Making Treaty Road - Episode 5
During the production of the first season of TREATY ROAD, hosts Erin Goodpipe and Saxon de Cocq kept these journals of their experiences and thoughts on Treaty and their personal journey that touches on the production, history and family legacy. Here are their thoughts while shooting the fifth episode about Treaty No. 5.
Saxon’s Journal
It was a lot of driving to get up to Norway House. When we got to the ice road, which is the only way into the community during the winter, I couldn’t help but wonder what challenges they will face as global warming takes hold and the effects warm the northern communities. How will they get goods and themselves in and out of the town?
One of the off-camera things we did upon our arrival in Norway House was to attend a hockey game at the local arena. It seemed like the entire town was there and we met our guide in the commentator booth, calling the play-by-play of the game. He announced to everyone that we were there, and we felt like celebrities. It was a fun night.
Access to good food was a challenge in Norway House. There was fresh food at the northern grocery store, but it was extremely expensive, and we really had nowhere to cook. There were only a couple of restaurants in town and they both sold the same type of food - burgers (with a choice of four different types of fries) or fried chicken. It’s hard on the system to eat that type of food for very long.
I have never had as much fun fishing as I had when we pulled the net from under the ice and saw all those fish attached. It was super exciting. My enthusiasm was quickly diminished when Erin and I were asked to clean and fillet a fish. We butchered that poor fish so brutally that we decided to leave it out of the final edit. Luckily, Erin’s husband Ben was there to help salvage the meat for us.
Erin’s Journal
Off we go, north! Or at least, north to me! We are headed to Treaty 5 territory and, more specifically, to Norway House via an ice road that is only accessible during parts of the year. Watching the land shift once again, I am reminded of the fact that treaty negotiations and meetings would have been long journeys. I am also thinking about how the north is equipped in some ways and in others, totally cut off. Truthfully, I think of two things with the north, the first is that it is beautiful in its land and water based resources and two, that supplies here can be ridiculously costly. It seems like a conundrum!
Since it is winter, we can cross the river via an ice road and I think about all of the bodies of water that surround the area. Once we get to Norway House, it honestly feels so welcoming and comfortable seeing so many Indigenous people around. We are welcomed for a fish fry, the fish coming straight from the ice fishing the last day. Then, we enjoy some local hockey at the rink with rink food. Ah, does this ever feel like being fifteen, living on my reserve and attending the local town hockey games in the winter. I think Saxon and I are both surprised at how much like the south it is. One thing we do notice is that the type of food available is very unhealthy, lots of friend food and fruits and vegetables are expensive.
Today we went to Pimâtisiwin Nipî Kistikânihk also called Life Water Gardens, which is a hydroponic garden in a shipping container. We are meeting with Virginia, Ian and Paige to talk about their work there. It is so refreshing to enter the shipping container and see so much greenery! Saxon and I were both amazed at how much fruit, vegetables and herbs they are able to grow year round for the community! It really is incredible to see the fusion of science and traditional knowledge being used to serve the needs of the community.
After this we went to Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Centre to follow the produce of the Life Water Gardens. It goes into their lunch program, where students learn from community chefs and help feed the community. The food is absolutely delicious and super healthy!
Today we joined Lester and went ice fishing. I love ice fishing and my family goes every year. I will say, though, that I am not a fish eater myself. It was so enriching to be on the lake and be taught how they fish here in the north, especially with the nets, which I had never experienced before. As an educator myself, I know how important land based education is to maintenance of culture and the health and wellbeing of the people. Here we are able to see how food is connected to every part of community and life, from the knowledge of food and foodways, to how to harvest and sustain it for the community, to the spiritual relationship to creation that nourishes us. Food sovereignty definitely has shaped the path of Treaty, since we are all connected by the land/sky/water and how it nourishes us.
