LITTLE RED RIVER CREE NATION, Alberta – Stoking a cast iron stove that provides warmth within the confines of a canvas tent, Chief Floyd Noskiye sprawls out in comfort amongst his temporary lodgings.
For over a week, he, his wife Margaret and their 11 children spent the early part of August in a remote forested area in northeastern Alberta. Although the Noskiyes will be without the modern conveniences of electricity, they will not be secluded.
Joining them are other relatives and friends from the Little Red River Cree Nation who have descended upon this patch of land adjacent to the Peace River. Now in its 24th year, this pilgrimage has entrenched itself into the social fabric of three isolated reserves; Fox Lake, John D’Or Prairie and Garden River. Upwards of 1,000, or about one in every three citizens, annually return to this historical site for the family reunion.
Originally started by the local Catholic priest as an opportunity to teach the religion in one central location, the event has become much more than a spiritual journey. For the chief, he sees this quality time as a chance to leave any problems behind in order to embrace the earth.
“You can easily disconnect when you’re in the house,” Noskiye said, with the sweet smells of spruce branches wafting from the tent’s floor bed. “We have to ground ourselves once in a while and get back to Mother Nature with a sense of serenity and peace.”
Pointing to what was immediately around him, Noskiye said the simple pleasures of the natural environment can be lost in day-to-day activities, even in a rural reserve.
“Look at the fire, hear the wind, smell the leaves. This is Mother Nature, you can touch it, you can feel it,” said the chief.
In addition to the holistic qualities offered by this unspoiled getaway, the pilgrimage, called “Our Lady of the North,” brings band members closer together. The three reserves, while under one band name, are separated by the Peace River and even today, Fox Lake has no highway leading out. When the pioneers of the pilgrimage dreamt of this event the idea was to bring the members of Little Red River together who otherwise were geographically removed.
Initiating the project were Delia Sewepagaham and her husband Johnsen, who was chief for two decades before this summer. Now almost a quarter-century later, the former band’s leader believes the principles of the gathering have continued while the bonds have grown tighter.
“People have more respect for the passage now. They still pass on to their children the respect for the land and each other,” Sewepagaham said.
What’s encouraged, and what is the strength of the program, is to mingle with other families. In a camp-like setting, the activities engaged are conducive to the ages of the participants.
Throughout this setting, dozens of youngsters will be running across the fields and among the groves of birch trees tagging each other and rolling in the grass. As the kids become older, impromptu games of volleyball and horseshoes become the social pastime. For the adults, they’ll stroll from one campsite to another to share ideas and conversations with topics on anything but, as Sewepagaham notes, politics.
The scenery at Little Red River is ideal. Although this year may have produced one of the coldest days, barely 50 degrees on Aug. 8, the spirit of the site warmed the souls more than the outdoor temperatures.
Once a thriving trading center between the Indian and white communities, Little Red River disbanded when the Crees were divided into their reserves. However, according to elder Marie Louise Ribbonleg, the area was treasured for its location, where it abuts the larger Peace River, and this land produced only pleasant memories for her people.
“One of the elders from a long time ago had a vision that something happy would be here,” she spoke in Cree. “A lot of the people can’t go to Lac St. Anne (another annual pilgrimage near Edmonton 450 miles south) and that’s why they started this pilgrimage here.”
Leading the congregation is Father Paul Hernou, who has spent the past 27 years in northern Alberta and was handpicked by the previous reverend to lead these rural parishes. Since leaving his native Belgium in 1966, Hernou has learned both English and French, but more importantly for this area, the Father is also fluent in Cree, the mother tongue of Little Red River.
Covering this vast area, often accessible only by bush plane, is time consuming and during his first years, Hernou wasn’t able to see the progress of his teachings because he only spent limited periods in these communities. Especially when trying to school the lay people towards conducting their duties, the message wasn’t being received.
“Instead of having a session of leadership in the church, create an environment where they can live leadership,” said Hernou in a thick French accent. He added this pilgrimage gives an immediate opportunity to practice what’s been learned.
The church at Little Red River is simple. A long rectangular log frame with exposed plywood planks is tucked aside the evergreens along with a permanent shrine that showcases various Catholic objects as well as a painting of the Virgin Mary by a local artist. What’s strikingly different however is the teepee that’s used as the reverend’s pulpit.
Among the solid Catholic foundation in this area, embedded for over two centuries since the first European trappers moved in, there are numerous First Nation traditions that have been incorporated into the western religion. Besides the baptisms, communions and confirmations, before the start of any Mass, smudging occurs and the idea of the teepee occurred following Pope John Paul II’s visit to the Northwest Territories in 1984.
Also in keeping with Aboriginal custom, the deceased are also honored during this pilgrimage during an evening ceremony at the graveyard. Offerings of food and tobacco are presented as Hernou presides.
“After a good meal you’re supposed to have a good smoke, but nowadays they say smoking is bad for you,” he smiles, pulling out a Number 7 cigarette to feed his habit.
If within Christianity, the priests can take the religion to where the people are, why then does Little Red River Cree Nation (along with other tribes) accept this European export? Catholicism itself is only 2,000 years old, much younger than the ideals of the Creator within Indian beliefs, so how have these reserves embraced Jesus?
“There’s only one Creator and he created everything from Mother Earth. Whatever we use it’s natural to mix them together and that’s when it became more powerful to bring the two religions together because it was created by the Creator,” Ribbonleg said.
For Sewepagaham, Catholicism doesn’t represent foregoing an Aboriginal identity. Instead, he points out, both the traditional and the European faiths share similar traits. Using the example of the Native family that exists in threes, there is the grandmother, the grandfather and then the family. That same trinity concept exists within Christianity between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
“What we’ve done over the years is bring the pipe and cross together because we’ve come to the conclusion they’re one and the same,” he said.
On the last night of the four-day religious retreat, pilgrims are encouraged to make promises, often along the lines of abstaining from destructive behavior such as drinking. While the memories of the Our Lady of the North pilgrimage linger, there is a noticeable effect in the communities once people have publicly pledged to renounce their problems.
“Because of the atmosphere, what they get from the gathering goes back with them. The pledge that started with Father Paul, that’s helped a lot of people stay away from the alcohol and it [their vow] is not something they’ll forget,” Sewepagaham said.
Following the religious component of the pilgrimage, participants continue to stay at Little Red River for traditional activities such as dances and games for another week.
“That’s what the Creator wanted us to do is to have fun. The gathering brings together faith and action and to practice what we’ve prayed,” said Chief Noskiye.