Ella Gull
June 14, 2011
Waswanipi

"After 3 days in the forest, my grandson said to me, "I'm bored, I want to go back to Waswanipi."

Ella Gull, Eeyou

Like many of her generation, Ella Gull was sent to residential school. In spite of herself, she had to stop going in the territory with her mother and father. She felt a great void, which she’s been trying to fill since her retirement. She’s always known that the forest is her world. By spending as much time as possible on her trap line, she’s trying to recreate her parents' way of life, even though a lot has changed. What she gains is priceless: silence, freedom and the feeling that she can finally be who she is.

Indoors. Close shot of Ella Gull. She is sitting in front of a log wall.

Interviewer

You, you lived in the bush with your parents when you were young?

Ella Gull

When I was 10 years old I was taken to a residential school, before that I spent my time with my parents, but it’s quite different from now than it was at that time because we don’t have the same technology as we have today, like we had no phones, no skidoos you know at that time, when I was 10 years old, everybody used canoes, snowshoes, dog teams, so it’s quite different.

Interviewer

And these tools changed the way that you live your activities on the territory, your cultural activities right now?

Ella Gull

Well, they make it a little easier, for sure, without a chainsaw, before we used to use a bucksaw to cut wood, now we have chainsaws and it makes things a little easier.

[…]

Following scene. Close-up of Ella Gull.

Ella Gull

I find that when I was going to, when I was working, I had an urge to go back in the bush to learn, to live the way my parents lived, but I knew I had no time to do that when I was working. I would have to wait for the 2 weeks of goose breaks in the spring and 2 weeks in the fall, moose break, that’s when I used to be able to go in the bush and I used to feel like, you know, that’s not enough. I’m not gonna be able to learn enough, I have to re-learn what was done a long time ago because I haven’t done, living in a community like this, I haven’t done that in all those years. So, uh, when I started going back there again, I thought this is like learning all over again you know, to trying live that way and, uh... If I was a little bit younger I guess I would have been able to do more, but I enjoy it, I find peace and I really feel this is where I belong. This is my life, in the bush. I find that peace in myself, to be able, and I’m thankful that I’m able that to live like that again, to re-live that life that my parents lived, then I know who I am, who I really am.

Interviewer

You feel that you are more close to your proper persona in the woods than in the community.

Ella Gull

Yes. Certainly, yeah!

Interviewer

And how would you express how you feel in comparison in the community?

Ella Gull

Well I feel it’s, uh… That you don’t get enough rest when you are in the community, there are always things to do, there’s always the phone ringing, the television is on. I’m missing the peace I find in the bush. It’s tiring, you know. Especially when you have grand-children, I have 3 grand-children living with me right now, my daughter is there also, and I don’t get the rest I need, you know, the peace I want. I don’t mind the children, but it’s more peaceful and restful with, when you are in the bush, you know like if you’re there 3 days, you feel like a different person already, because you’re getting all the rest and all the peace. I don’t find it boring like the kids do. It’s what my grand-son says after 3 days, “Oh, it’s so boring, I want to go back to Waswanipi.”

Interviewer

So they don’t feel the same way as you?

Ella Gull

They don’t feel the same way, no. Because that’s how their life started, you know, with all the technology and everything like that, so going in the bush is very different for them. But me, I knew that at a young age that I wanted to go back, I wanted to re-live that, that lifestyle.

Armand Echaquan. Élisabeth Kaine
April 1, 2011
Manawan

"Today, I'm lost if I'm not in the woods."

Armand Echaquan, Nehirowisiw

When he was in his prime, Armand Eshaquan would walk for two days to get to his territory. Today, he uses a snowmobile. He doesn't like the city, which is too fast and too noisy. He prefers the peace of the woods by far. His home is the forest, a treasure he hopes to leave in the best possible condition to his son and grandchildren.

Tight close-up on the upper part of Armand Echaquan's facial profile. He’s wearing glasses.

Interviewer

So, you’d leave from here. Do you still go there, on your territory?

Armand Echaquan

Yes, yes. I still go.

The camera moves to the left and lowers to show Manawan on the map on the wall.

Interviewer

You’d leave from Manawan.

Armand Echaquan

After Manawan, there's a long stretch.

Interviewer

How do you get there?

Armand Echaquan

On Ski-Doo!

Interviewer

In winter?

Armand Echaquan

In winter, on Ski-Doo. We used to go on foot, before having Ski-Doos. We were always on foot.

Interviewer

How long did it take you on foot?

Armand Echaquan

Two, uh... Uh... Two days.

Interviewer

Two days!

Armand Echaquan

Two days. Yeah, but I would trap on the way… in the past, I’d trap on the way. We weren't in a hurry. I'm going into the woods. The woods is... It's my... It's my home. Just like my home. I'd stop there. Do whatever, okay!

The camera moves away. The interviewer takes her place on the left. Armand Eshaquan is on the right. They’re facing the wall on which large maps are displayed.

Interviewer

It's all your home.

Armand Echaquan

Yeah, yeah, yeah! I don't think of anything else. When I go into the woods, it's the woods. Same as you. Yes. You stay in the woods to do this. I go there. I go to that place. Same as me. The woods are... the woods are my...

The camera is placed over the interviewer's shoulder. Tight shot on Armand Eshaquan.

Interviewer

Your big home!

Armand Echaquan

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Today, they want to stop us. Or so they say... Well, the territory... There are no more… There used to be beaver reserves. But today, they don’t exist anymore.

Interviewer

The beaver?

Armand Echaquan

The beaver reserve. They had left us some beaver reserves. Today, they say, “There aren’t any more beaver reserves.” I don't know why. We don't go there often. My boy goes. My boy’s not here? Clément's not here? Oh! He's here!

Interviewer

He stays in the background. [Laughter] Do you, uh, always go back there? Are there any other areas that you're familiar with?

The camera once again approaches the map and Armand Echaquan indicates different places.

Armand Echaquan

Oh!... Everything here is... Everything there... You can see everything. It's not that big. I go everywhere. Before, I used to go everywhere. Today, I’m not as I once was. I walk slowly. David, he... he didn't say my age did he eh?

Interviewer

David, he didn't tell me your age. He’s very sensitive. [Laughter] He told me that you, you had the experience of “walking” the territory, that you had walked on the territory; that he knows it, but on snowmobile.

Armand Echaquan

Yeah, on snowmobile. But I showed him... I showed my son, everything I used to do in the woods. Even today, I still try to have more respect, to be careful, to keep some wood and not damage it all, y’know.

Very tight close-up on the interviewer's face.

Interviewer

And you conveyed this to him?

Very tight close-up on Armand Eshaquan's face and the map in front of him.

Armand Echaquan

Yes, yes. Today, at least, he wants his children to learn. That they may stay there, live in the woods. To not always be watching TV eh... There's an Indian somewhere in there. Huh? Let’s go! From time to time, you can look around. To say, huh... I'm lost. I'm not in the woods.

Interviewer

You’re lost if you're not in the woods?

The camera moves away again. The two people are in close proximity.

Armand Echaquan

Yeah. When you get into, into... You go into the woods. You go into the woods, it's good for you. I've always loved the woods. I've never liked staying in the city. Like today, they go to town to buy the things we eat. I said, “I don't like it.” I prefer letting my wife pick it up, shop in town. I said, “I'll wait!”

Interviewer

You would go get dinner in the woods.

Armand Echaquan

I've always lived in the woods. We had nothing, but we had everything. You’d go to the woods... You’d have everything you needed, in the woods. No need for money.

Interviewer

It's a different life now, isn't it?

Armand Echaquan

Today, it's quite different. Today, the young people, huh, they want to have everything: a cowboy hat, shoes, cowboy boots, ties. Us, in the woods, we simply lived, that's all. Moccasins... I don’t think you’ve seen them, boots made of moose, have you? Like we were talking about the other day.

Interviewer

No! I haven't seen any. Yes, we were talking about it. And, uh... Presently, nobody has any. The hides have not yet been made.

Armand Echaquan

No. I made some a long time ago. I would’ve shown you some.

Interviewer

Yes. I'd sure like to see some like you mentioned earlier.

Armand Echaquan

But, we can still, if we find a piece of boot. Dry it and include it in the exhibition.. Y’know, where you were, in Montreal, it's been a long time since I went there, I went to a museum. I had gone to Montreal and Ottawa. I saw everything our parents did. It was convenient for the.... Today, I still make some.

Interviewer

So you still have knowledge of these practices.

Armand Echaquan

Yeah, I still have it. I still make lots of things.