Elders honoured at LU memorial forest ceremony

Lakehead University held an Elders memorial forest ceremony on July 13 for Elders Josias Fiddler, Curtis Hopkins, Richard Lyons, Joe Morrison and Greta Moskataywenene.
“I think of her with much love and a lot of respect because she was like a warrior in terms of traditional knowledge and traditional ways,” said Tina Armstrong, Moskataywenene’s niece and director of Aboriginal affairs at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM).
Armstrong said her aunt continued to follow her traditions, including snaring rabbits and gathering firewood, after her husband passed away.
“People would often say, ‘Why are you still doing this?’” Armstrong said, noting her aunt would reply: “This is something I like to do. So I want to honour my aunt’s spirit. Although I know physically she is not here with us anymore, I know that she is here. And I know she is here wherever we are at.”
NOSM Elder Bob McKay said Moskataywenene was “very quiet,” but when she spoke everyone would listen.
“She was very knowledgeable and she had a very good idea of the direction she wanted to see the Elders group grow,” McKay said.
McKay still remembers Moskataywenene’s comments from a NOSM Elders trip to the 2007 Trent University Elders Gathering.
“She said it was a great experience and there was stuff there (she) never knew existed,” McKay said. “The first thing she said was the women there doing all that drumming, I never knew that existed.”
Three cedar trees were planted at the Lakehead University sacred grounds in honour of Moskataywenene, Lyons and Morrison, while a white pine was planted in honour of Fiddler and an oak tree in honour of Hopkins.
The Elders were honoured for their contributions to Lakehead University, NOSM and the community during the ceremony, which was attended by about 50-60 people.
Teri Fiddler said the location where the white pine tree was planted was “exactly” where Josias used to hold his sweat lodge.
“I used to come here a lot with my dad,” Teri said. “It will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Teri said Josias cared a lot about people and had a role in many people’s lives, recalling a time in Sandy Lake when a young boy gave him a quarter to do a sweat lodge ceremony. “I’m going to do it — that’s an offering,” Teri said, quoting Josias. “No matter how small an offering was for a sweat, he did it.”
Beverly Sabourin, vice-provost (Aboriginal initiatives) at Lakehead University, said the ceremony was held to recognize and honour the five Elders for holding onto their traditions, knowledge, culture and language.
“We are here to recognize that and we are here to also acknowledge that we will carry that forward,” Sabourin said. “We are now going to be the new coming Elders to carry on those traditions, knowledge, language and history of our Aboriginal people.”