TRAPLINE CH14 (FG14) Land Use Before the La Grande Complex

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1 SUMMARY OF TRAPLINE LAND USE BEFORE THE LA GRANDE PROJECT TRAPLINE CH14 (FG14) Land Use Before the La Grande Complex Trapline Background Information The trapline CH14 is located about 140 kms east of Chisasibi and covers a total area of square kms. It is located entirely on Category III Land. Just before the project, four families with the children lived on the trapline, in addition to two or three invited families. Steven Pachano has been the tallyman of CH14 for several years. Impacts related to the La Grande Complex The Robert-Bourassa Reservoir (1979): 44,8% (1017,6 square kms) of the trapline area has been flooded (37,9% of land and 6,8% of natural water plans). The access road going to the dykes around La Grande-3 Reservoir (1977). The La Grande-3 Dam and Power station, at the south-eastern extremity of the trapline and on trapline VC8. Trapline Land Use Before the La Grande Complex The traditional route to reach the trapline from Fort-George during the fall followed the La Grande River. Where the La Grande River meets the Kanaaupscow River, it was possible to follow the La Grande River up to the eastern end of the trapline, but this route had many rapids and was consequently less often used. The Kanaaupscow River was the main highway and it led to the Kanaaupscow trading Post which was located on the northern border of CH14. It took one month to get there by canoe. These two main rivers, Kanaaupscow and La Grande formed the northern and the southern border of the trapline. Two main routes crossed the trapline to reach the trading Post. A snowshoe route crossed the whole trapline from the Kanaaupscow Post to the La Grande River passing by a main camp and lakes Kanatewat and Mankish *. Another snowshoe and canoe route left the trading Post to cross the trapline at its eastern part, following the Kanaaupscow River towards the east for few kms before heading south to reach Bereziuk Lake 0 after crossing a long portage of about 3 km long, to then reach Ukau Lake * on the eastern border of the trapline. This route continued towards the east and was also used by people from the surrounding traplines - even by people from Wemindji who went there to sell their furs to the Post. An alternative canoe and snowshoe route left this latter route from Weeyaskimii Lake and headed east, passing by 0 Its cree name is Weeyaskimii Lake which means Clear water lake. The cree name will be used in the rest of the text. 1

2 Amichicookmaskach Lake 1 on CH18. A canoe and snowshoe route also left the central part of Weeyaskimii Lake towards the north to reach the trading Post. From the Kanaaupscow River, three canoe routes headed east, one following the river Weeyaskimiistuk linking the Kanaaupscow River to Carbillet Lake 2 and another one following the Yatwakimishistuke River crossing the trapline in its center from west to east. Between the rivers La Grande and Kanaaupscow, a river called Deeyawawowstuke 3 linked Amanistikuch Lake 4 to the Kanaaupscow River. It was a prime trapping route travelled in any season by canoe and snowshoe. It was crossing the prime hunting and trapping area covering the western part of the trapline. When they started using the plane from the mid 1950s up to the 1970s, the choice of the trapping area for a given year influenced the plane landing site, which needed to be close to a sandy area in order to easily beach a canoe. Two such landing sites where they landed many times have been located. One is close to the camp on the shore of Weeyaskimii Lake, and the other in front of the camp on Amanistikuch Lake. Some main campsites where mitogan and temporary camps were found have been identified by the tallyman. But as too many camps were present on the trapline before the project to identify them all, and as the hydrographical information is missing over the area of the current reservoir, it should be noted that the information concerning the camps is incomplete. The mitogan were base camps or essentially the more or less permanent camps, for the family while temporary camps could be set anywhere the trappers happened to be at sunset. Temporary camps were tepees or half tepees. The half tepees were set during the winter because they were easier to heat, being lower. Many campsites have been located inside the main trapping areas. During the fall, the trappers tended to hunt and trap away from the main camp for that given year, in order to spare the resources around the camp. They used temporary camps for about a month and came back to the main camp after freeze-up in order to hunt and trap around the mitogan. A main campsite where many mitogan were found was located at the western extremity of Weeyaskimii Lake. The area surrounding this huge lake and Weeyaskimiish Lake was a highly valued area. It was notably use to fish walleye, whitefish, pike and lake trout. It was also a mating area for ducks and was a good source of drinking water. Two spring tepee campsites were located on Weeyaskimiish Lake. A spring camp was also located on the shore of a small lake along the Weeyaskimiishtuk River linking Weeyaskimiish Lake to the Kanaaupscow River, a route the people followed when entering the trapline during the fall or when heading back in the spring. This river was a highly valued area as it was a particularly prime area for hunting, fishing and trapping. It was notably a prime area for spring hunting as waterfowl were hunted along it. The geese landed there early because the water did not freeze as it was a type 1 The spelling Amichikukamaskach is used on the map. Its cree name is Weeyaskimiish which means small clear water lake. The cree name will be used in the rest of the text. It means the river in the middle (of the two main rivers). It means lake of many islands. The spelling Aministikuch is used on the map.

3 of hot spring. People even made special trips to hunt there in the spring. It was also a very good fall fishing river where speckled trout, lake trout and rainbow trout were fished. During the fall people used to stay in this area to fish and to hunt small game before freeze-up, such as young ducks born the previous spring. There were also many little creeks flowing in this area, from the highlands, so it was very good for beaver, otter and muskrat trapping during the fall. Two mitogan were located on the shores of Amanistikuch Lake which was central to a trapping area. Many other mitogan were also found in this area. Another trapping area surrounded Neacappo * Lake where one campsite with one #7 mitogan and #8 one campsite with two mitogan) were located. A trapping area was located southeast of Weeyaskimii Lake, around a main camp #9. However, many more campsites, both permanent and temporary, were located in that area. The south western part of the trapline was very good for trapping, as it covered the valley lying between the rivers Kanaaupscow and La Grande. The Kanaaupscow River was also a prime trapping route for all kind of fur bearing animals. Before the project, sturgeons were fished on the trapline. It was fished all along the La Grande River up to a large rapid east of CH14, and also on the Kanaaupscow River up to a rapid further upstream from the trapline. The Kanaaupscow River was the northern most place where sturgeon could be found. A particularly good fishing area for sturgeon was located at the confluence of the Kanaaupscow River with the Weeyaskimiistuk River. In addition to sturgeon, walleye, pike, whitefish, lake trout and sucker were fished in the Kanaauspkow River. South of lakes Weeyaskimiish and Weeyaskimii there was a lake called Abeachich 5 famous for whitefish fishing in addition to beaver trapping. The two lakes north of Ukau Lake, lakes Kamamachichikamach 6 and Amichicookmaskach 7 were prime trout fishing areas. There were no caribou on the trapline during the period before the project as they were at the low point of their cycle. Moose hunting was also scarce at the time. Bears and porcupines were hunted over the trapline. A lots of ducks were hunted over the land and the trapline users also hunted geese on their way to Fort George during the spring, the rivers La Grande and Kanaaupscow being good for goose until the height of where the Robert-Bourassa Dam is located today. Further downstream the river was strewn with to many rapids to be able to hunt easily. Many birth sites and three burial sites are located in the area of a main campsite on the snowshoe route crossing the whole trapline from the Kanaaupscow Post to the La Grande River passing by a lakes Kanatewat and Mankish *. Many birth sites were also It means Lake where there is turbidity. It means wonder shape lake. It means big trout lake.

4 located near the camp on Weeyaskimiish Lake. An old man was buried across from the camp on southeast of Weeyaskimii Lake. This place was named Chisapishoupeeyou after him which means the great coaster person. Another man called Missitayiabow which means the man that is all over (a great traveler) was buried on an island on Weeyaskimii Lake. Another burial site is located on an island of Weeyaskimii Lake and two more located in the eastern part of Weeyaskimii Lake. A persons sister who died while travelling was buried on the shore of a lake named Awasicha Yikouch 8, north-west of Kachamisk Lake 9, and east of Bukekoihibanan Lake 10 along the canoe route crossing the trapline from west to east in its center. There were also many burial sites at the trading Post. All the birth and burial sites were flooded. The Kanaaupscow Post was a very valued site. It was an area rich in resources and an important gathering place even before the existence of the trading Post. There were plenty of fish, beaver, muskrat, rabbit, ptarmigan and waterfowl, and it was also a beautiful place with waterfalls and an island where it was good to stay. Because of all these features and the exceptional site, the Kanaaupscow Post would have been a prime site to build a permanent village. This represents a major loss for the people. Another valued site is located in the shores of Ukau Lake ( Doré), at the foot of a mountain where a lot of birch trees are found. This is an historical gathering place, an old summer campsite where many people gathered and where they built birch bark canoes. Another canoe factory where people used to go to build canoes was located on an island of Weeyaskimii Lake. This was a very special place, a very flat and sandy area. They used the sand to make the mould to build the canoes. The people brought the material required to make canoe on the island It means sandy beach lake. It means ever lasting beaver. The spelling on the map is Kacamisk. It means setting fishnets lake.

5 Amichikukamaskach Uchischiminisu (FG13) Waminanchi CH10 (FG10) Dachat Kauschiskach Kasakukamach burial sites See Note 1. Kanaaupscow Post Gathering place Kamintstikuch Chinusas births births Bréhan burial sites Gathering place Atikamakw Asakukam Asakukamac Anistiniwatiyayach ow sc up aa n Ka Kacamisk CH14 Neacappo (FG14) re viè Ri Uka Kanatewat Mankish Aministikuch e L and a Gr ère Rivi CH40 (VC8) Kukamas Chakapash