• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Pimachiowin Aki

World Heritage Site

  • News
  • Resources
  • Visit
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • About Us
    • Pimachiowin Aki Assembly of Partners
    • Board of Directors
    • Timeline
    • Communities
      • Bloodvein River First Nation
      • Little Grand Rapids First Nation
      • Pauingassi First Nation
      • Poplar River First Nation
    • Annual Reports
  • Keeping the Land
    • Our Work
    • Cultural Heritage
    • Wildlife and Habitat
    • Sustainable Economies
    • Guardians Program
      • Colin
      • Melba
      • Owen
      • Enil
    • Education
  • The Land That Gives Life
    • Boreal Forest
    • Calendars
    • Climate
    • Cultural Sites
    • Habitation
    • Harvesting
    • Language
    • Named Places
    • Plants
    • Travel Routes
    • Water
    • Wildfire
    • Wildlife
  • Fast Facts
  • Search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Uncategorised

Foundations – Is Our Past Our Future?

September 12, 2025

By Doug Gilmore

Recently I found myself reflecting on the early days of Pimachiowin Aki. Many fond memories quickly floated to the surface. At the time my role was Park Superintendent of Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, located in Northwest Ontario near the town of Red Lake. Woodland Caribou Park is part of the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site. I recall that I was very excited to take part in the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site process, although at the outset the site had yet to receive that wonderfully appropriate name.

It was in my role as park superintendent only a few years earlier that I had initiated and led a planning process for Woodland Caribou Park. That project was one of my first exposures to working closely with First Nation Communities. To expand on the previous sentence, I must add that this exposure cemented my understanding and belief that working together with Indigenous people is extremely beneficial. Looking back, coming from my Wemtigoshi background, I can easily admit at the outset to looking at things from one perspective, but keeping an open mind to all possibilities.  It took no time at all to come to the realization that this was the only way forward and that any product which may result from our efforts would be the better for our working closely together.

At an early Pimachiowin Aki meeting, members from each community expressed very clearly what was important for their community. Things like protecting the rock paintings, not to over harvest the animals, acting carefully around areas that act as water filters for the watershed were comments common to most. People spoke about the high levels of unemployment in their communities and the desire that this project could help to alleviate that. It was clearly stated that their traditional lands used to provide a livelihood for their people but this no longer was the case.  Community presentations included the desire from their Elders to “protect traditional lands”.  One individual recalled a comment from a grandparent that “we need to protect our lands” and it came with a warning that “there may be difficulties ahead”. Another spoke about how he was raised by his grandparents. They taught him how to preserve food in the summertime and spoke about how they used the land and how he wanted to keep the teachings of his grandfather. He gave an example where people used dried moss as diapers and that one of the teachings of the moss was to put it back in its place.

Someone much smarter than I at an early meeting summarized all the comments by describing the activities of the people on the land as the cultural foundation of the project. The term Living Landscape was used, reflecting on the strong linkage between the land and the people. Strong linkage? I have come to understand it as an inseparable linkage.

Fascinating… an education in real time.

In the months and years to come the World Heritage process continued to be an educational one, enlightening me on what it meant to grow up in a remote First Nation Community where at one time it was normal or part of everyday life to go out on the land or trapline to perform livelihood pursuits. This once normal activity would slowly or in some cases abruptly change to where it became more and more difficult to access the bush to carry out livelihood activities on a regular basis.

The World Heritage process also included working as a member of parallel planning processes with Little Grand Rapids and Pauingasssi First Nations for the part of their traditional territories that lies in the Province of Ontario. This included many opportunities to visit these communities, meet with elders and community members in workshop and open house events. It also included travelling to Weaver Lake as a guest of Poplar River First Nation to attend a Pimachiowin Aki meeting and workshop there. 

Photo: Otake Hidehiro

The workshop events were perhaps the ones that were most impactful for me as we were able to spend a few days in the communities allowing for a less frenetic pace for the exchange of information. Remaining with me are memories of sitting with the late Russell Keeper pouring over maps of his trapline and of him describing in detail the landscape of his youth and how it supported his present-day activities on the land. What also sticks with me is the pride in the voices of various community members as they relayed stories and teachings of their family members and how they are determined to bring them forward and keep them going. Equally impactful was the coordination and care shown by the land use planning representatives for each community, Augustine Keeper and the late Joe Owen, and on the performance of their duties and the responsibility that the community had entrusted them with.

It was brought to my attention that although I was working in partnership toward our common goal, I was sometimes guilty of describing Indigenous land activities as happening in the past, not in the present. Not intentional of course but my background being what it was I periodically fell into the trap of just copying what I heard or read. There is a term for this, a term identified to me by an Indigenous planning partner as “the Invisible Indian Syndrome”. It’s a real thing, definitely! What an eye opener. You’re never too old to learn.

The take away from my perspective is this, the Indigenous people of Pimachiowin Aki gain their life from the land, they always have. Their links to the land are real and permanent and it is through Pimachiowin Aki that they will share it with the world. The stories, traditions and culture they choose to share with the world will be the foundation for the site into the future. For me I think this is unique, for them it’s probably everyday life. 

Filed Under: Cultural Heritage, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, Knowledge Keepers, Uncategorised, UNESCO World Heritage

Wisdom of the Living Landscape: 21 Quotes from Knowledge Keepers

September 12, 2025

1. There is a big circle we call The Circle of Life. Every living thing The Creator made fits on this circle side by side. Every living thing, including the smallest insect, was given jobs to do. Plants and trees for example were given many jobs, cleaning the air, medicines, as food for the birds, animals, fish and people. Some of the animals, birds and fish where given the job to feed us and much more. Our job as given to us by The Creator was to take care of all life on earth.

Albert Bittern (November 2013)

2. As Annishinaabe people we want to leave a lasting legacy to protect and preserve of this area for the benefit of the planet.

Sophia Rabliauskas, July 1, 2018 (remarks to the World Heritage Committee following inscription of Pimachiowin Aki on the World Heritage List)

3. We want to keep the area the way it always was, to keep it for our children, grandchildren and unborn children, so that they can use and care for it as we have.

Victor Bruce, March 200

4. Traditional knowledge was offered to others only if the Elder felt it was appropriate.  People weren’t forced to know about the tradition, but they would be noticed by the Elders as time went by.

Joe Owen, March 2014

5. Teachings are shared through drumming, singing, community gatherings, offerings. For as long as we remember, the Elder that has the most knowledge and wisdom is the community leader. This Elder would perform traditional drum songs, provide medicine for healing, and use many other traditional methods.

Solomon Pascal (in translation, January 2014)
Whitehead Moose, 2007

6. The Creator has a match and that match is the Thunderbird. He brings that match to the land when the forest gets too old and can’t grow anymore. So the thunderbird comes to earth. After the forest is burnt new growth starts. Animals get tired of eating old food. Just like you and me. The Creator knows that animals need new food. The fire there brings fresh food to eat. As an example: rabbit favours new growth area. When you look at rabbit I think it is like a food chain for animals. Rabbits have three litters a summer. Fox, lynx, marten all depend on rabbit. The Creator has to care for all animals so he sends Thunderbird to earth to make food for rabbit. We like to eat rabbit, too. So he burns for us, too. Where fire comes to a rock area, blueberries come after the fire. [That] feeds a lot of animals. We eat blueberries, too. Fire makes good food areas.

Whitehead Moose, June 2006

7. This place is sacred to me. Why? For as long as I can remember my family trapped, hunted, gathered, had ceremonies. My parents and great grandfather would sing pow-wow and play the drum. They used to do this by the end of the day to give thanks to Manidoo, Creator.

Melba Green, March 2014
Giiwiich, Photograph A115, American Philosophical Society

8. Since stones are grammatically animate, I once asked an old man, Alex Keeper (Giiwiich), ‘Are all of the stones we see about us here alive?’ He reflected a long while and then replied, ‘No! But some are.’ This qualified answer made a lasting impression on me.  

A. Irving Hallowell, 1930s

9. After the Creator finished making everything on earth, he decided to create human beings. He took pieces of mud from the four directions and made them into the shape of a man. Then he took a miigis [cowrie] shell, blew his breath into it and placed it in the man he had made. The man came to life. The Creator gently took this man in his hands and lowered him onto the earth and said, “This is my beautiful garden and I am asking you to take care of it.

Abel Bruce and Albert Bittern

10. There is a cliff-rock-painting of a snapping turtle [on a certain river]. When someone travels along over there, they’d cut some tobacco. They would hope to kill a moose, they would say. Sure enough, that was exactly what would happen. That person would get the blessing to kill a moose. This is the reason they put tobacco in their pipe. They would say, I will kill a moose, as they placed tobacco in their pipe. That was the purpose of the cliff rock-paintings.

Kenneth Owen
Ed Hudson

11. The head of the family would make the decisions in regards to the land. If there was a shortage of beaver or muskrat for example they would leave that area alone for a while, until these populations increased. They did this to ensure future use of these resources.

Ed Hudson, September 2013
Joe Owen, 2008

12. The most qualified wildlife hunter that existed in the boreal forest region. People are very concerned that nobody will carry on or replace such skills.

Joe Owen, 2010

13. Well, the women wear the bells too.  Goodness did they sound good when they were sliding their feet and dancing … Mii wa’a igi ikwewag, igi Gichi-Ikwewag! These were the women. The Grand Women!

Maangoons Strang (Little Loon), 1992

14. The medicines have kept us alive and helped to cure sickness. The bush is our drugstore and we are grateful for all those plants that are happy to give up their lives to help us.

Abel Bruce and Albert Bittern

15. Most people think about a landscape as a physical and natural backdrop for life, a sort of stage upon which life happens. But in the Ojibwe way of thinking, the landscape is alive; it is full of human and non-human beings that engage with the people who know a certain place thoroughly.

Pauingassi Lands Management Plan 
Sophia Rabliauskas, Pimachiowin Aki Press Conference, November 2010

16. The water represents life to the Anishinaabe people. The Creator gave the responsibility to women to create life and to care for the health of the water. Life begins by being surrounded by water in our mother’s womb. In our ceremonies it is the women’s responsibility to carry that water and share it with others. In our stories and teachings, it has always been the grandmothers who watch over the water and they are still carrying out that sacred responsibility today. We were also taught that the water is very spiritual and that we need to acknowledge that spirit in our prayers each day.

Sophia Rabliauskas, December 2011

17. Ji-ganawendamang Gidakiiminaan is itself a tradition of monitoring, of keeping the land by watching over the land.

Enil Keeper, October 2014

18. My dad told me that I had to have a net, hooks, and snare. If you ever go hungry, you can set snares for rabbits and set those hooks for fish. If you do that all the time, you won’t go hungry. If you use your gun to fish with, you won’t kill fish that way. You don’t kill everything with a gun.

Adam Owen, March 1984

19. We don’t laugh at or tease any animals. We hold them with much respect because it is not proper in our culture to tease animals, whether they are large or small. They will hear you when you don’t respect them and they will come after you, get even with you.

Anishinaabe Elder, in translation
Melba Green

20. Knowledge of when and what to harvest, trap and hunt has been passed down through generations. For Anishinaabeg, it’s like instinct.

Melba Green

21. It’s always important to respect people when you meet them because you don’t know what carries them or what watches over them. It’s not the person that you offend. That person may forgive you but the one that’s watching over that person may not forgive you. That’s why it’s important that we always talk polite to people. Even when we travel, we always travel with tobacco and offerings out of respect.

Clinton Keeper (in response to the Wiindigoo Story told to him by Maggie Duck)

Feature Image: Elder Abel Bruce © Otake Hidehiro

Filed Under: Cultural Heritage, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, Knowledge Keepers, Uncategorised

3 Lessons the World Can Learn from Pimachiowin Aki  

June 12, 2025

Irene Fogarty’s PhD research began with a question: how can Indigenous-led conservation guide the future?  She found answers in the story of Pimachiowin Aki.  

1. Congratulations on completing your doctorate! We first met you in March 2020 when you approached Pimachiowin Aki to participate in your PhD research. Your research focuses on Indigenous Peoples and the guardianship of protected areas in Canada including current and tentative World Heritage sites. Can you explain more about this? 

Thank you! The greatest honour I had during my doctorate was the opportunity to meet some of my heroes: the Board and Anishinaabe community members of Pimachiowin Aki. The aim of the study was to show how important it is to empower Indigenous Peoples in protecting traditional lands and waters, including through formal partnerships with provincial and federal governments. Pimachiowin Aki is a great example for how to do this.

Irene Fogarty, Doctor of Philosophy in World Heritage, University College Dublin, School of Archaeology.

2. What drew you to this research— was there a moment or story that sparked your interest?

Really, it was the injustice of how Indigenous Peoples are treated in Canada, including in protected areas conservation. While Canada has taken many positive steps to finance Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, only some World Heritage sites in the state have Indigenous Peoples in formal, equal decision-making partnerships alongside federal or provincial authorities. The partnership between Bloodvein River, Pauingassi, Little Grand Rapids and Poplar River First Nations and the provincial governments sets a positive example of formal, shared decision-making in numbered Treaty territory. Anishinaabeg drove the World Heritage nomination. This, along with their determination and resilience to see the site protected, shows the power of Indigenous leadership to make positive changes that benefit everyone.    

Irene in discussion with community members and provincial government staff at the Pimachiowin Aki 2022 AGM.

3. You interviewed 43 people across Canada and internationally, including 18 people from Pimachiowin Aki. Was there a conversation or moment during your interviews that stayed with you— something that changed how you see protected areas conservation? 

I was honoured and humbled to have spoken with every person who contributed from Pimachiowin Aki. Everyone was so patient and generous with their time. I was moved by how the First Nation communities wanted to protect Pimachiowin Aki as a World Heritage site for the benefit of all. Ed Hudson and Ray Rabliauskas of Poplar River explained how Elders saw what’s happening in this world and wanted to make sure it would be saved for everybody’s benefit. Looking at how Indigenous Peoples are treated in Canada, this is a profound gift. William Young of Bloodvein and Clinton Keeper of Little Grand Rapids both spoke of the importance of ceremonies and their concern for loss of language and culture – a concern shared by many participants. Lands Guardian Melba Green and Councillor Ellen Young, both in Bloodvein, are amazing women. They spoke to me about the importance of encouraging Anishinaabe knowledge and culture in the classroom. 

I was so grateful I got to meet Joe Owen of Pauingassi First Nation.

Joe Owen passed away in August 2023

I was so grateful I got to meet Joe Owen of Pauingassi First Nation. He’s a huge loss. He spoke of learning out on the land with family, as did three Bloodvein community members. It was wonderful to hear these recollections. Bruce Bremner and Gord Jones spoke about the difficulties of the World Heritage inscription and the challenges faced by the Pimachiowin Aki partners. Hearing this firsthand really brought home the challenges for everyone. Their insights showed how important it was that the communities kept fighting to get World Heritage recognition, because it compelled the World Heritage system to adopt better processes. Those are just a few examples off the top of my head, but everyone’s contribution was a privilege to hear, and so important. I also found it very moving how Anishinaabeg uphold the Seven Teachings, including through the determination to protect Pimachiowin Aki and all its beings, and have a willingness to work with everyone nationally and internationally to do so. Everyone should learn the Seven Teachings and take to heart the lessons provided by the communities of Pimachiowin Aki. 

4. You describe Pimachiowin Aki as a case study in “how to do things right.” What makes this World Heritage site so unique and effective in your view?

The First Nations decided World Heritage inscription was the best way to protect the land and waters and all beings of Pimachiowin Aki. The idea of equitable partnership with the provinces to protect the site respects Treaty rights and constitutional rights of Indigenous Peoples. Furthermore, as the provincial and federal governments respected the aims of First Nations to have Pimachiowin Aki inscribed as a World Heritage site, this supported Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

The destruction of Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with lands and waters was a key strategy of settler colonialism.

Article 31 asserts that Indigenous Peoples have the right to protect, control and maintain their cultural heritage and knowledge systems. This right should be upheld by the state. Furthermore, the World Heritage inscription recognises the importance of protecting Anishinaabe culture as well as the Boreal territory. While the extent of international legal protection offered through the World Heritage Convention is somewhat limited, the inscription gives international visibility to the importance of protecting Anishinaabe culture and landscapes. 

Another important point is how shared decision-making power through the Board is vital in challenging inequalities stemming from settler colonialism. The destruction of Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with lands and waters was a key strategy of settler colonialism. Anishinaabe leadership in decision-making for Pimachiowin Aki is vital in maintaining and restoring cultural and spiritual connections with the site. 

5. Your research concludes that Pimachiowin Aki offers important lessons to the world. What are some of the lessons we should all pay attention to?

a) How have communities pushed back against coloniality in the World Heritage process—and what can other Indigenous Nations learn from that experience?

Coloniality refers to the unequal power relations which are rooted in colonialism and continue in the present to oppress and marginalise Indigenous Peoples. We see it in the treatment of Indigenous Peoples in healthcare; in broken Treaty promises; in the pollution of traditional territories by extractive industries; in the lack of progress with the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, etc. 

The partners of Pimachiowin Aki did incredible work.

Coloniality is not just in Canada—those unequal power relations are everywhere. Another example of coloniality lies in the World Heritage processes which operated during the Pimachiowin Aki nomination. The partners of Pimachiowin Aki did incredible work in progressing with the nomination, yet some of the World Heritage evaluation processes were extremely unfair. They reflected a very “Eurocentric” view, i.e. a Western mindset which disrespected the worldviews of the First Nations. However, the Pimachiowin Aki partners persisted with the World Heritage bid, showing incredible resilience and determination. As a result, the World Heritage Committee made positive changes to ensure a more sensitive approach that better recognises the importance of supporting Indigenous Peoples. 

It is important that researchers recognise they are not the expert. Rather they should listen and learn.

b) Respectful research—how did you approach your responsibility as a researcher working with communities who’ve often been studied but not listened to/ignored or misrepresented?

I was very aware that as an outsider I have very little knowledge about the lives and experiences of the Anishinaabe communities of Pimachiowin Aki. It is important that researchers recognise they are not the expert. Rather they should listen and learn. They should acknowledge the immense privilege of working with Indigenous communities. They need to act with humility and ensure Indigenous Peoples’ priorities are the real priority, not what the researcher may have in mind. Researchers should support of the goals of Indigenous communities. The Anishinaabe communities deserve recognition and absolute respect for all they have done at Pimachiowin Aki. To make sure I wasn’t misrepresenting anything, I sent copies of anything I wrote about Pimachiowin Aki to the Board for approval. I have also committed to making sure the stories and experiences of Pimachiowin Aki and its people are responsibly told and shared as widely as possible.

The planet is on its knees in terms of biodiversity loss and climate change.

c) Funding issues—What do they reveal about the federal government’s broader commitments to Indigenous-led conservation?

A huge issue for Pimachiowin Aki is the lack of sustained federal funding. While the provinces supported Pimachiowin Aki in the past, it is shocking that the federal government has not provided sufficient additional support. Among other things, this would help finance activities and initiatives to protect Anishinaabe culture which is directly linked to conservation of the Boreal landscape and all beings. Because of the World Heritage Convention, the state is obliged to provide finance for the continued protection of the site. However, this globally important World Heritage site is being ignored and to me, that’s a betrayal of the First Nations. A substantial investment by the federal government towards long-term conservation of the site is imperative. I note that the federal government, at the time of Pimachiowin Aki’s World Heritage inscription, was very happy to speak of this huge achievement. The government needs to move beyond empty gestures and words.   

6. If there’s one message or insight from your research you want people to really take to heart, what would it be?

The planet is on its knees in terms of biodiversity loss and climate change. In many areas of Canada and internationally, Indigenous Peoples are doing the heavy lifting towards positive change. This is despite the continuity of appalling racism, marginalisation, oppression and environmental destruction affecting Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous leadership in protected areas conservation—and indeed land management as a whole—should be fully supported, fully respected and fully funded. This means: 

  • Centring Indigenous governance, laws and knowledges in all aspects of conservation
  • Substantial funding towards Indigenous cultural continuity, intergenerational knowledge transmission and land-based learning 
  • Respecting the constitutional, Treaty and inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples in addition to internationally ascribed rights    

Thank you, Irene. It has been wonderful to work with you.  We appreciate what you have done to effect positive change for Indigenous-led stewardship and World Heritage.

Thank you.

Filed Under: Management & Protection, Uncategorised, UNESCO World Heritage Tagged With: Indigenous-led conservation, Irene Fogarty

People and Place Names: 5 Highlights from Presenter Gerald Neufeld 

March 19, 2025

For years, Gerald Neufeld (Kaahkaapish) has been researching original names of people and places in the Pimachiowin Aki area and sharing his discoveries.  

He quoted George Orwell while presenting a slide show at the recent Pimachiowin Aki AGM in Winnipeg. “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” 

Gerald grew up in Pauingassi First Nation and has been working with his father Henry (Ochichaahkons), Elders, and community members in Pimachiowin Aki to restore “histories that have been erased through time.”

He described his research as a slow process, but one that is essential to reclaiming cultural identity and heritage. “Sometimes, it’s like molasses in January to figure this out,” he said. 

Gerald with his father Henry (Ochichaahkons) at the Pimachiowin Aki AGM. © Bruce Bremner

He said his discoveries are made possible by the earlier work of anthropologist A. Irving Hallowell, who visited the Berens River Ojibwe in the 1930s and Gary Butikofer, who taught at Poplar Hill Development School in the 1970s.    

Here’s what we learned from his presentation:

1. Lakes near Little Grand Rapids were named after aircraft 
 

Ingenium Archives, Ken Molson Fonds, KM-08049, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/KM-08049/

Vickers Viking amphibian aircraft first arrived in Canada in 1922 and in the years following, “planes were active in the [Pimachiowin Aki] area,” said Gerald. “We can see that lakes near Little Grand Rapids were named after them,” he said while pointing out four lakes on a map:

  • Viking Lake
  • Vickers Lake
  • Amphibian Lake
  • Hangar Lake
Photo: map custom made for Gerald by Province of Manitoba 

More Lake Names 

If you click this link and scroll down to page 17, you’ll find a long list of Manitoba lakes in alphabetical order with details on who or what they were named after. The list includes English and Indigenous names. Examples:

Abraham Lake (64 A/9) North of Split Lake. CPCGN records (1975) indicated this to have been named after Abraham Wavey who trapped in this area years ago.

Ameekwanis Lake (64 K/13) Northeast of Reindeer Lake. A Cree name meaning small spoon.

Amphibian Lake (52 M/13) West of Family Lake. Named in 1926 after the type of aircraft used in photographing the area (Douglas 1933).

Kosapachekaywinasinne (64 C/7) Locality southeast of Lynn Lake. CPCGN records (1979) indicated that this name was Cree meaning looking inside rock. Apparently old people used to go to this place to see into the future.

Kokasanakaw River (53 M/8) Flows northeast into Swampy Lake. A local Cree name meaning lots of fish.

Makataysip Lake (53 D/14) Southeast of Gunisao Lake. A local Saulteaux name meaning black duck.

 Makatiko Lake (62 P/9) North of the Bloodvein River. CPCGN records (1978) indicated it to be a local Native name meaning crippled deer.

Vickers Lake (52 M/13) On Pigeon River west of Family Lake. GBC records (1926) indicated that the name was adopted over the common local name Goose Lake. It was the name of the company that manufactured the aircraft used to photograph the area. Goose Lake had been recorded on maps from possibly A. Graham (post 1771; HBC) onwards, although often in the wrong position. GBC correspondence (1929; from the Hudson’s Bay Company) listed the local name Big Goose Lake.

2. Aircraft Changed How Maps Were Made

Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3643612

“This is Amphibian Lake. There’s the airplane, there’s the flying boat, and there’s the camera. They would take photograph after photograph—boom, boom, boom, as they flew along—and they would give that to the mapmakers.”

By using photos taken from the sky, mapmakers were able to create maps that were more accurate and detailed. Gerald described a photo from a 1924 aerial survey, showing the Bloodvein River.

“It is hard to see much here but I circled an area that shows some white spots. You have to look closely, but I think these spots may be dwellings.”


Bloodvein Aerial Photo, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, marked up by Gerald

“That’s what people lived in back in the day. These white tents are dwellings.”


Little Grand Rapids, 1925, J.W. Pierce, DLS  

3. Maps changed how people traveled

The ability to map the area from the sky was a significant technological leap, but the shift also led to a disconnect from the traditional ways that people identified and traveled the land.

“In earlier years, people from the area travelled east-west along the Berens and Bloodvein rivers,” said Gerald. “The rivers were the primary passageways.” Gerald explained that several factors disrupted this over time.

The slow growth of change began with the assignment of the Manitoba-Ontario boundary in 1912. This was followed by the introduction of aircraft. Also, Manitoba and Ontario no longer shared responsibilities for communities. “Eventually, Education and Health services expanded according to provincial jurisdiction,” said Gerald.  

“Over time, commercial airplane operations and transportation routes were established, and these ran north-south. Travel increased immensely since then, but east-west travel is almost non-existent. Also, we have transitioned from light-weight, birch bark canoes to heavier alumunium boats with larger motors. These boats are heavy and much more difficult to portage, making the use of traditional travel routes difficult.”

4. Pikangikum residents named the first-ever plane to land there Big Duck  

Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

“This photo was taken on July 31, 1922. The G-CYBT made a trip to Kenora and got lost along the way and landed in Pikangikum. There were no maps. Whenever they’d see somebody on the water, pilots would land and ask them to draw a map. Can you imagine flying a big airplane like this and just working off a hastily drawn sketch that has no landmarks? Well, they’d get lost again and they would land again…”

The momentous event of seeing a plane land for the first time is still remembered in the oral histories of Pikangikum residents, said Gerald. “They talk about how afraid they were when this huge gichi zhiishiib, meaning Big Duck, landed. The aircraft was a monstrosity, and it nearly sunk when it struck the only rock near the surface of the lake. They managed to get it to shore, which you see in the photo.”

T.S.10122, Library and Archives Canada

What are these women looking at?

CI [illegible]-1925, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

“These women are all looking to the right,” noted Gerald. “The big question is, what were they looking at?” Gerald solved the mystery by looking at photo archive numbers. 

T.S.10127, Library and Archives Canada

He explained that pilots and surveyors sent photos to different archives, so their photos were numbered differently. “The first photo was taken by a pilot. The number is illegible, but it ends in 1925. The second photo of the women was taken by a surveyor and labeled T.S.10127.”

By putting surveyor photos T.S.10122 and T.S.10127 in sequence, Gerald noted there were only four pictures in between. “It was that same day,” he concluded. “That’s what these women were looking at. They were probably seeing Big Duck, the very first airplane to land in their area.”

Gerald credits a small group of researchers for helping him “figure this out.” He says, “Their guidance has advanced my understanding of all the activity around airplanes, surveying, etc.” 

5. A special treaty list reveals who was standing in line together

Gerald presented Treaty Lists and colonial practices that shaped how local Anishinaabe names were documented and changed. 

Blood Vein River Treaty List

Source: Government of Canada Library and Archives

Here, by 1876, they call it Blood Vein River,” said Gerald, as he pointed to the top left of the pay sheet. “Until around 1820, it was named Blood River, and now it’s Blood Vein River. So something happened in there. I don’t know what it is.”

Gerald turned his attention to the 18 names listed on the sheet. “These are Anishinaabe names. At the top of this list is a prominent name, Sagachiwayas, who was the chief,” said Gerald. “He was also known as Peter Stoney. We know that from a different document.”

Sagachiwayas had also collected treaty in 1875 when Treaty 5 was signed at Berens River, said Gerald. “The names with red dots beside them had collected treaty elsewhere, so they weren’t allowed to negotiate this treaty. Only six people on this list, the ones with green dots, were permitted to negotiate the treaty.”

The other ones had already all collected at either Berens River or at Lac Seul (Lac). 

Lac Seul Treaty List

The names on the treaty pay list for Lac Seul in 1874 (below) are familiar, said Gerald.

Source: Government of Canada Library and Archives

“These are Upper Berens people for the most part, along with [Kisikakishik (#46 in L.S. list and #6 In B.V. list] who’s from Bloodvein. [Oshkineegee #44 In L.S. and #22 in Sandy Narrows list] is from Little Grand. [Kackeekaiwayweetung #36 In L.S. list and #20 on Sandy Narrows list] is from Pauingassi. And the rest are all from Pikangikum and Poplar Hill.”

Sandy Narrows of the Berens River Treaty List

Gerald emphasized the importance of the Sandy Narrows of the Berens River list. 

Source: Government of Canada Library and Archives

“This was the first time these names got recorded formally,” he explained. Gerald said the list is unique in its accuracy. It is based on Anishinaabe clan names.

“What happened here is that people acted as we do today. When you’re with friends or family that you’re close to, these are the people that you cluster up with in line. They were together in line for the treaty money.”

Gerald pointed out the names of people who were standing together. “Ayasa #5 (also known as Naamiwan, or Fairwind fm Pauingassi)was the son of Shenawakoshkank #6. Newepeenoukumwekwape #4 was another one. He is the brother-in-law to Ayaasa #5 and son-in-law to Shenawakoshkank #6. They’re all very close together. When you get down further, these are all the Pikangikum and Poplar Hill people. So that’s how they clustered up. And that’s just human nature.”

But the traditional Anishinaabe system of lining up based on the strength of kinship ties was soon lost.  

“The British were a very regimented people,” noted Gerald. “They were very orderly. They liked things done in a certain way. After that year, people were lined up alphabetically according to the sound of their last name. And after 1891, they were lined up alphabetically according to the English, Scottish, and French names imposed on them.” 

The impact of this erasure (loss of the knowledge of clans) continues to affect families, communities, and their connection to the land.

“People have forgotten their history. They’ve forgotten their relationships because it all changed from the traditional Anishinaabe names in the clan system.” 

With traditional names having “disappeared off the map,” Gerald now uses “forensic strategies” to track the lineage of community members in Pimachiowin Aki. 

His message is clear: remembering the past is crucial to understanding the present, and preserving ancestral connections is vital for future generations.

Filed Under: Cultural Heritage, Geneaology, Named Places, Uncategorised Tagged With: Gerald Neufeld

5 Animal Track Patterns to Spot This Winter

December 11, 2024

Ever since November, when snow fell in Bloodvein River First Nation and was here to stay, Guardian Melba Green has been following animal tracks to gain clues about their winter activities, habitats, and movements.

“It’s good to see tracks. It means the animals live here, too, and walk among us. They are exploring and hunting. They roam alone or in packs.”

Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian Melba Green

Tracks are intriguing

“I like to think about what the animal was doing and why, based on its tracks,” Melba says.

Tracks might tell you if a fox chased a hare, whether the hare reached safety, or if a kill was made. Sometimes you can see that an animal has sped up in the snow, suggesting it was spooked. Some tracks leave you wondering. Such as, why did the squirrel turn around and head back up the tree? Did it sense a predator nearby? Or, what is this mark in the snow beside the lynx tracks? Was the lynx dragging prey from its mouth?

“It’s best to go tracking after a snowstorm,” says Melba. This is when snow is fresh and animals are out in search of food. “Old tracks are harder to identify.”


Look for tracks when snow is fresh.

Track Patterns

Melba notes that different animals move in different ways. The animal’s track pattern is the biggest clue and first thing she looks for, she says. Here are five track patterns to spot this winter.

Identify the track pattern first.

1. Hoppers

Snowshoe hare, mouse, red squirrel

The snowshoe hare’s back legs swing forward as it hops

Hoppers usually have back legs that are bigger than their front legs. When the animal hops, its front feet land first, then its back feet swing forward and land in front of the front feet.

What to look for: Clumps of four prints

Snowshoe hare tracks showing how the back feet land in front of the front feet.
Snowshoe hare tracks © Colin Owens

2. Bounders

Mink, otter, marten, weasel

Weasel in mid bound through snow. The weasel lands on its front feet. When it bounds forward again, its back feet will land where its front feet currently are.

Bounders usually have long bodies and short legs that are all the same size. When the animal moves forward, its front feet are down. In a single motion, it lifts its front feet and pushes off with its back feet. The back feet land almost exactly where the front feet were.

What to look for: Two prints side by side, with one print slightly in front of the other (it looks almost as though the animal was hopping on two feet)

Weasel tracks showing sets of prints where its back feet land on top of the print made by its front feet.
Otter © Ōtake Hidehiro
Tracks left by an otter sliding on its belly across the snow. © Ōtake Hidehiro

3. Waddlers

Bear, beaver, muskrat, porcupine, skunk, woodchuck

Muskrat in spring © Melba Green

Waddlers usually have short legs and shift their bodies side to side as they walk, dragging their bellies. Their front and back legs move together on one side of their body, then the other side. All four prints land in separate spots.

What to look for: A front and back print next to each other, on each side

Bear tracks with lines showing how its body sways side to side as it walks/waddles.

Bears occasionally wake up and move around during winter.

4. Zig-Zaggers

Lynx, fox, moose, timber wolf woodland caribou 

Notice the woodland caribou in stride on the far right . Its back right foot has just landed where its front foot was. © Ōtake Hidehiro

Zig-zaggers usually have long legs. When the animal moves forward, the print from its back foot lands on top of (or very close to) the front print.

What to look for: Single tracks in a straight or slightly zig-zagged line

Woodland caribou tracks, showing how zig-zaggers create a straight line by stepping on top of their own tracks.
Woodland caribou travel in herds. © Ōtake Hidehiro
Lynx are zig-zaggers, also known as perfect walkers – they step on top of their own tracks
Tracks of lynx in the snow

5. Snow Angel

Eagle, owl

Owl snow angel © Ōtake Hidehiro

Birds of prey touch down to capture their prey. You can usually see the tracks of a small mammal moving toward the print and messy snow in the centre of the print, where the bird gripped the prey with its talons. 

What to look for: Wing, tail and talon marks, and tracks made by prey

Track Like a Guardian!

What animal made the tracks you see? Once you identify the track pattern, ask yourself these 10 questions to narrow down your list:

  1. What animals live in the area?
  2. Where are the tracks—such as an open area, riverbank or forest—and what animals tend to inhabit or travel through here?
  3. What shape is the track?
  4. How large is the track?
  5. Does the animal have webbed feet, hooves or foot pads?
  6. How many toes do I see?
  7. Does the track have claw marks?
  8. Is the track deep or shallow (the heavier the animal, the deeper the tracks)?
  9. Is scat nearby and does it tell me if the animal is a plant eater (pellet-like scat) or meat eater (tube-like scat)?
  10. Are there any other clues, like multiple tracks indicating that the animal travels in a pack or herd, fuzzy tracks caused by fur between the animal’s toes, or signs of a tail dragging through snow?

The Challenge of Identifying Animal Prints in Snow

Animal prints in snow are often unidentifiable—they may be too deep, fuzzy, melted, blown over, or lack detail—but it’s still fun to look for clues and do your best to narrow down which animals walk among us. Enjoy spotting track patterns this winter!

These deep and undefined tracks were likely made by a zig-zagger but are difficult to identify with certainty. © Melba Green
These tracks appear to be made by a bounder. © Melba Green
Multiple clues indicate that foxes were here: zig-zag track pattern, roughly 2″ x 2″ print size, multiple tracks (foxes live in social groups). © Melba Green
Multiple clues indicate that an otter was here: two prints side by side, snow slide trail, and a hole in the snow. © Melba Green
What do these clues tell you? © Melba Green

Feature photo: © Ōtake Hidehiro

Filed Under: Animal Tracks, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, Uncategorised, Wildlife Tagged With: Track patterns

An Ethical Fall Moose Harvest

September 17, 2024

As the fall moose harvest approaches, Pimachiowin Aki wants to remind community members and all hunters to help Guardians during this busy time. If you see any waste, reckless hunting, or hunters being disrespectful, tell your Guardian. Guardians will, in turn, report concerns to their communities and to provincial staff.

Moose Population

Pimachiowin Aki is communicating with our provincial government partners to renew our working relationship and talk about the moose population and concerns about harvesting.

“We want to be part of the decision-making process. We want to be part of the consultation and plans,” says Pimachiowin Aki Director William Young, Bloodvein River First Nation.

Having conversations and sharing information with government partners will allow us to make the best decisions for the moose, adds Pimachiowin Aki Executive Director Alison Haugh. “How are moose doing in the area? Do we need to close areas or limit the hunt because moose are not doing well? If they are not doing well, is it due to habitat or hunting pressure? These are important answers to have.”

Watch for updates on our work with wildlife and habitat.

Did You Know?

Most of Pimachiowin Aki is caribou habitat, but because of the wildfire cycle, we could see more moose in five to 10 years from now. 

infographic denting 100 years of resources following a wildfire

Photo: Ōtake Hidehiro

Filed Under: Harvesting, Land Guardians, Management & Protection, Uncategorised, Wildfire Tagged With: guardians, harvesting, hunting, wildfire

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 7
  • ⟩

Footer

Stay connected

Sign-up for seasonal news from Pimachiowin Aki.



  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

  • Contact
  • Visit
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Legal
  • Privacy Policy

© 2025 Pimachiowin Aki

Built by PeaceWorks