February 8, 2008

y job is a funny one at times. But I really love it. I had to go to one thing tonight and got home really late, but I really enjoyed myself. Tonight I went to an event which honoured our First Nations heritage locally. Some of my aboriginal friends (Cree, Blackfoot, Lhtako, Carrier) whom I have known since I moved here, were dancing tonight in their regalia. There were not many of them dancing tonight and they were teasing me to come up and dance as they know I have attended powwow from time to time and I do dance inter-tribals. Tonight I declined... but I love to circle dance with my friends, so it was tempting.

Something which I had learned over the years was that women just do not touch a man's regalia. It is a bad no-no for various reasons. So of course one of my friends pops his grass dancing regalia onto my lap as I am sitting there for my work and asks me to watch it for him while he went to go schmooze with some other people. I figured if it was already 'contaminated', so I may as well check it out closer. I knew that he, his grandmother and his sister did all of the beadwork on it. I had to check it out. His sister made his belt (I presume that is what it is called since that is its purpose). It is beadwork done on a wide strip of leather and it is about 2 1/2 feet long. It is positively gorgeous. A small section of it is shown in the picture up above. The picture just does not do the vibrant colours justice. It is a lovely piece. He has promised to teach me how to bead. I can only hope to do as lovely work as they do one day.