Growing Together: Mawikuti'k society

After a few stressful weeks, lost grants, frantic fund raising, organizing participants, facilitators and hosts. We were finally on our way to the teaching weekend. We began to make our way through the twisting roads of south-west unama’kik; this name means “land of the fog” in the Lnu language, though it is commonly known now as Cape Breton.

The day was beautiful, the road conditions, not so much. Potholes, cracks and bumps lined our path. In spite of this, the beauty of our surroundings was impossible to ignore. The clear blue sky above was beautiful, the mountains we travelled through, majestic. The air becoming fresher the further we were from the cities. As we travelled, thoughts of our ancestors were prevalent. Thoughts of how long our ancestors had travelled these lands. How many times they had hunted in these forests and fished these rivers.

This weekend was being led by a Midewin from the Three Fires Midewin Lodge. Their story is a long one, but easily summarized.

800 years before contact our people had a vision of the arrival of the Europeans, and the trouble it would bring. Our people were instructed to gather their bundles, ceremonies, teachings and medicines and travel west to protect them. This journey took ~500 years These people became the Anishnaabe. Throughout the centuries these teachings were preserved by the Midewin Lodge, as was the memory of the promise made to those who stayed behind: The Midewin would someday return with these teachings.

Being able to receive these teachings brought great joy to us.

The first day (Friday) was relaxed. Meeting with old friends and new. Catching up, recounting and exchanging stories. Playing the centuries old game of Waltes. A counting game involving a wooden bowl, two sided bone dice and many counting sticks.

The only hitch in the day came when one of our elders took their truck further up the road. The weather had been rainy the past week. The rain had turned the road to mud, and the truck ended up getting stuck. We tried our best with the people we had, but slippery mud and being on a hill made it too much for just people power. We decided to leave it for the time being and get on with the rest of the day.

As the sun set over the mountains, we heard the story of the history of the Midewin, and their connection to our people. Celebrating our gathering with a feast of salmon, wild rice, vegetables and berries. The Midewin gave us a rundown of what we were to learn this weekend.

We began the second day at sunrise. We stood outside marvelling at the beauty of the mountains of Margaree. The smell of fresh coffee, boiling maple sap and sawdust scented the air. Finally it was time for ceremony. We heard the teachings and story of the water drum. We helped to dress the water drum, as it is not something one person can easily do alone. It was the first time many of us had heard it’s deep, resounding sound, completely different from any drum we had heard before. The land itself had been hungry for its sound, and the prayers, and teachings that went with it.

We broke for lunch. Which was a stew prepared for us by the keepers of the land we were on. The leftover salmon from the night before was used for sandwiches. And we finished of the rest of what we could not finish the night before.

The keepers of the land ran a children’a forestry camp on Saturdays. Teaching them how to harvest and process maple sap, how to run a sawmill, and how to care for the land and forests. It lifted our hearts to see good people doing good work for the land and our future generations. The children joined us after lunch. Listening to our elders share their stories and their knowledge of the time we were in. The time of the 7th fire.

For those that haven’t heard of this prophecy. It is one of many told to the Anishnaabe. There are 8 fires in total. And each represents a specific event. We have now entered into the 7th fire. Our people have searched out the old ways that were hidden. Our drums have begun to sound again. We’ve begun to dance again. The old ways are returning.

It is at this time that the four Colours of man must unite and remember the original instructions given to us by creator. The instructions on how to live respectfully with the land and all our other relations. Through joining the people together and speaking up against the lack of respect our current society has for the world around us, we will be able to light the 8th and final fire. One of everlasting peace and brotherhood.

After the children were done with the elders. They went about with their usual Saturday activities. Some of them joined us for a few games of Waltes. They caught on quickly. The sound of the bowl hitting the ground and rattling dice attracted more children. They were all eager to play. Though unfortunately we only got through a few games before their parents came to pick them up.

We now returned to the stuck truck. Our hosts had a few donkeys on the property. Surely they would be better than our vehicles in the slippery mud. So we walked them up to where the truck was. For a few moments we felt like we were back in the 1800’s. Try as they might the donkeys were not enough. Though the truck moved it just became stuck in a worse place: further off the road and on more of an angle. Our host went to gather more rope and a couple of pulleys. We backed another truck up the road (not too close, as we didn’t want to have two vehicles stuck in the mud) hooked the pulleys up in a 2-1 system, and watched in awe as the truck was easily pulled back onto the road. After many hours of pushing, digging, and flying mud, it was finally free! We were all relieved as our elder could return home to his pets which needed feeding and medication.

We gathered back together at the main camp, and entered back into ceremony, this time receiving berry and fire teaching from the water drum. We had a berry ceremony and prayed for the people who were sick, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The men received fire bundles. We practiced using flint rock and steel strikers to start fires.

It was getting late and we decided to save the rest of the teachings for the next day.

We awoke with sun for the third and final day. Getting the fire started, sipping our coffee and conversing with each other as we waited for breakfast. After which we returned to ceremony once again. This time learning more about the fire teachings and helping each other heal in the ways that only ceremony can bring about. As the ceremony was finishing up we were joined by one of our participant’s children. The joy they brought was immeasurable. Laughing and dancing at the sound of the water drum. We sang one last song on the water drum, the Mi’kmaq honour song. We undressed the water drum and prepared to say our goodbyes. As we did so we exchanged gifts with one another. All of us lingering, because truly, none of us wanted to leave this beautiful space we had created together.

Being our first event we learned a lot. Both what to do and what not to do. What works and what doesn’t. But most importantly we we learned how to really come together for our people, and the importance of doing the work to help heal each other.

Msit No’kmaq.

All our relations.

Zacc Paul