Babies to Elders enjoy Brabant Lake Cultural Camp
- Gill Gracie | July 29, 2016
Kids and adults alike had a great time at this year’s Brabant Lake Cultural Camp. Even poor weather couldn’t keep the youngsters out of the water, swimming, fishing or riding on all manner of inflatable toys! Grandmothers kayaked with grandkids, siblings and cousins fished or played together. The parents and grandparents, for the most part, enjoyed relaxing on the beach while they watched the youngsters have fun, or visiting with each other in the shade of the trees or the tents.
This was the fourth annual such camp, organized by Stanley Mission Councillor John P. Roberts and funded by the Lac La Ronge Indian Band along with a donation from Silver Standard, the new owners of the nearby Seabee gold mine. About 100 people ranging from five months to 80 years old spent five days enjoying nature and fun together.
“The idea is to help young people learn survival skills by example, get away from tablets and smart phones and just get to know each other better. And it works,” says elder Sally Milne. “The kids who have been here want to come back, even the teenagers,” she says. “They say they still find the magic here”. The camp slows the kids down, says Sally and even when they return home they are changed.
While many participants were related to a branch of the McKenzie family, the camp is open to everyone. This year, there was even a Swiss guest who now lives near Toronto.
Long-time land users
At 73, Sally is the second oldest of the five surviving McKenzie siblings (there were originally 10). Her oldest brother Jeho is 80; Moses is 70, Ben, 69 and Barb Sinclair, 66. All five were at the camp this year.
They all grew up on their family’s trapline in the Brabant Lake area, and are anxious to let people know that these are their traditional lands. “Our parents and grandparents trapped and hunted here, and this is where we were raised,” says Sally.
In fact, the area has been occupied for thousands of years. Following forest fires in 1987 and 1995 that laid the hills bare, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum conducted an archaeological search that found evidence of quartz quarries, tool production areas, spear points, pottery making and ceremonial activities. Ben McKenzie himself found a 2,500-year–old Early Talthelei spear point as well as more recent historical materials dating from 1906, 1919 and 1938.
Horse freighting
The area was well used in living memory too. The siblings remember their parents talking about the days when horse swings crossed the area, freighting goods from the south to Reindeer Lake on a winter road specially plowed for the purpose.
They remember their life on the trapline, and how they were constantly on the move. In fall the families would disperse by canoe from the Stanley Mission base to their traplines in the Brabant Lake and Wathaman areas, returning only briefly at Christmas and in spring to sell their furs and celebrate the holiday. Sally remembers that on the trip in for Christmas, they left unused tea or tobacco hanging in trees along the route for the groups behind to enjoy. As they got closer to Stanley, their families would meet them with oranges, cigarettes and other treats.
The spring trip in was often frought with danger from thin ice, and Ben recalls towing a canoe behind the dogsled to jump into should the ice give way!
Ben also remembers that the kids in the family had to do the heavy work, including portaging the canoe and its contents. Their parents would camp and enjoy a cup of tea while the younger family members did the carrying!
This year’s camp had something for everyone, from kids to elders. The middle generations kept everyone fed and watered, took people on boat tours of the lake, fished and hunted for food. By the next to last day everyone looked rested, relaxed and depressurized!
Too bad it was only five days!