Page 37 - Murdena Marshall: Mi'kmaq Godparents

ISSUE : Issue 60

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/6/1

' mother. She prepares you for pu? berty. And she works with you at the cele? brations and all that stuff. She even helps with the feast. And as you grow up, if you are a rotten kid and you're unable to Left & above: Murdena's godparent, Mary Kendall be disciplined by either grandparents or your parents, or they don't want to do it --the godparent is summoned. And the god? parent takes you for a long walk. And she disciplines you or talks to you about your problem. She's able to look at you objec? tively when your parents can't or when your grandparents can't. Because she's not in the household herself and she doesn't know the circumstances. But she can talk to you as an individual, you know, why you shouldn't do these things.... So she straightens you out, gives you counselling. And that goes on through life. It doesn't stop when you become puberty or when you're a teenager. It continues through life. Con? tinues right to the end. And your godparent is just as important as your parent. And it generates from you the same sort of respect as you give to your parents. And that bond? ing is still evident today. If you ever go to Eskasoni and look at Go- li-Vision--we have our own cable TV. You will see, "To my godchild, happy birthday-- Dagmar's Health & Specialty Foods Offering a Good Selection of: • Spices • Herbs • Baking Supplies • Seeds, Flours & Grains • A Complete Line of Food Supplements Located in The Walkway 539-2213 Cape Breton Shopping Plaza * Sydney River J WtTite JLU. Computerized Wheel Balancing • Complete Road Service 539-5670 265 PRINCE ST. • SYDNEY BPGtoodrteh brunswick- love, godparent." You know. You'll see that all the time. Or something happens to the kid and they'll say, "Congratulations. Love, your godparent." You know? They don't put names, just say "godparent," because the child knows who the godparent is. It doesn't matter if the community doesn't know. It doesn't matter. The one that mat? ters is between the kid and the godparent. It was Christiani tism came about, (godparent). Like godparent, which ing isn't heavy, the same sex. (At have a man and a woman stand for the child?) Yeah. (As the godparents.) As the godparents. That's the Christian form. (But the true bonding....) Is with the same sex. Same sex. The godparent does a lot of things for you. It's just not just earlier in life you're told if you need help, your godparent is there If something hap? pens to me, your godparent is there. If you need anything, your godparent is there. And you utilize your god? parent a lot, as you grow up. And the bond is just unbelievable. (Do you have a godparent?) I have a godpar? ent , yeah. She lives in Sydney River. Her name is Mary Kendall. And it's just unbelievable, the bonding that happens be? tween. ... (She's been your god? parent all your life.) All my life. (Are you free to tell me how a godparent zed, of course, when bap- But we received another --a girl received another is a man. But that bond- The bonding is between baptism they usually flddU'ToU: Flan for... Sunday, Aug. 16 1 P.M. at Ben Eoin Ski Slope 20 km. west of Sydney • An afternoon of some of the best Celtic and Traditional family enter? tainment Cape Breton has to offer. Featuring: Evans & Doherty Cornelia & Billy Natalie MacMaster The Rankin Sisters Celtic Trio with Marilyn MacDonald Jackie Dunn and Tracey Dares and MANY MORE FIDDLERS DANCERS and SINGERS!!! • Guest Emcees Canteen Facilities • Beer Tent Craft Sales • Farmers Market Children's Entertainment Area • For more information, please contact: Dan MacDonald An Tulloch Gorm Society P.O. 80x1833 Sydney, N.S. B1P6W4 (AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING EQUIPMENT IS NOT PERMITTED ON THE CONCERT SITE)

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