My Hectic Summer

NAN Chiefs Meeting

So, it seems I’m way behind on my updates. My apologies. Well the summer is now over. I had a lot of adventures in August that I want to tell you all about.

I attended the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Keewaywin Conference which was held in Chapleau, ON. Every year, the Keewaywin Conference takes place in a different NAN community. Just so happens that Chapleau happens to be the town that I mostly grew up in. It was good to see a mix of my work world and my personal world. Good in the sense that I felt really good being back home and I felt a sense of pride in telling people I was there on behalf of the NAN Decade for Youth Council.

Newly elected National Chief Shawn Atleo made the trek to Chapleau as well. I wonder what he thought of the place? He comes from a small community in BC with no road access, so he probably didn’t think Chapleau was that small. Most NAN Chiefs probably didn’t think Chapleau was that small.

Anyway, the NAN Chiefs in assembly re-elected Stan Beardy as Grand Chief. I was really proud to see a woman run for Grand Chief. Roseanne Archibald went into the Grand Chief race as the current Deputy Grand Chief. I had worked with her previously on NAN Decade for Youth Council stuff. She held herself to a high standard and spoke about the need to give energy to positive messages, so instead of talking about (how to stop) poverty in our communities, start talking about (how to begin) prosperity. I wish Roseanne the best in life and I know she will go on to do more great things. I think there needs to be a lot more women running for Chief and Council and running to be Deputy Grand Chief and Grand Chief. Women play such a huge role in our communities, I personally, would like to see them play a larger role in our politics.

Trip to Netherlands

After the NAN Chiefs Meeting, I had to rush back to Ottawa and pack for my great adventure to my “other homeland”. I always felt a lot of pride in being Cree. I am Indigenous and so when I’m asked where I am from I know that my ancestors have been here before this country was even called Canada. I am truly from this land. I am Indigenous.

However, I am also Dutch. My grandparents both emigrated to Canada after WWII. So, in mid-August some family from my grandmother’s side were hosting a big 50th wedding anniversary party and invited the whole family to join them. A pretty big group of my grandmother’s side of the family, including her sister decided to go. I went a week earlier with my grandfather and uncle Jake to visit my grandfather’s side of the family.

I really appreciated hearing the stories of the way things were. I also liked hearing about my family from generations past. I got to see the other country that I am truly from. My uncle has been working on our family tree and from what he can find, we date back as far as the 1400s in the Netherlands.

We visited the site of where my last name comes from. In Friesland (a province in the Netherlands), there was this old factory that one of my relatives worked waaaay back in the day. Around that time Napoleon Bonaparte was wandering around and he was telling people to get last names (there’s more to the story than that, but for sake of time and space). My relative worked in this factory that made roof tiles and for last names, most people adopted their trade as their last name. So the name FORMSMA means the one who makes the roof tiles.

Meagann’s Wedding

After I returned from the Netherlands, I had to drive up to Timmins. It took me 8 hours to fly to the Netherlands and it took me 8 hours to drive to Timmins...go figure...

My good friend Meagann was getting married. I have known Meagann for more than 10 years since we curled in high school. Yes, I said curled, as in curling. It’s a great sport.

Meagann asked me to be in her wedding party and I was excited and of course agreed. There was a point where I didn’t think that I was going to get my dress that I ordered in time, but it got there and I was happy.

The wedding was beautiful. I thought it was a great symbol that I had just come from a 50th wedding anniversary and now I was at the wedding of one of my best friends. I wish the best for Meagann and Terry.

I keep thinking that someday I will meet the one I’m supposed to be with forever, but I decided some time ago that I wasn’t going to wait around. I decided that I love my life and what I have been doing is working for me. I am happy, I am moving forward in my life and if someone comes along and we decide to start a journey together, that’s great! But if that person never comes along, that’s okay too.