WEBVTT 00:00:10.385 --> 00:00:13.555 My name is Luke Tent Mettaweskum. 00:00:15.223 --> 00:00:32.782 Often, I hear discussions about Cree knowledge. 00:00:33.783 --> 00:00:37.037 I attend different meetings 00:00:37.037 --> 00:00:46.379 in Ouje-Bougoumou, Mistissini, Chisasibi, Eastmain, Nemaska and Val-d'Or. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:50.675 When Cree knowledge is brought up, holding up the mic, the MC asks, 00:00:53.136 --> 00:00:57.515 "is there anyone who wants to share something?" 00:00:57.515 --> 00:01:00.435 I sometimes attend them at Waskaganish too. 00:01:01.436 --> 00:01:11.071 I see different attendees from 00:01:11.279 --> 00:01:22.832 the Cree Nation Government, the Cree School Board and the Cree Health Board. 00:01:23.541 --> 00:01:30.340 Also, Hydro-Quebec and the [Nemaska] Environment [Department]. 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:38.389 Many of them hold different job and go to these meetings. 00:01:38.515 --> 00:01:45.605 These days our youth don’t practice as much Cree activities 00:01:45.605 --> 00:01:52.070 because they don’t receive any compensation. 00:01:52.070 --> 00:01:59.452 When I was young, I would go with an elder to learn how to use a gill net over here in Nemaska. 00:01:59.452 --> 00:02:01.996 I’d see him bring the net along the shore. 00:02:03.414 --> 00:02:08.294 By watching, I learned how to set up the gill net. 00:02:10.547 --> 00:02:17.929 We would go to the bush and he’d say “we will earth this.” 00:02:17.929 --> 00:02:23.810 It was bannock and blueberry jam. That was my form of payment. 00:02:24.352 --> 00:02:33.945 Nowadays, people need to be paid with money. 00:02:36.114 --> 00:02:40.076 When meetings happen, 00:02:41.286 --> 00:02:51.421 I don’t like it when a person overshares the Cree knowledge 00:02:51.421 --> 00:02:55.258 because most haven’t practised it themselves. 00:02:57.510 --> 00:03:04.726 When a person brings a topic, he’s expected to talk about it. 00:03:04.726 --> 00:03:10.648 If they haven’t practised Cree culture, they will have difficulty explaining it. 00:03:10.648 --> 00:03:18.489 This makes me think about the state of the Cree culture. 00:03:19.324 --> 00:03:25.121 Many people from here are losing their Cree knowledge. 00:03:25.121 --> 00:03:34.756 For example, during the annual Nemaska snowshoe winter journey at the Old Nemaska site. 00:03:34.756 --> 00:03:39.093 It was not that long ago. 00:03:39.093 --> 00:03:47.560 I brought my snowshoes, two of the same gill nets, 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:54.943 night lines, moccasins and duffles. 00:03:54.943 --> 00:04:13.795 The women from here demonstrated how to wear and tie up the moccasins. 00:04:13.795 --> 00:04:16.130 With the snowshoes that I brought over, 00:04:16.130 --> 00:04:20.802 they showed people how to tie them and prevent the feet from overtiring. 00:04:20.802 --> 00:04:23.471 They showcased that. 00:04:23.471 --> 00:04:34.941 The community activities that we did were based on Cree culture. 00:04:34.941 --> 00:04:42.907 It was overshadowed by a sporting event, a hockey tournament. 00:04:43.783 --> 00:04:52.208 Because yesterday, only the older youth came by. 00:04:52.208 --> 00:04:54.377 The younger ones didn’t. 00:04:54.377 --> 00:04:59.757 Most of them stayed at the arena. 00:05:00.967 --> 00:05:10.268 I do go inside, but up to the lobby. 00:05:10.268 --> 00:05:17.859 I do that only to see my old friends as they sometimes drive hockey players. 00:05:17.859 --> 00:05:23.114 They are from Mistissini, Waskaganish, Chisasibi. 00:05:23.114 --> 00:05:30.705 I try to meet my friends, but I don’t go all the way inside. 00:05:32.707 --> 00:05:37.879 When I was young, whenever I would hear a squirrel, 00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:42.550 I would run outside and instantly kill it with a slingshot. 00:05:43.384 --> 00:05:45.094 This was my introduction to fur trapping. 00:05:45.094 --> 00:05:50.433 This is the Cree culture, it’s the Cree way of living. 00:05:50.433 --> 00:05:56.314 These teachings also came from the home setting. 00:05:57.023 --> 00:06:04.238 Being young at the time, I wasn’t allowed to use a gun. 00:06:04.238 --> 00:06:08.284 So, I would have to make my bow and arrow. 00:06:08.284 --> 00:06:11.621 You know it right? 00:06:12.789 --> 00:06:23.674 I used my slingshot until the snow covered the stones. 00:06:23.674 --> 00:06:28.721 Until then, I would use my bow and arrow to kill the squirrels. 00:06:28.721 --> 00:06:35.895 When they eat, they don’t move. They have their lunch. 00:06:35.895 --> 00:06:41.275 As I moved closer to it, I’d shoot at them using my bow and arrow. 00:06:41.275 --> 00:06:44.320 It would fall down. 00:06:45.363 --> 00:06:47.240 We had to hand carve those. 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:56.749 Some people from Nemaska are able to do that, where they make their own hunting gear. 00:06:56.749 --> 00:07:00.711 We would kill grouse. 00:07:00.711 --> 00:07:05.591 While it eats, it isn’t aware of its surroundings. 00:07:06.384 --> 00:07:09.554 When you make the arrow, 00:07:09.554 --> 00:07:15.935 it has to be as straight as possible so it won’t curve when it’s released. 00:07:15.935 --> 00:07:22.942 While the grouse is busy eating, you aim at its head and then you release the bow. 00:07:22.942 --> 00:07:28.156 With one shot, you release it and you know it’s down. 00:07:28.573 --> 00:07:34.370 I would bring a roll of snare wire. 00:07:34.370 --> 00:07:44.714 I’d see signs of grouse diving on the snow and flying up to the tree. 00:07:44.714 --> 00:07:52.472 With the snare, I’d make a snare and tie it along the tip of a long-dead tree. 00:07:53.347 --> 00:07:58.686 While the grouse is eating, it's unaware of its surroundings. 00:07:59.437 --> 00:08:10.656 The loop is set up about the same width for snaring rabbits. 00:08:11.616 --> 00:08:19.040 While it's looking away, you put it over its head and make a pull. 00:08:19.957 --> 00:08:22.793 This is called “catching-it-using-a-pooping-pole”. 00:08:23.628 --> 00:08:29.467 I did many Cree cultural activities. 00:08:31.010 --> 00:08:41.229 When a youth begins trapping beaver with his father, 00:08:41.229 --> 00:08:45.149 he would be told to take this home. 00:08:46.400 --> 00:08:54.283 It doesn’t weigh a lot, this is white poplar. 00:08:54.283 --> 00:08:58.788 He would be told “take this inside once we arrive.” 00:08:59.789 --> 00:09:05.169 He would be told : “once you bring it inside, you’ll bring excitement.” 00:09:05.920 --> 00:09:09.340 That’s how people will know that there is a beaver around 00:09:10.174 --> 00:09:17.139 and people will applaud when you bring this inside. 00:09:19.308 --> 00:09:23.646 That’s when you’ll begin your journey in Cree culture. 00:09:23.646 --> 00:09:26.357 You’ll bring [this tradition] once you bring it inside. 00:09:26.357 --> 00:09:31.946 You’ll share it around so all the elders can see it. 00:09:31.946 --> 00:09:39.078 The elder who sees it would say “if only there was [beaver] broth.” 00:09:40.162 --> 00:09:52.341 Today, people applaud more for a hockey game when a goal is made. 00:09:52.341 --> 00:09:57.555 This isn’t our culture, it comes from whitemen. 00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:11.652 Traditionally, this was even used before there was a grand chief. 00:10:11.652 --> 00:10:15.197 This was already in place. 00:10:17.241 --> 00:10:23.914 Gathering around the youth, they would tell where to set the beaver trap. 00:10:23.914 --> 00:10:28.753 On a soft spot, they’d say “set the trap over here.” 00:10:28.753 --> 00:10:34.216 They’d stand around until the trap was placed underwater. 00:10:34.216 --> 00:10:43.017 The youth has new footwear and mittens and puts them on. 00:10:44.685 --> 00:10:52.276 Eventually, he becomes a hunting leader replacing his father. 00:10:53.486 --> 00:11:00.785 Someone is there with a role similar to a president 00:11:00.785 --> 00:11:07.375 and he has authority for the hunt. 00:11:09.001 --> 00:11:12.421 Meticulously observing this, 00:11:14.548 --> 00:11:18.594 an elder would say… 00:11:19.970 --> 00:11:25.893 “By the way, I recognize this!” 00:11:28.646 --> 00:11:32.066 He’d say, 00:11:32.650 --> 00:11:35.277 “Wow! This was gnawed by a female beaver” 00:11:36.445 --> 00:11:41.492 “and in the middle, by a younger one one.” 00:11:42.743 --> 00:11:53.921 The female beaver brought this to the beaver lodge for its litter. 00:11:54.422 --> 00:12:02.263 You see, it’s chewed roughly. 00:12:02.263 --> 00:12:11.230 They chew this into smaller pieces because they are feeding their young, so they can digest the food. 00:12:11.230 --> 00:12:23.826 The chewing marks differ from male beavers who may have brought back the food back to its litter. 00:12:25.536 --> 00:12:31.584 My late father would tell me “we’ll make holes on the ice for the gill net.” 00:12:33.169 --> 00:12:37.256 “It will take us two days to do.” 00:12:39.550 --> 00:12:44.305 Once, we made holes on the ice, with ice two feet thick. 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:51.771 Eight holes were made using [an ice chisel]. 00:12:53.564 --> 00:12:59.653 You cover [the hole] using snow, so that it doesn’t freeze over. 00:12:59.653 --> 00:13:05.493 When morning comes, you push the gill net under the ice. 00:13:06.202 --> 00:13:09.371 I’ll tell you about my own experience. 00:13:09.371 --> 00:13:15.753 Many times I do it on my own, I make holes on the ice. 00:13:16.045 --> 00:13:32.228 The black spruce branches have cones that are attached. 00:13:33.979 --> 00:13:42.112 It is soaked in a motion like this. 00:13:42.112 --> 00:13:54.208 They detach around the opening and have an oily substance. 00:13:54.959 --> 00:14:01.048 Because you make a motion around the opening, 00:14:01.382 --> 00:14:09.139 the cones detach and float around it, including branches. 00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:19.900 When this is done, it doesn’t freeze the hole because the top separates loose ends. 00:14:21.443 --> 00:14:31.328 Even when there is a snowstorm, it is a priority for someone to set up their gill net. 00:14:31.912 --> 00:14:37.626 Once setting up the gill net underwater, it doesn’t break. 00:14:37.626 --> 00:14:49.471 So even when it doesn’t look like a good day to set it up, even in a snowstorm, it still provides food. 00:14:50.347 --> 00:14:54.685 When it’s windy, I make a canvas shelter. 00:14:54.685 --> 00:15:02.318 I make space for my gill net for collecting fish. 00:15:02.318 --> 00:15:12.036 I place the wood stove in the centre, where the chimney pokes up as I make the fire. 00:15:12.703 --> 00:15:19.752 There’s one set up by someone else over there. 00:15:19.752 --> 00:15:22.796 I don’t know how they did theirs, I didn’t check. 00:15:22.796 --> 00:15:25.925 But mine looks like a house. 00:15:27.134 --> 00:15:31.847 Once I collect the fish, that’s when I wrap up the canvas. 00:15:32.973 --> 00:15:41.106 When someone collects their catch, they pull out the whole gill net. 00:15:42.066 --> 00:15:47.071 When the weather is cold and the gill net is soaked, 00:15:47.071 --> 00:15:55.704 the wood stove does the job of preventing it from freezing up. 00:15:55.704 --> 00:16:00.960 That’s how gill netting is done. 00:16:01.543 --> 00:16:09.510 To clean rabbit fur, you first dry it up, then cut off the membrane. 00:16:10.427 --> 00:16:13.973 You then rub it outside and hang it there. 00:16:15.349 --> 00:16:24.400 Wrapping it around your wrist, you won't get cold when collecting the fish you caught. 00:16:24.400 --> 00:16:27.277 I did that myself. 00:16:28.487 --> 00:16:36.370 After using the rabbit fur, they’d fold it up and place it in their pocket. 00:16:41.542 --> 00:16:45.129 When travelling for winter, 00:16:47.589 --> 00:16:55.389 snow would be placed in a bowl for washing the face. 00:16:55.389 --> 00:17:04.982 In the morning, I would place the snow in the bowl. 00:17:05.649 --> 00:17:14.908 I’d rub it with the snow and soap and wash my face with it because of my winter travel. 00:17:16.577 --> 00:17:28.380 People don’t realize how cold it is when they are outside washing their faces using snow. 00:17:30.007 --> 00:17:34.511 You know, I get up early. 00:17:34.511 --> 00:17:41.560 I started doing that when I decided to follow the Cree culture. 00:17:41.560 --> 00:17:45.147 I would sleep early and get up early. 00:17:45.147 --> 00:17:50.152 I was already asleep at 8 p.m. and got up at 3:30 a.m. 00:17:52.821 --> 00:18:00.621 One time, I made an appointment for my car in Chibougamau. 00:18:00.621 --> 00:18:08.253 Then I drove to Mistissini to help out with the radio station. 00:18:10.130 --> 00:18:15.969 Half way away from Chibougamau the sun started to rise. 00:18:17.429 --> 00:18:21.183 The moon was full. 00:18:22.101 --> 00:18:28.065 Sometimes, I stopped and looked at the moon. 00:18:28.065 --> 00:18:33.153 Close to the moon was the morning star. 00:18:33.946 --> 00:18:44.414 From that moment, I knew the star wanted to say something and tried to remember how its story went. 00:18:44.957 --> 00:18:50.587 The moon brightens up the morning star 00:18:50.587 --> 00:19:00.180 because it wants to be noticed by everyone and tell its story. 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:03.934 That's why the moon brightens it up. 00:19:03.934 --> 00:19:07.980 Just like each one of us. 00:19:08.981 --> 00:19:14.903 It tells a hunter to bring in their kill, a big kill. 00:19:16.321 --> 00:19:19.616 It really happened. 00:19:20.367 --> 00:19:23.787 I spent one night in Mistissini before driving back. 00:19:24.246 --> 00:19:32.045 I drove by where my sister has her cooking house and saw the smoke rising up from the chimney. 00:19:33.130 --> 00:19:38.218 My wife was by my side and I told her: 00:19:38.218 --> 00:19:43.765 “I should check what my sister is doing. I think she is preparing food.” 00:19:44.183 --> 00:19:46.185 I drove up to her place. 00:19:47.561 --> 00:19:50.480 There were signs of blood outside the entrance. 00:19:50.814 --> 00:19:53.817 I was certain that a kill was brought inside. 00:19:54.776 --> 00:20:00.616 I peeked inside and saw two moose heads lying on the floor. 00:20:02.201 --> 00:20:05.120 I asked her, “when did this happen?” 00:20:05.704 --> 00:20:07.873 She answered “last night, we brought it in last night.” 00:20:09.917 --> 00:20:23.180 The stones that are located in riverbeds are medicinal. 00:20:24.973 --> 00:20:30.520 The stones that are flat are brought in. 00:20:31.230 --> 00:20:33.565 It’s then heated up on the stove. 00:20:33.565 --> 00:20:36.068 It can be used for toothaches. 00:20:36.068 --> 00:20:40.322 When people are in the bush, they heat up the stone. 00:20:41.114 --> 00:20:44.368 They flip the stone. 00:20:44.368 --> 00:20:51.333 Once it makes a movement like so, that’s when the stone is all heated up. 00:20:52.251 --> 00:21:05.264 It is wrapped with wet material, either fur or a cloth. 00:21:06.306 --> 00:21:14.064 The person with a swelling either from a toothache or an earache 00:21:14.690 --> 00:21:23.115 is told to put the warm stone on the side of the face and from time-to-time to put it aside. 00:21:23.115 --> 00:21:25.325 There is medicine in the stone. 00:21:25.325 --> 00:21:28.662 The person does what they are told. 00:21:29.162 --> 00:21:32.416 The real [Cree] doctor says that. 00:21:33.750 --> 00:21:41.174 The person does what they are told to do and the following morning the swelling subsides. 00:21:42.843 --> 00:21:49.641 It would help with back pain too. 00:21:49.641 --> 00:21:57.941 Sometimes people carrying firewood would have injuries from a fall. 00:21:57.941 --> 00:22:01.403 A stone would be used on that too. 00:22:02.946 --> 00:22:08.201 For balsam fir branches, 00:22:08.994 --> 00:22:18.795 if someone wasn’t feeling well, they’d go to him as he covered himself with a blanket. 00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:28.847 He’s asked, “will you like it if we move your camp?” 00:22:29.973 --> 00:22:32.851 He says “of course.” 00:22:32.851 --> 00:22:35.437 We locate and go collect balsam fir. 00:22:35.437 --> 00:22:37.606 His camp is dismantled. 00:22:38.398 --> 00:22:44.321 Balsam fir has a medicine-like scent. 00:22:45.113 --> 00:22:51.286 His camp is dismantled and moved elsewhere. 00:22:52.204 --> 00:23:00.253 His home has the scent of medicine because everyone around was moved. 00:23:01.546 --> 00:23:07.427 Because of the balsam fir, he heals. 00:23:07.928 --> 00:23:15.268 The next morning he’d walk about and all ready to work outside. 00:23:16.853 --> 00:23:32.369 For difficult births that happen in the bush, where I have seen women in labour. 00:23:34.621 --> 00:23:42.212 If a baby has difficulty coming out… 00:23:44.840 --> 00:23:52.681 The provider of the family, a true hunter, 00:23:53.473 --> 00:23:56.601 when he returns from a hunt, he is told: 00:23:56.601 --> 00:24:04.151 "the woman is having a hard time giving birth." 00:24:04.151 --> 00:24:10.740 He would be asked to sing a short song. 00:24:12.033 --> 00:24:14.327 He says, "of course, I can." 00:24:14.744 --> 00:24:16.955 He didn't carry a hymn book. 00:24:17.539 --> 00:24:24.087 He sang a song about the animals he was with during the hunt. 00:24:24.087 --> 00:24:27.507 He sang one song. 00:24:28.216 --> 00:24:30.469 He sang one song. 00:24:30.469 --> 00:24:42.898 He said, "I'll sing a song about how I felt seeing young beavers swimming." 00:24:44.733 --> 00:24:49.613 He then sat near the woman's feet. 00:24:51.740 --> 00:25:02.792 The hunter then sang, he didn't even finish his song when the child was born. 00:25:05.962 --> 00:25:15.472 These stories aren't really talked about. 00:25:17.307 --> 00:25:20.977 A long time ago, in calm places, 00:25:20.977 --> 00:25:29.653 when someone worked outdoors, he fetched his beaver trap and waited patiently. 00:25:30.403 --> 00:25:42.707 The other person tells his story to his friend. 00:25:43.083 --> 00:25:56.221 He'd say he found these beaver leftovers. 00:25:57.472 --> 00:26:01.685 He'd say, I'll check on it again tomorrow morning. 00:26:01.935 --> 00:26:05.355 The friend tells his story too. 00:26:05.355 --> 00:26:13.863 Sometimes there would be seven beaver traps. 00:26:13.863 --> 00:26:16.324 Then another person would tell his story. 00:26:17.117 --> 00:26:37.137 When winter begins, a person looks around for a beaver lodge. 00:26:40.390 --> 00:26:52.152 Sometimes this is even done during the fall because you see the beaver's activity. 00:26:52.360 --> 00:27:04.080 When it shows an abundance of food collected, that’s a sign that there will be a long winter. 00:27:04.831 --> 00:27:14.215 Observing its food storage around the area tells us the winter will last longer. 00:27:15.216 --> 00:27:19.137 If its food is abundant, the winter will last long. 00:27:19.137 --> 00:27:24.559 The winter will be shorter if it doesn't store a lot of food. 00:27:26.394 --> 00:27:38.323 In the winter, the beaver checks the food it stored. 00:27:40.867 --> 00:27:51.753 It dives to check around and it pops up at the other end. 00:27:51.753 --> 00:28:02.972 If it dives longer, it means that it will be a cloudy day. 00:28:02.972 --> 00:28:09.896 From that, you'll know it will be a cloudy day. 00:28:09.896 --> 00:28:18.697 I believe that people who knew about the animal were the first to know this. 00:28:19.406 --> 00:28:29.124 This morning at 5:30 a.m., I drove to the camp Nemaska restaurant to eat. 00:28:31.084 --> 00:28:42.762 Along the road, the ptarmigan can’t stay in one place because the wind changes direction. 00:28:42.762 --> 00:28:47.517 When the north wind blows gently, they stay in one spot. 00:28:48.518 --> 00:28:51.896 There are two types of ptarmigan. 00:28:51.896 --> 00:29:00.488 Some of them stay in one place and some move arout the area. 00:29:00.488 --> 00:29:09.164 There was a pickup parked halfway to the airport, I knew who it was. 00:29:09.164 --> 00:29:18.006 He was taking the feathers off his ptarmigan. 00:29:18.757 --> 00:29:21.551 I said to him, “I’ll tell you something.” 00:29:21.551 --> 00:29:23.511 He said okay. 00:29:25.889 --> 00:29:29.476 I told him 00:29:29.476 --> 00:29:41.070 “When you pluck the feathers off and it bleeds a lot, 00:29:41.070 --> 00:29:46.618 it means that you’ll see more signs of blood around the area.” 00:29:47.577 --> 00:29:52.999 You see that when a moose is killed, there are signs of blood around. 00:29:53.958 --> 00:29:58.922 One man was telling a story, he said the ptarmigan aren't afraid. 00:29:58.922 --> 00:30:06.721 I said to him, “your kill is bleeding a lot. Soon you’ll kill a moose. 00:30:09.307 --> 00:30:19.192 Two nights later, someone knocks on my door in the morning. 00:30:19.192 --> 00:30:23.363 Sometimes I wake up early. 00:30:23.363 --> 00:30:25.907 It was the young man. 00:30:25.907 --> 00:30:32.288 He came by to give me wrapped meat. 00:30:32.288 --> 00:30:35.708 He tells me "This is for you.” 00:30:35.708 --> 00:30:39.170 "You told me that I would have a moose kill. 00:30:39.170 --> 00:30:45.218 I am giving you a moose heart. After what you said, I did kill a moose." 00:30:46.135 --> 00:30:51.349 I said to him, "you see, there are people that can tell when a kill would happen.” 00:30:51.349 --> 00:30:58.439 "I am a true hunter and I know about it." I told him that it would happen.