Airport Security might not appreciate my sentimentalism

It is unlikely I will get arrested, but I am worried that I will be detained by Airport Security tomorrow. In my checked suitcase, I have 15 little deer hide baggies with sacred medicines.

My friend and seasoned world traveller Dana "Wacky" Biernacki suggested we might want to bring small gifts to give to friends we meet in Europe. In the past she made "CAN" "ADA" Dry earrings and brought a box of 48 Maple Leaf lighters.

With this in mind, we bought some Canadian themed Dollar Store items, but les pieces de Resistance were missing. I wanted to create something that shared our home in a more meaningful way. I stopped at the Trading Post at 10-Mile Point. Inspiration struck: a compact, significant piece of Manitoulin that we could make ourselves. I bought some supplies, texted Mark and Jocelyn to gather others, and stopped by Lillian's Crafts in M'chigeeng for some beads.

Mark quietly suggested that mine might not be a good idea. Baaa! It is brilliant. I did realize that an explanation card might be necessary. I designed a card to explain the significant of the bundle.

Then we started our assembly line: I cut the squares of deer hide, Jocelyn and Cassie placed sweetgrass, sage, tobacco, and cedar on each square, Cassie and I tied the bundles. I attached the explanation cards, and we added the beads. Each medicine pouch looked amazing. I compacted them into ziploc bags and put them at the bottom of our checked baggage.

So these gifts will be a wonderful momento to share with European friends or they will be a source of angst at the airport tomorrow evening.

Yana

~ Posted in the midst our newest adventure ~

Location:Toronto, Ontario