Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Jun 17, 2021
Long before the arrival of the Loyalist settlers in the Townships, the Abenaki were hunting game in the forests and travelling on the great rivers of our territory. Here’s a peek at the heritage they left us.
By Carolyne Parent
Coaticook, Massawippi, Yamaska … the Abenaki language has marked our Townships throughout the territory! And it’s not surprising to find that these nomad tribes named all their landmarks—notably our waterways—to help them orient themselves.
According to the Musée des Abénakis, in Odanak, the age of some of the artefacts found during archeological digs carried out in 2003 around Lac aux Araignées near Megantic, confirms the presence of these “people of the dawn land” dates back to more than 10,000 years. The Ndakina exhibit, which means “my territory” in Abenaki, is in fact dedicated to the story of the Abenaki’s passage in these vast spaces. The exhibit, presented at the Maison Merry, in Magog, until the spring of 2023, was planned with the collaboration of the museum and the Grand Council of the Waban-aki Nation.
Good to know: The Maison Merry was also built on an archeological site where several precious aboriginal artefacts were discovered and which can be viewed for the first time.
To enjoy a nature experience while learning more about the Abenaki culture, head out to Ham-Sud and the Parc Régional du Mont-Ham. After you’ve taken a moment to visit the interpretation centre, Espace Abénaki, which exhibits centuries-old aboriginal objects, you’re ready to start your adventure.
On the Sentier des légendes, a 1 km long, intermediate level, linear trail, hikers are introduced to different aboriginal mysteries as they try to discover the 11 masks artfully hidden throughout the route. Once they arrive at the top of this mountain with an altitude of 713 meters, they’re welcomed by Awdowinno, a statue representing an Abenaki warrior. What a great way to acknowledge the fact that we aren’t the first nor will we be the last to set foot on this soil!
As for the Waban-aki sector, the trail starts at the base of the mountain and leads to authentic teepees you can rent for the night. Here, you can learn more about the traditions of this nation by consulting the interpretation panels you’ll find along the route.
In Piopolis, Hébergement aux Cinq Sens offers a getaway and activities inspired by aboriginal traditions, with your host, Benoît Paquette, coming from the Huron-Wendat First Nation. In fact, the property is located on the hunting and fishing territory of the Nionwentsïo Huron-Wendat Nation, which corresponds to the Ndakina, according to M. Paquette.
As a biologist, M. Paquette also leads an activity aimed at having participants reconnect with nature, Rencontre avec l’Esprit de la forêt (A meeting with the Spirit of the Forest). “The wisdom of the elders combined with that of nature constitutes a precious heritage,” explains M. Paquette. “And this is what we have our guests experience throughout their stay here. It’s a universal message, common to all aboriginal nations, to offer possible solutions to society which is losing its balance.”
Guests can spend the night in a Mongolian yurt inside the forest. “The idea here is to remind us of how the nomad lifestyle is part of the history of humanity and the First Nations all around the world,” emphasizes M. Paquette.
Please note: Several other activities are also part of the program, among these, “Le ciel raconté.” This commented star gazing event connects science and aboriginal traditions through the observation of celestial objects. It sounds quite promising since the site is just next door from the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve.
They refer to the natural wealth of the Townships…
Source : Villes de Coaticook. Ayer’s Cliff, L’Encyclopédie canadienne, historien-sans-frontiere.com et histoire-du-quebec.ca
