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Hey stranger! and welcome to my blog. If you scroll down, you will see that I have described 3 different parts of my life that I am very passionate about. Not only does the subject matter relate to who I am as an individual, but the experiences below have shaped me into who I am today. The overarching theme of the three pieces is ‘found objects’. However, these objects aren’t necessarily the material items one would initially expect. The objects I have found, and am excited to share with you, are family, natural beauty, and love. In what follows, I describe how I found family by joining a lacrosse team, how I found natural beauty in the wilderness, and how I found love through music.

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I found Family through Lacrosse

Through lacrosse, I found Family. I came to UBC 3 years ago in 2015 as a transfer student from Langara College. After graduating high school, I was broke and didn’t have the grades required to get accepted into a quality school. Additional to that, I didn’t have the slightest clue what field of study I wanted to peruse. My time at Langara provided me the opportunity to try a variety of classes, which ultimately lead me down a path to study Geography at UBC. I don’t regret this path, but I do feel that I missed out on the classic first year experience that University offers. Since all of the people that I knew from high school that were currently enrolled in UBC were graduating at the end of my first year here (they were smart and got into UBC after high school), I decided I needed to make some new friends of my own; some real University friends that I could grind out the last couple years of my degree with. Since some of my best friends growing have been from playing sports, I decided that I would join a new team. The UBC lacrosse Sports Club. I have since played two years with the same core group of guys on this team and it has been an unforgettable experience. Although we all study different subjects, and maybe wouldn’t mix social circles outside of this team setting, the love for playing lacrosse and being a part of a team is something we all shared.  We’ve since been meeting three times a week for practises and games over these past two years and as a student living away from home, they have turned into a sort of second family for me. All this time spent together has created a special bond between us guys.  These former complete strangers have turned into guys that can now describe my tendencies, my mannerisms, and read my general emotions. When someone is feeling blue and is in need of some comfort in the form of a tap on the back or an ear for listening, the team provides, as a family would. Since lacrosse is played on an outdoor field, this means we play in various brutal weather conditions such as wind, rain, snow, and hail. Although we complain about the discomfort, we continue to endure for each other. For the team. For our family. We experience the collective high from a win together, and the lowest of lows from losing a heartbreaker. We share our off field individual problems in confidence that we will receive help and that they wont be spread to additional people outside of the team. No judgement is made within the team, we are all accepting and understanding of our fellow members. It’s the bond between my teammates that really made my time at UBC special. I am happy to have found a family through lacrosse.

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How a sports team resembles that of a family

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Outdoor Canadian sports

This is a picture of me playing lacrosse in the snow this year at UBC

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Here is a picture of the 2017/2018 UBC lacrosse team

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THE NATIVE AMERICAN SPORT OF BAAGA'ADOWE AND THE SIEGE OF FORT MICHILIMACKINAC (1763 CE)

This is an excerpt from my post: THE COUNCIL OF THREE FIRES AND THE PONTIAC-GUYASUTA UPRISING.

Lacrosse was influenced by the Native American game of stickball that the Ojibwe (Chippewa) called baaga'adowe (“bump hips”). These games were played by many tribes throughout the Americas, usually taking part between villages in an open field with trees or other natural features being used as goals. These games could include as many as a thousand people from neighboring villages, lasting from sunrise to sunset or even over several days. The balls were at first made of wood and later were made from deerskin (leather) and filled with fur, the netting of the sticks were made of deer sinews (tendons or ligaments).

^ Feared by His Opponents by Robert Griffing.

In 1636 a French Jesuit missionary named Jean de Brébeuf was the first European to document the game being played by Huron Natives of the St. Lawrence Valley –he named it lacrosse (crosse, “curved stick”). Though played for fun it was also a way to unite and bond tribes diplomatically or to settle disputes. Being that many of these tribes lived off of the land and depended on every man that they had, warfare was seen as an inconvenience. The design of the ‘lacrosse’ stick is said to be descendant of the war-club, its associations with war are evident as the Natives Iroquoian Mohawks called it the “little brother of war” (begadwe) and the Cherokees called it the “little-war” (da-nah-wah'uwsdi).

^ Ball-play Dance by George Catlin.

The faster players would mingle around the center of the field while the slower ones would dwell near the goals. The ball would be thrown into the air and once caught the wielder would sprint towards the opponent’s goal. The opposing team would strike at the stick to dislodge the ball; this would usually end in injuring or even crippling and killing players. Players that took it seriously would go on diets and training regimens. Some of these ‘lacrosse’ sticks were decorated and engraved to take on the look of animals or their features, such as a snake or an eagle’s talon. A game so cherished that some players asked to be buried with their ‘lacrosse’ sticks. Ceremonies would be celebrated before these games, items collected as part of the wager, and dances would performed both before and after them. The participants were known to decorate their bodies with paint, charcoal and bear-fat –though this may have been done for ritualistic and religious purposes, there is also note of this being done so specific players could be more easily spotted among the large mob of participants.

^ Ball players by George Catlin.

^ The Conspiracy - Fort Michilimackinac by Robert Griffing.

During the Anglo-Indian conflict known as Pontiac’s War (1763–66 CE) the Chippewa (Ojibwe) and Sauks are said to have planned to attack Fort Michilimackinac (British) two days before their king’s (George III) birthday, an event that the British were to celebrate with sports and feasts. The Natives asked the Brits if they would allow them to entertain them with a game of stick-ball, as the game went on the interest of the ‘Whites’ were increased, to the point of them placing down bets on the outcome of the quarter or game. As the game raged on Native women made their way into Fort Michilimackinac under the guise of trading but in reality they were smuggling weapons into the fort.

^ Fort Michilimackinac and the game-field. 

The tactic was going as planned, allowing them to get close to their fort without drawing any suspicion. 

^ The Warriors Game by Robert Griffing. 

“The warriors appeared on the field with moccasined feet, and otherwise naked save for breech-clothes. Hither and thither the ball was batter, thrown, and carried. Player pursued player, tripping, slashing, shouldering each other, and shouting in their excitement as command of the ball passed with the fortunes of the game from the Chippewa to Sac and Sac to Chippewa.”

When the stickball game was at its height of excitement, a player tossed the ball near the gate and the players rushed toward its direction. Once near the gate the Native woman (squaws) that were watching the game threw open their blankets, revealing tomahawks and knives. They quickly captured Captain George Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie that were stationed at the gate and took them into the woods. The other natives rushed into the fort where more squaws (Native woman) had been planted earlier with concealed weapons. Armed with hatchets they swiftly killed and scalped Lieutenant Jamette and fifteen others, taking the other survivors prisoner. The French traders were left alone, but the British ones were imprisoned and robbed. An Ojibwe (Chippewa) chief named Gitchi Naigou (French: Le Grand Sable) wasn’t present during the attack on Fort Michilimackinac but upon his arrival he murdered five of the British prisoners.

^ Bronze Statue at the US Lacrosse Museum and Hall of Fame in Baltimore.

The Ottawas are said to not have been involved in the massacre at Fort Michilimackinac and are also noted as being friendly towards the British, stopping their allies from continuing their slaughter of the prisoners. They then took Captain Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie away to the safety of L’arbre Croche where they were treated respectfully and from which Captain Etherington was able to send a report of the slaughter of Fort Michilimackinac to Major Henry Gladwin in Detroit, asking him for reinforcements and aid but he responded that he was in no position to do so as much of his forces were already spread thin. 

If there are any errors please privately inbox me so I can update it. As always, if you’d like to read or learn about any specific historical subjects just let me know what they are and I will take note of them.

SEE ALSO:

THE COUNCIL OF THREE FIRES AND THE PONTIAC-GUYASUTA UPRISING – This post covers some of the history, culture and religion of the Native American inhabitants of the Great Lakes region of North America, focusing on the Pontiac-Guyasuta Uprising and the Council of Three Fires (the Ottawa, Ojibwe and the Potawatomi); the peace-pipe, the Delaware prophets, Rogers’ Rangers, and some Native battle tactics.

THE IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY: THE “SAVAGE” EMPIRE – The origins of the Iroquois Confederacy, the early wars they were involved in, the effects that disease epidemics incurred upon them, the Iroquoian cultural use of torture, scalping, and cannibalism, the tomahawk and its symbolism (bury the hatchet), as well as the taking of captives during mourning wars and adopting them in order to replace lost tribal members.

THE IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY: THE RED ROMANS AND THE RED COATS – This post covers the religious beliefs of the Iroquois Confederacy, their origin story, their belief in duality (like yin and yang), their secretive and mysterious masked societies, and their involvement in the conflicts between their two great colonial neighbors (New France and the New England) like the famed French and Indian War. I’ll also speak of their involvement in the American Revolutionary War as well as the famed Joseph Brant, a Freemason Mohawk leader who swayed most of the Iroquois Confederates into siding with the British. It is believed that without the aid of the Iroquois Confederacy, North America would now be speaking French instead of English and that France would’ve held a massive portion of the eastern half of North America, leaving a massive battlefield for the French and Spanish to battle over.

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I found Natural Beauty in Haida Gwaii

I found natural beauty in Haida Gwaii. As a Geography student majoring in Environment and Sustainability, I decided I needed a summer job that pertained to my degree and provided valuable work experience for my resume once I graduate. I was provided the once in a lifetime opportunity to work as a Forest Engineer in the pristine old-growth forests of Haida Gwaii. Situated in the north-eastern tip of Port Clements, I would wake up every morning and take a boat across the bay to Collison point. This journey in itself provided me with the opportunity to see surfacing Transient Orcas, Eagles, fish, and various sea-bird species. Once across the water, I would encounter other animas such as Deer, Black Bears, Squirrels, and other bird species. My job consisted of hiking through the old growth forest where I would assess timber grade and collect GPS points that would eventually be used to create maps for the main office. At first, being from Vancouver, I was unsure as to how I would survive without my internet fix that I have grown so accustomed to. Surprisingly, however, I grew to love the feeling of being disconnected in the bush. It made me grow to appreciate the naturally existing phenomenons that nature provided. It was a humbling experience. Without any cell service, and being situated in a small town of about 200 people, I was what they say, ‘off the grid’. Standing at the base of a Western Red Cedar that is over a meter in diameter and has been growing for hundreds of years really put size and time into perspective for me.  Additional to that, living in the secluded island that is Haida Gwaii, I was immersed within the historic Haida culture. Part of my job was to note trees of significance to the Haida people such as monumental trees of certain dimensions and trees that were historically cut for canoe making or bark stripping. It was really eye opening for me to see how a community that is so distanced from civilization could still to this day take part in a lifestyle that is so holistic with the land. It wasn’t until I returned to UBC and visited the Museum of Anthropology that I realised the impact the Haida people have on BC and Canadian culture. The significance is depicted in the works of artist such as Bill Ried, whos “The Raven and the First Men” is a main focus at the MOA. Additional to the art presented at the MOA, The Reconciliation pole that was previously erected on April 4, 2017, outside of the forestry building on UBC campus represents the Haida Gwaii culture as well. Furthermore, the single log that was used was actually located and harvested by the team I worked for this past summer in Collision Point. So by working in Haida Gwaii these past two summers, I have discovered for myself what natural beauty is. Although it presented itself to me in the two forms of culture and the natural environment, I will carry on this appreciation with me for the rest of my life.  

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Unfinished Haida Canoe

Here is a picture of an old unfinished Haida canoe I came across in the bush. When the carver of the canoe dies before the final product is finished, it is left in the woods to be unused, a sign of respect to the carver. 

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Proof that the Haida people are still persistent in preserving their natural land and cultural heritage. Collison Point is where i worked out of

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My partner and a Cedar

Here is a picture of my work partner beside a Red Cedar for scale. This wasn’t even the biggest one we came across!  (He is 6′2′’)

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The Reconciliation Pole at UBC - The company i worked for located and provided the pole for carving.

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Lumberjacks working on the giant redwoods of Humboldt County. California, 1915

via reddit

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The Yan village site. From old Masset, you may see the pole and longhouse across the Masset sound.

#gohaidagwaii #HaidaGwaii #explorebc

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Yakoun lake seen from the sky. Credit: @_adellee_ #gohaidagwaii #HaidaGwaii #explorebc

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I found Love in Music

My first true love: music.  My love for music is more than just listening to my iPod or turning the radio on to break silence during a car ride. Its deeper than that. This love was initiated by my Dad, which gives this topic a sort of sentimental value. He encouraged me to play piano and guitar from a young age which has given me a deeper appreciation for music and the particular process of the actual song-writing. Additional to the the skin and bones that makeup a song, it’s the emotion and the soul that turns a collection of sounds into music. THIS, is why I fell in love. My relationship with music is essentially a one-sided relationship. It always provides for me while asking nothing in return. It doesn’t judge what genre I want to listen to, and it always knows what to say (in the form of other people’s words or experiences). It provides me energy, motivation, and confidence, acting as a sort of legal drug I can ingest through my ears. If I feel joy or sadness in my life, I’m able to pick a song that resembles these feelings in order to either sulk, or promote a positive change. This comfort and reliability that music provides me has created a sort of passion that I will always have and will continually explore. It has led me to dig deeper into discovering things such as the origin of a particular band or the sounds they’ve created, as well as the background stories and events that lead to the meaning of certain songs. In all honesty, this knowledge of music and the stories that accompany it have served me will in my post-secondary career. Whether it be a shared interest in bands during a conversation, or the privilege to handle the aux chord and set the mood for a party, music has been nothing but good to me. Additional to this social benefit, I find that music also serves as an individual benefit, especially to my mental health. For a generation where the idea of mental health has really been taken into consideration as a legitimate issue, I find that when its hard to talk about a topic or I struggle to find the words to say, there will be a song that mirrors my thoughts. I can listen to the lyrics from people who have experienced similar problems as I am, which then reassures me that whatever I’m experiencing is normal and everything will be alright. The raw emotion that listening to a certain song provides can have positive impacts on your mental state. Additionally, on top of all the benefits listed above, and why music will always be my first love, is the fact that the songs I have grown to love will always be there. Sure there are new songs and sounds being created every day, but the songs that I enjoyed through elementary school, high school, and now university, will always exist through the power of the internet. The memories I associate with certain songs will always be triggered once that song starts to play. Once those first notes start, I will instantly be taken down an audible memory lane

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Music as therapy for our health

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/natural-standard/201306/music-therapy-health-and-wellness

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Collectivity

I took this photo at Pemberton Music Festival 2016. I like this image because it shows how people from all walks of life can gather together around a similar interest. For the love of the music.