It’s Show Time!
Written by Andre Nault
Howdy, this is André Nault checking in. The section of the expedition I’m covering today is the event day in Mattawa and the day after.
It was a dark and stormy morning, the air heavy with the threat of rain…
The event in Mattawa was our first big test as Métis youth. We had paddled a fair bit up the Ottawa to get this far and sure we had faced numerous trials along the way and we had the launch in Ottawa as our first official event, but the event in Mattawa was different. It was the first community event once the journey had begun, an event that we had no precedent for and wanted to make sure that we did it right. The community events are the most important part of our journey as we help connect communities to each other and reinforce Métis pride throughout the province. My role for the event was helping to run the games section and I was very excited as I am passionate about Métis games. I am a very competitive person, much like most Métis people, and games allow me to compete with others while still connecting back to our ancestors. The game I enjoy the most is easily leg wrestling and I was looking forward to teaching others about leg wrestling and even partaking in some friendly competition. I fancy myself something of a leg wrestling champion and love any competition I can get.
We paddled in to Explorer’s Point and the first thing that caught my eye was the crowd that had assembled. It was great to see the turnout to our event, witnessing firsthand the pride the community had for its Métis heritage. Mattawa is a town that clearly shows its pride for its heritage and history with the various statues and murals throughout the town celebrating the past. We came ashore and were greeted by the community council, presenting them with a paddle. The delight in the eyes of the council as they accepted the paddle was quite a sight to behold.
After a prayer, the event was underway and it was time to play some games! I went over to the tent with Will and Justin and we began playing games. The game that was most played and was best received was game of graces. It was rewarding to teach people both young and old, the game of graces and watch them enjoy themselves. Another very rewarding aspect of the games was the variations that the participants would add, putting their own spin on the games we played. This was interesting to be part of as it was a mix of traditional and contemporary Métis culture, blending the games of old with the ideas of people from today.
Another highlight of the day was the jigging demonstration that I was part of. It’s always great to jig and having a receptive audience is even better, with people clapping and cheering as we jigged. Unfortunately, there was no time for leg wrestling, which was a real shame! As the event calmed down and people began heading home, the work day had pretty much come to an end for us voyageurs. We headed off to our campsite and celebrated a day well done, playing cards and relaxing, while still figuring out logistics for the trip ahead of us.
The next day we returned to Explorers point and began our journey down the Mattawa River. The most exciting part of the day was a portage over a dam which was an interesting challenge as the normal portage around the dam is meant for tandem canoes and not the behemoth voyageur canoe we get around in. As a group we persevered and came up with a great solution, showing the teamwork and creativity our group has. Other than the portage, the day was relatively quiet aside from us getting to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Mattawa River and getting to witness two eagles circle above us at one point, an amazing experience. Our journey down the Mattawa had begun and it’s only a matter of time before were on to North Bay!
