Stories

An Interview By Billy Granger

“A lot of bad stuff happened,” says Margaret Dumas, Adult Learning Class Instructor at Fox Lake School, when explaining what it was like when hydro dams were built in the traditional territory of the Fox Lake Cree. Many men working for the dams entered the community, and with that, a time was ushered in when abuses would dissolve relationships and fracture the community. But things are starting to turn around. When Margaret Dumas was working with her husband William at the school in Fox Lake, they came up with an idea to reconnect people in the community with their language, traditions, elders and each other. The idea was to have an annual goose hunt where the community members could be on the land together, practicing traditional ways of life. ...

An Interview By Billy Granger

William Dumas remembers a time when he, his wife Margaret, and others were at a ceremony by a beautiful lake. They were having coffee in the morning and enjoying the day. “Listen,” someone in the party insisted, and the group fell silent. There was a pause then a moment of realization. “Birds should have been singing,” Dumas says. “But there was nothing.” Not far from there, they knew logging companies were operating. Even though they could not hear the machines or see the clearcuts from where they were, the effects were obvious. “It’s not just the people who get displaced,” William tells me. “The animals, the fish, even the birds. They all get displaced as they lose the resource area they need to survive.” As further evidence to ...

I want to get people interested in supporting boreal conservation because it is important for our future, our cultures, and our existence. I would like to see people recognize their part, take responsibility, have humility, and show their appreciation by using less. One of my first memories is an experience of senses. It takes place in Norway House, Manitoba, in the heart of the boreal. I kept my eyes shut tight as I listened intensely to all the sounds surrounding me. I heard the sound of trees bending against the wind, giving, flexing, and coming back to stand tall and straight. I heard the many songbirds, which were dependent on those very trees for shelter and protection. In the far distance, I could hear the lake lapping against rocky shores. All the while, my heart and cheek pressed against ...

Interview By Billy Granger

In 2002, when I was working as the assistant director for the Wilderness Committee’s Manitoba office, the east side of Lake Winnipeg had already been established as an important battleground for competing interests. Industry, government, First Nations, environmentalists, and other non-profits anted in with funded efforts and dedicated personnel to meet with the other players to discuss, weigh, and vie for their various interests, and slog through the process of deciding the fate of one of the largest remaining tracts in intact boreal forest left on Earth. It was to be a protracted and bureaucratic affair that could last decades. Between 2002 and 2004, I had been made increasingly aware of the accomplishments of a small community on the east side of Lake Winnipeg that would eventually garner international attention. Home to roughly ...

BY JOSEPH QUESNEL

Reprinted with the permission of the Drum Indigenous people in Canada should be able to say no to development activities that occur on their traditional territories, said a Northern Ontario First Nation man who has seen leadership in his community thrown in jail for opposing mining exploration on their lands without consultation. "Our people have a right to be consulted, but not the right to say no," said John Cutfeet, a spokesperson for Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation. "How is consultation 'meaningful' if you don't have a choice?" In particular, Cutfeet opposes the limited definition of meaningful consultation with First Nations over development activities, arguing that while it obligates companies to speak to First Nations, it does not provide an ultimate veto to indigenous communities that do not want these activities to proceed in the end. Cutfeet and other First ...

By Chanda Hunnie

The Birch was the most honoured tree in the forest. It was the most unique, envied by all others who wished that they too were like the Birch. The flaky, scaly-barked Jack Pine admired the Birch’s powdered silk skin. The dark and textured Black Spruce, and the scar-chiseled Ash with its grizzled exterior, revered the unblemished whiteness of the Birch and correlated this characteristic to purity and perfection. The Balsam Fir, excreting sap-like puss from warty fissures all over its silver body, couldn’t behold the Birch anymore and left for a more suitable place to live. Others followed. Some left because their deformities were amplified by the beauty of the Birch making them more difficult to ignore. The sobs of morose could be heard through the disguise of a nighttime rustling breeze. Others believed that they no ...

Boreal Forest Activist Receives Order of Manitoba

By Chris Webb (Reprinted with the permission of the Drum)

In 2004, residents of Poplar River First Nation convinced the Manitoba Government to stop all mining and logging on their traditional land, 600km northeast of Winnipeg, for the next five years. Sophia Rabliauskas is a member of this community and at the forefront of their struggle for full protection. She is now being recognized for her tenacity with one of the province's highest awards, the Order of Manitoba. "It feels great to be recognized," Rabliauskas says. “It’s good because it gives the whole community of Poplar River the support we need and it's also bringing a sense of pride to the community and the people." In 2002, Rabliauskas, along with several other community members developed a comprehensive land protection and management plan for their ...

By Chanda Hunnie

A Dream It came to her in a dream. Every year a dream comes to Mary Crate to let her know where the water walk will be. This year it was to Lake Winnipeg. A Walk A vessel that resembles a teapot is filled with the pure water before Mary dips her own cup into the spring to extract its sweet goodness. As she drinks she can feel the life-filled water flow through every vein in her body. The group of women, some who know each other, and some who do not, lead the way while carefully attentive to the children behind. The day is broken by periods of balmy weather followed by frequent spells of cloud and cold. Last in this snaking formation are the men. They are the warriors and will protect the women during this ...

Ksenia Prints

If there are two things Ron Plain seems to have in abundance, it is words and motivation. When speaking of his community’s ongoing battle with toxic pollution and the need to protect the environment, he is relentless in his hope for resolution through global youth action. “There are people across the world that see the potential that everything we’ve been taught is important. I look at it as the fundamental things: you need air, you need water, you need sustenance, and you need companionship. If you don’t have these four things, you don’t have a quality of life,” he says. “I can’t save the water, but if everybody does their own thing… When I go see the Creator I can say, at least I did my part.” “[Youth] are the stewards of the land.” Plain hails from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, ...

Elders and Pipe carriers gather to draw awareness on the importance of

Reprinted with the permission of EAST Inc. Written by Björk Bjarnadóttir

Recent attempts to lobby the government of Manitoba to reverse it’s decision on BiPole III lead Eastside Elder and Pipe Carrier, Garry ”Morning Star” Raven, Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle clan, to host a Pipe Carriers Ceremony to bring up awareness on how important the lands on Eastside of Lake Winnipeg are to cultural and spiritual values for First Nations who live in the region and who still continue to practice their traditional ways. The Pipe Carriers Gathering and Ceremony was held at the Circle of Life Thunderbird house, December 8, 2007, all were welcome to attend and listen and understand what the Pipe Carriers had to say about their sacred land. Eleven ...

Written by Anna Pellissier

As an Aboriginal Awareness Consultant, with the Aboriginal Education Directorate, Garry Robson sees firsthand the effects of cultural awareness and environmental training on children and youth. Working out of the Murdo Scribe Centre at 510 Selkirk Ave. in the North End of Winnipeg, Garry travels to schools, teacher's in-services, day care centres, and universities to foster awareness to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students about First Peoples culture and heritage.. This awareness building includes the unique relationship of the people with the land and the specific worldview that ensures Mother Earth's care. When it comes to environmental issues, Mr. Robson instils a long-range view in children and youth, "We teach about the seventh generation," says Mr. Robson, “in which every action taken should be measured by how it will affect the next seven generations into the future.” With this worldview ...

Chanda Hunnie

Garry Raven of Hollow Water First Nation has spent over seventeen years as a teacher and caretaker of the land. His responsibilities lie here, so naturally he needed to build a learning centre, and started – what may seem an unlikely classroom -- his own outfitting company. People from around the world, including university students and teachers, are just some of the visitors that travel to see him to experience sweat lodges, study sacred medicinal plants, and to learn about northern Aboriginal culture and its connection to the lands and waters of the boreal forest. As a member of the board of directors for Eastside Aboriginal Sustainable Tourism Incorporated (EAST Inc.), Raven finds himself in a suitable position. EAST Inc. is a not-for-profit economic development initiative aimed at supporting sustainable economic opportunities. Created and facilitated by people from the east side region, EAST Inc. has ...

Written by Sandy Klowak

Elissa Kixen’s spirit name is Black Wolf, though she did not receive it until adulthood. She feels that this name fits her well, though she is still in the process of figuring out what it means for her, as she only received it from an elder this year. The wolf represents a traveling spirit, one that usually travels in packs. Ms. Kixen never goes anywhere without her family, she explains. As wolves are closely tied to different life phases, her spirit name "represents the different paths I've taken in my life," she says, including the reclamation of her culture, an opportunity she didn't have as a child. Travelling frequently in her youth, she was not in touch with her Anishnabe heritage until years later. “All throughout school I was sort of ashamed to identify as an aboriginal person because ...

Written by Chanda Hunnie

In an emotional speech that had the audience close to tears, nineteen year-old Hebron Sinclair Jr. made his point simply and clearly – “Hands up if you know someone who is in jail. Hands up if someone close to you has committed suicide.” A sea of hands rose in the crowd of 300 Aboriginal people gathered for the annual National Day of Action. Hebron Sinclair Jr., a regional leader of the Manitoba First Nations Youth Council (MFNYC), praised the people in attendance asserting, “It tells me you want to see a difference.” First Nation youth leaders in Manitoba are a growing force. Many youth are taking the future of their lives and culture in their hands by seeking to become more involved in shaping it. Of a total of 98,197 First Nations people in Manitoba, 62,846, ...

Written by Chanda Hunnie

The Feather

An eagle feather held loosely in her hand, Mary Crate looks upon it inquisitively, twirling and twisting it into speckled flight. “The eagle is the highest-flying bird, and it is the eagle’s feather that is the symbol of truth and honesty,” she explains.

Mary brought the feather because she wants people to understand that what she is about to share is genuine and true: traditional indigenous wisdom from knowledge keepers like herself. She is concerned for the Earth, our Mother. She can hear our Earth Mother’s voice calling out to us for help, and Mary’s part in healing her is to share the teachings passed down to her.

“I’m an Ojibway Anishinaba woman. I am called Kookum by many young people, which means grandmother in my language. I am also known as Silver Rock woman, or Shoon-ya-asinie-kwa. Each of us

...

by Chanda Hunnie

Melissa Hotain, from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, is a mother of twin boys, and grandmother of two. She believes in the importance of revitalizing a spiritual kinship with the natural world. She has dabbled in many employment areas, however, never finding herself fully content, she chose to seek more challenging and meaningful ways to dedicate her time. In 1995 Mrs. Hotain applied to the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) program and was one of the first to be recruited. She is now the Environmental Policy Analyst for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. “It was something that was more grassroots; somewhere I could make an impact. Here I could change attitudes and change my own attitudes too.” As an Environmental Policy Analyst, Mrs. Hotain’s objective is to review the environmental policies that affect First Nations, and determine how they can be improved. She explains, ...

by Bev Geddes

Shaunna Morgan holds a formidable portfolio; trained as a biologist, she completed her Master of Science degree and has worked for over ten years with environmental and ecological issues. Her present position with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER )has taken her across the country and the world working as a researcher, instructor and workshop facilitator on First Nations issues related to climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Yet, in spite of this impressive knowledge base and experience, she is approachable and genuine. And, I discovered as the interview progressed, very pragmatically spiritual. During her interview she told me of an experience she had visiting Weaver Lake, Manitoba. She recounted a feeling of returning to a place she had never been before, of kinship with the land, where things become clear and the soul finds ease. This article attempts to capture some ...

A Response to the Wabanong Nakaygum Okimawin (WNO)

Written by Chanda Hunnie

Paul Chief, a member of Brokenhead First Nation, is a committed and active citizen on issues that affect First Nations. The list of the many projects he has been involved with is extensive. He has sat on the board of directors of the Manitoba Model Forest since 1996. He has served on his community’s council for four terms, or eight years. Since 2003, he has been a committee member of the Manitoba chapter of the First Nation Forestry Program. He is also the vice president of First Nation Forestry Limited Partnership. This story focuses on his experience as a participant on the Eastside Land Use Planning Committee, now known as the Wabanong Nakaygum Okimawin (WNO).

The WNO initiative attempts to bring together local communities, First Nations, industry, and environmental organizations to develop strategies for land and resource use on the

...

Written by Anna Pellissier

As the Director of the Aboriginal Education Directorate of Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth/Advanced Education and Literacy in North End Winnipeg, Helen Robinson-Settee has a hand in a lot of different projects. Besides working as an advocate for the Directorate itself within the province, she also works externally with school administrators, educators, students, parents, Aboriginal and community organizations, and just about anyone with an interest in the kind of educational opportunities available to Aboriginal children and youth. In Manitoba, the Aboriginal Education Directorate works with Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth as well as Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy. While working to ensure that Manitoba Aboriginal youth experience an educational system that keeps their specific needs in mind, they also work within the government to initiate policy development and to further the objectives outlined in the Aboriginal Education Action Plan. This plan, which has been in ...

The Leigh Cochrane Visitor Centre: A Celebration of Community

by Chanda Hunnie

I drove for two and a half hours to get there, down a single lane highway that twisted and meandered like a prairie river. Like that Prairie River, I moved north. It was odd how empty and desolate that highway seemed. There was scarcely any traffic and only a few scattered farm homes. Stretching for miles was white-frozen sagebrush and aspens, blanketed in the morning’s hoar frost. As I entered into the community of Fisher River Cree Nation, I had the sense that the community rested too as if in the frigid grip of the winter day. Though as I walked through the doors of the band office, that feeling quickly dissipated. Inside, the office doors were opened wide, unable to contain the bright voices and laughter that spilled into the hallway. I happened to arrive during the ...

Need or Greed? - An Interview with Shaunna Morgan

Written by Bev Geddes

Shaunna Morgan holds a formidable portfolio; trained as a biologist, she completed her Master of Science degree and has worked for over ten years with environmental and ecological issues. Her present position with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER )has taken her across the country and the world working as a researcher, instructor and workshop facilitator on First Nations issues related to climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Yet, in spite of this impressive knowledge base and experience, she is approachable and genuine. And, I discovered as the interview progressed, very pragmatically spiritual. It was the latter trait that I chose to highlight in the following article. Her words made a deep impact on my reflections regarding personal responsibility for our environment and future. “I’m going to tell you a story,” Shaunna begins. “It comes ...

Fisher River Cree Nation

A Community’s Journey to Create a Provincial Park.

Written by Chanda Hunnie

There are places that maintain a precarious existence. Desired for their economic wealth, there are places so rich in natural resources that development interests are many. These same places possess innate beauty and largely intact ecosystems and are rich in more than the limited sense of the word. Ochiwasahow is such a place. Sought after by opposing interests, its inherent value is precisely why Chief David Crate of Fisher River Cree Nation intends to keep it the way it is. If one were to have visited the Fisher Bay area 130 years ago, it would closely resemble the place we see today. But "there are many interests in this area from logging and mining companies, especially on the east side," Chief Crate explains. "There are many obstacles we face, but I’m an optimist." Fisher River ...

Manitoba Hydro's Flooded Legacy

Written by Chanda Hunnie

Twelve stories up, we look out upon the city. It is raining and pools of standing water are forming on the flat-roofed buildings below. It is a perspective perhaps similar to that of a bird in mid-flight; the sky is dull and grey, mirroring the colossal expanse of concrete and asphalt surrounding us. "What I don't understand is how they can get away with calling it renewable," says Greg McIvor. In a process that is not only unfair to First Nations people, but one that, according to Mr. McIvor, involves blatant misrepresentation of information by Manitoba Hydro. For generations, Mr. McIvor and his family have hunted and trapped in an area 52 kilometers south of Waskwatim Lake known as Trapline 18 (close to Thompson, Manitoba). Already impacted by surrounding hydropower generation, the trapline may be further damaged by Manitoba Hydro's plans to build ...

An Open Response to those who want a Hydro Bipole on the Eastside of Lake Winnipeg Ahnee, As an Elder and a pipe carrier the lands on the Eastside of Lake Winnipeg is sacred. It is the place where the Creator sits, where we get our teachings, hold our ceremonies, have our sweat lodges, a place to pick our sacred medicines and where we still hunt, fish, gather and trap for food. For those of us, and there are many, on the Eastside of Lake Winnipeg who maintain and still practice our traditional ways it is our duty, given to us by the Creator, to respect, honour and protect the thing that sustains all life - Mother Earth. Simply put, for us the land is part of who we are as a people, as a nation and as a country. The abuse Mother Earth is now suffering from in the ...

Former Chief of Bloodvein First Nation

On the Manitoba Hydro Corridor – East Side Lake Winnipeg A number of years ago, I worked with the Department of Indian Affairs in Thompson, Manitoba. One day, way, way up at Tadoule Lake, in one of the most northerly communities in Manitoba, I was complaining about what the white man does to destroy nature and people. An elder that I worked with, the late Sam T Anderson, began to laugh and said, “I used to say those things too… you white men killed off all our buffalo!” He laughed again and continued, “We didn’t even have buffalo in Norway House.” Sam taught me a lot in those years that we worked together. I often think of him as I do my own parents, Charles and Isabel Young, who are also gone to the other side. These older people who had limited formal education ...

Written by Chanda Hunnie

“Hello?” There is a pause as she awaits the transmission of my voice through the phone line. The consistent delays throughout our long-distance telephone conversation make Shirley Costel, Chief of Mathias Colomb First Nation, seem a world away. I want to understand what compels her to be an advocate of environmental issues. She has been active in encouraging First Nations people to become involved in boreal forest protection. She tells me her great great-grandmother influenced her significantly. “She was a medicine woman. Through her I learned to respect the land itself and the life of the water and the forest,” Chief Costel remarks. “That’s how I’ve been brought up, respecting Mother Earth. In whatever I do I try to protect it as much as possible.” For Chief Costel it is an unconscious and understood statement that the world is alive. She doesn’t perceive the earth as ...