Celebrate a sober life; mourn a kind woman

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The whole world is celebrating Christmas. The stores are filled with shoppers and everyone is anticipating a time when we can get together for food, laughter and friendship.

I remember when my grandmother would start to bake and get everything ready right after midnight mass. We'd wake to the cupboards lined up with baked goods and we'd look forward to relatives and strangers dropping by to have dinner.

This is my memory of Christmas. Today is a bit different, but I guess I have to make my own Christmas memories that friends and relatives can look back and say 'Remember when?

This month I was in Calgary to attend the screening of ABC's mini-series Dreamkeepers. I finally ventured downtown and it was not too bad. I gave myself at least an hour to get there. In Edmonton, I attended some of the events during Metis Week, a walk for National Addictions Awareness Week, and the Healing Our Spirits Conference, as well as made a trip to Hobbema for the Chiefs' Dinner and Celebration.

I'd like to say that chivalry is alive and well in Indian Country. Thanks to Dewey Rain for lending me his coat as I ran to warm up the AMMSA van while in Hobbema. It was cold out; what can I say? It was not as bad when I went in to the building to cover the story, but four hours later it was.

Yes, after a year of going to many First Nations communities, I can honestly say that there are a lot of wonderful people in Indian Country and I will disagree with anyone who says otherwise. I guess one can see a lot of faults anywhere if that is what one chooses to focus on, but then a person would miss the sunshine and the laughter.

SLAVE LAKE-I'd like to take this space to remember Mable Courtorielle from Slave Lake. I had a chance to sit and talk with Mable at the Metis General Assembly held at the Mayfield Inn in August where she received the Governor General's Jubilee Medal for her efforts and advocacy in Welfare matters, as well as for volunteering with several organizations as a board member. I introduced myself and as she sat there she began to tell me how she raised a number of kids, including several foster kids, and how she worked in a number of jobs. As I listened I began to see the unique individual she was. So I asked her if she was good at reading people because of her wisdom. She said yes, so I asked her what she thought of me. She said that I was kind. Me kind? Not most days, I thought. I told her that if I ever went to Slave Lake that I would drop by and visit her and she asked me if I would stay at her place, and that she would like to visit and tell me stories. I said thank you and she gave me her number. Life is so short. I always thought I'd get to visit Mable and have her share her history with me, but it was not to be. Mable passed away on Oct. 30 at the age of 81. Sometimes, when you visit with someone you do not think that you won't see the person again. So goodbye, Mable. Somewhere I believe Mable was needed to share her quiet dignity and wisdom and she is probably smiling her wonderful smile as she did the last time I sat with this wonderful lady. To her family I send my condolences and I would like to tell them that I too got to meet their wonderful mother and spent some time with her.

After hearing of her passing, I decided to call the telephone number she gave me. He daughter Claudia answered and was able to tell me a bit about her mother. Hearing the pain of loss in Claudia's voice brought back memories of losing my mother Eva in 1995. Thank you Claudia for sharing a few words. Claudia will remember that her mother never turned anyone away.

"She had 12 of her own, but she also raised many foster kids. She was a very loving woman, kind to everyone. She had many friends from all over. I told her one day when we went to the mall, I said 'Mom, one day I'm going to take a pen and a piece of paper to write down how many kisses you receive in a day from people you know.' When she would come home from work at night, se would count us all just to make sure that we were all right. I took care of my mother for the past two years and I stayed with her right until the end. It is hard after being around her for that length of time. Both of us made a promise not to leave each other, and now she is gone," Claudia said.

BEAVER FIRST NATION-I called the health centre at the Beaver First Nation, east of High Level, to see what they did for the National Addictions Awareness Week, but NAADAP worker Loretta Bulldog was away in Peace River so I was glad to speak to Holly Best Fletcher, the community health nurse/health director in the community. Best Fletcher said Beaver First Nation is made of up both Boyer River and Child Lake. Combined, the communities have about 400 people who live there. She said the community had a horse-drawn sleigh ride, as well as tobogganing. She said afterwards the kids had hotdogs and hot chocolate. About 30 people, including parents, braved the minus-30 temperature and the wind. She said the community also held a big feast, drum dance and give away, where more than 250 people from surrounding communities attended. "It was my first time attending this type of dance. We had about five different groups of drummers from surrounding reserves. It was so cool. It was good to celebrate with people who have a common goal. I think that every week should be an addiction awareness week. They also honored the Elders. It was a great evening," said Best Fletcher.

EDMONTON-When Nechi trainer Elsey Gauthier called me at work one Monday morning to tell me that there was going to be a sober walk taking place indoors, I was a bit surprised. A sober walk indoors? I guess it is not so unbelievable if the walk is held in West Edmonton Mall where the corridors can handle four people or more walking side by side. And that is just what happened on Nov. 17. Organized by the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, more than 50 people took part in the event. With a sense of pride on thir faces, the crowd walked by store windows and passed shoppers as they took part in the city's first-ever indoor sober walk. Elsey said that she felt fantastic that the non-Aboriginal community is getting involved in sober walks. She said every year, more and more people are getting involved in National Addictions Awareness Week.

"People who were in the stores, as well as the ones who were working there, saw us carrying the banners. I believe that we are creating an awareness, which is pretty nice."

Lonny Whiskey Jack, a 19-year-old participant, said he feels good about leading a sober lifestyle. He said it was great for him to be part of the walk at this particular mall, because it gave him a chance to say hello to some of the policeman at the station there. He recalls when he was younger how the police would often watch him and his friends real closely so he felt it was therapeutic for him to stop by and say hello.

"It was sort of a way of saying 'See, I'm not so bad after all,'" he said.

Whiskey Jack said that he's quit drinking and every day he's glad that he did. "Alcohol and drugs are a big problem in our communities, so I feel great supporting this sober walk here and I feel so great about abstaining from those types of influences. I believe that I could also influence my friends to walk this path," he said.