Being out on the land during the holiday season was special for one Attawapiskat family.
Monique Edwards, her husband James Kataquapit and their youngest son Jeronimo Kataquapit,17, went on a snowmobile trip to the north at the end of last year.
Travelling on two snowmachines, the family went about 180 kilometres up north to Lake River. They left Attawapiskat on Dec. 24 and returned Jan. 3.
They wanted to share the beauty and the history of the land and to tell those who aren’t aware that there are people living up north, Edwards said.
“Even though there are no hotels, restaurants out on the land, it still provides. It’s still beautiful. It’s full of life,” she said.
Using his drone, Jeronimo took aerial shots of the land, capturing a pack of wolves travelling along the James Bay coast and an old Hudson’s Bay Company building at Lake River.
The family shared several videos and photos from the trip on Facebook, garnering hundreds of likes and shares and positive comments.
“It was great to see the people commenting especially the older people unable to go there. One said they were emotional because they haven’t seen it in a long time,” Edwards said. “We also wanted to show people the history. Especially people who don’t know we’re here.”
Jeronimo, who is graduating from Timmins High and Vocational Schools this year, wanted to go out on the land for the holidays, Edwards said.
As they didn’t want to hurry and wanted to enjoy the land, the family took their time getting to their destination. The trio spent Christmas Eve and New Year’s on the land. It was special and peaceful, Edwards said.
It wasn’t the first time they have been out on the land but it was the first time they took photos and videos.
They’ve been going out with their three children since they were small, Edwards said. Every April, they also stay out in the bush during the spring harvest. Now, the children can do their own hunting, she said.
For Kataquapit, who was born and raised in Attawapiskat, it was a great way to pass his traditional knowledge and practices down to his son Jeronimo, just like he learned from his father. Kataquapit showed Jeronimo how to hunt ptarmigans and snare rabbits.
“I wanted to pass on my expertise on how to survive in the bush, and I did,” Kataquapit said.
Being out on the land is unique but can be hard if you’re not prepared and don’t respect the land and animals living there, Edwards said.
The wolves captured on the drone were about 500-600 yards away.
“The drone maybe went a mile and a half away from our site and captured the wolves,” Kataquapit said. “But there were lots of them. Before he flew out the drone, several wolves already passed by. The other ones were behind. That’s the ones we captured.”
They also wanted to see caribou but didn’t have a chance this time.
The family brought some food but they also fished and hunted partridges and rabbits. Along the way, they camped in small cabins, typically used by people who go out on the land in spring.
“We asked permission first before we used their campsite,” Edwards said. “There are no amenities where we went. Just plain land, nothing else.”
They also had guns to scare away polar bears. Out on the land, people have to be on alert but as long as they don’t disturb the animals, nothing will happen.
“We don’t kill them, we just give them a warning if we see them. They usually run, they don’t attack you. If they’re far away, we ride by,” Edwards said. If they see wolf tracks, they also travel through. “We know how they behave."
Their four-year-old dog called Gunner also accompanied them.
“He’s very good at hunting. If I shot down one goose, he’s going to go get it. He’s a very smart dog,” Kataquapit said.
In spring, they plan to travel further north.
“We want to show people more beautiful land and we can see lots of animals. There’s a beautiful land out there, I want to show my wife that in the nighttime, too,” Kataquapit said. "I used to travel there all the time when I was young. I know where to go and I want to take them there before I get old."
