Since I can remember I have had a strong affinity to the Native American peoples. I tried to read all I could when I was a child about different tribes. As I grew older, I became a little disappointed that there was not enough written about the Native American to satisfy my interest and further my knowledge on the culture and traditions of such fascinating and proud people. Other than western movies, which mostly were one-sided Hollywood versions, and the occasional really good movies, information was inadequate for me. Even at the libraries there was not much I could find that would help me and I could not understand those biographical/history books that were beyond my level of learning when I was a child. I wanted to know how the Indians lived, how they set up their tipis, what it was like inside the tipi, where they slept, what they ate, how they got their food and from where, how they dressed, how they spoke - I wanted to know everything about them.

I never bothered to wonder why I had this desire to learn about the Native Americans. This was just a part of me that needed to be expressed in some form, and I wanted to teach others what I had learned. When I was a young mother, I really enjoyed teaching my children how to understand nature. I tried to teach them how to live simply and be creative and use their minds and hands to make things instead of just buying ready made items. I began to realize that I was carrying over to my adult life the desires I had as a child, to live in harmony with nature and to learn how to survive by using my mind and creativity, like the Native Americans have done. I also began to write short stories for my children to go along with the small toys I made them. I often wondered to myself: was this the way young Indian mothers taught and entertained their children? Someday, I thought...someday, maybe I will write about the Native Americans myself, to first find out more about their way of life and impart to others how these people survived and what their familiy life was like.

I am not Native American, but I do have a strong desire to learn and pass on to others the histories, and personal stories, culture, whatever I can in order to help keep alive the legends, the peoples and the pride of such amazing cultures. To honour, understand and remember the people of each individual tribe that walked this land before us.

I hope to continue to learn and add to my knowledge and one way I can do that is to write about it. I hope my readers, regardless of their culture, will learn from me and allow me to also learn from them.

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