Meadow Musqua’s family has been hit hard by the Delta variant, as his beloved kokum, his grandmother, and a few other relatives are currently in the hospital, fighting for their lives.
Musqua and his friend Kiana Francis dance for his recovery.
The 17-year-old and Francis have been performing healing Jingle Dress Dances on the lawn outside Regina General Hospital every day for the past week.
“COVID-19 has greatly affected my family. It’s affected me in ways that I can’t explain myself, in ways that make me want to break down every day knowing how much of my family is getting sick, ”Musqua said.
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He adds that his grandmother, an elderly woman, is finally doing better. She feels that the traditional way of dancing and praying are making a difference.
“He could barely speak, catch his breath just by talking, he couldn’t get up and I heard he wasn’t eating,” Musqua explained.
Meadow Musqua (left) danced at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building during a ceremony honoring the remains of 215 children found in a former Kamloops residential school.
Courtesy: Meadow Musqua
She says her kokom’s breathing has now improved and she is moving more now after leaving ICU.
Musqua says that anyone still questioning COVID-19 should realize its severity, get vaccinated if they haven’t already, and follow all health precautions to protect others and limit the spread of the deadly virus.
“It’s not something to laugh at. You can’t go out, people here think it’s a joke and it’s not, ”Musqua said.
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The young dancer says they were initially told by hospital staff that they needed special permission to dance on the lawn and do media interviews there, but as two indigenous people, they couldn’t believe they needed permission to perform healing dances on land. that your ancestors have inhabited for millennia.
“It’s an honor to be here, to be who I am, to dance for the people in a country that was built to bring us down,” Musqua said.
“I just thank the creator for allowing this to happen, for letting us be here, dancing a new day, dancing a new day, being able to be healthy, so that we can heal our elders, our family members and the people. outside of our relationships.
Musqua says she and Francis will continue to dance for their loved ones and others in the hospital battling COVID until they get better.
“Meadow is the strongest person I know, she came here alone the first day, you know she took that first step, she didn’t have to,” Francis said.
“He could have sat and watched, he knew what he had to do, he knows these shapes are true and they help,” he added.
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