Mike Myers

the ones who did this to his grandmother and make them
ay.
i I know this struggle well; I've gone through it my-
self. His eyes narrow, and you feel the anger coming out of
them. His shoulders are stiff and straight from controlling
the urge to shake and vibrate from the hurt welling up
inside. When he speaks it's from between tight jaws, and
emotional control to not let the venom get into the words.

“What she is telling you is only part of what has
happened to us up here. What she said in Cree is much
more, it’s hard to translate it all. If you could hear it all you
would be deeply affected.”

“Joseph, I am deeply affected. Nelly’s story hits me
asmuchasany story Ihave heard anywhere else. Right now
I have a ball in my stomach from the anger I feel. The point
is, what do you want to do about it?”

He looks me straight in the eyes. “Honestly?” he
asks.

Inod my head ‘yes,” even though I already know the
answer.

“I'd like to shoot someone,” he rasps out through
that cold anger that could turn hot in a split second. It is the
same answer I have heard all over the continent.

Helenislooking atJoseph with aconcernin her eyes.
Shebelieves he is capable of doing it. You can hear the panic
in her voice when she asks, “What would that prove?
You're the one who would end up injail, then what would
happen to your family?”

“Helen, Joseph said he feels that way, not that he
would do it. Quite honestly, I feel the same way. A lot of
times that feeling gets real big inside of me. When it hap-
pens I have to go and get some help to unload it or it feels
like I'll go over the edge.” I say this to calm her panic
because I've seen this reaction before.

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