A Voice from the Eastern Door
The community was invited to attend the 20th Anniversary of Thompson Island Cultural Camp, also known as Ionkwa'nikonri:io, on August 23rd, 2017. The day began with people boating across the St. Lawrence. If someone did not have a boat, a ride was provided at Adam's Marina in Tsi Snaihne and Whimpy's Marina in Summerstown, ON. There was a steady flow of several boats coming and going throughout the morning to and from Thompson Island. The day turned out beautiful with clear skies and nice weather. There was a mixture of people in attendance, some who have been coming to the camp for years and others setting foot on Thompson Island for the first time. It was definitely a great experience to see that an establishment like Thompson Island Cultural Camp exists for the community of Akwesasne and for visitors to Akwesasne.
The day started out with the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen and a tobacco burning. There was not a set schedule put in place, but the main idea was to acknowledge the individuals who have played a vital role in the creation and continuation of Ionkwa'nikonri:io. Several individuals were honored and given plagues for the roles and support for the Thompson Island Cultural Camp. Once the plaques were given out, a nice lunch was prepared for everyone who attended and in keeping with a 'zero waste policy", you had to wash your own dishes when you were done. There was a photo booth set up for individuals to take pictures with the Thompson Island Cultural Camp logo in the picture.
The Akwesasne Cultural Restoration Program was also present at the event. With a relaxed schedule, you could walk around and see people catching fish, playing volleyball, picking fresh vegetables from the garden or just lounging around. Just to have a free ride to and from Thompson Island was a gift in itself, especially for the individuals who have never had the chance to experience Thompson Island Cultural Camp for themselves. It is great to see such an establishment has been able to exist for 20 years, and the community of Akwesasne has the opportunity to see it thrive for the next 20 years and some.
The camp is a great asset to have available to the youth of Akwesasne, and anyone else who is interested in getting back in touch with their culture.
Camp Coordinator Waylon Cook stated, "Thompson Island Cultural Camp is aimed towards the youth, not just in Akwesasne but throughout the Haudenosaunee Nation". There have been all sorts of different groups that have come and gone throughout the years, and hopefully some of the knowledge passed on to them was remembered. Just this past month there was a weeklong camp for the youth of Akwesasne. It was called Tsikionhet Onkwawen:na tanon Tsiniionkwariho:ten Youth Cultural Camp. The week long camp consisted of storytelling, creating turtle shell pouches, archery, fire demonstrations and socials to name a few of the activities the children got to participate in.
The youth of Akwesasne looks forward to what Thompson Island will have in store for them next summer. When some of the children leave Thompson Island, it is all they can talk about with great pride and excitement. The staff on Thompson Island work hard in making sure the cultural camp continues on for the next generation to enjoy and learn.
Reader Comments(0)