3rd Annual Family Weekend…A Great Success!

The 3^rd Annual Family Weekend was a great success! 

On the first day we had close to 70 people join us for the whole afternoon.   The second day was just as popular.  In total we received over 150 people last weekend.  Those who attended experienced things that they’ve never before had the chance to see or do.

We invited nine (9) special guests to be with us for the whole weekend to transfer their traditional skills knowledge to all the participants that came to Aanischaaukamikw.  Elders Harry & Connie Bearskin and John & Beulah Crowe, from Chisasibi, brought their tools to make baby rattles, miniature snowshoes & carvings. From Mistissini, Emma Matoush taught participants to sew baby moccasins, and Elders Isaac & Sophie Coon taught participants the art of fishnet making.  Last but not least, Hattie Kitchen & Rene Blacksmith came to show us how to make baby moccasins and how to make your own crooked knife.

FAMILY WEEKEND AT ACCI

November 22, 23 & 24 saw Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute host its 2^nd annual “Family Weekend” and what a weekend it was.  There were visitors from all over Eeyou Istchee that came to see Aanischaaukamikw and the events that happened throughout the weekend.

Two elders, Nancy Snowboy and Elizabeth Cookish, came from Chisasibi to show off their sewing skills and help any interested onlookers with their sewing skills.  Being from a coastal community, the two elders have access to different furs to sew with than what is normally used in Ouje-Bougoumou.  Many of their mittens were made using seal skins.  Just from looking at them, these mittens must be extremely warm in the winter months and they definitely keep your hands dry during spring.  Hopefully some of our visitors were inspired by their work and incorporate some of the coastal designs into their sewing. 

Johnny Neeposh came to share some legends and stories that he was told as a child.  Mr. Neeposh is an incredible story teller; he has the ability to capture the imagination of everyone around him when he speaks.  His story about the boy and the bear and why it is important to respect traditions and advice from others proved to be a valuable life lesson to all who listened.  He also told stories of when he was a boy living in the bush with his parents and all the knowledge he acquired while growing up. He expressed the importance of keeping these teachings strong by passing them down to our own children and future generations. It was such a pleasure having him here with us.

Family Weekend

This past weekend we held an event designed at passing on family traditions from one generation to the next. Families are such a strong learning resource for children anywhere in the world, and this is no different here in in Eeyou Istchee. We were able to offer many activities with the purpose of families learning together. Our family weekend had 58 adults attend, and considering that most of the people in attendance brought their young children with them, it has been estimated that we had over 80 people here to enjoy the events, speakers, arts and crafts, and workshops available to participate in.

We were proud to offer workshops on Cree Literacy where children and parents learned the basics of the Cree syllabics and eventually how to write their names.  Mothers and daughters spent the day sewing and beading, and numerous designs were exchanged throughout the weekend.  One young lady left with an outline of a pair of gloves, something she could not wait to start.  Our tamarack decoy making workshop was a huge hit, people all weekend were comparing their decoys to other first time decoy makers around the table listening for the “ohhhhs” and “ahhhhs” from everyone else.  Harry Snowboy, a traditional healer originally from Chisasibi, came and spoke to us about the rites of passage that children go through in their lives.  The numerous children with their faces painted taking part in the arts and crafts table was truly a sight to see.  There were so many young children that were happy and proud of their creations. Our archeologists made an enormous contribution to the weekend and the sounds of rocks chipping and being made into arrow heads and knives echoed throughout the building.  

Seeing children laughing and families smiling together made this weekend event a success.  One young boy stood out; after he completed his tamarack decoy he carried it around with him for the rest of the day like it was his own child.  He was so extremely proud of his accomplishment and any person that happened to walk by was shown his work for the day.  Hopefully the traditions that were learned here this past weekend will continue to be practiced and passed on to future generations, and for those of you that missed it, hopefully family weekends will become a regular event in years to come.