Journey to Ministikwan
by Elaine Enns
The mighty South Saskatchewan (Cree, kisiskāciwani, “swiftly flowing river”) bisects the heart of Saskatoon, where I grew up. As a teenager, in summer I would swim and play in it (though forbidden because of dangerous undertow). It flows through my soul, pulsing alongside the genetic currents of my ancestors, its reflections of wild lightning storms and fall colors imprinted on my soul as home. So too the memory of walks with my parents along its banks (which thankfully have been preserved as public space by the City of Saskatoon). It defines my inner landscape, alongside other memories of my bioregion: dancing northern lights and the ghostly call of loons; the magic of fireflies and a luminous harvest moon; the smell of autumn and feel of grain flowing through my hands; the stillness of falling snow.
— edited excerpt from Healing Haunted Histories (157-158).
My love of the people, landscapes, flora and fauna of Saskatchewan is deep. This summer Ched and I again experienced its beauty as we traveled around the province by road and by water. The drive to visit Harry and Germaine Lafond at Muskeg Lake First Nation has become familiar. About 65 km north of Saskatoon, the highway descends abruptly into the majestic North Saskatchewan River Valley at Petrofka Bridge.
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