Before we left, the mayor came by to meet with Roy again.
Christian was with us, and Eden joined us in Mingan. Mingan has a quite a lot of newer
buildings, but the houses are smaller and closer together. There are some very nice new public
buildings though, and I noticed that throughout the town the native name of the town Ekuanitshit was used on the signs and buildings
First we went to the town hall office building where we met with the vice chief and Rita, a
beautiful highly educated woman who serves as a member of the Ekuanitshit Council. Another
woman came into the room and sat at the end of the table and took
one photo after another
throughout the meeting. When we went out into the hall, there was a group of women gathered
on the other side of the glass wall, and all of them wanted their photo taken with Roy too.
beautiful highly educated woman who serves as a member of the Ekuanitshit Council. Another
woman came into the room and sat at the end of the table and took
one photo after anotherthroughout the meeting. When we went out into the hall, there was a group of women gathered
on the other side of the glass wall, and all of them wanted their photo taken with Roy too.
Then we walked across the street to another new-appearing building which was the town’s
meeting hall. Inside the chairs were arranged in a big circle, and we were seated at one end.
Most of the people there were women, which was probably partly explained because it was noon
on a work day and more likely because Roy was there. Roy spoke, and Daniel spoke, and the
ladies asked lots of questions. The younger people spoke French, and many of the older people
spoke only their native language which someone then translated into French.
meeting hall. Inside the chairs were arranged in a big circle, and we were seated at one end.
Most of the people there were women, which was probably partly explained because it was noon
on a work day and more likely because Roy was there. Roy spoke, and Daniel spoke, and the
ladies asked lots of questions. The younger people spoke French, and many of the older people
spoke only their native language which someone then translated into French.
There was a little girl there who had her photo taken with Roy when he came out of the meeting room, and then she attached herself to me. I took her photo with my camera, and for the next hour she followed me and sat on my lap and looked at her photo over and over until one of the teenage girls in the group gathered up all of the children and took them outside to play for a while.
After the meeting, we were asked to join them for lunch, which was salmon from the local river
with a pastry crust on the top, sliced bread and fried bread that looked like donuts and was a little sweeter. We enjoyed sharing the meal with them. One of the younger women served everyone in our group, but when it was my turn, one of the older women took the spoon and gave me a HUGE serving of salmon. I wasn’t sure what was up with that....
with a pastry crust on the top, sliced bread and fried bread that looked like donuts and was a little sweeter. We enjoyed sharing the meal with them. One of the younger women served everyone in our group, but when it was my turn, one of the older women took the spoon and gave me a HUGE serving of salmon. I wasn’t sure what was up with that....
We stayed to talk for a while after lunch, and I spent some time talking to Rita. She told me it
was the first day of school and that they begin school earlier in the year because the children take time out of school in October to go out into the woods where it is easier to learn their culture, as well as their language, close to nature. She is fluent in French and English, as well as her native language. The local people are very close to their history, culture and land.
was the first day of school and that they begin school earlier in the year because the children take time out of school in October to go out into the woods where it is easier to learn their culture, as well as their language, close to nature. She is fluent in French and English, as well as her native language. The local people are very close to their history, culture and land.
We said our good-byes, including to Eden, who was leaving to go back to Ontario while we were
driving to the airport in Sept-Îles.
Along the way, we turned north along a paved road, which later turned into a dirt road, and then
became a rough and bumpy path which lead to a falls on Riviere-au-Tonnerre (Thunder River).
The falls and river, which were small by comparison to what we had seen in the previous week,
were still extraordinary and worth seeing.
became a rough and bumpy path which lead to a falls on Riviere-au-Tonnerre (Thunder River).
The falls and river, which were small by comparison to what we had seen in the previous week,
were still extraordinary and worth seeing.
In Sept-Îles we stopped at the port area to get something to eat since it wasn’t time to catch the
plane, then stayed a little too long and had to rush to the airport to check in on time. When we
arrived, Christian left us since he was driving home from there. Roy did a last interview with a
local newspaper journalist who had been waiting for him to arrive while we checked the
luggage, and then she took some photos, and we hurried to get on the plane. Although we were
in a rush, and the airport was deserted, Daniel and I both had our luggage thoroughly searched
before we got on the plane. And we flew back to Montreal.
plane, then stayed a little too long and had to rush to the airport to check in on time. When we
arrived, Christian left us since he was driving home from there. Roy did a last interview with a
local newspaper journalist who had been waiting for him to arrive while we checked the
luggage, and then she took some photos, and we hurried to get on the plane. Although we were
in a rush, and the airport was deserted, Daniel and I both had our luggage thoroughly searched
before we got on the plane. And we flew back to Montreal.
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