Keeping the culture alive – Waswanipi elders teach pass on traditional skills
Various organizations in Waswanipi, including the Cree Trappers Association (CTA), the Cultural Department and the Waswanipi Youth Department, have asked community Elders to teach traditional practices to the Cree youth.
“The point of the event is to teach our youth how to live traditionally,” said Steven Blacksmith, Director of Natural Resources in Waswanipi. “Elders transfer their knowledge to our youth and teach them valuable lessons.”
In its second year, Waswanipi’s winter arts festival, the Jackie Gull Memorial Pipun Eetouuin, is quite the success, according to Albert Ottereyes, one of six Elders teaching this year.
“We don’t know if it will be every year,” said Ottereyes. “But it went well last year and it’s going well this year. I’d like to see it continue.”
The festival aims to teach traditional skills to today’s youth, many of who view their smartphones and social media as more important than their culture.
“Nowadays we’re too stuck on our phones,” said youth participant Ray Cheechoo. “This is something that’s always on my mind. It’s very important to learn these skills so we don’t lose our culture.”
In his final year of high school, Cheechoo says he plans to go to college. For now, he’s content living day-by-day and learning traditional skills he otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to learn.
“We’re happy to give the resources for the kids to learn,” said CTA coordinator Stanley Saganash. “Every year we try to pass knowledge of the Cree way of life from the Elders to the youth.”
“We need to preserve our way of life,” said Marjorie Icebound, the community re-integration officer at Waswanipi’s Justice Department. “Not many of our youth get the chance to go hunting and learn our traditional ways. It’s important Elders pass on what they know to our youth before they leave us.”
Besides the youth’s obsession with electronic devices, Icebound says the problem is further impacted because many families don’t have hunting camps in the bush. “They have nowhere to stay in the bush. It’s important for our Elders to pass on what they know to the new generation, so they can do the same for the next generation. It’s important to preserve our culture for the future.”
With 21 people registered for the teachings, and another 10 joining in the second week, it’s clear that the youth are eager to learn.
The Secondary 5 students of Waswanipi searched for someone to teach them traditional skills, but were unable to find someone. Now that they’re about to graduate and move on, it’s important for them to get involved.
“At the moment, they are being taught moccasin and snowshoe making,” said Jerry Gull, the groundskeeper for Waswanipi’s Culture Department. “They are enjoying what they are learning and the Elders are happy to share what they know.”
The festival takes place over a six-week period, with the youth being taught something new every two weeks. For example, in week 4, they learned about snowshoe making.
“It takes time to properly learn everything from beginning to end,” said Ottereyes. “This is important because some of our youth don’t know how to live traditionally. A lot of the kids from the school come here to learn. For six weeks, we teach them what we know and pass on traditional skills.”
Cheechoo agrees, adding that it has helped him learn a lot of new Cree words as well as taught him how to make, maintain and repair snowshoes, something he otherwise wouldn’t have learned. The youth are also taught how to trap beaver, martin and other small game.
“I don’t get tired about what we’re learning,” said Cheechoo. “It would be great if they did this every year. When I wake up in the morning, I’m excited. I enjoy what I can do, not what I can take a photo of. I like learning, not watching.”