Winterpeg

We returned today from a conference in Winnipeg. We flew out last Sunday afternoon and came back this morning. The conference ran for three days but felt like years at times. As normal, there were one or two workshops that were beneficial, while the rest were better skipping. We had two keynote speakers. The first was Gabor Mate, a doctor from B.C. who has done a lot of work on holistic medicine and addiction. He spent 3 hours telling the audience that it is not the fault of those addicting drugs, but instead their parents and others. Furthermore, that kids misbehaving is on the parents. No personal responsibility whatsoever.

The second speaker was a Native from Manitoulin Island, Bea Shawanda. She had run several workshops throughout the conference. In one, in which Amanda and Jill attended, she spent the entire time discussing the us vs. them argument. Basically that before white colonization of Canada, the Natives were fine. This theme was pretty evident throughout the week and was tiring. Mate had stated during his 3-hour blame presentation that, "before white settlers came to Canada, Natives were not addicted to any substance, even though it was on the land (tobacco, herbs)." We spend most of our time in Deer Lake fighting both subtle and blatant racism. We figured that this week was going to be a vacation from that. Unfortunately this didn't happen. Here's hoping March Break goes differently.

On a similar note, a little comparison. Many of the more common 'hard' drugs make their way from South America. Almost any program on National Geographic will attest this fact. Can you imagine a family of an abused going to the, oh let's say Colombian, government and blaming them that their loved one is addicted to the drug. Well this same logic is currently being employed by those at the Workshops and in Deer Lake. Our students use the same approach when they are in trouble. They will whole heartily blame Claire or I for something they did. For example, it is our fault when the student gets suspended after swearing and threatening either of us. Unbelievable.

We did have decent time in Winnipeg. Able to see a couple of movies (The Vow, The Woman in Black). Obviously a lot of shopping was done. All three of us got sick at one point in the week, so that wasn't exactly nice.

Lunch Tales

Claire and I had our evaluations yesterday. A lot different than last year when we planned and prepared for days before hand. Johnson, our principal, came into our classrooms for something like 10-20 minutes. Only good things to report. We were supposed to be one of the last teachers to go since he was going to start from the early grades first, but he postponed them all for different reasons. Jill, the grade 6 teacher told him that he was doing hers, even if he was only in there for 10 minutes. Claire took the same approach for ours to get them over with.

It is has been frustrating of late in the school dealing with a couple issues. One that is bothering us involves duty coverage. Each teacher, with a partner, has a day that they must watch the students on recess and lunch. Teachers are forgetting about their duties or not coming in. Yesterday at lunch though, none of the primary end teachers came back to school in time for their duties. Jon, Jill, Claire and I were sitting in the staff room eating our lunches when two girls came to tell us that, "Jonah is bleeding." The four of us didn't know who Jonah was so we asked them. The on girl from grade three adamantly replied that he was, "Jonah." This went on for about thirty seconds, when finally I said, "Look, the only Jonah I know, was in a whale."

Our week is almost over, as is everyone else. We are heading out on Sunday afternoon to Winnipeg for a week-long conference. Needless to say this break comes at the right time.

Just an Update

Sorry it has been awhile since we have blogged. It is not that we have been to busy but there just isn't a whole lot new to blog about. This week has been a full week of school, minus Monday afternoon. Monday afternoon there was a funeral in the community. On Friday a baby died. Basically what happened was the mother passed out at a Bingo event here earlier in the week, they sent her to the Nursing Station where they couldn't find a heartbeat. Then they sent her to Sioux Lookout where they found out the baby had died due to the cord being wrapped around her neck 3 times. She was born at 8 months and 4lbs. It is a really sad situation. This family's oldest son is in my class.

On a happier note it has been really nice here this week. Very warm. In fact yesterday we got up to +1. On Friday Greg's Mom was supposed to fly in but due to fog in Winnipeg her flight was cancelled. So she is hopefully flying in today. It is a nice day here and apparently it is nice in Winnipeg too. Our Education Director also tried to fly in on Friday but had to fly right over Deer Lake because they couldn't see due to fog. They tried to land in a few other reserves but for safety reason decided not to because of the fog.

Greg and I have started taking a course to further our teaching qualifications. We are each taking an Intermediate Additional Basic Qualifications course. This will up our credentials and allow us to teach up to grade 10. So now we will actually be qualified for what we teach. We have already completed our first paper and sent it in. Our course will be over on April 20th.

Well as for the baby update. All is good. I have definitely started to show now and I am 18 + 4 days. I have had a few appointments at the Nursing Station, where I have had to do all the usual pregnancy appointment things. The highlight of these appointments are definitely hearing our baby's heartbeat. The baby's heartbeat has been around 148-150 when we have heard it. Our last appointment made me really nervous though, because it took the nurse 5 minutes to find the heartbeat. It ended up that she was looking to high for it, but no worries, Greg set her straight and told her she wasn't going to find it that high and that she needed to move lower. I think I am having an ultrasound this week at the Nursing Station, they told me either Wednesday or Thursday, it just depends on when the ultrasound guy comes here.

Anyways I think that is all the new information for now. Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!

Too Cold for School!

So we have been back in Deer Lake since Tuesday and it has been a very busy week of... resting and sleeping. Out of the 5 days of school this week the school has only been open 2 days. It was closed Monday because there was no water in the community and Thursday and Friday it was cold because the weather was to cold (this means with the wind chill it was -40 or below). Needless to say the week has been very relaxed except for the part where we wake up and get ready to go to school and just find out as we walk out the door.

On Tuesday we came back from Thunder Bay. We had a really early morning flight on Wasaya. The usual Wasaya flight consists of walking out on the tarmac to a small 11 seater plane, with one seat on each side of the aisle and 3 seats in a row at the very back of the plane. It is a very small plane with a pilot and co-pilot. Well Tuesday's Wasaya plane ride started off the same, we walked out onto the tarmac and to the plane, but the plane we saw was different. It was still a Wasaya plane but it was HUGE!!! It had 29 seats, 2 seats together on each side of the aisle. Not only that but it also had, get ready for it.... a flight attendant!!!! It was crazy. This flight attendant did everything a regular flight attendant does including giving the passengers a drink AND snack. I was blown away. I flights were smooth and we got lucky and didn't have to deal with going through the milk run on the way back. We were the fist stop after Sioux Lookout. It was great.

Anyways everything else in Deer Lake is going good. I have been feeling pretty good and have definitely started showing that I am now pregnant.

A speech for the ages

Claire and I have been in Thunder Bay for a couple of days to visit the high school featured in the Fifth Estate documentary from before Christmas. An opportunity for us to visit the school arose in November and was intended for us to connect with the teachers and get a feel for the procedures and expectations some of our students will soon face. We had an excellent day and are glad for little time spent at the school. We had the chance to see the five students from last year who are now attending the high school. Their reception of us was quite surprising, given some of their histories towards us.

The high school is pretty small. The enrollment in September was 156 and is now down to 100. The principal, in a meeting with us, said that they had told 25 students to not come back after the Christmas break. Many of the 56 students that are no longer at DFC were removed for 'health and safety reasons.' The principal showed us a cache of needles (at least 75), small propane tanks, and several other contraband items that were taken from a student just before Christmas.

During the day the school had a short assembly to go over expectations and help motivate the students for the second semester. What a job the principal did! Claire and I sat back and felt like we were at the movies watching a Hollywood scene where the coach is rallying the troops. The principal stood up at the front and told it like it was. He started by explaining that there was a noticeable difference in that 25 people were missing. He then congratulated the students who had any success last semester. One student had received all four credits, his first time in 6 years. Another student is on pace to graduate this May, after 7 years at the school. The principal then went into a speech about how they are looked down upon by the outside and how they are different. He noted the successes the teams have had the past year. Earning a 4th place finish of 20 schools in a boat race and a 6th place finish of 12 schools in a city-wide Science Fair. One student was going to Minneapolis to compete in a large Judo tournament. The assembly was short, only 20 minutes, but he had managed to get the blood pumping in at least two audience members.

It was refreshing to see a school where the leader is competent. Our principal had accompanied us for the trip, even though there was nothing for him to do. We had not received any information regarding the start time for school so we decided to go for 8:45 am. When we arrived and our contact finally showed up he had asked if Johnson had given the agenda he had faxed up last week. Of course Johnson knew nothing about it.

The school was quite unique. With the advantage of only having 100 students, there was a sense of community that would not be present in a larger high school. After only 1 day, Claire and I had already connected with most of the students and staff. In the assembly there was a sense of pride among the students. They clapped for each other and seemed to care for the little achievements.

We were thankful for the opportunity and chance to see first0hand the next step for our students. On a separate note, Deer Lake had a day off because the water was not working during the morning. Figures...the one day we are out of the community, the school is cancelled.

A Sad Day

Some sad news from today. A plane crashed near Deer Lake this morning. The crash occurred at the next reserve over and was on its way to Deer Lake for a meeting with Chief and Council. A lot of people here have a connection with someone who was on the plane.

Where turkeys aren't the only things stuffed

Yup, 22 people!