A Message from Meg

Today was time for the Mass at the Church by the waterfront.  Dan, Matt, Natalie, Ms. Tracy, Brian and myself walked down to attend the Mass. As an Anglican, I have been to my fair share of church services (and Brian, who is Catholic, agrees with me) I have never experienced what I just have.  Words can almost not describe the experience of the Church service, but I will do my best.

We were told about the equality that the people in Native communities participate in, but i never expected it to be like this.  There was no choir, and no priest to lead the service, everyone just kind of...sang.  There was a lot of singing, almost chanting.  The vast majority of the service was in Dene, the language that many people speak here, as well as English.  Since we were sitting around the middle of the small church, we were surrounded by a cascade of voices washing all around us, over us, seemingly through us.  You didn't have to be religious, or speak the language to understand the sense of community, and to feel accepted.

There were two little girls sitting behind Natalie, Ms. Tracy and I, who kept going back and forth between where their mother (I think, you can never really be sure who's mother is who because everyone takes care of everyone else's child) was sitting, to directly behind us with another woman.  They kept looking at us, watching us, and when we would smile at them their faces would just light up. 

We feel like superstars as it is,with people taking pictures of us, asking our names, taking pictures with us, asking for hugs, etc, but this is a totally different kind of special.  It is like we were wrapped in their lives, being welcomed into the religious and spiritual part of their lives.  I have never felt so totally accepted by a group, and many of them haven't spoken to us.  There is an unspoken welcoming, and respect that happened while we were sitting in the church that needed no words, that we felt so deep in ourselves there was no ignoring it.

We are going to go out on dogsleds pulled behind snowmobiles later.  It is really cold and windy out, so we are all dressed warmly. I'm excited for the rest of this stay!!