Pimachiowin Aki

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Dog Sledding for Land-Based Learning

Surrounded by the expansive boreal forest and the soft sounds of canine paws on snow, Sidney Klassen glides through Bloodvein River First Nation behind his team of dogs. Mr. K, as he’s known to students at Miskooseepi School, is providing a “hands-on experience for the kids to be out in nature.“ Dog sledding is part of the school’s newly-formed Land-Based Learning program.

“We take the dogs out and I show students how to handle them, how to bring them to the truck and bring them to the staging area where we launch,” Sidney explains. Students practise getting the sled ready and hooking up the team. They also learn parts of the sled, like rigging and lines. But their learning runs deeper than physical skills.

“The kids learn about the connection between the dogs and humans when they take care of the dogs,” says Sidney. “They develop responsibility. The implications for learning are endless.”

Who is Sidney Klassen?

Sidney is a former physical education teacher. He has grown to love his new role as Land-Based Instructor but he’s not comfortable with the title. “I’d change Instructor to Coordinator or Facilitator,” he says. ‘Instructor’ is more suitable for a local, not a former Winnipegger like him, he explains.

Sidney with the dogs and a student

“I’m not from Bloodvein River First Nation and I don’t know the land like the locals do.”

Sidney works closely with teachers and residents of the Manitoba First Nation community to connect traditional knowledge to classroom learning.   

“The goal is to get the kids outside on the land, in the bush behind the school, out on the river in canoes, or on hiking field trips,” he says. It’s all part of learning science, social studies and mathematics in new ways. 

From the Circus to Teaching

Sidney became a teacher at age 39, after an unusual career route.

His inspiration to teach started when he “ran away with the circus.”  

Years ago, Sidney worked as the crew chef with the Caravan Stage Company, a traveling circus on a tall ship sailing boat. “The pirate ship theatre was started by two old, card-carrying hippies and it led me to look at my life and chase my dreams. I thought that if they can build a hippy pirate ship, I can do what I want to do.”

What he wanted to do was teach.

How Sidney Started Dog Sledding

He left the traveling circus with a plan to go to university. But first, he took a trip to the Yukon. The trip sparked a new passion. “I took up dog sledding and fell in love with it. I was working for an esteemed champion dog musher and he taught me about dog mushing. I loved being able to see beautiful territory, and I loved the interaction between the humans and dogs.”

When he returned to Winnipeg for university, Sidney formed a dog sled team of his own. With his two dogs, and sometimes a friend’s dog, he traveled the city’s river trails. He had no idea that his love of dog sledding would one day carry into his classroom in Bloodvein River First Nation.

“When I got to Bloodvein, I wanted to start a dog team,” he says. “I put together a fundraiser to raise funds for equipment and got started.”

The team began with six dogs donated by Kevin Lewis who runs the Cree cultural immersion camp in Saskatchewan called kâniyâsihk Culture Camps.

Showing Students the Ropes

The dogs live with Sidney. He has a kennel with doghouses behind his home. “I take students on a tour of the kennel to meet the dogs. I show them how the kennel is set up, and how to care for them.”

Sidney also takes students dog sledding along Indigenous travel routes. The trip includes Ojibwe teachings from an Elder and local trapper.

“Gabriel Green, drives ahead with his snowmobile and takes us down his trapline,” Sidney shares. “He pulls a cargo toboggan behind his snowmobile. The students take turns driving the dog sled or riding in the sled or the toboggan.”

Stopping at designated spots, Gabriel shows his traps and tells stories about the dog team that he had years ago. “Having that platform for Gabriel to share his knowledge and stories is really great,” says Sidney. “We tie-in classroom learning and we’re getting the kids out into nature, over the river and on the trail.”

Students enjoy the adventure. “Just being out on the sled with the kids, even though they might be acting cool at the time, I know they’re excited,” says Sidney. “It’s a beautiful, sunshine-y day, running through a beautiful trail…one of the best feelings ever for me.”

“Word gets around that Mr. K has a dog sled team and takes kids out sledding,” says Sidney. Students like to share stories about their experience of driving the dog sled on their own, he adds.

Each trip includes eight to 10 students from grades four to nine. “Last winter we were out with the kids about five or six times,” Sidney says. The most recent trip was in March, before COVID-19 school closures.

Other Land-Based Learning Activities

The Land-Based Learning program involves more than dog sled education.

“One of my highlights every year is the overnight trip to the Manitoba Museum,” Sidney reflects. The Miskooseepi students spend an overnight inside the museum. It includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the curator’s room to view artifacts from Pauingassi First Nation. Students learn about the importance of protecting their cultural heritage.

“These are items from their culture. They learn that their culture is significant and valued by the world.”

Knowledge keepers like Culture and Language teacher Yvonne Young take students out on the land where they learn to identify plants and pick medicine. They also learn how to use plants, like offering tobacco.

Last winter, a few students took an ice fishing day trip. “We’re fortunate to have William Young be a part of the program. He had ice fishing equipment donated and took us to Round Lake to go ice fishing,” Sidney says.

“The kids have their Anishinaabe culture in their blood,” he says. He notes that many students can teach him about hunting, fishing and living off the land. “They go out with their fathers, uncles, grandfathers or aunts, and they have a lot of knowledge.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instructors and students are now doing remote learning. Sidney is running logistics, getting homework packages delivered and monitoring social media. He plans to set up a spot this winter so that students can get out onto the land. “We’ll have the ice fishing shacks, cross-country skis and snowshoes, and let the kids use them.”

A Little Paper Creates a Big Problem

At eight years old, Michael Zelniker had no problem admonishing adults to stop littering in the streets of Montréal. Today, his dedication to protecting the environment has grown into a quest to protect the boreal forest for future generations.

The Issue with Tissue

“Tissue companies are flushing away our forests and our future,” warns the filmmaker from his Los Angeles home. 

‘The Issue with Tissue’ is the title of his latest project—a film to let the world know that “the boreal forest is being clear cut so we can wipe our bums with softer, more plush toilet paper.”

Michael was shocked when he first learned that one of the most ecologically important forests in the world—Canada’s boreal forest—is being destroyed to make toilet paper.

“What we do to each other, we do to ourselves; what we do to the land, we do to ourselves,” he says. 

Who is Affected?

There’s more to the boreal forest than just trees. The boreal forest plays an important role in slowing the effects of climate change. It stores almost twice as much carbon as tropical forests and has more surface freshwater than any other ecosystem on the planet. 

“I discovered that more than 600 First Nations call the boreal forest home and have for thousands of years; that the boreal is home to caribou and other wildlife. It is the nesting ground for the songbirds we hear in our parks and our backyards.” Michael’s backyard is in California but as a child growing up in Montréal, he went to summer camp 100 miles north at the southern edge of the boreal forest.

“I hated camp. I was a troubled kid and as a result, I was always in trouble,” he remembers. He discovered his love of nature during this otherwise unhappy camp experience.

“The breathtaking view of endless forest was the one thing that comforted me at camp.” It forged in him a deep lifelong connection to trees. “When I’m in a forest today, I feel like I’m with long-lost family.”

While researching the toilet paper issue, Michael spent dozens of hours on Zoom talking with scientists, activists, and First Nation leaders. “Everyone opened their hearts and shared their story with me,” he says. It was an incredible privilege, he adds.

Inspired by the conversations, Michael knew he had to share the untold story with the world.

Lessons from Indigenous Elders and Leaders

“I began to feel, ‘If not me, then who? If not now, then when?’”

Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and William Young

Those two questions led to an inspiring filmmaking experience. Michael collected over 100 hours of footage as he traveled across Canada to interview First Nation Elders and leaders, including Bloodvein River First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and Pimachiowin Aki Board Director William Young.

His journey began in BC with Canadian cameraperson Abanoub Andraous. The two of them drove, with multiple stops along the way, to Eastern Quebec where they flew north by bush plane to the George River. There, they met with Valérie Courtois, Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, and Innu as they celebrated the migration of the caribou. “It was a profoundly moving experience,” Michael says enthusiastically.

He describes the entire filmmaking experience as “eye-opening and life-changing.” He hopes the film will have a strong impact on others, much like the journey has had on him.

“I had so many special moments filming,” Michael says. He was touched by the hospitality and generosity of the people that he got to visit and talk with. “I felt deeply honoured.”

“What has caused us to go so wrong as a species?” he asks. Learning from First Nation Elders and leaders, Michael says that we have lost connection to the land and with each other. “As a result, settler colonial types like me look at how to value land based on dollars and cents, and as a way to exploit rather than as a member of our family.”

Elder Dave Porter of Kaska First Nation in northern British Columbia shared his wisdom with Michael. “Mother Nature, since the beginning of time, takes care of us because Mother Earth has provided us this environment to live so well. If we don’t begin to take better care of Mother Nature, we’re going to destroy her ability to take care of us.”

Elder Porter also told Michael that “when you’re in a forest, you’re with family.” Michael heard similar themes from others across the country.  

Chief Darrell Bob of the Xaxli’p Community in Lillooet, BC invited Michael into his sweat lodge. “He pointed to the stones that warmed the sweat lodge and said, ‘These are our grandfathers.’”

The lessons continued as Michael met with Elder Dave Courchene from Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. He explained about natural law—to only take as much as you need.

“Give thanks to what you take with an eye for the seven generations in front of you,” explains Michael. He had never heard this lesson until he met with Indigenous people.

“In American white culture we believe that a lot is good, more is better, and too much is just right. And we see it even with the pandemic—what were people hoarding? Toilet paper.”

After his footage comes together and is shared with the world, Michael hopes that North Americans will make the connection between trees and paper products like toilet paper, and become “more mindful of how we’re using them.”

He recalls a memorable statement that Elder Courchene made to him, and it is a mighty ask: “If you can do one thing, get them to give us back the boreal and we can take care of the rest.”

Imagine the possibilities if that were the result.

Here are ways that Michael suggests for you to make a difference:

  • Buy recycled paper products made from post consumer content
  • Buy wood, pulp & paper products with the FSC certification seal
  • Whenever possible, stop using single use disposables—use reusables
  • Demand that governments fulfill their commitments to Indigenous Peoples to protect/conserve their ancestral home­—the land, air and water—the animals, plants and trees that inhabit these wild spaces
  • Support the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA)
  • Spend time in nature. Bring your child to wild spaces. Connect with the other creatures, the trees, plants, and animals that make up Mother Earth’s creation. They are all members of our wider family. Treat them as such
  • Support First Nation Guardian Programs

Michael Zelniker is a Canadian-born award-winning actor/director based in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps (led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore), serving as Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Chapter. His film, ‘The Issue with Tissue’, is set for release in 2021. We will keep you posted on its release date and how/where to watch it.

The Pimachiowin Aki Song

Cultural heritage expresses who we are and how we live. Anishinaabeg have shared language, stories, and songs for generations in Pimachiowin Aki.

This is the Pimachiowin Aki song—a sacred song created to recognize that Pimachiowin Aki is the land that gives life and is vital to the spiritual, emotional, and physical survival of Anishinaabeg as a people:  

Whey Ha Why Oh Whey
Whey Ha Why Oh Whey
Whey Ha Why Oh Whey
Whey Ha Why Oh Whey Ya Whey Ya
Whey Ha Why Oh Whey
Whey Ha Why Oh Whey Ya Whey Ya

Anishinaabeg dibaajimowin (This is an Ojibwe Story)
Gaagige bimosemagan (It exists and travels through eternity)
Pimachiowin Aki (On the land that gives life)

[The verse is sung four times]

“That song is forever going to sound in this world. And it’s going to sound all over, and the wave that travels to every part of the world, that song will travel to. Our people’s voice needs to be heard. The knowledge that Anishinaabe people have is vital to our own survival. And vital to mankind.”

Eric Courchene, Sagkeeng First Nation

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