Traveling the Wabanaki Way

Atonikeweyol Awtiyil

Atonikeweyol Awtiyil Pihce, samaqan wehkasupon'ciw awtiyil 'ci Waponahkiyik. Waponahkiyik yalapasuponiyik ewehkehtit pemicuwok samaqanol. Samaqanol yut New Brunswick milicuwonupon oloqiw wecuwawkuwahtit, mawoluhkamahtit, naka nuce-esuwonomuwahtit. Masqewuloq neqt piyemuwehkasupon 'ciw Waponahkiyik. Nahnaqot naka 'komasi yaliptahsu, yuhtol oqitonol wolessuwol 'ciw kehsoksipusisol, qotasqol, kuspemol naka sipiyil. Sipehkikon ote piyemi wolessik ipocol supekon, sakoleyu, nahnaqot, mecimiw te iyu naka piyemokimqok, mate espew. Nostumahkenen tan elewehkatitpon Waponahkiyik samaqan naka ntiyukepon eci nokosayalapahsitit. Waponahkiyik nolomisukultuwok, 'pomiptuniya psi keq tan eci cuwi pomuhsahtitit naka'tankeyutomonya oqiton etoli apsitomek. Waponahkiyik mecomiw 'tuwehkaniya 'kani awtiyil 'ciw pemiptutit oqitonol naka leyuwakonol tan eci atapahsitit sipiyil, kuspemol kosona kapskul. Anqoc nokotomonya oqiton naka apc kotok'tuwehkonya sami ksatqik weci ankuwapahsitit. Wisokelkil ihtoli kskomahpahsititpon kisi monuwehkasuwol 'ciw kilun ewehkatit keq eliwihtasik. Yuhtol eliwitahsikil utonomonya keq eliwitamuhtit Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqiyik naka Peskotomuhkaticik. Anqoc mecimiw 'kani awtiyil mec otepemkiskahk ntuwehkanen.

Gesgmtegl

Giis saageg na sipolna Wabanagigieoag otaotioal.‍Wabanagigeoag na pasegaltatjig eoemititel sipol aag tan tet pemitg sipotjitj, New Brunswick na gagisimitltagtegel na sipol aag gelolgep tan lnog teli altatitj, tan totjonatji nemiatitj piloilnog ag ototemoa tan saseooltitjig. Masgoiel goitneoasitgel tan telisogotitjig. Telitasigel na goitn tan oelialtatag. Nenagtjijgl aag nagamasi algoitasigel otjit eoemen sipotjitjel tjitjogoetjgel. Masgoi nanenagtjitg aag ma osepenogel.Wabanaagigeoag taniteloltisenig na eoemititl ola gesgmetgel ag nagemastesgemititj tan teteltasnig. Sogesitgoit oen ag nenagtjitj tan teli ilpaligatj me na gistesgeteo tan tet me maltemig. Sag etegel Wabanagigeoag otaoatioal , tan pematotitelgoitn ag gesgemitatjig , pemaolatemtitj otapsonoao oetjatitgemg neote sipoglapis egteg, gesnet gesgemitatitj tan gesigaoitg. Egel amotjpa nagtemititjneotei goitn aag egteg tepasiteo gisi esgemasitj. Eimotigel gesgemtegel giis sag gisioisongeoasigel aag ne gisgog getjitogel. Tan teloitasigel nagetjitasig Migemaoel, Wolastogeoel, gesnet Peskotomuhkatigeoag altasnig. Eimotigel gesgemtegl name eoegetasigel gisgog aotiil.

The watersheds in New Brunswick provided an extensive network of inter connected pathways leading to adjacent watersheds and the homelands of neighbours, allies, trading partners.

The birchbark canoe was once the principal means of transportation for the Wabanaki. Light and maneuverable, these canoes were perfectly adapted to travel through the arteries of streams, ponds, lakes and rivers. The bark of the birch trees was ideal material because it was smooth, hard, light, resilient and, most importantly waterproof. Early accounts depict how the Wabanaki used these waterways, and explained how these routes could be traveled quite quickly. The Wabanaki would pull upstream against the current, packing their belongings for foot travel and protecting the canoe in the low water. The Wabanaki used ancient trails to carry their canoes and belongings overland from one river system to another, from one lake to another, or to bypass rapids or falls on a river. Sometimes they would leave a canoe at one end of a portage and pick up another one at the other end of the trail and continue to make their journey. Many of the old partages have been preserved for us in a place names. These place names are detailed descriptions of Mi’kmaq, Wolastukiyik and Passamoquoddy meanings for these places on the landscape. Some of the old portages routes that we travel today.

Snowshoes

During the winter, the majority of travel was done by the land using snowshoes, sleds and toboggans. Toboggans made it possible to pull large or heavy loads and snowshoes allowed the Wabanaki to travel with relative ease and, when necessary, overtake larger mammals that would struggle through deep snow drifts. Snowshoes were traditionally made with strong ash frame and rawhide lacing that was woven in a hexagonal pattern. The toe and heel portions of the snowshoes were filled with a finer cortege to bear the weight of the wearer. The basic snowshoe design has been modified to suit different geographic and snow conditions, the availability of materials and the makers sense of style. The Wabanaki made a small round shoe with a short tail often referred to as a “Beaver tail” design. Alternative designs such as the “bear paw” snowshoe were popular in the other regions. Snowshoes were custom made according to what the maker felt was appropriate, which created considerable diversity in shape and in sizes.

PORTAGE ROUTES

Atonikeweyol Awtiyil

Gesgmtegl

In ancient times, the watercourses were the highway for the Wabanaki. The Wabanaki travelled their ancestral lands by means of the flowing waterways.

The watersheds in New Brunswick provided an extensive network of inter connected pathways leading to adjacent watersheds and the homelands of neighbours, allies, trading partners.

Snowshoes