Francis McAdam

Nêhiyawak Elder, Big River First Nation

Back to Indigenous Governance

Responsive image

Interview Summary
Start Time	End Time	Topic
00:00	07:29	What happened after treaty signing? children taken to residential school; lost land; treaty promises broken; hardship; treaty payments; money
07:30	21:56	For as long as the sun shines, rivers flow, grass grows Creator’s laws – not to be broken responsibilities of taking on a pipe; importance of sweetgrass Cree perspective of treaties as being powerful; they are laws that should not be broken (like Creator’s laws)
21:57	36:52	When he was a child, what life was like and what his grandfather told him how he saw life changing way of life and ceremonies changing money, illnesses, difficulties, poverty treaties as spiritual treaties – before signing treaty, ceremonies were held for four days/four nights
36:53	43:50	How were Chiefs selected before treaties? never had elections “you have to earn to become a leader.” who was a warrior? significance of feathers “you feed your spirit and you become somebody” – importance of ceremonies, fasting
43:51	51:50	What would you say to young people watching this video, how they could use the teachings? How teachings would help them in life today? learn spirituality taking young out to the bush to learn Creator’s laws learning through fasting, ceremonies – listening to the spirits “This was how children were educated to gain understanding and knowledge”
51:25	57:32	What do you want to say to young people to think about into the future? spend time with Elders (male and female), sit with Elders, listen to them, learn from them how they can “conduct their lives into the future.” “. . . young people are hungry to learn their spirituality” if someone wants to learn, no matter who they are, where they are from, “if they want to know something, yes, you could help them as much as you can to understand you [the Cree way of life].” “encourage young people to try and learn their culture. It will take them far, to help them survive.”

Download
Interview Summary

Download
English Transcript