Written by Elinor Wright
for the 1996 Niska Review

I'm not sure where she found it but about a week ago my sister Bernice gave me "Song Hits from 1940-1955." It was a list of titles only, but as I went through them, the "words" came back easily. And they should have! We used to prop up the latest Song Hits Book over the kitchen sink and sing away the supper dishes ever night.

What rememberings! Each melody brought back a person or a place or a special occasion or even a splendid whiff of a savored moment. It was suddenly a summer night at Riverside with Buddy Lawrence playing his heart out for all of us. If I Had You or Paper Doll or My Buddy.

Many of us danced our way through adolescence, a World War, incredible loneliness, and that never-to-be-described fear fro those who were somewhere else (???) writing to us on V-mail. Dancing helped make us survivors. Dancing kept us moving on.

We celebrated every leave and furlough with fervor, sometimes dancing every night for a week straight. We tried to fit lifetimes into weeks because Til the End of Time was more than a romantic song title.

I say "We" because at that time it was important to do things together. The fun was in the numbers, and the fun was dancing with everyone who asked us. I don't remember friends who felt left out or on the fringe.

When the young men left for the military, Maija, Lyla, Alyce Mae, Myrt, and I had a special table at Riverside close to the ticket-taker so we could see who came in. We'd sip a Coca Cola and if no one asked us to dance, we'd dance with each other. That's how we learned the Shag and the Flea Hop and the Twist (I think Howard invented the Flea Hop). We preferred the two-step, swing, and jitterbug, but there were times when waltzes were just right (Ex. I'll See You In My Dreams). We all loved polkas and schottisches and the Butterfly for fun and exercise, but they were hardly romantic.

It was not until much later that I learned how the Riverside Bands played us. If Buddy or Eino or Charlie or Walt noticed an argument brewing, they would select some piece that would calm things down. They could recognize a budding romance and either enhance it or not, as they chose. Sometimes they played something patriotic just to pull everyone together, and sometimes they spotted jealous husbands and cut "the set" short to get those young wives back where they belonged!

Anyway, there were many life lessons learned to the tune of Stardust and Blue Skies.

Remember the girls? Sweet Sue and Sweet Lorraine and Sweet Georgia Brown, as well as, Mona Lisa, Peg O' My Heart, Marie, The Gypsy and especially My Melancholy Baby!

Remember the guys? Sheik of Araby, O Johnny, Jack the Knife, Bill and yes, The Man I Love.

Remember the places? Chicago, St. Louis Blues, April in Paris, Tuxedo Junction?

Remember the times? Always, As Time Goes By, September Song?

As for me I Could Have Danced All Night, Come Rain or Come Shine if only it weren't so Long Ago and Far Away.

The Eagle is known as the prayer carrier to the Anishinabe. The Eagle carries each prayer up to the Creator.

Written by Bev Moon
for the 1996 Niska Review

On Christmas Eve in Squaw Lake our lives are brightened by a special glow. Although it is only a few hours at best, we keep the memory of those flickering candles, with light made brighter through blocks of sparkling ice, all year long. Placed around the cemetery by the graves of family and friends, the sight of those candles burning is something one never forgets.

Historically, the candle-lighting is undoubtedly a remnant of pagan times, as are Christmas trees when the lighting of fires was used to drive away darkness on the longest night of the year. Now the candles on Christmas Eve act as another reminder of "those who have gone before us."

The Pihlaja clan rekindled the Finnish custom in Squaw Lake. Jack Pihlaja told of going to the cemetery in Finland and lighting big candles at the graves, and he was glad when the tradition was begun here in the early 1970's.

Although the end result may vary a bit depending on technique, the basic method of making the ice candles is the same. Water is put into a container and frozen until the ice is about 1/2 inch thick. An opening is made in the top, and the rest of the water is poured out. The crystal lantern produced provides a place for the candle to burn with little interference from wind. On occasion, plastic milk jugs have also been used to hold candles.

The ice containers may be round or square, large or small. Some are tinted with food coloring or dye, while others remain clear. My husband, Chan makes an annual trek out to his fish-house to fill the buckets with water from the lake. He has found that the ice produced from the lake water has more "sparkle" than tap water.

The candles and methods of keeping them upright differ. Mia Over used emergency candles waxed to a piece of cardboard, while her sister Delia Hovi, uses a jar lid with a nail hammered through it. The candle is then pushed into the nail. Others use a little sand, gravel, or kitty litter poured into the lantern as a base for the candle. Votive candles also produce a long-burning flame. They are anchored securely by freezing them to the bottom of the holder.

Minnesota winters can be unpredictable. There have been times when there was so much snow that the lights had to be placed on the snow banks along the plowed driveway. Other years have had such warm Decembers that a freezer had to be used to make the lanterns! Whatever procedure is used to make the lanterns, the result is truly spectacular and especially moving as the scattered points of light flicker and glow in the darkness. I think the most beautiful Christmas Eve was in 1990 when some of us met to admire the lighted candles. We were blessed with perfect winter weather that evening, as the glow of a bright moon was muted by a veil of clouds. Gentle white flakes fell on us as we exchanged hugs and "Hauskaa Joulua's," and remembered those who were no longer with us.

Hauskaa Joulua: Merry Christmas!

Submitted by O.A.D. (One Armed Dave Nickleson)
As Published in the Western Itasca Review, May 24, 2001

If by chance you are traveling north of Deer River you will find Highway 46. If you follow its course, it will lead you to a "Scenic Highway" just 28 short miles to Squaw Lake. Here in this wooden haven, Mr. Henry Schoolcraft developed a beautiful experimental forest known as "Avenue of the Pines". While gazing out your window, you will see red pine trees growing "straight as arrows", truly a wondrous sight to see.

This particular area holds the largest nesting sites of eagles in the contiguous United States. So, I guess this is where my little story begins. One morning listening to a television evangelist, he told about the relationship of eagles. Evidently, if an old eagle is without food, the healthy eagles will take care of it. Likewise, if there is a young eagle in peril, the healthy eagles will tend to it also. Perhaps that is why there are so many references in the Holy Bible about eagles, 27 I believe.

In the City of Squaw Lake live two Finnish gentlemen and they are who this story is all about. Of course, I am speaking of Arnie and Elmer who along with the rest of the small community look after their cemetery as a mother would look after her young child. Everyone grooms this particular plot of ground meticulously. Here the flag flies proudly for many of the fine young men that went off to maintain our freedoms, yet did not come home.

Arnie visits the cemetery every day to make sure his friends and family are resting peacefully. He sings to them and awaits the day when he too will rest peacefully with them. Arnie has some problems with his health having one knee replacement and awaiting the other. Even through his pain, I have never heard him utter a negative word about anyone. Nevertheless, years of hard work at construction and working in the woods can take a toll on any man's health.

Elmer must be the happiest man that I ever met. After raising a rather large family, he and his lively wife, Mae, are always busy gardening, or just enjoying their fine children and grandchildren. Keep in mind that Elmer is not in the best of health either, again too many years of hard work have taken their toll.

These are the real "Eagles of Squaw Lake". These gentlemen and their friends work with no pay to keep the ground Holy. Sometimes we ignore the works of those who, even through pain and adversity, quietly go about the business of helping others; and some seek recognition and do nothing.

Arnie tells me that Chuddy, another of the "Eagles" who has since passed on, was visited on the day of his burial by a solitary eagle in the large pine tree that borders the cemetery.

My family and I are proud to be part time members of this community where one can wonder and worship about God's mysteries. Whether in church, or a many have said, "We find God in the forest and the trees, the lake and the sky," and if God did make heaven on Earth, then here He must feel most proud.

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with the wings of eagles. They shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not grow faint.

Ole and Lena die in a horrible accident and wake up in hell. The next day the devil stops in to check on them and sees them dressed in parkas, mittens and bomber hats warming themselves around the fire. The devil asks them, "What are you two doing? Isn't it hot enough for you?"

Ole replies, "Vell, ya know, we're from nordern Minnesoda, the land of snow, ice and cold. We're just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, ya know."

This gets the devil a little steamed up and he decides to fix the two.

He cranks the heat up as high as it will go. The other people in hell are wailing and screaming every where. He stops by the room with Ole and Lena and finds them in light jackets and hats, grilling walleye and drinking beer.

The devil is astonished, "Everyone down here is in absolute misery, yet you two seem to be enjoying yourself."

Ole and Lena reply, "Vell, ya know, we don't get too much warm weather up dere in Squaw Lake, we've just got to have a fish fry when the weathers this nice."

The devil is absolutely furious, he can hardly see straight. Finally he comes up with the answer. The two love the heat because they have been cold all their lives, so the devil decides to turn all the heat off in hell. The next morning, the temperature is below zero, icicles are hanging everywhere, people are shivering so hard that they are unable to wail or moan.

The devil smiles and heads for the room where Ole and Lena are. He gets there and finds them back in their parkas, bomber hats, and mittens. They are jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming like maniac's.

The devil is dumbfounded, "I don't understand, when I turn up the heat you're happy. Now its freezing cold and you're still happy. What is wrong with you two?"

Ole and Lena look at the devil in surprise, "Vell, don't ya know, if hell froze over dat must mean da Vikings won da Super Bowl."

Toivo & Wilho
by Jan Niska

Toivo and Will went up to The Hill
Just to have a few Whiskies and water.
But when they came down
(and it was known around town)
They'd had a few more than they oughter.

They would stagger around
and fall to the ground
'cause the foggy spells came without warning.
But the biggest problem now,
they remembered somehow
was the welcome they'd get in the morning

they were a sad pair
and escaped by a hair
'cause their wives were 'bout to skin 'em.

The stories they told
(pretty much the same old)
and I'd betcha the truth wasn't in 'em.