Blue Sky Community Healing Centre hosts falconry demonstration

By Rick Garrick

Fascination, awe and curiosity were the reactions of about 22 participants at the Blue Sky Community Healing Centre’s Jan. 9 peregrine falcon, harris hawk and snowy owl demonstration.

“I was really impressed to see the level of engagement with all of the people that were here,” says Cynthia Coons, communications officer at Blue Sky Community Healing Centre and a Red Rock Indian Band citizen. “So many people were asking questions — it was very interactive.”

Coons says a wide range of people, including Elders, youth and a baby, attended the two-hour demonstration by Kym Amonson, owner/operator of Skyline Falconry in Thunder Bay.

“We really love animals and one of the things we feel passionate about is helping to educate people about animals,” Coons says. “One of the reasons we want to help educate people about animals is so more people will feel that love and connection to the animal kingdom so more people will care and more people will want to help animals.”

The demonstration was part of the weekly Discovering Our Shaman Within sharing circle held every Saturday morning at Blue Sky Community Healing Centre, which is located on Victoria Ave. near the Victoriaville Centre in Thunder Bay.

“Gimli (the snowy owl) is actually related to Hedwig, the owl from Harry Potter,” says Erin Britton, one of the participants at the falconry demonstration. “We learned about his panting — he was really stressed, so he gets hot a lot quicker.”

Britton also learned that peregrine falcons can withstand 27 G-forces during flight.

“A normal pilot when they go up in the air can only take up to nine,” Britton says. “So they are actually the fastest animal, not just the cheetah.”

Britton says the harris hawk was the “rock star” of the three predator birds, noting it is used to doing the demonstrations.

“She is very vocal,” Britton says. “It’s really interesting to hear how these birds of prey hunt and how they actually are in the wild.”

Britton learned that the birds can live longer in captivity because they are not exposed to the weather, other predators and the pesticides in mice and other prey.

“It was really nice to see something here that you don’t get to see other than when you are driving down the road,” Britton says. “Seeing it here, you see the (majesty) of it, you see how it interacts with its handler and with the public.”

Cindy Crowe, lodge keeper and executive director of Blue Sky Community Healing Centre and a Red Rock Indian Band citizen, says the sharing circle group invited Aronson to bring the birds because most of them are “extremely” connected to animals.

“It was a great way to kick off our year, being able to experience these birds,” Crowe says, noting she and Coons had their photograph taken next to the hawk. “And she blessed us with her wing. She brushed her wing against our heads — it was like wow, pretty special.”

Crowe says the sharing circle group hopes to work with Aronson and the birds again in the future.

Crowe plans to start three new programs over the next month, including a colour meditation, a second session of the sharing circle group and another program geared to help people live a better holistic life.

“If you know how to colour, you can come to this,” Crowe says about the colour meditation. “It’s open to family, children, youth, adults, Elders.”
Crowe can be reached at 807-473-9851. Information is available online at: www.blueskycommunityhealingcentre.ca.