My name is Marlene Marie Bighetty and I was born on August 25, 1973 in The Pas, Manitoba. I was named after Marlene who was my mother’s favorite nurse. I was raised in Prayer River, Manitoba where my father worked as a commercial fisherman. As a child we moved from Prayer River to Pukatawagan, Lynn Lake, Granville Lake, Leaf Rapids, Thompson, and Winnipeg. As a teenager I had the opportunity to visit Orlando, Florida, Vancouver, B.C, Toronto, Ontario, and Curve Lake, Ontario.My likes consist of playing cards, playing bingo and taking nature walks. I also enjoy the subject English because I find that it is interesting and helpful. My taste in music varies from Country, Rock-n-Roll, Instrumental, and Christian and Children sing-a-long tapes. I like movies that portray true-life stories.
My parents are Hyacinth and Lena Bighetty. My father recently passed away on the morning of November 27, 2001. I have three brothers and four half-brothers and I am the only female child. I am a single-parent to five beautiful children. My oldest child is my eight year-old son Matthew. My second oldest child is my daughter Heaven who is seven years old. My third youngest child is my three-year old daughter Destiny. My second youngest child is my two- year old daughter Sunshine. The baby of our family is my five-month old son, Sunset. I value my mother because she has been such a great help and support when it comes to raising my children. I am very grateful to our Creator for the blessing of such a wonderful family.My dislikes consist of arrogant, self-centered and selfish people. I can’t stand someone behaving like the world should revolve around them. The reason why I am special is based on the same reason why you are special. We are all one-of-a kind and are unique. No one could ever be exactly like us even if they were to try.
The rain was gently falling on my head as I walked home from school for lunch. When I walked into my home my little children that were complaining of hunger greeted me. I found my babysitter asleep on the couch with his mouth hanging open. It was obvious that my children were unattended all morning. I felt rushes of heat come over me as my emotions of anger, hurt and shame flowed within my being. Who was to blame for the way my children felt that morning? Was it me or was it the babysitter? Such sadness filled me when I realized that I might have to quit school once again.
MY BAD DAY
KENO LINKLATEROne of the elders of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation is Mr. Keno Linklater. Keno’s parents were Mr. & Mrs. Angus and Angelique Linklater from Granville Lake, Manitoba. As a young man Keno made a living as a trapper and a fisherman. He served as a councillor of Mathias Colomb Chief and Council
during the 1950’s when Joe Bighetty was Chief. During those earlier years councillors did not receive payment for their elected positions. Within the years of 1953-1959 Keno was a band constable within the community of Pukatawagan. Keno and the late Hyacinth Bighetty both worked as band constables regardless that the jobs offered no monetary payment. In the years between 1967-1970 Keno attended carpentry school in The Pas, Manitoba. From the year 1971-1991 Keno worked as a carpenter within Pukatawagan. Since his retirement from carpentry Keno has been dedicated to the personal care
of his wife of 43 years. Keno and Harriette were married in 1959 and have five children together. Keno is also the stepfather of Harriette’s three eldest sons. Their children Guy, Roger, Frank, Emily, and Beverly have blessed them with numerous grandchildren. The home of the Linklater’s is one that is filled with love and comfort and the joy of children laughing.The eldest member of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation is elder Rosie Colomb. Rosie celebrated her 90th birthday on November 16, 2001. Rosie was happily married for 50 years to Marcel Colomb before he passed away. Since the passing of her late-husband Rosie has not re-married. She and her husband
ROSIE COLOMB
had 12 children and now six children remain. Rosie has numerous grandchildren and many relatives and friends within northern Manitoba. She enjoys sharing her many stories with visitors about the history of Pukatawagan. Rosie is a kind and gentle woman that offers hospitality to all that visit her. Her grandchildren and remaining children provide adequate care for her at this stage of her life. Rosie is thankful for the blessing of her family." Having your marriage arranged by your parents was a common practice in the earlier years. My mother arranged my marriage to my husband when I was a young lady. We respected our parents and all people respected one another. The men did the hunting for the community and when a moose was killed every part of the moose was used. The bones and the fat were used to make lard. Clothing was made from the moose hide such as jackets, pants, shirts, moccasins, mitts, hats and bags. Women in the community had the responsibility of raising the children and taking care of their home. The women prepared the food and sewed to make the family clothes. The women often gathered together to do beadwork where they taught and learned from one another. Back then we did not receive welfare or child-tax (family allowance), we provided for the needs of our children. We only received our treaty payment of $5.00 a person each fall and we made our grocery purchase with our yearly payment. The cost of food was not as expensive back then as it is today. You could buy a lot of grocery supplies with your treaty payment. Today, $5.00 does not buy you very much and you receive welfare and child-tax payments. There is support for families and their children and that’s good. I made the clothes that my children wore and I’m thankful that I have raised them all. My children and grandchildren take good care of me and I am never in need of anything. The people of Pukatawagan are kind and considerate of one another. All people continue to treat one another well and that is good. Thank you grandchild for coming to spend time with me to listen to my stories. I enjoy each visitor that comes and it is always nice to share my life experience."
----Elder Rosie Colomb
Marlene’s Favorite AnimalThe one animal that I find the most fascinating is the wolf. The animal represents to me strength, beauty and freedom. The facial characteristics of the wolf are so strong and the eyes are filled with determination. I can not define the sense of respect that I hold for the wolf. My home is presently covered with many pictures of the wolf and its image has always been a part of our walls. I have always been so amazed with the many different colors, size and attitudes within a wolf pack. I am very impressed with the creation of the wolf because it represents so many positive images within me.
Marlene’s Conflict with NatureMy family and I live in a two-story, five-bedroom house on 7 Kaskew Drive. An electric furnace normally heated our home until the afternoon of December 19, 2001 when an electric fire was created by the work overload of the main box of the furnace. My three young daughters witnessed the unfortunate incident while they were playing downstairs. The furnace breakdown caused my family and I the inconvenience of having no heat at all. The wonderful season of winter was upon us and so was the cold winter wind. The maintenance men of the community came over day after day and worked for long hours trying to repair the broken furnace. The success rate of the repairmen was very limited due to the fact that they did not have the required replacement parts for the furnace. Our home slowly became a huge icebox due to lack of heat and we were in need of an alternate heat source. The electrician was soon sent into our home and he quickly set out to work on the problem. The electrician informed me that wrong rewiring that was completed by the last repairman caused the fire. He then notified me that he could not complete his repair job on our furnace due to unavailable replacement parts. All reasonable efforts to fix our broken furnace were not successful due to missing parts. My family and I were literally left in the cold without a source of heat. The repairmen finally found a way to connect the furnace blower into the electric outlet that made the blower functional. We then were able to make a wood stove fire with logs in order to heat the house. Having our furnace breakdown has not been very easy considering all the work that is now required in order to heat our home. To maintain the fire you must be watchful to insure that the fire does not burn out within the stove. If the fire should burn out you must start it up again from the beginning. For someone that does not normally know how to start a wood stove fire this could turn out to be a frustrating task. The papers and the wood must be set in the appropriate manner if the fire should remain lit. In my struggle with nature the cold has been a very unwelcome visitor within my home. The work and the discomfort that the cold weather has brought into my life have both been frustrating and challenging. Normally, I would not have set out to learn how to make a proper fire but in this case the knowledge was very necessary. The early morning rising and the frequent furnace inspections are all important in maintaining household heat. With the cold north wind blowing and having the snow blinding our view the comfort of a heat filled home is priceless. The continuing task still remains in having adequate amounts of firewood stocked up within the house. Due to not owning an ax or chainsaw I must always inform the woodcutters of the community when I need firewood. Having the assistance of my community woodcutters has a warming affect on my family and I.
Sincerely,
MARLENE BIGHETTY
SUSPENSEFUL EVENTThe most suspenseful event in my life was when I was waiting for the birth of my baby. I was pregnant with my fifth child and my children were all excited to have a new baby brother or sister. For my oldest son this event was one that he had been literally praying for during a long time. My son Matthew was the only boy in our family of five. I had three little girls and Matthew was the oldest of all my children. There were moments when Matthew would corner me in the kitchen and request for a little brother. Matthew would go into detail about the pressures and loneliness of being the only boy in the family. With hope in his eyes he would ask me to get him a little brother. Those moments that I spent with my eldest son were both heart wrenching and painful for me because I did not know how to answer him.
During a discussion with Matthew, I finally told him that I did not know how to give him a little brother and that he would have to ask God because He was the giver of all life. Matthew was satisfied with my answer and then told me that he would have a talk with God requesting a little brother. One day while I was making supper Matthew told me that he received an answer from God and that we were going to have a baby boy in our family. The news was both surprising and amusing for me to hear because I was single at the time and knew that I could not make a baby on my own. Matthew was so certain that I was going to have a baby boy that he went to school and told his classmates and teacher that I was going to have a baby boy. I was questioned by his teacher when I was due to have my baby and we both laughed because I was not pregnant at the time. A year after my son’s request for a baby brother his father and I reunited and started a relationship. Unknown to me at the time we were in the process of receiving the answer to all of Matthew’s prayers. The following year I gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy. For me the event was both suspenseful and exciting because I felt that during this time in my son’s life he had created a relationship with his Creator and had faith in Him to answer his request. The joy that I felt in having my baby boy was worth all the other unnecessary heartaches. I’m thankful that my son was able to experience the faithfulness of our Lord’s love and ability to answer prayer. Matthew is the proudest big brother and he is always keeping track of the baby’s growth rate. He sometimes looks at me with a smile and tells me how God heard him and gave him a little brother.
The End
Marlene Bighetty
PukatawaganPukatawagan is located in the north -eastern part of Manitoba, Canada. The Indian reserve number of the community is 198 and 199. Pukatawagan covers the area of 29,058 acres of land that makes the reserve. The community is also known by the name of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation. The community originally settled in the area known as Prayer River before moving to the present location. Mathias Colomb is under Treaty #6 that was signed in the year of 1875. Mathias Colomb Cree Nation was originally part of the James Roberts First Nation of Montreal Lake, Saskatchewan. Pukatawagan is under the band treaty #311. In the year 2000 the community of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation has the estimated population of 2800 people, 1900 on reserve and 900 off reserve. Members of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation live in areas known as Sherridon, Granville Lake, Sandy Bay, and other towns within Canada. The community is accessible by train and plane within the warmer seasons; there is no all weather road available. Winter is when the winter road opens and allows travel in and out of the community. The elementary and high school have been re-located the total of four times. The first school was where the nuns first taught the children and a larger school replaced it. The large school that was once the center of the community was found to be contaminated with PCP and was evacuated. The destruction of the school was a sad event. Trailers were brought into the community in order to accommodate the need for an education facility. A number of years later the new school was built and is where the children attend school today. The community of Pukatawagan has two stores. One company store is called the Northern store and the other is named the Co-op. The Co-op store is community owned and the Northern store is not. The prices for products within both stores are expensive. The freight charges are included into the price tag. Due to soil contamination or unforeseen circumstances there have been many buildings within the community that have closed down. Buildings that once held the elder care home, child care home for troubled youth, arena, band office, Co-op store are all discontinued programs or departments. A building formally known as the John Clifford Linklater Memorial Center which held the band office, Co-op store, restaurant, was closed due to soil contamination. The youth center and poolroom were both victims of fire. The nursing station was torn down due to contaminated soil. A new nursing station was built in order to replace the old building. A new band office was recently completed made from old trailers that were once part of the old school. The community of Pukatawagan owns a local radio station and an airport. The local radio station is know as CFPX Missinnippi River Native Communications Incorporated 98.3 FM. The airport that is community owned is named Beaver Air and is based out in The Pas, Manitoba. The local airport for Beaver Air within the community is only open during the summer months when they can bring in their floatplane. The community also owns a day care facility named the Marilyn Braveheart Day Care Center, which is located within the new school. There are also numerous small family owned candy stores located around the community. The community receives hydro service provided by a landline. All homes have electric heat and regular water and sewer services. The sanitation department takes care of all the community garbage that is taken to the land fill site. The community is serviced by Manitoba Telephone Systems who come into the reserve once a month. The local school has access to the Internet with the help of a satellite system. Most of the family last names within the community are: Bear, Bighetty, Castel, Colomb, Dumas, Ballantyne, Francois, Grieves, Hart, Linklater, Moore, Nicholas, Sinclair, Weihe, Cook, Charlette, and other names with smaller families. The community has a local RCMP Detachment that offers services on 18-hour bases. The local water treatment plant employs people that chlorinate and treat the community drinking water. The community Post Office is held within the Northern store and mail comes in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The out-going mail is sent on the same plane that brings in the mail. The community is filled with many members that challenge their local government for positive changes to be made for all members of the community. The members of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation have been on many protest marches within Manitoba seeking help and support from the Provincial and Federal Government. The highlights of Pukatawagan re the many strong people that are not afraid to voice their opinions and work towards positive change. The honor of having an elder that exceeded the age of 100 years is a part of the community. Elder Solomon Colomb was more than 100 years old before he passed away. The earliest document that could be found estimated his age to have been over 105 years old. A community member by the name of Hyacinth Colomb received an award from the Minister of Manitoba. The Chief Shirley Castel received a heroic deed award from the government for saving a family from a house fire. I enjoy living in Pukatawagan because this is where my family roots are and it will forever be a part of me. I am thankful to be surrounded by many thoughtful and considerate people.
My Community Burial Ceremony
The burial ceremony within my community follows the Catholic religion standards. The community offers comfort and support to the family of the deceased when members gather together for a wake service. The wake service is held within the home of the deceased or within the home of close relatives. An all night vigil is spent within the home where songs are sung and prayers are shared. There is food that is prepared and given to all that attend. Depending on the family’s decision the wake service can last from one day to two days. The funeral service is one that is attended by many community members. The service is held within the Catholic Church and the burial takes place within the cemetery. There are no known cremations that have been done as a chosen option to being buried. Many families within the community are Catholic believers, Christian or Traditional followers. Our community burial ceremonies are based on the taught faith and religion from the Roman Catholic Church. Many families within the community are set within their ways and are not open to options or opinions.
MEMORABLE HUMAN CONFLICTThe memories of human conflict that will forever remain with me are the events of September 11, 2001. The plane hi-jacking and the building bombing were both overwhelming and surprising. I cannot imagine how a person could hold so much authority and power over a number of people and be able to destroy so many lives. The effects of that day will forever be felt all over the world. The other situation that nvolves human conflict concerns my community chief and council going against our local health authority. The inner of this disagreement is yet to be witnessed due to continuing talks. Our community is under a great financial strain and all members feel that the chief and council should leave the finances of the health authority untouched. The health authority has been functioning without an outstanding debt and should remain that way without outside interference. My home is often filled with many instances of human conflict when my little children go after each other and fight. Each child is determined to get his or her own way and the other will not budge. The moments are filled with serious tension because each believes that they are the victims. As a parent I become the mediator between the two or three children and work on getting them reconciled. Human conflict is an everyday experience where I encounter the different opinions of others that will not allow for disagreement. There have been moments where I have felt discouraged at the extent that human conflict has taken down my people. Our race has lost many resources that have been taken by the overbearing pressures of other societies.
THE YEARS GONE BYMy childhood was filled with simple pleasures. I was raised by my parents at Prayer River and I eceived toys to play with that were live animals. My dad would catch us little baby ducks and give them to my brother and I to play with. Sometimes we would receive little baby bunnies or other types of birds. As I grew older my parents then began to give me regular store bought toys when we moved into Pukatawagan. As a child I ate many types of wild food and enjoyed the many flavors. My family and I once ate beaver, moose, caribou, rabbit, duck, wild chicken, and different types of fish. At my home today we are lucky if we even receive a rabbit for supper. The reason is because my dad was once the
provider of our household and having him gone leaves us without a hunter. I miss the many types of dinners that I always enjoyed as a little girl. When I got older my surroundings changed from the wilderness to the reserve life. At our old home my mother and baby brother was all the company that I had. When we moved to Pukatawagan there were more people to play and spend time with. As a teenager my personal view of life changed when I realized the difference between my old lifestyle compared to where I was then. My interests went into other areas such as education and entertainment.
LEAVING PUKATAWAGANAs a single mother to young children I cannot imagine leaving Pukatawagan and moving my family. The stress of the city life would only be added pressure. My youngest child is too young to enter into any daycare facility and would require a babysitter. One major difficulty in attending school in the city is finding a reliable babysitter. In my younger years before I began having children I attended Robertson Career College and was taking radio broadcasting. My regular classes began at 8:30 a.m. and I had to catch the earliest bus from where I lived. Due to the distance I rarely ever went home for lunch but stayed at a café near the school. The traffic within the city is also something that I do not care to be a part of. Since I do not own a vehicle I would be required to travel in the city bus with all my children. I am sure that traveling within the city limits would be very uncomfortable for us all. City life does not appeal to me at all due to the many changes that it would require. All details concerning living in a safe environment, renting a low priced house, and having department stores near by must be met. Life within Pukatawagan is comfortable and appropriate for my family. All our support services within our family are also living in Pukatawagan. The help from friends is never too far when needed. The slow moving pace within the community allows us to relax and enjoy our surroundings. Maybe one day when my children have grown older and more independent I will relocate all of us. At this point in time there really is no hurry to go out and live somewhere else. I enjoy the time that I am able to attend school within my community with the support of my family.
More About MarlenePersonally my interests in life have changed throughout the years. I value more of my life than I once did. The gift of becoming a mother has allowed me to grow more within myself emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Having the opportunity to look into the trusting loving eyes of each of my babies at their birth was inspiring and encouraging. Knowing the reality of the responsibility that has been given to me as a gift truly is a humbling experience. I am strengthened within my heart each time that I see my children grow more independent and responsible. The beauty of a created human being is truly amazing to me. I am thankful to have a Creator that gives us such beautiful and precious gifts.
My most memorable place is the church that I lived in at Prayer River with my parents. Before relocating to the present location known as Pukatawagan; the community members of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation once lived in the area known as Prayer River. After the community relocated my father bought the Prayer River community church from the departing priest. I remember the old musty smell of the church pews and hardwood flooring. The ceiling was so high that it strained my neck when I stared at the ceiling. In every corner of the church were tall statues of Jesus and Mary and Joseph. As a child I was told who they were and also of their availability to answer prayers in time of need. With little knowledge and childlike faith I often ventured into the forest alone or with a friend. The large dark trees with branches blocking the sun made nature walks a dark journey but I was not afraid. As I grew older I learned the importance of prayer and faith.
My Memorable Place
YOUYou are one- of-a-kind. No one else in the world looks exactly like you. No one thinks exactly the same way as you do. No one else can ever feel your exact emotions and feelings. No one talks exactly the way that you do. You are special and your children are also one- of- a- kind because they are a part of you. You choose your destiny with your choices. Your choices effect your life. Your choices either hinder or hold you back or help lead you towards a brighter future. You do not have to be the victim of your circumstances. Example: "Oh, this is the way its always been this is the way it always will be." You do not have to be the victim of another person's disrespect. The strength and the courage to overcome all obstacles in your life are within you. Each and every individual has the ability to stand strong and achieve all that they want to achieve. There are times when we need a friend. There are times when we need someone to lean on. Those moments are not to be seen as moments of weakness but of true inner strength. It is okay to ask for help, it is okay to need help. Never allow for the weakness of pride or arrogance to stand in the way of receiving needed help. Do not give up on the goals that you aim to achieve because if you don't aim for the best no one else might be able to do it, remember that you are one-of -a- kind.
CECILE (WAPOOSE) BIGHETTYThis is my grandmother Wapoose and she is 81 years old. My grandmother comes from a large and close family. The love between her and her sisters and brothers is very evident when you spend time with them. My grandmother was born on June 30, 1920 at the trapline of her parents. My grandmother is the mother of my late-dad. I love my grandmother and I'm thankful for her wisdom and strength.
