National Adult Literacy Database

February 7, 2000

This story was written by September Daniels from the Nakoda First Nation, Morley, Alberta. The Nakoda Reserve is located halfway between Calgary and Banff in the breathtaking Rocky Mountains. September is 23 years old and has been diligently pursuing her goals of upgrading for 2 years. She is doing upgrading so that her daughter can look up to her and to be more independent and intelligent.

The following introduction was written by an Elder on the reserve, Irane Baptiste.

"I tell all my sons and grandsons to stay in school. Education is important. But they don't want to listen. So I've come back to school for myself."

 

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Time Travel

by September Daniels

It is the eighteenth century where we the native people lived on the prairies in Canada. The prairie is called Stoney Flats. My family and I have our own tee-pee and we camped with the Stoney tribe beneath the mountains on the Stoney Flats. During the hard winter that hit us we stocked up on food, berries and firewood, but then we native people manage and survive any kind of weather. Where we camp, the sites are beautiful, the mountains around us are breath taking. When it snows on the mountains, the snow creates pictures we can see. We hear wolves howl at night it was like they are singing to us before we go to bed. The buffalo hide we sleep on and cover us are our protector when we sleep from the strong but soft fur. I smell the fresh fire burning every new day, the leather we wear was like perfume. When war party begins us the women and children will have to move the camp somewhere safe while the warriors go fight for our lives and safety for the people. When they go out to fight, I get scared my husband will not return to us. My children and I will pray with the elders for their safely and will return to us with no harm done to them.