Rossana Dearchild, CBC, Bert Tallman, and my Dad

I had occasion to spend five hours driving to the city and back the other day. I tend to hear more CBC radio when I’m driving than I normally would. CBC has its challenges, and I’m generally not a fan, but sometimes I hear stuff that almost convinces me that the taxpayer’s annual billion dollar subsidy to the Corpse is money well spent. The occasion that forced me behind the wheel was my sense of moral duty to visit my dear father in his new long-term care digs. I don’t think he cares if I show up, but I feel that moral obligation regardless. He moved in a couple weeks ago, so I’m feeling the guilt. I had the trip cued up twice, and both times wild winter weather interrupted my plans, so it felt good to finally be on the road. Somewhere around Mount Forest, Rosanna Dearchild’s program came on. Dearchild has had a presence on CBC for awhile. She’s a no-nonsense advocate for indigenous rights, and while I respect her, I’m not a regular listener. Most of this episode was built around Bert Tallman, a Blackfoot artisan who crafted jewelry, carvings, sculptures, and such. Bert pretty much spilled his life story. From his early years with his grandparents, who still lived the traditional ways, through the trauma of “the scoop” and the residential school experience. He came through all that and is now somewhat of an elder statesman, not to mention an accomplished artist. One of the things I appreciate most about First Nations culture is how it respects the elders in the community. The older I get, the more I appreciate it. My father was a classic immigrant success story. He got off the boat at Pier 21 in 1956. His first job was shoveling coal. In 1972 he was a real estate broker tooling around in a Cadillac, and successful enough to take his family, which by now totaled five children, on a grand tour of old Europe. He had respect. There wasn’t a lawyer in town who wouldn’t return his calls, in person and promptly. He doesn’t get much respect anymore. What hit me about the Bert Tallman story was when he brought up, very matter-of-factly, that he studies the Bible. My first thought was, how did the Wokies at CBC let that slip through? The second was, how did poor Bert internalize the religion of his tormentor? I was sufficiently perplexed that when I got home, I went on CBC to give the interview another listen. Here’s what Bert teaches me. Although there are people in this world who take pleasure in cruelty, the Creator made every one of us capable of kindness. That’s the Sermon on the Mount in a nutshell. Be kind. I got to Dad’s new pad just as he was coming back, slowly and wobbly, from lunch, with his walker in front of him, and my mother at his side. He shook my hand and gave me a “good to see you.” Then he fell asleep.