It’s just over a month now since our home burned. How does one quantify the experience?  I find myself a bit confused, lacking a sense of direction at times. I get lost in small towns.  That I didn’t really expect, but I am hoping, that I will get over it soon - it’s as if I’ve lost my center. I have, in the meantime, asked a lot of people, very simple directions, as to be expected, we’ve created new friendships and relationships.  And, I have developed a deeper appreciation for refugee families.

What is there to say? We are well.  I am overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of people who have supported our family in our time of challenges and despair.  I am very thankful to all the people of White Earth who helped feed us and brought along blankets - we’ve a good collection of quilts from the community which warm our souls. Then, there are the donations- the boxes have come from across the country and I am amazed. First, I have to say, that we now have a better tee shirt collection then we had before - thanks to the many people who sent them along. What I will say is that a family which rummages together stays together. There was some squealing, more than once, at the arrival of the American Indian Movement tee shirts, the Native American Rights Fund collection, the Zapatista and other shirts - a diving event took place between the children, and we’ve got plenty for all. We are starting to redistribute some of the great largesse throughout the community.

Then, I have to wonder about some of the gifts. I did receive a very nice dark blue Victoria’s Secret bra.  Fits perfectly…is my bra size on the Internet? I wonder... whoever sent it along (I’ve misplaced the note) , really, thanks a lot, very nice.  

I have received some glorious beaded purses and am now working on the jingle dresses to match.  I have a motto, you know, “don’t get depressed, make a dress”.  That’s how, after two presidential elections and a couple of break ups, as well as some deaths in the family, I had ended up with around seven dresses - all fed and cared for, over these years.  I have to say, I’m busy with this endeavor, and also have to say that I am hoping for a new dress for the New Year’s pow wow on White Earth.  My son and grandson’s regalia, amazingly enough, survived intact.

I want to say, one more time- that we are incredibly grateful, the books are awesome, and we have some of our own foods back again- a deer came in, and cozied up in the freezer, and I have manoomin, Hawaiian salt - from my good friends there - and some red chile, which makes everything better along with a hatchet from my good friend from the Boundary Waters canoe journeys.  

And, our family has undertaken our first green building project. This would be the gingerbread house project of the two year olds to nineteen year olds - we did successfully manage the first couple of houses, and now feel prepared to look at the larger project.  

And, I want to say, that we are also putting in a wind turbine foundation for our project at White Earth. I am very proud of our community and our organization for this one, and can’t thank people enough for working with us to make it happen.  We are really committed to the green economy and green building for the future.  I am meeting up with some green architects in the next couple of weeks, and we are starting some wood cutting for the floors. We plan on using my horses for the logging, and having it all carefully harvested on White Earth. We’ve got some ideas for geothermal heating, ceramic stoves, and solar.  We will be working on this, and we’ve got some contributions for the green building fund at White Earth, which is an amazing start.  

I am pretty challenged, to say the least, but I am really looking forward to all of these days ahead, and the chance to make things new.  I am pretty sure I can get less confused in the process.   Oshki Bimaadiziiwin - a new life.

Miigwech,
Winona