Today is Indigenous People's Day so I am posting a picture of my favorite place within our traditional territory!
This is one of the areas my novel is based on as it tells the story of how the main character learns about medicines and goes through her training.
This mountain is now what is called Pavillion Mountain and it is above Kelly Lake and Pear Lake in Clinton BC, Canada. Every year my family amd I go to this place and gather medicines and berries and reconnect with each other and the land. It is a place where I get right with the Creator and where I remind myself of our histories. I remember those who have passed in the previous year, I pray and I spend time talking and learning from my parents, about their experiences.
I have learned about our culture, hunting, gathering food and medicine, raising children, prayers and songs, and healing from past traumas in this place. When my heart hurts I long for this place. I feel close to God here and there is nothing that can interrupt our conversation here. Here I reset myself for the coming year and I take time to thank my teachers and ancestors for all I have learned and for all the help I have received.
This is my happy place.
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