It was late Fall in Alaska. A time to move on before the frost and the snow came in from the North – a time to go home.
For nine months I had made a living fishing for Salmon in the waters of South Eastern Alaska. Home was an ancient , 50 foot, wooden hulled Purse Seiner named the Katharine S ( a hangover from Alaska’s Russian era). Home port had been Ketchikan on the island of Revilagigedeo. The thought of never again being able to meet the rest of my crew ( who had become family during those long hard months at sea), was painful. Saying goodbye was hard. There were tears, and gifts – a moodstone ring, a few, ancient, white settlers beads and a DreamCatcher.
The DreamCatcher , beautifully crafted , has been for centuries part of Native American myth and folklore. It is said that the Beads represented the soil of the Earth; the Wood, all that grew; the Sinew all that walked; and the feathers all that flew. The DreamCatcher represents all life and relationships within the Natural world.
It is believed that the DreamCatcher , when hung by the bedstead at night , traps our dreams in her web: that the first rays of the morning sun destroys and removes from our dreams and our lives all the frustrations , fears, and uncertainties trapped in our web, and channels all that is good back into our lives. This same DreamCatcher now hangs on our office wall in Madras and on many occasions travels with us outdoors.
