Journal of a Travelling Girl
Page 6
I had a piece of Grandma’s bannock and some cookies. I offered them to the fire and whispered, “Mahsì.” I was talking to the Creator, to Uncle Joe, to all the ancestors, and to the one who visited me that night. I was talking to everyone who has come before me.
After the ceremony, the adults went back to the meeting room for nominations of the Grand Chief. When I grow up I’d like to be a leader like him. I’d like to help protect the land and rights for all people.
Now I’m on the plane, flying back to Wekweètì. I look down at the land and trails of the ancestors, and I feel so grateful to be part of it all.
I’m grateful to the Tłı˛cho˛ People for adopting me into their world and taking me on this journey. I’m grateful to my mother and all of my ancestors for who I am today. And I’m grateful to the land for all of its gifts. What a trip!
Author’s Note
This book is inspired by the people of Wekweètì, who took me in over twenty years ago and became like a second family to me. I went out on the land and partook in countless ceremonies and dances with them.
More particularly, the book is inspired by the youth who were on the annual canoe trip in 2013, when we travelled from Wekweètì to Behchokò˛.
The old-time stories told by Grandpa and Grandma are true stories that were shared with me by Elders of Wekweètì, especially Alexis Arrowmaker, Mary Adele Tsatchia, and Louis Whane. I recorded them, with their permission, between 2002 and 2005. I also included a couple of stories by Joseph and Madeline Judas.
I first met the Tłı˛cho˛ when I moved to Wekweètì in 1999 to work as the Dechi Laot’i First Nations band manager. Dechi Laot’i means “people from the edge of the treeline.” We were about 130 people. I lived there for a few years in my house by the edge of Snare Lake.
Managing the community was an incredible learning experience and an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. But what inspired me most were the people, their culture, their rituals, and the land. I got to know all of them well. I went out on the land whenever I could with people from the community. Weekends were filled with hunting, fishing, boat rides, visits, and picnics at the beach or cemetery. Kids often came over to my house to play and colour. My time in the community has greatly altered my view of the world and perception of life.
I arrived in Wekweètì at a time when negotiations for the Tłı˛cho˛ Agreement were underway. In 1992, the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council was mandated to negotiate a Dogrib Nation Regional comprehensive Claim, which later became known as the Tłı˛cho˛ Agreement. I became part of what was happening in the four communities. And when I left Wekweètì from late 2002 until the effective date, I was part of the team to prepare for the eventual government.
Every summer, people were travelling to the annual gathering by canoe, retracing different trails of their ancestors. There were youth, Elders, and invited people on these trips. I always wanted to go, but I couldn’t because I was part of the workforce.
In 2003, I had the privilege of being in Behchokò˛ when the Agreement was signed by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Premier Stephen Kakfwi of the Northwest Territories, Grand Chief Joe Rabesca, and the Chiefs of the four communities. To open the celebrations Elder Alexis Arrowmaker and the Grand Chief each took an arm of the prime minister and led him in a historic Tea Dance. Photos of this moment appeared in newspapers around the world. I was also in Ottawa with the Tłı˛cho˛ dur-ing the third reading of their Bill and the momentous Tea Dance in the Senate Lobby.
In 2005, I watched the canoes arrive in Behchokò˛ for the annual gathering and effective date of the Tłı˛cho˛ Agreement. I wrote an article about that week, which appeared in News North. I then began a professional artistic career as a singer-songwriter and spoken-word artist. Years later, former Chief Negotiator John B. Zoe planted the seed for what was to become this book. He suggested I write a children’s story based on that article to teach the youth about this important time in history.
In 2012, I had the chance to take part in my first Tłı˛cho˛ canoe trip retracing the trails of their ancestors, which went from Behchokò˛ to Wekweètì. Paddling into the community where I had lived for several years was like a dream to me. The canoe trip is not only an opportunity to retrace the ancestors’ trails, it’s also a way of transferring energy to the community members. The travellers coming by canoe harness the power of the land, and those energies are then passed on to the rest of the people at the annual gathering.
The following summer, I returned again for a canoe trip from Wekweètì to Behchokò˛. This time I travelled with the people from Wekweètì. I had a chance to observe the community on the journey, especially the young people. I watched their excitement being on the trails with their Elders, growing and learning. I watched the young ones who were taking the trip for the first time and tried to see it all through their eyes.
I feel this book is important on many levels. First for the Tłı˛cho˛ youth, as it was originally intended to have more written resources of their significant history. Also for my son and all youth, to know a little more about these Indigenous stories upon which our country was founded. And finally, I think it’s important for stories to have more strong female lead characters to empower young girls.
I feel honoured to have been trusted with these stories and given the blessing to bring them forth. I hope I have done well by them.
For more information about the Tłı˛cho˛ People, visit tlicho.ca.
Acknowledgements
I don’t think anything would be possible without the love and support of family and friends. To that end, it’s impossible for me to name every person that has helped in the making of this book. But I am extremely grateful to all of you.
To all the Elders of Wekweètì who shared their stories with me and showed me their old-time way of life. Especially Alexis and Elizabeth Arrowmaker, Madeline Judas Sr., Joe and Rosa Pea’a, Mary Adele Eyakfwo, Joe Boline, and Louis and Elizabeth Whane. Masì.
To Joseph and Madeline Judas, masì for all your stories and for taking me to your cabin at the end of the lake to experience living off the land for an extended period. I learned so much from you.
To the youth on the 2012 canoe trip who inspired this story. Masì cho. Especially Laylu, Keaira, Mackenzie, Tylene, Belinda, Victoria, Jimmy Joe, Rachel, Nikki, and Thiona.
To every member of Wekweètì, thank you for taking me in over twenty years ago and teaching me your ways. My time living with you helped shape my vision of life and who I am today. Especially Johnny Arrowmaker, who took me on countless fishing and hunting trips, Cece Judas and Clarence Nasken, who always give me a home when I return, Georgie Kodzin and Patti Magrum, who took me in their camp, and Adeline Football, for all your assistance in this project and for always bringing me back. So many others here that should be named but aren’t. Masì. You’ve each touched my life in some way.
To John B. Zoe. Thank you for everything. You are an inspiration. Most importantly, masì for planting the seed of this book and helping me nourish it to life.
To Tammy Steinwand, for coming though in so many ways. I couldn’t have done this without you. Masì. And to Archie Beaverho for the beautiful illustrations and wonderful collaboration. I look forward to more of them.
Mahsì, Antoine Mountain, for your ongoing encouragement and support and for helping me to find a home for this book. I am extremely grateful.
Thank you to Heritage House Publishing. Especially Lara Kordic for believing in my vision and helping it come to life. Thanks also to Sarah Harvey for your insight, to Setareh Ashrafologhalai for the beautiful layout and design, and to Leslie Kenny and Nandini Thaker for all your work behind the scenes.
Thank you Mary Metcalfe for all the work and enthusiasm you put into this project. Masì also to Terrell Knapton-Pain for providing us with the map.
To Barbara and Carrie. Thank you for reading an early draft and giving me
invaluable feedback that helped shape the story. To Rayne, thanks for your insight. And to my original writing group, especially Christina, Louise, and Charlotte for helping me develop my vision when it was still just an idea in my mind. Also thanks to Pierre, Laura, Eleni, and Neal for your feedback.
To the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec, merci for taking a chance with this story and to the Tłı˛cho˛ Government for your ongoing support. Masì.
Finally to my dad, Jean, who passed away before this was done; to my dearest mom, Mimi; and extraordinary brother, Alain. Thank you for always being there for me.
The following pages contain a few photos from my canoe trips with the Tłı˛cho˛.
Nadine Neema is a graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Management. She first began working with the Tłı˛cho˛ in 1999, as the community manager of Wekweètì, a small isolated Tłı˛cho˛ community in the Northwest Territories, then assisting with their land claims and self-government negotiations under Chief Negotiator John B. Zoe. Since the landmark Tłı˛cho˛ Agreement in 2005, Neema has maintained a strong bond with the community and returns periodically to conduct youth workshops and other activities. With her long international experience in music and song writing, being mentored by Leonard Cohen and opening for artists such as Joe Cocker and Cyndi Lauper, Neema has written a song with the community youth entitled “Oh Wekweètì” and produced a Christmas concert at the school. She has also photographed many community events and produced photography books for them. Born in Montreal of Egyptian and Lebanese descent, Nadine lives between Montreal and St-Adolphe-d’Howard with her son. Over the last five years, she has developed a passion for gardening and growing their own food. For more information, visit neema.ca.
Archie Beaverho is an accomplished painter and illustrator, whose Tłı˛cho˛ Dene culture is reflected in his work. He creates paintings of spiritual activities of his people, like drum dancing, hand games, and hunting. He paints stories of how people used to live on the land and used medicine for guidance and healing.
When he was a little boy he lived with his grandparents. One day his grandfather gave him a white sheet of paper and coloured pencils and told him to do a drawing of his friends, who were playing outside. His grandfather told him that he would one day make a name for himself through his art. When he was in school, he drew the plane that used to come to the community to bring school supplies. When the pilot saw it, he offered to take Archie and his classmates on a plane ride as a trade for the drawing.
When Archie was about thirteen, he started working with clay. He grabbed some clay from a lake, put it on a board, and started playing with it, just to feel it and move it. He made a bird out of the clay. Today he uses soapstone to carve animals. He lives in Behchokò˛ with his common-law partner and their two boys. Their daughter lives nearby.
Photo Section
Copyright © 2020 Nadine Neema
Illustrations copyright © 2020 Archie Beaverho
Foreword copyright © 2020 Joseph Judas
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, audio recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher or a licence from Access Copyright, Toronto, Canada.
Wandering Fox Books, an imprint of
Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd.
heritagehouse.ca
Cataloguing information available from Library and Archives Canada
978-1-77203-317-5 (pbk)
978-1-77203-318-2 (ebook)
Editing by Sarah Harvey and Lara Kordic, with additional editing by Mary Metcalfe
Proofreading by Nandini Thaker
Cover and interior book design by Setareh Ashrafologhalai
Ebook by Alexandra Santos
Map by Terrell Knapton-Pain
Heritage House gratefully acknowledges that the land on which we live and work is within the traditional territories of the Lkwungen (Esquimalt and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke, and WSÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) Peoples. Nadine Neema gratefully acknowledges the land on which she works is unceded Indigenous lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation and that Tiohtiá:ke, Montreal, has long served as a gathering place for diverse First Nations.
Heritage House acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit. Nadine Neema acknowledges the financial support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Tłı˛cho˛ Government for illustrator sponsorship as well as ongoing guidance and support for this special project.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Map of Tłı˛cho˛ Communities
Foreword
Day 1: The Departure
Day 1, Later: The Secret Branch
Day 2: No Fun at All
Day 3: Working Together
Day 4 : Hand Games
Day 5: The Abandoned Cabin
Day 6: The Old Grave
Day 7, Early Morning: The Dream
Day 7, Later: Our Tipi
Day 8: The Big Animal
Day 9: Where the Water Does Not Freeze
Day 10 : Behchoko
Day 11: The Effective Date
Day 14: Flying Home
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
Photo Section