Snowed In in Wemindji

So we're not on the plane -- the three of us (I'm with photographer Monique Dykstra nd filmmaker Louise Abbott) are snowed in!! I wouldn't mind so much if it didn't mean that I was missing another day of school tomorrow! If you're one of my stduents reading this, get ready to work like a dog next week!!

Unfortunately, I can't access my website email from here. I know, I know... I should be more savvy about such things. So if you're sending comments to the blog, I'll only be able to read and post them when I get home -- which may take a few days!! YIKES! There is a heavy wind warning for the region tomorrow, plus there will be a backlog of travelers.

We've been working with students at Maquatua School in Wemindji. They all speak Cree; English is their second language. Today, I helped them write two poems. One uses mostly verbs; the other poem is shaped like a teepee. I got the idea because you can see a teepee just outside the classroom window.

I have also been interviewing local grammas for a Gazette story. Several of the grammas spent years in residential schools when they were little girls. Their stories are very sad. Some of them hardly knew their own parents. Family has become very important for these women -- in part because they were torn from their families at a young age.

So hope you're fine and well wherever you are. I like the students here -- they're funny and smart -- but I do miss my own classes at home, too. And my own computer. And my family. Will write to you again when I have more news.