MANITOWAPOW ABORIGINAL WRITINGS FROM THE LAND OF THE WATER Manitowapow_interior.indd 1 1/3/12 11:26 AM Nueltin Lake Nejanilini Lake Little Duck Lake HUDSON Northlands (Lac Brochet) Tadoule Lake Churchill BAY Barren Lands r ve (Brochet) Ri Reindeer Southern Ch urch Lake Indian ill Lake York Factory Marcel Colomb O-Pipon-Na-Piwin (South Indian Lake) r (Black Sturgeon) Fox Lake e r iv e R iv R Tataskweyak Granville Lake (Split Lake) Nelson War Lake Shamattawa York Landing Mathias Colomb (Pukatawagan) THOMPSON Nisichawayasihk (Nelson House) es ay H Bunibonibee Manto Sipi (Oxford House) (God’s River) God’s Lake Narrows Cross Lake Gods Lake Red Sucker Lake Norway House Wasagamack Opaskwayak Garden Hill 1/10/12 1:04 PM Mosakahiken St. Theresa Point Island Lake Moose Lake Cedar Lake Grand Rapids L LAKE A Poplar River K Chemawawin E Sapotaweyak W I N N I Wuskwi Siphik P WINNIPEG E G O Berens River S I Swan River S Pauingassi Some Aboriginal Communities (Elbow Fort) Pine Creek Little Grand Rapids in Manitowapow Dauphin River Kinonjeoshtegon Camperville Skownan (Jackhead) Pinaymootang Lake St. Martin Bloodvein O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi Little Saskatchewan Crane River Fisher River Aboriginal Communities Tootinaowaziibeeng Peguis Hollow Water Métis Communities DAUPHIN Ebb & Flow Lake Manitoba Little Black River Kinosota Other Towns or Cities Waywayseecappo Keeseekoowenin Sandy Bay Sagkeeng Gamblers LAKE St. Laurent St. Lazare Rolling River MANITOBA Brokenhead Birdtail Sioux St. Peter’s St. François Xavier SELKIRK (Grantown) Dakota Tipi Seven Oaks Sioux Valley BRANDON Long Plain St. Boniface Dakota Plains WINNIPEG St. Vital (Red River) St. Norbert Canupawakpa Swan Lake Lake of Roseau River Buffalo Point the Woods Manitowapow_interior.indd 2 1/10/12 12:49 PM Nueltin Lake Nejanilini Lake Little Duck Lake HUDSON Northlands (Lac Brochet) Tadoule Lake Churchill BAY Barren Lands r ve (Brochet) Ri Reindeer Southern Ch urch Lake Indian ill Lake York Factory Marcel Colomb O-Pipon-Na-Piwin (South Indian Lake) r (Black Sturgeon) Fox Lake e r iv e R iv R Tataskweyak Granville Lake (Split Lake) Nelson War Lake Shamattawa York Landing Mathias Colomb (Pukatawagan) THOMPSON Nisichawayasihk (Nelson House) es ay H Bunibonibee Manto Sipi (Oxford House) (God’s River) God’s Lake Narrows Cross Lake Gods Lake Manitowapow_interior.indd 3 Red Sucker Lake Norway House Wasagamack Opaskwayak Garden Hill Mosakahiken St. Theresa Point Island Lake Moose Lake Cedar Lake Grand Rapids L LAKE A Poplar River K Chemawawin E Sapotaweyak W I N N I Wuskwi Siphik P WINNIPEG E G O Berens River S I Swan River S Pauingassi Some Aboriginal Communities (Elbow Fort) Pine Creek Little Grand Rapids in Manitowapow Dauphin River Kinonjeoshtegon Camperville Skownan (Jackhead) Pinaymootang Lake St. Martin Bloodvein O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi Little Saskatchewan Crane River Fisher River Aboriginal Communities Tootinaowaziibeeng Peguis Hollow Water Métis Communities DAUPHIN Ebb & Flow Lake Manitoba Little Black River Kinosota Other Towns or Cities Waywayseecappo Keeseekoowenin Sandy Bay Sagkeeng Gamblers LAKE St. Laurent St. Lazare Rolling River MANITOBA Brokenhead Birdtail Sioux St. Peter’s St. François Xavier SELKIRK (Grantown) Dakota Tipi Seven Oaks Sioux Valley BRANDON Long Plain St. Boniface Dakota Plains WINNIPEG St. Vital (Red River) St. Norbert Canupawakpa Swan Lake Lake of Roseau River Buffalo Point the Woods Manitowapow_interior.indd 4 1/3/12 11:26 AM MANITOWAPOW ABORIGINAL WRITINGS FROM THE LAND OF WATER NIIGAANWEWIDAM JAMES SINCLAIR AND WARREN CARIOU, EDITORS FOREWORD BY BEATRICE MOSIONIER Manitowapow_interior.indd 5 1/3/12 11:26 AM ©2011 by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair and Warren Cariou Excerpts from this publication may be reproduced under licence from Access Copyright, or with the express written permission of HighWater Press, or as permitted by law. All rights are reserved, and no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, recording or otherwise, except as specifically authorized. HighWater Press gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of Manitoba through the Department of Culture, Heritage, Tourism & Sport and the Manitoba Book Publishing Tax Credit, and the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for our publishing activities. Proceeds for this book will be donated to the Emerging Aboriginal Writers’ Fund, administered through the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture, University of Manitoba. About the Debwe Series In the spirit of the Anishinaabe concept debwe (to speak the truth), HighWater Press presents a series of exceptional Aboriginal writing from across Canada. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Manitowapow : Aboriginal writings from the land of water / edited by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair and Warren Cariou. Includes bibliographical references and index. Also issued in electronic format. ISBN 978-1-55379-307-6 1. Canadian literature (English)--Native authors. 2. Canadian literature (English)--Manitoba. 3. Native peoples--Manitoba-- Literary collections. 4. Canadian literature (English)--21st century. I. Cariou, Warren, 1966- II. Sinclair, Niigaanwewidam James PS8235.I6M347 2012 C810.8'089707127 C2011-908336-1 HighWater Press is an imprint of Portage & Main Press Cover Photo The Creation of the World by Daphne Odjig. ©The Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, MB. Used by permission of the artist. Printed and bound in Canada by Friesens Cover and interior design by Relish Design Ltd. Email: [email protected] Toll-free: 1-800-667-9673 Fax-free: 1-866-734-8477 www.highwaterpress.com C016245 Manitowapow_interior.indd 6 1/3/12 11:26 AM For all who have experienced the power of this place. Manitowapow_interior.indd 7 1/3/12 11:26 AM Manitowapow_interior.indd 8 1/3/12 11:26 AM Contents Foreword xv Louis Riel 39 Preface xvii Métis 1844–1885 Declaration of the People Introduction 1 of Rupert’s Land and the Traditional Systems of North West 40 Writing in Manitowapow 7 From “The Métis of the Peguis 13 North West” 42 Anishinaabe 1774–1864 La Métisse 43 A Reply to the Selkirk Settlers’ Song of the Métis Maiden 44 Call for Help 13 Palpite, Ô Mon Esprit 45 An Open Letter to the Queen’s Shudder, My Spirit 46 Representatives 14 Gabriel Dumont 46 Pierre Falcon 17 Métis 1837–1906 Métis 1793–1876 Episodes of My Life 47 Li Lord Selkirk au Fort My Wound at the Battle William 17 of Duck Lake 48 The Dance of the Bois Brûlés 19 My Story 49 Cuthbert James Grant Harriette Goldsmith Sinclair and the Sioux Chiefs 20 Cowan 53 Métis 1793–1854/unknown Métis/Cree 1832–1926 Letter from the Sioux Chiefs On My Father 54 to the Métis 21 The “Evil One” 55 Letter from Cuthbert Grant The 1850 Manitoba Flood 55 to the Sioux Chiefs 22 On Being Captured by Riel 56 Letter from the Sioux Chiefs Charles Alexander Eastman to the Métis 24 (Ohiyesa) 57 Peter Jacobs (Pahtahsega) 25 Santee Sioux 1858–1939 Anishinaabe/ Mississauga 1807–1890 The Maidens’ Feast 57 From The Journal of the Kuskapatchees 60 Reverend Peter Jacobs 26 Swampy Cree 18??–19?? Henry Budd Kuskapatchees: The Smoky (Sakachuwescam) 33 One 61 Cree 1812–1875 How the Flood Came 63 From The Diary of Henry Budd, How the World Was Made 1870–1875 34 Again 65 Why the Moose’s Skin Is Loose 66 Why the Loon Has a Flat Back 68 Manitowapow_interior.indd 9 1/3/12 11:26 AM x Contents William Berens Albert Edward Thompson 108 (Tabasigizikweas) 69 Cree/Saulteaux 1900–1973 Anishinaabe 1866–1947 From Chief Peguis and His The Boy in the Red Tuque 70 Descendants 109 The Priests and the Furnace 71 Thomas Boulanger 113 The Birth of the Winds, Flint, Cree 1901–? and the Great Hare 71 From An Indian Remembers: Maurice Sanderson 75 My Life as a Trapper in Cree 1877–? Northern Manitoba 113 Mill Stones at Fairford 76 Norway House Elders 117 Reminiscences of St. Paul’s Cree Industrial School 77 Irene Muswagon 117 Recollections of an Indian Red Willow Crystals 117 Missionary 79 Muskeg Leaves 118 Alex Grisdale 82 Ginger Roots or Wíhkés 118 Anishinaabe 1896–? Tommy York 119 Death Island 83 Treaty Days 119 Niskesis and the Little Rations 120 People 85 York Boats: The Tail End of The Torch Woman 86 an Era 120 The Dene Elders Project 88 The First Airplane I Ever Saw 121 Dene Ruby Beardy 122 Marisis Aze 89 Residential School Burns, Early Life 89 May 29, 1945 122 Dreamers 90 The Story of Thanadelthur 90 Betsy Muminawatum 123 The Winter Setting at Bart Dzeylion 91 Máhtawak 123 Using Bones 92 The Travelling Stores of Helen Joseyounen 93 the Fur Buyers 124 Childbirth 93 Off to the Spring Camp 125 More Than One Wife 93 Homemade Jeans and Woolen Gabriel Tsannie 94 Socks 126 Stories of Crowhead 94 David Courchene Sr. 126 George Barker 96 Anishinaabe 1926–1992 Saulteaux 1896–c. 1980 Message of the Grand Chief 127 My Early Years 96 Problems and Possible Medicine Dance 100 Solutions 128 James Redsky (Esquekesik) 104 Alice Masak French 132 Anishinaabe 1899–? Ninatakmuit Inuit 1930– Eagle Feather 105 Grandmother Susie 132 The Creation of Man 107 Manitowapow_interior.indd 10 1/3/12 11:26 AM Contents xi Louis Bird (Pennishish) 135 George Morrissette 167 Omushkego Cree 1934– Métis 1938– John Sakaney 135 Michif Toune Buffalo 167 Bernard Gull 136 Le Pique-nique des Purs 168 Our Grandmothers’ Powers 137 Doris Young 171 Elders of Moose Lake 139 Cree 1940– Cree Northern Manitoba Hydro The Story of East Arm Electric Projects and Their Narrows 139 Impact on Cree Culture 171 The Medicine Man, Two Theodore Fontaine 175 Claws 140