The Snowman

The winter months are long and cold, children begin to play in the drifts, digging igloos and making snowmen. Back home when I was young there would be times when my younger brothers and I would play in the farmyard and when my parents werent home, we had to look after ourselves.

We played in the snow like other children, but there were restrictions as to how we were to play, partly because our gradparents were very strict about the traditional ways and partly because we believed in the traditions, we were cautioned about the Snowman and what that represented to the First Nation Assiniboine.

The First Nation Assiniboine depended on wild game for food, shelter and clothing, therefore the environment played a major part in the hunting conditions. The large game included Deer, Moose, Elk, Bear and Antelope, other smaller game also provided food and several household items. In the winter the people would follow the big game animals and often the hunting trips would take the hunter far out in the wilderness. In the winter the snow would slow the hunter down because they would fall into the drifts making it dangerous and often deadly especially in snow that was very deep. It is beleived that if the hunter made an image of a man that the snowman would bring cold weather to make the snow hard and easy to walk on. That is why when children make a snowman the old people would order them to break it for it was an invitation for cold weather.

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.

The Buffalo Society

Members of this society must have scientific knowledge of the behavior of the Buffalo, they would have to know the migratory routes of the herd, the calving of the cows, the Ceremonies, songs, celebrations and other information that would help the Band succeed in the hunting of the Buffalo.
The Buffalo provided a livelihood for the Plains People, as a source for Food, Shelter, and clothing, as well as numerous other uses.
The Buffalo Society membership required the Knowledge of Ceremonial procedures that had to be done exactly as they had been practised since time immemorial, so that the Buffalo Spirit would be appeased and not be angry and stop providing.
Children were identified for mentorship for the Buffalo Society by Elders in the Band, the child or children (often a boy and a girl) would than be taught by members of the society. As a survival tactic, two students would be chosen every year for study just in case one student could not complete training.
The members of the Buffalo Society managed the Buffalo Hunt according to traditional laws as governed by the Creator, the time for the hunt was scheduled around the migrations of the Buffalo, usually during the fall. Band members knew their role in the hunt and obeyed direction of the society. To disobey laws could endanger the whole band and the hunt could be disastrous, there were of course Tribal Police that would ensure that all band members followed rules.
The Buffalo Society have a very important role in the band, this position required yearly ceremonies and yearly sacrifices have to be made. The survival of the Band was dependant on the expertise of the Buffalo Society, the transfer of knowledge to a prospective member was a lifelong learning process.
The Buffalo Society members would have headdresses made from Weasel tails and Buffalo Horns, the hat was worn on special occasions, to own a headdress is equivalent in today's standards to a Doctorate Degree. The Band allowed only one or two people from the band to make the Headdresses - if a person made a headdress without protocol chances are they would be severely punished or in severe instances would be banished from the band.

First Nations Family Groups

First Nations in Saskatchewan formed in groups called "Bands", these were made of related families, the reason for this is to ensure that everyone was well looked after. Every person had a role that was essential to the survival of the People, from the babies, toddlers, adolescents, adults, to the Elderly, each had to do their part to make sure that the Band could sustain itself.

In each Band an appointed member, (usually recognized at birth,) was to learn from early childhood as to what their contribution would be and what was expected from them once they became adults. The teachings included the Knowledge passed down from the Elders. Different related bands united for ceremonies and during the hunting season which required collective effort.

The Dakotas

"Dakotah" is the proper name for the first nations people who have occupied the Saskatchewan Plains since time immemorial. The name derives from the word "WaDakotah" which means "harmony", " a condition of being at peace with one another and with the Natural World.



According to Traditional Sacred Teachings of the Dakotas; Wakantanka, the Creator gave life to the Dakotas in the Paha Sapa , The Black Hills of South Dakota, from this birthplace the Dakotas have developed a nomadic Lifestyle on the plains of this continent.



The Dakotas believe that kinship is the True Value that keeps this culture alive, as well the gift of the Sacred Pipe from the White Buffalo Calf Woman and the Drum is always treated with respect, so sacred are these values there are ceremonies that are conducted to honour these values. Women do not touch the Pipe or the Drum because of the traditions and sacredness of these lifeways.



The Dakota have always depended on the gifts of Mother Earth and to give thanks for these gifts there are individual ceremonies that are conducted everyday and then there are the communal ceremonies such as Feasts and Giveaways.



In the 18th and early 19th centuries the Dakotas dominated a huge territory which included The Great Lakes in the east to the Missouri River in the West to as far north as the Churchill River to the Rocky Mountains and as far south as New Mexico.



Contact with the Europeans occurred in 1815 and as the years went by the Dakotas were severly impacted by settlers who continued to claim Dakota Traditional territory and the United States Government negotiated land cessions with armed forces and promises of cash and reservations, The Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands were forced to give up their nomadic life and settle onto tracts of Land and become farmers. They were also told to give up their Ceremonial practices, cut their hair and wear suitable farm clothing. Finally they were urged to banish their own spiritual leaders and medicine men and become christians.



In the late summer of 1862 the eastern bands of the Dakotas in Minnesota had not recieved their Treaty committed payments and gifts and the conditions resulting from the transition of a nomadic life to an agricultural life proved to be disasterous to a point of starvation, sickness and despair. The Dakotas became restless and in August 17, 1862, the discontent erupted into a violent revolt against the Americans, thereafter, many members of the bands were incarcerated at Fort Snelling and at Mankato, Minnisota. A Millitary court was convened and as a result 300 Dakota Leaders were sentenced to death by Hanging. President Abraham Lincoln reviewed the convictions and overturned the results and all except 38 , by the end of September the Dakotas were badly outnumbered and resulted in the loss of lives and the survivors began their journey into Canada.