NEeMA

Tlicho canoe trip

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:00:00 +0000

It was one of those life-defining experiences, a rite of passage I heard my crew boss say. Eleven days by canoe...the trails of their ancestors...approximately 300 km from Behchoko to Wekweeti...through lakes and rivers mostly all upstream…and 48 portages. We were supposed to be traveling with the 11 other canoes that had left two days earlier, but somehow we ended up doing the entire trip alone…six of us in a lone canoe in the middle of nowhere. We had no gun. Our satellite phone had occasional reception at best, and we ran out of bear bangers days before the end. So when the second bear appeared, our crew boss hit a paddle to the stainless steel kettle to keep him at bay. That bear was staring right at us about 100 metres away, directly in our path. It always amazes me to see a bear..to remember we share the same planet.

It never got dark. The sun dipped below the horizon from about 1 to 4am, but it was always light. The sunsets and sunrises were spectacular; we paddled into many of them. The mosquitoes would come out at dusk. They were horrible. A bug jacket and extra deet couldn’t keep them away. Still, next to the majestic beauty of Canada’s north, of untouched land and silent song, they somehow became bearable.

Every year the Tlicho People have an assembly in one of their four communities. Most people will fly into the receiving one, but a hundred or so will paddle in, retracing the steps of their ancestors. I was the First Nation band manager (senior admin officer) in Wekweeti, the smallest and most isolated of those communities for several years a decade ago. Paddling into my old community was a real privilege, retracing the steps that so many of the elders, whom I’ve known well, had done so many times before. In the old days they would follow the caribou up to Wekweeti then return to Behchoko in the Summer to trade furs, gather together, and fish. They used birch bark canoes and later canvas; we had kevlar. We had an elder in our boat who told us many old-time stories throughout the journey, made us their delicious traditional bannock, and cooked the fish that we caught.

Our trip began with a bald eagle flying overhead. It felt like a good omen. I was given some tobacco from my friend to leave as offerings on the land and lakes we would be crossing, and I scattered a little every now and then, accompanied by prayer. Then one day as I was making my way across one of the longer portages with a heavy bag, aching muscles, burning sun and mosquitoes everywhere, I broke down. I hadn’t smoked in years, but I needed a momentary escape. There were no phones, no internet, no showers, and I knew it would be like that for another week. There was a cigarette. And I indulged.

A few days into the journey we had big rainstorms, which made us stay at the same camp for two days. I normally don’t like rainy days when I’m camping but this was a welcomed blessing to allow some soothing of my sore muscles. Around 11pm or so on the second night, the rain stopped and the sky turned red. It was surreal, like biblical. Then, just when it seemed it could never get better, out came the huge rainbow… That was the last time we would have a ‘day off’. We usually travelled 10 to 12 hours per day, sometimes 14 trying to catch up to the others. One day we started in the late afternoon and paddled until 7am; that sunset was incredible. Then it remained light while the sun dipped under the horizon for a few hours, followed by dense morning mist traveling through the sunrise. It was spectacularly gorgeous.

There were singing loons accompanying us on the trails; I hadn’t realized that they have so many different songs. There were also other birds that made such glorious melodies my heart would dance. Sometimes I would learn their call, whistle back and we’d sing to each other for a while, as though engaged in conversation. Sometimes we would pass a nest and a bird would start balking and wouldn’t stop until we were far ahead. Once we arrived at a portage and there lay a nest amidst the grassy swamp. A container of art, countless perfectly placed sticks intertwined together with about 8 or 9 eggs justly arranged in two circular rows. It was as though someone had taken great efforts to make this basket for Easter, and all that was left to do was to paint the eggs. The elder told us they were duck eggs. Then there were the dragonflies. They were as big as humming birds, and there were many.

We saw lots of beaver houses too. They were quite large, made with piles of branches and roots intertwined and cemented together by mud and earth. I found out later through google that the beavers get in and out by two separate underwater tunnels, and they don’t apply any mud at the peak of the lodge in order to allow for ventilation. They hollow out a dry chamber for their living space above the water line, and there is usually another little room for drying off and exiting the water. We never saw beavers around their homes, but on two occasions through the early morning mist we watched a couple swim across the lake.

Sometimes a part of the portage would be too wet and swampy to carry things so our crew leader would make a bridge by cutting down some trees. He was so efficient. Ghost Lake was a very long lake; it would take a whole day of straight paddling to get across. Papa Loko, the spirit of the wind, was at our backs that day. So our leader took the blue tarp, two trees that he shaved, and some rope, and he made us a sail. Throughout the journey he guided us to safety and taught us about the ways of the land and how to survive on it.

I learnt many things on that trip about endurance and acceptance, and about myself. One thing that sticks in my mind the most, other than my deep gratitude to the land, is something my crew boss said on the last day. It was after we'd been caught for hours in the huge thunderstorm; after we'd missed the motor boat that had come to pull us for the final stretch, which would have saved some six hours of paddling; and after several days of intense work, little rest and little food trying to catch up to the others. It had been two days we were expecting to arrive, and still the community was nowhere in sight. We were all out of steam, exhausted and counting on the motorboat to return. What he said not only filled me with energy to paddle on, but it felt like a revelation about the general human condition, "the problem is that you're waiting to be saved."

from my hotel window

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:30:00 +0000

watching Abraham
painting
laughing
sharing with the man next door

he’s always dressed in paint
old jacket and pants
covered in colourful splashes
his dreads held together by a big knit rasta hat

i’m listening to his music
wanting to take photos of him
his giant canvases spread out on the asphalt
he’s working

(my turn too..)

some interesting rap type music
i’d like to ask him sometime what it was
now carmina burana takes me away
for a while

‘haha’ i hear some guy kind of laugh
‘i was secretly wondering that but i didn’t want to ask’
he kind of mumbled the end
or maybe my attention span just ran

next i’m onto the dog barking
the birds squawking
people walking and talking on the boardwalk

then carmina burana commands my attention again
the power in that piece

the birds fly outside my window
i see the waves continue to roll in
the landscape is changing
carmina makes her final crescendo

now some reggae band comes on
out here in the parameters there are no boundaries
out here we are stoned immaculate
o it’s jimmy actually
he screams

when the music’s over
that’s what he sings
the birds flap their wings
turn out the lights.

NEWS: New Canadian Tour Dates

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +0000

we're excited to be playing in and around home again
Bob Stagg will be joining us on keys, trumpet and accordion
for the montreal and toronto shows!
hope you can make it out!

the bus

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:33:00 +0000

this was our home for the european tour
aside from a few leaks, a breakdown and a couple of bathroom issues
she was good to us

this is the route the bus took
we drove about 13,000 km with her

this was our funky orange kitchen seen through the window of the bus
along with the band and George, our wonderful sound engineer

here is fred, peter and i
these photos happened on one of the long bus rides
i believe from amsterdam to istres

George picked up the guitar after years away from it
i wish there were sound to this photo
he's really good and soothing

this is Phil our dear bus driver
we thought of changing buses when we drove through london
(we had been experiencing several problems)
but we didn't want to lose Phil

i couldn't sleep in the bunk..got too claustrophobic
so we moved a mattress to the back of the bus

here is the band and crew
as you can tell, i took a liking to these reflective photos

i'm feeling a little nostalgic for our bus now :)

amsterdam

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:29:00 +0000

amsterdam was beautiful and crazy

it reminded me of venice with its canals
so much interesting history
so much beauty

and it also reminded me of new york & bangkok by night
so much going on.
then there was the red light district - unlike anything i'd seen before

locals introduced me to this very interesting and delicious food
it was hot and sold in vending-like machines
i forget what it was called but it was a great late-night snack

thank you so much to everyone who came out to see us
the night wasn't what we'd planned -
we ended up opening for Lyle Lovett instead of playing our show.
we had a really good night
but i apologize to those who were expecting to see more of us.
(we would have loved to play longer as well!)
i very much look forward to the next time nx

england

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:01:00 +0000

next we made two stops in england
the first was at bush hall in london
very beautiful venue..lovely chandeliers..
i played a new song there called 'follow me'

friends i hadn't seen in almost 15 years came to the concert
we used to call ourselves the voncrap family
(along with a few others who couldn't make it).
we had traveled and sung together for several months years ago
before i learnt to play guitar.
here we are at the hotel bar after the show..

next we went to birmingham..it was a lovely night
note to the audience: sorry there was no seating
& we would have loved to play longer but there was a strict curfew

Sion Thomas who taught me to play guitar in the late '90s was at that show
i hadn't seen him since then (picture of us outside venue below)

ireland

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:34:00 +0000

the next stop was ireland
my mother took the bus with us from paris and slept in a bunk
i was worried she would have a hard time in the bunk (as i do)
but she loved it!
here we are crossing on the ferry from wales

i loved being back in ireland!
whenever i see the liffey i remember that song 'summer in dublin'
that was popular the first time i was there

the sugar club was a beautiful intimate venue
i had a couple of difficulties on stage that night
but the audience carried me through it all.
i am so grateful for your warmth and generosity :)

next we went down to cork
oh how i love playing in churches!
i wish we had recorded this show..

my good friend Sandra from tipperary was at the concert.
i finished writing 'unspoken' when i was touring ireland in 2007
and she was the first person i sang it to (sitting in my car in inis).
at that time it was a lyric and melody with no accompaniment.
it was a nice little milestone to play the song at this concert

a special thank you to the wonderful audience in Triskel Christchurch
we had a wonderful time in ireland
go raibh maith agaibh éire!
it's always a pleasure:)

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

gent and paris

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:06:00 +0000

gent is another little gem i discovered on the tour
the night we arrived Pascal, wonderful promoter, showed us around
and took us out for dinner

we went to see the square where Leonard had played two years before
in front of this beautiful church
preparations were now being done for Prince to play there

our concert was in a really nice venue called handelsbeurs
it was such a pleasure to play a full show again
dankje to everyone there :)

next was paris..
i remember it was sunny both days we were there
i love paris in the sun!

my mother came in from canada
we had two shows - one at le grand rex - our last show with Jeff
it was a beautiful theatre and a bittersweet night
listening to him play his final encore and one of my favourite songs,
nessun dorma, was very moving
in total we played nine shows with Jeff..it was an honour and alot of fun
thank you to him, his band, management and crew for being so good to us

the next night we played our own show at le divan du monde
a really lovely cabaret theatre type place in montmartre -
a funky artsy neighbourhood
i spent the afternoon sitting in a cafe next to the venue watching people go by
merci paris!

ljubljana

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:04:00 +0000

a little gem in eastern europe
here we had a day off so i had time to visit

it was a beautiful city with cafes all along a gorgeous canal

facing the other way..

self-portrait sitting at a cafe..

loved these houses with the mountain backdrop
reminded me of the mount royal
this one seems to have a castle at the top..

view from the top of the mountain..

there was a musical play outside the castle!

we took an elevator back down to the city
and just when we thought the night was over..
we spotted a dance party on one of the docks!

i almost forgot we were on tour for these two days...

prague and austria

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:58:00 +0000

after germany we went to the czech republic.
that was june 23rd
oh it seems so long ago now..

about 15 years ago while backpacking though europe
i was supposed to go to prague.
my eurorail pass got stolen in the south of italy
so i decided to spend the rest of my time in ireland instead.
they say good things are worth waiting for -
well prague was every bit as beautiful as i'd heard

this was a photo i took the night we arrived.
the pink tank you see is usually kept in the museum,
but it was put into the water this summer
to celebrate 20 years of liberation from soviet occupation.
it was a young artist David Cerny who had first painted it pink 20 years earlier
that's how he became known as an artist.
very interesting story and important celebration for the people

that night we played an improvised show
in a funky old socialist intellectual bar/cafe.
it was the first time they had live music there
for the encores we played emmenez moi and aatini el nay
everyone was dancing and clapping..
i really felt like i was in some eastern world
the abandon, the gypsy feel..it was beautiful.
thanks so much to James Harries, great singer songwriter
for organizing this event

the next night we played with Jeff.
here's my little language video just as we were getting on stage!
(i think this may be the last time we documented language learning..)

this photos was taken a little later in the set..
we loved praha very much and hope to be back soon!

austria flew by - i basically went from the bus to the venues
then back to the bus..no hotels in that period.
we only spent one day in each city..linz and vienna
i remember loving the country and both shows very much..
linz was a beautiful theatre..
the audiences were amazing..

i remember also being happy that the local language was german
it was a nice break from the lessons!

this was at sound check in linz -
peter looked like he was having fun so i felt compelled to join :)

in vienna i went out for dinner with a music journalist
to a lovely restaurant on the canal..the setting was gorgeous
hopefully next time we can stay in this country a little longer..

here's a photo at the merch table in vienna -
that's jason behind me who works the table for Jeff
he's from east london - so good at what he does - love him

děkuji and danku!!!
namaste
n

scandinavia then germany again

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:59:00 +0000

scandinavia was beautiful. so many gorgeous tall blonde people. such pretty architecture. i had never been to this part of europe before. our first stop was copenhagen, and we had a day off so we got to explore. loved it! Rob and i ran into Jeff Beck and his crew the night before our first show together. it was a great way to start our tour with them. oh and i love the fact that all the outdoor restaurants have blankets!

copenhagen just outside our hotel..

i was amazed at the efficiency of things. for example the escalators in our hotel didn't run unless you stepped on them. i hadn't seen that before..and of course the lights in the room all get shut off when you remove the main key. my favorite part of the hotel, and something I rarely find, was a pool and sauna that were open 24 hours! i had several middle of the night swims :)

one of the things i love on this tour has been the search to learn the languages...in copenhagen in the middle of the night before the show, the girl at the reception desk came to my room to drop off something..she stayed a little and taught me a few sentences. it was a whole different way of pronouncing words than the german i had learned. the next day i polished up with the bellman while waiting to get picked up for the show.

out for dinner with the band...

after that we went to oslo. it was a great show...my first time playing an arena. Cyndi Lauper was also on the bill. so great to meet her and to watch her on stage. it was surprising how many of her songs I knew really well from my younger days. I learned my norweigan shortly before the show from a lovely local crew member who was bringing drinks to our dressing room.

busy at work with Mike Scoble, wonderful tour manager, and George Hogan, brilliant sound engineer...

we overnighted on the bus to malmo in sweden under the rising full moon..was really beautiful. we played in a club there with Jeff Beck. it was challenging getting proper sleep on the bus, but i'm getting used to it. that night it was about 15 minutes before the show and i realized i hadn't learned swedish yet. i ran up to a woman putting money in her parking metre on her way to the show and received a little lesson from her...thank God the language between these countries is so similar! the next day in gothenburg I brushed up with the local promoter. that show was outdoors, and it was raining alot. i was worried how it would be for the audience in the rain, but they were amazing.

we then went to cologne and hamburg to do a couple of headline shows. both were alot of fun. it was wonderful to play our full show. both venues were quite lovely and intimate and the audiences were really warm and generous. the cathedral in cologne was breathtaking. i spent a few hours sitting inside on the sunday afternoon when we arrived.

Tak and Danke to everyone who has been out to these shows! and thank you to everyone reading :)

and of course a big thank you to Jeff Beck for having us on his european tour..
it has been a blessing to share the stage and watch him play.

stuttgart und mainz

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:46:00 +0000

the tour started with rehearsals in stuttgart

then when i felt the music was ready and the band and crew knew each other
my german rehearsals began..

show #1 opening for Joe Cocker in Stuttgart
this was Schlossplatz before the people arrived
the statue at the back was what i could see from the stage
directly in front of me
i was a little nervous - this felt like a good omen

here is a closer look..
this angel reminded me so much of the angels below the mount royal
in front of my place in montreal
as i stood there on stage alone singing elsa's lullaby for thousands of people
i felt a part of home and elsa with me
this lovely photo was taken by Fred Bouchard

the band in action - towards the end of our show the sun started to set
felt blessed

the next show was opening for Joe Cocker in Mainz
love this photo taken during soundcheck by Rob MacDonald
the setting of this sommerfestival was gorgeous along the Rhine River

this next little video "the drummer's perspective"
was taken by Fred Bouchard that evening
it is the beginning of Ayii Woole - the song for the people of Wekweti

vielen dank to the wonderful publicum of Stuttgart and Mainz
you are truly amazing!

and a huge thank you to Joe Cocker
it was such a privilege to share the stage and watch him play
hearing 'with a little help from my friends" live was INCREDIBLE
much gratitude to a beautiful generous soul

introducing the band

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Fred Bouchard - drums and back vocals

Fred has been playing drums since the age of 5. He met NEeMA through Pierre Marchand during the recording of Watching You Think, and worked on the album with her. He has been performing with her since the summer of 2009 at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Rob MacDonald - guitar

He picked up the guitar at the age of 9, played his first concert at 13
and has been wowing audiences ever since. A much sought-after accompanist
and studio musician in his native Montreal, Rob MacDonald's musical career
spans two and half decades and has intersected a wide range of artists in the
Canadian music scene and has earned him accolades across Canada and Europe.
He has been playing with NEeMA since the Montreal Jazz Festival in the
summer of 2009. He has toured North America with her and played guitar
on several songs of Watching You Think.

Peter X - bass and back vocals

Peter X spent his early years playing air guitar to April Wine and Rush
cassette tapes. He switched to bass guitar at age 13. The first song he
played in front of a live audience was A Forest by The Cure. Short, dark
poems, occupied him throughout high school. His twenties were spent in
a panegyric of lust and dipsomaniacal pursuits of mental state change
experiments. The ego encompassed all and so disappeared; first there is a mountain...

Now in his thirties, Peter has absolutely no idea what it all means.
He still loves to play bass. He has been playing with NEeMA since January 2011.

mini-doc: down from the north

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:04:00 +0000

it's a mini-documentary about me
i was afraid to watch it at first.
we had so much footage -
an entire day of filming behind the scenes at the LA house concert
interviews in LA, Austin, Dallas, and

over the phone from some hotel room somewhere
lots of b-roll in various cities

and AlOT of filming at SXSW...

i had no idea what to expect
and was very happily surprised.

there's so much great footage that didn't get used at all
wonderful moments, beautiful shots
hopefully some day something will become of it..

the mini-doc was directed by JS Carenza III
produced by Amy de Souza
filmed by Morgan Schmidt
edited by Patrick Francis
and audio mixed by Ian Charbonneau

and many others contributed to it
thanks to everyone!

hope you enjoy..

neemaste

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:38:00 +0000

years ago when i registered for myspace

neema was taken so i came up with neemaste.
the same thing happened with youtube,
so i chose it again
and then again and again..

last year neemaste became my company name
and the logo - a self portrait of myself dancing.

namaste
neema

my big nose baby

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:27:00 +0000

this was the original poem that eventually became elsa's lullaby

elsa

my big nose baby

beautiful lady

love of my life

you are a part of me

i love the way

you wait for me

ever so

patiently

the way you lie there

with crossed paws

oblivious of

how gorgeous you are

how you tilt your nose
up in the air
to take in the scent
that’s lingering there

or the way you

so passionately chew

those delicious bones

you dig into

with eyes half closed

and ears that flop

there isn’t a drop

of you i don’t adore

you even chase

the bees from me

trying to eat them

fearlessly

beautiful

love of my life

you make me feel so free

let’s run away together you and me

if you were bigger

a little bigger

i’d ride you bareback

down the river

while you galloped

through the wind

that brushed against

my summer skin

or if i was

of your kind

i’d run through the desert

by your side

brushing against you

as we played

then curled by you

at the end of the day

we’d swim in the ocean

jump through the waves

roll on the sand

and explore the caves

i'd follow you

through the bush

you the beautiful

little huntress

sweetest elsa

beautiful lady

golden lashes

heart melting eyes

when we’re playing

and i look at you

you turn your head

peaking through

the corner

of your eye

pretending not to see me

look at you

body of husky

coat of golden lab

dogality only

you could have

finding comfort

in the back seat

with the most creative poses

i’ve ever seen

i love the way

you so delicately

take the cookie

from my hand

the way you tilt your head

then lick your chops

then beautifully yawn

in contentment

querida elsitta

love of my life

where would i be

were you not a part of me

i remember when
i took you in

you were just a tiny

little thing

you grew into

my coolest companion

and most

compassionate friend

when i go traveling
and i call

i hear you howling

down the hall

and when i’m gone

for too long

listening to you

makes me cry too

you taught me how
to love again

i thank you deeply

for that lesson

now i watch you sleep

by the door

curled up on some

hotel room floor

and i grieve a little

for the brevity

of the time that you have

here with me

European Tour 2011

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:25:00 +0000

UMDUUQ8RBGCF

we're really looking forward to this!

hope to see many of you out there...

10^th June Stuttgart, Germany – Schlossplatz – Opening for Joe Cocker

11^th June Mainz, Germany – Norfmole / Zollhafen – Opening for Joe Cocker

14^th June Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio – Opening for Jeff Beck

15^th June Oslo, Norway – Spektrum – Opening for Jeff Beck

16^th June Malmo, Sweden – Kulturbolaget – Opening for Jeff Beck

18^th June Gothenburg, Sweden – Tradgarn – Opening for Jeff Beck

20^th June Cologne, Germany – Blue Shell – HEADLINE

21^st June Hamburg, Germany - Prinzenbar – HEADLINE

23^rd June Prague, Czech Republic – Tesla Arena – Opening for Jeff Beck

25^th June Linz, Austria – Brucknerhaus – Opening for Jeff Beck

26^th June Vienna, Austria – Open Air – Opening for Jeff Beck

28^th June Ljubljana, Slovenia – Krizanke – Opening for Jeff Beck

30^th June Gent, Belgium – Handelsbeurs – HEADLINE

1^st July Paris, France – Le Grand Rex – Opening for Jeff Beck

2^nd July Paris, France – Divan Du Monde – HEADLINE

4^th July Dublin, Republic of Ireland – Sugar Club – HEADLINE

5^th July Cork, Republic of Ireland – Triskel Christchurch - HEADLINE

7^th July London, England – Bush Hall – HEADLINE

8^th July Birmingham, England – O2 Academy 3 - HEADLINE

10^th July Amsterdam, Holland – Melkweg – HEADLINE

12^th July Istres, France – Pavillon Grignan – Opening for Cyndi Lauper

14^th July Lucca, Italy – Piazza Napoleone – Opening for Elton John

The Tlicho Effective Date

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:59:00 +0000

after leaving my job as band manager of wekweti
i began working for the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council
now known as the Tlicho Governement
they were negotiating their land claims and self government agreement
and i came on board to help with the community government side of things
below is an article that was published in News North about the effective date of
the Tlicho Agreement
that was the last time i was in the north - August 2005
i hope to return soon.

Tlicho Effective Date

August 2005
As the canoes approached the land, guns were fired into the air to greet the voyageurs that had been travelling for 8-10 days. It is a yearly custom that people from each of the Dogrib communities travel the trails of their ancestors to the community hosting the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council (DT11C) annual gathering. Then the people come onto the land and shake the thousands of hands waiting to greet them. This year there were about 60 canoes that came into Behchoko (Rae-Edzo) from the three outlying communities of Whati, Gameti and Wekweti. This marked the start of the DT11C 14th annual gathering.

The Dogrib are descendants of the Dene, an Athabaskan Aboriginal People of the Northwest Territories. DT11C was the body set up in 1991 to negotiate the land claim and self-government agreement for the Dogrib People. The official meetings began on Wednesday, and the DT11C went through its regular business of reviewing the audited financial statements and distributing scholarships to Tlicho students; Tlicho means Dogrib in their language. The evening was filled with weddings, a feast, drum dance and a countdown to midnight.

The countdown was leading up to the big day, Thursday, August 4, 2005, the effective date of the Tlicho Agreement, the first official day of the Tlicho Government and the Tlicho community governments. For twelve years the DT11C has negotiated the Tlicho Agreement, the first Agreement that combines land claims and self-government in the Northwest Territories, and the second such agreement in Canada. The negotiations were led by Tlicho Chief Negotiator John B Zoe, and on August 25, 2003 the Agreement was signed by the former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, former Premier of the NWT Stephen Kakfwi, Grand Chief Joe Rabesca and the chiefs of the four Tlicho communities.

In 2004 all that remained for the Tlicho Agreement to become effective was for the federal government to pass the appropriate settlement legislation. The Tlicho Bill C-14 received third reading in the House Commons on December 7th, 2004 and in the Senate on February 10th, 2005. Several dozen Tlicho delegates were present in Ottawa for each of these readings; for many it was their first time out of the North. There they sat in the galleries, wide-eyed watching democracy at work. The Senate reading was a particularly extraordinary day whereby a huge tea dance broke out in the Senate lobby to celebrate the Bill C-14’s final passage. Everyone stood shoulder to shoulder in a big circle dancing and singing the Tlicho traditional songs.

Midnight of the effective date was celebrated with beautiful fireworks in the community. What I hadn’t realized is that the majority of the spectators had never seen fireworks before, other than on TV. Most seemed very happy, though a few people were not; they felt it was wrong or that it sounded like war, and one man was shaking his head and saying that it wasn’t good for the fish. The drum dance continued after the fireworks and ended in a huge wonderful circle of a tea dance.

The official ceremony began Thursday morning with the swearing in of the new chiefs and councillors of the Tlicho community governments. The current chiefs of each community made their final speeches; the DT11C 14th annual gathering was officially adjourned, and with that, the DT11C ceased to exist. It felt exciting and I think a bit sad all at the same time.

The drummers walked into the room dressed in their beautiful beaded hide vests. Behind them in similar garment followed the members of the Tlicho Assembly, Grand Chief Joe Rabesca, the four Tlicho community government chiefs, the two councillors from each community and the speaker. It was the first annual gathering and first sitting of the Tlicho Assembly. Bishop Croteau along with the drummers led the opening prayer, and Father Pochat proceeded to swear in the Tlicho Assembly members. The Assembly continued with the passage of the first Tlicho laws, the Tlicho Government starter budget and remarks by the Grand Chief and other Assembly members.

We then went outside for the flag raising ceremony. A group of enthusiastic children began the ceremony by singing O Canada in Tlicho. The song was very heart-felt and generated laughter, cheers and tears among the thousands of people standing by. Elder Alexis Arrowmaker proceeded to retire the old DT11C flag, which was followed by the unveiling of the new Tlicho Government flag. There was a collective sigh in awe of seeing the flag for the first time followed by many cheers. The new flag was raised, and James WahShee, former negotiator and designer of the flag explained the symbols. The royal blue represents the sub-arctic Tlicho Nation territory; the four tepees represent the four Tlicho communities, which together form the Tlicho Nation, Government and Assembly; the sun and river represent the words of the great Chief Monfwi who signed the Treaty 11 in 1921. He said that as long as the sun rises and sets and the river flows forward and not backward the Tlicho People will honour the Treaty; finally, the North Star represents direction and a new era for the Tlicho Nation, which moves united into the future. Flag and gift presentations followed, along with speeches from some of the influential and integral people who helped pass the Tlicho Bill. The flag raising ceremony ended with prayer by the drummers.

The celebrations continued in the hall with hundreds of people attending the feast. We had caribou ribs, bannock, rice, dry fish, fruit, juice, and many other delicious foods that now have settled in my tummy and slipped out of my mind. More speeches and gift presentations were made then the tables were cleared from the dining hall for the drum dance to begin. We danced and danced and danced. A live band also played, as well as two-step, square dance and jigging; there was something for everyone. As for myself, I spent the night drum dancing, as it’s one of the things I miss the most about not living with the Tlicho.

The following day began with the feeding of the fire. This is a ceremony to give thanks, and to pray to the Creator and those who have passed away. Food and tobacco offerings were thrown into the fire and many prayers were made. After the ceremony we reconvened inside for the nominations of the Grand Chief. What I witnessed was an incredible marriage of procedural democracy with the Tlicho traditional values and way of life. The drum dances, hand games and celebrations continued throughout the weekend.

This week marked a unique historic accomplishment for the Tlicho People and our country as a whole. I am proud to have a government that is willing to negotiate with, recognize, and honour our First Nations People as it has done with the Tlicho. It is unavoidable that there will be growing pains with the newly formed governments, as is the case with all government, but I am certain of the inevitable success of the Tlicho People. As the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrews stated in her speech during the flag raising ceremony, the Tlicho have always been self-governing, today is really a symbol of the government’s recognition of these rights.

Photos taken by NEeMA and Laura Duncan.

journey to wekweti

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:52:00 +0000

i spent almost three years living in wekweti in the northwest territories
working with the Tlicho (Dogrib) People
these are the people for whom i wrote ayii woole
and that's where elsa is from

below is an article that was published in the montreal mirror in july of 2001
about my time in the community

Journey to Wekweti

A Montrealer reflects on her experiences working and living with the indigenous Dogrib community in the far reaches of the North

Story and photos by NADINE NEEMEH

As I climbed Mount Royal with my dog the other day I realized that I did not have to be on the lookout for wolves or bears as has become my custom in the Great North. We have been living in a remote native community called Snare Lake or Wekweti, which is about 165 kilometres north of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories (64o 11'N, 114o 11' W). The community is rarely identified on official maps. It is only accessible by plane, with the exception of a couple of weeks in March, when an ice road is sometimes extended into the community. The road is built over approximately 200 kilometres of lakes and portages in order to allow for transportation of fuel, housing materials and other goods required by the community. It is also an opportunity for the local people to stock up on heavy dry goods such as rice and detergent, thereby saving the $0.69/pound of air freight. I bought $250 worth of dog food to be transported on the last winter road.

I arrived in Snare Lake in September of 1999. The small six-passenger caravan landed at the airport--a tiny airstrip with a terminal building scarcely bigger than an out-house. The community taxi, a large white van, drove me to town. It was a beautiful drive of approximately eight kilometres through a narrow road they call the airport road. The community was surrounded by beautiful hills covered in midget-sized coniferous trees on one side and an impressive huge lake on the other. There was no snow at the time, but once it fell, the ground remained white for the next nine and a half months. Other than the limited infrastructure, contained almost entirely within an area scarcely bigger than Jeanne-Mance Park, I was surrounded by miles and miles of rugged land and clear water. It gave me that wonderful feeling of being incredibly small but connected to something immense.

The indigenous peoples of Wekweti are Dogrib, descendants of the Dene. Although no longer nomads, they are still a very traditional people who rely heavily on hunting, trapping and fishing for their diet. Their main sources of food are caribou and fish. Only a few generations ago many of them survived entirely off the land, following the caribou from fall to springtime and usually reuniting in the summers to collect their Treaty money and sell their furs. These traditional Dogrib are today the elders of the community. They moved to Wekweti in the 1960s, building the first houses of the community. It was an ideal place for them to settle since the caribou migrated through the region each spring and fall.

In the last 11 years this community has changed at lightening speed. Prior to 1990 it had no electricity or running water. The latter had to be obtained directly from the lake, and heat was generated through wood stoves. One person was employed to drive down to the lake and fill everybody's buckets, and another was employed to keep replenishing the wood in the school and band office throughout the night. That was only 11 years ago. Today every house has electricity, and all but two houses have running water. Each household has a telephone and most have satellite TV. A few months ago we installed computers and Internet dial-up connections for public access at the arcade and in some of the houses.

Enter white woman

I am a "quitien," a white woman. I have been the manager of their community for the last year and a half. My role as manager of the Dechi Laot'i First Nations Band has been to advise the chief and council, to determine courses of action that meet the community's needs, to negotiate with government and other funding agencies, to develop and administer the budget, to hire, train and manage local and outside employees, to oversee or manage all programs, projects and municipal operations and to deal with day-to-day issues facing the community.

I am often asked how I ended up where I am and what drew me to the job. I found out about the job through a posting on the Concordia job board. The position seemed to entail an incredible amount of responsibility for a 25 year old, and it seemed like a challenging job where I could really make a difference. One of the qualifications for the job was a Bachelor of Commerce which, although I had completed, I had always regretted having done. It seemed like a great opportunity for me to justify the degree. I have also often been drawn to the wisdom of the North American Indians and was very interested in learning from these people who have lived off the land for so long.

It has been a wonderful and difficult experience. It took many months for the people to accept me as their band manager and to trust me as a person; I was the fourth band manager in less than two years. Ideally and eventually the position will be filled locally; however they require further training and education to successfully do so. They have their traditional knowledge and wisdom with which they have always governed themselves effectively, but they must also learn the "white man's" system in order to become autonomous once again. It is a constant struggle to keep their culture and identity while being forced to change their ways to adapt to the modern Western world. With the current speed in technological change it is a struggle, I think, not uncommon to many people of our world today.

Of course there exists resentment toward the government and the white man for having interfered with their way of life; less than 80 years ago these people were entirely autonomous, and today they are in large part dependent on government services for their survival. However, I think there also exists much hope. There are a growing number of Dogrib individuals in leadership positions in their communities and in Yellowknife. This is also a very important time for the Dogrib people; the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council is in the process of finalizing their land claims and self-government agreement. The power is being given back to the people.

Digging for diamonds

In Wekweti, the community is largely subsidized by the government, receiving funding for core services and various programs. It also has several joint ventures that provide revenue for the community. Approximately 15 per cent of community members work for the band or its subsidiary development corporation. Another five per cent work at BHP, the first diamond mine in Canada, which has been operational for a few years. There are many more mining companies to follow; for good or for bad we have found the North to be rich in diamonds, and we are digging at full speed.

There is a big concern about the effect the diamond mines will have on the migration of caribou, particularly among the elders. The various mining companies often come to the community to consult with the people and explain what they are doing. The elders always voice their concerns. History has shown them that when man digs up the earth he leaves behind a big mess, and the lives of the local people and animals suffer as a result. The mining companies invariably try to assure the people that things will be different this time, that the land will be left as though it had never been touched. It sounds nice; it seems impossible.

One of the most trying aspects of my job is the small town politics. It is interesting to watch sometimes, but usually very frustrating and upsetting. There are only a few core families in Snare Lake. The community is governed by the elected chief and five council members. I think they try to be fair in their decision-making, but like anywhere else, family usually comes first.

Great escape

It is very difficult to escape in such a small community. The incredible beauty has definitely been my refuge. I once left a seven-hour council meeting completely drained and exhausted to find myself surrounded by the most spectacular sunset that stretched out for miles. I remember another time I was leaving the office around 11 p.m. feeling like I hardly had the energy to walk the 100 metres to my home only to look up and see the sky completely green with dancing lights. It was the most spectacular aurora I have ever seen. Although I sometimes feel like a foreigner in a faraway town, I have always felt comforted by the vastness and beauty of the land. I find the winters to be a particularly beautiful season. It is true that they tend to be very long (about nine months), very cold (-50 C in the coldest months) and very dark (three hours of sun for the shortest days); however, when the sun shines over the huge white lake and the permafrost hangs on the trees, the community looks like a magical winter wonderland.

Being in such close contact with wild animals has also been an incredible source of wonder. I was once awakened by my dog barking hysterically at four in the morning. It turned out that there was a huge black bear standing right outside our living room window! I stared for a moment and then grabbed my video camera and watched as he slowly walked away. Another time I was walking down the airport road with the dog when she suddenly stopped, stared into the bushes for a while, and then turned and began running toward the community. With great fear I tiptoed towards the bush to see what she had seen or smelt. I saw a dozen caribou standing there looking right back at me.

Unfortunately I feel that my time to leave is soon approaching. Although I have travelled and lived in many parts of the world, I feel that leaving this small Northern town will be my most difficult move yet. I have felt a real sense of purpose during my time in the community. I have become an integral part of so many of these people's lives and they in mine. I have become accustomed to replenishing myself with the beauty and open space that is the Great North. I have danced all night to their beating drums and powerful songs. I have hunted and watched while they skinned the caribou and the moose. I have shared their stories and learned their ways. I have found a home in a world that is so unbelievably different than where I had ever been. I wonder about my future and where I will go once I leave the community.

I wonder too about the community's future. So much has changed in the last decade; I question what it will be like 10 years from now. I wonder if it will continue to expand and in time have an all-weather road to Yellowknife or if the youth will eventually move closer to the city and ultimately abandon the community. I also wonder if the youth who today show great desire and potential to become tomorrow's leaders will in fact do so. Of course, time alone will tell.

elsa and her lullaby

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:50:00 +0000

i recently returned from a tour of the united states
we played several of the shows with jesse winchester
such a wonderful person and songwriter
it was a joy and a privilege to share the stage
it was a great tour but i'm also happy to be home

i love going to pick up elsa when i get back.
i love the way she howls when i arrive
usually she can smell me through the door
and begins howling from the other side
then she runs into me, back and forth, and around me several times
this lasts for a few beautiful moments, then by the time we're walking home
everything seems back to normal
even when we get home all she wants to do is hang outside,
watching the people and other animals go by
i love how some things never really change

my allergies always come on strong the first couple of days of seeing her again
it's so crazy to be allergic to someone you love so much
right now she's sleeping..talking in her sleep
having some kind of intense dream about something
makes me laugh to try and visualize what that might be..

here's the love song i wrote for her...

Welcome to My Blog

noreply@blogger.com (NEeMA) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:50:00 +0000

hi. welcome!
i look forward to exploring and seeing what this becomes.
please leave comments. it will help on the journey..

we're all just walking each other home (Ram Dass)

i took this photo in new zealand in 1996 - i backpacked through that beautiful country for two months before going to australia to finish my university degree.

it makes me think of the road through life...