Simpcw First Nation will be holding the first Simpcw Days at Mount Robson Provincial Park from Sept. 14–17.
The event is the vision of Simpcw Chief and Council as an opportunity to go out on the land with the theme of “living simply or Simpcwly,” explains the organizer, Simpcw Cultural Liaison Shelly Loring.
“This event is free to all our Simpcw members, community members and invited guests,” she says. “We are going to be having moose jerky making, a small group of hunters going out as sort of a prelude to our larger community hunt that’s going to be happening in October. We will have crafting, with medicine pouches and other bead-work, and we will be canning moose and elk stew.”
There will also be demonstrations of canning salmon and fruit. Loring sees this as a chance for individuals who may not have practiced this type of “food sovereignty” to learn things culturally, so they can preserve food for themselves throughout the winter. “It can be an opportunity for some of our members who haven’t had fish and wild meat in quite some time to take a few jars home with them to enjoy with their family.”
Loring is excited for the upcoming weekend, which takes place on land that has historical significance to Simpcw First Nation.
“The place that we selected was Mount Robson Park, which is one of the areas we stayed in until we were forcibly moved out in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was just one part of our travel corridor within our vast territory that Simpcw is the ‘caretaker’ of within the overall Secwépemc nation. It’s an opportunity for over 700 band members, approximately three-quarters of whom live out of community. It’s an opportunity for us to bring not only our local band members that live here but also our band members from all over the province and into Alberta, to come together to connect with our families, our friends, with the land, the water, the animals and really get some good grounding.”
The Simpcw are part of the Secwépemc, or Shuswap, nation, one of 17 bands that historically lived in the Thompson River Valley. Simpcw’s lands covered an area of roughly 5,000,000 hectares, from north of McLure to the headwaters of the Fraser River at McBride; to Jasper in the east and south to the headwaters of the Athabasca River. A variety of archaeological surveys have found winter sites and food cache pits throughout the region, including finds in Finn Creek, Vavenby, Birch Island, Clearwater, Little Fort, Chu Chua, Barriere, Louis Creek, Tete Jeune and Jasper.
Loring speaks with reverence about the history and meaning of the valley.
“This was our main corridor of travel from Jasper through the valley down into Barriere. We were a nomadic people, we moved, we didn’t stay in one spot. We had our wintering villages and then we had our summer accommodations. We carried poles and used birch bark to create a kind of tent that we would live in during the summer. We followed the fish, game, berries and the natural medicines and we would come back to our wintering villages. During that time we would share our stories with our children, as well as our teachings and language.
“The creation of this event, Simpcw Days, is a way of being with our language and with the land, doing these activities together that we’ve experienced as a people previous to residential schools, the reserve system and the Indian Act. We believe we are reawakening our cellular memories to these amazing gifts that our ancestors passed on to us. This is the focus of the whole weekend in this first annual event.”
The participants will be using the group campground at Mount Robson Provincial Park; 20 additional RV and camping sites within the park have also been set aside, in addition to the camping that will be located at the group centre. All meals will be provided for participants, and there are currently just over 100 people registered. Cabins and hotel rooms have been reserved for elders for their comfort, and the Simpcw bus will be providing transportation to various activities and to the meals at the Tete Jaune Cache hall.
Friday and Saturday will be two full days of events, and on Sunday there will be a nailing ceremony for the new signage in Mount Robson Park.
“There is new signage being installed that tells the history of the Simpcw First Nation and of the use and occupancy within that area,” explains Loring. “It paints a much different story, seeing through the lens of an Indigenous perspective how we lived, how we used the land, how we revered the land. The new signage has been a culmination of about three years of work, and tells a story to visitors about the Simpcw people, our lifestyle, and our heritage with Mount Robson.”
Even though Simpcw Days is being held ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day, Loring explains the people of Simpcw First Nation truly live and breathe their culture, language and way of being on a daily basis in their community.
“We honour also our non-Indigenous friends who now recognize this one day. It can be used as teaching and changing the mindset towards Indigenous people and the things that happened through history, righting the wrongs of the past and helping us to heal while recognizing it takes time for us to heal.”
Loring feels that the healing also comes out on the land and staying connected with nature, sharing that whenever she has a tough day or week, she finds peace in being in the fresh air, listening to the birds and paying attention to the wildlife that crosses her path while she prays to the Creator and her ancestors for inner cleansing and purification.
“This nature connection helps me to look through a different lens, thinking, hearing and speaking good things. Mostly I can feel good things. That is what I hope every single participant will get out of this weekend.”
