The Elders’ Legacy

From Partridge to Chicken

Ernest Ottawa. Jean-Marc Niquay
March 30, 2011
Manawan

"In my dreams, the moose told me: go back, go see your parents."

Ernest Ottawa, Nehirowisiw

Over the past few decades, the way of life of Indigenous people has changed drastically. In their dreams, young people no longer talk to hares or moose and in return, they no longer respond to them. Chicken delivery boxes have replaced the partridge hunt. And that’s the case in several areas of life. What’s not passed on is lost and adds weight to the hearts of elders who want nothing more than to offer their knowledge as a legacy to future generations. One day, when Ernest Ottawa wanted to serve his children partridge, he told them, "Eat, it’s just like chicken!"

Transcript

Indoors. Ernest Ottawa is sitting on the left side of the screen. He’s wearing a red plaid shirt, a sleeveless navy blue fleece jacket and glasses. On the right, Jean-Marc Niquay is wearing a blue striped shirt and tinted glasses. A horizontal freezer is behind them.

Ernest Ottawa

When I was young, I sometimes had dreams. I would dream about meeting a moose and being able to talk to it. Or I would meet a partridge who could talk to me. And I talked to it. And it understood me. And we talked, we communicated. Or it was a hare, you know, uh, that I could talk to. I wouldn’t hurt it. It wouldn’t hurt me. No one would get hurt.
Even the moose, it sometimes said to me, “Go back home. Go see your parents”. Sometimes I dreamt of it, uh, and sometimes I share this with my... my children. They don't have these types of dreams because they haven’t... haven’t experienced what I have. They haven't lived like, uh... Well, that’s to say, uh, with modernity and, uh... They haven’t... They haven’t quite experienced these things probably.

Uh, furthermore, I remember once when, when we were in Quebec City. I lived about fifteen... about fifteen or so years in Quebec City. And, uh, sometimes we'd go to the restaurant on Sundays, uh, well at St-Hubert BBQ. And we would eat there. Sometimes we'd go out and eat chicken and, uh, my kids, they liked it, very much.

And then, one day, we came, uh, to vacation here, uh, for three weeks. We stayed in the woods, and I killed a lot of partridges. And then, well, I..... My children watched me prepare the partridges, remove the feathers and then, well, open it all up, dismember it. And my kids, well, it, uh... it probably had an affect on them, seeing me do it. In such a way that they didn’t want to... they didn't want to eat it.

As for me, I remember the first time I ate chicken. It was, uh....I was young. My father had come to the store here and bought a chicken. And then, well, my mother, she cooked the chicken, and I thought it was disgusting. I found it disgusting, y’know chicken eh... White and, uh, white meat and, uh, white skin. I found it disgusting. I didn't want to eat any. And my mother said to me, “Eat! Come on! Eat!” She said to me, “It's the same as partridge. It's the same as partridge.”

Well I, well, y’know, uh, I barely managed to eat a little bit, y’know. Finally, when we came here on vacation, as I said eh, with my, uh... with my daughters, they didn't want to eat partridge. And I would say to them, “Eat! It's the same as chicken!”

[Laughter]

Interviewer

Struggling…

Ernest Ottawa

That's about 30 years later. Between 0 and 30 years, it has completely changed.

Interviewer

Yeah.

A House that’s too Warm in Winter

Philip Peastitute. Élisabeth Kaine. Donald Peastitude. Phil Einish
March 4, 2011
Kawawachikamach

"You can't erase where you come from from your memory. "

Philip Peastitute, Naskapi

Elders who go from a nomadic existence to a sedentary lifestyle take with them some of the soil of their ancestors, the soil of their identity. Uprooted, without having made the choice, they’re more sensitive to wind movements and the wind of change blows hard. In Kawawachikamach, in the middle of February, in his overheated house, Philip Peastitute lets his eyes and memories escape through his kitchen window. His grandson’s watching television. Outside, a snowmobile goes by.

Transcript

Indoors. Two men are sitting at a table. A window behind them shows a few houses in a snowy background. Philip Peastitute is sitting to the left of the screen. He is wearing a green shirt and a blue tuque. On the right, Donald Peastitute is wearing a black and red plaid shirt.

Phil Einish

He says he was about 20 when they arrived here.

Interviewer

And are they brothers?

Phil Einish

Yeah, they’re brothers.

Interviewer

Ok, so he was like 33?

Phil Einish

Yeah.

Donald Peastitute

[Donald Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Following scene. Close-up of Philip Peastitute. Behind him are large traditional snowshoes shaped like bear paws and an old radio placed on a piece of furniture.

Interviewer

But you know from then, they are 20, they are 30, they have lived a nomadic life, and now they live in a village. How was it emotionally for them, to go from one way of life to the other? And I would like Philip to understand.

Phil Einish

[Phil Einish speaks Naskapi. He talks loudly.]

Philip Peastitute moves to hear better. Donald Peastitute moves closer to him.

Donald Peastitute

[Donald Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Philip Peastitute sits down again. Zoom out to a long shot of Philip and Donald Peastitute.

Philip Peastitute

[Philip Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Phil Einish

That was a different lifestyle, where his original home is, yes there was many hardships. But after, but after the federal government stepped in, things got better, things got better for the, the ways of living.

Close-up of Philip Peastitute.

But still, we cannot erase memories, where you come from. You have to know where, where the identity is.

Donald Peastitute

[Donald Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Phil Einish

It’s very important that the young people, the young population, know their roots, where they come from. It’s very important. And it is after... Why they left it’s because of the disposal of the federal government, asking them and giving new benefits [inaudible]… they still miss his homeland, the way he used to treat with cautious the land, the resources, ‘cause they didn’t get any education, there was no education at the time. They had to depend on the land or resources. So they were their own bosses.

Following scene. Close-up of Philip Peastitute and the snowshoes behind him.

Phil Einish

Not far from here, few miles from here, kilometers, no ski doo, just snowshoes, took them all the way to Kuujjuaq. That’s how they did it.

Donald Peastitute

[Donald Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Phil Einish

The only thing that astonished him, as far as he can remember when the fur traders were coming in, was this motor boat, motor, it was new to him, that was something he had never seen before, to push a boat, you know, fast, something surprising. They always used to paddle and to portage and carrying packsacks…

The camera moves to the right. Close-up of Donald Peastitute.

Donald Peastitute

[Donald Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Phil Einish

Toboggan, snowshoes, and so and so... [Inaudible] Today, you take the ski doo trail and you get there in two days. But then, they had to hunt, to fish and trap along the way. Just with snowshoes and toboggan. No ski doo.

Donald Peastitute

[Donald Peastitute speaks Naskapi]

Phil Einish

Many, many people in that area during the days he’s talking about. People were always meeting other groups on the way, sharing you know, telling stories in overnight camps, and lately move on. One family, feast together, hunt for a couple of days in the area, and move on again. That’s how they lived, nomadic people.

The Grandchildren

Tom Mapachee
June 28, 2011
Pikogan

"A grandchild is precious!"

Tom Mapachee, Anishinabe

Unlike Tom Mapachee's family, many elders cannot talk to their grandchildren because they no longer share the same language. Theirs has been lost on the road to modernity and young people no longer understand it. No more lullabies, legends and everyday conversations. No more calls: "Grandma, can I sleep at your place? ". Natural communication is broken, but love is still there. They’d like to answer: "Come on!" But the phone doesn't ring.

Transcript

Interview with Tom Mapachee, a photo of him graces the sound of his voice.

Interviewer

It's very touching though, isn't it?

Tom Mapachee

It’s touching, isn't it? That's, that's what I'm saying. It's nostalgic to talk about... Because they experienced the evolution of an Anishinabe's life.

Interviewer

They’ve definitely experienced life, how it was before.

Tom Mapachee

Definately...

Interviewer

And they’ve seen everything... Things must have changed so much during their lives. But she’s pessimistic? She thinks it's already too late for the language?

Tom Mapachee

Well, more and more, people talk like that because they feel like young people don't listen to them anymore. It’s up to us, the people of our generation, to approach them, because we’re closer to them. And we’re closer to their grandchildren.

Interviewer

It's hard to… how could I... to imagine that even a grandmother can't speak to her grandchildren. Y’know, uh... even more, okay, to think, uh, that ancestors spoke a language but, uh...

Tom Mapachee

It must really be terrible.

Interviewer

These are two generations interacting eh...

Tom Mapachee

When you say your grandchild... I have my grandchildren. I love them so much! Sometimes, maybe even more than my own children. I loved my children, but not in the same way as my little ones. When my grandchildren come over, it's total happiness. Sure, but you can never say no to what your grandchild is asking. Sometimes, my oldest is eight years old, and sometimes my wife says, “Oh! I'm tired eh! I wouldn't want someone, a grandchild to call.” Well, like, Line calls home. Sometimes she calls fifteen minutes later, she says, “Grandma, can I come to sleep over? - Yes, you can come sleep over.” Fifteen minutes earlier she had just said she didn’t want anyone.

Interviewer

That she didn’t feel like it! She doesn't want to refuse.

Tom Mapachee

She can't refuse.

Interviewer

It's always the grandmothers and grandfathers who spoil the most.

Tom Mapachee

That’s not the same thing.

Interviewer

But really that's it... Imagine not being able to answer. Not being able to understand what they want.

Tom Mapachee

That's what they’re experiencing; no calls. The grandparents who were with us the other day are in the same situation as them; the grandchildren don't understand them anymore... Well, yes, it always comes back, uh, but that's what the children are experiencing, because by staying at home, the grandchildren can't go visit them. The grandchild is also aware that Grandma doesn't understand when she talks. So that's why. They’re very bored in their homes. Because for them, a grandchild is precious.

Interviewer

That's right. It's a special relationship.

Tom Mapachee

They would really like to pass on their knowledge, the language and tell them legends. I remember when I was with my grandmother, she would sometimes tell us little nursery rhymes. It was funny! Sometimes it was sad. Sometimes there was a message they wanted to convey. When we were misbehaving, there was always a legend related to it. Instead of scolding us, of disciplining us, she would say, “Come here. I'll tell you a story. The children who did that, who didn't want to listen, kids, that's what will happen to you.” We would sit around our grandmother, and she would tell us a story then and there. “Okay! We no longer play with this because we don't want that to happen to us.” […]

Interviewer

Oh, my God! That was a great approach!

Tom Mapachee

That's how education was done.

Interviewer

Through legends...

Tom Mapachee

The legend was used in this way.

Interviewer

But now, today, since grandchildren... Well, actually, legends no longer have a place in the French language?

Tom Mapachee

No, that’s not really it.

Interviewer

The legend remains in the Algonquin language.

Tom Mapachee

It remains in the Algonquin language. Well, sometimes we talk to our kids about it, “Oh, that's not true!” They're like cartoons to them. The nursery rhymes that they learned in French. They don’t have the same value as we would.... They’re not able to analyze the message conveyed.

Interviewer

And you, when you were young, were you able to do so?

Tom Mapachee

Yes, of course!

Interviewer

You understood that stuff!

Tom Mapachee

We were in the woods, we were with... close to our parents. We understood the meaning of, the message that was present.

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From Partridge to Chicken

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