On the foyer of the Omaha Indian Health Clinic, one can see photographs of their ancestors who went to Paris in 1898 and they were away for nearly two years and they all came back without any loss of life.
The photograph you see behind me was taken at Parque Neuilly in Paris and I had the honour of standing at this very same spot.
Also at Musee Branley, inaugurated by Jacques Chirac there are memorabilia of Omaha Indians and their contact with the French traders.
Recently I have realized that while I am away from the Omaha much of the time, I can feel their presence in my heart.
I carry my Mizrachi heritage with me and in the Blue House there are Menorahs and Mezuzah from Fort Cochin in India. It is a pleasure to light the candles and welcome Shabbat if I happen to be in the Blue House.
Winter is almost a memory and the waning suns can be seen caressing the new growth. The earth is beginning show signs of new life of Spring.
At the Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Centre, there is an area of dedication to the SiouxLand Warrior of the Second World War, an Omaha by the name of Hollis Stabler, whose family I know very well. My Omaha brother Charlie Merrick stands her in front of the portrait.
To work with the Omaha is a sheer pleasure. The CEO, Wehnona Stabler is very supportive of our socio-cultural approach to disease among the Omaha and I have two excellent colleagues, Ashleen BlackBird and Kaley Bertucci, pictured, who make my working days with them a pleasure. They make sure that I am not kept too busy and our combined approach based on the Omaha principles of Kinship and relationship produces good results as patients are comfortable spending time with us, in our facility which is more like a home rather than a clinic.
I will be touching other places which are close to my heart: Miami, Brussels, Kuala Lumpur before returning back to the Omaha.
Thank you.
