1
00:00:01,101 --> 00:00:02,768
Here we are in
membertou first nation!

2
00:00:02,837 --> 00:00:05,437
[cheering & applauding]

3
00:00:05,473 --> 00:00:07,539
Membertou,
novia scotia,

4
00:00:07,575 --> 00:00:10,642
In the northeast of
cape breton, in sydney,

5
00:00:10,778 --> 00:00:12,977
Home to a mi'kmaq
community

6
00:00:13,014 --> 00:00:15,781
Who fished here
long before the

7
00:00:15,783 --> 00:00:19,484
Growth of
sydney's steel industry...

8
00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,421
An industry that
once produced 50%

9
00:00:22,490 --> 00:00:24,923
Of all canadian steel.

10
00:00:24,992 --> 00:00:27,392
But it's the mi'kmaq of
membertou's story

11
00:00:27,461 --> 00:00:29,127
That I find riveting.

12
00:00:29,262 --> 00:00:30,929
[laughing]

13
00:00:30,931 --> 00:00:32,931
The community here...

14
00:00:32,933 --> 00:00:35,867
Wasn't always here.

15
00:00:35,869 --> 00:00:38,537
100 years ago,
the membertou nation

16
00:00:38,672 --> 00:00:41,707
Was forcibly relocated
from the kings road

17
00:00:41,709 --> 00:00:43,542
Reserve on
the shoreline,

18
00:00:43,677 --> 00:00:45,944
And it is a
sordid story.

19
00:00:46,013 --> 00:00:47,745
It's a confusing one.

20
00:00:47,782 --> 00:00:50,849
Why did particular people
fight tooth and nail for

21
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Decades to move
you up the hill

22
00:00:54,822 --> 00:00:57,021
Barely even
a kilometre?

23
00:00:57,058 --> 00:00:59,591
As the crow flies...

24
00:00:59,627 --> 00:01:01,627
The crow probably wouldn't
even bother flying.

25
00:01:01,629 --> 00:01:03,629
[laughing]

26
00:01:03,764 --> 00:01:05,797
The crow probably'd
just as soon walk.

27
00:01:05,833 --> 00:01:08,534
[laughing]

28
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When you grow up in a
small town in newfoundland,

29
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You see that people have
a sense of humour

30
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About hard times.

31
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Check, check.

32
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I turned that into a
career and hit the road.

33
00:01:16,143 --> 00:01:18,377
[mc] mr. Jonny harris!

34
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Now I'm on a mission to find
the funny in the places

35
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You'd least expect it,

36
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Canada's struggling
small towns,

37
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Towns that are against the
ropes but hanging in there,

38
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Still laughing in the
face of adversity.

39
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This is membertou
first nation.

40
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♪

41
00:01:37,832 --> 00:01:41,333
♪

42
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The story of how
membertou got moved is...

43
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A shady one.

44
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Politically and legally,

45
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Things moved into
a swampy area.

46
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Also, literally,
the community was

47
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Moved into a
swampy area.

48
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[laughing]

49
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After the mi'kmaq people
were forcibly relocated

50
00:02:01,689 --> 00:02:03,154
And moved up the hill,

51
00:02:03,190 --> 00:02:07,593
People say the community
lost not only its land,

52
00:02:07,728 --> 00:02:09,494
But its way of life.

53
00:02:09,563 --> 00:02:11,630
-Nice to meet you.
-Yeah, very nice to meet you.

54
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I had a chat with
chief terry paul.

55
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[cheering & applauding]

56
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All the mi'kmaqs pretty
well lived by the,

57
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By the waters
throughout the atlantic.

58
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And this is
where we were.

59
00:02:24,111 --> 00:02:26,712
But there was
a movement...

60
00:02:26,847 --> 00:02:28,780
For us to be
removed from there,

61
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From the
kings road reserve.

62
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Chief terry told me about
a particular guy

63
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In the late 1800s,
this wealthy lawyer

64
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Turned member of parliament,
joseph gillies.

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He was a neighbour of
ours on kings road,

66
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And he lobbied for
many years for,

67
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For us to be removed.

68
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This guy would manipulate
law and go through

69
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All this effort for what was
ultimately a very small

70
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Piece of land, less than
three acres, I think.

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00:02:55,809 --> 00:02:57,342
He was successful.

72
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Finally, we were
moved to here 1925.

73
00:03:01,482 --> 00:03:03,047
40 years.

74
00:03:03,083 --> 00:03:05,784
By the time the
mi'kmaq people were

75
00:03:05,786 --> 00:03:07,753
Eventually relocated
up the hill,

76
00:03:07,755 --> 00:03:10,889
Gillies had already
relocated 6 feet under.

77
00:03:10,958 --> 00:03:13,358
[laughing]

78
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90% of our living was in
or near the water,

79
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You know,
mostly to, ah...

80
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To fish.

81
00:03:20,968 --> 00:03:22,935
That was part of
our life there.

82
00:03:23,070 --> 00:03:25,571
Back in the day, while
much of sydney was finding

83
00:03:25,706 --> 00:03:28,673
Employment from the
steel factory, he said...

84
00:03:28,709 --> 00:03:29,607
At that time,

85
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The relationships
weren't good at all.

86
00:03:32,112 --> 00:03:34,780
We couldn't get
jobs in town.

87
00:03:34,782 --> 00:03:36,781
Only very menial ones,

88
00:03:36,817 --> 00:03:39,917
Like daily housekeeping for
the women, and...

89
00:03:39,954 --> 00:03:43,188
It was all of pretty
well like $5 a week.

90
00:03:43,190 --> 00:03:45,790
Besides the work that the
men did, and that's...

91
00:03:45,826 --> 00:03:48,760
Was mostly making
products like

92
00:03:48,895 --> 00:03:50,896
Axe handles and
pick handles.

93
00:03:51,031 --> 00:03:51,997
With this move,

94
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People were promised
houses and farmland,

95
00:03:55,202 --> 00:03:57,736
And instead what you
got was decades

96
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Of isolation and neglect.

97
00:04:00,541 --> 00:04:03,508
He said you couldn't get a
taxi to come into membertou.

98
00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:04,876
You couldn't get
a pizza delivered.

99
00:04:05,012 --> 00:04:06,745
A lot of discrimination.

100
00:04:06,747 --> 00:04:08,413
The police wouldn't
come up here.

101
00:04:08,548 --> 00:04:09,947
Cops wouldn't
come here

102
00:04:09,984 --> 00:04:12,617
Unless they were
serving a warrant.

103
00:04:12,686 --> 00:04:15,587
I think they should have
at least worked out a deal.

104
00:04:15,589 --> 00:04:17,088
Like if you can't
get a pizza,

105
00:04:17,157 --> 00:04:18,956
At least you
should be served-

106
00:04:18,993 --> 00:04:21,693
You're warned in
30 minutes or less or...

107
00:04:21,729 --> 00:04:23,095
Free.

108
00:04:23,097 --> 00:04:25,497
[laughing]

109
00:04:25,632 --> 00:04:28,433
When I was in my early
stages of being chief,

110
00:04:28,502 --> 00:04:31,636
Looking at our financial
situation at the time,

111
00:04:31,672 --> 00:04:35,773
We find ourselves with a
million dollars in the hole.

112
00:04:35,775 --> 00:04:38,142
We sat down and said,
we're going to really need

113
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To make a conscious change
in how we do things.

114
00:04:41,581 --> 00:04:44,116
Just before all
hope was lost,

115
00:04:44,118 --> 00:04:48,854
Just before membertou
faded into 'remember to'...

116
00:04:48,989 --> 00:04:50,988
[laughing]

117
00:04:51,025 --> 00:04:55,727
Chief terry assembled a
highly skilled team of...

118
00:04:55,796 --> 00:04:57,863
Educated
community members.

119
00:04:57,998 --> 00:05:00,465
We brought a number of
people back, you know,

120
00:05:00,467 --> 00:05:03,000
The ones that got educated
really well and went to work

121
00:05:03,037 --> 00:05:06,872
For government and law and
teaching and social work.

122
00:05:07,007 --> 00:05:10,876
One was dan christmas,
former band manager,

123
00:05:10,878 --> 00:05:13,010
Who was working with the
provincial government.

124
00:05:13,047 --> 00:05:16,281
Another was a
bay street lawyer,

125
00:05:16,416 --> 00:05:17,882
Burn christmas.

126
00:05:17,918 --> 00:05:21,586
So, already chief terry,
like a kid with freshly

127
00:05:21,588 --> 00:05:24,556
Divorced parents, had two
generous christmases.

128
00:05:24,625 --> 00:05:26,692
[laughing]

129
00:05:26,827 --> 00:05:29,460
He brought in people like
darlene paul and

130
00:05:29,496 --> 00:05:32,331
John gerrard paul from
health canada.

131
00:05:32,466 --> 00:05:34,099
So, you not only
had two christmases,

132
00:05:34,168 --> 00:05:35,834
You had two pauls.

133
00:05:35,903 --> 00:05:39,104
Darlene being the first,
and john paul the second.

134
00:05:39,173 --> 00:05:40,839
[laughing]

135
00:05:40,908 --> 00:05:43,775
So we had people like that
come back and work for us,

136
00:05:43,844 --> 00:05:45,577
Less pay and
a lot of hope.

137
00:05:45,646 --> 00:05:48,847
They wanted to give
back to the community.

138
00:05:48,849 --> 00:05:51,449
He said, "I couldn't
offer them a lot of money,

139
00:05:51,518 --> 00:05:54,052
So what I offered them
was a lot of hope."

140
00:05:54,187 --> 00:05:56,754
And that's how the chief
got the band back together.

141
00:05:56,790 --> 00:05:58,990
[laughing]

142
00:05:59,026 --> 00:06:00,658
With that,
we were able to get

143
00:06:00,694 --> 00:06:03,661
Much more organized,
you know, administratively,

144
00:06:03,697 --> 00:06:06,030
And put a really good
plan together.

145
00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:09,667
Membertou made huge
moves in the fishery,

146
00:06:09,703 --> 00:06:12,003
Real estate, tourism.

147
00:06:12,139 --> 00:06:14,672
Where once this was an area
where taxi drivers and

148
00:06:14,708 --> 00:06:17,542
Cops wouldn't enter,
now there is

149
00:06:17,611 --> 00:06:20,979
Daily commuter traffic
from people from sydney

150
00:06:20,981 --> 00:06:24,081
Coming into membertou
to go to work.

151
00:06:24,118 --> 00:06:27,385
In the 50s, the 60s,
and 70s, 80s...

152
00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,355
Even into the mid 90s,
where our

153
00:06:30,490 --> 00:06:33,692
Unemployment rate
was no less than 90%.

154
00:06:33,827 --> 00:06:35,827
The economic
turnaround has been

155
00:06:35,829 --> 00:06:37,529
Nothing short
of miraculous.

156
00:06:37,664 --> 00:06:40,965
Today we're more
like 80% employed,

157
00:06:41,034 --> 00:06:43,368
And it's growing and
it's getting better.

158
00:06:43,503 --> 00:06:46,370
I read one newspaper
that called it

159
00:06:46,407 --> 00:06:48,372
"the membertou miracle".

160
00:06:48,409 --> 00:06:50,441
And I'm dying to make
a series about it.

161
00:06:50,477 --> 00:06:51,710
I want to make
a mini-series.

162
00:06:51,845 --> 00:06:54,045
It's going to be a
co-production cbc,

163
00:06:54,047 --> 00:06:56,715
Aptn,
and hallmark.

164
00:06:56,717 --> 00:06:57,782
It's gonna be called

165
00:06:57,785 --> 00:06:59,985
"the miracle of membertou's
two christmases".

166
00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,787
[laughing &
applauding]

167
00:07:09,562 --> 00:07:12,129
The membertou miracle is
not just building big

168
00:07:12,166 --> 00:07:13,432
And big buildings.

169
00:07:13,567 --> 00:07:15,800
The band provides training
and seed money

170
00:07:15,869 --> 00:07:18,570
For people in membertou
who want to

171
00:07:18,572 --> 00:07:21,172
Stay home and
mind their own business.

172
00:07:21,175 --> 00:07:22,941
[laughing]

173
00:07:22,943 --> 00:07:25,010
I met a woman whose
sewing is showing that

174
00:07:25,145 --> 00:07:27,479
This opportunity is
everything it seems.

175
00:07:27,614 --> 00:07:31,316
Owner of muggies
creations, margaret tuplin.

176
00:07:31,451 --> 00:07:36,121
[cheering & applauding]

177
00:07:36,123 --> 00:07:38,089
Margaret makes
ribbon skirts.

178
00:07:38,225 --> 00:07:41,025
Ribbon skirts are an
iconic indigenous fashion.

179
00:07:41,094 --> 00:07:43,862
Skirts, many years ago,
they wore them.

180
00:07:43,864 --> 00:07:46,431
But after that,
it kind of died off.

181
00:07:46,566 --> 00:07:49,835
Just around 20 years
now it's just taken off.

182
00:07:49,970 --> 00:07:51,202
Everybody wants a skirt.

183
00:07:51,205 --> 00:07:54,606
Everybody wants to
wear a skirt for...

184
00:07:54,741 --> 00:07:58,777
Everyday use, or school
or proms or business,

185
00:07:58,779 --> 00:07:59,978
Going to business
meetings.

186
00:08:00,113 --> 00:08:02,313
She said each skirt is
a reflection of

187
00:08:02,382 --> 00:08:03,715
The person who wears it.

188
00:08:03,784 --> 00:08:06,351
I have people come
in when they order.

189
00:08:06,486 --> 00:08:07,919
They'll pick their
ribbons' colours

190
00:08:07,955 --> 00:08:10,354
And sometimes
it takes days.

191
00:08:10,390 --> 00:08:13,792
It's what's in their heart,
and nothing is ever same.

192
00:08:13,927 --> 00:08:16,328
I've never come
across the same skirt.

193
00:08:16,463 --> 00:08:18,563
I'm going to get her
to do a shirt for me,

194
00:08:18,565 --> 00:08:22,800
Where I can participate with
her to pick ribbons that

195
00:08:22,836 --> 00:08:26,337
Match my sports participation
ribbons at home.

196
00:08:26,406 --> 00:08:28,139
[laughing]

197
00:08:28,141 --> 00:08:29,474
For me, personally,

198
00:08:29,609 --> 00:08:31,676
I don't suggest anybody
going over the knees,

199
00:08:31,745 --> 00:08:34,079
You know, mini-skirts or
anything like that.

200
00:08:34,081 --> 00:08:35,413
I'm into modesty.

201
00:08:35,482 --> 00:08:38,650
Margaret said for her,
modesty is part of

202
00:08:38,652 --> 00:08:42,420
Her design, so no hems
above the knee.

203
00:08:42,456 --> 00:08:44,689
Which is fine for me-
listen, I've been on

204
00:08:44,758 --> 00:08:46,024
Murdoch mysteries
so long,

205
00:08:46,093 --> 00:08:48,360
A little bit of ankle will
get me going, that's...

206
00:08:48,495 --> 00:08:50,428
[laughing]

207
00:08:50,464 --> 00:08:52,697
The way the
wigwam is...

208
00:08:52,699 --> 00:08:55,900
That's how the skirt is,
and it's a home.

209
00:08:55,936 --> 00:08:58,436
The shape of a long skirt,
she said that's

210
00:08:58,438 --> 00:09:00,171
Representative of
a wigwam.

211
00:09:00,173 --> 00:09:02,907
That represents a home.

212
00:09:02,943 --> 00:09:05,309
A place of protection.

213
00:09:05,345 --> 00:09:07,979
It protects and shelters

214
00:09:07,981 --> 00:09:10,982
And nurtures people inside.

215
00:09:10,984 --> 00:09:13,385
Mind you, you should know
the difference between a

216
00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,054
Wigwam and a skirt before
you pop your head into one.

217
00:09:16,123 --> 00:09:19,057
[laughing]

218
00:09:19,192 --> 00:09:21,092
Last year margaret
launched this business.

219
00:09:21,128 --> 00:09:24,329
We have entrepreneur
centre, you know,

220
00:09:24,398 --> 00:09:26,398
And that's part of
it with membertou,

221
00:09:26,533 --> 00:09:29,734
Teaching the people to...

222
00:09:29,869 --> 00:09:31,802
Learn about business.

223
00:09:31,838 --> 00:09:33,538
She sat me behind the
sewing machine,

224
00:09:33,673 --> 00:09:34,672
And I gave it a go.

225
00:09:34,708 --> 00:09:35,774
Don't push it.

226
00:09:35,909 --> 00:09:37,942
It'll go on its own,
just guide it, yeah.

227
00:09:37,978 --> 00:09:41,012
[machine whirring]

228
00:09:41,014 --> 00:09:43,348
-I'm so bad.
-[laughing]

229
00:09:43,417 --> 00:09:46,084
Oh, sorry,
I sew bad.

230
00:09:46,153 --> 00:09:49,554
Margaret's stitch style,
it's a wavy pattern.

231
00:09:49,689 --> 00:09:51,956
It's like the ocean.

232
00:09:52,025 --> 00:09:53,991
And of course,
that's representative of

233
00:09:54,027 --> 00:09:56,161
Her mi'kmaq heritage.

234
00:09:56,163 --> 00:09:57,962
My stitching, it looked
funny next to hers.

235
00:09:58,031 --> 00:10:00,632
But maybe my stitching
is representative of me,

236
00:10:00,767 --> 00:10:03,868
Kind of funny, but is barely
holding things together.

237
00:10:03,870 --> 00:10:06,070
[laughing]

238
00:10:06,106 --> 00:10:10,508
♪

239
00:10:10,510 --> 00:10:13,445
If you're inspired by
traditional medicines,

240
00:10:13,580 --> 00:10:15,847
I met your muse.

241
00:10:15,849 --> 00:10:18,516
I did the membertou
mi'kmaq medicine walk

242
00:10:18,518 --> 00:10:20,518
With david meuse.

243
00:10:20,554 --> 00:10:24,189
[cheering & applauding]

244
00:10:24,191 --> 00:10:26,624
Our medicine walk is a
three-hour experience.

245
00:10:26,627 --> 00:10:28,126
It has five senses in it.

246
00:10:28,128 --> 00:10:31,129
So there's all- you have
taste, touch, smell, music.

247
00:10:31,198 --> 00:10:33,064
You're interactive.

248
00:10:33,100 --> 00:10:36,534
[indigenous singing
& drumming]

249
00:10:36,536 --> 00:10:39,471
This medicine walk, it's
inspired by practices and

250
00:10:39,606 --> 00:10:41,606
Traditional medicines of
mi'kmaq people for

251
00:10:41,608 --> 00:10:42,940
Thousands of years.

252
00:10:42,976 --> 00:10:45,977
And tourists have come
from all over the world.

253
00:10:45,979 --> 00:10:48,680
In recent years, we had
them from australia,

254
00:10:48,815 --> 00:10:52,350
New zealand...
Switzerland, poland.

255
00:10:52,485 --> 00:10:53,851
Lots of americans come up.

256
00:10:53,887 --> 00:10:55,887
They can use all the
health care they can get.

257
00:10:56,022 --> 00:10:57,955
[laughing]

258
00:10:57,991 --> 00:11:00,658
[indigenous singing]

259
00:11:00,793 --> 00:11:03,761
He showed me the alder tree.

260
00:11:03,830 --> 00:11:05,496
If you ever get a headache...

261
00:11:05,565 --> 00:11:07,098
You can use the tupsi.

262
00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:08,967
In english,
it's alder.

263
00:11:08,969 --> 00:11:11,903
Now if you had a migraine,
you do a little offering,

264
00:11:12,038 --> 00:11:14,706
Then you could wrap that
little stick around your head.

265
00:11:14,841 --> 00:11:16,373
It'll take your migraine away.

266
00:11:16,410 --> 00:11:19,778
He also showed me
some st. John's wort.

267
00:11:19,780 --> 00:11:21,712
In the pharmaceutical world,
they would make a pill

268
00:11:21,748 --> 00:11:23,648
Form or people
would make a tea.

269
00:11:23,783 --> 00:11:25,783
So, we're not really
supposed to kill the flower.

270
00:11:25,819 --> 00:11:28,386
You close your eyes and put
your hands over it, jonny.

271
00:11:28,521 --> 00:11:30,855
He said if you pick the flower,
once the flower dies,

272
00:11:30,990 --> 00:11:33,658
It loses its
healing properties.

273
00:11:33,793 --> 00:11:38,063
You don't take this medicine,
you kind of absorb the energy.

274
00:11:38,198 --> 00:11:40,631
I read something about
st. John's wort

275
00:11:40,701 --> 00:11:43,134
Affecting how your skin
absorbs uv rays.

276
00:11:43,170 --> 00:11:45,102
When I started a
sort of spiritual,

277
00:11:45,138 --> 00:11:47,939
Holistic approach to life,
I was taking it.

278
00:11:48,008 --> 00:11:50,041
And every time I got
out of my tanning bed,

279
00:11:50,110 --> 00:11:51,776
I was just itchy.

280
00:11:51,778 --> 00:11:53,444
[laughing]

281
00:11:53,447 --> 00:11:55,947
We walked a little
further and,

282
00:11:56,082 --> 00:11:59,550
Dave told me about
yellow birch, mnnoqon.

283
00:11:59,619 --> 00:12:02,086
Mnnoqon in our language
means yellow birch,

284
00:12:02,122 --> 00:12:03,888
And that's the material
they used to make

285
00:12:03,890 --> 00:12:06,024
Our hockey sticks back
in those times.

286
00:12:06,159 --> 00:12:08,759
These yellow birch
hockey sticks are

287
00:12:08,795 --> 00:12:10,828
Not just great for hockey.

288
00:12:10,864 --> 00:12:13,598
This was an aphrodisiac, so
you have it in your hands

289
00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:15,132
All day, all you want
to go home and...

290
00:12:15,168 --> 00:12:16,568
-Oh, is that right?
-Yeah.

291
00:12:16,703 --> 00:12:18,102
So, you're like absorbing-
from holding the-

292
00:12:18,171 --> 00:12:20,671
Absorbing that so, by the
time you got home,

293
00:12:20,741 --> 00:12:22,907
You're sure as
hell excited.

294
00:12:22,976 --> 00:12:24,976
Dave said no joke,
when they first started

295
00:12:24,978 --> 00:12:26,577
Using the yellow birch
hockey sticks,

296
00:12:26,646 --> 00:12:28,646
He said the birth
rate went up.

297
00:12:28,715 --> 00:12:30,715
I guess a yellow birch
hockey stick will help you

298
00:12:30,850 --> 00:12:32,650
Slip one past the goalie.

299
00:12:32,686 --> 00:12:34,652
[laughing]

300
00:12:34,721 --> 00:12:38,323
[applauding]

301
00:12:38,458 --> 00:12:40,457
It was great being
out with dave and

302
00:12:40,494 --> 00:12:41,792
Learning some
of this stuff,

303
00:12:41,828 --> 00:12:43,460
And learning some
of the names.

304
00:12:43,497 --> 00:12:45,729
I always find it interesting
the difference between

305
00:12:45,766 --> 00:12:47,398
How indigenous people
name things and

306
00:12:47,534 --> 00:12:48,933
How europeans do.

307
00:12:48,935 --> 00:12:51,602
We didn't have a word for
that plant in our language.

308
00:12:51,671 --> 00:12:54,606
We created it because our
language is descriptive.

309
00:12:54,608 --> 00:12:57,508
St. John's wort is a good
example of that, right?

310
00:12:57,511 --> 00:12:58,876
"gawajamanoxi".

311
00:12:58,945 --> 00:13:01,478
"gawajamanoxi" means
depression plant.

312
00:13:01,515 --> 00:13:04,549
As opposed to europeans
call it st. John's wort.

313
00:13:04,551 --> 00:13:06,384
I guess to
honour st. John.

314
00:13:06,386 --> 00:13:08,386
I don't really know if
anybody's feeling honoured

315
00:13:08,388 --> 00:13:10,087
Being named for
any kind of wort.

316
00:13:10,123 --> 00:13:11,856
[laughing]

317
00:13:11,991 --> 00:13:13,458
"st. John, which one
is he again?"

318
00:13:13,593 --> 00:13:15,993
"the baptist."
"no, I can't place it."

319
00:13:15,995 --> 00:13:17,528
"it's the
st. John's wort guy."

320
00:13:17,564 --> 00:13:18,963
"oh, yeah, right,
the wort guy."

321
00:13:19,098 --> 00:13:22,500
[laughing &
applauding]

322
00:13:27,741 --> 00:13:30,675
[laughing]
I'm jonny.

323
00:13:30,744 --> 00:13:32,043
[barking]

324
00:13:32,045 --> 00:13:35,813
This next guy will teach you
that when inspiration strikes,

325
00:13:35,816 --> 00:13:39,050
You might as well roll the
dice and give it a burl.

326
00:13:39,052 --> 00:13:41,652
I met with elder,
danny paul.

327
00:13:41,721 --> 00:13:46,524
[cheering & applauding]

328
00:13:46,659 --> 00:13:48,525
Danny is known across
membertou for

329
00:13:48,562 --> 00:13:51,129
Making the game waltes.

330
00:13:51,264 --> 00:13:52,864
What's the origin?
Where did it come from?

331
00:13:52,933 --> 00:13:55,400
That's a good question,
there's no...

332
00:13:55,535 --> 00:13:57,368
History that I have,
that I've learned about

333
00:13:57,437 --> 00:13:59,470
From anybody about
where it originated.

334
00:13:59,606 --> 00:14:00,738
You had played
it before?

335
00:14:00,740 --> 00:14:02,506
Yeah, I played
it before, and...

336
00:14:02,576 --> 00:14:03,675
I always knew about
the game because

337
00:14:03,810 --> 00:14:04,809
We grew up
with it, right?

338
00:14:04,944 --> 00:14:06,577
Yeah.

339
00:14:06,646 --> 00:14:09,414
Waltes is an ancient
mi'kmaq game.

340
00:14:09,416 --> 00:14:14,452
It's played with 6 flat dice
and a wooden bowl.

341
00:14:14,454 --> 00:14:17,455
Danny told me he was out
on a moose hunting trip.

342
00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:19,556
Nature called, and I
had to go in the bush.

343
00:14:19,593 --> 00:14:22,493
And I went in and seen
this burl on the tree.

344
00:14:22,495 --> 00:14:24,762
And I said, jeez, I can
make waltes, I think.

345
00:14:24,764 --> 00:14:27,565
Even though he'd never
made a waltes board,

346
00:14:27,700 --> 00:14:30,768
He knew that it had to be
made specifically from

347
00:14:30,770 --> 00:14:32,970
The burl of a tree.

348
00:14:33,039 --> 00:14:34,438
About a year later,
I went back,

349
00:14:34,474 --> 00:14:36,774
And I cut the tree down
and cut the burl off.

350
00:14:36,843 --> 00:14:39,510
I let the burl sit
for two years here,

351
00:14:39,646 --> 00:14:41,045
Let it dry right out,

352
00:14:41,114 --> 00:14:44,048
And then I sliced it and
started making the games.

353
00:14:44,117 --> 00:14:46,450
I can relate to that a lot.
I mean, not the

354
00:14:46,486 --> 00:14:48,552
Moose hunting or the cutting
the burl or anything,

355
00:14:48,622 --> 00:14:51,422
But having a great idea
while I'm talking a leak,

356
00:14:51,458 --> 00:14:53,458
And then...
-[laughing]

357
00:14:53,460 --> 00:14:56,461
...Actually doing something
with it three years later.

358
00:14:56,463 --> 00:14:57,929
That's like,
that's my career.

359
00:14:58,064 --> 00:14:59,497
[laughing]

360
00:14:59,566 --> 00:15:01,799
How come it has to be
the burl of the tree?

361
00:15:01,801 --> 00:15:03,868
'cause, see all
the grain in here?

362
00:15:04,003 --> 00:15:05,936
How it goes all
different directions?

363
00:15:05,972 --> 00:15:08,673
So that when it gets
pounded, it won't split.

364
00:15:08,742 --> 00:15:11,809
With the burl, the grain,
it just sort of swirls.

365
00:15:11,845 --> 00:15:13,811
I thought it looked a
bit like starry night,

366
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,146
Like van gogh.

367
00:15:15,148 --> 00:15:16,447
This is better than van gogh.

368
00:15:16,516 --> 00:15:17,548
Better than van gogh.

369
00:15:17,684 --> 00:15:19,483
-It's made by nature.
-Yeah.

370
00:15:19,519 --> 00:15:20,985
The dice are flat.

371
00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,721
Start off the
game usually...

372
00:15:23,757 --> 00:15:25,690
Like this...

373
00:15:25,692 --> 00:15:27,624
-And then drop the dice.
-Okay.

374
00:15:27,661 --> 00:15:31,362
And then you just move
the dice like that.

375
00:15:31,398 --> 00:15:32,997
You almost got a point.

376
00:15:32,999 --> 00:15:34,565
How do you get a point?

377
00:15:34,567 --> 00:15:36,034
Five one way,
either way.

378
00:15:36,036 --> 00:15:37,368
Oh, okay.

379
00:15:37,404 --> 00:15:38,503
And then you get a point,

380
00:15:38,505 --> 00:15:41,038
You get a certain
amount of sticks.

381
00:15:41,074 --> 00:15:43,841
There you go.

382
00:15:43,843 --> 00:15:45,343
Once you accumulate
so many sticks,

383
00:15:45,412 --> 00:15:47,945
You trade them for an
old man's stick and

384
00:15:48,014 --> 00:15:49,913
Three old lady sticks.

385
00:15:49,950 --> 00:15:52,216
[indigenous name]
the old man.

386
00:15:52,218 --> 00:15:53,484
This is
[indigenous name]

387
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:54,886
The old lady.

388
00:15:54,888 --> 00:15:56,420
He told me that,
and I was confused,

389
00:15:56,456 --> 00:15:58,456
And then I got upset
because my gym teacher,

390
00:15:58,525 --> 00:15:59,757
Whenever I wore
gym shorts,

391
00:15:59,892 --> 00:16:01,592
He would call me
'lady sticks'.

392
00:16:01,594 --> 00:16:03,627
[laughing]

393
00:16:03,697 --> 00:16:05,763
The rules, I don't
know really even if

394
00:16:05,898 --> 00:16:07,865
I should be the
one explaining.

395
00:16:07,867 --> 00:16:10,901
I mean, even danny said
he's not 100% on the rules.

396
00:16:10,971 --> 00:16:14,071
He said, "listen, I make
the game, not the rules."

397
00:16:14,107 --> 00:16:15,440
[laughing]

398
00:16:15,575 --> 00:16:17,608
But the most interesting
thing danny told me,

399
00:16:17,744 --> 00:16:20,878
He said the jesuits
took real issue

400
00:16:20,947 --> 00:16:22,680
With the game of waltes.

401
00:16:22,815 --> 00:16:25,016
The ways of our people
were not conducive to

402
00:16:25,151 --> 00:16:26,851
The ways of the
catholic church.

403
00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,721
So, when the jesuits saw
this game being played,

404
00:16:30,757 --> 00:16:32,957
And then the game was over,
and they noticed

405
00:16:32,959 --> 00:16:34,892
People putting
water in the bowl.

406
00:16:34,894 --> 00:16:37,495
Some of the
elders were seers.

407
00:16:37,497 --> 00:16:40,565
There was a seer who was
able to manipulate

408
00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:42,700
The water in the
bowl together.

409
00:16:42,835 --> 00:16:44,902
And they'd move the
water, and from that,

410
00:16:44,904 --> 00:16:46,904
They could see visions.

411
00:16:46,973 --> 00:16:50,608
Then look into the future,
and look as to where...

412
00:16:50,677 --> 00:16:52,376
Ideal hunting
grounds would be,

413
00:16:52,445 --> 00:16:54,912
The location of
missing person...

414
00:16:54,914 --> 00:16:58,516
Ah, the location of enemies,
and stuff like that, eh?

415
00:16:58,585 --> 00:17:00,151
The jesuits wouldn't
stand for it.

416
00:17:00,153 --> 00:17:02,887
The jesuits they said
that's witchcraft, right.

417
00:17:02,956 --> 00:17:04,455
That's devil worship.

418
00:17:04,491 --> 00:17:06,323
Since the jesuits
couldn't stop them

419
00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,926
From playing the game,
they drilled a hole in

420
00:17:08,962 --> 00:17:10,928
The middle of the bowl
so it wouldn't hold water.

421
00:17:10,997 --> 00:17:12,997
-Oh!
-Yeah.

422
00:17:13,132 --> 00:17:14,665
Which I think, maybe,

423
00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:16,734
I don't know if it's a
bit hypocritical.

424
00:17:16,869 --> 00:17:18,936
I mean, for these people who
were trying to sell you a

425
00:17:18,938 --> 00:17:22,540
Story on a virgin who got
pregnant and now

426
00:17:22,542 --> 00:17:24,342
You're going to say this
doesn't hold water?

427
00:17:24,477 --> 00:17:26,744
[laughing &
applauding]

428
00:17:35,989 --> 00:17:39,256
Tonight, we made a meal out
of the membertou miracle and

429
00:17:39,292 --> 00:17:41,426
How it made money for
the local economy.

430
00:17:41,561 --> 00:17:45,295
But elders in this community
have been making meal

431
00:17:45,331 --> 00:17:47,498
Out of dough for ages.

432
00:17:47,500 --> 00:17:50,234
And, they're showing
the kids how it's done.

433
00:17:50,303 --> 00:17:52,837
I met up with
janine christmas.

434
00:17:52,839 --> 00:17:57,041
[cheering & applauding]

435
00:17:57,043 --> 00:18:00,377
I met up with janine over at
the 55 plus centre

436
00:18:00,413 --> 00:18:03,648
Where she helps run a
program where they get

437
00:18:03,783 --> 00:18:05,816
The elders of
the community and

438
00:18:05,819 --> 00:18:08,318
The youth of the
community together.

439
00:18:08,354 --> 00:18:10,188
Our elders, they wanted
to step in and

440
00:18:10,190 --> 00:18:12,056
Teach our youth
how to do stuff.

441
00:18:12,058 --> 00:18:13,858
And, this is a
product of that.

442
00:18:13,860 --> 00:18:15,893
My name's dave marshall,
and today I'm going to

443
00:18:15,895 --> 00:18:18,796
Demonstrate how
to cook lusknikn.

444
00:18:18,931 --> 00:18:21,365
Lusknikn is a mi'kmaq
style of bannock.

445
00:18:21,401 --> 00:18:23,067
Nova scotia means
new scotland.

446
00:18:23,202 --> 00:18:24,735
Scottish people
brought over bannock.

447
00:18:24,871 --> 00:18:27,337
Lusknikn is kind of
a derivative of that.

448
00:18:27,373 --> 00:18:30,141
Like bannock and a scone
or something like that?

449
00:18:30,276 --> 00:18:31,809
It meets it
in the middle.

450
00:18:31,811 --> 00:18:33,343
It's like if a bannock
and a scone got married,

451
00:18:33,379 --> 00:18:35,012
Lusknikn would be it.

452
00:18:35,081 --> 00:18:36,847
I pictured a couple
hundred years ago,

453
00:18:36,916 --> 00:18:38,416
Out in the woods,
a couple of

454
00:18:38,418 --> 00:18:41,018
Mi'kmaq hunters and a
couple of scottish hunters

455
00:18:41,087 --> 00:18:43,253
Sharing a campfire,
and the mi'kmaq guys are

456
00:18:43,289 --> 00:18:44,888
Frying up some dough.

457
00:18:44,924 --> 00:18:46,423
And one of the
scottish guys is like,

458
00:18:46,425 --> 00:18:47,959
"you know what you
should do with that?

459
00:18:47,961 --> 00:18:50,761
You should stuff it inside
of a sheep's bladder."

460
00:18:50,897 --> 00:18:52,964
[laughing]

461
00:18:53,099 --> 00:18:54,998
And the mi'kmaq guys
are like, "oh my god,

462
00:18:55,034 --> 00:18:57,101
What did he just say?"
[groaning]

463
00:18:57,103 --> 00:18:59,103
And then the other
scottish guy, he's like,

464
00:18:59,238 --> 00:19:01,372
"well, or you could just
make it a bit like a scone."

465
00:19:01,441 --> 00:19:03,040
And they're like,
"yeah, let's do that."

466
00:19:03,176 --> 00:19:05,810
[laughing]

467
00:19:05,945 --> 00:19:07,378
Here's our
finished product.

468
00:19:07,447 --> 00:19:11,048
[cheering & applauding]

469
00:19:11,050 --> 00:19:14,318
♪

470
00:19:14,453 --> 00:19:16,721
The finished product,
it was delicious.

471
00:19:16,856 --> 00:19:18,189
Mm!

472
00:19:18,324 --> 00:19:20,123
You could have it all
kinds of different ways.

473
00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:21,225
There was one woman
there who said

474
00:19:21,294 --> 00:19:23,727
Her family baked
it with eels.

475
00:19:23,796 --> 00:19:24,861
I started to wonder,
like, oh,

476
00:19:24,898 --> 00:19:26,263
If you could put
eel in it, I wonder,

477
00:19:26,299 --> 00:19:29,000
Could you put, like,
an all-beef patty in it?

478
00:19:29,135 --> 00:19:30,801
And then I thought, like,
could you put two

479
00:19:30,803 --> 00:19:33,203
Patties in it and some
special sauce?

480
00:19:33,239 --> 00:19:35,939
And then you could call
it the big mi'kmaq mac.

481
00:19:35,975 --> 00:19:38,742
[laughing]

482
00:19:38,811 --> 00:19:40,411
[applauding]

483
00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:41,612
♪

484
00:19:41,681 --> 00:19:44,482
It's pretty cool that the
old can teach the young and,

485
00:19:44,484 --> 00:19:46,250
It's something that this
community I think

486
00:19:46,385 --> 00:19:48,118
Has done very well.

487
00:19:48,154 --> 00:19:51,322
You've got big buildings
and big business,

488
00:19:51,324 --> 00:19:53,958
But you can't walk ten feet
without learning

489
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,027
Something about
mi'kmaq culture.

490
00:19:56,029 --> 00:19:58,562
This is a place where
you can take a walk

491
00:19:58,564 --> 00:20:00,764
Among plants
that are healing.

492
00:20:00,833 --> 00:20:03,434
And if the seeds are
sowing a feeling.

493
00:20:03,503 --> 00:20:07,038
Sew a ribbon on your
skirt and give us a twirl.

494
00:20:07,173 --> 00:20:09,039
Or learn how to
bake your own bread,

495
00:20:09,108 --> 00:20:12,242
Or try your hand instead
with a maple bowl

496
00:20:12,244 --> 00:20:14,412
Handmade
from a burl.

497
00:20:14,547 --> 00:20:16,514
From the courts an
eviction was served.

498
00:20:16,649 --> 00:20:19,316
You were pulled off
kings road reserve

499
00:20:19,452 --> 00:20:21,251
And given swamp land.

500
00:20:21,287 --> 00:20:23,854
But instead
of stagnation,

501
00:20:23,890 --> 00:20:26,590
Just look around,
the proof's empirical.

502
00:20:26,726 --> 00:20:29,360
The people pulled
off a miracle.

503
00:20:29,362 --> 00:20:31,261
And that's how
they'll remember

504
00:20:31,297 --> 00:20:32,796
Membertou nation.

505
00:20:32,865 --> 00:20:34,532
Thanks for coming out,
everybody, you've been great!

506
00:20:34,667 --> 00:20:36,200
Thanks so much!

507
00:20:36,202 --> 00:20:38,536
[cheering & applauding]

508
00:20:38,538 --> 00:20:41,472
♪

509
00:20:41,607 --> 00:20:43,808
Honest to god,
it was so funny.

510
00:20:43,943 --> 00:20:45,943
I haven't
laughed so much.

511
00:20:46,012 --> 00:20:47,545
[laughing]

512
00:20:47,547 --> 00:20:49,213
♪

513
00:20:49,348 --> 00:20:51,348
Laughter is the
best medicine.

514
00:20:51,417 --> 00:20:55,419
♪

515
00:20:55,421 --> 00:20:59,023
The historical component
was really important.

516
00:20:59,025 --> 00:21:00,290
To know where we
came from and

517
00:21:00,326 --> 00:21:02,225
Understand what,
you know...

518
00:21:02,262 --> 00:21:05,228
What we've done to
become what we are today.

519
00:21:05,265 --> 00:21:07,998
♪

520
00:21:08,134 --> 00:21:11,468
♪

521
00:21:11,603 --> 00:21:15,172
Mi'kmaq big mac.
[laughing]

522
00:21:15,308 --> 00:21:17,575
♪

523
00:21:17,577 --> 00:21:20,311
Maybe he said it first, but
I'm gonna make it first.

524
00:21:20,380 --> 00:21:23,814
♪