A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Thank you Randy for helping an elderly lady get into her car at the clinic when the storm hit last Thursday. D. Thompson...
by Melinda Myers Make every day and summer gatherings special with the help of garden-fresh flower arrangements. You will be sure to generate smiles from family members and guests when including fresh flowers on the dinner table and other spaces in your home. Gather your flowers in the morning after the dew has dried whenever possible. The temperatures are cool, and the plants are hydrated. The evening is the next best time. But don't hesitate to harvest flowers right before guests arrive or whe...
Niawen The family of the late Catherine Edwards would like to thank all of Akwesasronon for their expressions of sympathy, kind words, big hugs and even funny stories. We’d also like to acknowledge the following local businesses: Crazy Daisy Floral Studio, Cheyy’s Place-Cousin Jonathan for all his help; The Brass Horse – Mitchell and partners for being just absolutely kind and thoughtful. The friends, neighbors and cousins who sent food and monetary donations, we’ll never forget that! Much love to the wonderful nurses & Doctors at Malone...
By Doug George-Kanentiio. The Six Nations Survivors Secretariat sponsored their annual residential school conference June 27-29 on the Ohsweken Territory with delegates coming from across Canada. The three days had presenters from Parks Canada, Know History, the Woodlands Cultural Centre, and the Secretariat, Laura Arndt. The intent was to share information and create standards for the location of the burial grounds on residential school grounds, to identify the children who died in those schools, to arrange for their return home and to hold th...
By Paul Hetzler The eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) isn’t really a crop-bearing tree, but it has borne priceless “fruit” for American democracy. Physically as well as culturally massive, there are many accounts from the early 1800s of white pines over 200 feet tall being harvested. One credible report pegs a white pine at 247 feet, and unverified accounts have claimed that 300-foot-tall leviathans were cut back then. It’s a long-lived species, with 400 years considered a rough maximum. Working for a tree service in the Adirondacks in the...
by Melinda Myers Wilting, yellow leaves, or stunted growth means it is time to look around your landscape and surrounding landscapes for clues. A common cause of these symptoms is the black walnut tree. This native tree, prized for its lumber, makes gardening in its vicinity a challenge. All parts of this tree including the fruit, leaves, and branches contain juglone and the roots can also excrete it into the soil. Juglone-sensitive plants exhibit symptoms and even kill tomatoes and their relati...
If you’ve wondered what awful new malady has struck our oak trees this spring, resulting in shriveled, deformed and dead leaves, the answer is chilling. Literally; as in cold. A hard freeze on the night of May 17-18 happened at just the right – or wrong – time, catching oak foliage at a critically tender stage. Since trees can’t change their locations (to my knowledge, at least), I guess you could say that oaks were in the right place at the wrong time. Periods of unusually warm temperatures between April 12-22, and again from May 6-13, e...
by Melinda Myers Don't worry if the rest of your family does not appreciate the spicy heat your favorite hot peppers add to entrees, beverages and desserts. Proper pepper selection, care and preparation can help you turn down the heat as needed. Hot peppers' spicy heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units named for Wilbur Scoville. The level of heat was originally determined by a panel of individual tasters. Chili peppers were ground and added to a sugar-water solution. The solution was...
Dear Akwesasne, A Soldier's Letter Home She:kon, sewakwekon Akwesasronon, I thought of writing this letter because it has proven difficult to remain in contact with everyone over the years. As I think about it, I have been gone for over 20 years and many of my elders including my father, Lester Cook, have moved on from this world. I wish I would have been able to come home more and regret the time I have missed with everyone over the years. I have served in the U.S. Navy as an Engineman and the...
After many months (five-plus where I live) of winter whiteness, it’s a relief to watch the snow melt at last. We’re always grateful, even though the loss of snow cover gives way to a mostly brown world: brown grass, sand everywhere – even brown pine needles along the roads. Not to mention the leaves, trash, or dog poop that was mercifully hidden under the snow. Those few sepia-toned weeks after the white stuff disappears and before trees and grass wake up can be visually bleak. That’s probably why I’m always so happy to see bright yellow co...
by Melinda Myers Bold color, tropical beauty, and easy-care mandevillas make excellent additions to patios, decks, and gardens. Train them onto a trellis, allow them to cascade from a hanging basket, or combine them with other plants. Enjoy summer-long blossoms and the butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators that stop by for a visit. Once divided into two different groups, dipladenias and mandevillas, the botanists now consider them all mandevillas. You will find both names still in...
by Melinda Myers Don't let your spring garden enthusiasm lead to overplanting and the creation of a summer gardening nightmare. A design with maintenance in mind and some strategic care can help reduce the time you spend managing your gardens and landscape. Consider using fewer plant species when designing perennial flowerbeds. Increase the number of each to boost the visual impact of the garden and reduce maintenance. You'll have fewer species to manage, identify and differentiate from the...
by Melinda Myers Look to the garden when struggling to find the best gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, or other occasions. A gift of plants, seeds, or gardening tools and accessories provides months and years of beauty and enjoyment. With so many options it is easy to match the gardening gift to the recipient and your budget. Plants are always a great choice for gardening enthusiasts. Small, more affordable plants are fun for gardeners to tend, nurture, and watch grow. Giving...
Adopt a "Master Backyarder" mindset to maximize backyarding benefits when you have a small yard...or none at all ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Backyarding is the practice of taking everyday activities – think entertaining, eating, working, and working out to name a few – into the green space around us. Even those living in an urban setting with a smaller yard – or no yard at all – can enjoy the benefits of backyarding, according to the TurfMutt Foundation, which advocates for the care and use of yards, pa...
by Melinda Myers You take a walk through the garden and find branches trimmed, flowers missing or bark damaged. Of course, the culprit is nowhere to be seen. You may have suspects in mind but a close look at the damage and surroundings can help you identify who is dining on your plants. Knowing this can help you reduce the risk in the future. Rabbits can be found year-round in the landscape. They have sharp teeth, making a 45-degree clean cut much like your bypass pruners. Their damage usually...
By Paul Hetzler The decline in children’s mental health during COVID-19 restrictions is a poignant reminder that we’re a social species, hardwired for contact with others. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is spot-on. Whether a literal village or a caring community within a city, we all – children especially – need regular interaction with peers and supportive mentors. In a different sense, but true nonetheless, it takes a village to raise a forest. In this case, the “village people” include mice, birds, and squirrels. When...
by Melinda Myers Keep your favorite herbs within easy reach for cooking and seasoning by growing them in containers. A few pots set by your door and grill or on the patio, deck, or balcony make it easy to include some homegrown flavor. Start by growing those herbs you like to use for seasoning food and beverages, making pesto, or preserving. Include some with fragrance for a bit of aromatherapy or for your craft projects. Make sure the plants you select will thrive in the amount of sunlight in...
By Doug George-Kanentiio. The people of Akwesasne will be deeply affected by the current, secret negotiations regarding New York State’s theft of Mohawk territory. But just as with the Dundee deal, the plan is to present to the community a settlement proposal after a compromise has been reached and it will then become an “all or nothing” feared based cession. This is coercion, a trap set by the US and New York State to compel the three councils to concede on the most vital elements of our ancestral land rights-specifically jurisdiction, land...
By Doug George-Kanentiio. A seven-member team of Akwesasronon attended the fourth National Gathering on Unmarked Burials in Toronto March 27-29 in Toronto. The event was coordinated by Kim Murray of Kanesatake, Canada’s Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with residential schools. Over 500 people travelled to the city from across the country to give testimony, exchange ideas and develop a collective movement to locate the residential school graves, identify the buried children an...
by Melinda Myers Deer are common visitors to landscapes even in urban and suburban areas. Fencing is the most effective way to protect your plants but is not always practical or desirable. Your community may have restrictions on fencing, your budget may not support this option, or you prefer not to hide your plantings behind a fence. Growing a beautiful garden despite the deer is possible but takes planning, persistence, and flexibility. You must be willing to change strategies as needed to...
By Diane L. Lauzon On the 20th of this month, via email, I had notified your Tribal Court; on the 21st, your Tribal Clerk; and on the 22nd, all your Chiefs and sub-Chiefs. I had even offered up my own blood. I heard nothing. My great-grandfather had been someone your forefathers had revered so much, that he had been offered land and upon which, he had then resided. I had been told that he had helped your ancestors out a lot. However, that did NOT make him Native American. Consequently, that makes me non-Native, though I am enrolled with your Tr...
On Saturday morning we planned on going swimming after house chores were done. The children worked hard to get their chores done, then we headed out right in time to get to the Aquatic Center in time for public swimming. Unfortunately, they were to max capacity when we got there, then the second swim was also maxed capacity. I felt hmm, no problem we’ll find someplace else, WRONG! Nav Can hasn’t had an operating pool since 2020, unless you want to drive to Point Claire there is no other public swimming pool close by. There’s no arcade close by...
By Paul Hetzler We all know that foods like beans and cabbage may give us gas. There is one case, though, where gas gives us food. Fortunately, it’s not the same kind of gas. From roughly mid-February through the end of March, carbon dioxide gas helps dispense an indispensable culinary delight. Yep, maple syrup is gas-powered. Apparently, the only reason maples run in spring is because their sapwood is charged with tiny gas bubbles. Carbonated wood – what’ll they think of next? A couple of decades ago, science was at a loss to explain how s...
By Paul Hetzler The search for a way to restore youthful vigor dates back at least to the writings of Herodotus in the 4th century BCE. The pursuit continues today, though in the domain of science, rather than guesswork. Among the best-known historic quests to reverse the aging process was Juan Ponce de León’s fabled hunt for a “Fountain of Youth” in the Caribbean. Having driven a few million native Tainos to early graves in Spanish silver mines, Ponce de León sailed away in 1521, reportedly seeking this magic water. Alas, Ponce de León wa...
by Melinda Myers Boost the beauty and your enjoyment by adding a fountain, birdbath, or other water feature to your balcony, deck, or landscape. This one addition to your outdoor space provides many benefits. The sound of moving water helps create a sense of peace and relaxation. It is a form of white noise that helps calm the mind and revive your spirit. It also helps mask noise pollution. Combine water features with strategic screening to create a quiet and private space. Water is also a...
