Minnie Uniam

If you seek the truth in the thoughts of
Benjamin Joseph Jancewicz,
these are where they reside.
Read no further if you wish not to know truth.Aloha…

I had a dream about Minnie Uniam last night; she was moved out her house on the reservation because she had been evicted. The Naskapi Band Counsel said she could no longer live in her house because her husband Johnny had died and because of the housing shortage they needed her house.

They moved her into a tiny but new house where John Shecanapish’s Tipi used to be.
I went to visit her.
Her eyes were bright, and she fussed over me, feeding me hot raisin bannock with butter and Labrador Tea (mixed with old Earl Grey & Orange Pekoe). She was taking care of her great grandson. I don’t know whose child he was, but he had smooth dark hair and matched his great grandmother’s dark eyes. He toddle around in a diaper and a primary coloured blue shirt with an airplane on it.
Minnie spoke about how her life was hard, but how she was happy the Lord was taking care of her. Her backyard was fenced in, which was rare, (to keep dogs out, she said) but it was still dirt. Toys littered the back yard; big plastic ones and action figures with the arms broken off.
She smiled at me and gave me a hug before I woke up.

I miss her.