Articles from Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines
by
Louise-Andrée Éthier aka Sundance Aquero Sharp
Kwai to all my relatives today, the word is Késsinnimek! Family, ancestry, roots all rolled into one beautiful sounding Algonquian word. It reminds me of what the Peace Maker spoke of: Unity and Peace, the precursors of abundance, prosperity and success. Not in the financial sense though that is good too, but in the nature of living one's life!!! Our ancestors always told us that as long as we obeyed the original instructions which was to love one another and to council with one another to be sure amongst the most prominent of instructions, that we would have life on earth forever! ...
2. Brother André - Alfred Bessette
It is March and spring is coming soon! The Kessinniek of the wild life will be opening its petals in the flowers and little birds will be chirping asking for their food. Spring always brings a certain nostalgia of my childhood in Canada for some reason. Perhaps because the air changes, but there seems to be freshness about everywhere, even in the desert where the changes are subtle but nevertheless here. I lived in Montréal as a child. When my parents decided to send me to English school, they moved to a predominantly English neighborhood. It had a French name though, called Notre Dame de Grace. "NDG" as the English called it. My elementary school was situated next to the great St. Joseph's Oratory which fascinated me...
3. Voyage d'une Québecoise - The Travel of a Québecoise
Writing these articles for Késsinnimek has made me think from a different perspective. It appears that my life has been one long journey away from my ancestral and birth place. In fact, my journey started as early as twelve years old when my Mother and I had to go live in Mexico for a while due to my father's illness which was very complicated. In order to get away from it all, my mother was advised by her doctor to leave the country for a while. So she did; and she took me along with her. I had many experiences in Mexico which I'd like to write about very soon. Memories that have been joyful and lasting for me. Prior to that, at six years old I had travelled as far as -Québec City and lived in St. Gabriel de Brandon for a spell with all the ravens and crows which I remember vividly. However, in my travels, I came across many interesting things and people about which I'd like to share stories with you if you will permit me...
4. Le Voyage d'une Québecoise - Learning To Walk In Balance
Our native ancestors were very wise in their outlook on life. Respect for life was one of the key elements taught almost in all native societies of North and South America. There is a thread that runs amongst these nations that can be said to be universal. Mainly because we are human beings and human beings have a way of influencing and learning from each other. Whether we lived thousands of years ago or today, our basic needs always remains the same. Physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual needs have not changed since time immemorial
5. What is a Métisse/Métis Anyway?
Here we are in August...the month of the gathering. Summer has found its way in times of climate changes and the rising in global temperatures where although we might not be aware of these changes, they are affecting life on earth in its most primitive areas like the migrations of the great caribou; or the coral reefs in Trinidad....and for those of us in the desert it's time to remain low and suffer the heat.We do not expect cooler days until November!
Gathering implies many things. Mostly, it makes us think of happy times, unity, celebration, social activities and human interaction of some sort. People struggling collectively and individually to survive life on planet Earth...none of us being immune from some sort of suffering at some period in life whether by illness or death of a loved one..or some other tragedy....we gather together in happy as well as sad times...
