KISTACHOWAN SIPI RAFT EXCURSION 2009
In the summer of 2009, 3 elders, 6 youth and 5 adults embarked upon a raft trip down the Kabinakagami, Kenogami and Kistachowan Rivers from Constance Lake FIrst Nation to Fort Albany First Nation. Participants in the river excursion interviewed elders and one another about the sites and stories of the river. Along the way, participants re-introduced Cree names onto a map and erected signs marking important sites along the Kistachowan (Albany) River - making it known to all who travel there that the region is of great significance to the original peoples of the area.
"The Forks is where the Kistachowan meets the Kenogami River. Like the word implies this was an important meeting place of the various tribes from surrounding areas."
"I use the river for fishing, hunting, camping and was raised on it from a very early age...It's also very beautiful, it also carries water that's important for human life. It supports wildlife as well, and being the hunter-gatherer myself it's good; it's where I know the animals are, and I can also use it for travel to go up and down the river. At the same time it's a very powerful river."