Pimachiowin Aki

World Heritage Site

Indigenous Traditional Knowledge

A Year of Connections for Pimachiowin Aki

As 2022 draws to a close, we look back at a stellar year of connections. A traditional medicine workshop brought together community members, an art installation shared Anishinaabeg traditional knowledge, and a PhD thesis and documentary film spread word of Pimachiowin Aki around the globe. Here are eight highlights from our special year:

1. What We Do to the Land We Do to Ourselves

Filmmaker Michael Zelniker joined the Pimachiowin Aki Directors and members for a special screening of his documentary film The Issue with Tissue­ – a Boreal Love Story. Michael’s film features First Nation Elders and leaders from across the boreal, including Bloodvein River First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and Pimachiowin Aki Director William Young, along with leading scientists and activists. It was an emotional experience to see and hear stories of the devastating impacts of colonization and damage done to Mother Earth as the world’s boreal forest is clearcut to manufacture toilet paper.

More than one million acres of boreal forest are lost to clear cutting in Canada every year. 

Forests take care of us. But we are cutting down the world’s oldest living trees and flushing them down the toilet, Michael warns.  

In early December, he spoke with CBC about his film and how the logging industry has affected the boreal forest and the life it supports. Indigenous Peoples have protected millions of acres of boreal forest in Pimachiowin Aki from destruction from human activity for over 7,000 years.

A Little Paper Creates a Big Problem

See the trailer for The Issue with Tissue – A Boreal Love Story

2. A Tiny Bird on a Tremendous Journey

For World Migratory Bird Day, Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian Melba Green helped the National Audubon Society remind the world that birds connect us all.  

Melba joined Audubon’s Dr. Jeff Wells in a video to discuss the Canada Warbler, a vulnerable species that finds refuge in Pimachiowin Aki.

“Pimachiowin Aki is [committed] to protecting wildlife, birds, and land from mining and forestry, and all other things that harm the land,” Melba explains.

Millions of birds migrate to and from Pimachiowin Aki each year, including the Canada Warbler. Contrary to its name, this bright yellow songbird sets out on a heroic, international voyage – it leaves the forest wetlands of Pimachiowin Aki in August for woodlands on the Texas coast, its first stop on the way to La Semilla, a natural reserve in Colombia.

Conservation of these areas, from the boreal forest of Pimachiowin Aki to South America, is critical to birds’ survival.

“Without strong, large, intact protected areas in the boreal forest, [birds’ migratory] cycles could shut down,” says Jeff.

“It’s really important for us to maintain these areas,” Melba adds.

64 % of Canada Warblers rely on Canadian Boreal Forest for their breeding grounds.

Birds are indicators of our changing climate. Global warming is the biggest threat to their natural habitat, and shifting migratory patterns demonstrate this.

See the full video featuring Melba: http://surl.li/ebgvp

3. Women Turn Out for Trapping Education Course

Pimachiowin Aki, with financial support from the South East Resource Development Council, organized a week-long trapper education course at Little Grand Rapids First Nation.

An instructor from Red Lake taught the group of mainly women how to create muskrat boxes, a skill required to obtain their trapping licences.

Did you know?
Traplines in Little Grand Rapids span both Manitoba and Ontario. Manitoba recognizes Ontario trapper training programs for licensing in Manitoba, but you must receive training from a qualified instructor in Ontario to get a licence to trap there.

Bloodvein plans to hold a trapper training course in January 2023. The course is full, but the Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian will share information if space becomes available.

4. Pimachiowin Aki Provides Global Inspiration

N. Ireland

If you close your eyes and think about Pimachiowin Aki, what do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel?

Dr. Gemma Faith had never been to Pimachiowin Aki, but three years ago, as a PhD researcher at Ulster University in Northern Ireland, she noticed that this special place came to life online with “rich and stirring content” that made her feel like she was here. Gemma was so impressed with Pimachiowin Aki’s online presence and values-based approach to management that she chose to use Pimachiowin Aki as a case study for her thesis: Evaluating World Heritage Interpretation in Online Spaces and its Potential to Prime the Development of Eco-Cultural Tourism Experiences (Virtual and Onsite): A Case Study on Pimachiowin Aki, Canada’s First Mixed World Heritage Site.

Dr. Faith studied Pimachiowin Aki over a three-year period, capturing and analyzing information, including:  

  • pimaki.ca
  • Facebook page
  • Official documents
  • Zoom interviews with Pimachiowin Aki Directors and members
  • Insights shared by community members through written submissions
Dr. Gemma Faith graduated with a degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Ulster University in Northern Ireland in December 2022. Pimachiowin Aki’s contribution is acknowledged in her PhD thesis.  

What is the purpose of the study?

With technology at our fingertips, people can explore any place in the world with a few swipes and clicks. It’s important for mixed World Heritage sites like Pimachiowin Aki to carve out a place on the internet, so that people learn about Outstanding Universal Value and why it is preserved for the benefit of all humanity. 

Gemma’s study explores how Pimachiowin Aki communicates with people around the world through social media and our website, sharing the unique bond that Anishinaabeg have with the land.  It also looks at ways that online communication can be used to develop eco-cultural tourism.

New tourism development is in its infancy at Pimachiowin Aki, but exploring pimaki.ca or browsing its social media is like having a local, online tour guide:

  • Someone to show you what makes this mixed World Heritage site special (through text, photographs, video storytelling and descriptions)
  • Someone to share and explain the values that preserve and sustain this protected area
  • Someone to answer your questions or comments  

By presenting Pimachiowin Aki’s online presence as a global exemplar (a good example to the world), it is hoped that the findings of the study will aid the management of online heritage interpretation at future mixed sites in Canada and the world, Gemma says. Pimachiowin Aki thanks Dr. Gemma Faith for her gift of curiosity, and the Elders, knowledge keepers and community members who share stories and bring Anishinaabeg cultural heritage to life for our social media followers, newsletter subscribers, and web visitors from across the globe.

5. Elders Share Knowledge of Traditional Medicines

Ka mashkawak mashkiski (sage) means ‘the strong medicine’ and has a very strong scent. This traditional knowledge was shared during a discussion with Elders in Pauingassi First Nation this fall.

The community event, sponsored by Pimachiowin Aki, focused on traditional medicines.

Participants discussed traditional plant names, when to harvest them, parts of plants used for medicines, symptoms they treat, how to prepare them, and how they’re used today.

Joe Owen, Pimachiowin Aki Board member and knowledge keeper from Pauingassi First Nation, says, “The important thing is I’m trying to encourage Elders, whatever they still know, to exercise using that knowledge about medicines. The medicines help with some illnesses.  It is nice to share with the people from other communities too. If Elders have any young people who come around to their houses, it is good to talk with them about some of the medicines we still have out there.”

Organizers are currently working on a document to share teachings from the workshop with community members. Watch for it in our future eNews.

6. Wildfire Sparks Art at an International Festival

Pimachiowin Aki was excited to be a part of an art installation of dancing trees created by artist Jonathan Green. The installation, which appeared during Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, was inspired in part by Pimachiowin Aki’s fire cycle graphic.

“I found the graphic when I was looking for an image to explain the idea of a fire cycle,” says Jonathan. “I scrolled down to Pimachiowin Aki’s version of the cycle and immediately loved its clarity, and the way it explains details such as wild berries becoming abundant, animals migrating, and how the land changes.”

“I’ve been researching wildfires for years, but I didn’t know former burn sites make for good hunting,” says Jonathan. “The graphic is so rich in local Anishinaabeg knowledge and practice it felt like something I could trust innately.”

Artist Jonathan Green

Jonathan credits Pimachiowin Aki’s fire cycle graphic, adapted from work by Dr. Andrew Miller, with inspiring him to include trees from the boreal in his installation, which he designed to help visitors get a better understanding of how wildfires impact habitats.

“I hope it allows us all to consider the human impact on the environment and the ways in which many recent large-scale wildfires are a direct result of extreme climate change due to this human impact.”

7. Making Strides in Digital Map Project

Fieldwork for the much-anticipated digital habitat maps, in partnership with ECOSTEM, continued this year, with tours around Aikens Lake and Fishing Lake.

ECOSTEM is now in the process of creating a preliminary version of the habitat map, which we expect to release in March 2023, followed by detailed maps of cultural features.

Elders, Pimachiowin Aki Guardians and other knowledge keepers are contributing data and information to the maps, such as knowledge of wildlife-habitat relationships, and will be able to use the maps to preserve important habitats and keep an eye on the health of the land.

“The maps won’t just show us the land; they will show us what the land can sustain,” says Alison Haugh, Executive Director of Pimachiowin Aki. 

Learn more about the digital maps and how they’re created.

The challenges of mapping

It takes thousands of photos, drone and satellite imagery, and physical samples to create the maps. In the development stages, the mapping team faced multiple challenges getting what they need. Wildfires had swept through the land in 2021, accompanied by COVID-19 restrictions and a months-long drought, which made floatplane and boat travel nearly impossible.

Drones were prohibited from flying due to NAV Canada restrictions to avoid conflicts with firefighting aircraft.

These challenges postponed ECOSTEM’s image collection process to this year, when they were able to continue their fieldwork.

Though easier on their team, 2022 presented its own hurdles. For starters, massive snowfall led to record-breaking high water levels throughout Manitoba.

In addition, “drones have been grounded more than expected due to rain and high winds,” reports ECOSTEM’s Dr. James Ehnes. Despite this, the team was able to complete all of the planned fieldwork.

At times, Pimachiowin Aki Guardians couldn’t do groundwork because roads were covered with water and rapids were so strong that some areas were too dangerous to visit.

If weather concerns weren’t enough to stand in the way of the project, Transport Canada established new restrictions for transporting lithium-ion batteries on commercial flights.

“We now have to discharge the battery, get a third party to certify that they’re discharged, and ship them separately on a cargo flight,” says James. “This process has not only added time prior to getting in the field; it then takes the rest of the day to recharge the batteries.

A team effort

Miigwech to Guardian Colin Owens of Pauingassi First Nation, who travelled great distances by boat to capture images and was very helpful in transporting the crew and gear around the community each day and shipping generators to Winnipeg. 

8. Happy Birthday to World Heritage!

2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, which Canada joined in 1976, becoming a part of an international movement to safeguard the world’s cultural treasures.

“The purpose of the World Heritage Convention is to identify, protect, and preserve cultural and natural places across the world that are deemed to have Outstanding Universal Value, and should therefore be protected and recognized internationally for current and future generations,” says Rebecca Kennedy, Manager of International Affairs for Parks Canada.

“Canada is blessed with a diversity of natural and cultural heritage from coast to coast to coast, including 20 sites that have been inscribed on the World Heritage List,” she adds.

There was no better time than 2022 for Canadians to learn about these 20 incredible places. Many of Canada’s World Heritage Sites, including Pimachiowin Aki, offered special in-person and virtual activities to highlight this landmark year.

Take a cross-Canada video tour to celebrate the shared heritage of humankind:

Boreal Woodland Caribou: Fast Facts

  • Anishinaabeg in Pimachiowin Aki generally do not hunt boreal woodland caribou—they are smaller than moose and harder to find as they are always on the move  
  • Caribou hair is hollow, providing insulation in winter and buoyancy while swimming in summer
  • Boreal woodland caribou spread out to calve alone in remote areas, unlike barren ground caribou who calve in groups of females
  • Woodland caribou have a wide-ranging lifespan of eight to fifteen years
  • Caribou are the only deer species among which both males and females have antlers
  • Male antlers are broader and larger in size. Female antlers are generally shorter and slender and typically have only one point
  • Males shed their antlers in late winter and start re-growing them in spring
  • Females shed their antlers after calving
  • Caribou make a characteristic clicking sound when they move which is caused by  tendons slipping over bones in their feet
  • Boreal woodland caribou have crescent shaped hooves that are wide and long— ideal for swimming (they act as paddles), walking on top of snow (they’re like snowshoes) and traveling across soft ground like bogs
  • Boreal woodland caribou prefer winter foods—throughout winter, they use their sharp-edged hooves to uncover and feed on Pimachiowin Aki’s abundant ground lichens
  • In summer, boreal woodland caribou thrive on Pimachiowin Aki’s diverse plant species, including grasses, lichens, shrubs and sedges
  • Boreal woodland caribou have been on the threatened species list in Manitoba since 2002. They were listed as a threatened species across Canada in 2003  
  • Four groups of boreal woodland caribou live in Pimachiowin Aki

Historical Uses for Caribou

When thousands of caribou roamed, First Nation communities hunted them for a variety of reasons:

Clothing

“Some people use the hide for clothing,” explains Pimachiowin Aki Guardian Dennis Keeper. “It’s softer than moose hide.” Antlers are used to make buttons for clothes. Caribou hides were used for moccasins (makizinan). Caribou dew claws, adikwaganzhiig, were used in ceremonial regalia.

Drum-making

“Many years ago, the only reason we would hunt caribou would be for drum-making,” Dennis Keeper says. Caribou hide is thin and makes an excellent cover for a drum.

Tools

Antlers found in the forest are used to make scrapers, needles, and knife handles. Caribou bones are used to scrape off fat from beaver, otter and moose hides.

Learn more > Species of Conservation Concern: Boreal Woodland Caribou

Feature image: Bruce Bremner

How to Protect Pimachiowin Aki’s Prehistoric Giant

Lake sturgeon is the largest fish species in Pimachiowin Aki. An adult sturgeon can be 2.5 metres long and weigh up to 140 kilograms. Their ancestors date back millions of years.

Lake Sturgeon: Species of Conservation Concern

Today, this prehistoric giant is endangered. You can help protect lake sturgeon by recognizing its appearance and releasing it upon catch.

Who can legally fish lake sturgeon?

Only First Nations can harvest lake sturgeon in Manitoba. Lake sturgeon are protected in Manitoba and Ontario—both provinces ban sport and commercial fishing. Sport fishing is strictly catch and release. 

In Canada, consult provincial and territorial websites to find out where lake sturgeon is protected by law. In addition, consult your local anglers’ guide for current sport fishing regulations.

How to identify lake sturgeon

The appearance of this evolutionary ancient fish has remained relatively unchanged for 200 million years. Here’s what to look for:

Adult lake sturgeon

Photo: Creative Commons
  • Lake sturgeon vary in colour. Adults tend to appear olive-brown or slate grey with a white belly 
  • Lake sturgeon have a row of bony plates known as “scutes” on their sides and back 

Young lake sturgeon

Photo: Creative Commons
  • Young lake sturgeon often have black blotches on their sides, back, and snout to help them camouflage with the lake or river bottom 

Would you recognize a lake sturgeon if you caught one? Here is more identifying information.

Do lake sturgeon have teeth?

No, lake sturgeon have no teeth. They have barbels that dangle by the mouth. The barbels look like teeth but, in fact, are tube-like whiskers that help lake sturgeon detect bottom-dwelling prey such as snails, mussels, clams, crayfish, insect larvae and fish eggs. 

Identifying lake sturgeon by location

Lake sturgeon are found in rivers and lakes ranging from Alberta to the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, and from the southern Hudson Bay region to lower Mississippi and Alabama. While lake sturgeon prefer to spawn in fast-flowing water, they are more commonly found in murky water where they bottom feed.

Identifying lake sturgeon by behaviour 

Lake sturgeon have unique behaviours. The behaviours may be feeding strategies or just playfulness:

Tail walking
Lake sturgeon are known to stand above water on their tails and move backwards, especially in warmer weather.  

Jumping
You may see lake sturgeon jump out of the water and twirl around like a dolphin.  

Swimming upside down
Lake sturgeon have been seen swimming mouth up, on their backs, possibly to feed on insects on the surface of the water. 

Are all lake sturgeon populations endangered?

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designates the following lake sturgeon populations at risk:

PopulationRangeStatusDefinition
Western Hudson Bay Saskatchewan, ManitobaEndangeredLives in the wild but faces imminent extinction or local extinction (extirpation)
Saskatchewan-Nelson River Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, OntarioEndangered
Great Lakes – Upper St. LawrenceOntario, QuebecThreatenedLives in the wild and is likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address the factors that threaten the species
Southern Hudson Bay – James Bay   Manitoba, Ontario, QuebecSpecial concernLives in the wild and may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats

Why are lake sturgeon endangered?

Several conservation issues have threatened lake sturgeon over the years:

1. Over fishing

Lake sturgeon reproduce only once every four to six years, so it takes them a long time to increase in population. If people are overfishing, sturgeon can’t keep up. This is exactly what happened, starting in the mid 1800s. 

Mid 1800s

Caviar’s popularity was soaring. There was intense commercial fishing for female lake sturgeon and their eggs. Commercial fishers used nets to catch lake sturgeon as they swam toward spawning grounds.

Late 1800s

A lucrative commercial lake sturgeon fishery on Lake Winnipeg was developed under non-Indigenous control and largely for export to Europe. In the early days of this fishery, lake sturgeon was sold for its oil, not its meat. Lake sturgeon harvests were substantial. By 1891, overfishing became a serious threat to the species.

Early 1900s

Commercial fishing of lake sturgeon peaked. Over  445 tonnes of lake sturgeon were harvested in Lake Winnipeg, devastating the population. 

1930s and 1940s

As lake sturgeon populations declined in Lake Winnipeg, non-Indigenous commercial harvesting began to take place in parts of Pimachiowin Aki. Commercial harvesting of lake sturgeon was largely unregulated. It took place mainly in spring, during spawning time. This had a significant impact on lake sturgeon populations. The species was unable to withstand the level of harvesting being done.

2. Loss of habitat 

Migratory fish like lake sturgeon depend on the whole river, travelling long lengths of free-flowing water to reach shallow areas where they spawn. Climate change, poor water quality and construction of dams have all contributed to loss of habitat for lake sturgeon. 

Dams and other manmade obstructions on rivers disrupt water flow and can slow or block access to spawning areas—lake sturgeon are strong swimmers but dams can cause currents that make it difficult for them and other fish to swim upstream.  Dams can also contribute to changes in water temperature which affect reproductive success of lake sturgeon.

Climate change causes rising water temperatures, which in turn, decrease the quantity and quality of spawning areas.  

How does Pimachiowin Aki protect lake sturgeon? 

Pimachiowin Aki follows customary stewardship practices and Manitoba and Ontario laws. In addition to limited fishing, Pimachiowin Aki protects lake sturgeon by protecting its habitat from industrial development.

Pimachiowin Aki is a place where lake sturgeon can hide from predators, find food, grow to maturity, mate and spawn, and thrive. Food is plentiful, and waters are clean. 

Plus, Pimachiowin Aki has many undammed and free-flowing riffle and rapid habitats, which are critical spawning areas for lake sturgeon. 

Every plant and animal is a gift from the Creator and plays an important role in the ecosystem. In Pimachiowin Aki, we are monitoring the condition of habitat for species at risk, such as lake sturgeon. Lake sturgeon habitat is an important indicator of ecosystem health in Pimachiowin Aki.

Cultural significance of lake sturgeon

When we protect lake sturgeon, we are also protecting cultural heritage. Lake sturgeon provided a great source of protein for Indigenous families. A single sturgeon yielded twelve times more meat than most fish species. 

Indigenous peoples cleverly used every part of the fish:

Parts of lake sturgeonUse
MeatFood source – cooked or preserved (dried on racks, cured by the sun or smoked) 
Back boneUsed to make soup
Inner membrane of the swim bladderUsed as glue
Bones and cartilageShaped into needles
Tail bonesShaped into spearheads and arrows 
OilBurned in lamps, used to soften homespun wool, mixed with red ochre to create paint used for pictographs
lake sturgeon art by Mario Peters
Artist: Mario Peters

Sturgeon is also an important clan emblem in Pimachiowin Aki. In Ojibwe, the Sturgeon Clan and its totem are called Name (pronounced Nah-MAY).

How Name Inawemaaganag, the Sturgeon Clan, came to be 

A long time ago there was a couple. They were destitute. They had nothing but a baby boy. The couple was too hungry and weak to hunt. They decided to put their baby on a tree on the shoreline, hoping that someone would see the baby and help them. The couple changed into sturgeon. A group of people passed by and took the baby to raise as their own. Years later the child liked to play on the shoreline, near the water. One day he was sad and crying. Two big fish swam up to him. He knew they were his parents. Later in a shaking tent ceremony, the child learned that they were indeed his parents. This is how the Sturgeon Clan came to be.

Fast Facts

  • Lake sturgeon are the largest fish in Pimachiowin Aki  
  • Lake sturgeon never stop growing
  • Lake sturgeon are descendants of a prehistoric fish from the Upper Cretaceous Period over 100 million years ago
  • While lake sturgeon can yield anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000 eggs every time they mate, they only reproduce once every 4 to 6 years 
  • Females take up to 25 years before they reach maturity. Males cannot reproduce until they are 15 years old 
  • Lake sturgeon are omnivores—they eat both plants and animals
  • Lake sturgeon is the only strictly freshwater species of sturgeon found in Canadian waters

Largest lake sturgeon recorded

185kg, 4.6 meters long—found in Roseau River, Manitoba

More Fast Facts

Oldest lake sturgeon recorded

155 years old—found in Lake Huron

More Fast Facts

Feature Image: American Philosophical Society (Hallowell Collection)

Follow us for more information about Pimachiowin Aki:

Sources

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry.html
https://www.hydro.mb.ca/environment/wildlife_stewardship/fish/sturgeon/
https://www.ontario.ca/page/lake-sturgeon-species-risk
https://naturecanada.ca/news/sp-spot-lake-sturgeon/

How do dams affect fish population and biodiversity

How Wildfires Have Affected Pimachiowin Aki

This past summer as hundreds of wildfires roared across Manitoba and Ontario, more than 1,000 people from Pimachiowin Aki and nearby First Nations evacuated to Winnipeg. Few people stayed behind. We talked with two of them—Pimachiowin Aki Guardians Dennis Keeper and Melba Green—about their experiences and the impacts of fire on the Land that Gives Life.

We were completely surrounded by fire. You couldn’t even see 10 feet because of the smoke.

Pimachiowin Guardian Dennis Keeper, Little Grand First Nation

Five First Nations in the Pimachiowin Aki area—Pauingassi First Nation, Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Bloodvein River First Nation, Berens River First Nation and Red Sucker Lake First Nation—were affected by heavy smoke from forest fires burning near their communities.

By July, close to 130 wildfires were burning in Manitoba. Most had been started by natural causes like lightning. Travel and fire bans were issued. Severe drought made fires difficult to fight.

An hour to pack and leave

“We had dry lightning (lightning without rain) a couple of days before evacuations,” said Little Grand Rapids First Nation Guardian Dennis Keeper. “We were completely surrounded by fire. You couldn’t even see 10 feet because of the smoke.” Dennis’ wife had an hour to pack a bag and leave, but Dennis stayed behind along with a handful of others, including two Elders. 

Little Grand Rapids has been without power for months, reported Dennis. Thousands of dollars of food spoiled in evacuated homes and stores. Like everyone who stayed put in his community, Dennis has been eating fish and whatever he has in his pantry. The First Nation sends in food hampers about every three weeks.

Food spoiled, hydro poles burned

Each household was given a generator when the fire took out hydro poles, said Dennis. He maintains the generators for Elders and the local water treatment plant. “I fuel up the generators twice a day and do maintenance for them about every 50 hours,” he said.

Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian Melba Green said that her community fared somewhat better. Residents returned home in late August while evacuees from Little Grand Rapids First Nation remain in Winnipeg.

Quiet and dark

Along with Melba, about 60 people stayed in Bloodvein River First Nation. Each household was given a generator. Without vehicles or heavy equipment working, Melba said it was “quiet and dark.”

To deal with smoke in Bloodvein River First Nation, residents covered their windows with tarps or plastic. “We closed off vents in our homes so that smoke wouldn’t enter, and hung blankets in front of doors,” Melba explained.

In Bloodvein River First Nation, fire burned eastward toward traplines 4 and 5, she said. “They had it under control in early August but there was still smoke for weeks.” 

Bloodvein River experienced a fire in the 1980s that was closer to the community but this [2021] was worse,” Melba said. “Because of the dry ground and trees, it was out of control.” 

But nature is bouncing back in Melba’s community. In August, rains finally came. Leaves started to green and plants began to bloom again, she said.

“The fire grew into a monster in just a few days.”

Pimachiowin Guardian Dennis Keeper, Little Grand First Nation

Ashes falling everywhere

“The fire grew into a monster in just a few days,” reported Dennis. He said that as fires peaked, rivers near Little Grand Rapids First Nation were completely grey from ash. The community’s 120 water tanks are also ash-filled, and need to be drained and cleaned.

 “Most of my trapline burned,” said Dennis. “Boats and motors were lost. My cabin was saved—the firefighters put a sprinkler around it. They tried to save other cabins, but the fire was too huge. 

“Even the muskeg burned,” he noted. “It doesn’t usually burn but this time it burned.”

Little Grand Rapids First Nation is still without power, said Dennis. October 31 is the possible restoration date.  

Difficulties of hotel life

Melba said she was “glad when everybody returned to Bloodvein.” While in Winnipeg, her fellow community members worried about their homes. They also grew tired of being cooped up in hotel rooms. “They became homesick. The little ones wanted to come home.” 

Evacuated community members from Little Grand Rapids First Nation remain in hotels in Winnipeg. Dennis said that while they’re happy to be safe, they are anxious to return home. “Quite a few people have passed away,” he said. People find it hard to be away from life on the land. They miss traditional food.

The return date for evacuees is unknown.

“I counted 18 bears roaming around.” 

Pimachiowin Guardian Dennis Keeper, Little Grand First Nation

Effects on wildlife

This year, a dry summer made food like wild berries scarce. Across Pimachiowin Aki, in the boreal forest, wildlife had difficulty finding food. After wildfires burned much of the limited vegetation available, wildlife began entering communities.

Bears in Bloodvein River First Nation (Photo: Melba Green)

Dennis experienced one bear trying to break into his home while he ate fish one day. “I counted 18 bears one day roaming around the community,” he said. Black bears are breaking into empty homes looking for food. The Northern Store was ransacked by hungry animals as well. The conditions are unusual. “We have a big pack of wolves here right now, possibly preying on bears,” Dennis said. 

But amid the struggles are signs of normal life. During the time that Bloodvein River First Nation was evacuated, Melba saw a family of otters playing on rocks by the river. She also witnessed a young moose swimming across the Bloodvein River. 

100 years of resources following a wildfire

In Pimachiowin Aki, survival depends on knowing where to find resources for harvesting throughout the year. Traditional knowledge about wildfire has been passed down through generations—wildfire has a significant effect on which type of plants grow in the area and which wildlife species thrive or relocate in search of food and cover. The infographic below demonstrates traditional knowledge of how wildfire changes vegetation, which in turn affects the movement of wildlife, including moose, marten and hare. 

infographic denting 100 years of resources following a wildfire
Fire can destroy life, but it can also be a source of life and renewal for the land.   

Did you know?

Fire changes how we hunt
Trapping and hunting sites have shifted over time in Pimachiowin Aki in response to the movement of animals and changes in habitat following a wildfire. When desired animals become scarce in one area, people join friends and relatives in other areas where those animals are abundant. This gives animals and their habitats time to recover. When populations are healthy again, people can return to harvest.

Some trees are fire resistant
Trees in fire-prone areas develop thicker bark, in part, because thick bark does not catch fire or burn easily. It also protects the inside of the trunk, the living tissues that transport water and nutrients, from heat damage.

“Fire doesn’t go into old fire areas for 10 to 15 years,” Dennis explained. “Certain trees like willows and some poplars are fireproof and don’t burn.” 

Some trees need fire 
Jack pine grow where soil is sandy and has serotinous cones (protected by a waxy coating) that require the heat of fire to release their seeds. Fire also produces favourable conditions for the seeds of these pines to germinate.

“For jack pine to germinate they need fire to open the seed, said Dennis. “That’s how forests regenerate.”

Blueberries flourish after a fire
Blueberries flourish on thin, mineral soil. Blueberry patches can be found three to ten years after a fire. Some Elders say they have traveled half a day by foot from camp sites to harvest berries at prime collecting areas that had burned several years earlier.

By the numbers 

Wildfires 2021
At the end of August, the province of Manitoba reported that there were 105 active fires still burning across the province, with 441 fires to date. They also reported that four large fires in western Manitoba, north of Flin Flon and Snow Lake, continued to burn. 

During this unprecedented fire season, Manitoba firefighters received out of province assistance from across Canada as well as internationally, including aircraft, equipment and personnel from the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Parks Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, the State of Michigan, and as far away of South Africa.

As of August 18, 3.9 million hectares of land in Canada were affected by wildfires this summer, according to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Feature photo: Melba Green

Follow us for more information on Pimachiowin Aki:

Sources
https://www.gov.mb.ca/wildfire/index.html
https://www.gov.mb.ca/cgi-bin/fire/show_current.pl?location=Fire-Update
https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/wildfires-disproportionately-threatening-first-nations-and-worst-could-be-yet-to-come-study-finds-1.5544760

10 Traditional Plants to Spot this Summer

Anishinaabeg hold a wealth of knowledge about plants. Plants are a significant source of food, medicine, and building and craft materials. We have long used them to sustain our communities and way of life while safeguarding the health of the boreal forest.

This season, colourful plants, flowers and vegetation are rising from the earth all over Pimachiowin Aki. Roughly 700 plant species live in Pimachiowin Aki’s lands, wetlands and waters, including trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, mosses and lichens. You have probably walked past many of these plants on your walks and hikes across Canada, or paddled by them while kayaking or canoeing.

Here are 10 plants to keep an eye out for this summer!

Edible Plants

1. Miskomin (Raspberry)

Miskomin is a traditional source of food and medicine in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Due to its distinct shape and vibrant colour, a raspberry plant is easy to identify, especially once berries have begun to bud. Raspberries are a type of compound berry, which means they’re made up of a tight cluster of smaller sacs of juice. They have tiny hairs in between each juice sac. Still unsure? Look beyond the bright fruit and check the entire plant. Raspberry bushes may have prickles or bristles.

Where it Grows
Raspberries usually grow near water, in woods or clearings. Check riverbanks where there is a lot of grass.

When to Harvest
Picking season begins in July and ends in late August.

Uses

  • The wild brambles of the raspberry bush provide shelter for birds, squirrels, skunks and other small wildlife in Pimachiowin Aki
  • Humans and animals eat raspberries, providing us with antioxidants and a great source of fibre
  • Raspberries are good to eat fresh or use in jams. Freeze the berries to preserve them.

2. Ososoweminaatig (Chokecherry)

What it Looks Like
The chokecherry tree rarely grows taller than 30 feet, and the top of the tree can stretch from 10 to 20 feet wide. The colour of its bark indicates the plant’s age — grey or reddish-brown for young trees and brownish-black for older trees. Another way to identify young chokecherries is through the horizontal rows of raised pores on their bark. Their serrated leaves are a dark glossy green on top, and the underside is light. Chokecherries begin with fragrant, white blossoms before budding into dark berries. The colour of the berries ranges from white, deep red to black. They often look like blueberries or saskatoon berries when they’re ripe.

Ososoweminaatig is abundant in Pimachiowin Aki.

Where it Grows
Look for chokecherries in open areas of plains, forests and foothills; in patches in the bush; and near water. They like sunny or partially shaded areas in thickets.

When to Harvest
Chokecherries are ready for picking in August and September.

Uses
Chokecherries are used in:

  • Soups and stews
  • Jellies, syrups, sauces, juices and jams

Note
Chokecherries are delicious but the hard seeds can cause stomach upset if you eat too many.

3. Miishiijiimin (Red Currant)

Miishiijiimin decorates the landscape in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Red currants are tiny, bright translucent red berries that grow in clusters. The shrub plant grows about three feet high or at waist height for the average person.

Where it Grows
The red currant shrub grows in swamps, moist open forests and on the banks of streams.

When to Harvest
Red currants are ready for harvesting in summer to early fall, in the months of July, August and September.

Uses

  • Use the sour-tasting red berries in salads or pair them with other fruits
  • Drink red currant juice or tea to reduce fever and induce sweating
  • Harvest the leaves in the spring and summer before the plant goes into berry, for use as a compress or poultice for slow-healing wounds
  • Use the leaves fresh or dried in teas to ease symptoms of gout and rheumatism
  • Gargle the tea for mouth infections

4. Ozhaashaagobag (Bunchberry)

Ozhaashaagobag is used as food and medicine in Pimachiowin Aki. 

What it Looks Like
Bunchberries look different throughout the seasons. Look for white flowers in late spring, red-orange berries sprouting from the centre in summer, and a red leaf colour in the fall.

Where it Grows
The Bunchberry plant can be found growing close to the ground under the shade of trees, often where moss grows.

When to Harvest
Bunchberries ripen and are ready for picking in July or August.

Uses

  • The berries are a food source for black bears, martens, snowshoe hares and other small mammals, as well as many migratory birds. Bunchberry is a winter forage plant for caribou and moose
  • People can eat the berries raw or boiled. They preserve well and can be added to jams, puddings, other baked treats and teas
  • They contain high levels of pectin making them a great addition to low pectin fruits when making jams
  • The berries have a high concentration of vitamin C

5. Ozigwaakomin (Saskatoon Berry Bush)

Ozigwaakomin is a traditional food in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it looks like
Saskatoon berry bush is a shrub or small tree that can grow to 16 feet tall. Mature bushes produce clusters of white flowers in the spring. The leaves are oval-shaped with jagged edges along the tops, and the dark grey to reddish brown branches are smooth in texture. Saskatoon berries range in colour from light purple to almost black.

Where it grows
Saskatoon berry bushes are found in rocky, grassy clearings, thickets, and open hillsides.

When to harvest
Berries are ready for picking in July. Saskatoons continue to ripen after they are picked. Fully mature berries are sweeter and have a fuller fruit flavor, but are softer and more easily damaged.

Uses

  • Saskatoons are consumed fresh, or preserved by freezing or drying
  • The berries are an excellent source of fibre, protein and antioxidants

Try this recipe for Saskatoon Pie.

Note
Saskatoon berry pits contain a poisonous cyanide-like substance, just like apple seeds. The toxin may be destroyed by cooking or drying the berries

6. Makominan (Bearberry)

Makominan is a source of food for bears in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Bearberry shrubs consist of smooth, oval-shaped leaves, pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers and dull red berries. The shrub typically grows 1/2 foot tall and slowly spreads horizontally to form mats. The thick, leathery leaves are rolled under at the edges. They are yellow green in spring, dark green in summer, and reddish-purple in fall.

Where it Grows
Bearberries grow by the river, in dry open woods and in gravelly or sandy soils. The low-growing shrub is tolerant of cold weather.

When to Harvest
Blooms can appear any time from April to July, depending on where you live. Bright red fruit is formed by the end of the summer and typically remains on the bush throughout winter.

Uses

  • Bearberry is an appropriate name as these mealy edible fruits are a favourite of bears
  • Birds, deer and small mammals also eat the berries
  • Dry the berries to store them
  • Grind dried berries and cook them into a porridge
  • Use dried leaves for tea to help with kidney and bladder infections
  • Tan hides with the tannin in bearberry leaves
  • Add dried leaves to tobacco or use as a substitute

Note

  • Eating too many bearberries may cause nausea or constipation
  • Eating bearberries for a prolonged time can cause stomach and liver problems. Children and pregnant or breast-feeding women should avoid the berries

7. Gaa-minomaagobagak (Wild Mint)

Find gaa-minomaagobagak along shorelines of lakes and rivers in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Look for bright, serrated leaves and tiny purple, pink or white flowers. Typically this plant grows 1-2 feet tall.

Where it Grows
Wild mint can be found in moist areas such as along shorelines of rivers or lakes. You will smell it before you see it!

When to Harvest
You can pick mint anytime during summer.

Uses

  • Mint is an important medicine and food plant
  • All parts of the plant (flowers, leaves, and stem) may be used, although usually the root is not used
  • The plant is edible raw
  • Make a simple beverage by pouring hot water over the plant
  • Make an insect repellent by sprinkling powdered leaves on berries and drying meat

Medicine Plants

Many plants have medicinal properties. Some medicines are crushed up while others are boiled into a tea. Medicines may be harmful if not prepared properly. Information provided here is only intended to give an idea of the importance of these plants to Anishinaabeg. This is not a guide to plant use. Readers are cautioned to treat medicine plants with respect, and consult Elders and others knowledgeable about plants within Pimachiowin Aki to learn more before considering using any part of a plant for any reason.

The bush is our drugstore, and we are grateful for all the plants that give up their lives to keep us alive and help cure sickness. We need to honour those plants and to make sure they are looked after.

Elders Abel Bruce and Albert Bittern

8. Wiikenzh (Sweet flag)

Wiikenzh is an important medicine in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Sweet flag has thin, grass-like, greenish-yellow leaves that tend to grow in pairs. At first glance, a colony of sweet flag resembles bull-rushes but upon closer look, you’ll notice that the spike rising from the sweet flag leaves is covered in tiny yellow flowers (unlike the brown spike of a cattail).

Where it Grows
Sweet flag grows in wet, marshy areas.

When to Harvest
This plant is harvested in late summer or early fall.

Uses

  • Sweet flag is very fragrant and when burned, the smoke is used in smudging to purify an area and remove negative energy or thoughts
  • The dried root of sweet flag is used to treat high cholesterol and diabetes

My dad would harvest plants when we were on the trapline. There was a preparation process, and when somebody got sick, there would be medicine ready to use. He made an offering and placed the plant close to the fire and dried it.

Joe Owen, Pauingassi First Nation

9. Aamoo-waabigwan (Fireweed)

Aamoo-waabigwan is used as medicine and tea in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Fireweed is easily identified by its bright pink or purple flowers throughout summer. The plant grows in a spike shape with clumps of four-petalled flowers at the tips of the stems. Fireweed fluff appears in fall when the plant releases hundreds of cottony seeds. The seeds have tufts of silky hairs, so they are easily spread by wind.  

Where it Grows
Fireweed is a medicine plant that grows in abundance following a forest fire. It grows where soil is relatively dry.

When to Harvest
Fireweed roots can be harvested year-round while its leaves are typically picked in summer.

Uses

  • Fireweed has anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce redness associated with skin irritations
  • The leaves are used to make a tea
  • The seeds are used as a fire-starter
  • Years ago, fireweed was used as a tobacco substitute and also cooked and eaten like a vegetable

The pure medicine on the land is similar to medicine in the pharmacy. I learned that from my grandparents.

Melba Green, Bloodvein River First Nation

Important Plant for the Ecosystem

10. Meskwaanagak (Joe Pye Weed)

Meskwaanagak provides shelter and protection for songbirds in Pimachiowin Aki.

What it Looks Like
Joe pye weed is a late-blooming plant that can grow up to seven feet tall. In midsummer you will recognize it by its tiny mauve flowers, which bloom in large clusters atop the stems.

Where it Grows
Joe pye weed grows naturally at the edges of woodlands and wet meadows.

Blooming Season
Look for flowers in August.

Uses

  • These flowers have a sweet vanilla scent that attracts butterflies and other pollinators
  • Hummingbirds and other birds are also attracted to this plant
  • Due to its height, joe pye weed provides shelter and protection for songbirds

Watch Five Gifts from the Creator to learn more about plants and their uses in Pimachiowin Aki.

Photos: Hidehiro Otake, Jane Driedger, wild raspberry photo was was originally posted to Flickr by mwri at https://www.flickr.com/photos/75897997@N00/194675157

The Lunar Calendar, Explained

Full Moon

For millennia, Indigenous Peoples have used the moon to plan for life on the land. For example, Anishinaabeg in Pimachiowin Aki track the movement of the moon to determine when to plant wild rice, hunt animals, and harvest medicines. The schedule, mapped out on a turtle’s shell, is known as the lunar calendar.

The stars are used for directions. The moon tells you what month you’re in. The sun is used to tell time.

Melba Green, Pimachiowin Aki Guardian, Bloodvein River First Nation

Why don’t the solar calendar and lunar calendar match up?

The solar calendar is based on the sun’s movement. The lunar calendar is based on the movement of the moon. We ask Pimachiowin Aki Guardian Melba Green of Bloodvein River First Nation to explain. “The lunar calendar makes sense to people who are one with the land,” says Melba. “The moon goes around the earth in about 28 days. So in one year, the moon goes around 13 times. This gives us 13 lunar months with 28 days each.”

Why is the lunar calendar on the turtle’s shell?

The turtle shell is a visual match for the days and moons in a lunar year. If you look at a turtle’s shell, you will see an outer ring of small scales. These represent the 28 days in a lunar month. You will also see larger scales inside the centre of the shell. These large scales represent the 13 moons that occur each lunar year.

Explore the Pimachiowin Aki interactive lunar calendar.

Pimachiowin Aki Lunar CalendarDownload

The lunar calendar has 364 days. The solar calendar has 365 days.

What are the moon names for each month?

Each moon has a name that reflects a natural event that happens on the land during that month. The name of each moon differs from First Nation to First Nation. “It’s because we have different dialects or we named the moons after different things,” says Melba. For example, Anishinaabeg say Binak wiiwik giizis in Bloodvein River First Nation but Little Grand Rapids First Nation calls it Binaakwe giizis.

Melba’s Memories and Stories

We asked Melba to tell us more about the lunar calendar and share some memories and stories of life on the land.

1. Do you or your family members use the lunar calendar?

I use both. My grandmother followed the lunar calendar. It was knowledge that was passed down to her when she was a little girl. She never liked [12-month] calendars in the house. She’d rip them off the wall. ‘We don’t need that,’ she used to say.

2. What happens on the land during some of the moons?

Budding moon: Everything is all new and growing with new beginnings. We go walking around out on the land to show the young ones which plants are budding. Leaves for pussy willows begin to bud. Everything comes out of its shell. We start picking medicines in the forest and firewood. Birchbark wood is picked for beading and woodworking. We also begin commercial fishing and give fish that we harvest to Elders in our community.

Show respect to the forest and it will respect you. Before picking medicines or any plants, put tobacco down and say a prayer, and then you can begin walking in that area.

Melba Green, Pimachiowin Aki Guardian, Bloodvein River First Nation

Blueberry moon: This is when berries finish budding and it’s berry-picking time. You can harvest blue berries to make jam, or my granny used them for medicine. If we didn’t like the taste of the medicine, she would give us the sweet taste first followed by the bitter-tasting medicine.

Falling leaves moon: When I was a child, we would leave for the trapline during the falling leaves moon. We would go with my grandparents, great grandparents and cousins.

When we first would arrive at the trapline, we would have to be quiet so the spirit beings could get used to us being there. After a few days, we were allowed to play. We were there for fall, winter and spring. My mom would be really busy, and my dad would be out hunting or trapping. The school would give us homework to do at the trapline.

Freezing moon: Men hunt geese and small birds during this moon. They also start moose harvesting. When hunters go out and kill one or two moose, they cut them up and take the hide, too. They give meat to Elders or women with children. When they trap beavers, they give the meat to Elders because Elders like beaver tails. It is like medicine to them. They eat every part of the body. Anything that is left over, like bones, are returned to the bush. It’s like putting things back where they came from.

Want to learn more about activities on the land? Download the Pimachiowin Aki Seasonal Calendar.

Feature photo (full moon), budding moon and Falling leaves moon: Hidehiro Otake