Cree Literacy Network

What a privilege to be welcomed with open arms by old friends and new ones at ᑳᓂᔮᓯᕁ kâniyâsihk Culture Camps for the 6th Annual Keepers of the Water water and medicine gathering. For several years, with no concrete plan whatever, I’ve hoped to somehow land there. Then, just as the Sweetgrass Cultural Camp wrapped up, I realized that Ministikwan Lake was only two hours away. So I stayed one more night in North Battleford, and set my GPS for more cultural adventure.

I had packed my car in Winnipeg for all kinds of possibilities on the road and on the Rez, but I was even better prepared by the closing giveaway at Sweet Grass, where I was gifted a really nice folding lawn chair, a nice warm shawl, and even a sheet and pillow cases that perfectly fit the bed in my cabin. Some people I know would say my visit there it was meant to be!

You can see a great many more (and better) photos on the FaceBook group ᑳᓂᔮᓯᕁ kâniyâsihk Culture Camp, but I’m sharing a few of my own with sincere thanks to the camp, its staff, and five generations of the Lewis family, from Margaret Crookedneck to otâniskotâpânima (her great great-grandchildren), who all contribute to make it such a wonderful place to unwind and reconnect with culture, in the company of so many fully fluent speakers of Cree. The welcome is as warm and generous as the sharing of knowledge; this place itself feels sacred. I am so very grateful for the experience (and really hope to get back again some day!)

[[From the smooth running of the camp in all its aspects, it was not at all obvious that kâniyâsihk is also still recovering from a devastating fire that destroyed its main building on the property. If you’d like to help the camp come back better than ever, you might look up the FaceBook group Cree Camp Auctions and place a bid on some of the unique and creative items that have been offered to fundraise for rebuilding.]]