By Ricey Wild
My Unk Koon came by the other day. He walked up to my door, came in and slapped an uncovered fish filet into my left hand. He turned to leave only saying, “It’s lake trout”. So I’m standing there bemused, looking at this beautiful filet in my palm for a minute or so and had to shout ‘thank you’ out the window. He’s a man of few words. Nay! Not even! So I have never cooked trout, lake or otherwise and took to facebook for advice. I added too much lemon juice but it turned out fine
A memory came back to me when my ‘X’ Daniel took me to a fine dining restaurant and I had the halibut. Oh my, how fancy we were; noses up, pinkies out. I get now that my halibut was probably slapped on someone’s hand before I got to it. LOL.
I really love traveling-cooking hosts/chefs that show how other countries harvest and eat even though I get grossed out by some of the more slimy foods. That’s part of the fun in watching them. In fact, that is my dream job – but I couldn’t do it because I haven’t eaten pork for over two years now. My choice has no religious affiliation or anything; I simply don’t like how pigs are basically manufactured and treated badly. Thankfully, my Unk supplies his family with natural meats that our ancestors ate. Chii miigwech!!!
The way of hunting and gathering is at risk now in my state. The Canadian company Enbridge wants to put in a new pipeline for tar sands from Alberta, Canada. The pipeline runs through four reservations that have wild rice lakes, fishing and hunting grounds. The treaties with the United States government were never “given” to us: our ancestors retained these rights for the next generations.
Now the big corporations want to invade our lands yet again for greed and profit$, the short-sighted fools. They also want a copper mine in the Lake Superior watershed. I’m so angered by those monsters. There are activists who are out there trying to get the word out about how dangerous and deadly the corporation’s actions are and I thank them. I am with you, stay strong. Remember Standing Rock and how the new and ‘safe’ DAPL pipeline has already spilled 200,000 gallons of oil.
Gawwww!!!! I despise those old, corrupt white men in congress because it is they who are bought off by campaign contributions from corporations. When I hear “America first” I gag because they don’t give a scabby rat’s hindquarters who suffers as long as they get their ill-gotten gains. I’m sooooo glad they found water on Mars so they have somewhere to go and leave us alone. G’wan den I say. Don’t let the ozone layer hit you in the butt on your way out!
There are Indigenous People all over the world who are fighting to keep their homelands safe and their people free. I pray for them and for the animals whose forests and habitats are also being demolished for momentary profit. Can you eat money? Hah!
All of that has me in a state of constant anxiety and depression because what can I do? When I was a little kid I just knew that I was special, someone who is going to make a difference for the good of all. Now I’m a middle aged woman who sits home most of the time and am bombarded with the awful news coming out of D.C., most of all from the Mangled Apricot (thanks Scotland).
Which brings me to this: this past month I had no phone for a week. One day, after I just got up and was watching news on TV and internet, the electricity went out. There was nothing I could do about it, not even call someone to find out if their lights were out too or what was happening. I must have sat here for an hour after going into panic mode; don’t flush the toilet, can’t shower, unable to cook and so on. I felt paralyzed, my entire world was put on hold. Then I recalled that the Russians have the codes to our power grid and I was sure it was them until the electricity came back on two hours later.
Well, I ended up having to read something and that calmed me down a bit. I forced myself to confront a world in which none of our communications devices worked and what that means. As for myself, I’m completely dependent on modern technology like a lot of folks are, but I’m aware that there are those who are planning for it. Kudos!
A very special little girl had her 3rd birthday on July 28, my granddaughter Daenerys Rose. I love you Baby!!! M’wah!
