North - Mary-Anne Neal

Arctic Sojourn

Mary-Anne Neal — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 23:19:40 +0000

Published in Oblate Spirit: View Now

Far from the temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island where I now live, 31 miles north of the Arctic Circle, nestled on the shores of a large lake, lies a tiny community where the people still live close to the land, hunting and trapping as they have for thousands of years.

Colville Lake is home to the Hareskin Dene people who left Fort Good Hope because they wanted to return to their traditional lifestyle. A few families in Fort Good Hope felt that civilization – especially alcohol and processed food – was not good for them. Instead, they wanted a more natural lifestyle, where they could reconnect with the rhythms of the seasons. Caribou were plentiful, and Colville Lake was alive with fish.

When I arrived in Colville Lake in 1971, the children had never seen a white woman, and no one spoke English except the priest, Bernard Brown, OMI. By that time, Fr. Brown was already a legend in the Northwest Territories where he had lived and worked for more than 50 years. In 1962, following the wishes of the people and his superiors, he had established a mission at Colville Lake. On the shore of the lake, he built a beautiful log church, Our Lady of the Snows. I was eager to support his efforts and to learn about the Dene people.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to help others. I believed in social justice. The idea of working with underprivileged children was enormously appealing. Working to make the world a better place, learning different languages, feeding hungry children, understanding diverse cultures … these are the values that drove me. But the usual teenage temptations got in the way, and I did not dedicate my life to the convent. Visiting a missionary for a summer seemed like a fair trade-off.

I had met Father Brown two years earlier, on one of his rare trips south to visit his family in Rochester, New York. On the way to New York, he stayed with my family in Edmonton for a few days, regaling us with stories of the Arctic. In addition to being an OMI missionary, Father Brown was a true renaissance man – a photographer, an artist, a pilot, a writer, a carpenter and a true outdoorsman, with his own dogsled team and fascinating tales to tell. In addition to his religious duties, he performed routine medical work such as delivering babies, sewing up axe cuts and pulling teeth. He was a fire warden, dogcatcher, storekeeper, postmaster and newspaper editor.

Father Brown’s stories inspired me. I wanted to see the land for myself, befriend the people and do whatever was in my power to help improve living conditions in that tiny village. I don’t think I ever properly thanked Father Brown for providing me with an unforgettable experience in an Arctic summer. Thanks to him, I fell in love with the land and the people.

There will always be a special place in my heart for the people of Colville Lake. By the time I arrived in Colville Lake, Bernard Will Brown had already made his life-changing decision to leave the priesthood and marry a woman from Tuktoyaktuk. He and Margaret established the Colville Lake Lodge, a hunting and fishing resort that entertained European royalty, politicians, movie stars and just plain rich folk. He had a museum and art gallery on site where he sold his paintings. His books include Arctic Journal, Arctic Journal II, Free Spirits, and End-of-Earth People: The Arctic Sahtu Dene. Father Brown died at his home in Colville Lake on July 11, 2014, at the age of 94. Although he was known as Bern Will Brown for the last 44 years of his life, I will forever remember him as Father Brown.

Dene hero FaceBook page

Mary-Anne Neal — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 20:39:17 +0000

Dene Hero champions in the Sahtu are working hard to honour the courage, strength, and resilience of the people. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Deneheroes/

Dene Heroes Project on YouTube

Mary-Anne Neal — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 21:33:00 +0000

The Dene Hero book launch every year is a joyful celebration of Dene culture and spirit.

Accepting the Arctic Inspiration Prize Award

Mary-Anne Neal — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 21:40:00 +0000

The Colville Lake Youth Team was awarded the Arctic Inspiration Prize for innovation in the North. With the funds, we hired Dene Hero Champions in each community and trained youth in the knowledge and skills required to publish books in their own voice.

Fort Good Hope - First Nations University of Canada

Mary-Anne Neal — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 17:46:00 +0000

Mary-Anne Neal in Ft Good Hope. First Nations University Best Practices in Education.

My Mission

Mary-Anne Neal — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:45:00 +0000

My mission for the past two years is to assist the Sahtu communities in economic, community, and cultural development projects, strategic planning, policy development, capacity building, training, and other initiatives as identified by the community, Chief and Council. Listening to the people, laughing with them, scribing their stories, playing bingo together, cuddling babies … these are some of the joys we share.

Indigenous control of Indigenous education

Mary-Anne Neal — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 16:44:00 +0000

I am the Regional Lead for an initiative led by First Nations University of Canada. The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) will be launched in March 2018, with the vision of supporting Indigenous control of Indigenous education in Canada through sustainable and collaborative relationship-building.

Land Use

Mary-Anne Neal — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 16:43:00 +0000

Far from the temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island, a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, bordering the northern treeline, nestled in a bay on the largest lake in Canada … in other words, waaaaay up north … lies a tiny community where the people live close to the land, as they have for thousands of years. Deline is home to 800 Sahtu Dene people whose unique culture, inclusive perspectives and indigenous understandings could hold the key to our shared global future. At this very moment, a small number of committed individuals is working hard to protect one of the last unspoiled frontiers in the world.

As the cry for clean air and clean water intensifies world-wide, Canada holds in its palm an abundance of both. Great Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely within the borders of Canada and the world’s largest mass of cold fresh water. Four times the size of Prince Edward Island, the lake’s diverse ecoregions provide habitat for a wide range of plants, animals and fish. Wildlife species include barren ground caribou, moose, grizzly bear, musk-ox, fox, beaver, marten, mink, muskrat, lynx, wolverine, arctic hare, wolf and many others. More than thirty different species of waterfowl are found on and around this massive body of water. Most important of all is the passion of the Sahtu Dene to maintain this precious ecosystem for the generations to come.

Water is the key to the Sahtu Dene culture and identity. Recent droughts and heat waves in the south are troubling, because other parts of the world are beginning to turn their gaze to the pristine water and massive mineral resources of the Great Bear Lake watershed. The people of Deline believe that the Great Bear Lake watershed is not just part of their own natural and cultural heritage – they believe it belongs to all Canadians and indeed the world. This means that protecting the lake and its watershed is our collective responsibility. As diligent stewards of the earth, how might we conserve the ecological and cultural integrity of this jewel?

With this question uppermost, the village recently invited aboriginal leaders and concerned environmentalists such as David Suzuki to participate in a week-long “Water Heart” Conference addressing Great Bear Lake watershed management. In his keynote speech, Suzuki recognized the community’s unique connection to the natural environment and their commitment to clean air and water. He also identified serious challenges that threaten the delicate balance that has survived since the last Ice Age. Climate change, declining caribou herds, globalization, mining and mineral exploration are but a few of the concerns faced by the people as they strive for self-governance and cultural survival.

The Sahtu Dene people have been working for many years to develop comprehensive land use and water management plans. Using a collaborative process and consulting with all members of neighbouring communities, they have made great strides toward self-government while preserving the essence of their unique culture. The Dene Nation leads the way in modeling the openness, optimism and maturity we will need to meet the global challenge of climate change. Learning about their work gives me great hope for the future.

For information about the Great Bear Lake Watershed, go to: sahtulanduseplan.org
For information about the Sahtu Dene Land Claim Agreement, go to: srrb.nt.ca
For information about the Water Heart Conference, click here.