My Langara Reconciliation Carving Journey: Ya, it's Awesome! It's Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!

One time when my daughter and I were going to one of her ballet exams, we had to cross the path of a marathon. I always remember we went past this one guy and he was singing to all the runners...

"Ya, it's Awesome! It's Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!"

and when ever I am really feeling joyful, that little song pops into my head and that's what I was singing yesterday.

I was a hard day in someways but then it got awesome.

I was feeling really stressed. With the LNG being approved and fears that the Pipeline will be too I was feeling quite defeated. I have been working really hard on my blogs and painting and efforts to raise as much awareness as I can. When Christie Clark and Catherine Mckenna announced it was going ahead, it was like a punch in the stomach. I cried.

Anyways fast forward, I got to class and it's so wonderful because Justin brings food. I am very grateful for the fruit and muffins and coffee. It is really really wonderful and it really starts the day off right.

We spoke of Orange Shirt day and it's significance to remember the children who attended Residential Schools and how they were affected. We stood and held a minute of silence in remembrance.

https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2016/09/remember-today-is-orange-shirt-day.html

Justin told us that next week is going to be hard. To prepare ourselves because we were going to be dealing with VERY difficult material, next week we deal with issues related to Missing and Murdered women. It is going to be very hard and I am nervous. I get teary thinking about it and it triggered me I must admit. But then he read a passage from Oh the Places you'll go. That made me happy. I love Dr.Suess. Such wise wise words. This is one of my favorite videos.

Shane Pointe was there and he opened with a lovely song and then we got into groups and had discussions about Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation.

Pretty heavy topic, a lot to take in.
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/cultural-appropriation.html

I had done my readings and some research. They shared a great video with us. I need to find it and then I will share it but now I want to tell you about the afternoon and why it was AWESOME!

OH, first I should tell you we stopped for lunch and I was melting down. I was gifted though because I have made friends in this class and one of them stayed with me and listened to me and I felt so much better. THANK YOU FRIEND!! You know who you are!!

So after lunch Aaron started to show us how to sharpen our knives but before he did it Shane showed us some very very very special tools. He told this fabulous story about them but I can't do it justice so I will just show you them. They are truly amazing.

Here they are. Shane is not a tool maker, he is a carver. He told this really great funny story of how he wanted an axe and went to a dear family member to ask for one. Maybe I can get him to tell the story again...on video...I will ask...it was really good...I loved hearing it.

The great part about the story was it taught us about cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation and I will expand on that later but I want to show you what else made the day AWESOME.

I finished my knife.

I messed up my lines so don't look at them too much..

So the image below is our first assignment. This isn't mine. I have to make something similar. I hope I can. I know I can. I have made the middle part already.

Okay, so that was my AWESOME day. It had sad and stressful moments and I was SUPER EXHAUSTED when I got home but I was SUPER HAPPY too!

I am really really excited about my future and what I can create.

Next week is going to be hard. Please send us love and light as we deal with this difficult subject but I am going to work hard this week to prepare myself.

Okay, so that's all for now. Have a great day and take care of yourself.

Sending love and light!

Tina

Related Links:
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-energy-was-bigger-than-us.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/aaron-nelson-moody-splashing-eagle.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/dr-justin-wilson-aboriginal-studies.html
https://mylangaratrccarvingjourney.blogspot.ca/2016/09/what-does-reconciliation-mean-to-me.html

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Ya, it's Awesome! It's Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!