10/23/2017 2 Comments #134: Support Land-Based EconomiesWhat do you think of when someone mentions land-based economies? To be honest the first thing I think of is real estate and farming. For Indigenous people who live on the land, most would first think of land based livelihoods such as hunting, trapping and gathering. Ralph and I had the absolute privilege to spend the weekend with one of the most incredible Dene Elder, Roy Ladouceur, who lives full time in one of the truly remote First Nation reserves along the Athabasca River. A tiny community where there are but two full time homes and a handful of cabins, accessible only by boat or off roading (with a guide and only as a permitted guest). The homes are completely off the grid and dependent on constant maintenance and careful planning. This very special individual, who maintains areas along the river that were beacons of survival prior to and during the fur trader, is a purveyor of Indigenous land-based economies providing guiding and transportation along the river, hunting, trapping and in our case, he was also an incredible host and chef. Instead of making his way to the grocery store on a weekly basis, as we do, he spends his days from early light to sunset thoughtfully tracking and patiently observing the movements of moose, deer and spruce hens. Roy's place was amazing, with every comfort of home you could imagine due to his ingenuity and imaginative use of technology. On Saturday night, our meal consisted of Moose backstrap, garden potatoes and a cut up green pepper someone had gifted him. There is nothing quite like moose streaks cooked to perfection and excellent company to share them with. Afterwards we were treated to a few tunes on the guitar, one in particular stood out, his rendition of the “Lonesomest Lonesome” by Ray Price made me think about my mosom Harvey. All evening I felt surrounded by his spirit maybe it was the smell of the wood burning stove and delicious food or maybe the old country hits but I felt completely grounded. How do we support land-based economies? Well for this weekend we provided the quads, brought supplies and provided him with compensation for his time. At the end of the trip he gifted Ralph with a beautiful beaver hat, which Ralph now refuses to take off (if you can't tell by his smile how excited this man is, give him a call and ask him about his new hat, a tirade of praise will quickly follow). We all have a part to play to ensure that our ecosystem remains balanced and that Indigenous land based economies persist. A few ways we can all take part is below:
- purchase goods, such as fur hats, directly from trappers and Indigenous artisans, - stay away from identified traplines (many are clearly marked), - report poachers at 1-800-642-3800, - if you are a hunter yourself, educate yourself on how to use 100% of the animal so there is no waste.
2 Comments
Ralph Gould
10/23/2017 08:52:47 am
Need to educate people more on the rules of the Six Lakes road. Need to make public people wasting wild meat.
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6/21/2023 05:27:44 pm
Great post, much appreciate the time you took to write this.
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About me
I grew up in Athabasca, AB and have spent the majority of my life in Northern Alberta or Montreal, PQ. My husband has been in Fort McMurray since the 70s and continues to love this town and all that it has to offer. We are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending our summer weekends quadding and camping. As Opimian members we thoroughly enjoy wine pairings and tastings and are working on our wine collection. Ralph is a carpenter by trade and has framed more houses in Fort McMurray than I could count and knows the city inside and out. I work all throughout the region from the NWT to Janvier for the tribal council. My passion is doodling and photography which is featured throughout the website (various mediums), writing, Indigenous studies, and learning in general. Categories |