ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ - the Cree Nation of Chisasibi

Transcription

ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ - the Cree Nation of Chisasibi
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
First goose, First walk on
Mother Earth ….
Powerful moments in a
child's life
Per Issue 1$
Subscription 20$/year
JUNE 2012
CHISASIBI, QUEBEC
CONTENTS
Letters
3
Buyer (Be) Aware 5,6
Eczema 7
Book Review 8
Know your Roots 9,10
Goose Hunting at Trout Lake 11,12
Margaret’s Story 13
Eulogies 19,20
First Goose 15-17
Walking Out 18
Honour Our Chiefs 25,26
Potty Training 28
Regional Public Speaking 26-28
CSB Art Exhibit 29
WAA SKI M AA S HTA A U
Is published monthly by the Building
Healthy Communities Program at the
CNC Brighter Futures Department, located at the Mitchuap Center.
The Waaskimaashtaau is distributed at
the beginning of every month. Submissions deadline is the end of each month.
The newsletter’s mission is to inform,
teach and entertain community members
on a variety of subjects.
Editor
Terry Gates
Contributing Writers
Margaret Sealhunter
Felicity Fanjoy
Janie Pachano
Terry Gates
Illustrations
Peter Pelchat
Photography
Terry Gates
Proofing
Annie Bearskin
Leigh-Ann Gates
Our mailing address:
Waaskimaashtaau Newsmagazine
Cree Nation of Chisasibi
P.O. Box 150
J0M 1E0
Telephone: (819) 855-2878 (ext. 343)
Fax: (819) 855– 2161
E-mail: [email protected]
Subscriptions: Local, Regional, National $20/Year Payable to Cree Nation Of Chisasibi
2 Waaskimaashtaau June 2012
The International La Dictée PGL
Saturday, May 19 was an activity day where the participants went to visit the city of
Montreal. They went to visit
the Biosphere and had an African percussion workshop with
the Samjam Group. Students
from all over came to be part
of this special event, every
province was represented and
some flew in from the US and
Africa. Haylee was very happy
and made some new friends.
The students seemed to be
more at ease and eager to
compete.
The day of the competition, the 96 students walked to the Salle Pierre
Mercure. Before the Dictee, they were honored with a moving speech given
by the founder Mr. Paul Gerin, who is 91 years old. When the Dictee started, the parents were able to participate and write up the Dictee as they
went along. It was very quiet and a little nerve wracking. The results and the
winners were announced after lunch. There were 3 winners per category,
French as a first language and French as a second language. Haylee did not
win, even though we really thought she would, but the experience was
touching and a memorable one. Her grandmother Chantal, her mother Judy, her uncle Paul, her brother Tristan and her teacher Judith Buteau all
attended and were very proud of her. She is already talking about next
year's competition and how she wants to compete and hopefully win this
time!
Chisasibi’s New Director of Operations
Louie-Rene Kanatewat has been chosen
to be the Director General of Operations
(DGO) of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi. He
takes over from interim DGO Christopher
Napash who had been filling in for Davey
Bobbish (now Chief of CNC)
Louie-Rene had been planning to return
to school this fall for a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), but when
Chisasibi’s DGO position was posted he
decided to apply. Opportunities like this
one are few and far between.
Louie-Rene leaves his job as Head of Administrative Unit - Community
Miyupimaatisiiun Centre for the CBHSS in Waskaganish where he has been
working for the past four years.
Louie-Rene received a Baccalaureate in Commerce (with honours) from
the University of Ottawa. He also attended Algonquin’s College School of
Business completing a three program.
Louie-Rene is married to Marlene Shecapio and has two children - Amber
3 and Theodore who turns 2 in July.
Congratulations on your new job Louie-Rene!
Letters
RADISSON/PLAN NORD
My opinion, my own
This letter is addressed to our community members; I wanted to give you an insight on the situation we will face soon.
The Plan Nord is on our doorstep; we need to be proactive as
a community on this issue. I went to the general meeting on
April 25, 2012. The Chief and Council decided to hold a
meeting on this matter right after goose break; I strongly recommend the people of Chisasibi attend this meeting. This
will change our community and future generations. We need
to tell our leaders where we stand on this issue.
The Quebec government is currently pushing The Plan Nord;
they are using job opportunities as a punch line. It's been on
the main stream media since April. We all know they will use
Radisson as a starting point for this Plan; we should voice our
concerns, the Grand Council informed us they are currently
talking with the government, and they say we have better
ties with them because of the Paix de Braves agreement. We
should use this as a tool to completely get rid of this tumour
(Radisson) from our lives before it turns in to an epidemic. All
these years Radisson had an upper hand on economic development, three motels, two restaurants, a nice shop selling
traditional artifacts just to name a few; let’s not forget the
SAAQ outlet. OWAA we have over a thousand vehicles and
they have approximately 300 maximum with the Hydro vehicles included, Am I the only person who sees the obvious
here? They never planned to close that town; they were just
waiting for this plan to take effect.
We should give a directive to the Grand Council, to support
and spear head our concern; after all we elect them for this
Spay/Neuter • Vaccinations
Injuries • Sick Dogs
reason. If we do not remove this town, we will face catastrophic struggles, opportunities will pass us by, and we will
become a small aboriginal village. Tourists will visit from
tours organized by non-native tourism companies from
Radisson. Our young people will be lured by this hustling new
town an hour away. We will return to the days of vehicles
going off the road due to alcohol. We should really stop and
think about the seriousness of things that will come with this
Plan Nord,
I am coming from someone who took beer runs and walked
through the Gate at km 30, for the sole reason to drink with
my buddies, lf you know our town, it’s not as crazy as it was
in the past, when nobody was afraid to ride around town and
drink, 5 to 6 house parties every Friday and Saturday. I do
not want our children to endure what some of us went
through because of drinking and drugs. It's not a healthy lifestyle to start as an adult. We need to tell our young generation on the effects of alcohol and drugs, if they wish to follow
this path right in to adulthood.
I truly want Radisson to be eradicated. They should never
have an opportunity to grow and be recognized as a municipality. If we do this, we will completely eliminate the easy
access of alcohol and drugs for our children, and their children to come. Please take this time and think about this issue
and talk with each other. Get it out there. We should talk
about it. NOW. Let's move as a community. Let’s show them
how really strong we are as a Cree Nation of Chisasibi.
A Concerned Citizen
Tuesday, June 19...........11 am - 5 pm
Wednesday, June 20 .......8 am - 5 pm
Location: Trailer near Fire Hall
Contact: Public Safety Officer
819-855-2878 (Ext421)
Please bring dogs/cats in for surgery as early
as possible
Chisasibi
Be a responsible animal owner.
Spay and neuter your dog and cat.
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
3
RAY SPENCER
TRIBUTE & CD Launch
Job’s Memorial Garden
in Chisasibi
June 22 & 23, 2012
Doors open at 6pm
Ray Spencer, the best fiddler on the Bay
Special Guests: Delthine Pre-Brusque (9 yr old fiddler), and The band 'Sekwe',
Barb Cheechoo 'The best step-dancer on the Bay' and with the Band plus
The Ray Spencer Family Fiddlers, plus Fiddlers, Accordion players, Dance
Groups from all across the Cree & Inuit Territories.
Admission: Advance: $20.00
At Door:$25.00
ADVANCE TICKETS SOLD IN CHISASIBI—Call Daisy Fireman, 819-855-7635
FOR INFORMATION CALL Charlie Louttit: 819.855.2120 ext: 1802 or cell:7712, home:1931
4 Waaskimaashtaau June 2012
Buyer (Be) Aware
Elderly Couple Sue Car Dealership
Should I get “it” insured?
Do I need an extended
warranty? What’s the
best way to finance ‘it’?
What do I do if ‘it’ breaks
down/stops working
when I’m 900 km from
any repair shop.
” it” being any large purchase - fridge, stove,
plasma TV, bedroom set,
car, truck, skidoo, computer, etc.
A person can spend a lot more money
than they need to on a “big ticket
item”; but with a little planning and
knowledge a person can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars very
easily.
A case in point – a transaction that
took place in August of 2010.
An elderly native couple took their
2007 Honda Pilot down to get it repaired at Carella Honda in Amos on a
Friday morning. At the end of the day
they drove off in a new 2011 Pilot
which when it will be fully paid off in
six years would cost them 67 000$.
The couple’s intention that morning
was to have their vehicle repaired and
return home the next day. They were
told that a part, needed to repair their
vehicle, had to be ordered and wouldn’t be in until the following week and
that if they decided to drive back without getting their vehicle fixed – they
might not make it back.
At this point the salesperson suggested
a replacement vehicle and no he didn’t
mean a courtesy car. He meant a new
vehicle. Not wanting to stay any longer
than necessary the couple agreed.
Besides the vehicle, the salesman person also sold them an ‘extended warranty’ ($1400) and a type of insurance
($1800) that replaces your vehicle if
you “total” it.
As part of the financing the Dealer paid
off the remainder of what was left to
pay on their old 2007 vehicle. They
then added 8500$ to the price of the
new vehicle to make up for the difference between what they had estimated
the true value of the old vehicle and
what they paid off.
There was also transportation/delivery
costs, block heater etc. The deal was
financed over six years at 7.2% interest
at a financial institutional with whom
the couple did not have an account at
the time.
Good Deal?? No Way and here’s why.
Honda Carella (Amos) failed to
mention that there was a 2000
rebate on this model. (When
this was first brought up, the
salesman said that the 2000$
rebate was only applicable to
people who paid cash. Later he
said it was part of the financing.)
The replacement vehicle insurance
can be obtained through your
vehicle insurance for approximately 100$
‘Experts’ agree that extended warranties are rarely needed and
are a waste of money especially
on reliable vehicles like Honda.
The couple had no idea of the
worth of their old vehicle and
the value assigned to it may
have been low.
The vehicle was financed over a
long period of time at a fairly
high interest rate which meant
they would pay over 13 000$
in interest.
There is a 10% difference in retail and wholesale price on a
new vehicle. Meaning the dealer adds on 3 000$ to 5 000$.
The retail price can be
“negotiated” via a reduction or
possibly a new set of tires, a
hitch etc
In the case of the elderly couple
they could have paid up to 10
000$ less than what they finally will.
When the elderly couple’s family found
out about the transaction (they were
down East on Vacation) they asked the
dealer to reconsider and even pointed
out that a mistake had been made but
the dealership wouldn’t ‘give an inch’.
They had done nothing illegal.
The family sought the advice of a lawyer who suggested “Small Claims
Court”. They looked into it and found
that using “Small Claims Court” was
relatively easy. You give the reason you
are suing the ‘Defendant”, for how
much, (max is 7000$) why you are suing for that amount and send it off to
the court in Amos with a small fee. A
judge looks over your claim and decides whether or not the case should
go forward.
The paper work, saying that the dealership was being sued for 7000$ and
why, was filled out and sent off. Within
a few weeks the couple was notified
their case would be heard in court, but
it took almost a year though before a
definite date was agreed upon. (Both
parties have to agree on a date).
Finally notice was received that the
case would be heard on November the
28th, 2011 in Amos. Oh yeah, I forgot to
mention - No lawyers are permitted in
Small Claims court. You have to present your own case!
At the end of the court session the
judge said that she would try to render
Cont’d on page 6
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
5
Cont’d from page 5
a decision by Christmas but it wasn’t
until March, 2012 that the judge gave
her decision.
The judge stated that it was not legal
for the dealership to say that the 2000$
rebate was part of the financial transaction but not to have it noted in the
financial statement. She also decided
that it was not legal for the dealership
to correct a mistake made on the contract regarding the ‘replacement vehicle’ insurance and not notify the client.
The couple was awarded approximately 3800$. Six weeks later the Carella
dealership sent the couple a cheque for
the full amount.
From talking with people who have
purchased a vehicle I know that the
vast majority pay anywhere from 1000
– 5000$ more than they have to. It
would be interesting to see what would
be turned up if an investigation were
done in regards to the financing of vehicles.
If you are going to buy a vehicle in
the near future, check out
www.carcost.com. It gives the
retail and wholesale price of
any vehicle plus it lets you
know if there is any kind of a
rebate for the vehicle. It cost
about 35$ for 5 vehicles but it
is well worth the cost.
Buyer beware!
The TRC is coming to your community.
CREE Nation of Chisasibi
1 Riverside Drive
CHISASIBI, QUÉBEC .
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
is gathering statements from residential school
Survivors and others in an effort to document what
took place in residential schools and how it affected
those who attended and their families.
If you would like to give a statement on how residential
schools affected you, we encourage you to set up an
appointment by calling 819 855 2878.
Tina Matthew Fireman will work with you to arrange to
record your statement.
The long dark cloud above brought with it
high winds and ….. A large flock of Snow
Buntings. Nellie Bobbish said the birds landed for a moment and then flew back up into
the cloud. The cloud moved through the Seal
River area very quickly during the goose
hunt.
6 Waaskimaashtaau June 2012
If you have questions about the TRC please call
1 888 872 5554 ( ask for Léo Dufault ) or visit the
website at trc.ca.
Eczema – a growing concern?
The itch that becomes a rash.
Just from my own personnel observation here in Chisasibi, it seems that Eczema has reached epidemic proportions. For those who are unfamiliar
with eczema (is there anybody?), it is a
skin condition described as follows …
“dry reddened skin that itches or burns;
blisters and/or cracks may appear, scaly
skin. It usually starts with (intense) itching … and the itching continues. It is
often associated with asthma more
often than not.” It can affect all parts of
the body but the face, neck, scalp, knee
and ankles are the parts of the body
most affected. It is sometimes referred
to as the clean/cleanliness skin disease,
because it is often associated with people bathing too often – “resulting in the
natural beneficial oils of our skin being
washed off.”
It’s not only on the rise here. Maryse
Carrier, Community Health Head Nurse,
said that the number of cases is also
multiplying ‘down south’ in the Montreal area and elsewhere and a check of
the internet shows the same for Europe.
Dr Gervais, CHB Clinic, agreed that
there is a lot of Eczema here and too
often its ‘bad eczema’ compared to the
Montreal area. She’s not sure why it is
worse here. Perhaps “underlying genetically” in the Cree people or maybe
because parents aren’t always following the instructions (for care) ….
Which brings up the question – what
causes eczema?
First off, rule out contact. Eczema is
not contagious. Other than that
nobody really knows for sure. Dr Gervais feels that perhaps some people are
“genetically more prone”. Maryse Carrier explained that it may be “an abnormal function of the immune system”
and perhaps this is why babies develop
eczema.
“They’re just growing into the immune
system …. Kind of building up
their own immune system …”
Other people believe it may have
something to with soaps, detergents,
clothing, eating store bought foods …
but to date there is no conclusive evidence to support those theories. One
thing to note though, as mentioned
previously, eczema and asthma go together. Children with asthma will usually either have eczema or develop eczema and visa versa.
Parents, if you notice your child
scratching a part of their body more
than usual or there is a redness … go to
the clinic and get it checked out. They
will probably prescribe a hydrating
cream which should be used every day
… twice a day. More often than not a
child’s eczema gets bad because the
cream is used only sporadically off and
on.
Again – it is essential that the prescribed creams are used as directed! Dr
Gervais mentioned that sometimes a
child has to be admitted to the hospital
for 3 or 4 days because of the severity
and extent of the eczema. But, she emphasized, that after a consistent (and
persistent) application of creams …
“children always get better.”
Both Maryse Carrier and Dr Gervais
admit that parents may get overwhelmed, confused, frustrated and
give up because they have been seeing
different doctors and have been told to
use different creams. But both stress
“when parents follow instructions and
develop a routine, the eczema will disappear.”
That does not mean though the eczema
is gone forever. It will quite probably
flair up again …. especially in winter
when the air is much drier.
Is there a way to prevent a child from
developing eczema? Hmm … not really.
If a child is predisposed to eczema … if
it runs in the family …
Dr Gervais recommends that parents
make sure their children stay well hydrated by drinking lots of fluids (no sugar please) and as soon as they notice
itching, scaly skin, redness – use a moisturizing cream … consistently
There are some traditional remedies.
One of which Adam and Marsha used
on their daughter to treat her eczema otter blood. The otter blood must be
fresh though. After using it for a couple
of days Adam said that there was no
noticeable difference in Kaylin’s eczema.
Other remedies are skunk fat and animal blood. Both are rubbed on the
affected parts of the body and then
washed off the next day. It may have to
be repeated.
Powdered rotten wood mixed with raw
beaver fat can be used for diaper rash
and other places eczema occurs on the
body.
But again – no matter what
‘medication’ you use - be consistent
and use it often even when it looks like
the eczema has disappeared.
(Editor’s Note: In doing some research
for eczema I came across a study just
published in April that showed using
half a cup household bleach (Chlorox) in
a child’s bath water over a period of a
few weeks (usually much less) lessened
the amount and severity of the eczema
considerably. Check it out on the following website below ↓
http://www.labspaces.net/97223/Whiter_laundry_and_a_surprising_new_treatment_for_kids_eczema
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
7
Grandmothers Whisper
A book review by Terry Gates
My reading “Grandmothers Whisper” came in a roundabout
way. It appeared on the ‘radar screen’ via a media website
that sends me notices of just published books that they think
might be of interest. GW caught my attention when I saw the
word Hawai’i. My knowledge of Hawai’i was pretty much in
the context of tourism and volcanoes and oh yes, something
that I had read many, many years ago about a Hawaiian ruler
who buried live people at the four corners of his palace. I
knew nothing of the indigenous Hawaiian people.
After a reading a chapter or two, the thought
crossed my mind “Not another one!” – another account of
someone’s personal journey into the spiritual world which
more often than not has little significance to most of us. I
kept reading though because of author Inette Miller’s storytelling writing style and to learn a little bit more about the
true Hawai’i and not what one sees on TV (sitcoms, etc) or
what my neighbour tells me after their Hawaiian vacation.
Grandmothers Whisper is the account/memoir of
author Inette Miller’s meeting and time spent with a Hawaiian man who has been chosen to deliver a ‘message’ to native Hawaiians and ‘non-natives’ alike. Miller, a well known
journalist, war correspondent (Viet Nam, Cambodia), author
and teacher, is a single divorced mother of two teenage
boys. She traveled to Kaua’i (one of Hawai’i’s seven islands)
on a spur-of-the-moment vacation and while there meets
Iokepa Hanaki Imaikalani with whom she has an immediate,
deep, spiritual attraction.
Within a few months Miller gives up her life’s ways
and possessions to live on Kaua’I with her fourteen year old
son Ben and Iokepa. Iokepa, a very successful construction
contractor up until a few months previous to his meeting
Miller, was born and raised in Washington State by his Hawaiian father and American mother. Iokepa was visited by
the spirits of three of his (great) grandmothers who have
chosen Iokepa to be the “voice of remembering”
"Primal rights," 'Iokepa said. "My grandmothers told me:
The keys to the future lie in the past. I'm here to reclaim
kanaka maoli -indigenous Hawaiian -primal rights.
"In Hawaiian, it's called huliau -a turning point. When you
have moved so far away from where you began, it's important to know how to get back.
"I am a voice of that remembering."
The book is a memoir centering on the four year period of 1997-2001 telling of Miller’s relationship with Iokepa.
Soon after Miller met Iokepa, she started receiving
messages (thoughts – conscious and subconscious) from
Iokepa's Grandmothers which she would write down. The
messages had two basic themes. One set of messages detailed how Miller was to ‘run her life’ both in regards to
Iokepa and her son Ben. Much of her time on Kaua’i was either spent living in a Corolla (car) with Ben and Iokepa or a
8 Waaskimaashtaau June 2012
small tent, not knowing where the money would come from
to feed themselves. Other messages related to ancient Hawaiian prophecies, history and culture.
We send many messengers, many voices –many ways. Remember to respect the other ways. You do not need to embrace their ways -just them. If you do not hear the truth,
embrace them still- but distance their way.
It is a fine line: Embracing all, respecting only truth, not mistaking others' truth for your own, and never embracing lies.
Miller’s book can be looked at (read) from two perspectives. It is a love story as it chronicles Miller’s and
Iokepa’s relationship through ‘thick and thin’ but even more,
it is a real eye opener into the lives of the indigenous people
of Hawai’i, both past and present.
Crees reading this book will find that there is a correlation between Hawaiian culture and spiritualism and that of
the Crees. Perhaps some of the words in this book can help
the Cree people to a better understanding of where they
were but more importantly where the path they are now on
will take them.
GOOD NEWS FOR BOOK LOVERS
In Chisasibi there are plenty of books for children available at the school library, but there is no local source of good
reading material for adults. Yes, we can order on line from
Chapters/Indigo and Amazon, but that’s expensive, and we
have to wait for our purchases to arrive by mail. And there is
nothing like being able to browse through a rack of books,
look at the blurbs and the covers, and read the first few lines
before deciding which book to choose.
Soon that will be possible here, thanks to Fatima and Jack
Lazoren who have been working at the Northern Store for the
past two years. They conceived the idea of a local book exchange and proposed it to their company management and
to the Band Office. The Northern Stores have generously
donated some books and shelving and the Cree Nation of
Chisasibi has agreed to provide storage and location for the
exchange.
So starting this summer (dates and hours to be announced) the Chisasibi Book Exchange will be open to adult
readers one evening per week near the Michuap fireplace
where a rotation of volunteers will be available to greet and
assist you.
Certain volumes will be on reserve, meaning that they can
be borrowed for only a week at a time, however, most will
available on a straight exchange basis. For every book you
bring in, you can borrow another. When you have finished
reading that one, bring it back and trade it for a new one.
That way, the exchange will never run out.
If you are interested in volunteering or in donating some
quality books in good condition to this project, please contact
Felicity at 855-2645 or by email at multi.day @ live.ca.
Unfortunately, Jack and Fatima have just been transferred
to Iqualuit, so they won’t be here to see their efforts come to
fruition, but on behalf of all the avid readers in town, we thank
them very much and wish them good luck – and good reading! - Felicity Fanjoy
Know Your Roots
BULLFROG
BULL FROG is first mentioned in the
HBC Post Journals when he
“commenced work” on May 24, 1869
for the HBC at Fort George. In the
Moose Factory church records, there
are two baptismal records that identify
the parents as JOHN BULLFROG and
ELEANOR and their residence is listed
as Moose. No marriage record was
found for this couple. The names of
the children being baptized were:
EDITH BULLFROG was baptized on
July 25, 1876. Nothing more is known
about her.
JANE BULLFROG was baptized on
September 12, 1883. Nothing more is
known about her.
1st GENERATION
In the Fort George church records, a
couple identified as JOHN KEYACHEKAPO BULLFROG and ELLEN had 3 sons
and 3 daughters baptized. No marriage
record was found for this couple either.
They could have been the same couple
as above, but there is no concrete evidence to support this assumption. Anyway, the children baptized were:
SOPHIA KEACHAKAPO was baptized on July 10, 1883 and she died in
April 1949.
ELIZABETH BULLFROG was baptized on August 9, 1887 and she died
on May 19, 1938. On July 26, 1906,
Elizabeth married JOHN SCIPIO whose
parents are not known.
DAVID KEYACHEKAPO was baptized on August 3, 1890. On August 5,
1915, DAVID QUESKISDAYABAO married NANCY (no surname on the record).
AGNES BULLFROG was baptized
on July 24, 1892. Nothing more is
known about her.
By Janie Pachano
SAMUEL KEYACHEKAPO was baptized on July 8, 1895 and he died on
May 5, 1929. Under the name of SAMUEL MEYOABANOSKUM BULLFROG, he
married HANNAH TASCHPOOTASEW
(“One Who Splits Wood”) on July 26,
1922. (In the Fort George parish records, Hannah’s surname is listed as SILVERHEAD and in the
residential school records of Violet Bullfrog,
her mother, Hannah’s
surname is listed as
STEWART.) Hannah
died on August 31,
1940.
IO had 1 son baptized:
EDWARD SCIPIO was baptized on
July 8, 1910 and he died on December
6, 2001. (According to the family of
Edward, his biological father was not
JOHN SCIPIO; it was RICHARD MATTHEW, the son of Matthew Esquinamow and Anne Chilton.) When Ed-
SIMON BULLJoseph Benjamin, Edward Scipio, John Pasiniquan,
FROG was baptized on
Betsy Bullfrog-Scipio, Sarah Lameboy, Joseph Salt
August on August 3,
ward married BETSY (no surname rec1897 and he died on December 16,
orded) on August 16, 1926, the name of
1984. On July 28, 1916, Simon married
the groom used on the record was EDMARGARET KUDOWAKINSH
WARD JOHN (John being the 1st name
(FIREMAN). According to the parish
of his father on record. Using the farecords, Margaret or Maggie was the
ther’s first name as the surname for the
daughter of John Chewayabash Fireson or daughter was a common pracman and Sarah Oochiskawapunoo or
tice back then). Betsy died on August
David Fireman and Mina. (No record
9, 1927, less than a month after having
was found for a daughter named
her son baptized.
“Margaret” being baptized for David
and Mina Fireman; however there was
EDWARD SCIPIO remarried on Auanother “Margaret Kudowakinsh”, born
gust
3,
1931, this time to DINAH RUto Robert or Rupert ChenakawnPERT, the daughter of Thomas Rupert
abanoskum Fireman and Sarah Maand Annie Mistacheesick. Dinah died in
meyokapo but the date of death in the
April 1949.
burial record for Maggie Bullfrog is
DAVID QUESKISDAYABAO and NANCY
closer to the baptismal date of Margaret Fireman, born to John Chewayabash had one daughter baptized:
ALICE BULLFROG was baptized on
Fireman and Sarah Oochiskawapunoo.)
August 10, 1919 and she died on FebruMargaret Bullfrog died on March 28,
1946, probably in childbirth as her baby ary 1, 1989. Alice married GEORGE
MUKPEYA, the son of Mr. Maver and
born on that date also died the same
Agnes Mukpeya, On September 16,
day.
1952. George later went by the surname of SNOWBOY after his mother
2nd GENERATION
married William Snowboy.
ELIZABETH BULLFROG and JOHN SCIPᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
9
Alice had 2 children prior to her
marriage. One was a boy, JOSEPH MICHAEL BULLFROG, born on May 4,
1941 and died on May 20, 1942. The
father of this child was Charlie Bobbish.
Alice had another baby that she murdered at birth and she was sent to Quebec City by the RCMP to serve a sentence of 5 months in jail.
After her marriage to George, she
did not have any other children.
SAMUEL MEYOABANOSKUM BULLFROG and HANNAH TASCHPOOTASEW
had 2 daughters and 1 son baptized:
VIOLET MEYOWABANOSH BULLFROG was born on March 24, 1924 and
she died on March 9, 1998. On August
8, 1941, Violet married JOHN SNOWBOY, the son of Philip Snowboy and
Jane Chakaseyan. John died on November 5, 2000.
LAURA ALICE MEYOWABANOSH
BULLFROG was baptized on August 1,
1926. In the Fort George parish records her name has been changed to
FLORA, the name she continues to use
to this day. On July 20, 1944, Flora
married ELIJAH BOBBISH, the son of
Richard Bobbish and Louisa Pestawayan (Fort Chimo). Elijah died on October 11, 2010.
FROG was born on March 10, 1929 and
he died on April 21, 1997. On July 12,
1955, Jackie married JOSEPHINE MATAWHAM, the daughter of Joseph Matawham and Alice Shawayabano.
(Jackie entered residential school at the
age of 4 but was “expelled” for being
too young and was allowed to go back
when he was 7 years old.)
SIMON MADAWECHEESH BULLFROG
and MARGARET or MAGGIE
KUDOWAKINSH (FIREMAN) had 3 sons
and 5 daughters baptized:
ALICE MADAWECHEESH
(BULLFROG) was born on June 10, 1917
and she died on September 10, 1917.
MARY MADAWASHEESH
(BULLFROG) was born on June 30,
1924. Nothing more is known about
her.
PETER MACHEWEECHES
(BULLFROG) was born on November 1,
1926. On September 24, 1942, Peter
married CHARLOTTE NAPASH, the
STEVEN MADAWECHEESH
(BULLFROG) was born on October 1,
1918 and he died on October 4, 1918.
BELLA MADAWECHEESH
(BULLFROG) was born on March 15,
1919 and she died in April 1919.
According to the F.G. parish records, a baby boy was born on February
15, 1920 but he died on the same day
and no name is recorded in the entry.
According to the entry, the baby was
baptized but there is no record of this in
the baptismal records.
DAVID MADAWECHEESH
(BULLFROG) was born on August 3,
JACKIE MEYOWABANOSH BULL1922 and he died on September 15,
1944. On July
Sam Kitty, Jackie Bullfrog, Paul Napash
25, 1938, David
married ALICE
NEACAPPO
BEARSKIN, the
daughter of John
Bearskin and
Caroline Neacappo. Alice
died on January
28, 1945. (Two
sons and one
daughter born to
this couple died
10 Waaskimaashtaau June
in infancy. The other son, STEPHEN
BULLFROG, moved to Whapmagoostui.)
Charlotte
& Peter Bullfrog
daughter of Joseph Napash and Emma
Mamichinicappo. Charlotte died on
January 25, 1976.
BELLA MACHEWEECHES
(BULLFROG) was born on March 27,
1931 and she died on April 11, 1931.
SARAH BULLFROG was born and
died on February 24, 1934.
MARY ELIZABETH BULLFROG was
born and died on March 28, 1946. No
baptismal record was found for her and
she is not on the parish list, but her
name is recorded in the burial records.
After his wife Maggie’s death, SIMON
BULLFROG married AGNES DICK, the
widow of Thomas Sandy and the
daughter of Richard Dick and Sarah
Wasapinokwow. Agnes died on May 2,
1974. There were no children from this
marriage.
Goose Hunting at Kuukimaausaakhiikin (Trout Lake)
- always
expect the unexpected …
A couple of people asked me if I
would be writing a ‘journal’ again this
year about our spring goose hunt. I
thought long and hard decided what
better way to preserve our Trout Lake
memories. Maybe 50 years from now
our great grandchildren will dig up
some old copies of the Waaskimaashtaau, leaf through them and
“Hey, here’s a story about a goose hunt
at Trout Lake 50 years ago.”
We flew by Helicopter Saturday
May5th, from Pine Mountain Lake as
usual but there were a couple of hitches
before we were relaxing at our cabin.
We were just a few kms from our pick
up point at Pine Mountain when we
noticed a chopper heading west towards
LG 2. Was that our chopper? Had we
arrived too late and the pilot got tired of
waiting? Now what?!
It turns out that the pilot did not
have his gas pump to refuel from the
drums of gas and so had to go back to
LG 2 and get it. (Why he didn’t have it,
is a long and involved story)
After 2-3 hours he returned. Everyone was all smiles until we mentioned
that one of our trips would be to sling
two drums of gas out to the camp.
“Nobody told me anything about slinging drums. I don’t have my sling.”
“What!!”
Not a major problem though. The
pilot (Patrice – a very nice helpful
young man) said the drums would be
brought out Sunday or Monday. (But
now it would have to be a special trip )
By supper time we’re (Clifford &
Juliet, Annie, Donovan and I and Adam, Marsha, Kaylin and Robyn) enjoying the view of Kuukimaausaakhiikin
and wondering where all the snow had
disappeared to. This is the first year that
we didn’t have to sink waist deep in the
snow as soon as we stepped off of the
helicopter.
The next day we took our decoys
and blinds over to where we hoped the
geese would stop by for a short visit. At
the same time we set out a number of
baited hooks not too far from the de-
coys and open water.
I must admit that I’m a bit of a klutz
in this regard. No matter how many
times Clifford shows me the proper way
of baiting and setting a hook (he makes
it look so easy) I usually end up with the
hook firmly lodged in the palm of my
hand (of course, I’m acting very cool
and nonchalant) and/or there’s a tangled
mass of string swaying in the breeze
(it’s supposed to be below the water
line). But this time my ineptness paid
off as a 20 lb trout grabbed the hook
while it was dipping and diving in the
hole. Bit of a struggle to pull the trout
up and out. The start of a good week
….
Oh yeah, the chopper did sling in the
drums – Sunday AM. When I first saw
the chopper, I thought he must have the
drums tucked up right underneath but
then I saw a long, very long cable (100’)
with the sling grazing the tree tops.
Monday I was down at the decoys
bright and early. The others came down,
checked the hooks (I think we got 2 or 3
more trout) and then went back. So
there I sat – waiting for some geese to
come. And then something strange happened that day. A few geese came
down. I shot …. And the gun jammed!
But the geese didn’t fly off right away
and I was able to fish out the shell and
shoot another.
The geese kept coming and I would
take a shot and the gun would jam. So in
effect I was using a single shot shotgun
but more often than not the geese
wouldn’t fly off. The others came down
later and asked how many geese I shot. I
said a couple. Clifford has good eyes
and counted the number of bloody spots
covered with snow on the ice and said it
looks like seven. (It was ten. Perhaps
my good luck was due to the lucky
charm that I wear.
The lucky Goose Charm
(biiyasuuskw or also known as ukaajawaau) has something to do with an egg
that has morphed into a hard object inside a female goose. Juliet found it in
one of the geese that I shot many years
ago. She made a decorated leather
pouch for it and it brings me good luck
when I remember to wear it.
Tuesday was the start of the
‘sun’ days. Not a cloud – just blue, blue,
blue. The geese were flying so high that
half the time although we heard them
we couldn’t see them.
Kuukimaausaakhiikin seems to
be a popular sight-seeing area by jet. A
dozen or more would fly by every day.
We could see tiny little faces gazing
Marsha & Adam giving Robyn her
Saturday night bath
down on us. When we heard them coming (the jets that is) we would ditch the
guns and bring out the bows and arrows.
Anyways geese were so high the jets
had to take evasive action. You could
see ‘bumps’ in their vapour trails. Neat.
We had our first sigabon Tuesday evening – indescribably delicious!
Wednesday Adam started
shooting and brought down quite a few.
Adam spent a lot of time exploring
“going where no man has gone before”
looking for anything of interest especially bear dens. He found 7-8. Old
ones, new ones shown by trees with broken branches, dirt mounds, ‘nests’ – I
learned that sometimes a male bear will
break off branches to make a nest instead of a den for the winter or a bear
when they first leave their den will
break off boughs to sit by the den for
awhile. One of the dens
that Adam showed me Cont’d on page 12
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
11
Cont’d from page 11
looked like it could accommodate a
mother and two or three cubs. It was
quite large and cozy looking. Donovan
got a goose Wednesday. (He shot three
while we were out there)
Saturday we decided to move
because of thinning ice to another area
across the lake where there was open
water. (Two days ago there was no open
water. It’s a place that Adam and Gabriel had come across last year and were
able to bring down a few flocks – ya
gotta double-cluck!)
By the end of the first week,
there wasn’t a whole lot of snow left
and the lake ice was showing more and
more ‘dark areas’. That usually means
water has filtered up into the ice and
weakened it.
The unexpected – One morning
I was out in the canoe at the edge of the
ice fixing a couple of decoys when I
heard geese. I could see two coming
over from the river way. One landed a
fair distance away but the other (female)
kept coming and landed just a few feet
away on the ice. I could have touched
her with my paddle. Anyway, we chatted for awhile. I wished her well on her
journey north and continued with what I
was doing. She, on the other hand,
walked back to her mate. He had walked
over to meet her halfway and proceeded
to give her an earful about talking with
strangers.
The following Monday – rain
showers, sometimes hard. We were hoping it would clear up but we finally gave
up and decided to take everything back
to camp. It was just getting too dangerous to travel on the ice anymore.
The next morning Adam, Marsha, Kaylin and Robyn boarded the helicopter and flew back. Adam had to be
12 Waaskimaashtaau June
back at work Thursday. Without them
… it was … quiet. We missed them,
especially two year old Robyn who was
our nightly entertainment. She is definitely destined for the stage!
A bit later – “Is that a bear …?
Or a rock?” Annie spots a bear on the
other side of the bay walking along the
shore ice. It looks like it could come
within shooting range. Clifford grabs his
gun and with Donovan, takes off to
meet it. But alas, the bear cuts across
and comes out too far away to shoot.
Donovan told us later that Clifford in
his rush to get down ‘there’ fell. “He
fell on some soft moss and didn’t hurt”
Later Donovan and I go to
where we have the decoys, not far from
the camp. Donavan falls asleep. Three
geese drop in out of nowhere.
“Donovan, wake up.”
“Donovan, geese landed, wake up.”
Shook him …. No response. Nothing to
do but fire away and hope that Donovan
doesn’t freak out when the gun goes off
inches from his head. I fire once and
still no movement from Donovan Wow!
I fire again and Donovan slowly (and I
mean slowly) wakes up. Talk about a
sound sleeper!!
Clifford amazes me – Wednesday
was cold, wet, and foggy and the temperature hovered around zero. Sometime in the afternoon I hear that very
distinct sound of the Awashish (old
squaw) Ah ah ahawa. They were on
some open water too far away to shoot.
Clifford and Donovan went down to
check them out (or so I thought … they
had other ideas though)
They paddled the canoe until they
couldn’t go any farther and then pushed
and dragged the canoe over 100-150’ of
not so good ice. The ducks didn’t fly off
and they were able to bring back 5.
Clifford will be 83 this fall !! (Mind you
if Annie or Juliet had seen them or knew
what they did, there would have been
‘hell to pay.’)
Thursday morning we wake up to a
winter wonderland. Temperature -5 for
the day. Clifford spends the afternoon
‘pounding dried fish’ for pemmican.
Friday I noticed a couple of
geese down at the decoys. Donovan and
I crawl through the brush ‘Rambo style’
and get close enough. We both get one.
Spent the day cleaning up, putting
things away and burning garbage – getting ready for departure the next day.
Last day. We were hoping to
get the helicopter by mid morning but
…. Expect the unexpected. We weren’t
able to leave until 5-6 pm. Clifford and
Juliet went out first and then Annie, Donovan and I on the second trip. We
asked the pilot (Emile) if he would follow the river so we could see the falls at
Bobbadadin. Be careful what you ask
for! At the first turn in the river, the
chopper went one way and our stomachs
went the other way. We flew down the
river at a 1000 mph (or so it seemed)
just a few feet above the water – twisting and turning …. We saw the falls for
a split second before we plunged down
… into what we thought would be ‘our
lives flashing before our eyes and then
angels’ … It was scary but totally exhilarating. Afterwards the pilot, with a
smile on his face, asked how we liked
the ride.
Back to Chisasibi! It’s always sad
when we leave Kuukimaausaakhiikin
but we will be back!
Clifford & Juliet waiting for the helicopter
MY GOOSE BREAK
By Margaret Sealhunter
We left on Monday, May 14, my sister
and I. We wanted to go back to the
place our dear departed brother spend
his last day on earth. I knew it was going to be hard, but I had to be brave.
As we approach our destination, tears
blurred my vision. I was getting emotional as our camp came in view. Then, I
heard this voice, saying, “It was his
time to go.” I repeated this a few times
and the sorrow in my heart seemed to
be lighter. As we landed and waited for
the helicopter to stop, I saw my little
niece; she was waving at us with a
smile. When the pilot gave his okay, I
had some trouble with my seat belt. He
turned towards me, pushed something
on my belt, it snapped. I said to him,
“Thanks, I’m a nerd, sometimes.” And
we both laughed.
As I stepped out, my little niece came
running to me, she was very happy to
see us. Her little hug helped me so
much. My sister and I had some tears,
but we were both trying to hold them
back for the sake of our little niece.
Then I heard this voice again, it seemed
to say, “Welcome home, sister.” Yes, I
was home, the place my brother considered “home” This is the place where
he came for peace and quiet. His own
special retreat.
Our 5 year old great-grand son came
with us too and he was asking so many
questions, which took our minds off our
grief. Thanks, Keanon.
That first morning, when I went out it
was sunny and the first thing I heard
were the birds singing their beautiful
songs in the bushes nearby. I just had
to stop and listen. Yes, it warmed my
spirit and I knew, I could overcome this
sadness.
That same day, a flock of geese flew by,
there were five of them. They were flying east of our camp. I think they flew
right over my mediating place. The
sound of the rapids in the early evening
was music to my ears and yes, it calmed
my broken spirit.
Every morning, looking out the
window, the first thing I saw was
Wastikan Island in the distance. Such
a beautiful sight.
On the last day at camp, I went to visit
my mediating place… As I sat down on
my favourite spot, I closed my eyes
and tried to picture the place where he
was. A few tears streamed down my
cheeks. It was at that moment the sun
came out of the clouds. It was cloudy
that day with a few flurries. Then, I
thought, this must be a sign, the Good
Lord wants me to know that my brother is in a beautiful place, just as bright
as the sun. I sat there and looked
around me at this beautiful creation.
Dear God, you made all things so beautiful. Thank you for all the years my
brother was with us. Now, I’m certain
that he’s in a much better place.
I sat there for about 10 minutes and
my mind went back to the other
springs of the past that we spent here
at our camp. These were happy times
with the family…
The birds were singing their beautiful
songs and the wind was whistling
through the tress. The sound of the
waves on the river was music to my
ears. And the distant sound of the rapids calmed my broken spirit.
As I went down this rocky hill, I had to
sit down again and give thanks to the
Creator for all His goodness and His
many blessings.
Walking down the path towards our
camp, a small bird flew by and landed
on a tree. It started to sing the most
beautiful melody I have ever heard. I
stopped in my tracks and listened. At
the end of the song, the bird seemed
to look at me and I said out loud,
“Thank you, for the beautiful song.
Yes, I miss him too.” The bird didn’t
make a sound again. And as I passed
by the tree, it didn’t fly away. It stayed
there as I walked away. I thought,
“What a beautiful ending to my goose
break.”
I’m glad I came to our camp this
spring. I think it was the Good Lord’s
plan all along. I had to face this pain in
my heart - of a spring without my
brother. I know next time I come here
it will be easier to bear. The pain will
always be there and it’s going to be
there for a long time. But, I know it will
be okay. I can face it now with a more
open mind and a better understanding
that, it really was his time to go.
My brother, the hunter, his memory
will be forever in our hearts…. He’s not
really gone because he’s always in our
memories and in our dreams. Like,
what one little girl said; “He came to
visit us in our room. His clothes were
all white, sparkling like diamonds. He
looked so healthy, beautiful and
shiny.” Was it a vision or a dream?
Whatever it was, it really helped us
come to terms with his passing.
Yes, Spring goose break will never be
the same for us. But, now we can cope
with it… spring without our brother…
Farewell again, my brother, we will always miss you….. HAPPY HUNTING up
there.
Thank you to everyone who sent
me words of encouragement
and comfort on Facebook.
Thank you all.
Chisasibi, The Great River
The history
about the
people &
events of
Chisasibi.
Copies are
$60 –
shipping extra.
For more information:
Contact: The Chisasibi Heritage & Cultural Centre
Heather House 819-855-3311
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
13
Savings
Savings
G.L.A.M. Challenge 2012
G.L.A.M. 2012
Savings With a little help from
During June
all Grass Seed,
CHISTAPITIN
Fertilizers,
Hoses,
Spades, and
Bow Rakes
will be
reduced by
10% at time of
purchase.
Savings
its easy to
G.L.A.M.
Savings in effect until June 30 2012, CHISTAPITIN 819 855 2078
14 Waaskimaashtaau June
Savings
Richard Angatookaluk
killed his 1st goose at
Seal River on the morning of May 8th. he was
very excited that he had
killed a goose. He was
very proud. We were all
proud of him. Ricky and
Richard had left for Seal
River by ski-doo on Sunday May 6th and I
flew in by helicopter on
Tuesday May 8. As soon
as I got out of the chopper, He hugged me and
said "Mom! I killed a
goose!" I hugged him
tight and shed a tear, I
was so proud of him.
First Goose ...
Payton Pachano
bagged his first
goose on May
1st across the
dam north of LG
2. Jimshoom
Steven was with
him at the time.
Melanie Angatookaluk
Christina Pachano shot her
first goose on May 12 around
7 pm. At Pine Mountain
Lake. She was very happy
and yelled YES!!
The gun she used is the same
gun (410) that her father
John used to shoot his first
goose many, many years
ago. All of John and Linda’s
children (and grandchild)
have used the same gun.
Congratulations Christina
Love -Mom, Dad, and your
In the early morning of May 9, hunters were ready to go
where my late Dad used to go hunting every
spring break. Later that morning I received a call from the
bush radio. It was my youngest son Tyler who
is 10 yrs of age. He said "Mom, Tyler nii, I killed a goose at
11:15. At the time of his kill he was sitting
with his brother Elden & his goose was floating. Later my
other son was on the radio, saying "Mom, Titus nii. I also
killed a goose at 11:16, "Tyler was the first one who killed a
goose & I killed mine second". Titus is 11 yrs of age. Gordon
was by his side & his goose was flying. (not floating). Both
sounded very happy & I felt so emotional.
Congratulations to both my boys on their first kill. I am a
proud happy mom. (Maryanne). And from
all the Ratt family that were at camp at km 258 near
Nouchimi Camp LG-4.
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
15
First Goose ….
It was the morning of
May 10, 2012, when
George agreed to go
hunting with his dad
but of course he wanted his little brother Jeremiah to tag along
(these two are inseparable). It was at 8:11am
when George killed his
first goose. After he had
killed his goose, he gave
them all hi-fives and
asked his dad if they
could go home now. He
George Bearskin, son of Jessie &
said that he was done
Conrad Bearskin. Mistaschakw lake,
for the season, that he
about 100 km north of LG-4
wouldn’t go hunting
again until next year. When he approached the cabin, he was
all smiles holding his goose and told me “one shot, one kill”.
We’re all proud of our new hunter. Congratulations George,
We Love You.
Derek Ratt
First Goose - May 9th
Derek was hunting with
his Dad, brothers and
cousins in their late
Grandfather Philip Cox's
goose pond near Duncan
Lake when he shot and
killed his first goose.
Congratulations Derek
with Love from your
MOM (Barbara), DAD
(Paul) & Brothers
(Walter,Kyle & Nathan)
Jayden Martinhunter
killed his first goose
on May 7th, 2:20 pm
at Atwaaskwach. Jayden was with his
brother Matthew
when he killed his
goose and I want to
thank Matthew so
much.
Congratulations Jayden and I love you
always—Mom, Mabel
Devin Napash’s first goose, he is 10 years old.
Marcus Lameboy
got his first Goose
on May 14, 2012.
Congratulations to
Marcus from your
Mom Margaret
and Grandparents
Jacqueline and
James Lameboy!
16 Waaskimaashtaau June
Devan killed his first goose on May 14 at 1:00pm at
Kapsaoui. He was eager to go hunting that morning.
Like any other hunter he got up early and got ready.
They headed out south of our camp. There were
three of them at their blind - his grandpa John and
his dad when he shot the goose. They said that he
was so excited that he couldn’t wait to come
home and show it to me and the others. We were so
happy for him. His dad took the camera with him for
the first time and said “Maybe he will kill one today”
and sure enough he did. Congratulations Devin, we
love you so much.
First Goose ….
Marcus Petagumskum (age
11) son of Valerie Herodier
& Jeffrey Petagumskum
killed his first goose at
Spring Water Point on May
5th while hunting with his
cousin Gerald (Marcus
killed four altogether)
George Chakapash
killed his first goose
on April 23rd
Darryl Snowboy
First goose - May 9
Darian Snowboy
First Goose - May 10
Both geese were shot at
Seal River
On the morning of
May 12 at 6am Maythan was still sleeping. His Grandpa Bob
Bearskin woke Maythan up and asked
him if he wanted to
go hunting with him.
He said Yes right
away, along with Harvey, Tyrone and Bobby Bearskin.
After they left at
7:30am,we heard a
gun shot around
8:35am,and then we
heard a ski-doo comMaythan Matthew-Chiskamish Killed His
First Goose On May 12 2012 at 8:35am in ing back to our camp.
LG4 km 464 Harry Bearskin's Camp, Son Of All the kids were in
the skidoo trailer. We
Alexandra Matthew & Roger Chiskamish
didn't know who shot
the goose until we saw Maythan taking the goose out of the
trailer. Then we knew that he had killed the goose He said, "I
killed my first goose. I shot it 6 times" with a big smile on his
face,,
My grandparents, (Harry and Connie) Marlene and I were
very happy and felt like crying. It was like something was
stuck in our throat because we were holding back our tears,
tears of joy. I will never forget Maythan's reaction. I am so
proud of my nephew:)
Congratulations to
James Cox for the
killing of his 1st
Goose on May 17,
at 2:40 pm we’re
very Proud of you
Love always mom
and dad (Emily &
Thomas Tapiatic)
Jameshee went
hunting with his
dad (Thomas) at
Duncan Lake. Geese
came and he was
told to shoot one.
He said that he aimed at the one that was standing. He shot
it and he was a little bit scared. First he asked his dad, “What
will mom think that I killed a goose.” He wanted to go home
and asked his dad if he was going to get money for killing it
lol…(he also killed 2 mishtuukhyauuch)
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
17
First Walk on Mother Earth
David-John Lameboy’s walking out ceremony on
May 26… building his teepee the day before was
a battle between rain, snow and hard winds but
we still managed to build his teepee. Parents David Lameboy and Melissa Ratt-Sam
Precious Bearskin had her Walking
Out on Monday, May 14th with
mother Sarah at Mistaschakw Lake
north of LG 4.
The story goes that people had set
the alarm for the ‘crack of dawn’
but nobody heard it. William Bearskin got up and looked out the window to see the first ‘guest’ arriving
- a bear. There was a mad scramble
for guns and Kevin Bearskin
grabbed his first and shot the bear.
Later a goose also came flying
around the camp and was shot by
Charles House. Although it rained
a good part of the day, it cleared
later in the afternoon and the camp
hunters had a ‘good day’
Precious walked to her
grandmother Maggie.
Jaylynn Nancy Rupert’s Walking Out ceremony took place on Monday, May 21
near LG2
Parents: Calvin Pepabano & Annie Rupert
Her grandparents: George & Victoria
Pepabano. Harry & Elizabeth Rupert Sister: Joyce Rupert
Walked to great grandma: Mary
Pepabano
Charles House
Hailey & Sarah
Hailey Bullfrog & Emma
Rupert's Walking Out on
May 26 at Long Point. Parents Sarah & Alex Bullfrog.
Rachel & Ronnie Rupert.
Congratulations on your 1st
steps on mother earth.
Hugs & Kisses
Hailey walked to Josephine
Bullfrog. (Alex's Grandmother) Emma Walked to
Louisa & Joe Rupert -my
parents.
Ronnie Rupert
Emma & Rachel
18 Waaskimaashtaau June
In Loving Memory
James Spencer
January 4, 1933 - April 26, 2012
Our father, James, was the son of Lucy Lameboy and William Spencer. His mother passed away when he was about
two months old. His Googoom, Mary Esquinamow Louttit,
took him in and raised him. He was lucky because he also had
Alice, wife of Donald Louttit, as a mother who played a big
part in his upbringing.
Our father James valued education. Unfortunately, his
schooling ended after grade six, which was the highest level
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Johnny Shauk
May 15, 1921 - April 22, 2012
offered then. However, in 1964 he was recommended to pursue further studies down south. He did upgrading in North
Bay for several months and then was transferred to Sudbury
to follow a vocational program. In August of 1966, he completed a ten-month course in Welding, which included Mathematics, Drafting, Metallurgy, Theory and Blueprint Reading.
Under the guidance and teachings of Brother Michaud, he
acquired carpentry skills. He shared his skills with those who
had the opportunity to work with him. His knowledge and
work ethics led him to help build houses in Wemindji, Eastmain and Whapmagoostui. He also took part in the construction of the Roman Catholic Church which is still standing today.
In the late 1960s, he was hired as a Maintenance Foreman
for the Chisasibi Hospital. He went over and beyond his job
description. So many times, he alone would perform the necessary tasks required before laying our loved ones to rest.
Although his contributions are not evident, he helped in the
growth of our people and our community.
During the years that he was in the hospital care, our
mother was always by his side and she made his face light up
every time he saw her. She was the one constant person in
his life, his one true love and his partner of 55 years.
We are thankful he passed on the traditional way of life to
our sons. He was a special person to his children and grandchildren. He was deeply loved, and his memory will be cherished forever.
Johnny Shauk was born on May 15, 1921. He was married
to Dinah Ekomiak (deceased). They had five children. Katherine (deceased), Hugo (deceased). He is survived by daughters Pamela, Aibillie, Annie and three grandsons – Joshua,
Davidee and Darius.
Johnny had one brother, Pauloosie and one sister Martha
Shauk Milpegilki and four nieces – Louisa Shauk (Benjamin),
Martha Shauk (Spencer), Janie Shauk (Sam) and Mina Shauk
(Kitty)
Johnny worked for the Hudson Bay Company and he also
made things like camp stoves and soap stone carvings. He
also made women’s Inuit knives –ulus.
Johnny was a down-to-earth man who loved to hunt and
trap. He tried very hard to provide for his family and grandsons. He loved going to the Commercial to spend time with
his fellow Elders
Johnny passed away peacefully on April 22 with his family
by his side at 4:45 in the afternoon.
Rest in peace Dad, Grandpa, Uncle & Friend
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
19
In Loving Memory
David Daniel Pepabano
July 14, 1943 - May 8, 2012
David Daniel Pepabano, 68, passed away in the comfort of
his home on May 8, 2012.
He leaves behind his two daughters, Kimberly PepabanoSandy (married to Roger Sandy) who resides in Whapmagoostui and Kelly Pepabano who resides in Montreal and
also his brother Richard Pepabano, David’s only surviving
sibling.
20 Waaskimaashtaau June
David also had 10 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren
and numerous extended family members. David was
extremely fond of children and loved their happy carefree
spirits.
David lived a very modest and happy life after working
many years as a Elementary Cree Culture teacher for the
Cree School Board in Fort George and Chisasibi.
One of his recent passions was watching the sunrise and
sunset whenever it was possible. We found notebooks where
he recorded all of the times when the sun set and rose. He
started recording the times in July of 2010. The last recorded
time was May 7, 2012. On that day sunrise was at 5:22 am
and sunset that evening was at 8:52 pm.
David was a very loving man and loved everyone he saw.
He will surely be missed at the commercial center for his
beautiful smile and kind words to all who passed by.
The family of David
David was the youngest son born to Jane Mukash and
George Pepabano (both Deceased). He had two daughters
with Lauretta McKenzie - Kimberly and Kelly
Kimberly’s children - Justin, 23; Scott, 19; Dawnis, 14; Autumn, 12; Priscilla, 9; Faith 1
Kelly’s children - Devan, 21; Candace, 17 (Birthday May 18);
Jenna, 9; Pryce, 2
Brothers and Sister of David:
Joseph, deceased Aug 5, 2010, married to Mary Cox;
Richard Pepabano married to Emma Bearskin (deceased)
Betney (deceased Sept 5, 2005) married to Wayne Robitaille
(deceased)
Goose Break 2011
Watchyia, my name is Brenda
Pachano-Sam; I want to share my story
about the accident that happened at
our camp at Pine Mountain Lake on the
goose hunt of May 2011.
I will begin my story from Sunday, May 9, 2011; it was Mother’s Day
that morning. I got up early in the
morning like I always do, thinking I
should make breakfast for my mom like
I always do for her to take her medication. As I walk to the kitchen I see my
brothers Stephen, Georgie and my
brother-in-laws John and Matthew were
already up. Right away I go to my mom
to wish her Happy Mother’s Day and
kissed her. Right away my brother
Georgie wishes me Happy Mother’s Day
and says, “Don’t touch anything I will
cook breakfast for you and here is your
coffee.” He tells me to sit down and enjoy your coffee, while I cook breakfast
for you. He says I already fed mom and
gave her, her medication.
I watch him cook. He moves
around the kitchen so fast from the
woodstove where he cooked the toast
to the propane stove where he cooked
the eggs, bacon and beans. He kept saying it’s hot near the woodstove. He was
moving about so fast cooking. When he
is done he gives me my breakfast and
says to me again Happy Mother’s Day.
And he asked me do you want anything
else? I said “I want jam”. He goes to get
the jam. He brings the jam and says to
me enjoy your meal. Then my sister
Lilybelle gets up too. He did the same
thing for our sister Lilybelle cooking her
breakfast and wishing her Happy Mother’s Day.
After we were done our breakfast my brother Georgie says to us don’t
touch the dishes, go do what you have
to do for our feast today. I will do the
dishes and tidy up the cabin.
The first thing my sister Lilybelle
made was booddin. I went to the teepee to pluck and clean the geese we
were going
to roast
on the
open
fire. By
the
afternoon we
were
done cooking and we
prepared the
table for our feast.
My
mom said a few words of thanks and
we said our grace for our feast. We had
a good feast; everything was delicious. I
remember my brother Georgie kept
saying the food is so good.
About 7 p.m. we were done our
feast and my brother Georgie says all
ladies will go and I will do the dishes
and tidy up the cabin. He told us go for
a walk down by the lake where the
goose blinds are. So all of us ladies
went; we don’t usually go there because that’s where some of the men
hunt. We had a good walk and when
we came back the cabin was clean and
tidy. That night as we got ready for bed
my brother and the rest of us where
joking around with each other and telling funny stories that had happened to
us. We laughed so much.
The next morning, like usual,
everyone got up early to get ready for
the hunt. I got up to pack my son Brendans’ lunch and his hunting stuff because he was going with my brothers,
Stephen and Georgie to their hunting
area. I remember my brother Georgie
saying I will only take my leftovers from
yesterdays’ feast and a can of klik. A
hunter can’t eat very well when the
geese fly so I will just open my can of
klik and bite it; then he laughs. As they
were leaving I heard him say to our
mom “I love you mom.” And they left.
There were six of them that went that
way.
I went to the teepee to pluck
some geese that I couldn’t pluck the
day before. I made a fire in the teepee
and started plucking the geese. I heard
the ski-doos leave. My son’s girlfriend
Kelsey came to the teepee to help with
the plucking and cleaning of the geese.
About an hour later I heard a
ski-doo coming back and said to Kelsey
maybe someone forgot something. As
the ski-doo got closer I got so nervous
thinking all sort of things. Why did that
someone come back and why are they
stopping where the other men were
hunting by the lake. Then I heard the
ski-doo again coming closer to our
camp. I went about my business plucking the geese. Then I heard my niece
Valerie calling my name and asking me
to come to the cabin. I got up and told
Kelsey I wonder what’s happened. I
went to the cabin and my niece Valerie
said come inside. I saw my nephew
Preston standing inside the cabin and
asked him what’s happening. I saw my
sister Lilybelle and my nieces look so
sad. I said “where is my mom?” Apparently my mom went to the toilet.
My nephew Preston tells me
something has happened at the river
and it’s not good. I right away asked my
nephew Preston “Where is my son
Brendan.”
“He is okay.”
“How about the others?”
“ They are over there; but my
uncle Georgie didn’t make it.”
At that very moment I hugged
my nephew so hard and said “no, it’s
not true” I kept saying to my nephew
“not Georgie, not Georgie” I asked my
nephew what happened and how.
My nephew said “Our canoe
broke in half while they were crossing
the river. The first trip Tommy took me
and Brendan to the other side of the
river, then he went back to get our
Cont’d on page 22
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
21
Cont’d from page 21
brother Samuel Pachano, my uncle
Georgie. My uncle Georgie was the one
at the back of the canoe where he knelt
on his knees with his legs under the
wood that goes across the back where
he sat. My brother Samuel sat on the
floor of the canoe and my brother Tommy at the front. As they got half way in
the river to come across, me and Brendan saw something was happening
with them. We saw my brother Samuel
and Tommy in the water and the canoe
filled up with water so fast. We yelled
at them and we saw my uncle stuck in
the canoe and the canoe flipped over.
And we saw Tommy swimming towards
our brother Samuel and helping him to
the shore. We haven’t reached our
blind yet; we still had to go a ways further from where the accident happened. Brendan told me there is anoth-
er canoe where the blinds are and I ran
as fast as I can to get the canoe. I told
Brendan stay here and watch them.”
Brendan said, “I kept yelling
their names and I saw Samuel on the
other side of the river standing. I wanted to jump into the river and help Tommy trying to save our uncle Georgie. I
felt so helpless I only called their names
and I called out to my grandfather William and God to help us”.
Preston said “Tommy tried to
resuscitate Georgie but he couldn’t.
Tommy didn’t feel his one side of his
body too because he was in the water
too long. That’s when I canoed over to
where the ski-doos where and came
straight to our camp to inform the sad
news. I stopped at where my uncle Stephen was spreading corn in another
hunting ground but I didn’t see him and
Letting Go
You're still here in my heart and mind,
Still making me laugh, cause your stories live on.
I feel you and this gives me strength and courage.
The tears I have cried for you could flood the earth and
I know you have wiped each one away.
For you Brother, I promise you this:
I will go on with life and make you proud.
I will always hold you in my heart.
I promise you I will be missing you everyday till the end of time,
But this is not my end and I can't hold my head underwater...
I need to breathe.
I need to love and miss you,
but I also need to live because through me
You will live,
You will still laugh and love,
You will still sing and dance,
You will still hug and kiss,
You will forever be a brother, a son, an uncle, a dad, a grandfather,
and a friend to many.
I am going to miss your shinning face.
I think of you and wonder why?
I might cry or smile,
But at the end of the day I am one day closer to you....
love you my brother Georgie.
he didn’t hear me shouting his name.
So I left.”
And at that difficult moment
while he was telling me what had happened, I remembered my mom. She
just came in and said “What’s happening?” I remember asking her to sit
down and I told her. That very moment
was the hardest thing to tell my mom.
Of course she broke down into tears
and as I held her she kept saying to me,
“My daughter I don’t think I will make
it. First my eldest daughter and now my
son.” She kept saying, “I won’t make
it.”
I got the courage to calm down
myself and asked God to help me and
told my mom, “Mom, yes you can make
it. God didn’t do us wrong. Remember
mom you told us that we are all God’s
children and we can’t do anything
when he calls us home. Look God gave
and blessed you with so many children
and each and everyone one of us, you
took good care of us and you loved us
so much. This time God is calling
Georgie to come home. Remember
God didn’t do us wrong.”
Then my husband Louis and
my other son Samuel came home. They
already knew because when I heard the
ski-doo stop that’s where my nephew
Preston stopped to tell Louis. When
Louis came, he gave us all tea and he
helped us reach someone on the bush
radio to contact Chisasibi for help. We
also had a satellite phone but Louis
couldn’t get the signal right away. Louis
didn’t stop trying until he got a signal
and the same with the bush radio.
From there we got the help we needed.
I would like to thank Tommy,
Preston, Samuel and Brendan; these
four guys had the strength and courage
even after what they went through. I
know it must have been a difficult time
for them but they did what they had to
do. I am so grateful and so proud of
them, even though they couldn’t save
their uncle Georgie. I don’t want them
Cont’d on page 23
22 Waaskimaashtaau June
Cont’d from page 22
to blame themselves for what happened and for the loss of
Georgie’s life. Don’t feel you are the one at fault and helpless. Remember always, it was in Gods’ plan from the very
moment he (God) gave Georgie life. I hope you Tommy, Preston, Samuel and Brendan go on with your lives and to continue to hunt because that’s what Georgie would have wanted.
That was Georgie’s passion - hunting, fishing and trapping.
Make him proud okay guys, with love.
I and my whole family would like to thank everyone
that helped and comforted us at that difficult time. There are
no words that can express how we are so thankful for all the
comfort we received.
And the last thing I want to say is for everyone that
is in Chisasibi and in their hunting grounds to have a safe
and wonderful Goose break. Like Georgie use to say to us
and everyone he knew - I LOVE YOU and may you and everyone LOVE EACH OTHER. God Bless you all from Brenda Pachano-Sam and my whole family.
We did have the memorial service at our camp on
May 10, 2012 and we want to express our heartfelt thanks
for the support we got. Thanks to all of you who came to the
service.
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
23
24 Waaskimaashtaau June
Violet Pachanos
1989-1992, 1992-1995, 1998-2001
Violet remembers the great sense
of loss, confusion and sadness she experienced as a six-year-old child watching her parents paddle away, leaving
her behind for the first time to begin
residential school. However, she
adapted and grew to enjoy her studies,
but she did not like being forced to
scrub floors, make beds and work in
the school kitchen and laundry as unpaid help. Nonetheless, she persevered, and later it was by her own
choice that she travelled south to continue her education and eventually
complete a program at Business College. From there, she took a civil service job with Canada Health and Welfare and ended up staying in Ottawa
for 23 years.
Violet views life with a positive
perspective. Once, at a Regional General Assembly, she looked around and
noticed that every one of the leaders
present had been in a residential
school. She believes that the impact of
the residential schools made them into
fighters. When people are reprimand-
Honouring Our Chiefs
ed all the time for speaking their language or are forced to adapt to a way
of life other than their own, they are
bound to rebel. What the leaders experienced in residential schools may have
been devastating, but it prepared them
to fight for our land and traditional values.
When negotiations began for the
James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, Violet’s life changed. She decided
to get involved and left the civil service
to help in setting up the offices of the
Grand Council of the Crees.
She
worked as the Executive Secretary and
Administrative Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees and as the Corporate
Secretary and Treasurer for the Cree
Regional Authority and then as the
Grand Council of the Crees liaison
officer in Ottawa for a total of fifteen
years. In these capacities, she gained a
great deal of experience and extensive
knowledge of the Grand Council, the
Cree Regional Authority, the Chiefs, all
the Cree communities, the other first
nations of Canada and the government.
Because of her vast experience,
knowledge, capabilities, personality,
and work ethic, in1989 she was asked
to run for Chief, got nominated and got
elected which came as a surprise. As
she was growing up it was not a forethought of becoming a chief however,
as she gained more experience in the
political world she thought it might be
an interesting challenge that she would
welcome some day. She was the first
woman chief not only of Chisasibi, but
of all the Quebec Cree Nations.
Being a chief is not easy. Being the
first woman chief in a male-dominated
system of government offered more
obstacles to the job than if it were a
male chief. Many people were opposed
to the idea of a woman leading the
community, but Violet did not let that
get in the way of doing her job. Her
goal was to make use of her knowledge
to meet the needs of the population.
Fortunately, there were those who supported her and were proud of her.
Even with the added pressures,
Violet was able to perform her duties
with diligence, pride and a sense of accomplishment. During her first term, it
was a way of introducing new ideas of
leadership to the community and allowing community members the time to
adjust to the change.
Violet was absent from Fort
George during the relocation, so when
she returned north, she saw an immense transformation in our community. It was challenging to reintegrate
after being away for so long, but she
had not lost the language, traditions
and values learned as a young child
when she was brought up on the land
before entering residential school and
during the summers spent with her
family.
In spite of the major changes that
had taken place, Violet saw that Chisasibi needed a great deal of community development. At that time the financial resources were more limited than
now, so it was difficult to start new projects.
Violet tried to ensure that Chisasibi evolved into what she hopes is a
better community. During her second
term, Chisasibi was selected by the
office of the Auditor General of Canada,
at the recommendation of Indian and
Northern Affairs, as one of the few aboriginal communities able to govern
themselves, and other Native people
looked up to us for guidance and encouragement.
Violet has great respect for our
people. She is proud that we have preserved our culture and that we have a
good understanding of both the traditional Cree ways and modern life. We
have retained our language, our values
are strong and we are still tied to the
land. She says that it is the land that
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
25
gives us strength. Other First Nations and Indigenous peoples
have noted that, too, and the Cree Nation of James Bay is
recognized worldwide. She believes that the hardships our
ancestors lived through helped us to be a proud and strong
people. Violet remembers one chief saying that the Cree are
very fortunate to still have their own territory.
During her official travels, she met other Native leaders
of various Nations and had the opportunity to work with Indigenous people from as far away as New Zealand and Australia and also at the United Nations. She applied her
knowledge and skills to assist those less fortunate than we
are and continues to fight for the rights of the Cree Nation.
Since returning to Chisasibi, Violet has been our chief
26 Waaskimaashtaau June
three times, served one term as deputy-chief, and is currently in her fourth term as a member of the Band Council. She
has also been Deputy Grand Chief and Vice-Chairperson for
the Grand Council and CRA and is now President of the
Niskamoon Corporation which facilitates access to benefits,
resources and programs under various agreements between
the Crees and Hydro-Québec. She is also a Police Commissioner for the new Eeyou-Eenou Regional Police Force Commission of the Cree Regional Authority.
Thank you Violet for being such a great role model for
women, for your dedication to serving our people in and out
of political life and for passing on your knowledge for the
good of the community
Vernon Neacappo Selected to play in CanAm Bowl
Vernon Neacappo of Chisasibi is
the 3 time James Bay Eagles MVP
(Most Valuable Player) and was
selected by Football Canada to play
in the CanAm Bowl versus Team
USA on July 7th, 2012 in Biggar, Saskatchewan.
The CanAm Bowl is an annual
event which showcases the top 6-ASide football players in Canada. All
the athletes are graduating from
high school this year and use this
game to get recruited for University
or junior football. Vernon was a unanimous decision with the
help of Football Saskatchewan High Performance Director,
Brian Guebert who has seen Vernon play the past 2 years in
the 6 Nation Challenge. Brian has expressed that Vernon is
potentially one of the best First Nations football players in
Canada today.
Vernon has spent countless hours training at the Chisasibi
Fitness under the Football Strength and Conditioning program since 2009. His overall strength has increased, improved his speed and now can bench press his own bodyweight for 10 reps. He currently weighs 155 lbs. and has
gained 32 lbs. in the past 3 years since he started training.
Football is his passion and it shows due to his physical development for the sport.
As his coach and mentor over the past few years, I am
proud to say that he is a fine young man with an enormous
amount of potential. His dedication to training and his constant effort to push himself above and beyond is unique. I am
fortunate to have been a part of his development and know
that he will be successful in his future endeavours.
Trevor Allen Monaghan
Head Coach. James Bay Eagles Football
Katie Napash, Dayna Bobbish - Champions
By Mabel Rabbitskin-Napash
Katie Napash went to the try outs for the Eastern Door and
North Team held in Kanwahwake on March 23 and March
24. The women's team ages are between 15 and 19 and she
had just turn 15 on March 22. There were over 30 aboriginal
girls from Quebec that were at the try-outs.
Dayna didn't go to try-outs because she was playing hockey in Montreal where she lives and goes to school. But she
was there with Katie at the try-outs.
Dayna was really excited when Katie made the team and
wished she could have gone for the try-outs. Not knowing
she would later made the team herself. During C.R.E.E. Minor
Tournament in Val d’Or, the assistant coach Sarah Morrison
came to see her after the quarter finals and told her she
might be called up to play with the Eastern Door. It was a
week later that head coach Patrice Dominque told her the
good news, yah! She is going to Saskatoon; we were so happy
because Katie and Dayna together have participated in numerous girls’ hockey tournaments in the Quebec region.
Teams that they previously played with were AAA Panthieres
for Trois Rivieres and AAA Cree Nation Bears.
The 2012 National Hockey Championships was held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from May 7 to May 12. The first game
was against Alberta which they lost by 7-1. In the second
game against NWT, they won - 9-0 (Katie received the player
of the game award). For the third game against Ontario, they
won 7-2. In the quarter finals, they played against British Columbia and won by 8-0. They advanced to the Semis playing
Alberta and beat them 5-2. The final game was against Saskatchewan, last year's gold medal winners. Eastern Door defeated Saskatchewan 3-2
This was a great experience for both of them. We are
proud that they had the opportunity to play for the Eastern
Door and North (EDN). As talented as they are in playing
hockey, they are a tremendous role models for our future
girl's hockey. With the women's hockey rapidly growing, they
are motivated and enthusiastic in playing hockey in a higher
caliber.
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
27
Potty Training
Is it possible to potty train a baby before he/she is 6 month old?
by Patrick Maillet
Most people will spontaneously
answer “no” to this question, but if you
ask some educators at daycare # 3,
they will surely answer “yes” since
they’ve seen it done. Our son attended
the day care from 10 months of age to
a little over a year of age and he uses
the potty for all his needs.
He’s no special child; he is
simply born with the same reflexes all
humans are born with. Infants under
the age of three months have a contiPicture 1
nence reflex. They actually lose the
reflex if it is not exploited, but with the
right technique and effort, the child can
learn to control when he/she needs to
pees and poo as early as 2-3 weeks of
age.
This all sounds strange I know! I first
heard about it when I was living in China. It strikes most westerners how the
Chinese babies have clothing with open
areas between the legs and no diapers.
My first reaction was questioning about
why babies had exposed rear-ends, but
I never really inquired about it.
You quickly realise that without
diapers, babies actually have to pee
and poo on the ground, which leaves
you thinking that the Chinese are really
strange! At the time, I was a university
student with a lot of things to understand about china, so I didn’t really give
it to much thought. I had an easy answer to this enigma: “Chinese were
simply weird”.
One day, we were having suppers amongst friends and I remember
an American saying “at least our babies
have diapers!” and to my stupefaction,
one of the Chinese answered “well at
least our babies don’t poo in their
pants!” I remember thinking: “Good
point there!” I’ll say 1-0 for the Chinese! At least on that one! But I still
didn’t give it anymore thought, maybe
because at the time, babies were really
not on my mind.
It is finally in Chisasibi that I got
the answer to my questions! My neighbour in “China Town” heard my girlfriend was pregnant and she told her
about this great potty training technique for newborns. It surprised my
girlfriend who was really sceptical at
first, but I knew it was possible, I’d seen
it done on a large scale for years.
Our neighbour, a nurse, explained how to do it and gave us a book
called “Diaper Free” that explains the
technique. The book was ok, but I’ll
admit, I had the impression that the
book was written for extreme environmentalists or modern hippies. The pictures were partly to blame for that. But
the book really explains how to do it
from when the baby is just born.
First off, it is important to realise that the baby mustn’t feel any pressure or feel any frustration form your
part if it doesn’t work. This is true from
the first weeks on to when the child will
be older. Once that is understood, as
soon as the baby is one or two weeks of
age, you can hold it in a squatting position with your fingers under its legs
over a dishwashing pan or a small bucket (see picture 1). It is important that
you don’t try to sit the baby, but really
lift the knees as if it was squatting.
The trick is to bring the baby to
the pan or bucket before it drinks or
halfway through its feeding. Note that
the baby may only pees before eating,
so put it back after feeding it. You will
get to know at what moment your baby
usually goes. Wait a few minutes to
give the baby a chance to do it (3-5
minutes). If you put the baby over the
potty before feeding, if your baby cries
to much it may just be too hungry, so
don’t insist. Remember that once the
baby has been fed whether half way
through the drinking or after its finish,
anticipate the baby may regurgitate.
That’s why it is better to keep a towel
or wipes handy.
Picture 2
Your baby should have a feeding routine, so it is best to tag the potty
routine along with it! You don’t need
to make it complicated, since the parents already have enough on their
hands. Our two babies caught on the
first time and followed a routine after a
few weeks. Eventually, your baby will
have a small routine, and it will become
easy. That is until the baby become
heavier and a little more complex.
Then, what we found to be the best is a
Cont’d on page 29
28 Waaskimaashtaau June
Cont’d from page 28
small toilet we can use sitting down (see picture 2).
Don’t expect your baby to go every time and give
yourself a month to really get the feeling. It really is more
demanding for the first few months, but it will save you a lot
of trouble in the long run. Also, you will learn to know the
different screams your baby has and what he/she needs.
You should understand if he/she is crying for food or the toilet (or both).
Always remember to hold your child’s knees hi in a
squatting position. If your baby is in a 90 degree angle position, it will not work well (the reflex won’t work). The Chinese whistle in the babies ear to signal to the baby it time to
start. We didn’t use the whistling because we don’t want to
confuse the child when we call the dog. We rather use a
“psiiiii” sound that we do in the ear of the infant to trigger a
reflex and establish communication.
When the baby will be strong enough to hold himself
up on his own, just put the baby on the toilet and stay beside
him to make sure he/she doesn’t fall off. Remember to keep
doing “psiiiii” sound (See picture 3). As the child will start
eating and moving around, it will change his routine, so it
will be a critical moment, since if you stop being rigorous,
the baby can lose the reflex and it may not return.
For the first baby we used washable diapers and it
really went well. We would usually only wash pee and the
rest went directly to the toilet. For our second, it was a little
different. We now had two kids and we moved twice, so we
used disposable diapers. Either way, kids are more comfortable and get fewer rashes.
By the time infants are 6-8 months; you should only
get occasional pees in the diaper and may you get an occasional poo. Teething or constipation can change the routine,
but you should recognise the cry your baby does when it
wants to go to the toilet. For our last child, we almost entirely gave up on the method between 10 and 12 months,
but it all came back to her very quickly when we started doing it more seriously again. One week and she was back to
doing it in the toilet. Of course, when they can talk or go by
themselves, it becomes much easier. So when the baby
starts to walk, you can start trying underwear a few hours a
day and see how it goes… but don’t forget to leave the small
toilet accessible to the child!
This method may not be suitable for all people, but it
is really worth it to try. I found it can be a nice way for the
man to communicate with his child during the first few
months.
For those of you thinking of doing it, you can check
on the web or send me an email and I can exchange ideas
with you.
[email protected]
Toddlers, Tiaras & Crowns
On Sunday April 30th, 2012, Secondary 5 organized a pageant for ages 1 to 6 with the support of Brighter Futures. Students have been working hard all school year fundraising for
a graduation trip to California. The Secondary 5 students
would like to take this time to thank those who helped out
with the pageant.
Judges: Jules Quachegan, Linda Quachegan, Michele Griffith,
Georgette Sealhunter and Sarah Coonishish
Parents/family and participants, Photography: Eric Grimstead, Thunderstorm Lights & Sounds, Entertainers: Awa Diaharra, Gabrielle St-Cyr, Tristan Petawabano, Baby Jane Trapper, Haylee Petawabano and Marcus Swallow
Thank you
Congratulations to everyone one who participated and to the
Winners!
Winners
Ages 1 to 3
Girls: 1st - Tyresha Snowboy Boys: 1st Place- Waylon Sam
2nd - Lorianne Chakapash
2nd - Keenon Nanskish
rd
3 - Gianna House
3rd - Jonah Bellefleur
Ages 4 to 6
Girls: 1st - Trinity Martinhunter Boys: 1st - Jayden Moar
2nd - Mariam Wapachee
2nd - Braydon Coonishish
rd
3 - Rihannon Salt-Shem
3rd - George Bobbish
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
29
Classifieds
Happy Birthday to the following people ...
First and foremost, a Happy 7th Birthday to Maythan on May 31st also a
Happy 3rd Birthday to Connor Napash
on May 28th and to Keyshia Grant on
June 2nd
Happy Birthdays to Margaret Chewanish - May 29th, Ariette CoonCome
on June 10th and Wabiguun Pachano on
June 2nd.
Love always from all of us at 103
Watchia Maaskinuu xoxo
Congratulations to Aiden Spencer for
his first goose on May 9.
From Mabel
Happy Birthday to Marjorie House on
June 17 with many more to come.
From your old friend Diane
Walking Out Ceremony!
Congratulations to David-John's walking out on May 26, 2012. May God
Bless & watch over you. Love you
so so much from Granny Maryanne &
Family.
30 Waaskimaashtaau June
Happy Birthday to my niece Shana-June
and Mina on June 17th.
Happy Birthday to Isabel Sealhunter,
Andrew Swallow, Julia House, Markus
House, Pearl Bearskin, and Ryan
Herodier on June 22 and to my mother
Maudie on June 28.
Once again Happy Birthday and many
more to come. With love - Caroline.
Birthday Greeting!
Happy 2nd Birthday to Waylon Jake
Hunter Sam on May 12, 2012. Love you
much Granny Maryanne &Family.
To my fantastic, amazing, kind, beautiful and sexy wife on her special day!
(June 30) May all your dreams for the
future come true.
Happy Birthday Annie!
ELECTION FOR THE OFFICE OF
YOUTH GRAND CHIEF/CHAIRPERSON
OF THE CREE NATION YOUTH COUNCIL (EEYOU ISTCHEE)
CERTIFICATE OF RESULTS
AWASHISH,SAMANTHA 242 (14.08%); DIAMOND,JEREMY 435 (25.31%);
HOUSE,KEVIN 73 (4.25%); ISERHOFF,JOSHUA 672 (39.09%); TRAPPER,SHADROCK 270 (15.71%)
SUB-TOTAL: 1719 (100%)
.... In accordance with the election results, I hereby declare that MR. JOSHUA ISERHOFF
is duly elected as Youth Grand Chief/Chairperson of the Cree
Nation Youth Council
(Eeyou Istchee) for a mandate of four (4) years.
And having signed on this 31st day of May; 2012.
"
IRIS VOYAGEUR
MARY JANE MOAR
Chief Electoral Officer
Assistant Electoral Officer
Of note: there were 6395 eligible youth voters - 1719 voted which is ≈ 27%. Other than Whapmagoostui, the smaller communities had a better turnout (30-40%) than did the
larger communities (20-25%)
Congratulations Joshua!
For those of you
who like to keep
track of events and
to get a head start
on planning,
Leon day is June 25
(Leon → Noel–
Christmas)
Whiskeyjacks were great entertainers at
Trout lake. I often wondered if they were
Memorial Services
able to find the food they hide. Oh yeah,
LG 2 - Saturday, July 7th, 2pm
they weren’t too keen on Fruit Loops!
Chisasibi - Sunday, July 8th, 3pm
In fact they would pick them up and then
Fort George - Sunday, July 15th
spit them out. Hmmm ….
Super Moon as seen at Trout Lake on May 5th
Father’s Day Thursday, June 17th
There’s an unfounded rumour circulating that all CNC fathers will get
the day off.
A parent came in to see me recently and
wanted to know if I would write something about the disgrace back of Cluster
F4-4. It’s a place where some of our local
alcoholics congregate to drink out of
sight of people and especially the police.
The area is littered with broken liquor
bottles, some of it large sharp pieces that
would give a child a life threatening gash
if they ever fell on one.
The parent also said his children are
afraid to play outside when the drunks
are there.
In talking with a member of the regional police force (EEPF), it was mentioned
that an ATV may be purchased and used
to patrol off road areas; but that is sometime in the future. In the meantime ???
The best for now would be for YOU to
notify the police if you see people drinking in their favourite haunts outside and
not to think “I’ll leave them alone. They’re
not bothering anybody.”
(A photo of this area disgraced the front
page of the Waaskimaashtaau a year ago.
Out of sight, out of mind!)
Taken with a cell phone by Charlotte Tapiatic Thursday night. Up
until this time our weather had
been cool and wet. Friday sunny
and quite warm. Finally summer!!
William Chiskamish brought this picture
in of a stove that was used by his uncle
John Chiskamish. He thinks that it was
used in the early 50s. The stove came
from M’Clary Mfg Co.
Our mighty North Wind has completely
obliterated, disintegrated, anniliated.. or
just plain eaten away.. the
"Quebec flag" at the
Commercial Complex of
Chisasibi. See the power of our Mighty
Wind!.. that's Wind
Power! miiyaah!
Maggie
Sad to say TBC closed its doors
permanently on June 1 after having a half-off sale. Thomas Bobbish
was leasing the building from Jim
Hill. Thomas has a building trailer
coming up from the south, He’s
waiting for the OK on a lot in the
SE section of town.
TBC was one of the most popular
Depanneurs in Chisasibi.
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
31
$1,039.00/person
QUADRUPLE OCCUPANCY
1,139.00/person
TRIPLE OCCUPANCY
$1,329.00/person
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Trip includes:
 Bus
 10 Hotel nights
 10 Breakfasts
 Tour of Memphis City
 Tour of Nashville City
 Country Hall of Fame
visit
 Platinum Tour of
Graceland
 Jack Daniels Factory visit
 Grand Ole Opry visit
Organizer: Dolores Audet-Wash
(819) 855-1992
Information evening of June 5, 2012 at the Mitchuap Auditorium
Departure from Val d’Or, Quebec
August 31st to September 10th, 2012
Nashville, Graceland & Memphis