First Day's Greeting

Dorty has been shown the important of greeting the day and being thankful for the gifts. We had done a morning greeting over the phone a week earlier. As Dorty stood on her front porch and looked east and told me of her view (commercial buildings);
(photo view of Bear Island)

Now I was advising her to forget the actual view, the white world and in her mind return to the reserve where she had grown up. Dorty later told me that she was able to stand on the shores and look across the water. Watching the sunrise, (in her mind) she shared a morning greeting which I made (of the Seven Arrows directions). Dorty said afterward when we had finished having done the 4 directions; that she could imagine being on the island. Having appreciate this; her first introduction of my morning greeting,Dorty discovered that even on such a cold morning while standing on her front porch in the middle of downtown North Bay; she could return mentally to the Island.

Now as we drove toward Petawawa, from North Bay, in the morning light we began a morning pray. It was surprising to me that we should start the morning prayer, at such a time that the highway with nothing but a long strip of space ahead and behind us. As far as the eye could see was a black highway through the snow and tree. Our prayer seem to welcome (from the east) the new horizon and path we were beginning together. Ofcourse there was such little traffic as the sun came up directly infront of us; seeming to indicate so few problems and dangers on our path. The brightraising sun seem to say how blindly we were going into this trip of livewhich we had decided to begin on such a quick decision.

Because of my spirit type, it was in the east that we started our prayer, and this highway seem to be indicating where the great creator was taking us and from where we had come. (each of us a long road behind us as in the rear view mirror the road seem just as long.

And every mile seem to be a repeat of the past mile, with a view of four or five miles of highway behind and infront. To the south was a strong foundation of support and to the north was trees like standing sentinals giving wisdom on our new way. The side of the road lined with large trees all organized aqnd properly spaced. Anyone passing the Army base of Petawawa knows this view; which for miles of farmed 100 year old trees, seem like poeple waving "hello" or "Goodbye" as we passed.

The prayer asked Witcha Manitou to guide us on , this, our trip together into this new world of shared native rebirth. (Not only had Dorty become a town native, so also I had for years done so little except let my tail grow).

Dorty knowlong road as she often travelled the Mine road (view) to return to the reserve's boat landing area on Lake Temagami. While my memories of home (Nova Scotia) is more of a winding road; similar more to my path through life.

(Highway along the Cabot Trail of Cape Breton. which today is paved but I like to remember as a Motocycle dirt road in the 50s, from photo of older bike riders)