Ideology

Background

My personal ideology revolves around being a First Nations person raised by my grandparents and parents. Over the years I have been blessed with knowing remarkable people that have had a strong influence on my personal philosophy that has carried me over the years. The era that Christianity has come into was in the early 1900's. Before then, everyone praticed their traditional beliefs. In my grandparents age, many of the people followed a combination of Christian and Traditional teachings that has been past down to their children. Many of my grandparents siblings has passed some of the traditional knowledge to their children but mostly on the views of main stream Canada.

I was fortunate enough to spend alot of time with my grandparents. My grandmother, Christiana Neegan, was not only a person I could look up to and learn from but she was also my best friend. Many of the stories that she heard from when she was young, I was lucky to be around to hear them.

On my mother's side of my family. My grandfather Peter Bird was Chief of Constance Lake First Nation. He is the first band member of Calstock (Constance Lake). Many of the people from Constance Lake come from the rivers north of where the community is currently situated. When the department of Indian Affairs were starting up the community, they located it on the forks of the Kam and Ogoki River thus being remote. As Chief, he notified INAC that the location did not suit the needs of the people and road access is the priority. The community was moved to a lake named Costance where the community began to furish.

Peter Bird was along instrumental on the setting up of Union of Ontario Indian and Nishnawbe Aski Nation. During the starting of the Union, many of the communities did not have a common voice. Peter and a number of other Chiefs went from community to community to gain support for a regional organization. During the summer of 1992 at the Lakehead University campus, I ran into a person from the North Shore Tribal Council area north east of Sault Ste. Maire. She told me stories of my grandfather travels and how he and three other chiefs help start these political bodies.

When I was sharing this story with my cousin Andrew Reuben, he mentioned that when the Chiefs started these organizations, they were always suppose to temporary, until all the First Nations were able to be self-sustaining.

The event that has the biggest effect how my life philosophy is my father's passing. During my early years of employment, I lived in Hamilton and then moved to Timmins near my parents. My father was a good man doing the best he could with what he has. My grandfather was an alcoholic that effected the life of my grandmother and father greatly. Instead of becoming his father, he decided not to do the same to his children. I am proud to say that my parents drank responsibly only socially drinking at certain times of the year (usually only at New Years). Since I known my father, I never seen my father drunk or comsume too much alcohol. He drank but knew when to call it quits.

Due to his upbringing, he was unable to communicate well with his children. When I was young (6 to 14 years old), I trapped with my father most weekends. When I was older, I went alone. All the time we spent together, there was little conversation. Along with "other stuff", when I left home, I had bitter feelings towards him. When I came back around, he was reaching out to all his children. At that time I kept my father at a distance. He asked me to join him in his business and I refused.

A month later the doctors told him he was sick and dying of cancer. They gave him six weeks to live. Through his inter strength and the willingness to fight the decease, he lived for 4 months but eventaully succumbing to cancer. During his last days I did everything within my power to see this through. He died on August 24, 1994 at 4:00 pm.

I can never take that moment when I turned away my father when he was trying to be open and build a relationship with me. That is a regret I still hold today and will hault me for years to come. Since then, I will never do anything that I will regret. To stand for what is right and just. When I pass on in this life, I don't want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I want to be proud that everything I do, I do with all my heart and energy. To live life to fullest and have no regrets. Not to say that I maybe I should have helped. When my grandmother called me up a few years ago when my grandfather had a stroke, she asked me to move there to help her. Everyday, we did the chores in the morning then in the afternoon stay in the hospital until visiting hours were over. When she passed, I did not have the regret saying that I should I did that when I could. I listen to other relatives, if I only knew, I would have spent time with her. For me, I have no regrets.