Eastern Door Volume 9 Number 25 Story 1

Volume 9 Number 25

July 17, 2000

Memories of '90 that long hot summer

By: Helen Montour

I remember that morning of July 11, my friend called me at approximately 7 to 7:30 a.m. and said "Helen, the roads are blocked." I said what? "I'm coming over," she said and I remembered feeling excited and worried all at the same time. We took a ride around town and it was true, All the roads were blocked.
As the weeks passed things got rougher, less food, waiting at the canoe club for gas that didn't arrive, sometimes sneaking out to get bread and milk. I did it a few times, took my chances. I was lucky, going out to get my friend and the kids at the bus station. We came in on the 207 and the Army was there searching everything and some were crawling in the tall grass. We laughed at that, and thought they were looking for ground hogs or something. One Army guy was digging in my friend's clothes and had her bra in his hand and she said "Oh, do you want to wear it?" It was funny, then they let us go into town. At this point I said to myself that I didn't want to go back out.
I remember a reporter near the church who asked us what was the food situation and we had a mouth full of cookies and we showed him. Cookie crumbs were falling out of my mouth and we said "Well, we're eating cookies," and we left. I said "What a dummy." I don't think that he wanted to interview us because all we did was laugh. I guess that it was a stupid question. Here we were low on food and people were throwing vegetables at the SQ or Army. I forget which, because there were so many here. We were the ones blocked in and the outside wasgoing crazy.
I laugh when I hear the song, "Under pressure", by Queen because it makes me think about the food fight at Bonimart.
I had worked for a few weeks until the restaurant ran out of food, and I can still see the faces of people being turned away. It was really sad to see a lineup for pizza. I got my last pay and my boss said "Leave town." I told him "No way", at this time the Army was coming in and people were preparing to evacuate. I sent my daughter out over the bridge. Boy what a mistake! She was safer in town. I'm really sorry for that.
After the bridge was open, my daughter said "Mommy, the bridge is open. Let's go throw rocks," and I really wanted to say yes, but I decided that we wouldn't lower ourselves to the outside. We were the ones who stood strong and were able to handle it. The scars are there and probably always will be, but I learned something about who I am. When I was young I didn't want to be an Indian. Today I am very proud and in an off-beat kind of way I miss '90 because it showed us how to take care of our families and we got more exercise and looked after our neighbours and cared about the town.
It's a shame that things happened and people suffered, but I do miss the quietness on our roads. Other things happened, but I can't relay them at this time.
My thoughts will always go out to Naughty Nat. She stood by the radio and encouraged us all day and every night with her words and the songs that she played. She's a tough woman. I think of her when I hear the song "What a wonderful world." I'm very glad to know her. Nia:wen Natalie. Nia:wen