It didn't have to happen the ways it did

People have lived with these waters
with these trees
with these animals
for a long time.

Guolahan hosted us in this place
where grandfathers of grandmothers ....
have participated in the seasons
surviving, thriving, in this place

looking south west from Bulkley house

It didn't have to happen the ways that it did
the newcomers that brought whiskey and took a generation
after generation
after generation

It didn't have to happen the ways that it did
but it did.
We lived that week
on this land
understanding the intimate legacy of that great disruption
in our lives, in our bodies, in our minds
our spirits

[we spent a week with DueNeh and Guolahan on this land with 8 boys lost to their families, languages, ways of being, land, history. We did this in a good way. Deeply rich and meaningful.]

{click for larger view}

To not name the perpetual colonial realities alive in

our governance, politics, legislation, language, economics

and our own minds

is to give shame/guilt/anger/hurt/sadness 

power over us.

by naming, by not running away anymore,

we shed light on a darkness that we choose to let go.

what happened has happened.

we need to accept this - 

not as right, or just, or ok

but accept that our past was

residential schools

intentional assimilation

racist

Only in this way are we able to come together

Let us be honest

and live together

can you find ben in the alpine?

always click for the full view

Brazeau Lake Loop

Brazeau Lake

Murtle Lake

easy life on Murtle Lake

paddling back into murtle from northern inflow

cold paddle home

Naturally, click for larger images

from utah

click for full view

2010 roadtrip May 31, 2010 by Benjamin Laurie View Album Play slideshow Contribute photos to this album

mountain time

click for larger viewJo and Laura

Laura in the warm alpine above mosquito creek.
Today there was a temperature inversion, so there was warm air holding the cold in the valley bottom, we only climbed about 450 meters, while the temperature changed from about 20 below to about -4. a fabulous day, full of wonder and reminders of unimaginably humbling place.

10 days in

10 days in temagami, and still smilinghooray for laura!

waterslide 1-0-1

jon, lu and ben
a la 3 day hike
algonquin provincial park
waterslide

Temagami, o, Temagami

cycling through memories

here's the campbell mill, a landmark in my brain as a small boy travelling down island,
click on the mill for closer view....

learning to observe

Touring north on vancouver island, feasting on salmon berries north of campbell river, enjoying the view, contradictory beauty, change, changing attitudes.
There are so many views of life, of landscape, and the humility beauty and sky bring me.
Eating dinner with the currents.

backpack roads

20 miles of logging road on a sunday
me and deer and plant life and river
oh river life, some life! that pulled me over and through
places that were new I followed bear creek up, north
passing over to follow west twin river down, north
to juan de fuca straight, my eyes found canada again.

I didn't expect to meet this geography,
and then to meet this land in human form.
Josey greeted me by the beach
a human married to the life force of a place
and to be giving, oh so giving, as the land.

to love a river is to sacrifice oneself to change
change heard in a rivers tumbling stones under water, over winter
change of running salmon, spawning, learning, birthing
to love a river is to reconcile control
to listen

They bolted, chained and cabled thousands of tons of wood
to slow this force, and river collected it all, placing it on a bend
while Josey listened and placed rocks appropriately
letting river do rivers work, protecting his cabin
respect

to listen well enough to a rivers work
is beautiful
and i'm blessed to have met, been gifted and learned from
a man who does such things.

Thanks Josey!

Gifted backpack that allowed me to leave the bike
and adventure the beach...

Stu's reunion hike with Ben

Here is Stu and I on our reunion hike.

Cold enough to freeze
Bright enough to enjoy beauty

Something was hiding in this tree trunk, ready to attack.
photo credit: stu

Poncho enjoying the river.

Christmas Ski

Jo, Laura and I.
climbing up through the trees
towards Wilcox pass

To witness vistas

and to listen

I hope you've all found yourselves
in beautiful place
with people you love

-ben 2008