Traditional Mi’kmaw Canoe Project Wraps At Kejimkujik

After months of work, two traditional Mi’kmaw canoes are set to launch at Kejimkujik National Park this weekend.

The birch bark canoes were made under the direction of master Mi’kmaw craftsman and builder Todd Labrador.

Labrador spent his summer in the park, building with the help of two young apprentices from Bear River First Nation.

He says knowing he was working where his ancestors once did was truly something.

“The land that we were working on belonged to Stephen Labrador in the 1840s and my great, great grandfather lived just down the shore … so it’s just very, very special.”

The goal was to have youth from two different First Nations communities take part but after the second group fell through, two girls from Bear River signed up again and built their second canoe.

Labrador was thrilled.

“My wife and I keep saying it was the best … it was really wonderful, it was the best canoe project that we’ve done.”

Mi’kmaw canoe building is a somewhat forgotten art and Labrador hopes the girls take the knowledge back to Bear River and share it with other youth.

One of the girls Labrador mentored, says the experience was an honour.

For years, 15-year-old Cedar Muise-Waterman of Bear River, has been learning about her Mi’k’maw heritage.

She was encouraged by her community to take on the project after being mentored in traditional guiding.

Muise-Waterman says she’s a shy person and building the canoe and speaking to park guests, helped her come out of her shell.

“After, when I told them so much of what I learned, I really felt like a teacher and it just made me feel really proud to be with Todd and everyone building this canoe.”

Her favourite part of the experience was getting to harvest the materials for the canoes.

“Being out there with Todd and my best friend and my mother was really an honour to be out there and know that this is the start of something new.”

Muise-Waterman was joined by her friend Karlee MacKenzie-Peck, also of Bear River First Nation.

The girls will get to see their handiwork displayed in Bear River.

They also both etched their names on the canoe.

The canoes will be launched tomorrow and visitors can get into Kejimkujik free all day for the event.

Muise-Waterman, an avid paddler herself, says it’s going to be very fulfilling to get to use the canoes in Kejimkujik tomorrow.