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CONFLICT WITH NATURE: Part #1The summer of 1989 happened to be one of the driest seasons in Manitoba’s history. It also was one of the busiest years for the Department of Natural Resources, as there were many forest fires to due to the lack of rain. I remember this year well because this was the year that most of Northern Manitoba had to be evacuated from their communities, Pukatawagan was no
exception.Forest fires are a fact of life for those who live in these timber rich areas, and Pukatawagan has its fair share of threatening forest fires. As far back as our Elder’s oral recollection go, the people of Pukatawagan have battled devastating fires in the past. The first settlement originally located at Prayer River was consumed by fire. It was then that the people re-located to the new reserve known today as Pukatawagan
On an uncomfortable hot smoky day, in the middle of August the community of Pukatawagan was told it was, "On stand-by for evacuation." As the community gathered at the band office for information, the smoke from the forest fires that surrounded the reserve was getting thick, making it very difficult to breath or to see. It was as if a thick fog had come in, as people called
out for their loved ones to stay close. Then the madness and panicking began.The fire that threatened the community of Pukatawagan raged closer than what was considered to be safe, the Canadian Armed Forces were called in to assist with the emergency evacuation. In all the chaos my two young daughters, ages two and one years old, and myself were somehow overlooked and was not evacuated until four a.m. when the fire was spitting its hot
needles over the community.This was a stressful time for me, and a prime example of nature in conflict with man. This time nature won.
Pukatawagan ProphesyI believe that the prophesy of the Elders will have come to pass in the year 2042, when the government will grant us an all weather road, when the train, which makes its regular trips up to Lynn Lake, Manitoba from the Pas, Manitoba will be discontinued.
...TO BE CONTINUED
A RESPECTED ELDER
My grandmother Nancy Bighetty, was an elder from Pukatawagan, who during her life accomplished many things. She was born at High Rock Lake, Manitoba, and she had devoted most of her life to her family and the people of Pukatawagan. She was well known for being a medicine woman; although she would often tell people not to refer to her as such. She was a volunteer in Pukatawagan for many years. She will always be remembered as a woman who loved her people. She is my great, great grandmother a woman who I am proud of.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY CONTINUED
My three best characteristics, according to my closest friends and family are my patience, helpfulness, and friendliness. On the other hand, my three worst characteristics were identified as me being too
submissive, sensitive, and shy.The most significant people in my life would be my four children, my siblings, and my parents. My
children, siblings, and parents are a constant reminder of all the good things in life. They inspire
me, motivate me, and most of all they accept me for who I am.
A PUK EVENT
Every year, Pukatawagan hosts the "Abel Hall Memorial Dog Sled Race" in honor of Abel Hall, who sadly died of a heart attack while competing in the annual dog sled races, a sport he loved. The Abel Hall dog sled race is an annual event that takes place during the winter festival held here in Pukatawagan. Every year I take time to participate in some way, either by being a spectator or by volunteering, because it is an activity I enjoy doing.
The legend of the Nemesiw Ithiniwak (The little people)
As a child I had always been fascinated about stories of leprechauns and fairies. When I heard the story of the Nemesiw Ithiniwak I was visiting my maternal grandparents at their summer camp, out at Duck Lake, Manitoba. It is through their story telling that I came to know of this legend, and it now tops my list of favorite legends.
The Nemesiw Ithiniwak, from what I understood, are magical little beings that are described to be
something akin to the leprechauns of Ireland; they are playful and full of mischief. They can often be seen near rocky places and by the river. ( Pukatawagan, is located on the Churchill River system.) According to legend they seem to make themselves visible only when there is an imbalance or disharmony between man and nature.I am a resident of Pukatawagan, and I still hear stories of sightings of these little people. Although
I have not been fortunate to have seen one I am told that if you do happen to see one it is customary to
offer some tobacco and to consult an elder or spiritual healer to interpret as to why they would make themselves visible to you. (Sightings are believed to be some kind of omen.)
THE LEGEND
Once, long before the arrival of the first Europeans to this continent, the people (The Missinippi Cree)
lived in harmony with the little people. In this time the people did not know of any serious illness; this
was in part of the close following of the traditional teachings of the laws of nature. It is told that the
Cree had somehow offended the little people and where disowned, possibly by disrespecting mother nature, and as a result were banished from the world of the little people.
The Cree people tried to repent for their wrongdoing, but the damage had been done, and there was no turning back. The little people did not entirely disown the Cree, but a promise was made that if ever the Cree people ever needed reminding or to be warned about something, the little people would show up and make their presence known to the person(s) for whom the warning is directed. So if you happen to see one of these "little people" have a positive attitude, offer tobacco, and consult your elder for interpretation.
A FAVOURITE PLACE
My favorite room in my home would be my kitchen. This room is the communication center of my household; it is where my children, friends and family gather to share stories, eat and to just talk about our day. Decorated in county style, with two windows, one facing north and the other west, which allows a lot of natural sunlight to stream in. It is also a room that offers its visitors an oasis to retreat to, especially after a trying day at work. All of these things, combined with the aroma of fresh baked goodies, makes this room the most popular room in the house.
A SEASONAL ROAD
The seasonal road should be used by everyone in Pukatawagan because it is a way to save money and have more recreational activities available to them.
The seasonal road is a great way to save money if you are a resident of Pukatawagan. The cost of buying
groceries is much cheaper, especially if you have a lot of people living in your home. For example, a
four-liter jug of milk at the Northern Store costs approximately nine dollars as compared to
approximately four dollars in The Pas. On average a family with four children and two adults would spend about $1500.00/month in Pukatawagan. If the same family were to shop in The Pas or Flin Flon, much more food could be purchased at a considerably lower price.By using the winter road, people have the option to attend more recreational activities than what is offered in a small community such as Pukatawagan. For instance, The Pas has a local hockey team known as Opaskwayak Blizzard. This team attracts many fans to the community, and NHL scouts also come to enjoy these games. The Flin Flon Bombers are also a hockey team that also draws huge crowds to its games. As compared to Pukatawagan, little is offered in terms of recreation.
The winter road is made up of natural beauty that cannot be compared. Where else would you be able to
travel on a road that is made of ice, where you could chop a hole, drop a fishing line into and catch supper
if the feeling moved you.Everyone should take advantage of this road; it is an adventure in itself to those who have not had the
chance to experience it. It is also liberating to many needing to escape the monotony of everyday life in Pukatawagan.
BANNOCK
Brief Summary on how to make traditional bannock5 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tbs. Baking powder
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Tbs. Sugar
6 Tbs. Lard
2 Eggs
2 Cups milk or waterIn a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add lard by rubbing it into the dry ingredients to form fine crumbs. In a cup, beat egg and milk together. Add to flour mixture, then stir to form soft dough. Knead until smooth, about 10 seconds or more. Transfer dough to a floured surface, and roll to the thickness of about 1/2 inches. Prick dough all over with fork. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
When taken out of the oven grease the bannock with lard.
Variation: For raisin bannock, 2 cups of raisins can be added to dry ingredients before adding the egg and water mixture. Mix and bake as instructed above.
Variation: For fish egg bannock, add fish roe (white fish) in place of the egg. Mix as instructed in the
above recipe.
PRIZED POSSESSION
My most prized possession-would be a back and white photo of myself as a baby-a gift from my sisters on my twenty-fifth birthday. I remember when I received the photo, and how emotional I became. I did not expect to see a photo of myself at this age, and this brought back memories of my youth, and of looking through many family photo albums, only to find photos of myself at the age of ten years and no baby pictures. I always wondered what I looked like as a baby and now I know. I really appreciate and love my sisters for taking the time to search for a photo that we were sure didn’t exist. Now every time I look at that picture I smile knowing that my sisters had given me a gift that I will treasure forever.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to an article published in last week’s edition of the Pukatawagan Herald. I have
always prided myself as being a loyal supporter of our local paper, but after reading the article about "Little Johnny," I am beginning to doubt as to whether I will continue to support this paper. Who in their
right mind would publish such an insensitive piece of writing? Did this paper not consider the feelings of
Little Johnny’s family? I for one do not appreciate any one being the brunt of a cruel joke. I am deeply
disappointed with this paper for not being sensitive to the victim, and I am seriously considering
canceling my subscription to your newspaper.Most disappointed,
Little Johnny’s granny
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church was built around the 1900’s by the order of the late Bishop Ovid
Charlebois.The local priest at that time was Father Emile Desormeaux. Father Desormeaux was a noted and skilled
craftsman. It was he, along with the people of Pukatawagan built the first church in our community in
1939. All work was painstakingly done by hand, and it took an estimated two thousand logs, that were
hauled by dog teams in the winter, and by floating them down river in the summer, to produce the two
thousand feet of lumber that was needed to build the church.All lumber for the frame was produced locally at the saw mill point on a four-horsepower saw. The saw mill point was in operation until 1972. Today, the saw mill point is still a popular site. It is used for
gatherings during the summer and winter festivals.Great care went into the building of the first church. The builders took great pride and worked
painstakingly to produce an altar that would be worthy of the church. This pride was evident until some
residents of Pukatawagan demolished the church in 1986. This was a sad day for many people who had
worshiped there for generations. A piece of Pukatawagan's history was gone forever. In its place,
the new church would be built.Preparations for the new church began in 1987. All services were held in the community complex, until the new church was built. There are many differences between the love and care that people took in the
architecture of the old church and the fast construction of the new church. When the new church
was built, all the materials were shipped into the community from the outside, including the construction
crew. The sad fact was that there weren’t very many local people involved.It was a sad day when the last historical building of Pukatawagan came down. It will be remembered fondly and some regret that it was not preserved as a historical site or used as a local museum or archives for the community. The beauty of the church will live on in photographs and in the hearts of the people of Pukatawagan for many years to come.
A FAVOURITE SONG
The song that has had a tremendous influence in my life would be the Alphabet Song. Learning to sing this song at an early age, taught me that learning is a life time achievement. This simple song, sung to the tune of "twinkle, twinkle little star," has inspired me to learn to read and write. It has followed me all through the years; today I use the alphabet song to keep organized. I use it as a to-do-list; a way of reminding myself to stay organized. A’s are priority, B’s are important, and C’s are things that will need to be done.
This song has been around for years, and I am sure it will outlast me, but one thing remains true is that
you can master anything if you put your mind to it and use your ABC’s.
A LETTER OF PERSUASION
Dear Abby,Thank you, for the pictures that you sent of your vacation in France. I found them very interesting.
If ever you really want to see some beautiful scenery, you should come up here to Pukatawagan. As I
mentioned in my last letter to you, there is a lot to see and do. If you do decide to visit my hometown let
me know, and I’ll arrange a fly-in trip out to one of the remote lakes, or we could just take a day trip up
river to Blood Stone Falls. I am sure you would like it there because you mentioned you would like to see some interesting scenery, and to do some fishing.Please write back and let me know if it would be possible for you to visit my country, and my hometown.
Sincerely,
Karen
Portfolio for Economic Development
Mathias Colomb Cree Nation
Pukatawagan, Manitoba
ROB 1GO
Re: Fly in tourism camp
Attention: Chief & Council,
Please review my proposal in regards to the above mentioned.
I feel that having a tourism camp would benefit the community in ways such as creating employment for our local band members. Tourism will generate revenue for the band and will attract many tourists from all over world. The area surrounding Pukatawagan is vast with natural beauty, and is a perfect location for fishermen and naturalists.
Please respond to the proposal that was submitted on January 15, 2002, If you should have any questions
please call me (204) 553-1234.Sincerely,
Karen Dumas
Autobiography
Hi! My name is Karen Dumas; I was born in Pukatawagan, Manitoba, where I presently reside. I am
fortunate to have the love and support of my family and friends as I fulfill my lifelong dream of
continuing my education.I am currently enrolled in the three year Buntep program offered through Brandon University, which I
hope to complete to obtain my bachelor of general studies.I have a family of four children; two sons and two daughters. I believe in helping others and giving back
to the community by doing volunteer work. In my spare time I enjoy baking, crafting, and various outdoor activities such as fishing, and camping.When I have completed my degree, I hope to do some travelling abroad. I would like to visit countries
such as Ireland and France.
