Meet Our Guardians
Enil
That’s my role, sharing and giving back the knowledge that was given to me.
Enil Keeper, Little Grand Rapids First Nation Land Guardian
Where were you born?
I was born in a little cabin in the middle of nowhere called Sharpstone Lake, halfway between Pikangikum and Little Grand, right at the border of Ontario and Manitoba. My grandmother delivered me.
I lived in Pikangikum until I was seven years old. I moved to Little Grand when my grandpa died and my grandmother married another man in Little Grand.
What is your traditional name?
Early in the morning when I was born, they heard geese making a lot of noise, so my Indian name is Calling from Above. That’s why my voice is loud. I don’t need a microphone when I’m talking.
When did you first become involved with Pimachiowin Aki?
I was one of the original participants in Pimachiowin Aki. I’ve been there since the beginning. I was part of the community meetings and information gathering, and the applications to become a UNESCO World Heritage site… everything.
You’ve been an active community leader throughout your career.
I was a Chief. I was a Councillor for about 20 years and an RCMP for eight years. I was first in line when something happened; like when a gun was involved, I was the first one sent in. So I went through a lot in my time.
What made you want to become a Guardian?
I think when you’re on this land, you’re supposed to be respectful of people and the land.
Has protecting the land has always been a priority for you?
Yes, for me, it’s something very important that I’ve always done. Ten years ago, I’d go out and see things like cans, garbage bags and litter floating in the water. It was very hard for me to see that, so I went on a local radio station. I talked to the people as nicely as I could and told them, you know, this is beautiful land we live on. Our water is still normal. We can still drink it from the lake. But maybe sooner or later, we won’t be able to – our grandchildren and great grandchildren may not see this beautiful water but if we respect it, they will get to enjoy it like we’re enjoying it today. There’s more respect now.
What are your concerns about the lands and waters today?
I have concerns because there’s so many wildfires. But, you know, the biggest concern I have right now is fishing derbies and making sure we’re not destroying the biggest fish and a whole bunch of eggs. If we are, we need to slow down on our fishing derbies and give the fish a chance to come back.
What do you enjoy most about being a Guardian?
I like sharing things with people. That’s my role, sharing and giving back the knowledge that was given to me.
Where does your knowledge come from?
My grandma and grandpa. They practically raised me.
What are your early memories of being on the land with your grandparents?
Basically, we lived off the land. I remember a lot about eating. We didn’t have sugar or salt or anything like that. Maybe a little bit of vinegar once every month. But we lived off meat – squirrel, muskrat, rabbits, beaver. Those were the things that I learned how to trap as a young boy.
Well, I didn’t get to trap beaver. I got as far as muskrat. They teach you from the smallest thing. It’s not like, you know, okay, go get a beaver. It was like, you know, I’m going to teach you how to snare a rabbit. So, they’re showing you how to work your way up.
When did you learn to hunt?
I was never allowed to touch a gun until I was about 17, 18. It was safety first before anything else. You’d carry a blank gun and they’d give you a bullet if you saw something.
What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
Spend time with my family. I have a wife of 40 years, three sons, five daughters and 13 grandkids. So, basically, we enjoy life. It becomes expensive at Christmas!
I like teaching my kids and grandkids the Ojibwe that my grandparents spoke.
And on the land, it’s hunting. The reason I like to go hunting is to pass on my skills to my sons – the safety of it and the right way of doing it, like my grandparents taught me. That’s to gut the moose and not waste anything. I mean, they ate everything.
What is your favourite traditional food?
You’re really going to ask me that? (laughs). Moose! The way I cook it, mmm. I remember how to cook it like my grandma. She used to cook it once a year. And she would always cook it outside on the fire. It has to be poplar that you burn. It has that taste. Mmm.
She would put the lard in a pan with the moose and then add water to make a gravy.
Sometimes she would put bannock on a stick and roast it like a hot dog. And when the bannock and meat were cooked, she would cut the meat and put it in the bannock with gravy, just like a sandwich. Yah, that’s the way I cook mine. That is my favourite food.
