Father's Borkum Riff

There is always that certain song, that certain smell that takes you back to a memory. The smell of my dad’s certain tobacco, trips me back, with my eyes tearing up. There is this place in my soul that is protected by his tobacco, for all of my life. I carry it with me everywhere, never go without it. In Wisconsin, there is no sage or corn pollen but tobacco and cedar. My dad would smoke a pipe with Borkum Riff tobacco and that smell of tobacco is something that will never leave me. His home, our home on the rez would smell of his scent that was of tobacco. In my homes, I would burn our cedar with the tobacco. And pray. My father would protect from all those many miles away. I would open my post office box to an envelope of our cedar back home. Still fresh and soft.

My dad and I would go fishing together and the first thing before all else would be to light his pipe. The smoke would keep the mosquitoes and gnats away from his face while we were out on the lake or river. We would go night fishing, my favorite and I could always see his pipe burning and the scent, and I would never lose him in the night. There was always loose tobacco in our fishing basket to bless the fish, and we would always spread tobacco in the river before and after we fished, thanking the river. Tobacco is my thanks, for everything today.
There is something about this scent, that when I was in the parking lot yesterday and smelled his favorite tobacco, I was suddenly back on the rez, in our trailer, warm and protected surrounded by my forest. We are one of the few tribes that are lucky enough to have our reservation where we resided before the white man came. I know that my ancestors are out there, protecting my family and I. I know that I have to be away from my land in order to help my people and the tobacco, makes it possible. All the miles that are between me and my land, are hard but tobacco is always on my journey with me to be my land away from home.

I can relate to a plant, a plant for protection, a plant for wellbeing, a plant for happiness, and for that I am blessed.