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Sam Murdock
May 17th, 2010By C. Hunnie
Celebration of Place: Ochiwasahow
Stories come out of the forest, of its waters, woods and wildlife, as regular as the eagle flies overhead. The people of Fisher River Cree Nation share a past and continue to develop a future that is braided with the landscape around them. Community member, Sam Murdock, has tales of his time spent hunting in the area and of commercial fishing on Lake Winnipeg which he’s done for the past 35 years. His stories are also of sunsets and contemplation.
“I do a lot of hunting; spend time out on the land. It relaxes me and gives me a different perspective. I get a chance to sit among the spruce trees and watch them come alive.”
The commercial fishery thrives in Fisher Bay, and hunting and trapping – though to a lesser extent than in the past – still exist. Medicine gathering, berry-picking and gatherings such as pow wows are regularly performed by community members. And recent ecotourism ventures have meant that diversifying the community’s economy still maintains human interaction with the natural world.
Unique places abound in the Ochiwasahow (Fisher Bay) area. Seeking to protect the special places, and the cultural ties people in the region have to them, is why Fisher River Cree Nation is attempting to permanently protect the area in the form of a provincial park. Murdock explains that there are snake dens that rival the well-known Narcisse snake dens just north of Teulon, Manitoba. He also relates quite an interesting spectacle that can occur in the fall. Once the lakes freeze, and before the snow falls, one can witness fish migrating under the ice. Their sleek shapes visible, skirting among the vegetation moving on the current.
“There is a lot of opportunity with this park. Ecotourism is a big thing that will take off. It’s already started in different areas but its position will be solidified, especially with a provincial park being there.”
A healthy forest bordered in areas by natural sandy beaches and the waters of the tenth largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Winnipeg, the proposed park boundaries envelope some of the most important wildlife habitat in the province. Elk, bald eagles, shorebirds like the endangered Piping Plover, black bear and Little Brown Bats all inhabit what could be a provincial park as soon as the fall of 2010.
“People would travel thousands of miles to be here, and spend a lot of money to do so.”
In protecting Fisher Bay, or Ochiwasahow, Fisher River Cree Nation is sharing their traditional boreal forest territory with the world. Not only will the ecological services such as water purification and carbon storage – important to all people – be retained but Fisher River Cree Nation is also sharing their stories. Elders, keepers of their ancestor’s knowledge, pass down this wisdom in traditional ceremonies like the sweat lodge and the shaking tent ceremony. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience these cultural traditions Murdock explains. Guided tours blended in both the old and the new – from bird watching to traditional medicine gathering, may also be tourism activities born out of the establishment of a park.
The landscape has much to offer, and the people of Fisher River Cree Nation have subsequent knowledge they would like to share with the world. An Ochiwasahow provincial park would provide the foundation for innovative and sustainable economies steeped in local tradition and wisdom, while maintaining a natural environment.
Sam Murdock is currently the Director of Operations for his home community of Fisher River Cree Nation. In this capacity he will oversee development of Fisher River’s 88-lot cottage development on Lake Winnipeg, among other duties. Sam has worked closely with Indian Affairs, Health Canada and the provincial government in Manitoba. Previously, he served for six years as Chief of Staff for the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, was Chief of his community as well as a Councilor for 18 years, was Chair of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Board for two years, and then President and CEO for three years—he is now with the Manitoba Commercial Inland Fishers Federation. Sam also still holds his fisher’s license for Lake Winnipeg and works his own quota every year.
