ShiloBrats Guestbook

Submitted by
Name: ShiloBrats
E-mail: shilobrats@shaw.ca

Comments:
When I saw the message below from Don (byrd) Awalt, I knew he was posting his season greetings from his native heritage. Don is a Shilobrat from the sixties and his Life Was Calling story is featured in our Special Edition section. My second thought was a lot of viewers may not understand this, so I thanked Don for adding his colour to our Guestbook and asked him what should we understand from this message – Ken Jenkins

Me' tal-wlein Ken ...

You are spot on ... it is a way of saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ... but you are correct about a literal translation for some words ...

Me' tal-wlein [how are you] ...

Etawey [have] ki'l [you] Wli [Merry] Nipi [leaf or needle on a tree] Alasutaman [you pray, literally a back-and-forth conversation between you and spiritual entities who pass prayers on to the Creator] ... how is that for a mouth full ... the same concept as praying through Christ to God ...

aq [and] Pusu'l [Happy] Pana'ne [New Year] ...

Nmu'ltes [see you] app [when or then] ... in traditional Mikmak / Mi'kmaq there is now word for goodbye ... atu' [goodby or adieu] is most certainly of French origins ... I was recently informed this is also true for Ojibway ...

While I'm at it ... there is also Weli Newelewin ... Weli [Merry] Newelewin [Christmas] ... also borrowed from French ...

My dry humour has it that I am saying Merry Christmas in Canadian [Kanata] ... not English or French ... contrary to a well-known infomercial ... Canada does not mean "that village over there" ... instead ... it means "where the quality flint comes from" ... and that happens to be between Quebec and the Saguenay River ... the place where Cartier marked "Canada" on his maps ... meaning it is physically impossible for Quebec to separate from Canada ... it was and is Canada ... and Quebec [kepek] is another Mi'kmaw word ... means "where the tide narrows" ... enough of this babble ... (

)

Just got in from a bomb fire down to West Bay ... a nasty wet, cold wind coming off the Fundy ... was biting to the bone ... good food and good company ... but you can bet we kept close to the fire ... if it is this cold up my end of the Fundy ... where it is a little sheltered ... can't imagine how nippy it must be farther down the Fundy at Eddie and Dan's place on the Manan ... !!

Wela'lin [thank you] for noticing my Alasutaman greetings ... was very much appreciated ... you are welcome to share this with anyone interested ...

e'e [yes] Ken ... aq [and] Ki'kmaq [your family] etawey ki'l Wli Alasutaman ... (

) (

)

Don

Added: December 27, 2021

Submitted by
Name: Dan Wells
From: calgary
E-mail: sdwells@telus.net

Comments:
Hi Liz. I do remember your family across kingston. Hope the years have treated you well. My brother dave still lies in brandon. Have a great holiday

Added: December 22, 2021

Submitted by
Name: don [byrd] awalt
From: mi'kma'ki
E-mail: byrd_awalt@hotmail.com

Comments:
.

Me' tal-wlein ...

Etawey ki'l Wli Nipi Alasutaman

aq Pusu'l Pana'ne ... (

)

Wela'lin aq Nmultes ...

.

Added: December 20, 2021

Submitted by
Name: ShiloBrats
E-mail: shilobrats@shaw.ca

Comments:
Our Christmas theme “When you were a kid at Christmas in Shilo”

Our parents said “They won't know till they're grown, but their best gifts are the memories they're making”, and now you become those memories this year on ShiloBrats Christmas Home page. Thank you for posting your early memories to become Christmas cards in our rotation. :!clap:

Added: December 19, 2021

Submitted by
Name: Liz Mattreck
From: Regina
E-mail: Liz attreck@sasktel.net

Comments:
Dan Wells. I was in the same class as David. We(the Johnson’s) lived across the street from you on Kingston.

Added: December 9, 2021

Submitted by
Name: ShiloBrats
E-mail: shilobrats@shaw.ca

Comments:
If you haven't been to a Shilobrat reunion, you don't know what you are missing, if you have, you know you will be there again, either way, 'This is the one'.
Reunion 2018 set the standard, Reunion 2022 opens the gates! This isn't just a gathering of those who personally knew each other, If you spent any part of your youth in schools, sports, activities in Shilo, it became part of you, there are things we all have in common, we do know each other, you won't be a stranger.
This time we have a theme, the Way We Were, it's just for fun. You don't have to dress up, just fun if you do. The 'Fashion Tips' on our website are extreme, that's for fun too, just come as you are, you know who you were.
Enjoy our Shilobrats Reunion 2022 web site, it will be regularly updated and entertaining.
Better still, come to the Reunion. This is the one!

Added: December 7, 2021

Submitted by
Name: Will Murphy
From: Vancouver Island

Comments:
Hi Dan
I remember having Remembrance Day service inside the Sports Palace. Parade was assembled on the rink. The rink was not frozen of course. ………There was a protocol and direction for all of the families and children. Once the Parade was marshalled and ‘Atten-Shun’was called, it was understood by all that it was to be quiet. Exceptions were allowed. Babies crying out and fidgeting and the occasional cough.
I remember that all Parades especially Remembrance Day were very respected. For sure in the Murphy family. Our family watched many parade square events as well as practice and the mandatory troop drills. I polished a lot of brass and shined many boots for my dad. Not to forget all the web belt dressing.

Added: November 25, 2021

Submitted by
Name: Dan Wells
From: Calgary
E-mail: sdwells@telus.net

Comments:
Just remembering all those cold Nov 11 services. All the soldiers freezing their ears off on the parade square. As soon as dismissed running to the junior ranks to get warm.
In the early years having the air force there doing a flyby.
Memories are great, from an almost forgotten place

Added: November 9, 2021

Submitted by
Name: Dan Wells
From: Calgary
E-mail: sdwells@telus.net

Comments:
livd at 20 Ubigue from 1956 to 1972. then at 111 Kingston from 1972 to 1975
Family was John, Ken,Twins Ray and Ron, Rod, Pam, Shelley, Dave, Dan and Alan. Dad, Wilfred, Was rheme.

Added: November 1, 2021

Submitted by
Name: Ken Jenkins
From: Vancouver Island
E-mail: kenjenkins@shaw.ca

Comments:
What if you wrote down your thoughts and observations about what was going on around you as you made your way through life, and chose a format of verse and rhyme to capture those thoughts like an artist or photographer captures a moment in time. Then in the year of the pandemic you discover this time capsule of treasured thoughts and memories and decide to give it life. The first time you read The Gate and Other Poems on a Life's Journey is to see what it is about, and realize this was also a time period you grew up with similar experience. Now you sit down and read from your memory time capsule perspective and appreciate why he bothered. Thank you Doug Jordan for doing this.

Added: October 10, 2021