Find the Pow Wow factor on a journey to lakes
Trip to Canada offers an unforgettable adventure, says Katherine Sutherland
FROM the vast, sparkling blue surface of Lake Huron, Manitoulin Island appeared deserted. But, like the first Jesuit explorers, I discovered a thriving native community. Set amid the Great Lakes of Canada’s Northern Ontario region, Manitoulin is the historic home of the Anishnawbek people.
I was invited to try their new indigenous tourism and our canoe trip was led by tour guide Steve, also known as Red Sky.
An authority on the area’s complex history, he also explained how native spirituality could enhance everyday life.
‘I used this herb as medicine against my mother-in-law,’ he said gravely, pulling a long root out of the ground before we set off paddling. ‘I hid it in my house and it made her stop nagging me.’
Manitoulin, the world’s largest freshwater island, is about the size of Yorkshire.
Covered in thick forests, rock crags and huge lakes, there are more deer than people. It is home to only 12,000 souls – not including the ghosts.
It was on Lake Huron that the daredevil heir to the Dodge car family fortune, Daniel Dodge, met his fate. After accidentally blowing his arms off with dynamite during his honeymoon, he inexplicably leapt to his death from a speedboat driven by his new bride.
Dodge is now reputed to haunt the ruins of the Dodge lodge at Manitoulin’s Maple Point. Nearby, The Old Mill Heritage Centre boasts a permanent display to the tragedy.
More than 75 years later, Manitoulin is a draw for adventurers. You can win thousands of dollars in ice fishing competitions – Al Capone allegedly hid his fortune on an islet off Ten Mile Point.
The lake is so cold that falling out of a canoe here could kill you. And in the woods, bears are hunted. But the most extraordinary attraction is the chance to meet First Nations people and learn about their history. We met Steve at the offices of the Great Spirit Circle Trail (www.
circletrail.com). It is deep within the Wikwemikong Reserve – the country’s only unceded native reserve. Put simply, the locals
steadfastly refuse to be ruled by the Canadian government.
Nearby, the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeng has a beautiful museum that explains the clan system and displays art, including boxes made from porcupine quills. Volunteers explain anything from spirit animals to the difference between a wigwam and a teepee.
Later, sitting in a traditional tent, weaving dreamcatchers from strips of soft deer hide, we were told the island’s legends.
The aboriginal people said that when the Great Spirit Gitchi Manitou created the earth, he set aside the bluest sparkling water, the brightest twinkling stars and the most beautiful glistening quartz rocks to make Manitou Minissing.
The Great Spirit made a special island with the quartz rock called Manitou Minissing and he set it in the inland sea (the Great Lakes).
For centuries, it was uninhabited and used only to pick plants for medicines or to bury chiefs.
But following a series of landgrabs, bargains and treaties made by the fledgling Canadian state, it is now home to three tribes known as the Anishnawbek – the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi people. Righting the shameful legacy of Canada’s residential school system, which abused native children and nearly obliterated their culture, is the quietly motivating force behind the educational centre.
Top of the list is educating teenagers about the ‘grandfather teachings’ – bravery, honesty, humility, truth, respect, wisdom and love.
Afterwards, we swam under the 35ft Bridal Veil waterfall.
Even in June, we enjoyed 73F (23C) sunshine in a natural basin that seemed designed for safe swimming. It was through the incessant noise of the falls that the promcould ised sense of otherworldliness finally took hold, lasting for the rest of our trip.
The highlight was the Wikwemikong Pow Wow – a sort of Highland games for First Nations people.
Stunningly bedecked in feathers, animal skin and rattles, tribal representatives paraded and took part in ancient dances.
Rosella Kinoshameg, 73, is a former nurse on the reservation. With five children and seven grandchildren, she is considered an elder.
She said: ‘I’ve been coming here since I was 15. I’ll be looking forward to whatever dancing I can do, although I will be moving very slowly.’
Fellow tourists gamely joined in with The Crow Hop, a traditional dance open to outsiders, but I stuck to the sidelines, spending $60 (£35) on hand-made jewellery.
It was an overwhelmingly local event, though we did meet a few Britons in camper vans – Manitoulin is often included in grand road trips of Canada. Driving, it takes six hours to reach from Toronto, travelling north along Highway 69. It’s about 350 miles. For an alternative route, the two-hour Chi-Cheemaun ferry crossing across Lake Huron from Tobermory is reputedly stunning.
Or, like us, you cheat and take a 20-seater plane on the 50-minute hop to Sudbury, then drive for 90 minutes to the island’s swing bridge.
WE stayed at the Manitoulin Hotel in Little Current. It boasts original art, lake views and local maple syrup at breakfast. And there are plenty of self-catering cottages and small local places to stay.
For traditional Canadian food, the spectacular all-you-can-eat brunch buffet at Abby’s Dining Lounge is a must-stop destination.
You should also enjoy a few drinks at the Manitoulin Brewing Company, a newly opened craft brewery. For the homesick Brit, there’s even the She’ndwin Teg bingo hall with prizes of up to $1,200 (£706).
But it’s the reserve which is most unique and compelling.
Where else would a waitress advise which pia-suk (woodland sprites) lived nearest to your hotel?