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End of Summer

By First Nations Artist Nokomis

When the end of summer came the days got shorter, leaves fell from the trees and the men and older boys went off to hunt.

Before I started school the whole family would head off to the hunting camp. We'd stay for a few weeks so that we could dry the meat and tan the hides right on the spot.

But when I turned six, my parents insisted that I go to school every day. So Dad and some of the older boys in the area would leave for a day or two by themselves. They didn't have to go far but I think they liked to get away.

So the end of summer was my favourite time because it meant that I sometimes had my mother all to myself.

I helped her with the dishes, she showed me how to sew beads, we sat on a rock at the edge of the lake and watched the loons.

I especially liked it when she met me after school. This didn't happen very often but when it did she'd give me a nickel to buy candy in the store. . . and I didn't have to share!

But it wasn't long before the men would haul a carcass or two . . . or three or four or five . . . home and the hard work of tanning the hides would start.

Then I didn't want to hang out too close to Mom because she'd put me to work scraping the hair...and that was a hard job.