{"id":22105,"date":"2021-07-07T17:27:02","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T21:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heritagelsl.ca\/?p=22105"},"modified":"2026-08-13T11:25:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T15:25:21","slug":"kwe-pjilasi-learn-about-the-indigenous-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heritagelsl.ca\/fr\/kwe-pjilasi-learn-about-the-indigenous-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Kwe! Pjila’si! Learn about the Indigenous Here"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Long Before Settler History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018Kwe<\/strong><\/span>\u2019 or \u2018qey<\/strong><\/span>\u2019 means \u2018greetings\u2019 in <\/span>Wolastoqiyik<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span> (Maliseet\/Mal\u00e9cite) and \u2018pjila’si<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2019 means \u2018welcome, come in and sit down\u2019 in Mi\u2019gmaq<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Sit down, listen and share oral tales that transfer knowledge from generation to generation and to those who ask to learn.\u00a0 FirstNations.ca describe storytelling as \u201c\u2026 a traditional method used to teach about cultural beliefs, values, customs, rituals, history, practices, relationships, and ways of life.\u201d\u00a0 Our settled history of just over 200 years pales in comparison to the long history of Indigenous peoples who have lived, travelled to, and gathered in the Metis area for thousands of years.\u00a0 We have a lot to catch up on.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archeological Evidence of Indigenous Presence<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all know Indigenous people were in the land mass now called Canada, but how long ago?  And what has been found in the Metis area?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet the Indigenous Peoples of the Metis Area\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Among the very first to connect with Europeans were the Mi\u2019gmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet\/Mal\u00e9cite).\u00a0 What can non-Indigenous people learn about and from them?\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to find European-Canadian perceptions, but to learn more about the perspective of Mi\u2019gmaq and Wolastoqiyik, think about visiting sites in the surrounding area<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brief Chronology of \u2018Modern\u2019 Indigenous Presence in Metis Area (1700s to 2021)\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For a number of reasons, there were few efforts by European settlers to understand or learn Indigenous ways of life, such as not over-hunting or fishing, and the importance of balance in the environment \u2013 practices we now know make eminent sense.  Nor were Indigenous people given credit for traditional knowledge that helped keep early settlers alive, such as canoeing and portaging around dangerous rivers, and natural medicine, e.g., a tea of cedar that helped avoid and treat scurvy.  In the late 19th and early 20th century, Metis also was where some city dwellers met \u2018Indians\u2019 for the first time:  handicrafts were respected and bought for display and use in local homes and some interesting relationships developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gertrude Bernard \u2013 Anahareo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gertrude Bernard was awarded the Order of Canada \u2013 Canada\u2019s highest civilian honour \u2013 in 1983 for her wildlife conservation work.  Most know of her husband (not always in public favour) but not of Anahareo\u2019s role at then Metis Beach in leading to a campaign that made the plight of the beaver and other wildlife known widely. <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n