Page 40 - Moose Deer Point First Nation

Food
Hunting leave is a week in
the fall when our members
who wish to hunt may take
a week off work. They must
agree to share the food with
our community.
WORDS TO KNOW
scone (scawn): a type of fried
or baked bread
38 Moose Deer Point First Nation
ogemawahj_community_book6.indd 38
In the days before the road in Moose Deer Point, everyone
had gardens full of potatoes, onions, carrots, and leafy green
vegetables. Community members also hunted and trapped, and
families had hunting territories. We ate lots of deer, moose,
partridge, and other game, cleaned and prepared by our parents.
Skins from the game were sold for money to buy supplies like
shoes, clothing, flour, sugar, and other dry goods.
We gathered berries, too. Kids were responsible for filling
baskets with berries, and were given 11-quart baskets to fill. They
sometimes ate as much as they gathered! We also harvested
lots of fish from Georgian Bay.
In the winter in Isaac Bay, food and other goods were brought in
by plane and dropped on Chippewa island. As soon as the plane
was heard, island men would prepare to come out. Older kids
had the duty of running out to collect parcels and help people
back over the ice to their homes in Isaac Bay. In those days,
everyone helped one another. As soon as the plane came, hands
were there, and ready to carry in everything from heavy supplies
to our small children .
In the past and today, there are special occasions when the
whole community gets together for a feast. For example,
sometimes we have feasts in the fall, right after people take
their annual hunting leave. When we do get together, there
are some foods you will almost always find on our tables.
They include:
• Scone (pronounced “scawn”) – a type of fried or
baked bread
• Fish
• Berries – blueberries, raspberries, and wild strawberries
all grow in our territory; which types of berries we serve
depends on which berries are growing in that season and
are available in local markets
2019-02-27 11:44 AM