Assiniboine Geneology Mosquito Grizzly Bears Head Lean Man First Nation

During the summer months in my childhood years, the whole family would start to plan the summer with trips to various locations in the province. One of the trips that the family would take is our annual visit to the Cypress Hills on a reserve called The Nekaneet First Nation. This reserve is not a big reserve but it is set in one of the most beautiful environments found anywhere in Saskatchewan and the world, complete with an ecosystem that could only be found in exotic countries.

My Kohkum Grandmother Agnes Starchief was born to Gilbert Mosquito and Wechiyan (Little Girl) in April 1897 in the Eagle Hills into a family of four boys and two girls.The oldest son, Herbert Fish moved to an Assiniboine Reserve in the United States called "Fort Belknap Indian Reservation" located in Montana. John Mosquito moved to the " Nekaneet First Nation" which is a small reserve located in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan, Adam Mosquito the youngest of the boys, lived on the "Mosquito GrizzlyBears Head Lean Man First Nation" all of his life, there was one more son but he accidently fell in a well and drowned as a teen. There were two girls born to Gilbert and Wicheyan and were the youngest of the family, they were Agnes Mosquito (Starchief) and Helen Mosquito (Sauve), Agnes married Peter Starchief at the age of 13 and Helen married Alex Sauve from North Battleford.

The Cypress Hills is a beautiful place to visit and we were fortunate to stay on the Nekaneet First Nation with my Kohkum's neices and nephews, who were more than happy to take us on tours within the park. I have many fond memories of the trips we used to take visiting relatives across the country.

First Nations Traditional Medicines - Tobacco

Tobacco - When a person gives Tobacco it is a form of seeking Knowledge, it is a form of seeking advice , it is a traditional way of asking for something that would benefit a person's livelihood. It is proper to present Tobacco to an Elder when you seek advice or a prayer but it is customary that when you go to visit an Elder to take a gift of Tobacco. When times are tough and Tobacco is hard to get than one cigarette will do. The purpose is that when the Tobacco is used during a ceremony, and when it is lit the smoke will carry prayers to the Creator and His Helpers. In all of North America Aboriginal People have a collective understanding about the sacredness of Tobacco.

Tobacco is usually bought in pouches or as cigarettes.

The Tipi Circle

First Nations People would generally live in small family groups for most of the year, but during the spring, summer and fall there were plenty of opportunities for several groups to gather and camp in one area. Often the village would consist of a circle of Tipis, and in the old days there was always a single standing tipi in the middle of the circle. The Central Tipi was comparatively larger than the rest, this was the gathering place, the theatre, the story telling place, the classroom, and this was also a guest house. The Gathering Place Tipi would be well maintained by all members of the village, usually the Elderly Men and Elderly Women would make sure that there was enough wood to keep the fires going and there was plenty of robes and blankets to sit on and for guests to use. The tipi was well cleaned and it was everyones responsibility to make sure that this was a place designed to keep everyone comfortable and safe. When the time came for the camp to move to a different location the Gathering Place Tipi would be looked after so that it was the last one to be taken down from the old camp and it would be the first one to be put up in the new location.
The Tipis are always put up in a circle during a camp for protection: much like the Buffalo, Antelope and animals that live in groups, when there is a predator the buffalo would herd the calves into the center and turn and face out to fight.
It is a fool who made his camp outside of this circle.