Page 67 - 1st Anthology 2011

This lady that’s making an outfit for herself. I thought it was good. Laura Heavenfire, she
dances. That’s another thing you know the dancing, there’s a difference in how the ladies

dance, and the men’s dances. I grew up in that environment culturally speaking, my dad
used to be a singer at pow wows. At that time they weren't such big events like we have
today. People use to have dances and people would dance. There’s different types of
dances I don’t see that here either.

When I observed the women dancing they dance in there slacks. Years back late Mary
Onespot used to always point out that women shouldn’t get up unless they are worn a
dress to dance. That’s the way it used to be. If a woman is going to dance you are to wear

a skirt or a dress. Mary use to really make that point. She always pointed that out at elders
meetings. They didn’t sort of take it serious. Nowadays mostly everyone’s wearing slacks.
You see the women dancing in slacks, so that’s not right. That’s something they need to
discuss. Bring the tradition back, if you want to be culturally sensitive and practice it.
That’s what I noticed.

Another thing, culturally speaking is us Indians. I’m talking about Duffield. I know and
hear there is a big difference. They used to look after their elders, it was usually the

youngest girl or the youngest boy in the family. Well growing up like that looking after
their elderly; that’s the way it use to be.

Here they don’t, they put them in a nursing home. I was glad to hear Duane say you’re
not going to a nursing home as long as I’m alive. I’m not going I said. My home is not the
nursing home, that’s not a good practice.

This last lady was crying to come home, you know Sarah. She cried to come home and

nobody visits her. The nurses use to tell Duane because they have the same last name.
The nurses working in Rockyview use to go and tell Duane doesn’t she have any relatives?
No one comes to see her. When someone goes to see her, she cries to go home. She never
came home and she died that way, and I really felt so sad when I went up there to the
wake. She wanted to go home and never went home. So I think elderly people shouldn’t
be put in a nursing home and even Melody’s uncle is in there, and who else, Dora.

That’s what I mean, you see, that’s what I mean that currently those two are in the

hospital. I see Dora at functions they should do that with Tom too. Bring him out for
functions. That’s an example of what I’m saying. Just giving an example of those two cases
like Sarah was in a nursing home too. That’s what I’m saying. Indians traditionally and
culturally take care of their elders. My grandmother died at home. She wasn’t put in a
nursing home or my other grandmother. So I really think they should consider that too.

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