Ross and Smith Aboriginal Youth Week Comes to Camp 79

Aboriginal Youth Week Comes to Camp: Partners in History, Culture, and Environment at Islands National Park of

Brian Ross and Sheryl Smith

Beginning in 2000, Grade 7 and 8 Aboriginal children, teachers, and resource people have gathered for a week each September for holistic learning on , part of Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada. Our partners, local and Aboriginal communities and the Midland YMCA Camp Kitchikewana, take students on a journey through activities designed to enhance their knowledge of, and appreciation for, their history and culture. Archaeology plays a role in helping that happen.

Aboriginal Youth Week (AYW) is a unique expe- YMCA staff and others with an interest in con- rience, held at Georgian Bay Islands National tributing to the proceedings. It takes place at the Park of Canada. It takes place at YMCA Camp second smallest national park in Canada, a place Kitchikewana (also called “Camp Kitchi”) on with a very large and diverse herptile population Beausoleil Island, the main island in the park in ecologically sensitive and culturally significant (Figure 1), and has been held in September since surroundings. Young people have a chance to the year 2000. AYW is a partnership between explore not only the history of the park and its Parks Canada, the Cultural Advisory Committee natural and cultural themes, but also to learn of the national park, the Midland YMCA, and more about Anishinabe history and culture, local Aboriginal communities. For four consecu- taught in a place significant to them, by their tive days, mainly Grade 7 and 8 youth, with own educators and Elders. Archaeology is a big older teen cabin leaders and their teachers, take part of what they learn. over the entire camp and learn a multitude of We do archaeology during AYW for several things. Resource people for the week include reasons. First, it is Parks Canada’s mandate to Aboriginal Elders, educators, national park staff, manage cultural resources and any impacts on

Figure 1. Location of Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay (cour- tesy of Parks Canada). 80 Archaeology No. 73, 2002 those resources. Beausoleil Island contains evi- The camp is one of the oldest and largest dence of at least 5,000 years of Aboriginal occu- YMCA camps in Ontario, and is based in pation. Human use of the island, especially in the Midland. Its history goes back to the Boys last 100 years, has resulted in impacts to those Parliament of Canada established around 1900; archaeological resources, which must be mitigat- the YMCA camp itself was set up in the same ed and monitored. The YMCA Camp itself is location in 1919-1920, before the national park responsible for some of those impacts, since it is came into being in the late 1920s. So, even situated on the site of the so-called “Ojibway though it seems to be a strange use of a national Settlement” of the mid-nineteenth century. park, the camp, and one other like it, still lease Cabins, sewer lines and other modern amenities lands there. We should also mention that Parks have cut into deposits; thousands of little feet Canada itself also operates a seasonal camp- each summer have churned up artifacts. The ground, day use area, and visitor centre on the YMCA Camp participates in archaeological mit- island. Initially with a recreational focus and igation by Parks Canada staff, houses the archae- some teaching of so-called “native lore”, the ology crew, helps pay for the work, and teaches YMCA camp has, in the last 15 years, shifted its cultural resource conservation and management focus to environmental awareness and includes messages to their campers and families. messages relating to Parks Canada’s natural and Second, our long-range mitigation and manage- cultural heritage themes. YMCA Camp Kitchi ment programme for the archaeological resources and its staff have become our partners in educat- of the national park help illustrate the direct links ing the public about preserving these values for between people of the Georgian Bay future generations. area and the island which many families call Outdoor education programs for school “home”. In particular, the Chippewas of groups are the mainstay of Camp Kitchi’s activi- (now living at Christian ties in shoulder seasons (May-June, September- Island), trace their ancestry to this place and October). Elders from the Cultural Advisory beyond, as do many families of Aboriginal her- Committee at the national park noticed that lots itage in the Honey Harbour area. A third reason of non-native kids were able to attend Camp why we do archaeology here, is that it helps us Kitchi to learn about the history and culture of connect scientific knowledge with traditional the area, but wondered why their own Aboriginal Aboriginal knowledge in very tangible ways. children didn’t have the same opportunity. The When Elders can hold artifacts in their hands, simple answer was, no one ever asked the ques- establishing a connection with the people who tion before! So, working together, the Committee, made them, the sense of history is very clear. community representatives, Parks Canada staff YMCA Camp Kitchikewana is located on the and YMCA staff created Aboriginal Youth Week sheltered eastern shore of the island (which is to meet that need. known in Ojibway as “Baamidonegog” or “rocky Seven Anishinaabeg communities (Figure 2) place floating about the mouth of a river”), at usually send committee members and young peo- Treasure Bay. The camp is in the transition zone ple to the youth camp. They are: Chippewas of from sandy deciduous woodlands to the Beausoleil, Georgina Island, Mnjikaning (former- bedrock-and-coniferous forest cover immortal- ly Rama), Moose Deer Point, and Wasauksing First ized in the Group of Seven’s paintings. Evidence Nations together with the Georgian Bay Métis of nineteenth century cabins and outbuildings Council and the Area Native Advisory associated with Chief John Assance’s community, Circle. We should mention that the Mohawks of which lived here from 1836 to 1856, is found Wahta from Bala, Ontario also participate on the throughout the camp. Features, artifacts, and cel- Cultural Advisory Committee, but do not send lar depressions have been mapped and those youth to this camp, which has a mainly being disturbed are slated for excavation by Parks Anishinaabe focus. In 2002, approximately 75 Canada. children from six communities attended. Ross and Smith Aboriginal Youth Week Comes to Camp 81

Figure 2. First Nations adjacent to Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada (courtesy of Parks Canada).

Young people learn many things during their around them are Aboriginal role models—Elders, stay in camp. The seven Grandfather teachings teachers, resource people, park staff, staff of their (wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humili- own First Nations, archaeologists—who encourage ty, and truth) are presented by Elders, with the them to walk their path in life “in a good way”. It “Ojibway word of the day” at every meal. They is a powerful week, full of learning. are encouraged to listen to Ojibway speakers, to In the archaeological activities, they are pre- speak Ojibway, and to try out their singing and sented with physical evidence of their own histo- drumming skills. Traditional crafts and skills like ry, and given two perspectives on what things leatherwork, skinning rabbits or smoking fish are are. One example is the discussion associated presented in rotational blocks, so every person with finding pieces of lead in the historical layers tries every activity. A guided hike helps them of the dig. To Western-trained archaeologists, understand the island’s natural environment in these amorphous bits of lead have a utilitarian the context of Anishinaabe traditional knowl- purpose: to be melted into lead shot or used as edge, places of interest in the history of the park, weights on a fishing line. But one day at a etc. Skits encourage them to work in teams, to present information publicly, and to show their communities with pride. They also go to the archaeological dig, help screen the backdirt, ask questions of the crew, and visit the field lab where they can see the artifacts that have been found (Figure 3). At supper every night, the “arti- fact of the day” is shown by one of the archaeolog- ical crew and its significance is shared with them. The final night in residence culminates in a tradi- tional Feast and a Drum Social. They are encour- aged to keep a diary of their experiences and they Figure 3. Archaeologist Cesare D’Annibale explains aspects of are given the chance to hear gender-based teach- the archaeological site to participants in Aboriginal Youth Week ings on their roles in Anishinaabe society. All (courtesy of Parks Canada). 82 Ontario Archaeology No. 73, 2002

Cultural Advisory Committee meeting in home is “do-able” in terms of family responsibil- September 2001, where these pieces of lead were ities and gives them experience which can lead to being passed around as part of the assemblage of other opportunities in the future. Sometimes typical objects found the previous year, an Elder extensions of job terms are possible. Hiring pulled his ceremonial pipe out of its leather bag Aboriginal students on the regular seasonal crew and showed how the soapstone had been carved reinforces our commitment to providing mean- in relief, in such a way as to receive a lead inlay, ingful career training opportunities and increases which made a decorative silver-looking pattern sharing of traditional knowledge among the against the dark stone. His pipe, he told us, was archaeological crew members as well. Those jobs more than 200 years old and had been passed provide needed economic inputs to communi- down to him for safekeeping and use in ties, too. We have been amazed at the quality of ceremonies. This kind of evidence work and commitment that archaeological shows the young people that “they have always labourers have brought to the Camp Kitchi digs been here” and helps engender pride in their over the years (Figure 4). past. Elders are supportive of the work being done; This year, three of the archaeological crew were one effect of having the Cultural Advisory of Aboriginal heritage; they were joined by a Committee oversee the project as well as the Youth young Aboriginal person attending the camp Week experience, is being able to have a “Ground- who has a special aptitude for archaeology and Breaking Ceremony” to honour Mother Earth, who acted as “heritage interpreter” when groups before the dig begins each fall. And, Elders are rotated to the area for the activity. Visiting stu- asked for advice and opinions on specific artifacts dents are encouraged to ask questions and to raise issues with the archaeological crew. One of the drawbacks though, is the enthusiasm with which students respond to watching archaeology. Staff find they have to reinforce the “leave it in the ground message” when the students get excit- ed about being able to find things. They want to go home and dig everything up, so the need for an education in archaeology, good recording practices, and scientific methods has to be repeated. Many young people have not had much exposure to archaeology as a career, although forensics is a trendy subject on TV and in movies. To see archaeologists working in front of them is a good experience. They begin to think about contributing to their communities’ well-being by taking Native Studies or Anthropology. There is no doubt that positive role models help with that kind of thinking. We continue to seek out and hire Aboriginal people for the crew whenever possible. The federal gov- ernment has a special mechanism for hiring under-represented employment groups, which allows us to target self-identified minorities like Aboriginal people. Although the Camp Kitchi dig is usually only one month in duration, for Figure 4. Archaeological labourer Arthur Ulrich works at the some mature applicants, one month away from site in 2002 (courtesy of Parks Canada). Ross and Smith Aboriginal Youth Week Comes to Camp 83 that are found in the course of the work. They seven Grandfather teachings, being able to state visit the dig frequently during the week, often one’s name, nation and clan affiliations in the sitting on a bench provided for them and speak- traditional language, are especially shown as part ing quietly together in Ojibway while watching of everyday interaction. Oration and public what is being found. speaking are encouraged with fireside story time. One of the strengths of the AYW programme is Tobacco is available in a special lounge area, to be the partnerships that have formed as a result. The used as offerings and to give to Elders if the national park has established the position of young people have questions or problems they Aboriginal Heritage Educator and has hired a per- need help with. Dialogue is supported and leads son of Aboriginal heritage to do that work. She to many interesting discussions. visits Aboriginal communities on park business, The positive feedback we have received from chairs the planning committee for AYW, facilitates this annual event has been tremendous. the work of the Cultural Advisory Committee, Aboriginal teachers find it a particularly good and delivers heritage presentation programmes in experience because it helps the students see the the park and in outreach activities. potential of staying in school, while still recog- Each year’s experiences with Aboriginal Youth nizing and honouring their Aboriginal heritage. Week build on the previous foundations and This year as well, AYW was featured in a full communities are eager to take part. Great pains page article by Maurice Switzer in Anishinabek are taken to have different activities and presen- News, a monthly publication which is distributed tations each year, so one year’s Grade 7 students to over 40 First Nations across Ontario, and is do not receive the same activities when they visit widely read. Local First Nations councils and again in Grade 8. The week is structured so that schools are able to plan their education budgets there are often two points of view given, both in advance, knowing that the event will be held holistic and scientific. Students are encouraged again next year. Elders from each community to think for themselves and to find the signifi- also reinforce the positive messages learned at cant elements of information in what is present- camp when students return to home and school, ed to them. The YMCA camp provides a struc- since many Elders volunteer in the schools with tured environment, with bells rung at certain language and other programmes. AYW experi- times to indicate rest periods, meals, etc. ences are also shared across Parks Canada. Students from different communities bunk National park staff write articles for newsletters together in the cabins and the people in each and occasional publications such as First Peoples cabin eat together and share table duty. The Focus, and they share information on how the YMCA camp staff are responsible for physical programme is organized with their heritage pres- safety while campers are in residence and oversee entation colleagues at national workshops. And recreational activities like canoeing and kayak- now, you are part of our “feedback network” too! ing. They also scoop up any curious rattlesnakes We hope, by this example, to encourage all OAS which wander into camp—in 2002, one snake members to reach out into Aboriginal communi- came along to a women’s teaching given outdoors ties and to get involved in showcasing Aboriginal by an Elder from Chippewas of Beausoleil First history. It is just as important that we learn to be Nation! (She later said, to another Elder, “they open to other ways of thinking, as it is for like to learn things!”) Aboriginal youth and Elders to learn about The ceremonial and spiritual part of one’s life archaeology and what Parks Canada does. is reinforced during daily activities. Everyone (archaeologists and camp staff, too) is encour- Acknowledgments. We thank and honour the aged to be up and ready for a smudge before the Elders who have given generously of their wis- day’s activities start. Elders give examples to the dom and guidance throughout our work. The youth in comportment, Aboriginal protocols and project we describe takes place in the ancient ter- etiquette. Being attentive to dreams and the ritory of the Huron/Wendat people, and in the 84 Ontario Archaeology No. 73, 2002 traditional territory of Chippewa Tri-Council , the Mohawks of Wahta (Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation, and the Georgian Bay Métis Council. We thank Chippewas of Beausoleil First Nation, these nations for being stewards of the land so Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation) and that we can continue to work together and to the Moose Deer Point First Nation, the share what we have learned.

Brian Ross and Sheryl Smith Ontario Service Centre, Parks Canada 111 Water Street East, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada K6H 6S3 [email protected] [email protected]