Page 79 - 1st Anthology 2011

We got a bunch of orders for rails. We had to work out there in the bush. I used to peel
rails or whatever.

We worked for farms and I picked roots and pick rocks for a living and stooking, haying
and all that. We had to do all that and right next door was a field. They used to thrash. I
use to help out there too. Drive a team and load up or vice versa and help with the chores.

We had to work to make a living. It was a good life because we just lived each day and
enjoyed it each and every day. Like after school we had to do our chores. That’s what I
enjoyed after school I did what I wanted to do because school was strict and we had to do
our work. It was like, I was working for my room and board and that didn’t bother me
because I was learning new things. Today I enjoy doing things each and every day.

That’s about growing up on the reserve. It was good times. There were a lot of cattle and
horses, there were even wild horses at one time. Each and every day we had to do
something to make money like even planting trees and cutting trees for Christmas. It was
a different life at that time. We only got a dollar a tree that time. You know back in the
50’s and 60’s. I remember doing that. We use to walk in fields picking stuff that don’t
belong there. Like different kinds of flowers that will affect the grain. We had to pick
them out and put them into a bag.

My step dad got contracts. Whatever they were we just had to do it, that’s all. My sister
was right alongside my mom. We had to camp right by Red Deer Lake. It was on the
other side of the reserve. We had to work there and do all different kind of work, like
stooking. It was during the summer between July and August that’s when we stooked.

In September I went back to school but I still had to help out with whatever had to be
done. We had a vehicle. I had to go home, and then go to work. My mom and dad would
come and get us to help them out. Whatever the work was we had to do it. I remember
those things I enjoyed it because we were always busy everyday right from dusk till dawn
you were doing something. I enjoyed that.

There weren’t many cars. We knew every car. BigPlume’s, Starlight and Crowchild’s and
we the Little Bear’s had our own vehicles. Everybody knew each other’s vehicle. We
waved to each other. Today everybody’s going by and asking who’s who. Everybody’s all
tinted you don’t know who’s who. Most vehicles you can wave and some people don’t
know who’s who today. If it’s tinted you don’t know who’s in there. Whether or not it’s a
man, woman or an animal driving.

I remember my dad having a model T and when it couldn’t start anymore he made a
wagon out of it. I think there was a simple thing wrong with the motor. He didn’t know
anything about motors. One day he was working in the bush and a team brought it back
and he was proud of it. He said the motor was still good but the horses brought it back. It
was so funny when you think about it today. He was so proud of that wagon because it
was on wheels.

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