 My name is Lawrence Wells and I'm from Unumagi here in Cape Breton. We're in member two First Nation. I was born here, I was brought up here. I was telling these, I was an OMAD and I traveled around when I was younger. Basically I came back. I've worked in several areas of Cape Breton here and up here in Cape Breton. Right now I'm doing addiction work for the last 15 years with native alcohol and drug abuse counseling and going on another, I don't know, 13, 14 years with the same thing but with the culture component. That's the western part, so both of us are western and cultural, so that's what we do here. I also am an elder and resident at CPU once a week. I used to go there twice a week but it's just too hard. We need more of social work here in member two. I was first introduced to the Red Rolls project going back a few years, about six or seven years ago with Laurie-Anne Solvester, the principal of the school here. My role was to educate our future youth. What I was doing was being part of the circle with the kids. I would do talking circles, storytelling and go on the field trips. We would put up the TP the proper way and putting up the TP would tell us what the TP is about. Our TPs represent grandmother's skirt. Grandmother's skirt will protect you even from your own parents and she'll spoil you. Depending on the size of the TP and the number of poles, there's a story in everything that you do when you construct the TP. Each pole has a story, each one has a direction and a virtue. The way the TP is situated, I was faced east. That's where the sun rises in the east. Of course it gives light and warmth to Mother Earth. Of course in the direction of the east it has many stories too. We have Bu West in that east which is maybe Bigfoot because it teaches honesty. We have the turtle in the same direction as one of the oldest of our ancestors. It has teachings of the truth and of course the Golden Eagle has teachings of love in that direction. Of course in the direction of the south we have Brown Bear has teachings of courage. The Buffalo has teachings of respect. Of course Wolf has teachings of humility. Of course in the west we have teachings of courage by the Black Bear and the Bald Eagle has teachings of love. Of course in the north we have teachings of the White Beaver, Gobit has teachings of wisdom. So then we have seven sacred teachings there. They all belong in the TP and that was my role with the kids. And also doing talking circles. We might have our directions in the TP and maybe we have a sacred fire. And when we have the kids together usually four days through four days we'll make a sacred fire. And that's another teaching from Tobacco and how to make the fire because I'm a fire keeper also. So my teachers come from Mi'kmaal, Mohawk, Ojibwe. So all these teachings that I've got over the years come from a mixture but they're basically all the same. So I'm a fire keeper. I'm also a lodge keeper. So I've earned that role way back when our future youth had ideations way back when. And we got together with our Scottish, our Mohawks. And they're our former enemies in history. That goes back with this another story. But in time when we know that our future youth were in trouble we had to get our bundles together in our medicines and work together to save our youth. And I think the first program we done was called Voices of Tomorrow. And we had some people come in here and help us with teachings and get our bundles back and earn our pipes and rattles and so on. So we had to deal with some of our, some programs out in Elzebuktu. We had sweat lodge ceremonies. We had feasting. We had naming ceremonies and talking circles, storytelling and so on. And this here helps our, we're helping our youth. We still do that today. We still run sweat lodges. Way back when it wasn't too much of it, maybe in the other reserves like the sweat lodges. So in order to earn the sweat lodge you have to take a four day fast without food and water in the mountains. Well here in the mountains because this is Onamagi territory. We have a lot of mountains. It's Onamagi. And the time we done it here it was in around October, November. And we had with the help of the Mohawk teachers. We all gathered and we exercised all these teachings. And the proper way to put up a teepee. It's the proper way to harvest poles, harvest sticks and use in the medicines all in together. Like when we go out towards, we're going to prepare to make the sweat lodge because it represents the sacred lodge. It represents the womb of mother. Okay, when we have tobacco and you earn tobacco or are given tobacco for what you do to help people. And so when you go on to all, we use alder. And sometime we use a tamarack or depending. But I used alder at the time in that because alder is a medicine. Tobacco is a medicine. It's very strong and it's very flexible. And then you offer tobacco and talk to them because they are their life. And you talk to them to the standing ones. And because you're going to ask permission to harvest the rest of the trees. But the one you talk to you don't cut down. You're asking permission and you give something back. You give tobacco back with prayer and respect. And when we get enough, we get people together and get a red cloth and we will construct the sweat lodge together. Because we can't do it alone. You've got to have help. And that's the way our culture is. And when we make the holes in the ground, we usually make 13 holes in the ground. Everything has a story in what it represents. The circle hours represents maybe a year just like the teepee. All the virtues, the stories. And each hole you make, you offer tobacco and ask forgiveness or all my relations, respect all of our relations because you are injuring Mother Earth and offer tobacco, prayer to each hole, and so on. And when you're doing that, you teach the kids. They observe. And after you do that, we try to get everybody a red cloth. We use red cloth. I've been taught that. And each one ties pieces together and then you give a ribbon to somebody else. And I tell them, each one you tie, say a prayer. Maybe you've got somebody that's sick in your family. Maybe your mom, dad, a brother. Maybe somebody has cancer, you know. But they always find people that come to our lodges will pray for somebody else. That's how our people are. They're the last. So if I have four rounds, I always have four rounds in the sweat. And they always save the last round for the individual because they are all busy. Carried people, you know, even the youth, you know, they're kidding. And they always save the last round for the individual. So when we build a lodge, put the cover on, there's a lot of protocols, a lot of preparing, you know. You gotta get fresh water. It's like we whistle. That's beaver root or muskrat root. Fresh water. Cedar doesn't grow in Cape Hornamagi. And we usually get somebody to bring it in from New Brunswick. And even the grandfathers, we have to go to Paris for them. It's called Partridge Island. And that's Gruskab's grandmother's melting pot. That's another story. And we bring the grandfathers from there and we use them in our lodge. You can get them with yellow hot. And you can use them over again. Some people use them over again. And the bundles, our pipe, our rattle, our drums, just so much. And the reason I say ours, because all these things that I fasted for maybe three days, maybe four days, our pipe, our rattle, or our medicines, they don't belong to me. They belong to all of us. Because that's our culture. We're supposed to share our medicines. And I have no ownership. There are ours to use. The project with the youths, we had tipis given to every reserve. And my role was to go on in reserves. And usually the leader of the railroad project group, they would have a leader. And they would represent the other youths. And they'd be one in each reserve. And when you teach them how to put up the tipi, because they have one in their communities, I had the pleasure of going up to each reserve and maybe spend the night. Because Laurier probably arranged a place for me to stay and have my meals. Oh, it was fun, you know. And to meet people all the time, like, it was never a stranger when you come to a community. You never feel a stranger, because you know, they're ill-knew, or, you know, or ridden men like me, you know, and meet the kids. You know, as a member of the community there, I received my name when I went to, when I earned our lodge, when I earned our sacred fire, and I still have them teaching. So it's, I'm getting of age now that I got to pass it on. I got to pass it on to somebody. And I know a lot of youth, but they'd have to do the same as I do. They'd have to take four days fast. And they might have to have a sweat to earn their bundle. Of course, you know, I, you receive gifts all the time when you do this type of work. You know, you save some, after a while, your bundle grows. You go somewhere and do something for someone to help them, and you might get the back, you might get the sage, you might get a little item. You know, I have some things here I got over the years. They're little gifts. But you know, I always say, I don't own them. They belong to all of us. I pass them on. The kids, they would have a talking circle. And we have something coming up in Orish jail there in July. And last year we had it on there. And we've been to Bear River with Frank Beaus. When we go out there in that area, the kids, we tell the kids not to bring any electronics or anything, anything like that. And no junk food. And there's no electricity out there, maybe except for emergency. And then we have camps like teepees, and we have some lodges there, and a few cabins. It's very well prepared by Frank Beaus. Last few years we haven't been out there. But Frank is a very good, very good provider and storyteller and awesome person. He always has a story. When they came up there and told, we were told that nobody's allowed electronics. And I think he had some of the local boys, and they had somebody carve a phone and leave it at the doorway. Well, it's not just the door, it's just a bunch of trees. He said, just pretend to come on just in case you have a withdrawal. He's an awesome person. But I miss that area, you know, because I used to go there a few years with the kids. And it's, I think it's about six or seven years now we're doing it. The last trip I had was just last month. But I got sick there. I had a bowel obstruction. That happened three and a half years ago. But that happened. He gets sick. So I ended up in the hospital over there. And that's where I left Jordy and Pat. I couldn't do a sweat that night thing. We just came from Parsboro with Gerald Lord. He's a geologist. He's an awesome person, a good teacher. I've known Gerald for quite a few years. He tells us a story in the history of the area where the dinosaur bones can be found and gemstones. While we were there, the kids found some amethyst and a very interesting person. And he knows of a lot of people in that area that were like Eldon George. He's a geologist. He had worked with him for years. That's a historic place. And the kids, they're just awesome. Everyone has a gift and a story. I know when you listen to them in the TP, we used to have our talking circles, opening prayers daily. This had to be daily. Before breakfast, early in the morning, before breakfast I'd have a talking circle. Just check up, see how everybody's doing. Keep in contact and keep in touch. And sometimes kids are so gifted and somebody would bring a drum. Maybe somebody has a story to tell or somebody has a song to sing or a story to tell. And it's not just... I'm not just there as an elder but as an observer. I learn so much from the kids, too. They know their behavior. And, of course, Frank would probably invite somebody that specializes in making canoes in the history, like Todd Labrador from that area. What an awesome teacher he is. He'll bring the canoe. And I think he has something in the museum. I know he has one canoe there in one of the museums there. And he does other things, too. He makes little baskets and so on with a pine pitch and the root. I knew his father way back when the Colossum was his father. He still remained with us today. He was really in touch with nature. And there was another gentleman that brought in how to make fire with just friction or flint. They're making tea, making vatic and cooking vatic or making it on the spot. He teaches like that. And then we have another gentleman by one of Frank's brothers there, Dusty. He would make... He taught us how to make flowers or the wooden flowers. And basket making. Somebody would come in and teach us how to make basket making. And a few of the elders down that way like Goal River and areas like that we had... Gee. Mrs. Morris come in. We used to have another old fellow that came in, but he passed on. There's so many, so many teachings. And youth, they're game for anything, you know? They challenge their fears. And of course I would run a sweat too. So usually we have something going on I would conduct a sweat. You have the kids help me put it together. If it's not all together, you know, the kids already know what to do if they've been there the second or third year. You know, as an addiction counselor here for the last few years, I find that kids are more comfortable with each other. On an outside community for years I felt so... There was no guidance counselors and nobody to really understand what indigenous people think. Because we're being so unique now when Aboriginal people and youth get together they like to do things together, you know? When you go out and get your first hunt and first harvest, you know, you're recognized by the community as doing something that you're supposed to do and you're appreciated and you're honored. We've got to get back some of them teachings, you know? Right now we haven't done too much of that. Listening to the elders sometimes, the first time when they were born their mother took them and put their head on Mother Earth. This is your true mother, you know? And the connection. Teaching back that you're connected to Mother Earth gives us so much, you know, so much of the teachings, so much of life. And seeing kids today like going back to... going to school and doing things together I find that it's growing. Even the powwow, when you go to powwows here like I remember when they had the first powwow there was a few kids there, you know? And the kids were more westernized or teasing them, making fun. Now today we're a little more thick-skinned, you know? And I see more kids today that appreciate who they are in their culture. I've seen little kids smile going up there with their little fan. And it's an awesome feeling to see that because I carry a staff at the powwow for years, you know? I've seen a lot of growth, a lot of hope. When I get to college there I see a lot of kids and I listen to them and I see more on the computer, more involvement. You know I have my youngest son he just came back from Dartmouth College in Vermont I think and he came first prize. And they go a while in time, you know, compete, oh they only came second or whatever. It doesn't matter, you know? At least he's doing something challenging. Challenging himself. You've got really nobody else to challenge, you know? You know, he could be out with the other group of friends that when he was doing that he wasn't doing anything but drinking. They all have a few beer and, you know, I say you're just going out, you're out on a merry-go-round, eh? But when they're doing this, they're outgoing. Like, you know, I don't know how he ever does it sometime, he comes to the house and he'll say hey, I'm going out to, uh, Dartmouth College or they'll go to New Mexico. See, how is he doing it? He's got friends, they got connections. And in today's technology, all they got is a phone, you know, and they'll talk to somebody over there in a few minutes oh, we're going to a new Hampshire, just like that. You know, they come along, wait for smokes and go play. It's, uh, modern technology. God, it's, uh, it's fast. And he comes back like, oh, uh, who are you going with, you know? He'll call somebody in Red Bank, one of his friends in Red Bank, Ty, Michael R. Denny, they'll call him, when are we leaving? When are we going? You know, everything is so instant and everything is so prepared, even if you're not prepared, and they'll say oh, you know, he doesn't have a house, and he doesn't have a washer on him. He comes to the house to eat. And once in a while, maybe to sleep, you know? And, you know, I don't think he buys any groceries. So he comes over every day and says, I gotta go, you know? But kids like him, I'm not the only one that has a kid like that. I think every community has a kid like that that's outgoing, you know? And ready to challenge life. Because they look at, they notice that Western life doesn't have that much to offer as far as our culture. This is our culture. Dance, song, storytelling, field trips, harvesting, adventures, you know? This is our life. I'm sure everybody else has life. No, not just regretting, you know, not dishonoring anybody else, or anybody else's culture. We do have drums. The black man has a drum. The white man has a drum. The Irish, you know? The yellow man, you know? We all have drums. We're all connected to Mother Earth. Sometimes people ask, you know, you gotta remember, you know, they're all interduced, and we can connect and say, you know, you do have a drum, you know? You're connected to the drumbeat. And you're in your mom's womb. And today now we have mixed marriages and so on. We have rainbow warriors out there, just like that ribbon on the table there. That's our children today. They're still our little warriors. And you do carry out our messages, our stories, our drums, our dancing, and our language. Language is pretty important. We carry the separate sacred teachings already, you know, to be properly, you know, like the four directions. Like I told you, the directions, the pole, the urges, these things. And, you know, we have elders and educators and teachers in college that, you know, compare the teachings of our elders. You know, a lot of this, a lot of what we do is already similar to what Western science has offered. Because, you know, like Albert and Merdina, they introduced two I'd seen and Professor Sherr Bartlett and CBU, taking the best of Western knowledge and the best of the elders and put it together. I think something like that would be important. You know, because we speak English today and it's just a voice we have to hold on to, you know. But, Mi'kmao too is our language here. But we can, there's other languages that we speak to, like French too, you know, a lot of our words are French. Kids today, they can, I remember one father there would have graduated, Maxwell. He's learning Chinese. I don't know why I never asked him, but that's him, you know. Oh my God, this is a challenge for him, I guess, you know. Because he's ready to study and challenge for him. Each individual challenge, I guess. I think it's up to us, you know, to encourage it also, you know. Encourage more teachers. Not to listen and listen to learn. I think it, teaches to be proud of who they are. They too are very important in our culture. They're the next future generations of our youths. Our future youths. Future youths, the next because you know they have a leader and he'll, before you know it, they're too old to stay in and somebody else comes in. And it's time for him to move on, him or her. And to be an educator, go to school, you know, go to college, be an educator again. You know, it's just part of growing. It's growth. The stepping stone. Not a stumbling block, a stepping stone. Just a matter of how you view it. You know, I enjoy the youth. I enjoy telling stories, you know. I like to tell stories sometimes. The kids, they're my, they have so much. They're so, they're so honest with questions sometimes. Sometimes they give you, they'll give you a question that'll stop you, you know. I have, my grandson is autistic. Like, I was told that he would never walk, he would never see, blah, blah, blah. And, over time when I seen him staggering when he was about almost two, I remember my niece down the road here, she did the same and she had tubes put in her ear and my daughter, my daughter had doubted him because, you know, the doctor told us, hey, we're getting a wage, we don't have to look after, I said, I don't care, you know. You know, he said, he's going to my, you know, my grandchildren. And when he had that fixed, he, you know, he comes over every day and he's running and he's hyper. When she started walking straight or running straight, he never stopped. So he's at my house every day. He's got homeschooling now. And, right now he, I take him for a ride every Sunday. We'll go out maybe to flea market, we'll go fishing, you know, we'll go to woods, we'll gather sticks, we'll gather grandfathers, you know. I'm still teaching this. And when he was going to the school over here, over the hill here, Shipyard Elementary, the teacher was saying that, you know, he said, he's already sharing some of the things, because he comes with me to conferences or workshops. He was teaching the kids both to smudging, you know, in the class. So, you know, but because he's artistic, we had to pull him out. And, so he's still, he learned so much, you know, even with the technology, he's telling me about the astrology and the planets. You know, he doesn't read books, he doesn't read any books, because it's right there in that little, you know. And, he can't, he can't write very well, but he has homeschooling. But as far as this, you know, I have, he has this technology and I'm surprised that you know, this, he knows about the planets, the lighted years and so on, you know, because it's amazing, you know, don't need a kid, but he'll ask you questions. And, sometime when I see him watching TV and the cartoons there, you know, I said, they're educational. They're really educational, because sometimes, oh, it's only cartoon, you know, but I'm old school, right? I didn't take time to stop and listen, just because it's a cartoon. No. But other than that, I think that was, that's important to talk to. The tools of children are, getting their education to me. And I think a lot, a lot of our own people can do this. Oh, yeah, I gotta share one other thing, too. And now we're going to, to see our Red Road Project School. And, I see one youth, he's artistic, he's able to, can't keep still, can't sit still, all the time there, he has seen, but he loves music. She's, I see him perform now, and he's a rapper, and he's always awesome. So he, it wasn't a disadvantage of being artistic. It was an advantage, he made use of the disadvantage it's supposed to be, but it wasn't. It was a gift. He's happy with what he does.