Seven Paddles project bringing Bear River community together

A project that was started to re-establish traditional Mi'kmaq canoe routes for ecotourism in Nova Scotia has become a way for people in Bear River First Nation to strengthen their ties with their land and culture, community members say. 

Band councillor Carol Ann Potter says the program, named Seven Paddles in honour of seven sacred teachings, is helping steer young people away from drugs and alcohol.

"We really see the best in people when they're out doing things they love," she said. 

Connecting generations

It is also allowing people to learn from their elders and use that knowledge to create new opportunities. 

"I see a lot more community spirit in the sense of gatherings. I see different people saying 'I can do this with Seven Paddles,'" she said.  "And I say, for sure ... If that connects you back to the land, for sure let's do that," she said. 

The program, which follows a route between Bear River and Kejimkujik National Park, has created about half a dozen new jobs and Potter says there are more community gatherings than there have been in years. 

"It's bringing opportunities for some of the ones that are unsure in life in what they can do," said Potter's brother, Royden Messer.

He has started guiding trips into the back country — helping people gut their first moose or catch their first trout. Messer says he watches groups transform while canoeing the same routes as their ancestors. 

"They forget their stresses, they forget their problems, they're getting connected again with Mother Earth. There's no better feeling, none whatsoever."

A space for new stories

Part of the project has been building a new wooden cookhouse that stands next to the band's sacred fire pit. Not long ago, a community member died at the same corner in car crash. Potter says they wanted to create a space for new memories and new stories for the next generation. 

The cookhouse is now a place to honour the harvesters who often donate the food they hunt and catch. 

"This is what this building is about, to give us a place to gather, to celebrate them. And to celebrate the teachings that comes along, that they've took the time with the elders to learn."

Ecotourism on hold

Though Seven Paddles was initially launched to create ecotourism for people visiting the area, Potter says for now they're focusing inward. 

"[Now we're] getting our spirit built up, reconnected to the land," Potter said. "Then we can be honest with the people we bring in and make them feel that connection a little bit better. "

Building birchbark canoe

This summer Seven Paddles commissioned a traditional birchbark canoe. Young people helped gather bark and dropped by the cookhouse every day to watch or help Mi'kmaq canoe master Todd Labrador craft the 4.9-metre vessel. 

"You see the pictures popping up on Facebook — different community members in here sewing or doing something special with it. That's what it's meant to do.... Then I realize the project is working."