Bear Rock Micmaq retreat

By Katrina Enserink

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

I come away from my experience at Stone Bear with an incredible feeling of tranquility and enlightenment. We arrived Wednesday morning and pulled over to the roadside to take in the untamed and fierce river (Bear River) that wound along the road leading to the retreat. I climbed down through a web of trees and found my self overwhelmed by the intense energy being given off by this massive amount of water rapidly colliding and crashing over every rock in its path. I thought about its strength, bringing it towards the ocean, overcoming all obstacles. I thought about my own capacity for strength, colliding over tough circumstances and bringing me closer to my own goals.

We all gathered around in a circle in the cozy main lodge. A large hand-made canoe sat in the rafters above our heads. The calming scent of Buffalo sage lingered in the air. Bear River First Nation Chief Frank Meuse introduced himself, along with his sister Rose. He explained what we would be doing over the next two days and told us to feel free to explore.

We all set out and began to take in our surroundings and soon we gathered in a huge wigwam, with a fire blazing at its center. We sat in a large circle as Frank suggested we start the experience with a smudge. A bowl of buffalo sage was passed around, and he asked each of us to first brush the smoke towards our feet, to keep in our minds the importance of respecting the earth we walk upon. He then asked us to brush the smoke towards our legs, to guide our strides in a positive direction. We swept the smoke towards our hearts, to have love and appreciation for the things we are lucky to have in our lives. We swept the smoke towards our eyes, so that we may only see the good in things, and towards our ears so that we may only take the good from things we hear. Finally we swept the smoke towards our mouths so that the only things we say are positive and uplifting.

ANCIENT RITUAL

There was no pressure to believe in any god or to think any certain way. Frank’s words simply rang true. We were practicing an ancient ritual that had been passed down from generation to generation, and even in the midst of so much tradition, I found much truth.

Next we began a sharing circle. Frank explained that the only rule was that the only person who was allowed to talk, was the person holding the talking stick (a stick with some eagle feathers hanging from it). You were allowed to say anything you wanted while you had the stick in your hand, whether it be a thought, a story, a testimony, or even a prayer. When you were finished speaking, you passed the stick to the person sitting beside you and listened to what they had to say. I found this part surprisingly difficult. I wanted to comment on a lot of the things said by my peers, but I had to just sit and listen. This practice taught patience and listening skills, as you had to wait for your turn, and pay attention to what each person had to say. It taught you to have respect for those who were speaking, and trust in those who were listening to you.

WALK IN THE FOREST

Frank asked us to come for a walk with him in the forest. He began to guide us through a patch of moss and creaking trees, stopping momentarily to share with us his insight on Mother Nature. When Frank spoke, he often used metaphors and stories to express his meaning. He captures the listeners’ attention in such a way that you feel his words were the most important things being said in the world. He spoke of the trees, plants, and creatures almost as if they were his best friends, which was really quite enchanting. He could name any tree or plant, no matter how similar they looked to each other, and tell you all the common uses for each one. I was amazed at his understanding of the woods, and even more so at his appreciation and deep love for natural earth. Frank spoke a lot about the natural balance of the forests, and how sometimes humans spoil this balance with greed. Often when we take more than we need from nature, it is not able to restore itself, and in turn our children are left with less resources. When we take nothing but what we need, and use all we can possibly use from what we take, nature is able to restore itself and continue its cycle, assuring plentiful life for generations to come.

BALLENCE WITHIN

Along with balance in the forest, a large focus in Mi’kmaq culture is finding balance within oneself. This is obtained through looking deep within ourselves, and focusing on trying to be the best we can be with each new day. By listening to our intuition and treating all around us with respect, we bring ourselves closer to a universal conscience. To be in tune with yourself, you have to be in tune with the world around you, and I think a lot of what we learn about ourselves is through our relationships with each other.

The philosophy that hit the closest to home for me was the idea that we are all connected and therefore one. We all came from the blood of earth, and therefore we are one with everything that this earth has birthed.

It is hard to believe how far astray we as western society have strayed from what is important. I think we spend so much time with our jobs, electricity, cars, cell phones, and technology and other material objects that we forget what it means to be alive. We build walls and spend most of our time inside them with all of our fake plastic things, and our video games. Why do we waste so much of our time focusing our energy on these things when nature is like a giant Christmas tree surrounded by mysterious gifts to be discovered?

MURRAY MOOERS

We spent some time wood working with Murray Mooers, an elder at Stone Bear. He taught us how to fashion a basket from strips of ash wood. He taught us how to make a sound maker by hammering the rings of the ash wood together until they split. We also spent some time scoping out our favorite trees from a patch that were to be cut down beneath telephone wires, and cutting walking sticks from them. Murray had spent most of his life in the woods, and he was the master when it came to this kind of thing.

I invited Rose Meuse, Franks sister, to come back to our school and be our cook, on account of her cooking was out of this world. The first day we had a thick soup for lunch, and a delicious salmon dinner that night. I think being outside all day made eating that much more enjoyable because we really appreciated it when suppertime rolled around.

WONDERFUL TIME

I had a truly wonderful time at Bear Rock. Frank taught us much about Mi’kmaq heritage, and inspired us all to stop and listen to the sounds of the forest. I really enjoyed the opportunity to meditate and clear my mind of the buzz of regular day life. Frank was one of the most sincere, genuine, and modest people I have ever met, and even when he spoke of the great tragedy his people had endured when Europeans had first claimed this land that the natives believed to belong to nobody, he had not a pint of anger in his tone. I feel very blessed to have been able to experience the land with a guide who was so aware of everything around him. A land Mi’kmaq people lived on not so long ago. I hope that people realize the importance of learning about Canada’s first inhabitants, who lived their lives intertwined with the cycles all around them. Cycles are in everything. The blood pulses from our hearts, through our veins, back to our hearts. The setting sun gives rise to new moon. The moon pulls the tide to and fro, the animals somehow all know when to come and when to go, and when a tree dies, it spreads its seeds so that new ones may grow.

KATRINA ENSERINK is a student at Lawrencetown Education Centre and writes for The Spectator through the school’s co-op program.