WEBVTT 00:00:10.260 --> 00:00:15.890 Firstly, I would like to greet you, I’m happy you’re here to see me 00:00:16.433 --> 00:00:21.438 and to tell you stories and the knowledge I have carried with me in my life. 00:00:22.022 --> 00:00:27.694 My name is Jimmy Trapper and I’m from Waskaganish, where my late father is from. 00:00:28.778 --> 00:00:46.421 I came back to this community in 1975, after leaving it for several years when I was young. 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:58.850 It became my home again when I returned and didn’t go back to where I had been for many years. 00:00:59.768 --> 00:01:10.570 That spring I left the community to go out on the land and I lived well after that time. 00:01:12.989 --> 00:01:20.872 I stayed with other people who were out on the land for the spring. 00:01:21.456 --> 00:01:24.959 We spent our spring at a place called ‘Akaamischii’. 00:01:25.418 --> 00:01:29.380 This was when I first came back to this community. 00:01:29.380 --> 00:01:36.763 I knew and stayed with a man the same age as me at his hunting territory on the bay. 00:01:38.515 --> 00:01:42.769 After the spring I came back to town and I have stayed here since that time. 00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:46.272 Things went well while I was there. 00:01:46.272 --> 00:01:53.113 There was plenty of geese, there was a lot of work since many geese were harvested. 00:01:53.279 --> 00:01:57.408 At that time, there was still an underground ice house here 00:01:57.408 --> 00:02:01.579 and people who had geese to freeze would keep them in here. 00:02:02.038 --> 00:02:06.876 I was still in this community when this ice house was made. 00:02:07.377 --> 00:02:12.632 This was before we left to go to another community. 00:02:13.174 --> 00:02:16.511 When I came back many years later, this ice house was still in use. 00:02:16.511 --> 00:02:25.311 We still didn’t have freezers we have in our homes now. 00:02:25.311 --> 00:02:32.652 We had the ice house for at least three more years after I came back. 00:02:33.570 --> 00:02:39.784 In the fall, we left the community by canoe to live out on the bay for the season. 00:02:39.784 --> 00:02:50.044 If we harvested many geese, we would bring them to the community to store in the ice house. 00:02:50.670 --> 00:02:56.801 Smoked geese were also made to preserve the meat. 00:02:57.260 --> 00:03:01.014 This was how it was when I was there. 00:03:01.931 --> 00:03:06.394 Things have changed a lot since then. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:13.526 Many families were on the land when geese made their migration. 00:03:14.861 --> 00:03:22.285 Many people spent this time in ‘Neschuukaau’ which is a bay to harvest geese. 00:03:22.869 --> 00:03:28.374 They would return back to the community in October. 00:03:28.374 --> 00:03:34.339 After this we would travel inland to our hunting territory. 00:03:34.797 --> 00:03:40.678 Some people went by canoe and some went by plane. 00:03:40.678 --> 00:03:44.474 This happened when I returned back to this community. 00:03:45.350 --> 00:03:58.780 People still went inland to their traplines to spend the whole winter to hunt and trap. 00:03:59.948 --> 00:04:08.373 The prices for fur were still very good and people did well selling their fur. 00:04:09.082 --> 00:04:15.630 People were also given quotas on how many beaver they could harvest. 00:04:17.340 --> 00:04:27.517 Later the beaver declined in numbers and this is when some trappers were sent south to trap beaver. 00:04:27.767 --> 00:04:37.819 I was one of those people who were chosen in 1980. 00:04:38.278 --> 00:04:43.324 Trapping down south lasted for quite a long time. 00:04:44.617 --> 00:04:52.292 As for the other trappers and hunters, not all of them went out to their traplines. 00:04:52.292 --> 00:04:58.756 It wasn’t easy to survive just by hunting and trapping. 00:04:59.257 --> 00:05:10.018 It was very expensive and there was no other kind of assistance to help the families. 00:05:10.018 --> 00:05:12.478 This is how it was. 00:05:13.313 --> 00:05:16.024 Later some help was given 00:05:16.024 --> 00:05:23.323 to people who went to their traplines and living off the land. 00:05:25.325 --> 00:05:36.836 In the spring, people went out of the community to hunt out in the bay. 00:05:38.671 --> 00:05:45.178 We still used canoes in the spring there. 00:05:45.178 --> 00:05:49.265 When the snow geese declined in numbers, 00:05:49.265 --> 00:05:55.188 less people went out to spend time on the land. 00:05:56.230 --> 00:06:00.902 Also the same thing was happening with geese. 00:06:01.361 --> 00:06:03.571 They were not as plentiful. 00:06:03.571 --> 00:06:07.116 This caused the people to stop going out to hunt in the bay. 00:06:07.617 --> 00:06:15.500 There are families who still go to spend every spring to hunt geese on the coast. 00:06:15.500 --> 00:06:23.299 This is exactly how it was here when fall came, there were less snow geese. 00:06:23.716 --> 00:06:31.599 Now it has almost completely stopped people from going out because there are so little snow geese. 00:06:31.599 --> 00:06:36.604 Even if people built shelters like cabins and tents as I did, 00:06:36.604 --> 00:06:42.777 people didn’t go anymore to a place called ‘uchischuukaa’. 00:06:42.777 --> 00:06:45.655 At one time there were many families there. 00:06:45.905 --> 00:06:49.283 This is what happened and we miss it a lot. 00:06:49.283 --> 00:06:52.036 This is what happened and we miss it a lot. 00:06:52.036 --> 00:07:00.920 I see it myself, many changes happened to the people and the way they used to survive on the land. 00:07:02.004 --> 00:07:12.432 This young man who lives with me, he’s now married 00:07:12.849 --> 00:07:20.898 and he never had the chance to see when geese and wavies were plentiful. 00:07:21.941 --> 00:07:27.447 Now people head outside of the community to go and hunt geese in the spring. 00:07:27.780 --> 00:07:30.324 This never happened before. 00:07:30.324 --> 00:07:37.707 Hunting practices are now changing at an alarming rate. 00:07:38.666 --> 00:07:57.059 The other thing that has really fallen is the price of fur and it came really fast. 00:07:57.602 --> 00:08:03.483 It was like that in the seven years I trapped in southern Ontario, 00:08:03.483 --> 00:08:11.407 the people could then make a good living from their trapping activities. 00:08:12.700 --> 00:08:21.751 The people who did the trapping in the south have all gone back to their communities. 00:08:22.126 --> 00:08:31.844 I only know of one elder who continued to do this, it was Luke Diamond. 00:08:32.428 --> 00:08:37.058 Sadly he has now passed away. 00:08:37.433 --> 00:08:40.811 This is what I know about hunting. 00:08:40.811 --> 00:08:45.775 So many things have changed and it’s very hard to make a living 00:08:46.984 --> 00:08:49.779 and survive with the way things are, 00:08:49.779 --> 00:08:53.658 especially for the young people, when looking at the future. 00:08:53.658 --> 00:08:57.370 This is what I know when I look at it. 00:08:58.496 --> 00:09:06.837 Much of hunting and trapping has already been lost. 00:09:06.837 --> 00:09:09.549 This is how people used to survived. 00:09:09.549 --> 00:09:16.222 Much of the wildlife has also disappeared, like the geese and snow geese. 00:09:16.222 --> 00:09:20.434 These migratory birds are not longer plentiful in the fall and spring. 00:09:20.434 --> 00:09:28.693 This is how it is now. The numbers are getting lower. 00:09:29.902 --> 00:09:37.451 While this is happening, it is still just as important to teach young people about safety, 00:09:37.451 --> 00:09:43.249 how they can survive and make a living. This is my hope anyway. 00:09:43.457 --> 00:09:51.048 They should be taught how it is to be out on the land, both out in the bay and inland. 00:09:51.048 --> 00:10:00.391 This what I hope, that we talk about safety to them, in whatever they might be doing. 00:10:00.391 --> 00:10:05.438 We talk about safety on the water when it’s windy. 00:10:05.438 --> 00:10:08.107 I really hope that this continues. 00:10:08.107 --> 00:10:15.823 They are our future and they are the ones who will be making use of the land and what’s on it, 00:10:15.823 --> 00:10:18.701 hunting and trapping. 00:10:18.701 --> 00:10:21.579 This is what I think. 00:10:22.288 --> 00:10:26.167 This is how it will be in the future. 00:10:26.167 --> 00:10:31.172 Help should be provided in whatever way it can be done. 00:10:31.172 --> 00:10:40.014 I’m happy when people come to see me and ask questions about what I know. 00:10:40.014 --> 00:10:41.641 This is how it is now. 00:10:41.641 --> 00:10:51.901 My grandfather told me I would see changes in the future if I lived a long time. 00:10:52.526 --> 00:10:59.575 He also said that I shouldn’t worry too much when I see this and it was meant to happen. 00:11:00.076 --> 00:11:03.454 You have only one person that you can hope will help you 00:11:03.454 --> 00:11:09.085 and it’s the Creator who made and gave you a place to live and hunt. 00:11:09.502 --> 00:11:17.218 He also told me that the things we depended on would disappear if we didn’t take care of them. 00:11:17.760 --> 00:11:20.805 I never forgot the things he said to me. 00:11:21.806 --> 00:11:26.143 He told me we should never throw away what we harvested. 00:11:26.811 --> 00:11:31.357 Long ago when I could still hunt animals like the moose, 00:11:32.775 --> 00:11:39.573 I would bury and cover any parts of the moose I didn’t use. 00:11:40.825 --> 00:11:53.963 Some bones like ones of a goose are hung in a tree or put in ponds so they won’t be lying on the ground. 00:11:54.630 --> 00:11:59.969 Today is not the same at all. 00:12:00.636 --> 00:12:04.014 Food that’s harvested is sometimes put in the garbage. 00:12:04.014 --> 00:12:16.026 My grandfather told me that our Provider who made this garden and all things, does not like to see this. 00:12:16.944 --> 00:12:20.990 The other thing he told me was when I was hunting, 00:12:20.990 --> 00:12:26.579 even if I don’t harvest each day, it’s like the hunter goes out on the land holding his hands out 00:12:26.579 --> 00:12:29.707 hoping that the Creator will bless him with food. 00:12:30.124 --> 00:12:33.461 There comes a time when he will get the blessings he hoped for. 00:12:33.461 --> 00:12:35.463 This is exactly what happened with me. 00:12:35.463 --> 00:12:42.303 One day I was blessed with harvesting a goose and later other kinds of food, like big game. 00:12:42.303 --> 00:12:46.265 I was able to get plenty of food from hunting. 00:12:46.265 --> 00:12:49.018 I have seen exactly what he was talking about. 00:12:49.727 --> 00:12:56.776 Today young people have a hard time understanding this when you tell them. 00:12:57.276 --> 00:13:02.698 They seem to have the mind of a non-native. This is how it is now. 00:13:03.824 --> 00:13:09.371 I don’t like seeing food being thrown in the garbage. 00:13:09.830 --> 00:13:14.960 Yes, we have birds and animals who scavenge and clean up the earth, 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:19.507 like the wolf, the fox, the crow. 00:13:19.965 --> 00:13:23.803 My grandfather told me to throw out the things that animals and birds can eat, 00:13:23.803 --> 00:13:28.724 but the other parts should be buried and covered in the ground. 00:13:29.183 --> 00:13:32.645 Today this isn’t being done. 00:13:33.354 --> 00:13:39.401 Today many inland traplines are not being used. This is how it is. 00:13:39.860 --> 00:13:48.536 This is because the people know they’ll not harvest anything from there. 00:13:48.536 --> 00:13:55.584 They just get big game like moose from their territory. 00:13:56.168 --> 00:14:02.967 But when they get beaver or other animal fur, there’s no monetary value anymore. 00:14:03.259 --> 00:14:13.435 Today, gas is very expensive, and the machines used to go on the land take a lot of gas. 00:14:13.435 --> 00:14:19.942 They know what to do in order to harvest food from the land. 00:14:20.568 --> 00:14:26.448 I have no objections for people who use skidoos to go hunting and trapping. 00:14:26.448 --> 00:14:32.079 These machines were bound to come and help people go to their hunting territories. 00:14:32.079 --> 00:14:35.124 They aren’t used to show disrespect, but are like the vehicles. 00:14:35.124 --> 00:14:39.044 They help us get on the land faster. 00:14:39.044 --> 00:14:45.718 You’re able to drive your vehicle to go hunting if you have an access road going to your territory. 00:14:45.718 --> 00:14:48.679 This is how easy it is. 00:14:49.138 --> 00:14:53.058 If I were to leave by vehicle from my home, 00:14:53.058 --> 00:15:00.774 by late day I would have something to eat for supper if there were ptarmigan around. 00:15:00.983 --> 00:15:06.322 This is how it is when you use a skidoo to go hunting. 00:15:06.322 --> 00:15:14.455 Some people don’t agree with using vehicles to go hunting. 00:15:16.790 --> 00:15:24.757 This is good for people who did not have the experience to walk around the land with snowshoes. 00:15:24.757 --> 00:15:32.389 Fortunately for me, I did get that chance. 00:15:33.515 --> 00:15:36.352 Today youth don’t get that experience. 00:15:36.352 --> 00:15:40.356 If they do get a chance, they only walk for a bit and get tired, 00:15:40.356 --> 00:15:46.654 not like people long ago who traveled long distances from inland. 00:15:46.862 --> 00:15:49.907 I don’t know of many who can do it. 00:15:49.907 --> 00:15:59.708 We tell young people to take snowshoes with them so if their skidoo breaks down they can walk far. 00:16:00.084 --> 00:16:07.508 This is what I tell the young people and to be aware of their surroundings and how much gas they’ll need. 00:16:07.967 --> 00:16:10.928 This is what I did, and try to keep in mind. 00:16:10.928 --> 00:16:16.558 If a person goes out in a canoe, he has to be aware of how he can get to shore, 00:16:16.558 --> 00:16:19.937 where he can see people on the land, so he doesn’t drift off into the bay. 00:16:19.937 --> 00:16:26.318 This is what I tell the young because I had learned that already myself. 00:16:26.610 --> 00:16:30.948 I knew how to paddle a canoe, the young people don’t know how. 00:16:30.948 --> 00:16:36.996 It will take them time to get to shore and they also don’t know how to use a sail. 00:16:36.996 --> 00:16:42.418 I knew how to do this using a canvas shelter cover as a sail to get to land. 00:16:42.418 --> 00:16:46.422 People my age knew this but the young today do not know how. 00:16:47.339 --> 00:16:57.182 I’m glad to have people like you to come ask me and others to give advice to the young about safety. 00:16:57.766 --> 00:17:03.605 This is what I do when people come to me for help and advice. 00:17:03.605 --> 00:17:09.403 I have no objection to the machines that are introduced to us for travel on land and water. 00:17:09.778 --> 00:17:12.990 It’s up to the person to buy and own these things. 00:17:13.282 --> 00:17:21.457 People now have the access roads to travel where they want to hunt and trap. 00:17:21.457 --> 00:17:29.214 They have no restrictions when going on these access roads. 00:17:29.882 --> 00:17:37.139 Many non-native people can come onto our territory to hunt moose. 00:17:37.139 --> 00:17:42.061 This affects the numbers of moose and it’s the same with caribou. 00:17:42.061 --> 00:17:49.234 Today, caribou and moose hunting has been reduced for the non-natives. 00:17:49.902 --> 00:17:52.738 The Cree people are told they are responsible for this reduction, 00:17:52.738 --> 00:17:54.907 and no mention is made about the non-natives. 00:17:54.907 --> 00:17:57.076 This is another thing I noticed. 00:17:57.493 --> 00:18:00.287 I’ve seen people having moose that they have harvested further north. 00:18:00.287 --> 00:18:06.001 As for us in the community, we have yet to get any and here they are coming with moose they had killed. 00:18:06.126 --> 00:18:15.969 It’s not a good idea to go out with a boat and motor in the bay in the fall when it starts to get cold. 00:18:15.969 --> 00:18:20.682 The engine tends to freeze when it gets too cold. 00:18:20.682 --> 00:18:25.521 It’s dangerous if this happens out in the bay and the motor freezes and stops working. 00:18:26.271 --> 00:18:32.528 People shouldn’t try to go out when it gets cold. 00:18:32.528 --> 00:18:36.865 The motors are different from the way they were back in the day. 00:18:36.865 --> 00:18:42.162 This is something that the youth of today don’t know. This is what I can tell them. 00:18:42.162 --> 00:18:52.256 They go with their motors with no worries, and yes, for sure the engines can go much faster today, 00:18:52.256 --> 00:18:54.466 but they are not good in cold weather. 00:18:54.466 --> 00:18:57.261 This is what I find happening now. 00:18:57.261 --> 00:19:05.394 Today people use very large motors, not small ones. These large ones weren’t available. 00:19:05.394 --> 00:19:11.191 People should be more careful and aware of the routes they’re following on long distances. 00:19:11.859 --> 00:19:21.326 Some motors run for a long time using less gas and some use a lot of gas in a very short period. 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:26.832 Some people don’t know how much gas they need or how much they had already used. 00:19:26.832 --> 00:19:29.001 People should also take extra of whatever is necessary 00:19:29.001 --> 00:19:34.798 because some have to get on the radio and ask other people for things that ran out of. 00:19:35.132 --> 00:19:39.344 Nowadays people also have radios for communication. 00:19:39.887 --> 00:19:47.895 Even when they have all these things people still have various problems during their trips. 00:19:48.312 --> 00:19:54.860 Spring is also a dangerous time for skidoos. 00:19:55.444 --> 00:20:01.867 People should refrain from driving around on unsafe ice conditions. 00:20:02.618 --> 00:20:10.876 They’re warned about this and people should heed the warnings they’re given. 00:20:10.876 --> 00:20:16.548 This is what I had to do when I was young and always listen to whatever advice was given. 00:20:17.174 --> 00:20:20.219 People my age have lived and have seen life this way. 00:20:20.219 --> 00:20:27.434 Even when we used dogs to pull our sleds, we still carried canoes on our sleds as a precaution, 00:20:27.434 --> 00:20:30.687 in case someone goes on unsafe ice conditions. 00:20:30.687 --> 00:20:35.651 Today the people use skidoos with trailers but don’t carry their things in a canoe. 00:20:36.151 --> 00:20:39.238 When a skidoo goes through the ice it goes underwater very fast. 00:20:39.738 --> 00:20:42.241 At the rate it goes, it’s very difficult to get out of the water 00:20:42.241 --> 00:20:45.661 when you go on a trip alone and have no one to help you. 00:20:46.245 --> 00:20:53.502 I don’t like to think of the young people going out alone to places they’ve never seen before. 00:20:53.502 --> 00:20:59.800 It’s not a good idea to go out in the wilderness on your own, especially when it’s far. 00:20:59.800 --> 00:21:06.223 If you know well the land where you’re going, you will have no problem. 00:21:06.223 --> 00:21:11.061 The weather can turn very quickly, like get windy or a blizzard can come in an instant and it’s hard to see. 00:21:11.061 --> 00:21:14.898 If you don’t know the land well, you will have a hard time to know which way to turn. 00:21:14.898 --> 00:21:18.819 This can happen to young people and even the older generation 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:23.949 not knowing which way to go if they had never seen the area before, 00:21:23.949 --> 00:21:25.951 especially if they have gone a long distance. 00:21:25.951 --> 00:21:28.662 I know, having been in this situation myself. 00:21:28.662 --> 00:21:39.214 If I have to go a long distance, if I haven’t been in that area before, 00:21:39.214 --> 00:21:48.807 I study it to make sure I know which way I can go when I go back. 00:21:49.433 --> 00:21:57.316 It’s important for people who go hunting today to understand and remember this teaching. 00:21:57.941 --> 00:22:05.699 It’s like when going out in the bay, it’s better to go where you can see the land 00:22:05.699 --> 00:22:13.206 so you can go to it when it gets windy by going onto a river or into a small bay. 00:22:13.665 --> 00:22:16.793 This is what I used to do when I still travelled out in the bay. 00:22:16.793 --> 00:22:21.089 I have seen almost all of James Bay, up to Chisasibi. 00:22:21.590 --> 00:22:23.925 I have traveled by canoe from there. 00:22:23.925 --> 00:22:30.974 I know what it’s like when it’s windy on the water. 00:22:30.974 --> 00:22:37.314 It’s dangerous for a young person if he doesn’t know which way to go when it gets windy. 00:22:37.314 --> 00:22:40.567 It’s important for the young people to know about this. 00:22:41.777 --> 00:22:47.491 It’s the same thing that should be remembered when going inland on a skidoo. 00:22:47.491 --> 00:22:52.287 People should be aware of the area around them when looking at the land from a high altitude. 00:22:52.287 --> 00:22:58.168 By doing this they’ll know which way to go when they’re stuck in the snow. 00:22:58.460 --> 00:23:02.172 The person will know which way to walk when looking at the land 00:23:02.172 --> 00:23:06.551 to see from a high point which direction he came from. 00:23:07.010 --> 00:23:13.975 Many people aren’t aware of their surroundings and don’t know where to go. 00:23:14.684 --> 00:23:21.483 It will take a long time and quickly the darkness will come before they can find the way out. 00:23:22.150 --> 00:23:26.780 This is why you should listen to this advice, to keep in mind the distance traveled 00:23:26.780 --> 00:23:31.159 and try and to remember the landmarks when it is time to go back. 00:23:31.159 --> 00:23:38.417 This is what I had to learn while I could hunt, to study and remember all areas around me. 00:23:39.167 --> 00:23:42.212 I always tried to remember the land and the areas I hunted and trapped. 00:23:42.212 --> 00:23:46.800 When it’s the evening, one will look for a place to stay for the night 00:23:46.800 --> 00:23:50.720 and make a large fire instead of wandering around in the dark. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:59.646 At dawn he puts on his snowshoes, takes a bit of food and try and find his way back. 00:23:59.646 --> 00:24:04.609 This was the way it should be, like it was back then. 00:24:04.609 --> 00:24:11.324 A person had no time to be afraid after making the fire where he stayed. 00:24:11.324 --> 00:24:18.957 If a person’s canoe overturns on the water, he must go to the shore and makes a fire to dry out. 00:24:20.459 --> 00:24:24.254 Even if a few people lost their canoes and belongings in this way, 00:24:24.254 --> 00:24:32.929 things turned out well for them after firing a shot in the air to let people know he was in trouble. 00:24:33.430 --> 00:24:39.728 I’ve known of a person who had a gun and fired it to let people know that he was in trouble. 00:24:40.061 --> 00:24:43.607 For some people who are afraid to be alone, they just go on their way even in the dark. 00:24:43.607 --> 00:24:45.859 This is not a good idea. 00:24:45.859 --> 00:24:49.321 People should just stay where they are 00:24:49.321 --> 00:24:52.449 as long as they have matches to make a fire at night. 00:24:53.492 --> 00:24:59.372 This is what I knew and did. I didn’t venture out in the dark of night. 00:24:59.372 --> 00:25:05.629 I just made a fire and stayed in one place for the night and only left at dawn when I could see. 00:25:05.629 --> 00:25:07.506 Nothing bad ever happened to me. 00:25:08.632 --> 00:25:11.551 This is what I did. 00:25:12.302 --> 00:25:17.849 This is what I hope the youth know, those that go on the land, 00:25:17.849 --> 00:25:20.894 because some do go a long distance for hunting. 00:25:21.895 --> 00:25:27.150 It’s good that some do go out accompanied by friends or relatives. 00:25:27.526 --> 00:25:29.903 Those that do this know a little. 00:25:30.529 --> 00:25:32.906 For those that have not been taught, 00:25:32.906 --> 00:25:36.159 they should not be allowed to travel alone when they are not familiar with the territory. 00:25:36.159 --> 00:25:38.787 This is what I tell them. 00:25:38.787 --> 00:25:42.123 This is what I hope they do in the future. 00:25:42.123 --> 00:25:47.128 They’ll be the ones to live and make use of the land. 00:25:47.128 --> 00:25:52.551 They should be taught now how to do things on the land. 00:25:53.385 --> 00:26:01.810 They’ll use the land mostly for hunting for food like the moose, and not for much else. 00:26:01.810 --> 00:26:09.442 As for any other resources that might be on their trapline, 00:26:09.442 --> 00:26:13.405 it will be their job to fight for their rights. 00:26:13.405 --> 00:26:15.407 This is what they have to do. 00:26:16.032 --> 00:26:20.245 This is what they have to do, not just let things happen. 00:26:20.245 --> 00:26:24.332 They can’t rely on selling fur anymore. 00:26:24.958 --> 00:26:29.296 This is the information I give them, to help themselves for the future 00:26:29.296 --> 00:26:32.716 and I really hope this is what they’ll remember. 00:26:32.882 --> 00:26:40.348 You see this now, mines are already on their traplines. It seems to me that they’re doing well. 00:26:41.558 --> 00:26:44.311 This is the hope we must have. 00:26:44.811 --> 00:26:53.737 In the spring, as the weather warms up and the ice starts to get thin, people start to travel on the bay. 00:26:53.737 --> 00:26:58.533 People should stay where their goose blind is and not on the ice 00:26:58.533 --> 00:27:05.665 even when geese they’ve killed fall on the ice, if they cannot do it safely with the right equipment. 00:27:05.665 --> 00:27:10.253 Some people use a sled to go onto the ice and they think they can go safely. 00:27:10.253 --> 00:27:15.925 Some youth don’t have the experience to do this without danger of tipping over the sled. 00:27:15.925 --> 00:27:19.387 This is how it is nowadays. 00:27:20.388 --> 00:27:28.480 Safety should always be considered, people should go on the land before the tide comes. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:37.614 People who hunt near the shores of the river can’t easily go to the land 00:27:37.614 --> 00:27:44.329 and this should be kept in mind when sitting in the blind waiting for geese. 00:27:44.913 --> 00:27:53.129 When they do this, it becomes too late to go home because of the high water. 00:27:53.129 --> 00:27:56.716 They’re stuck and have to wait for help. 00:27:56.716 --> 00:28:02.389 This happens sometimes, we get news that someone is stuck with no way to get home. 00:28:02.931 --> 00:28:08.061 This makes people worried and stressed, I have seen this. 00:28:08.770 --> 00:28:12.482 Today youth need to know that this can happen to them if they‘re not careful 00:28:12.482 --> 00:28:18.571 and not to wait too long before heading home when goose hunting. 00:28:18.571 --> 00:28:22.325 And inland, when people sit in the marshy areas, it’s also dangerous. 00:28:22.742 --> 00:28:27.747 People can go through the ice and the water can be deep in some areas. 00:28:28.081 --> 00:28:30.333 This is where some precaution is needed. 00:28:30.333 --> 00:28:46.224 If a skidoo is stuck in the marsh, it can go under the ice because the water can be deep. 00:28:46.725 --> 00:28:53.940 This can also happen when a person goes on foot. 00:28:54.733 --> 00:29:00.280 I tell my great-grandchildren to always carry a stick when walking on ice to test it before going. 00:29:00.280 --> 00:29:03.450 One of them, of course, did not take my advice. 00:29:03.825 --> 00:29:08.413 Not long after, you could hear him yell because he had fallen through the thin ice. 00:29:08.413 --> 00:29:12.500 He was yelling because he had water coming inside his boots. 00:29:12.709 --> 00:29:18.673 I had just finished telling him to carry a stick to test the strength of the ice 00:29:18.673 --> 00:29:22.302 so he could walk on it without breaking it. 00:29:22.302 --> 00:29:27.974 I told him to always carry a stick for this purpose so he could walk around the unsafe areas. 00:29:27.974 --> 00:29:32.896 This is what I always do myself, carry a stick to test the ice as I walk 00:29:32.896 --> 00:29:41.112 so I don’t fall in the soft areas of the ground. 00:29:41.738 --> 00:29:48.953 In fall when the ice starts to form, use a stick to test the ice to make sure it’s safe enough to walk on 00:29:48.953 --> 00:29:52.123 and don’t walk any further if the stick goes through. 00:29:52.665 --> 00:29:57.796 An axe can also be used to see the thickness of the ice by chopping it, 00:29:57.796 --> 00:30:00.632 so the person knows which areas are safe. 00:30:01.633 --> 00:30:09.307 When a person is out on the ice 10 or 20 feet, the ice can break. This is how the ice is. 00:30:10.183 --> 00:30:15.772 This is what I know. These are the precautions people should be aware of. 00:30:16.022 --> 00:30:23.947 Skidoos can go fast but they can go through the ice even at that speed. 00:30:24.697 --> 00:30:34.415 Ice can break, be weak in some areas even if it looks like the ice is thick. 00:30:35.333 --> 00:30:39.128 Ice can break easily just like glass. 00:30:39.587 --> 00:30:41.881 This happens more in the spring. 00:30:41.881 --> 00:30:52.225 Even when the ice is this thick, skidoos can still go through. 00:30:53.226 --> 00:30:56.646 This happened to me, and I would have gone through 00:30:56.646 --> 00:31:02.527 if I hadn’t easily gotten off the skidoo as it went underwater. 00:31:02.902 --> 00:31:05.864 The water can be nine feet deep. 00:31:07.907 --> 00:31:15.373 I managed to move off quickly to the side of the skidoo and onto the unbroken ice. 00:31:16.040 --> 00:31:20.336 This can happen to people who spend a lot of time out on the land. 00:31:20.336 --> 00:31:32.098 Even though people now use fast vehicles to travel around they should listen to the advice. 00:31:32.098 --> 00:31:38.980 Some people think nothing bad will happen to them, but things can happen without any warning. 00:31:39.522 --> 00:31:46.738 This is what some people think. I am the same, thinking nothing bad will happen. 00:31:47.447 --> 00:31:53.077 I thought I’d never go through the ice, even when I knew about the precautions I should take. 00:31:53.077 --> 00:31:57.749 It’s a good idea for the youth to listen to advices 00:31:57.749 --> 00:32:01.044 on how careful they should be when they’re out on the land. 00:32:01.044 --> 00:32:04.047 No one knows when something dangerous can happen. 00:32:05.214 --> 00:32:10.970 They should also show respect and do what they’re advised. 00:32:10.970 --> 00:32:16.851 Some youth don’t want to listen because they think they already know it all, 00:32:16.851 --> 00:32:23.650 So they get a big surprise when something does happen to them when they least expect it. 00:32:24.901 --> 00:32:31.366 Youth should heed the advice they’re given by those who already experienced life on the land, 00:32:31.366 --> 00:32:33.534 like when they use fast machines. 00:32:33.993 --> 00:32:37.246 Skidoos can hurt them and they can turn over. 00:32:37.246 --> 00:32:42.293 The surface on the ice changes after a spring thaw and the trail can be uneaven for the skidoo. 00:32:42.293 --> 00:32:45.922 So if hits a point of hard ice on the trail, it can turn over if going fast. 00:32:45.922 --> 00:32:49.384 This is also very dangerous when this happens. 00:32:49.384 --> 00:32:53.388 It’s better to go at a slower pace so this does not happen. 00:32:53.388 --> 00:32:56.975 I’m talking about ice conditions in the spring. 00:32:57.100 --> 00:33:05.233 Survival items should always be carried like matches, an axe, a length of rope. 00:33:06.317 --> 00:33:11.906 I make sure I carry these things on my trips all the time. 00:33:12.365 --> 00:33:20.748 In my knapsack I have my matches, teakettle, food, and all things I need to survive. 00:33:20.748 --> 00:33:27.088 Even if a person thinks he won’t need a certain thing, it’s a good idea to take it anyway. 00:33:27.088 --> 00:33:30.758 Things can happen while he is out on the territory. 00:33:30.758 --> 00:33:38.016 Things can happen when you least expect them. The person will be glad he brought survival items. 00:33:38.016 --> 00:33:42.437 If a person’s skidoo breaks down, he’ll have all he needs to make a fire, rest and have a snack. 00:33:42.437 --> 00:33:49.819 When he travels at night and even if he has the small radio for communication, 00:33:52.989 --> 00:33:58.578 he still needs to wait for the person to pick him up. 00:33:58.786 --> 00:34:09.756 He needs to carry his survival items, wherever he goes, including a rifle or shotgun. 00:34:10.381 --> 00:34:24.228 If a person has a gun with him on the land, it’s good to be careful on how to handle it. 00:34:24.228 --> 00:34:28.524 It’s a dangerous weapon when it’s loaded. 00:34:28.524 --> 00:34:35.490 It’s good to carry the gun and the bullets in a separate place. 00:34:35.490 --> 00:34:40.036 This is what I do with a .22 rifle. 00:34:40.036 --> 00:34:44.999 This is how it should be carried, gun and bullets stored in separate places. 00:34:44.999 --> 00:34:56.594 Now, guns are carried over the shoulder, it was not the case in the past. 00:34:58.054 --> 00:35:07.230 If a person shoots in the air, it’s a sign that this person needs help. 00:35:07.230 --> 00:35:11.317 Maybe his skidoo has broken down. 00:35:11.317 --> 00:35:16.072 If a person doesn’t have a radio, he will use his shotgun to let people know he needs help. 00:35:16.072 --> 00:35:23.663 A person can also use a 30.30 to shoot if he needs to let people know that something happened. 00:35:24.455 --> 00:35:27.667 The person only shoots one time and goes on his way before he shoots again. 00:35:27.667 --> 00:35:34.715 When a person hears this happening, he’ll know right away that a person needs help. 00:35:35.424 --> 00:35:39.512 He then goes to the where the sound came from. This was how it was long ago. 00:35:39.512 --> 00:35:44.267 Even now, people use skidoos, they use them to find their partners when they need help. 00:35:44.767 --> 00:35:55.111 It’s good that this kind of information from an elder can be passed on to the youth using these videos. 00:35:55.111 --> 00:36:03.327 Youth will listen and get use this advice later and pass it on to their friends. 00:36:03.744 --> 00:36:11.878 Some youth, with the advice given, already help their friends. 00:36:12.712 --> 00:36:22.471 This help is also seen when their friends need to know more. 00:36:23.181 --> 00:36:25.141 This is what my grandson does. 00:36:25.141 --> 00:36:30.897 If he knows how to do something and his friend doesn’t, he will help and teach him.