The rabbit fur

My TA came to my house around 4:30 to pick me up. We went to the Northern Store, and I bought a pouch of Players Light tobacco. Then we headed all the way across town. It was almost a 10 minute drive, going 40km! As we drove, my TA knew which house belonged to which families, and pointed out all the homes of people who I would know. It really made the trip interesting, being able to match up my students and some of my coworkers with the homes they live in.

Fox Lake is really quite beautiful. There are so many trees everywhere. In the city, you might pay extra to have a home with a beautiful old tree on the property, here, everyone has them, and lots! Some homes have lots of vehicles parked out front, mostly trucks. Others have horses out in front, and most have dogs. Most homes have children playing outside too. The homes are far apart, but still close enough that neighbor children get together to play outside often.

We drove on the narrow road that bent and twisted over the rolling hills. skidoo tracks lined both sides of the road. Then, as we came over the last hill, the road just stopped. And there was Kokkum's house.

Kukum lives in the first of the newer homes to be built in Fox Lake. She proudly displays her house number, 1, oh the front of her house. It has a nice big window to the left of the front door. The house is a faded yellow. To the left of the house are two large Teepee's. They are covered with tarps and blankets. It makes them look orange and blue. There is a clothesline next to the tepees, going from the house to a tree and it is full of clothespins. To the right of the house, set back a bit next to a hill and the trees, is a log home. I didn't get a good look, cause we went inside.

Kukum is about my height, no taller. She is wearing moccasins that she made and a mauve sweater. She looks like a grandma. She is smiling and happy. I present her with the tobacco and she says thank-you in English. She knows some words to speak, and can understand most. The three of us talk together. I can talk directly to her, and then my TA translates for me what her Kukum says. It's nice and comfortable.

Her home is a grandma's home. the cupboards are overflowing with pots and pans, dishes and mugs, obviously someone who enjoys cooking for her large family. There are pictures all over the walls, some of Jesus, some that she has cross-stitched of some blue bears. There are plants on the shelves and hanging from the ceiling. Her TV unit has no TV, but is full of gifts from grandchildren and children. She is running out of room for them all. On her kitchen table, opposite from where she is sitting, is a beautiful antique sewing machine. It is almost exactly like the antique sewing machine my mom bought at an action last year. It is in wonderful condition. She tells me that she sews alot, and to bring over my clothes that need repair. In the summer, she takes it ouside and does all her repairs out there, in the sun.

Kukum gets up and comes back with a plastic bag. I know what is inside. My grin is ear to ear and she is happy too.She takes out the rabbit. I say it this way because it is almost like it is still a rabbit. I think that I was expecting to have a rabbit fur that iis flat, with no sign of it ever having been an animal except that it is rabbit fur. But this! She shows me the ears and takes my hand to feel the softness of the fur. The city girl in me wants to pull back from it. She is thinking about the fact that this is a dead animal. but, the Fox Lake girl, who would like to skin her own rabbit one day, with kukum's help, allows kukum to take her hand to feel the fur.

I thinnk that before I left I had volunteered to help her to tan a moose hide, to go berry picking with her, and to learn how to make moccosins. I can't wait to visit her again. This was the best experience.

I found out through our conversations that one onf the teepee's is used to skin the animals, and I can't remember what the other is used for. But the log cabin is now used to smoke them meat or to tan the hides. I am sure that with more visits, I will learn more!

Angela