Through a Jungian Lens

In a moment of stillness, a thin film of ice forms even though the sun’s rays are present.  There is beauty in the crystallization of the surface waters.  The moment is one of relaxation, one of tranquil acceptance of the coming winter.  Yes, there will be cold and ice.  But for now, it is time to sit in the sunshine and to drink in what remains of the sun’s warmth.

Life on the reserve was in tune with nature.  During moments when the weather stormed, the community was extremely agitated.  When moments such as this appeared, the community breathed a sigh of relief and found a way to smile.

This is the second in a series of photos from the fall of 2005 while I lived and worked on a Dene Nation reserve in northern Saskatchewan.  These berries are wild fruit called Ground Cranberries.  Living and working in the southern part of the province I had picked and eaten both low bush and high bush cranberries.  These northern berries were plentiful as I wandered along paths and game trails during hours when work was set aside.

Fruit found in a harsh and rough environment becomes that much more appreciated.  The site where I found these berries was quite close to the 60th parallel that separates the Arctic regions from the western provinces of Canada.  It is a place of rock, water and scrub trees.  The land appears wild and unfriendly, an extremely lonely kind of place.

Yet within this, as within any harsh environment, there is more than first meets the eye.  Looking closely, there are surprises hidden between exposed bedrock and the thin spruce and pine that feed precariously off the thin layer of soil covering parts of the granite bedrock.

There is something here that is reassuring.  On all journeys, even those that are through the darkest of hells, there are small spaces that offer sustenance, food for the soul so that there is hope for emerging from the journey stronger and wiser.