Pimachiowin Aki

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Des explications sur cinq pictogrammes spectaculaires

Au long de la rivière Bloodvein, à Pimachiowin Aki, se trouve la plus grande collection de pictogrammes au Canada. Des centaines de pictogrammes (peintures rupestres) millénaires ont été documentés à plus de 30 endroits, dont sur cette falaise du lac Artery ornée d’empreintes de mains et de dessins d’animaux, de canots, de serpents, et d;autres symboles, faits avec une pâte d’ocre rouge et d’huile de poisson ou de graisse d’ours.

Voir l’une de ces rares peintures de plus près est tout simplement époustouflant. D’après l’auteur et chasseur de pictogrammes canadien Selwyn Dewdney, ces endroits particuliers le long de la rivière Bloodvein offrent une « expérience exceptionnelle », et les pictogrammes sont la « récompense ultime ».

L’aîné Leslie Orvis de la Première Nation de Bloodvein propose de faire une offrande pour chaque passage devant un pictogramme.

Voici plus de détails sur cinq pictogrammes spectaculaires de Pimachiowin Aki.

1. Orignal

Récemment, William Young, coprésident du conseil d’administration de la Pimachiowin Aki Corporation, a emmené l’aîné Leslie Orvis là où se trouve le pictogramme de l’orignal sur la rivière Bloodvein. Selon Leslie, ce dessin est un symbole de respect.

« Respectez la terre », dit Leslie avant de répéter les paroles de l’aîné Kenneth Owen, soit « Pour chasser l’orignal, il faut d’abord faire une offrande de tabac pour que la chasse soit un succès ».

Leslie et d’autres aînés de la Première Nation de Bloodvein River veulent enseigner aux élèves de la région l’histoire, la culture ainsi que la langue anishinaabe. Ils créent un programme qui sera intégré au curriculum scolaire après la construction de la nouvelle école de la communauté.

2. Martins-pêcheurs

Dans certains cas, les spécialistes suggèrent que les Anishinaabeg ont fait les pictogrammes pour souligner de grands moments de leurs vies ou des associations entre certains clans et les régions qu’ils utilisent à des fins traditionnelles et cérémonielles. Ce pictogramme du lac Sasaginnigak illustre deux martins-pêcheurs, l’un des emblèmes de clan des Anishinaabeg de Pimachiowin Aki

Le pictogramme des martins-pêcheurs a probablement été fait au début des années 1800 par des membres du clan éponyme qui hivernaient au lac Sasaginnigak, le lac faisant partie de la zone de récolte de leurs familles (Petch 2010).

3. Bison

Le bison dans ce pictogramme se distingue par ses sabots ronds et le tracé foncé qui semble indiquer son cœur.

Dans les années 1950, Selwyn Dewdney, guidé par des aînés ojibwés, a commencé à étudier les pictogrammes du Bouclier canadien. Dans son livre, « Indian Rock Paintings of the Great Lakes », il nomme ce pictogramme le « Bison de Bloodvein » (Bloodvein Bison) et le décrit comme ayant des proportions magnifiques.

Dans le livre susmentionné, corédigé avec Kenneth E. Kidd, on suggère que le pictogramme est à 100 milles au nord de l’endroit où les troupeaux de bisons erraient autrefois, et que la personne qui l’a fait provenait de la région ou avait parcouru une longue distance pour venir chasser à cet endroit.

4. Chaman

Selwyn Dewdney a donné à ce pictogramme le nom de « Chaman de Bloodvein » (Bloodvein Shaman). Le chaman tient un sac à médecines. M. Dewdney note que les zigzags au-dessus de la tête du chaman sont visibles dans d’autres pictogrammes et sont souvent interprétés comme des pensées ou des pouvoirs magiques. Il ajoute que « le grand canot en dessous du chaman et le porc-épic à gauche pourraient représenter les prouesses de combat ainsi que le clan du chaman ».

5. Gigoteurs

Pour désigner ce pictogramme, M. Dewdney parle de « deux curieux gigoteurs » (two curious wigglers) sans toutefois donner de détails sur ce qu’ils représentent. Dans le blogue « Ramblin’ Boy », l’auteur True_North suggère que les gigoteurs pourraient être une représentation du serpent de médecine.

Beaucoup des dessins de Pimachiowin Aki représentent des animaux et des personnes qui sont probablement inspirés d’esprits puissants et d’expériences vécues par l’artiste. Chaque pictogramme a sa propre signification. L’archéologue Jack Steinbring a écrit que « C’est souvent un rêve ou une vision, parfois causé par un jeûne ou un effort de concentration prolongé, qui donne naissance à l’image ».

Comment les gardiens de Pimachiowin Aki aident à préserver les pictogrammes

Les pictogrammes spectaculaires de Pimachiowin Aki sont bien préservés. Les gardiens s’occupent d’enlever les déchets au site et sensibilisent également les gens à l’importance de respecter les pictogrammes (de laisser des offrandes, de ne pas toucher ou mouiller les pictogrammes, etc.).

Nous ne savons pas la vitesse du processus de détérioration naturelle des pictogrammes. La plus grande menace à leur préservation est probablement l’empiètement du lichen.

Pour trouver les pictogrammes de Pimachiowin Aki

Les pictogrammes sont généralement sur les parois rocheuses abruptes qui surplombent les voies navigables de la forêt boréale.

Ils sont habituellement dans des endroits associés à des esprits puissants, par exemple près d’un cours d’eau, aux intersections entre le ciel, la terre et l’eau, sous terre ou sous l’eau.

Tous les emplacements des pictogrammes n’ont pas à être révélés.

« Il y a, à Dogskin, des peintures rupestres considérées comme sacrées parce que les gens de Little Grand Rapids croient qu’elles ont été faites par les Memegwesiwag (petits gens des roches) qui ont participé à la création et existent depuis le tout début. » – Joseph Levesque, Sr. (en traduction, 2014)

Pour communiquer avec les Memegwesiwag, les Anishinaabeg vont là où se trouvent certains pictogrammes et y font une offrande en signe de respect avant de demander de l’aide pour un voyage ou une chasse.

« Il existe [sur une certaine rivière] une peinture rupestre d’une tortue serpentine. Quand quelqu’un passait devant, il hachait du tabac et, mettant le tabac dans sa pipe, disait ‘Je vais tuer un orignal’. Et c’est exactement ce qui arrivait, la personne avait reçu la bénédiction de tuer un orignal. » – l’aîné Kenneth Owen de la Première Nation de Pauingassi (en traduction, 2007) explique l’importance d’un certain pictogramme pour communiquer avec les Memegwesiwag qui ont fait la peinture.

Pour obtenir plus d’images de pictogrammes, y compris un lien vers la version numérique du livre de Selwyn Dewdney et de Kenneth E. Kidd, cliquez ici :

https://archive.org/details/indianrockpainti00dewd/page/n1/mode/2up (anglais seulement)

Anishinaabe Pictographs On The Bloodvein: The Artery Lake Site (anglais seulement)

Sources

Selwyn Dewdney et Kenneth E. Kidd, Indian Rock Paintings of the Great Lakes
Jack Steinbring, Rock Paintings in the Eastern Lake Winnipeg Watershed Pimachiowin Aki Cultural (document de discussion)
Virginia Petch, Cultural Landscape – Macro Scale Document, août 2010

12 lieux désignés à découvrir dans la Première Nation de Poplar River

La Première Nation de Poplar River a récemment terminé une carte des toponymes traditionnels qui désigne 149 endroits, y compris des rivières, des lacs, des ruisseaux, des rapides, des pointes et des îles.

Depuis plusieurs années, les aînés de Poplar River transmettent leur savoir en vue de la création de la carte. Par exemple, ils ont parcouru le territoire avec nous afin de nous faire connaître des endroits et des objets que l’on connait seulement grâce à leur savoir et présence. Les histoires et les souvenirs des aînés sont désormais imprimés sur une gigantesque carte colorée qui sera affichée dans les espaces communautaires pour guider nos pas. La carte fait presque cinq pieds de largeur!

Pendant les déplacements sur le territoire, les Anishinaabeg racontent des histoires à propos des lieux désignés aperçus en cours de route; apprendre le nom des différents endroits permet une connaissance approfondie du territoire. Ce savoir est essentiel à la survie. Le nom de certains endroits est inspiré de la faune ou de la flore régionale et le nom d’autres endroits évoque un danger. Beaucoup de noms rappellent l’histoire de peuples qui ont traversé la région et utilisé ses terres.

Lieux désignés à découvrir dans la Première Nation de Poplar River

Voici douze lieux désignés à visiter à l’aide de la carte des toponymes de la Première Nation de Poplar River.

  • Nikaminikwaywining (crique où s’abreuvent les oies)
  • Pinanaywipowitik (rapides où se reposer les jambes)
  • Moozichisking (gros rocher en forme de croupe d’orignal)
  • Wapiskapik (île rocheuse peinte en blanc pour la rendre visible)
  • Kakinoosaysikak (lieu rempli de ménés)
  • Weeskwoywisaguygan (lac Marchand — en forme de ballon)
  • Moondeewiminitik (île nommée en l’honneur de feu l’aîné Mooni)
  • Kaminotinak (beau terrain élevé le long de la rivière Franklin où poussent de petits arbres)
  • Nayonanashing (endroit où s’arrêter pour le dîner)
  • Wapeegoozhesse’opimatagaywining (lieu où une souris a nagé à travers la rivière)
  • Paagitinigewening (rocher d’offrande de tabac)
  • Kakpikichiwung (chute au-dessus d’une falaise rocheuse)

Préserver le patrimoine culturel

Les 149 lieux désignés de la carte la Première Nation de Poplar River sont maintenant officiellement reconnus dans les bases de données toponymiques provinciales et nationales. En plus de nous guider sur les terres et les cours d’eau, la carte aide à préserver notre patrimoine culturel. Autrement dit, elle préserve l’histoire, les enseignements et les croyances de l’anishinaabemowin (langue des Ojibwés).

Entendre les noms de lieux et en parler donne l’impression de lire un livre. En outre, les désignations veillent à ce que les histoires perdurent. Quand mon père décrivait les endroits qu’il avait visités, il disait « kee’yapay namaytoowag », ce qui signifie qu’il pouvait encore y sentir la présence des gens qui l’avait précédé. Les histoires de nos ancêtres sont liées à ces endroits, tout comme nous, grâce aux noms de lieux.

Sophia Rabliauskas

Meegwetch (merci) aux aînés de la Première Nation de Poplar River qui ont été généreux et patients et ont donné de leur temps pour consigner les récits personnels et collectifs des gens qui ont traversé, observé et habité l’Asatiwisipe Aki, le territoire ancestral de la Première Nation de Poplar River.

Pour voir la carte toponymique complète de la Première Nation de Poplar River, cliquez ici et faites défiler la page vers le bas jusqu’à la carte.

D’autres cartes toponymiques de Pimachiowin Aki

La Corporation Pimachiowin Aki protège le patrimoine culturel des quatre collectivités autochtones de Pimachiowin Aki pour les prochaines générations. Ce patrimoine reflète l’identité et le mode de vie des collectivités. Il comprend tout ce que nous chérissons et transmettons d’une génération à l’autre, en plus des noms de lieux. Le patrimoine comprend aussi des itinéraires, des refuges, des chansons et des éléments du savoir traditionnel.

Nous franchissons terres et cours d’eau pour répertorier les sites culturels de Pimachiowin Aki, consignant notamment les lieux désignés, les pictogrammes, les nids d’oiseaux-tonnerres, les refuges, les campements et les sites de rituels. Les Premières Nations de Bloodvein River, de Pauingassi et de Little Grand Rapids font toutes, elles aussi, la collecte de ce type d’information afin de créer leurs propres cartes toponymiques.

Cet été, huit jeunes adultes ont vécu une expérience unique grâce à carte des toponymes traditionnels de la Première Nation de Poplar River. Pour connaître leur histoire : 13 Rapids with a Traditional Place Names Map in Hand (anglais seulement).

12 Named Places to Discover in Poplar River First Nation

Poplar River First Nation recently completed a Traditional Place Names map, which gives meaning to 149 places. The named places include rivers, lakes, creeks, rapids, points, and islands.

For several years, Elders in Poplar River have been sharing their knowledge to make this map possible. For instance, the Elders have walked the land with us and showed us places and things that are known only because Elders have been there and shared their knowledge. The Elders’ stories and memories are now printed on a huge, colourful map that will hang in community spaces and guide our journeys. The map is almost five feet wide!

When traveling the land, Anishinaabeg tell stories about the named places we encounter along the way. When we learn the names of places, we gain an intimate knowledge of the land. We need this knowledge for survival. Some places are named after plants or wildlife found in the area. Some names warn of dangers. Many reflect the histories of people who have traveled through and made use of the land. 

Named Places to Visit in Poplar River First Nation

Here are a dozen named places to visit using the Poplar River First Nation map:

  1. Nikaminikwaywining (The creek where geese drink)
  2. Pinanaywipowitik (Rapids where people can rest sore legs)
  3. Moozichisking (Big rock shaped like a moose’s rump)
  4. Wapiskapik (The rock island that was painted white so it could be seen)
  5. Kakinoosaysikak (Place where there are lots of minnows)
  6. Weeskwoywisaguygan (Marchand Lake—shaped like a balloon)
  7. Moondeewiminitik (Island named after the late Elder Mooni)
  8. Kaminotinak (Beautiful high ground along the Franklin River where small trees grow)
  9. Nayonanashing (Place to stop for lunch)
  10. Wapeegoozhesse’opimatagaywining (Where a mouse swam across the river)
  11. Paagitinigewening (Tobacco offering rock)
  12.  Kakpikichiwung (Water falls over a rock cliff)

Preserving Cultural Heritage

All 149 places on the Poplar River First Nation Place Names map are now officially recognized in provincial and national geographical names databases. In addition to helping us navigate the land and waters, the map preserves our cultural heritage. In other words, the map preserves Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language), history, teachings and beliefs. 

Listening to and talking about our place names is like reading a book…these named places ensure that the stories will carry on. When my father was describing where he had been, he would say, kee’yapay namaytoowag, which means he could still feel the presence of people who had been there before. The stories of our ancestors are connected to those places and to us by the place names.

– Sophia Rabliauskas

Meegwetch to the Poplar River First Nation Elders for their generosity, time, and patience in documenting the personal and collective histories of the people who have travelled through, observed and lived on Poplar River First Nation ancestral land, Asatiwisipe Aki.

Do you want to view the full Poplar River First Nation Place Names map on our website? Click on this link and scroll down toward the bottom of the page.

More Place Name Maps for Pimachiowin Aki

Pimachiowin Aki Corporation is working to protect cultural heritage for future generations in all four First Nation communities in Pimachiowin Aki. Cultural heritage expresses who we are and how we live. It consists of everything that we value and share through generations. Cultural heritage includes place names. It also includes travel routes, cabins, songs and traditional knowledge.

We are crossing land and water to inventory Pimachiowin Aki’s cultural sites. For example, we are documenting named places, pictographs, Thunderbird nests, cabins, campsites, and ceremonial sites. Bloodvein River First Nation, Pauingassi First Nation and Little Grand Rapids First Nation are each collecting this information to make their own place names maps.

This summer, eight young adults had a one-of-a-kind experience using the Poplar River First Nation Traditional Place Names map. Read about it here:
13 Rapids with a Traditional Place Names Map in Hand 

13 Rapids with a Traditional Place Names Map in Hand

When young people go out on the land, they come back with their language.

—Anishinaabe Elder, in translation

This summer, eight youth had a one-of-a-kind experience using the Poplar River First Nation Traditional Place Names map. The teens participated in a five-day knowledge-sharing trip hosted by Poplar River First Nation Guardian Norway Rabliauskas and his mother Sophia. Together, with hired guides, the group boated from the Poplar River First Nation community to Pinesewapikung Sagaigan (Weaver Lake). Along the way, they manoeuvred through 13 rapids marked on the map, and translated the names into Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language).

With names like Thagitowipowitik (Rapids before Poplar River flows into Weaver Lake) and Machi-powitik (Bad rapids where some people sense bad feelings), the map prepared them for the rapids ahead. It also helped them reflect on the past.

“I think it’s important for the young people to learn whey where they come from, and the history of Pinesewapikung Sagaigan (Weaver Lake),” Norway says.

The map gives meaning to places and helps keep the language and stories about these places alive.  Do you want to view the Poplar River First Nation Traditional Place Names map, with 149 named places? Click here and scroll down toward the bottom of the page.

Learning the History of Weaver Lake

Cultural heritage connects people and unites communities. The group camped on an island, where more people from the community were already gathered. Together, they visited the healing camp near Weaver Lake to learn more about the history of their community, and why the healing camp was established many years ago. 

“We wanted them to know who went there, why the camp exists, and why it is important,” Norway explains. He and Sophia shared with the youth that some Elders in the community were residential school survivors who used this site for their own personal healing journeys. 

Learning the Seven Sacred Teachings

Sophia also explained the principles of the Seven Sacred Teachings that have been passed down from generation to generation: 

  • wisdom 
  • love 
  • respect 
  • bravery 
  • honesty 
  • humility 
  • truth

Inspiring the Next Generation of Guardians

Anishinaabeg were placed on the land by the Creator and have a sacred responsibility to care for it, so the trip included a ride around the lake to see the offering rock and pictographs, with a hike up a high rock to see tea kettles (deep holes in rocks). The youth also learned about the trees in the area. Each youth received an information booklet. 

“I wanted to create a spark that might inspire them to work as Guardians,” Norway says. 

The youth will carry the land-based knowledge and skills with them into the future, he adds, noting that the youth prepared meals and helped around camp. 

“They set up and took down the tents, too,” he says.  “I wanted them to be involved as much as they could.”

Each youth had a journal to write down their own personal reflections.

“On the last day, we went fishing as a group and cooked our meal with the fish we caught,” says Norway.

Because the knowledge-sharing trip was such a success, Norway plans to make it an annual summer outing. “We’d like to make it bigger next year,” he says.

It was Norway’s work with the Education Department that inspired the trip, funded in part by Pimachiowin Aki. Norway facilitates a language and culture program that was cut short this past school year due to the COVID-19 school closures. He intends to continue the program in the current school year with the help of community members who speak Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language).

We’ve Answered Your Questions: World Heritage Sites Explained

What is World Heritage?

World Heritage recognizes places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity. It is like a badge of honour provided by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). When a UNESCO World Heritage site has been added to the World Heritage List, it is the world’s way of recognizing that this place should be preserved for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

What is Cultural Heritage?

Heritage is our legacy from the past, how we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Cultural heritage consists of everything that we value and share through generations:

  • Objects that we can see and touch, like cabins, travel routes, manoomin (wild rice), landscapes and artifacts
  • Things like language, songs, knowledge, beliefs and practices

Cultural heritage provides Anishinaabeg with: 

  • Our livelihood, such as hunting, fishing and trapping 
  • Knowledge of the land, like what rivers are safe to cross and what plants can be used as medicine
  • Skills, like how to smoke meat and cure hides

Our cultural heritage is invaluable. It connects people and unites communities, helping us understand who we are and how we contribute to the world. Cultural heritage has helped Anishinaabeg protect and preserve Pimachiowin Aki for millennia. Today, we are connected to the land and care for the land in the same ways we did over 7,000 years ago.

Types of World Heritage Sites

There are three types of World Heritage sites: cultural, natural, and mixed. 

1. What is a mixed World Heritage site?

  • A mixed heritage site is one that contains elements of both natural and cultural significance   
  • There are 39 mixed sites in the world with only one in Canada: Pimachiowin Aki

        
2. What is a cultural World Heritage site?

  • Cultural heritage sites are typically historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting—like the Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi World Heritage site on the border between Canada and the United States of America, for example 


3. What is a natural World Heritage site?

  • About one in five World Heritage sites is recognized for its outstanding natural value—like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, for example
  • Natural and mixed World Heritage sites protect over 369 million hectares of land and sea 

Pimachiowin Aki has been described as “a landmark nomination” because it is so unique—it is impossible to separate the people (culture) from the land (nature). The area received worldwide attention and inspired UNESCO to change the way it evaluates mixed World Heritage sites. Read more about how Pimachiowin Aki became a catalyst for change. 

Timeline 

The nomination was a long time in the making. In 2002, First Nations in Manitoba and Ontario signed an Accord to protect and manage ancestral lands and have these lands recognized as a World Heritage site. But the work started even before then.

The First Nation communities of Pimachiowin Aki were working individually on their own land management plans for many years. Board Member Ed Hudson from Poplar River First Nation says, “The protected area came into being before Pimachiowin Aki.” The Poplar River land management plan, and protection of Asatiwisipe Aki (Poplar River ancestral lands), became legally recognized in 2011. 

Pimachiowin Aki became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. Here’s a quick look at how we got here:

2002 | First Nations sign an accord to protect and manage ancestral lands

2004 | Canada adds Pimachiowin Aki to a shortlist of tentative UNESCO World Heritage sites after a review of 125 potential sites

2006 | Manitoba and Ontario join the First Nations to form the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation. Together, the partners work toward the goal of a Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage site

2011 | After many years of research and community engagement, each First Nation completes a land management plan that sets out how our ancestral lands will be protected and how they can be used in the future 

2012 | Canada submits the World Heritage site nomination bid to UNESCO on behalf of the Pimachiowin Aki partnership

2018 | Pimachiowin Aki becomes the first UNESCO World Heritage site in Manitoba and the only ‘mixed’ site in Canada, recognized for both its cultural and natural values (more on that below)

How Does UNESCO Protect World Heritage Sites?

Raises awareness 
As a World Heritage site, people learn about Pimachiowin Aki’s history and traditions, the environment, and the importance of protecting this rare and special place.

Strengthens authority
Pimachiowin Aki First Nations maintain authority to make decisions about the land. To remain a World Heritage site, the rights of the people who live here must continue to be respected.

May receive expert advice on how to support preservation activities 
Pimachiowin Aki First Nations can benefit from advice on how to explore local economic opportunities like eco-cultural tourism or ways to protect culture heritage, such as land and language programs. 

Protection during a war 
Once declared, Pimachiowin Aki became protected under the Geneva convention against destruction during a war .

For the last two years, Bloodvein River First Nation, Poplar River First Nation, Pauingassi First Nation and Little Grand Rapids First Nation, along with two provincial parks, have added this extra layer of protection for the land and culture. “We’re still in the planning stage for the next steps regarding the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage site status. We received the status and now we have to work harder,” Ed adds.  

The work that Ed mentions will be done by all of the First Nation communities, and will include protecting cultural and natural values with these guiding principles in mind: 

  • Continue to protect the site
  • Foster local economic growth
  • Safeguard Anishinaabe cultural heritage
  • Safeguard the boreal forest for the benefit of all humanity into the future

In the Ojibwe language Anishinaabemowin, Pimachiowin Aki means the Land that Gives Life. It is a gift from the Creator to share with the world. Anishinaabeg maintain this gift the way it was given to us. With World Heritage Site inscription, we are sharing the expansive boreal forest and all that it provides. In addition, we are sharing our history and inspiring teachings with the world.

See Pimachiowin Aki on the World Heritage List and view the UNESCO photo gallery: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1415/

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

Sources: https://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco and discovercorps.com

5 Spectacular Pictographs Explained

The Bloodvein River waterway in Pimachiowin Aki contains the largest collection of pictographs in Canada. Hundreds of millennia-old pictographs (rock art paintings) have been documented at over 30 locations, including this cliff face on Artery Lake, beautified with handprints, animals, canoes, snakes, and other symbols painted with a paste made of a red ochre and fish oil or bear fat.

Paddling up to one of these rare images is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Canadian author and pictograph-hunter Selwyn Dewdney called these particular sites along the Bloodvein River a “rare experience” and a “supreme reward.”

Elder Leslie Orvis of Bloodvein First Nation suggests making an offering each time you pass by a pictograph.

Here’s a close-up look at five spectacular pictographs in Pimachiowin Aki:

1. Moose

Recently, Pimachiowin Aki Board Co-Chair William Young took Elder Leslie Orvis to the site of this moose pictograph on the Bloodvein River. Leslie believes that the message behind this drawing is of respect. 

“Respect the land,” he says. He then echoes the words of Elder Kenneth Owen—“If you are looking for moose to hunt, you put down tobacco in order to have a successful hunt.” 

Leslie and other Elders in Bloodvein River First Nation aim to teach local students about Anishinaabe history, culture, and language. They are developing a program that will be a part of the curricula after the community’s new school is built.

2. Kingfishers

In some cases, scholars suggest that Anishinaabeg created pictographs to mark significant personal events or associations between certain clans and areas used for traditional land use and ceremony. This pictograph found at Sasaginnigak Lake shows two Kingfishers, one of the clan emblems of Anishinaabeg in Pimachiowin Aki.

This particular pictograph was probably painted in the early 1800s by members of the Kingfisher clan who wintered at Sasaginnigak Lake and used the lake as part of their family harvesting area (Petch 2010).

3. Bison

The bison in this pictograph is recognized for its circular hooves and the dark outline that appears to indicate its heart. 

In the 1950s, guided by Ojibwe elders, Selwyn Dewdney began his studies of pictographs on the Canadian Shield. His book titled Indian Rock Paintings of the Great Lakes names this pictograph the Bloodvein Bison and describes it as “beautifully proportioned.” 

The book, co-authored by Kenneth E. Kidd, suggests that this pictograph is located a hundred miles north of where the bison herds once roamed, and the person responsible for the drawing was from that region or had traveled a far distance to hunt there.  

4. Shaman

Dewdney titled this pictograph the Bloodvein Shaman. The shaman is carrying a medicine bag. Dewdney notes that the zig-zag lines that appear above the shaman’s head are also seen in other pictographs, and are often interpreted as thoughts or magical powers. He adds that the “large canoe beneath and the porcupine to the left might represent the fighting prowess and clan of the shaman.”

5. Wigglers

Dewdney refers to these pictographs as the “two curious wigglers” but does not provide details on what they represent. In his Ramblin’ Boy blog, True_North suggests “they may be representations of the medicine serpent.”

Many of the drawings in Pimachiowin Aki include animals and people that one can assume were based on powerful spirit beings and first-hand experiences of the artists. Each pictograph has its own significance. Archaeologist Jack Steinbring writes, “The imagery may often be prompted by dreams, or visions sometimes induced by fasting or prolonged concentration.”  

How Pimachiowin Aki Guardians Help Preserve Pictographs
The spectacular pictographs in Pimachiowin Aki are well preserved. Guardians keep the sites clean of any litter, in addition to educating people about the importance of respecting the pictographs (i.e. leaving offerings, not touching or wetting them, etc.).

The rate at which the pictographs are deteriorating due to natural weathering is unknown. Lichen encroachment is probably the most serious threat.  

Locating Pictographs in Pimachiowin Aki
Pictographs are usually found on steep granite rock-faces overhanging the waterways of the boreal forest.

The drawings are typically found in places associated with powerful spirit beings, such as next to water, at the intersections of sky, earth and water, underground, and underwater. 

Not all pictograph locations are to be revealed. 

“There are rock paintings at Dog-skin that are sacred because the people of Little Grand Rapids believe that those paintings were made by the little rock people (memegwesiwag). The rock people were part of creation and were here from the beginning.” 

—Joseph Levesque, Sr. (in translation, 2014)

Anishinaabeg communicate with memegwesiwag at particular pictograph sites by presenting offerings to demonstrate respect and request assistance in travel or hunting.

“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 say, ‘I will kill a moose’ as they placed tobacco in their pipe. Sure enough, that was exactly what would happen. That person would get the blessing to kill a moose.” 

—Elder Kenneth Owen of Pauingassi First Nation (in translation, 2007) explains the importance of a particular pictograph in communicating with the memegwesiwag responsible for the painting

For more images of pictographs, including a link to the digital version of Dewdney and Kidd’s book, click here: 

https://archive.org/details/indianrockpainti00dewd/page/n1/mode/2up

Anishinaabe Pictographs On The Bloodvein: The Artery Lake Site

Sources

Indian Rock Paintings of the Great Lakes by Selwyn Dewdney and Kenneth E. Kidd
Discussion paper: Rock Paintings in the Eastern Lake Winnipeg Watershed by Jack Steinbring 
Cultural Landscape: Macro Scale Document. Virginia Petch, August 2010