Keeping warm the Cree way
Winter is coming, and I’m not talking about the phrase made famous by the Game of Thrones series. There are pictures of geese flying south early from all over Eeyou Istchee. Most Cree know (or should know) that this is one of the signs that we’ll see winter arriving earlier than expected. While French may be known for being the language of love, francophones don’t know what the Cree know about keeping warm. It is one of the reasons why our population growth is much higher than it is in the rest of Quebec…
But it’s not only the methods of population growth that the Cree utilize to keep warm. Knowing what to wear and what to do when the cold hits is vital. I remember a story my uncles used to tell me about my great-grandfather William Matoush, whom I’m proud to be named after. When he would take them out to check their trapline, he would give the boys a piece of rabbit skin with the fur still attached to carry.
Though he was asked what it was for, he wouldn’t tell them. One day it was extremely cold, and the temperature was dropping even more so he told the boys to take out the piece of rabbit skin fur he had them carry. Then he told them to put it around their privates.
“We have to protect the next generation,” he explained.
William said he waited to tell them its purpose because they would have used it before it was really needed, and it wouldn’t have been as effective. Many of the older Cree to this day will still carry around a piece of rabbit fur. Another lesson Cree Elders taught the youth was that if your hands were cold to put ptarmigan feathers in their mitts or gloves to keep warm. Remember not to use the bloody feathers though, my uncle Don MacLeod told me with a chuckle.
But while there are more than just those examples, a few don’t need a physical component. A kind word or a “sweet nothing” can get the heart racing, causing you to blush to the tips of your ears. Being embarrassed, called to task or angered in some way can also do the trick. Which brings us back to a Game of Thrones moment, Cree-style.
Romeo Saganash is the NDP MP for Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou and the party’s Critic for Indigenous and Northern Affairs. He recently heated things up in Parliament with an inflammatory question to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “Why doesn’t the Prime Minister just say the truth and tell Indigenous Peoples he doesn’t give a fuck about their rights.”
Saganash admits it was planned and that he was advised not to do it, but he felt he had no choice. Other words just weren’t strong enough to get the point across that while Trudeau talks the talk when it comes to Indigenous issues he doesn’t walk the walk.
We contacted the Prime Minister’s Office for a response. Press Secretary Matt Pascuzzo replied, “The Prime Minister is fully committed a nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations, the Métis Nation and Inuit, based on recognition of rights, trust, respect, cooperation and partnership. We are committed to reconciliation and that is why we established the MMIW inquiry, committed to implementing the UNDRIP as well as the TRC calls to action. Additionally, our government has made unprecedented investments in Indigenous communities to ensure that all Indigenous people can live in strong, healthy communities.”
Perhaps listening to hot air could be another way to keep warm. It can certainly get people hot under the collar. Maybe that’s how the Liberals are helping First Nations.
As many Cree have said, winter may be coming early but with all the political heat warmth won’t be a problem for some. Just in case, though, find some rabbit fur because a cold shoulder or two could affect the reconciliation thermostat.