Mojo

I will tell of story from long ago about the one called Mojo. I lived with him at Maanihiikuskaakimii. That was where we used to be. We lived with that elder, Edward Scipio.

In the spring, that was where we were hunting muskrat. We hunted muskrat at Kaabunishkuih. I was just living with Mojo. I still wasn’t married at that time. Mojo’s name was David Bullfrog. Simon was different. He was called Little Mojo.

We were hunting muskrats. We used to paddle to the head waters of Maanihiikuskaakimii to hunt muskrats. We headed downstream of Maanihiikuskaakimii to a place called Aahchiinaawaachuuhch. He said, “Let’s make a fire here.” We headed for shore.

There was this paper that was propped up. We headed for shore. I said to Mojo, “Look at this paper hanging.” He took a look at it but I guess he didn’t recognize it. It was written in Cree. I, too, didn’t recognize it. We are confused to read this paper to ourselves. He said, “There must be people over at Kaapisikuschuukaau. It must be those people who did this.” He said, “I wonder if there is bad news. Maybe we should head there.”

We first made a fire and we ate. After we ate, we boarded our canoe. We headed to the place called Kaapisikuschuukaau. There were many people there also.

We didn’t recognize this note of ours. Our only thoughts were of bad news going around. Apparently, a bear feast was being held at Kaapisikuschuukaau. The people thought that we would not be the first ones to reach this note.

After we had made a fire, we boarded our canoe. Kaapisikuschuukaau was quite far. We were paddling. We used a paddling canoe because there was nothing else to use. We, then, reached over there. They saw us paddling towards them. The people came down to the shore. The old man said to them, “The reason we head this way is because we saw a note hanging over there. We were unable to read that note. We thought there is bad news going around.” He was laughed at. Someone said to him, “There is a bear feast. There is going to be a bear feast. A bear had been killed.” They were hoping that the people from our camp would see that note and head their way. They didn’t know that we didn’t know how to read.

We were there for the day. Then there was a bear feast that evening. There were many people that time. He said, “Let’s head back home.” We boarded the canoe. We were paddling. Then we reached the place called Aahchiinaawaachuuhch. There was a small portage over there at head waters. There was no wind at all during this time. We were paddling. We sometimes crossed small portages.

We first paddled to the south, at the head waters. There is a creek there. That was where our traps were set. It was stilI day after we had checked our traps. He said, “Let’s make a fire again.” We made a fire again. After we had made a fire, we headed to the cove on the Maanihiikuskaakimii Lake. We were there, over there to the east at the place called Kaabunishkuih. That was where people stayed for the springtime. We made a fire there. It was a bit windy.

We reached one of those islands. The old man said, “Let’s head for the shore.” We headed for the shore. He said, “I will make a sail.” It was slightly windy. “Sure, OK,” I said to him. We finished it. We paddled out after he had made the sail. Our sail was constantly puffed firmly. It really helped us, now and then. He then said, “I will sleep.” I said, “OK.” He told to me, “Don’t sleep.” I said, “Sure, OK. Go to sleep.” We were sailing. I got very bored while I was sailing. Then I became sleepy. Apparently I had fallen asleep. I fell asleep while sailing. We were still far out in the open water. The islands are slightly far apart.

I was apparently sleeping while I was sailing. Then I abruptly awoke. It seemed that our canoe was pounding against something. I was abruptly awaken. I had headed straight to the island called Kaakukimaashiskaach. We must have been blown ashore. It wasn’t very windy. I woke up this old man. He wasn’t aware of anything. I said, “We are blown ashore. I was apparently sleeping also.” “My goodness, you are not very sensible,” he said to me. I had also held my paddle this way and had let go of it while I was sleeping. “You are not very sensible in what you do,” he said to me, Of course I didn’t say anything to him even though he was sleeping also.

We paddled out again. While we were sailing, our sail started to pick up. Then we reached the place where we were. This old man, Edward Scipio, was really laughing at us when we told him the story – sleeping while we were sailing and being washed ashore.