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Archives for December 2019

Elders are Our Scientists

December 17, 2019

There has been much dispute about global warming and climate change but Anishinaabeg have long known that poor land use planning can have damaging results. The Elders who came before us have taught us to respect the earth. Pimachiowin Aki is a gift from the Creator, and Anishinaabeg have a sacred responsibility to care for it.

Years ago, Elders spoke about the impending changes in weather patterns and cautioned us that we must work together to make a difference for current and future generations, says Pimachiowin Aki Board Co-Chair William Young. “We have our own scientists,” he says, referring to the Elders in the communities. 

William generously translates as we speak with Bloodvein First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis. Born in Bloodvein, Leslie has worked all over Manitoba as a commercial fisherman, and is an experienced hunter and trapper.

Leslie sees the changes that Elders talked about long ago. “They used to be able to do various things, like make it rain. Now that’s all changed,” he says. 

While we may no longer be able to call upon the clouds to open up, the Elders in Pimachiowin Aki are the knowledge keepers. Sharing their traditional knowledge is invaluable. They talk about the effects that global warming has on the wildlife in their communities. 

At the end of November, Bloodvein was experiencing rain and unusually warm weather for about a week and a half. “When it rains this time of year,” Leslie says, “it freezes onto the twigs, trees and bushes, which the moose and rabbits rely on to eat.“   

Lack of food for wildlife inevitably affects the trappers and hunters.  

“The wolves are starving,” William adds. Recently three wolves were spotted on the road walking at night, desperately searching or food, coming closer than normal to residents’ homes.

Communities Affected by High Waters 

Dennis Keeper, a Pimachiowin Aki Guardian who observes the lands and waters in Little Grand Rapids is very concerned about the unusual weather patterns and erratic water levels that he has witnessed over the last few years.

“Usually at this time of year, the water levels drop and the current slows down,” he says. But this year is different. The lake froze once in the fall and then opened again near the end of November. Yet in June and July, water levels were lower than normal. Dennis says that in 2018 Little Grand Rapids had low water levels all year.

Pauingassi First Nation, 18 kilometres north of Little Grand Rapids, is experiencing its highest water levels ever, with some parts of the community swallowed up and becoming islands. The high waters prevent trappers from accessing their trap lines. 

“We have to rely on outside food, says Dennis. “It puts pressure on the community.”

It also affects communities’ access to transportation. Typically, for about one month each winter, people use winter roads to travel to and from the communities of Pimachiowin Aki. The roads are a direct route across the lakes. But those roads won’t open until the lakes freeze, and Dennis worries that the roads won’t be open for as many days as needed. 

 “It takes a month of minus 30 degrees Celsius for it to freeze,” he explains. It takes six to eight weeks to get the roads passed as driveable, which results in 22 to 30 days of winter road driving. The slow freeze-up can also result in the trucks having to carry smaller loads, cutting the weight of the loads in half from 80,000 pounds to 40,000.

This is unsettling news for Little Grand Rapids, which is expecting 1500 loads of supplies this winter via the winter road. The trucks will be carrying materials to build the community’s own much-needed high school this spring.  

“Global warming is not a myth,” Dennis says. “Come over here and see it for yourself.”

Elder Leslie says, “There will be days ahead that will be hard, and we have to prepare our youth by teaching them skills like hunting, trapping, fishing and survival.” He believes that we can, and should, all work together toward sustainable hunting in order to build a brighter future for all.

Filed Under: First Nation Communities, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, Wildfire Tagged With: Bloodvein River First Nation, climate change, Elders, guardians, harvesting, Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Pauingassi, winter roads

Why Do Moose Avoid Travel in Winter?

December 17, 2019

Each season brings its own gifts to Pimachiowin Aki. As the landscape, wildlife, plants and trees go through seasonal changes, life on the land changes, too. Use our calendar to gain seasonal knowledge and trace our traditional land use activities throughout the year.   

In February, Moose avoid travel because the ice on the snow cuts their shins.

Download the calendar

Filed Under: Calendars, Cultural Heritage, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, Plants, Wildlife Tagged With: harvesting, land use, moose, traditional medicine

Lost in Pimachiowin Aki? 4 Survival Tips

December 17, 2019

Parts of Canada are well known for fierce winds and dangerously low temperatures during the winter months. We asked the Pimachiowin Aki Guardians for tips on how to stay safe this winter.

1. Report to the Band Office

“Stop in to say hello, so that we know that you are out there,” says Bloodvein First Nation Guardian Melba Green.  

2. Travel with a Buddy

No matter how much experience you have in the outdoors, heavy snow and high winds can reduce visibility, making travel, especially on foot, very difficult. Little Grand Rapids Guardian Dennis Keeper warns, “It’s a good idea to travel with somebody, especially at this time of year.”  

3. Use Nature (and Your Buddy) to Stay Warm

Many years ago, trappers would walk to traplines as far as 100 kilometres away from the community. They knew how to survive the elements during these long outings. They would walk in winter and sleep out in the open, using shrubs and tree branches for mattresses and blankets. They would also build a fire, taking turns to stoke it during the night.

This knowledge has been passed down through generations to the many trappers and hunters in Pimachiowin Aki today who use the survival skills that they learned from their fathers and grandfathers.

Melba says, “Years ago, my dad, cousin and brother got lost coming back from the trapline and spent three days out in the woods. They made shelter, and huddled together, walking during the daylight hours through very deep snow.”

“Use old pine trees for firewood to make a fire,” says Colin Owens, Pauingassi First Nation Guardian. Colin also recommends building a shelter to stay warm if you are lost. Like Elder Leslie, he suggests using the branches from the trees for ground cover and as blankets.

Melba suggests using ferns, willows and young trees, which are flexible, and therefore ideal for building shelter. 

4. Eat Cat Tail Roots

Vegetation is scarce during the winter months, so foraging for food may be difficult. “You can dig up snow looking for berries, but you’re not always successful,” says Melba.

“Unless you know where the wild parsnips are,” Dennis adds. “You can also eat the roots of cat tails,” he says, noting that they are an acquired taste.

Learn more about seasonal trips, past and present, in Pimachiowin Aki: https://pimaki.ca/the-land-that-gives-life/habitation/

For more information about the Pimachiowin Aki Guardians program: https://pimaki.ca/keeping-the-land/guardians-program/

Filed Under: Uncategorised

On the Land | Winter Report

December 17, 2019

During this time of year, known as freeze-up, people usually stay close to home. But Dennis Keeper, Little Grand Rapids First Nation Guardian, reports that hunters and trappers are travelling greater distances than usual to prepare for the winter ahead.

A devastating fire has made moose and rabbits scarce, he says. “With no vegetation for the animals to eat, we have to go farther to find them. But we don’t have to go far to collect firewood.”   

People in newer homes do not have wood stoves, but they do collect wood for outdoor fires. Those who live in older homes rely on wood for cooking and heating their homes throughout winter. A wood stove is a great asset, especially when the power goes out during a winter storm.  

Pauingassi Guardian Colin Owens is confident that all members of his community will be warm this winter. Six men are hired to cut wood for those who are unable to cut it themselves, he says.

Stocking Up

Preparing for the long winter includes stocking up on meat. Little Grand Rapids was fortunate to harvest  moose this year. They also had a good waterfowl season. “This will help the community,” says Dennis. “We’re just waiting for the ice to be able to go fishing.”

In Bloodvein First Nation, trappers are setting traps for rabbit, lynx, beaver and muskrat on just one side of the island. “They’re going out on the land to put out traps, but they can’t cross the river until it freezes,” Melba says.

Once the land is covered with enough snow, travel will be made easier with snowshoes and snowmobiles.

The fur of beaver, rabbit, lynx, fox and wolf is used to make warm mittens and hats. Rabbit fur is used as an extra layer for keeping your feet warm. Blankets are made out of rabbit fur and moose hide is tanned and made into durable outerwear.

Filed Under: Wildfire, Wildlife Tagged With: guardians, harvesting

Winter Solstice! & Other Celebrations to Enjoy this Season

December 17, 2019

There is a lot of joy to experience right now in Pimachiowin Aki, including these celebrations:

1. Joyful Month – Kissing Month

As people gather for winter celebrations, they greet each other affectionately—with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek—so December is known as the joyful month and January is known as the kissing month. In Pauingassi First Nation, December includes a Christmas dinner for the entire community. There is a similar feast for the Bloodvein First Nation community, with each household receiving a turkey.

2. Winter Solstice

December 21 marks the day with the shortest period of daylight in 24 hours and the longest night of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere), all thanks to the tilt of the earth.  

This date also means that winter is officially here. In Anishinaabemowin, winter is called Beepoon. The December moon is called makoshkish giizis and is known as the joyful moon. 

The colder, shorter days bring with it a peaceful silence, a kind of muffled quiet as you walk outdoors to gaze at the stars in the night sky. Enjoying a warm fire, being cozy under a blanket, ice-skating, playing hockey on the frozen lake, snowshoeing, tobogganing, and cross-country skiing are just some of the activities to look forward to as we celebrate the joys of winter. 

3. Magu zhi giizhigan & O gen du giizhigan

Younger generations of Anishinaabeg follow the 12-month calendar, but Elders in Pimachiowin Aki used the seasons to measure the days. We followed the 13 moons, which meant 13 months of 28 days, explains Bloodvein First Nation Guardian, Melba Green. “They didn’t really have holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving,” she says. Today, many people in Pimachiowin Aki celebrate Christmas, known as Magu zhi giizhigan, and the New Year, known as O gen du giizhigan.

Filed Under: Cultural Heritage, First Nation Communities, Indigenous Language Tagged With: Anishinaabemowin, Bloodvein River First Nation, guardian, Pauingassi First Nation

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