Payout

For a brief history lesson here is a quote that summarizes a lot of the recent history of GN's interaction with the larger Canadian culture in the last generation. It is true. You can google any of these issues yourself and find many reputable sites and reports of all the the events below. I have done it to learn about where we were moving to last summer. However, I am using a quote because the authors of this site put it very succinctly.

"In the 1960s and 1970s, the Ontario government allowed pulp and paper companies to dump tons of methyl mercury into the rivers of north-western Ontario. People of Grassy Narrows First Nation got very ill with mercury poisoning. Twenty years later, the community still feels appalling health and social effects. They have suffered other environmental assaults beside mercury poisoning: in the 1950s, Ontario Hydro manipulated the water levels in the rivers in order to generate "clean" hydro power, and wiped out the Grassy Narrows wild rice harvest. And today, the Province of Ontario has licensed Abitibi to clear-cut in the Whiskey-Jack forest, traditional hunting and trapping grounds of the people of Grassy Narrows. To stop the destruction of their hunting grounds, the people of Grassy Narrows have blocked the roads into the forest." taken from http://www.air-fair.org/principles.html

One of these acts resulted in a payout to the GN First Nation that is in a trust for the people of GN. Each year there is a payout day where GN residents are able to pick up their share of the trust for that year. Payout day is a big deal here in Grassy. We had no school yesterday so that all community members (including school staff) could pick up their checks, which need to be done in person.

For my students, Payout is on their minds for more than week before the day, putting Christmas in the shadows until it passes. They have big questions on their minds; how much, what will I do with mine, will we go to Winnipeg, and so on.

Before Payout day, I suggested to my students that they use some of their payout money to get warm winter gear- which many of them have not worn yet. The temperatures dropped to -24 last night (before wind chill). This morning it was a brisk -22 when we left the house. I was delighted to see many students walking into the school this morning with new boots, coats, hats, mitts, etc. They looked warm!

Then I realized that this same thing happened last year. Winter arrived, but winter gear didn't show up on many students until after payout. Of course, there are the stubborn (or maybe just crazy) few who insist that they are not cold at twenty below in a hoodie and sneakers, and who never wore a winter coat to school all year. Is there some award for being super tough? But many students looked so much happier heading out for recess this morning.

So, even though it means a few days that are super-unproductive (as many students aren't here for payout day and the day afterwards), I am glad for it. I want to see warm students outside enjoying the fun of recess.