Celebrating life in Old Nemaska

I spent two weeks at Old Nemaska these past few weeks, enjoying the extreme weather: one day it was 31º C and the next only 5º. I must’ve burnt several boxes of mosquito coils as every day reminded me of childhood camping trips. I wasn’t a modern city kid all the time: we lived modestly and our summer vacations were up the lake in Mistissini and at Gobanji.

I have such fond memories camping with my grandparents and I can still remember seeing Mistissini’s sea creature. Perhaps stories of sea creatures ought to be a project for Ernie Webb. Weskitch Nemaska has its own sea creature and Deborah Wapachee has seen it. It could be a 30-foot long sturgeon, but this creature didn’t have whiskers. It’s a mystery and I am hoping to see it someday. I’ll let you know when that happens.

I stayed in a cabin facing that of my dear friend, the late Lawrence Jimiken. I saw Virg, Emily and James using the front porch to cook for their meals. They informed me that Lawrence wasn’t able to come, but that they were given the green light to use his porch. I was hoping he would appear with his love Frances but that never happened.

Then the news hit Old Nemaska, sadness filled the air and the prayers began. All day I heard, “Ayyy Lawrence….” Stories began along with the tears. My beloved and I had two Chinese lanterns and we lit both one for Lawrence and one for our friend Sharon Cheezo who passed away not long ago in Nemaska.

This Old Nemaska gathering was bittersweet but we know that Lawrence and Sharon would have wanted us to continue smoking our sturgeon, enjoying family time and feasting. These gatherings really do bring our people together, in the happy times and in the sad – we’re there for one another.

In the end, living out on the land remembering our ancestors and sitting on Luke Mettaweskum’s rock reminded me how important it is to pass time talking with our Elders. They say Luke was 121 years old when he passed; white records say 114, isn’t that interesting? I loved my time at Old Nemaska and man, can that Jimbo work!

I have not had a summer vacation such as this in a long time. How rewarding it was to hear people laugh and to see our young people learning how to prepare and smoke sturgeon. Alice Jolly and Ellen Tanoush are fantastic teachers. My gramma Mary Iserhoff would marvel at Ellen (who stayed next door) because she had never seen someone work that hard. My sister Fawn mastered her sturgeon skills while I blamed my knife for slivering the fish unprofessionally. I was told that I was getting better so that gave me hope.

Nemaska won’t be the same without Lawrence. Many at the band office will also miss him, especially at front entrance, where he could often be found smoking his cigarette. I’ll smoke a sturgeon for him. Rest in peace, our friends, Lawrence and Sharon.