Lennox Island to Lennox Island, PE
Traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq
4 km
On-and-off again rain, 12 ºC
We spent the day in Lennox Island First Nation, and the day was full of people and stories. Interviewed the community planner and leader of the local drumming group, met with a social worker, stepped indoors with a local potter, tried to help a boy fix up his bicycle, and crossed paths with the laughter of the receptionist of the Lennox Island Band Office multiple times in between. Spent the last few hours of the day with young members of the drumming group listening as they recorded their music into a heavy rock song written and performed by one of their own.
The day was also a challenging one. I watched the waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence roll against the island sand and listened to the Chief speak about organizing to protect the island from rising sea levels. I heard about drug addiction and what it feels like to lose community. I read in the news about Trump abandoning the Paris Agreement, South Sudan facing famine, the federal government rejecting a report on electoral reform. A fourteen-year-old friend of mine tried to kill himself and is currently in the hospital.
I’m not trying to complain, I’m just saying that’s what it was. The rain on the roof of the tent seems fitting. Tomorrow’s a new day.