Grass Dance
drum beat
fast feet
eagle’s shriek
cultures meet
in boxed concrete
awareness replete
eyes leak

Over the course of my career, there have been a handful of times in which I have felt both humbled and honoured to bear witness to truly extraordinary moments, give you goosebumps moments-our team’s efforts during the 1997 Manitoba flood response (Agriculture Canada); responding to the brave, adolescent girl who spoke up in my farm safety presentation in Nokomis (Saskatchewan Safety Council); meeting the woman from Toronto, who upon turning 50, decided to bike across Canada despite never having ridden a bike before (my B&B); and reading what our members share about random acts of kindness and human superheros who walk among us (Prairie North Co-op) to name a few.

Yesterday I experienced that feeling again in the gym at Yellow Quill First Nation as the beat of the drum reverberated in my chest, the sounds of the pow wow singers filled my ears, and my brain tried to understand the meaning and significance of the story being told through the traditional dress and dance. It was beautiful and moving and a little sad. As someone who understands the importance of feeling the earth beneath her feet, there seemed to be a disconnect in my mind to the grass dance being performed in the confines of a white-washed concrete box (cindercrete block construction).

#30 on my 55 in 55 list is to discover 55 new-to-me music artists. The Rock Hill Singers are a young, exciting and powerful Ojibway drum group from the Yellow Quill First Nation. They sing in the original style, just as their grandfathers had done. The group was formed in the summer of 2003 and is comprised of family members (blood and distant) from all over Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, and the U.S. There are three generations that sit and sing to this day and they have won several awards*

Other progress that I have made – I finished reading the book Napa (#8 read 55 books) and gladly put that one in the donation bin as I have been trying to read it for 5+ years (#52 donate 55 books). To date, I haven’t missed a transfer to my savings account (#11 save $55/week for 55 months) and I have managed to meditate for at least 55 minutes/week (#20); try a new recipe (#6); photograph a couple of sunrises (#32); and colour a picture (#34)

*adapted biography

**photo credit: iExplore