For some reason, I need to tell the story of a sparrow hawk.

This happened when I was very small, I don't remember the hawk, I was less than a year old.

We were out in the bush(as my mother tell us) one summer, and she found a bird with no feathers, very sick and near death. She wrapped the bird up in an old towel and brought it back with her. She cared for that bird until it was well and had all it's feathers grown back. She never kept it in a cadge, and it would sit on my head and glare at anyone who would come close, except my mother. Even outside it wouldn't leave my head. Time passed and the hawk was strong and well.

When word got around that we had this visitor, a conservation officer was sent to our house and told my mother she had to let the bird go, it was a wild animal.

She told him of taking the bird in a car, way out in the bush and letting it go, only to find the bird waiting for her at home. She had done this three times and every time the bird was back before she got back, what could she do?

The officer took the hawk and put it in cadge and we never found out what happened to it. Was it freed? But that was the way then, you didn't have to tell an Indian anything.

Now, when I look at the old photos, I can see that Sparrow hawk watching out for me. Sitting on my head and staring at the person taking the picture.

I still feel that spirit watching over me.

For those that don't know what a Sparrow hawk is, one of the smallest predatory birds, kills small birds(sparrows)and mice.

Be gentle with our spirits