by Jerilee Wei

Created on: May 16, 2008

A WOMAN OF THE PAST - Each time we met, she began the stories of our people by firmly stating, "I, Catherine Annennontak, am a woman of my past. My ways are those of the old ones and the only things I know well, are those of long ago. I am an Ouendat, who was born to be a Arendi wane - a shaman - part spiritual visionary, sometimes a healer, and when I have to be a sorcerer. My personal name, is Ya ronaq'a'wi (She is floating in the sky). Before I tell you the story of creation, I must tell you this:"

"There are two ways of living, honoring the old customs, or adopting the newer prevailing ways. Everybody in this land has to follow one or the other. I have picked up just a little of these new things, only those that seemed helpful to me. So, it has happened in this way, that I too, have become mixed - belonging more to the time where we are now living, than belonging to our ancestors."

In the past, our attire was made of tanned hides. But today, there is no more game here. So, our way of dress had to disappear. Long ago, we ate well on all kinds of game. We grew our own corn. Now, that too is all a thing of the past. That is what happened to me, one Indian woman. . . . And that is also what happened to the rest of you. We all made our choice, or it was made for us by circumstances."

"Before, we called ourselves the "Ouendat," and we referred to our traditional homeland, as Ouendake." Originally, I came from the first and largest clan of our tribe, the "Attignousntan" - the Bear" clan. Later, I would come to live among the "Hatindia Sointen (Lorette Huron), but that story is for another day."

"Many people today do not realize that Huron and Wyandot are the same people. Still more, do not appreciate that there were more than a dozen Iroquoian-speaking tribes calling themselves, "Wendat" meaning "island people." Our French family, however, labeled us the "Huron" - a belittling name, from their word "hure" meaning "hooligan."

"They told us, we should learn new ways to live and work. In time, we believed them, because we had no choice. Still, in our hearts we knew the truth. The old traditions of the times past, sadly, are now only talked about. That is all"

"Far worse, we have now forgotten most of the ways of our people, even our language. The many kinds of animals of long ago, are the only well-known subjects of our stories. Today, the children who hear them have never even seen them, sometimes not even in picture books."

"Now, if I wanted to speak of all the modern

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