After spending almost two weeks together, it was time to take the last leg of our journey to the reserve.  Alderville First Nation is located on Rice Lake, north of the 401 from Cobourg, Ontario.  The drive is unimpressive and if you’re anything like me, getting off the 401 is a great feeling.  When you take the final 25 minute drive to Alderville, the roads are windy and twist through beautiful rolling hills.  

As we drove along, I looked over at Linda and she had a curious and mesmerized look.  I asked her if she felt like I always do when I get there.  “Do you feel it?  This is our land where we and all our ancestors have been for thousands and thousand of years.”  She simply nodded in agreement.

Prior to our visit, I had asked the ladies at the band office to help Linda purchase some sweatshirts for her 3 kids.  When we arrived, they had so many ready that Linda actually got 6 sweatshirts and a t-shirt.  I could see the excitement that she really wanted to have one of these sweaters for all her kids, like an initial sense of belonging.  My heart was full as she marched out to the Jeep with her arms so full!

When we arrived at the Cultural Center, Auntie Linda was there with her daughter Vicki and Vicki’s daughter Kailee.  I had met Vicki at the Pow Wow a few weeks ago but what a treat to have three generations all together.  We started off with warm hugs and long stares at with both Linda and I standing side by side. 

Adoption can be a labyrinth to try and navigate.  I’ve been going to Alderville since I was a young teen.  Most of my early visits were very much on the down-low and had to do it on my own as a young teen.  I know that Linda was nervous to go.  She even asked at one point, “What if they don’t like me?”.  I reassured her that we are like the lost gems of the family.  We all recognize that what my mother did was hard and we will perhaps never fully know the story as she died before we could meet.  All I could tell Linda was that everyone has always been so kind and welcoming.

Our cousin Vicki is the Cultural Coordinator for Alderville and she had such a nice gift for us.  It was a smudging set, some Red Raspberry leaf and extra smudge in a jar.  As we sat and chatted about so many things, we eased into many topics.  There was no tension, no awkward pauses – just curiosity to try and catch up on a lifetime.

As our visit was coming to a close and we were taking pictures, my auntie looked at Linda and I and shook her head.  I was sure she was going to say how much we looked alike or how we resembled our mother.  Nope, not this time.  She said that we looked exactly like our father.

Wait!!! I did not think anyone knew who our father was.  She said she always knew and she had recently been in contact with him.  Him….Joe Rose.  Joe Rose from Pembroke!  Now the room started to do a small spin for me.  He had come to the area for a recent funeral and Auntie Linda had spoken with him and said told him that Linda and I were in contact with the family.

Auntie Linda was watching us for our reaction.  She asked if it would be ok to have him contact us.  The answer to that was an immediate, “YES!!!”.  And now we wait to finally put this piece of the puzzle in place and hopefully meet soon.  I had never, ever thought about having a father and now the thought of meeting him and finding out what happened 55 years ago.