A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Turk teaching young girls about cooking traditional foods, canning and making bread. The traditional teachings of women's relationship with the foods is very important to Hotinoshonni. Photo Credit: Karakwentha Lazore.
Nelson and Riccardo place sap into the evaporator to make maple syrup. Children learn the process of tapping trees, gathering sap and making maple syrup. Photo Credit: Karakwentha Lazore.
Some children helping to plant potatoes in one of the community gardens, this one located on Kawehnoke. It's very important for young people to carry on the traditions. Photo Credit: Ashley Thompson.
Some of the items that were raffled in a recent fundraiser for ON:KWE. The group appreciates and welcomes support of the community. Photo Credit: Ashley Thompson.
By: Arisawe
Ahkwesahsro:non are strong and resilient. We all know people who have continued to hold on to their traditional ways; the ceremonies, the language, their relationship to the Earth, Water and all living things including the Moon, Stars and Thunder. It's this relationship that keeps our ways strong.
Industry developed all around us and fluoride, PCBs, mercury and other pollutants were introduced to our environment. Our gardens were disappearing and the people became more dependent upon store bought food, which was processed. This processed food, we soon learned, made us unhealthy. We developed diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and thyroid disease, not to mention high rates of cancer. We also became inactive. We had to get back to the land, to the gardens.
Turk and Nelson Jock have been gardening for decades. In 2015, they, along with other Ahkwesahsro:non with shared goals and commitment toward getting back to traditional ways of growing and harvesting foods, organized. The focus is ensuring heritage seeds are used in growing foods, storing and preserving foods and most importantly, teaching young people the importance of having gardens.
When the meetings were first held, ON:KWE was a name for the group that was introduced by a young person. Tehatikonhsonton:kie (faces that are coming) was suggested as a slogan by another young person, that speaks to the coming generations.
The group knows the importance of returning to the traditional ways of living. It isn't just gardening; it's hunting and fishing, it's gathering and preparing traditional medicines, it's learning and using Kanienke:ha in everything they do.
ÓN:KWE has been planting, growing and harvesting foods at Tsiionkwanatiio in cooperation with Ona:ke 2, the board that oversees the facility. ÓN:KWE would welcome community members who would like to grow foods and help in the garden. It is very important though, that you contact Turk by calling or texting 315 705 5345, so that you can coordinate where and what types of food plants you are interested in growing so that cross pollination will not occur and that the food plants grow well together.
The group meets regularly and if you're interested in learning more and becoming involved, contact Turk.
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