An Onkwehonwe in Kanata

An abridged Ganyonhon:yonk -- The Thanksgiving address: Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Onkwe’shón:’a We give thanks to the people. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Yethi’nisténha Ohwéntsya We give thanks to our mother the earth. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Kahnekarónnyon We give thanks to the waters. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Kentsyonkshón:’a We give thanks to the fish. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Ohonte’shón:’a We give thanks to the grass and vegetation. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Ononhkwa’shón:’a táhnon Ohtehra’shón:’a We give thanks to the medicines and the roots. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Kahikshón:’a We give thanks to the fruits. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Tyonnhéhkwen We give thanks to the foods. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Otsi’nonwa’shón:’a We give thanks to the insects. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Okwire’shón:’a táhnon Karonta’shón:’a We give thanks to the bushes and the trees. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Otsi’ten’okón:’a We give thanks to the birds. Teyethinonhwerá:ton ne Teyowerawénrye We give thanks to the winds. Teyethinonhwerá:...

I have been extremely lazy over this past summer, occupied by my little routine of work/home/sleep/fun. But mostly it’s because I have been enjoying the fact that I live in Toronto and have been immersed in how much I love living here. I love this city. I have always felt at home here – in fact, I have been an urban dweller for far longer than I lived on the reserve. I left that home for this one when I was 17 and have remained here, reveling in my life as an urban Indian, since that point. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I have been blessed over the course of my career to visit other Canadian and American cities and can honestly say that there is no where else I could even think about living in. I love Toronto. This is a beautiful, living organism, a vibrant and exciting place, pulsing with great expectations for the future. The thing that I love best however is when the ghosts of the past brush against me when I ride my bike home at twilight along Front Street. I can feel the v...