David Kistabish. Sophie Kistabish
June 29, 2011
Pikogan

"It's too much, unless you have 26-hour days."

David Kistabish, Anishinabe

As heirs of the past, Indigenous youth are at the centre of what’s to come. Between tradition and modernity, they must find their place. There are many challenges: preserving language and culture, affirming their identity, acquiring knowledge, learning skills… There’s also trying to be successful in a school system that doesn’t teach their history and whose calendar doesn’t match the activities of the territory: moose hunting in the fall, trapping in the winter. It’s a heavy burden, and sometimes it’s too much. This is when it’s important to catch your breath and find the courage not to get discouraged. The future is young and it belongs to them.

Indoors. David Kistabish is on the left of the screen. He’s wearing a grey cap and a black polo shirt on which is written “the forests”. Sophie, on the right, is wearing a black hooded kangaroo sweater with a white symbol resembling a dream catcher. They’re sitting in front of a beige wall.

David Kistabish

But, considering everything, you know, when we talk about tradition and culture and language as well, that was the way of life, huh? In the past, they were sedentary, not sedentary, they were nomads. They wandered around, and that was their way of life. It was a normal way of doing things. The way of life, where the, where we are now, I’d say, it’s changed. That's a little difficult to deal with. In a way, I've been there. They tell us young people, to go to school. Going to school is important. Finish high school, it's important. You'll work later. But, on the other hand, they tell us “Don't lose your language! Go out into the woods!”

nterviewer

It’s a lot to take in, regardless.

David Kistabish

Yes, somehow. Some people have the ability to do so, but others get discouraged or, y‘know, I mean.... They’re asking a lot from us, really, as... Y‘know, they, the population, the elderly, they, they grew up with this. They lived there whole lives with this. Now here, they may not necessarily practice anymore because they lack mobility, if I may say so. But, their children, the 50-60 year olds, they really experienced the split between the two, with the arrival of residential schools and everything. They really experienced, uh, what it was like to be sedentary within the woods and then settling down, not sedentary, nomadic, and then settling down here more permanently. The way of life has changed with them. So, at that time, it was... It was a little more difficult to carry one with traditions and all the, the cultures, if you will.




Fade out.

Interviewer

What are the, the...?

David Kistabish

As I said, I was born into it. When I was born, Pikogan existed. I was born here. In 1983, that’s when I was born, and my father... My parents got their house in 84. As far as I can remember, I’ve always grown up here. I’ve always lived here. If I may say so, the sense of belonging, or of where I come from... I come from here, from Pikogan. Whereas my grandparents come from Lake Abitibi. That's why we call ourselves “Abitibiwinni”. But, y‘know, this mindset, the young people they..... Well, at least, in my opinion, they don't have it. I mean, they... For them, they come from Pikogan. But do they really know that we come from there? Yes, a certain proportion knows it; but another, probably not. So, y‘know, all this leads me to say that, well, yes, it's good to preserve language, yes, it's good to preserve traditions, but you have to know where you come from as well. At some point in school, there should be something other that just language classes. There should be culture classes, classes for in the woods, trapping classes, everything from traditional methods of cutting up game, tanning hides, things like that. This doesn't really exist. History classes. When we go to high school, we take history classes... We learn the history of Quebec. I have nothing against that.

Interviewer

But it isn’t really concerned with you, your history.

David Kistabish

Not at all.

Interviewer

Not at all, actually.

David Kistabish

Not at all. And each community, or each place, has its own history. Like those of us who come from “Abitiwi”.... from Lake Abitibi. Well, we're here now. There's a reason why we're here. Whereas if you go... I don't know, like you were saying about...

Sophie Kistabish

Kitigan Zibi.

David Kistabish

Kitigan Zibi.

Interviewer

Yeah!

David Kistabish

There must be a reason. Them too... They also have their history. So, somewhere along the way, I think yes, we should have history classes according to communities. To know where we come from.

nterviewer

What are you laughing at?

Sophie Kistabish

It’s just that... He reminds me of my father.

David Kistabish

Yes. [Laughter]

Sophie Kistabish

He talks and turns around like that.

Sophie imitates David's movement.

Sophie Kistabish

You get it? [Laughter] My father did that.. That's why.

Interviewer

OK! That’s good! So that's it! In essence, it’s education, to have a more consistent education that’s adapted to, to your people and your culture.

David Kistabish

Through all this, we’re asked, well, to not lose that and, at the same time, to go to school. So, I think that somewhere along the way, there's a better balance to strike.

Interviewer

We have to bring a little change to school...

David Kistabish

And also, y’know, I mean.... On the other hand, everything related to education or school must still follow the rules that are there, eh. Y’know, I mean, when you go from secondary one to secondary two, you must have at least 60% in French, the same for math and English, etc. You still have to conform, but it's almost impossible to combine the two, if you want. It’s too much... unless you have 26 hours a day!

Crossfade.

David Kistabish

But also, what, what Sophie is saying is that, yes, school lasts for 10 months a year. Some people will say that there are two months, summertime, when nothing is happening. There's no school. So that’s the time to go into the woods.

Interviewer

Ah! But it's also time to rest too.

David Kistabish

Except that in..... During the summer, this is when it gets hot, when we don't hunt often. And, y’know, I mean, there are appropriate times. And that time is autumn, winter, and spring. Trapping is done in the winter. Moose hunting is in the fall. And in spring, there’s the thaw period and the rebirth of nature. So those are the important times to go. In the summer, yes, there are things to do, but not as much as the three periods I now just mentioned. And unfortunately, school starts in September. Or late August, early September, and it ends in June. It's stretches all the way through that period, regardless.

Sue Vollant. Shana St-Onge. Justine St-Onge
October 11, 2011
Mani-Utenam

"You should take your children to the woods."

Sue Vollant, Innu

The territory is a great school. It trains people and anchors their existence, but it’s also threatened by industrial development. The young people who spend time there see the signs. Some of them are challenging the power money has over the lives of their communities and families. Inspired by their parents, they continue to fight to defend their people's ancestral rights. They went to the right school.

Interview with young Innu. A picture of them graces the soundtrack.

Sue Vollant

Have you ever... This is my personal question.

Claudia Néron

Go ahead!

Sue Vollant

Uh... Have you ever been alone in the woods? Alone, alone, alone. Lost from everyone. In a... a cottage...

Claudia Néron

Lost or... uh...? No, no! Okay!

Sue Vollant

Not lost, but alone, with no one, no cilivi... no civilization. By candlelight and stovetop. No electricity.

Claudia Néron

Well, all alone, no. With my boyfriend, yes. Because we have a camp in the woods. Uh, my boyfriend and...

Sue Vollant

But that’s good too... Yeah, yeah.

Claudia Néron

That’s good? OK! My boyfriend, he comes from Mashteuiatsh. He’s Innu from Mashteuiatsh and he has a camp, on a territory , uh, north of... Lac-Saint-Jean. So, yes, we often go together in the woods. Deep in the woods.

Sue Vollant

And I'd like to know what you felt. How you felt.

Claudia Néron

Oh! So good eh! Calm, rest, peace. Peace. It's qui... Oh! A well-being.

Sue Vollant

Did you feel more energetic afterwards when you got out of there?

Claudia Néron

Oh! Yes, yes! Certainly...

Sue Vollant

You were thinking clearly, and everything.

Claudia Néron

Yes!

Sue Vollant

You see what you learned there, I learned it at the age of five. In such a way that... When you treat a child like an adult, that's what happens. I just wanted to show you what difference it makes. Now, with your child eh... Your children eh, you should take them into the woods. At the age of ten, they would understand what you understood at the age of twenty. It's not about it being personal to him. It’s the fact that you must realize that, despite work and everything, you must never deprive yourself of that... Because it will take away pieces of what you are. It can take everything away from you. Just like today, there are plans for the North eh, to build mines and whatnot. It's approaching our territory. We're a big family in this territory, and when you say... It, it relaxes you, it’s reinvigorating. If we take it away, where will I go? Where do I go? Where will I live my life? Where will I turn to? It's actually my life, that's being taken away, that's being destroyed.

Carl Morasse

You have to talk about that! You must talk about it!

Sue Vollant

Well, that's why I'm talking about it now.

Carl Morasse

You're talking about it now. You, you have to film her...

Claudia Néron

At least you’re heard!

Carl Morasse

Yes, you're right eh, exactly. You chose the right time, but you also need to talk about it with adults, with those who work at the Council.

Sue Vollant

I can't simply do that... I can't simply do that...

Carl Morasse

You can... You can't simply do it ?

Sue Vollant

That’s not how it’s done, because today, money handles everything. Too much, too much money... Nowadays, because we’ve never really lived with money. We’ve just now understood the power of money, which makes... Which makes high society people who sought out the Council, will blind themselves with money and won’t make a good... a good community, as I would say... They won’t lead the community properly, as they did in the past. Today, there’s money. Hydro-Québec who comes here, even if we say no. They'll still settle here anyway. It's all about knowing how much money they’ll spend so they can come and put their wires. Once in the woods, we see wires... On our grounds eh! Yet they’re not supposed to... We hadn’t even said yes. Wires are visible. There are lots of them.

Claudia Néron

Ah! Yeah...

Sue Vollant

That's what people don't see. What the government is hiding from others. They say that nations are dirty: “They don't know how to live. They live off UI...”. We’re not... We're not the ones who collect UI money. The government gives us the UI money turning us into couch potatoes. And in exchange, what they do is destroy our territories. Yet, they say that we’re dirty. But we're not in the least bit dirty. All I see is a bunch of cheaters trying to make us look bad when they’re the ones taking all our resources away from us. That's my point of view. Yes, it's true, the government gives us plenty... the hospital and everything to keep us healthy. But, in a way, because of the McDonald's, we destroyed our health anyways. In both ways, so.... Even my grandfather - look, you know William. Okay! I think he’s probably about eighty years old. Two years ago... No, one... Last year eh, a clothes... a clothesline pole, it fell on his side. All he got was a big bruise. No cracked ribs, no broken ribs. Yet, a clothesline pole, that’s, that’s big and heavy.

Claudia Néron

It is!

Sue Vollant

Well, he lived in the woods and everything, his health is stronger than today's children who eat McDonald's, or Mikes, or such things.