#ilnuatsh

Marie des Bois (Mary of the Woods)

Acrylics on masonite board, 2025. LOJC.

I painted this plaque as a devotional to the Virgin Mary as I see her in this land; a mother spirit who, along with other mothers, notably, the black bear (Mi'kmaw: Muin. Nehlueun: Mashkᵘ. Français: Ours noir), roam the woods and guard over all life. Her halo is the moon, and she wears the woven ceinture fléchée, as her mother, Saint Anne, is the patron saint of voyageurs. She holds a white rose, symbol of love and purity.

I painted some of my sacred and important plants in my practice, and included below brief descriptions, their lore, and what they're called in Mi'kmaw, Nehlueun (the Innu language of Mashteuiatsh) and French. I am only employing the words found in these two Indigenous languages when the plant is geographically and culturally relevant from my findings online or through written sources. If I make a mistake, I apologize deeply, and will correct my post. These two languages I prioritize here, as my practice sprung from my ancestors, both settler and indigenous, in these two territories belonging to the Mi'kmaq and the Ilnuatsh peoples. I am not a recipient of traditional Mi'kmaq or Ilnuatsh knowledge, and I shouldn't be. But I know that with my French Canadian and Acadian ancestors coming here, we shared plant knowledge among each other to help each other survive. This path is very much finding nuggets of shared wisdom in the weeds of colonialism.

From top left, down into the right:

Balsam Fir (Mi’kmaw: stoqon. Nehlueun: alnasht. Français: sapin baumier)

Used on Palm Sunday by some Mi’kmaq Christian traditions and some Acadian communities. In Christian tradition, the oil is used along with olive oil to create the Chrism Oil on Holy Thursday. The hardened sap of this tree is used as a gum of the woods, and is rich in Vitamin C, preventing scurvy. My granddad would often pick the gum in the woods as we were walking and hand some over. It has a rich balsam flavour. I hope one day to have a balsam fir on my property, or near it at least. It is a holy tree, and I can't wait to meet it.

Common Mugwort (Français: armoise commune)

A plant that made its way here from Europe and Asia, common mugwort, otherwise known as St. John's Plant, and "Mother of Herbs" in the Middle Ages, has a long and storied folk history among settler and some Indigenous populations in the United States, Australia, anywhere where the plant was naturally found. I was not able to find Mi'kmaq or Ilnuatsh use of the plant for now, but maybe it's there. Legend has it that John the Baptist wore a girdle of mugwort in the wilderness. It was believed to preserve the wayfarer from fatigue, sunstroke, wild beasts and evil spirits. It was also brewed the tea for colds and flus, bronchitis and fevers; dried leaves can be burned to cleanse spaces. In Europe, it was used to ward off evil spirits, hung in doorways to keep disease out of the house, and kept in shoes to alleviate fatigue. Mugwort tea was often consumed before divinations, as it was thought to induce visions. Mugwort is known to repel moths and other insects. I might just keep sachets of Mugwort in my cabinets and grow it in my garden to avoid pests.

Goldthread ( Mi'kmaw: Wisawtaqji’j. Nehlueun: Uishaushkumukᵘ. Français: Savoyane)

Ilnuatsh people use the roots of this plant only, and dig deep in order to get them, as they are quite fragile. The rhizome of the plant was chewed by many First Nations, including Algonquian-speaking peoples and the Iroquois, to relieve canker sores, and is the source of another common name, canker-root. The roots were also used to tan hides, and dye porcupine quills, feathers, wool and flax, and were a shared knowledge between Indigenous and settler populations. Also known as Goldthread, this plant is like all photoberberin dyes, and is used as a direct dye, in a hot dye-bath, to obtain a bright golden yellow on silk or wool. The Mi'kmaq of the Gaspé peninsula and Acadia boiled the rhizomes to dye yellow porcupine quills and hides. The French settlers in Canada adopted this dye for their woolen cloth. The active compounds of Coptis trifolia are the alkaloids berberine and coptine, so any juice from this plant can be damaging to pregnant people, newborns, children etc. As it contains alkaloids, it should not be used without the advice of a qualified herbalist. If I ever find them in my wanderings, I tend to leave them alone, until I know more of how to responsibly use it. They are quite gorgeous in the undergrowth anyway. One day I might be comfy with using it in my sewing projects.

Blueberry (Mi'kmaw: pguman. Nehlueun: minish. Français: bleuet)

Blueberries are widely used as food and medicine by Indigenous Peoples across Canada. However, the exclusion of Indigenous peoples from their lands and the banning of cultural practices have made it more difficult to access and consume berries. In Eastern Canada, this includes consumption by the Abenaki, Algonquin,Cree, Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Mi'kmaq of various blueberry species, both fresh and dried. Mi’kmaq people also use the leaves and roots of lowbush blueberries to treat rheumatism. The Algonquin and Cree peoples use tea from the leaves to support women and infant health around pregnancy, and Algonquin people use a concentrated infusion from the roots. Blueberries are also an important traditional and cultural food of Inuit people, often picked together by an entire family. Berry picking has been linked to modern community well-being, and blueberries are among the most widely harvested plants by Inuit. In Western Canada, Indigenous communities cultivate several species of blueberries, and they are an important food source. Coast Salish peoples traded dried berries from the interior to the central coast, and within interior groups. Many Indigenous languages have a diversity of words used to describe to blueberries, signalling their traditional uses and cultural importance. The blueberry is special to me as a kid who grew up in the woods of Saguenay during the summer vacations. We'd go berry-picking and my grandmother would make the most delicious pies and jams. Blueberries are the symbol of the Saguenay region, so much so, people from that area of Québec are colloquially known as 'bleuets'.

St. John's Wort (Mi'kmaw; wape'k. Français: millepertuis)

Brought over from Europe and spread in the wild in Canada since 1883, St. John's Wort in French settler communities was used as a protective herb when picked on the eve of Saint John the Baptist Day (June 24). The plant's name, "Millepertuis" (thousand holes), refers to the tiny translucent dots on its leaves that appear as holes when held up to the light. This led to the belief that the plant could ward off evil spirits and demons, earning it the name "Fuga Daemonum" (flight of demons). The red spots that appear on the leaves, said to resemble drops of blood, are linked to the legend of John the Baptist's beheading, further strengthening the plant's connection to religious and folk traditions. I use these flowers when I find them in woodland lots, or roadsides. I dry them and hang them in little bags around my house to ward off evil spirits, and in my important religious books in envelopes or plastic baggies taped to the inside cover.

Labrador Tea (Mi'kmaw: Apuistekie’ji’jit. Nehlueun: Miluepukᵘ. Français: Thé du Labrador)

I cannot stress this enough: be careful with your dosage of Labrador Tea and its steeping time! Always consult with a physician or certified herbalist before drinking. Be careful not to confuse sheep laurel with Labrador tea, as the former looks similar but is toxic. Seriously, only get it from a vetted source if you're not comfortable picking it yourself. High doses of Labrador tea or prolonged brewing may cause cramps and upset stomach due to the plant’s high tannin content. It is recommended to drink no more than two cups of tea per day and to steep it for no more than 2 to 4 minutes. Women who are under six months pregnant and children under six should avoid consuming Labrador tea.

The aromatic young twigs, leaves and flowers have been used, fresh or dried, as "tea" by First Nations, Inuit, and settlers alike. Tea should be weak; a small handful of leaves steeped in boiling water for 5 min yields a pleasant beverage. If boiled for much longer, it becomes toxic.

Traditionally in Acadian medicine, it was used as a calming, analgesic and sleepy-time infusion. So, for my practice, I would adore having Labrador tea grow near my house if possible. It might use it in sleep sachets to hang near my day bed (far away from my cats).

Sources:

Michael Rapinski. Ethnobiologie et ethnomédecine des Peuples premiers d’Amérique (Cris d’Eeyou Istchee, Parikwene et Pekuakamilnuatsh) : l’impact de l’alimentation et des médecines locales sur la santé et le bien-être des diabétiques. Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie. Université de Guyane, 2021.

Names of plant and animal species mentioned as part of the local medicinal practices and systems of the Pekuakamilnuatsh and the Cree of Eeyou Istchee

Table 4.3. p. 225-233.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/blueberry

Whitehead, R. H. (1982) Micmac Quillwork; Micmac Indian Techniques of Porcupine Quill Decration, 1600-1950. Halifax: Nova Scotia Museum. p.68.

For today is Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, many folks have the day off. I hope for people to take some time today to read on residential school testimonies, reflect on the children lost and the survivors left to deal with the scars, and their children who feel the intergenerational trauma.

We are weaker when we don’t let others shine in their brilliant cultures and wisdoms, and no country is strong without the active involvement and respectful considerations of the needs and worldviews of Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

As I can’t do extended trips or walks outside right now, I’m taking some time to listen to Gord Downie’s Secret Path album, and choosing from one of the titles I have in my library.

I have had the honor of meeting both Stephen Kakfwi (Northern Dene, former premier of the NorthWest Territories/former National Chief of the Dene Nation, representing Chiefs of Treaties 8 and 11, always an activist for his homeland and people, and a residential school survivor) and his wife Dr. Marie Wilson (former Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner) during my congregation’s reconciliation service. Kakfwi was warm and full of good humor, and we talked a bit of his home Fort Good Hope, North West Territories, and the beauty of our homes in the boreal forests. It was too short a meeting to get in depth, but I was grateful to have met him. Dr. Wilson was an amazing presence, and if I could have an extended tea with them, I’d adore every second. Seeing my sash, she asked if I was an impacted family member. I honestly told her no, but as a French Canadian, it’s important for me to be involved. While I may have distant ancestors, it’s my present job to listen to their descendants and reach out and connect respectfully.

Dr. Wilson’s book is a must-read for those that want a perspective on how to go about reconciliation as an obligation and gift. Her chapter, Part VI: Humility - Quebec struck hard with me as a folk practitioner and how I go about understanding my maiden province’s history and impact on Indigenous peoples.

If you want to donate to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and adjacent projects, follow the link below!

Please note that the term “Eastern Métis” in this case refers to a social movement that involves individual and organizational claims to being “Eastern Métis,” “Québec Métis,” “Acadian-Métis,” “Mi’kmaq-Métis,” “Algonquin-Métis,” and increasingly, false claims to being Algonquin, Mi’kmaq, Abenaki, Wendat, and other First Nation peoples whose territories are located in this region.

Hi there,

As someone who is actively attempting to build a modern, inclusive spiritual practice around my ancestry and our rich cultural and religious folk traditions in Quebec and Acadie, seeing this happen angers me. WE already have these beautifully musical, lively cultures full of folktales, spirits, and prayers, heck, we still have the woven ceinture fléchée, something we SHARE with various Indigenous and Métis cultures. You don't need to go shopping for a new identity.

Through the 1970s to today, especially from 2000 to today, there has been an explosive uptick of people in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes claiming to be Métis. This is often because mostly white French settler Canadians are finding distant Indigenous (or supposedly Indigenous; some have been debunked) ancestors from the 1600s to the 1800s and are now claiming an Indigenous or Métis identity. Worse, they are going to Canadian courts to “fight” for their rights under the Indian Act to hunt, fish, and stay in “traditional lands” that their ancestors were apparently always a part of. They rake in what little funding there is for their own self-serving individualism at the detriment of Indigenous and actual Métis sovereignty, and also committing tax fraud, issuing out their own status cards even!

What it really is, is a vehemence towards living, actual Indigenous nations and the Métis Nation, and attempting to claim rights and tax exemptions. Where were these folks when the residential schools' mass graves started being unearthed, when the 60s Scoop happened, with even now many communities have no potable water? If they didn't know about their ancestry, chances are their every-day life wouldn't change. Every time someone from those groups gets interviewed, they can NEVER really explain the community they’re a part of. They say “it’s complicated”, and they refer to themselves only as individuals with mixed blood, and THAT is what makes them “Eastern Métis”. Worse still, many of them started off as a ‘white rights', white supremacist groups. I see them pop up in news articles about celebrating long-standing friendships between Acadians and Mi'kmaq people, and it sickens me that the news reporters didn't do any further digging.

My own family tree is right within one of those groups’ supposed claims. Peter McLeod Sr. And his wife, Marie Madeleine Manitukueu Tshirnish (died before 1860) are a frequent apparition. It sickens me that they are using this lineage to justify their greed as I’m learning the history that my family went through. When I research into my lineage, I can’t help but try to imagine what must have happened to Marie Madeleine, marrying into a Scottish household that was destroying her land with reckless tree cutting and saw mills. How her daughter Angèle married a settler and farmed. I'm still trying to learn about the Ilnuatsh's people's perception of Peter McLeod Jr., supposed founder of Chicoutimi.

I also think of Angèle’s descendants, like my 4th great grand-father, who was exploring and guiding hunters and tourists through the woods, interacting with  Pekuakamiulnuatsh communities along the way (though I don't know to what degree and with what attitude). And his son clear-cutting the woods in his paper pulp factories. As I want to visit Mashteuiatsh yet again this October to appreciate their amazing Ilnu museum, to enjoy learning about their plant knowledge through their garden tours, and consulting their library, I grow more nervous of even approaching them for more information and see if I can foster community connections. It feels wrong now, even when I tell myself that cultural appreciation is encouraged.

I am no stranger to the initial feeling of ‘wow’ at finding my Indigenous roots in my tree. I get it. But you GOTTA move past it. It’s a complex emotional process, especially when you’re intelligent enough to recognize how colonialism still happens today. For me, the 1800s don’t seem that long ago. I still don’t have a right to claim what’s not mine. I have not had a link to Mashteuiatsh as a community growing up. My extended family lives within Saguenay, not thinking twice about the Ilnuatsh people living there. I don’t live nearby, and I can’t exactly just show up and expect to make friends. But I’d like to. I want to learn Nehlueun and to be humbly present and learn about the Ilnu culture, and most importantly, dedicate time to try to understand their current issues, and support in any way I can. I'm not perfect either. I want to be able to know my ancestors' names, and light a candle for them, remember them in a way that won't be like what these people are doing. Sadly it’s not that simple. And you, race-shifters, are making it so much worse.

Here is a comprehensive list of all these organisations for everyone to consult, so you can watch out for their books, essays, and flag them for what they are: frauds. Don’t support them. You’re probably wondering why I’m sharing a list if that’s going to push people towards them. I need to share it because when I am researching a website source, a reconciliation article on a news website, an essay or a book on history or folklore, they insidiously still manage to find their way in to blabber on and on about their rights. Don’t fall for it. If you see them in a source or bibliography while you’re researching Quebecois and Acadian folk ways, run.

For those interested in further reading, as I will be, here's a great book on this topic. Darryl Leroux is an associate professor at St. Mary's University in Halifax. His work focuses on racism and colonialism among descendants of French settlers.

Darryl Leroux’s book, Distorted Descent: White Claims to Indigenous Identity, 2019.

He is also the co-creator Raceshifting.com, where he monitors these groups and what they're trying to do in court.

Also, support Indigenous authors and artists with this website! I'll be perusing for books myself from Ilnuatsh authors.

For Pentecost, I decided to focus on journaling and learning about Ilnuatsh culture and learning important words and times of year.

As a Catholic festival of linguistic outreach, it is important for me to listen to other languages around me and their wisdom on this day.

I also like to work with Saint Anne for this purpose, as she is the patron saint of voyageurs and teaching scripture, and is an important grandmother figure among christian Indigenous spiritual practices in Québec and where the French settled.

Pentecost, with the Holy Spirit descending on me that day, allows me to hone my gifts, creativity, and open-heartedness to learn from others and perhaps, ask ancestors for guidance through Saint Anne’s protection in dreams. As her feast day approaches next month, I feel especially connected to her this year.

With the expedition campaign A la Mer du Nord 2025 on their way from Tadoussac, portaging their way in cedar canoes on old fur trade trails to Baie James until August, I feel like this is my year to begin learning about the cultures that made up my family during the fur trade, get even more connected with Nitassinan (Québec) and Pékuakami (Lac Saint Jean) landscapes, fauna and flora, and reconcile colonial ways of thinking and participating in support and friendship.

I’ll be visiting Saguenay in October, and I am so excited to feel that familiar earth under my feet again!