/products/womens-warrior-sash 

https://www.hsmichigan.org/native-warriors 

https://www.zhaawanart.com/post/star-stories-part-6-parallel-paths-warriors-that-dwell-the-earth-and-the-sky 

https://www.metisnation.org/news/warriors-helping-warriors/ 

They are afraid of her - Crazy horses daughter

The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (metismuseum.ca)

Metis Elders and Vetrans The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (metismuseum.ca)

Metis-Veterans-Genealogical-Information.pdf (gdins.org)

The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (metismuseum.ca)

The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (metismuseum.ca)

The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (metismuseum.ca)

Indigenous Veterans - Veterans Affairs Canada

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/a-cree-raiding-party.html 

https://www.pbs.org/wned/warrior-tradition/features/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-warrior/ 

https://www.aaanativearts.com/ahshahwaygeeshegoqua-the-hanging-cloud 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozaawindib 

NEW

Kitchi Gami - see page numbers

67 WARRIORS ARE ABOUT REVENGE BUT NOT PLUNDER. tHEY MIGHT TAKE A scalp and would not loot. They might burn and each will leave something behind as proof they were there. War is often an economic costs

A Daring to Meet the Bear Knowledge Bundle

 

A Daring to Meet the Bear Knowledge Bundle was created in 2018 to pass down the teachings and medicines. Knowledge bundles are used by indigenous peoples to pass down their teachings. They are traditionally a physical object in which sacred medicines and teachings are stored. They are meant to preserve and pass these teachings down to the next person who uses them – ultimately accumulating further knowledge from its next user and being passed to our descendants. We have created a two-part bundle, a physical one with key documents and lessons shared by Elders (pictured to the right) and an online community at GC Collab “Daring to Meet the Bear.” (These documents will be moved to this site shortly). This knowledge bundle is intended to provide the people after us with our knowledge and experiences on this project in the hope that they continue the research tradition. The Bear Circle Peoples feast the bundle at the Solstices and other times recommended by the Elders.

Vocabulary bowls - Circle peoples

As Elder Sol Wawatie told us that definitions would come through the work we are sharing them as "bowls" instead of definitive definitions.  As we learn more we can adapt our vocabulary.  This document defines "Circle peoples" and Pimastew which is Cree for "Linear Peoples".  There is no intention of value of one over the other.

Circle Peoples bowl

• Values related to community, relationships with ancestors/ Elders and ceremony

•  Collectivist orientation    

• Holistic/balanced

• Non- linear time – past and future exists now

• Decolonizing

• Principals based – defining spaces for becoming and growing

•  Restorative justice – other focused

•  Matrilineal

•   Places for linear thinkers to support the circles

Linear Peoples bowl

• Time is linear – winners and losers, “progress”, silos (religion, economy, society and politics)
• Patriarchal
• Rules based – goal focused, rule of law vs restoration of justice
• Taking – consuming, need for more, hungry always
• Often motivated by a fear of loss

The seed

In the third year of our work to apply Indigenous and decolonizing methodologies, the bear team agreed to move to the calendar of Maskwa (Bear).  We began with preparations to move into hibernation with Bear and the Elder conducted a ceremony for bears' time of rest.  Bear team talked about what hibernation would look like for us in our work and personal lives and updated the bear pin tracker to include those items.  We also used this as our theme in gatherings and as reminders to one another for what turned out to be a hard hibernation for our team.

This was the first time for many of us to think about time in the ways of our ancestors.  For me personally, it was a reminder to rest/let things go.  For the team it meant slowing down our rhythm without guilt.  This was really important when most of the Bear team was caught in downtown Ottawa while the truckers occupied our streets while creating physical and emotional pain for our and our neighbors.    As a team/manager lucky enough to have support from an Elder we faced this together as a circle, not as individuals.

Our Elder recently led us through waking the bear ceremony.  This allowed us space to acknowledge what happened to us, while planning for the abundance of the summer months. 

Over hibernation, I read the book ""Spirit Gifting: The Concept of Spiritual Exchange" by Elmer Ghostkeeper (Métis).  The book outlines what a calendar based on nature brings us compared to the calendar of economy.  This experience of bear time and this book got me thinking about how to build a dynamic bear calendar that we could use year after year.  This is the start of this work, part of a larger journey of learning and my spirit gift.