For a long time now, I've known my wife has had a special connection to all things natural, and not just animals. Several times she has sensed major earthquakes and other far away natural disasters hours before CNN announces them - but what has transpired over the past year or so has begun to freak me out - let me explain.
It started with her simple question "Don't you think that animals, trees and rocks have a soul?" I told her that I'll give that some serious thought - once I finish drinking my Kokanee and watching Monday Night Football.
Then, during an industry conference, a foreign journalist approached her and asked if she was from Russia or somewhere....and another asked her if she was related to the indigenous people of Finland. She laughed at their questions, but did say her family had some aboriginal bloodlines - Plains Indian - and other elders who have met her say she has more of a "Choctaw nose".
So, just for kicks, Mika sent away for the National Geographic / Family Tree DNA kit. A few scrapes of the inside of her cheek - and six weeks later - she received her first e-mail from them. Who was she related to, on her mothers side?
There is strong genetic proof that my wife Mika is closely - very, very closely in fact - related to the Sami people of Finnmark (Arctic Norway).
Of course, we spent the entire evening googling everything Sami - and after viewing several photos of young Sami women, we found an uncanny resemblance between Mika and the faces staring back at us. One particular photo of a little Sami girl was the spitting image of Mika at the same young age. She had the exact same nose!
We went on to learn from the Scandinavia.com website that the Sami value a close relationship with their natural environment, and I quote: "The Sami religious belief is animistic, believing that everything in nature from animals to minerals have a soul."
It started with her simple question "Don't you think that animals, trees and rocks have a soul?" I told her that I'll give that some serious thought - once I finish drinking my Kokanee and watching Monday Night Football.
Then, during an industry conference, a foreign journalist approached her and asked if she was from Russia or somewhere....and another asked her if she was related to the indigenous people of Finland. She laughed at their questions, but did say her family had some aboriginal bloodlines - Plains Indian - and other elders who have met her say she has more of a "Choctaw nose".
So, just for kicks, Mika sent away for the National Geographic / Family Tree DNA kit. A few scrapes of the inside of her cheek - and six weeks later - she received her first e-mail from them. Who was she related to, on her mothers side?
There is strong genetic proof that my wife Mika is closely - very, very closely in fact - related to the Sami people of Finnmark (Arctic Norway).
Of course, we spent the entire evening googling everything Sami - and after viewing several photos of young Sami women, we found an uncanny resemblance between Mika and the faces staring back at us. One particular photo of a little Sami girl was the spitting image of Mika at the same young age. She had the exact same nose!
We went on to learn from the Scandinavia.com website that the Sami value a close relationship with their natural environment, and I quote: "The Sami religious belief is animistic, believing that everything in nature from animals to minerals have a soul."
Yikes !!!
In addition, without getting too deep into this extremely interesting (and ongoing) story - it is a well known fact that during the 17th century many Sami women had been persecuted, and drowned or burned at the stake for practicing "witchcraft".
Needless to say - we are now planning our next trip - to Scandinavia of all places!
....and I'm going to have to be a little more careful around the house .....
In addition, without getting too deep into this extremely interesting (and ongoing) story - it is a well known fact that during the 17th century many Sami women had been persecuted, and drowned or burned at the stake for practicing "witchcraft".
Needless to say - we are now planning our next trip - to Scandinavia of all places!
....and I'm going to have to be a little more careful around the house .....
