Bucket List 2023 Update

April 25, 2023

While I'm in Riviera Maya, Mexico

Have been making some changes in my life and prioritizing my life again.  A lot has happened, my mom passed in 2019, and people in my life have made changes too where it's time for me to do what Shannon needs and wants now...I love my role as kohkom ekwa nikawiy; however, I'm not everyone appreciates how much I honour it.  Therefore, I need to focus on me and make my life shine!

Therefore, adding to my Bucket List and also checking some items off and maybe deleting some...

I was reviewing my Bucket List I wrote in 2010 & one of my initial posts back then and there are many things I would like to change as I've changed.  

Here is the original post but I want to add to it & some I might delete...

 ORIGINAL 2010 BUCKET LIST POST

Bucket List

I have a Bucket List & add to it as I go along.  Last year after attending Choices I decided to have a Bucket List because I want to live life to the fullest & follow my hopes & dreams.  Not that I plan to go anywhere soon, not even close, I just wanted to get my list going & add to it as I continue to achieve and accomplish my list.  In the movie, Bucket List, they had an old crumpled list ~ well my list is virtual on this Blog site.  I hope this encourages all of you to create a list ~ if anything, it keeps life interesting, keeps me focused, & gives me something to look forward to...

SHANNON'S BUCKET LIST:

1. Sky Dive - planned for May 9, 2010 (Mother's Day) with my son on his 24th Birthday.  I'm not letting my baby jump alone. 
2. Learn to fly a plane or helicopter
3. Sponsor 10 people to Choices
4. Be a Choices coach
5. Marry for "love" in front of all our loved ones ~ welcome each other into each other's family - debating on deleting this 
6. Travel to Australia for pleasure
7. Travel to Egypt 
1. See the Giza Pyramid
2. Walk in the Arabian Dessert
8. Go on a cruise
9. Own a communications & socializing business - the plans saved in my head for safe keeping!
10. Travel to a Tropical location with history - Completed May 2014 Hawaii Islands during WIPCE (World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education)
11. Swim with Dolphins - COMPLETED April 28 2023 while on my trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort with my bestie Janice Makokis
12. Complete my second Degree in Education - Completed June 15, 2012 & convocate November 20, 2012
13. See my Technological Invention a reality ~ benefits children & classrooms all over.
14. Have a home totally Environmentally Friendly
15. Influence a life to go after their DREAM
16. Get my Master's degree - In progress from Sept 2016 - June 2019 at UNBQ in Master’s of Arts in Indigenous Languages
17. Cave Exploring
18. Swim in a Cenote - completed April 23 2023 with by bestie Janice Makokis in Yucatan, Mexico.  It was the largest cenote in Mexico of all the 1100 in Mexico. We repelled into it and we swam and zip-lined in it. 
19. Go to every Province in Canada
20. Go to every state in America
21. Teach/be a student in Australia
22. Teach and/or be a student in New Zealand - COMPLETED Nov 13 - 26, 2016 as a student and complete a Master's degree course IYIS 534 in Auckland and Christchurch, NZ 
23. See all the Wonders of the World in person
24. Greece
25. Venice
26. Disneyland
27. Thailand
28. Cuba
29. Costa Rica
30. Scuba Dive
31. Climb the Eiffel Tower
32. Do something totally unselfish - many times & will throughout my life
33. Learn to speak Cree fluently - In progress from Sept 2016 - June 2019 at UNBQ in Master's of Arts in Indigenous Languages
34. Attend Tony Robbins Seminar & walk on coals
35. Have one of my grandchildren named after me ~ this one's in my son's court, hee, hee
36. Have my grandchildren born at home, surrounded by friend's & family using a Midwife & Doula ~ again another of my son & his future loves court
37. Travel across the USA with a travel trailer or Winnebago
38. Be well off financially so I can follow my dreams
39. Live until I am 107.5 yrs ~ not dying near my birthday but hope it's a warm & calm day in the summer, can only hope :) 
40. Die knowing "I lived life to the fullest" & honored my Creator by appreciating this gift of life.  Leave this plain of existence accomplished, loved, & with no regrets & carry the love with me.
• Will I live to realize this list...who knows!

Well this is what I have for now.  I believe I want to spend my years seeing the joys & beauty of life.  My first 20+ years of life were hard and at times I didn't know if I would survive this long.  This is why I CHOOSE never to go back to that place again & CHOOSE to only see a Brighter Future!  Life is a Gift people NOT a RIGHT ~ so HONOR YOUR LIFE!

Published APRIL 22, 2010

Bucket List Revisited

 I was reviewing my Bucket List I wrote in 2010 & one of my initial posts back then and there are many things I would like to change as I've changed.  

Here is the original post but I want to add to it & some I might delete...

 ORIGINAL 2010 BUCKET LIST POST

Bucket List

I have a Bucket List & add to it as I go along.  Last year after attending Choices I decided to have a Bucket List because I want to live life to the fullest & follow my hopes & dreams.  Not that I plan to go anywhere soon, not even close, I just wanted to get my list going & add to it as I continue to achieve and accomplish my list.  In the movie, Bucket List, they had an old crumpled list ~ well my list is virtual on this Blog site.  I hope this encourages all of you to create a list ~ if anything, it keeps life interesting, keeps me focused, & gives me something to look forward to...

SHANNON'S BUCKET LIST:

1. Sky Dive - planned for May 9, 2010 (Mother's Day) with my son on his 24th Birthday.  I'm not letting my baby jump alone. 
2. Learn to fly a plane or helicopter
3. Sponsor 10 people to Choices
4. Be a Choices coach
5. Marry for "love" in front of all our loved ones ~ welcome each other into each other's family - debating on deleting this 
6. Travel to Australia for pleasure
7. Travel to Egypt
8. Go on a cruise
9. Own a communications & socializing business - the plans saved in my head for safe keeping!
10. Travel to a Tropical location with history - Completed May 2014 Hawaii Islands during WIPCE (World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education)
11. Swim with Dolphins
12. Complete my second Degree in Education - Completed June 15, 2012 & convocate November 20, 2012
13. See my Technological Invention a reality ~ benefits children & classrooms all over.
14. Have a home totally Environmentally Friendly
15. Influence a life to go after their DREAM
16. Get my Master's degree - In progress from Sept 2016 - June 2019 at UNBQ in Master’s of Arts in Indigenous Languages
17. Cave Exploring
18. Go to every Province in Canada
19. Go to every state in America
20. Teach/be a student in Australia
21. Teach and/or be a student in New Zealand - COMPLETED Nov 13 - 26, 2016 as a student and complete a Master's degree course IYIS 534 in Auckland and Christchurch, NZ 
22. See all the Wonders of the World in person
23. Greece
24. Venice
25. Disneyland
26. Cuba
27. Costa Rica
28. Scuba Dive
29. Climb the Eiffel Tower
30. Do something totally unselfish - many times & will throughout my life
31. Learn to speak Cree fluently - In progress from Sept 2016 - June 2019 at UNBQ in Master's of Arts in Indigenous Languages
32. Attend Tony Robbins Seminar & walk on coals
33. Have one of my grandchildren named after me ~ this one's in my son's court, hee, hee
34. Have my grandchildren born at home, surrounded by friend's & family using a Midwife & Doula ~ again another of my son & his future loves court
35. Travel across the USA with a travel trailer or Winnebago
36. Be well off financially so I can follow my dreams
37. Live until I am 107.5 yrs ~ not dying near my birthday but hope it's a warm & calm day in the summer, can only hope :) 
38. Die knowing "I lived life to the fullest" & honored my Creator by appreciating this gift of life.  Leave this plain of existence accomplished, loved, & with no regrets & carry the love with me.
• Will I live to realize this list...who knows!

Well this is what I have for now.  I believe I want to spend my years seeing the joys & beauty of life.  My first 20+ years of life were hard and at times I didn't know if I would survive this long.  This is why I CHOOSE never to go back to that place again & CHOOSE to only see a Brighter Future!  Life is a Gift people NOT a RIGHT ~ so HONOR YOUR LIFE!

Published APRIL 22, 2010

My Gift To My Mom 31 Years Ago

I never really thought of posting my thoughts today but I guess I will.

Today is significant for me for two reasons:

1. Today has been 3 months since mom passed and;
2. Today has been 31 years since I decided to live a clean lifestyle.

In a way, today, I kept myself busy because I didn't want to think of what today meant for me. However, as I am sitting still now, it's hitting me.

On this day, I would have called mom and said proudly, "mom, today is another year I'm clean". She would have been all happy and we would have talked, reminisced, and reflected on the years gone by.

You see, my mom sobered up, 5 years before me in 1984 and she always used to gently nudge me to seek some sort of counselling or healing because she never came out and said I was an alcoholic or drug addict, she just used to tell me that I was affected by her and my dad's drinking and drugging and all the violence and abuses. She never said it in a way to place blame or anything, my mom understood her and my dad had their hurts and Indian Residential School really affected them too & as a result, they used their addictions to forget the pain. She used to try get me to understand this, even though I really resented her and dad at the time.

However, 31 years ago, I waited for a call from Poundmaker's Lodge to see if I was admitted into treatment.

Mom in Creston, BC in the early 1990s

So that day, I didn't drink and a few days before that, Andrew (my hubby), carried me out of that club in Edmonton because I was too drunk to walk & that was also the first time my toddler son acted strange towards me, when I got back to my sisters. I woke up on the living room floor with my baby curled up, in fetal position, in only a diaper and freezing against me. It was the worst degrading shameful moment for me. I thought I could "control" it, the drinking, but the truth was in my face.

To make a long story short, on my mom's 43rd birthday (March 23, 1989) we had a birthday dinner for her and my gift to her was to make a wish of her's come true, I would go into treatment & choose a different path for me and my son. It was the best decision I ever made in my life.

My mom was my greatest supporter & she allowed me to volunteer with her as she worked as an addictions counsellor for years in various communities, treatment centres. She worked for so many amazing people that when she had to do training, many times I was allowed to attend, for free, as they understood addictions is a "family disease".

Oh my god, I can't even tell you all the things we did & how we healed, fought, healed, challenged each other, faced our fears, and enjoyed our rewards. I miss her so much at this moment. This day was our moment together. I have never ever been able to thank her enough for how her Sobriety opened up a whole new world for me. 

My mom was amazing and one hell of a Warrior.

I miss you so much mom...but also grateful you're with our ancestors now & free from pain. I will try to keep making you proud while you keep watching over our family & like you said, "you will even kick them in the ass too if they don't smarten up" lol

Sorry so long...just needed to share my heart! One thing my mom told me to never be ashamed of doing, was sharing my heart...we spent to many years surviving & keeping our feeling hidden & for us to live healthy, we need to heal and share our hearts 🥰 - feel life!

My mom was the Bomb! lol

The Genocidal Effects of Saddle Lake Cree Nation from the Canadian State

Saddle Lake Cree Nation

Treaty No. 6 Territory

Organized and Featured by Chief Eric Shirt

When Treaty is not honoured or respected!

In 1876, Treaty No. 6 was made between the Crown of England and the Sovereign Indigenous Peoples of the territory.

However, the same year, the Canadian State of England "Indian Act: was made too and it's mandate was to "assimilate" and "kill the Indian in the child"...

Some of these policies included but not limited too:

• INDIAN RESERVATIONS:
• Indian Act Policies - set up for failure
• Indian Agent Control
• Limit mobility - Pass System
• Withholding Rations - Starvation
• Still being enforced throughout Indian Act policies at Band Administration levels
• "Be a Good Indian" or we will withhold your funding
• Substandard Resources or none at all
• ie. Poor Housing, over crowding
• Lack of Clean Water
• Limit access to all amenities

• INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS:
• Jail Parents if refused to send children
• Children stolen, murdered, tortured etc...

• NWMP / RCMP:
• Overrepresentation within legal systems
• High incarceration rates
• #MMIWG & #MMIMB

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF GENOCIDE: #Intergenerational Trauma

As a result, the continued genocide of the Indigenous Peoples took on another face and here are some results of these acts to terminate the original peoples of Turtle Island.

NOTE: We had well functioning, strong, Indigenous societies before the impact of colonial oppressions.

Treaty is not Indian Act

Honour your part Canada, as the state of England that benefits from these Treaties with the Crown!


Posted Facebook in November 2019

Please watch & share.

Last week we went to Ottawa to meet with the new Federal Ministers, show them this video of the conditions in SLCN, and request new funding for six specific items that will help alleviate addictions, chronic disease, and poverty in Saddle Lake.

I strongly urge the Government of Canada to fulfill its treaty obligations, renew our Nation-to-Nation relationship, and work in partnership with us to address the urgent health and safety priorities in our community.

We are good people.

Hiy hiy,

Chief Eric Shirt
Saddle Lake Cree Nation

Birch Bark Baskets

#Indigenous Education
IYIS 204: Language Learning Through Art & Science

We had an opportunity to learn how to merge traditional arts and science with language learning.  This was done through the practical on-hands experience of making Birch Bark Baskets from start to finish...from going on the land to collecting/gathering all the materials, birch bark, spruce roots, and also this was a great opportunity to try to gather other materials used for dying the spruce roots etc...

I utilized Facebook posts to share my progress and grateful to my peers who shared their progress to add to our collective story of making beautifully creative Birch Bark Baskets.

We had to make two (2) Baskets, one (1) to be gifted and the other for yourself.  We also had to submit a Unit Plan with a minimum of four (4) Lessons to go with this experience...

STRIPPING BIRCH BARK