Hello again folks - I'm back!

Page 4

People and Places

Oki. Gee, long time no hear from me. You probably thought I disappeared again. Well, I did. I was in the big land of bingo. My focus was on Radio Bingo. I missed you people, talking with all of you. I was looking outside today and it's snowing. I cannot believe it's snowing already. It saddens me because summer is gone. Gonegonegone. I have to tell you a bit about my summer.

This year I did not attend too many powwows. In August, I went to my own rez's powwow, Siksika fair. I haven't gone to that powwow for years. I was too busy to really visit with my family or my friends because I was visiting with some of my other friends on the powwow circuit, which I haven't seen or heard from for a long time.

I do have a story and I have to apologize to these guys for not telling the world about their accomplishment. These guys are from my rez and they are from the world of baseball - Men's fastball. They had the good fortune of winning the Canadian Men's Fastball Championship in early August. Yep, the Siksika Rebels will be hosting next year's event in Calgary. This tournament was held in Vancouver, and they beat out the best of the Canadian Indian Country. Congratulations! I really did mean to write this story and I didn't forget about you on my holiday.

I headed east on my holidays. First stop was Crooked Lake Agency Powwow in southern Saskatchewan. My oh my, what a hoot! People are so friendly down there in the south. I say this because my friend Faye and I were going to Yorkton and the van we used started to act up. Of course, both of us has no knowledge of vehicles except about how to drive them. It finally died on us. We were stranded! We had a total of five vehicles stop and try to help us. Can you believe one of them was Faye's daughter and husband? He knew what was wrong and fixed it.

It turned out to be a coincidental weekend for me. I was watching the powwow and these ladies sat beside me and we eventually started talking. Chee, here they are from my rez! Wah, out of the whole space in the powwow they sit beside me.

I went to the city with my name. I had a different view of Winnipeg before I went. But I loved it. The city, the people and the feel. You never know, if I disappear again, you know where I'd be.

I went for a reason and it was the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Powwow. There's something I saw that I want share. They hosted a men's grass dance special. A family picked four dancers that they liked. These four men danced three songs and you know what they did? They made the crowd choose the winner! I thought that was brilliant! Hey, you families out there who are in the process of having specials.