14 - Friday, March 26, 1993 — North Shore News Anot! On June 1, members of the Squamish Nation Sea Going Society will embark on a 350-mile (563 km) canoe-voyage to the Heiltsuk village of Waglisa (Bella Bella) to take part in the Qatuwas Festival (people gathering together in one place). Indigenous groups from around the Pacific Rim will congregate there for a week-long conference and celebration. The North Shore News has been invited to record the progress of the Squamish paddlers as they prepare mentally and spiritually for this journey. This is the se- cond instalment in the Qatuwas Diary. THE WATERS of the ¢ Capilano er dawn, anot! Sweatlodge: gaining the spirit and wisdom of the grandfathers NATIVE AFFAIRS by Paul Hughes affect him. “Pye already noticed a big change in my life,’’ he says, as we pull up beside the path leading to the sweatlodge. ‘‘] feel calmer now, more focused, more able to cope.”’ Through the -tall stands of alder, maple and cedar, I can see rising high into the morning sky, the orange sparks of the fire out- side the lodge. Stacey, the fire-man, the guard- jan of the lava t rocks that will heat 44 We emerge eventually, the rounds _over, time condensed until it has no meaning. 99 River run slowly here, trapped briefly in a small, deep bay. They started their travels high up in the surrounding hills, ‘emerging from the foresis of Grouse Mountain ‘and from the canyons of the twin peaks known in. Indian Legend as the Two Sisters. Maurice Nahanee and [ take off our shirts and half-walk, -half- slide on the slippery pebbles of the river bank until the freezing water covers us to our necks. We submerge our heads, Setting the water roll through our hair and down our backs and then scramble: back to shore, our feet slipping on the rocks, our howls of both the pain and pleasure of the cold-water bath rousing the Canada Geese on the far shore. ., _ They seem to laugh at the noisy, manner. in ‘which we greet the dawn. ‘Shivering, but: feeling a strange. warmth’ curl through. my ‘body as ‘if I’ve set alight some inner fire, I get-in the car with. Maurice and we ‘head for the next stop on this spiritual journey: the’ sweatlodge. _ On the way, Maurice tells ‘me how these experiences — the cold water, baths, sweats, the physical training | he - engages in as he prepares for the Qatuwas voyage — ~ have begun | to NV resident | : honored by youth groups | NORTH VANCOUVER resident Phyitis Mittlestead. was recently selected as the recipient. of the 1992 Friend of Youth Award by the Boys’ and Girls’ Greater Vancouver. Mittlestead .has worked as a volunteer. educator for 15 years with the Child Abuse Prevention Program. Her numerous volunteer activi- j the: ties include. work - with Children’s Aid Society for eight years. And she has been a volun- teer with the Open Door Society since 1983, The society provides ‘support and childcare resources for single mothers with pre-school children. The Friend of Youth Award was established in 1980 to honor people who have conducted hu- manitarian efforts for young peo- ple. Mittlestead will receive the award at the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Greater Vancouver's an- nual general meeting at the end of the month. the ceremonial . Clubs of | the lodge, has been here all night, praying and sleeping with the night creatures of the forest. We gather in a circle around the biaze, facing east, the sacred di- rection of the redman, the birth- place of the day. A red cloth tied high in the branches of a tree guides our eyes as we pray for vi- sion. This is a new sweatlodge, and the eight of us gathered here will embark on a maiden voyage. Everything is positioned carefully, facing east. A ‘lifeline’? path of cedar boughs leads from the doorway of the lodge to the opening of the rock circle surrounding the blaze, - symbolizing an acceptance by the fire of what -will take place, and of those present. Richard Baker, the spiritual guide’ for the ceremony, sets up an ur. in front of the fire. Offerings for those .who have passedon and_ for! those requesting prayers are placed here. A’smalt branch is stuck into the ground. by the altar on which each special Of us hangs his jewelery and other adornments before we enter ‘‘the womb" that is the lodge. “We came from our mothers naked,”’ Richard explains later. ““We must re-enter her naked.” Moving from left to right, from dawn to sundown, we circle the fire, circle the lodge, and enter, crawling over the sand and cedar boughs on all fours, saying the words of respect ‘‘All my rela- tions’’ as we cross the doorway. The fragrance of burning sage that we have smudged and cleans- ed our bodies with swirls through our nostrils, calming us, soothing our fears. The fire-man brings into the lodge the lava rocks which are placed into a deep pit using deer antlers. The rocks, red-hot from the long hours of being fired, are called “grandfathers’’ now. Born in the volcanoes of Garibaldi, and gathered from the Mamquam River, the spirit and wisdom of the rocks only emerge when they are set in the sweatlodge. “Until we use them,’’ says Richard, ‘“‘they are just rocks. But once in the fire, they become grandfathers and if you listen to them in the sweatlodge, sometimes they’II talk to you.’’ Once the required number of grandfathers for the first round of the ceremony are placed into the pit, the door closes, and we are enveloped in the complete dark- ness of the womb — heat, sweat, the moistness of steam, discom- fort, pain, and, overall, a strange feeling of safety. We are protected here, guarded, cherished, faced with the freedom of our own truth and the burden of our own lies. There will be four rounds in the lodge, each ‘one more intense, each one more private, each one more. deserving of the silence of a personal sharing. We emerge eventually, the rounds over, time condensed until - it has no meaning. Six hours have passed since. we have first entered. ‘To me it feels like two. After circling the lodge once more, we each ‘drift away, step- ping softly. and silently on. the CORRECTION NOTICE March 24 Flyer forest path of moss and rotted quietly remembering what what has beer item B, page 6a, Henley t-shirt sale priced at $5.97 is not available. We apologize for any ccnvenience this may have caused our Woolco customers. leaves, has been taken, given. Back at the fire, two grandfa- thers --- one representing the fe- male, one the male — are left in the dying embers, their voices locked once more in the cooling stone. They will be used again during another dawn, for another vision. €) FUJi ORIENTAL HEALING ARTS Dh From Mar. 26-April3 AN season casual & classic 103% pre-shrunk cotton clothing for women. In April, we are amalgamating our Deep Cove store with our recently opened Lonsdale Quay store. To make room for this event, the Blow Out Sale will be at both locations, . 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