It was a beautiful sunny day August 6 when Wachiya officially opened its doors in Old Montreal. Cree Grand Chief Mandy Gull was proud to be there for this special event. “I know our Cree artists are going to have a place where they can showcase their work,” she said.
Being able to support Cree artists regardless of age or where they come from is something that Gull felt was important not only for them, but for the culture and the Cree People as a whole. She said that this had to happen in venues both inside and outside of Eeyou Istchee.
Gull not only supports the idea of Cree being a part of Wachiya, but that other First Nations in Quebec are welcome to have their artists showcased in the store located at 79 St-Paul E., a popular tourist destination.
Gull said Wachiya and its support of Cree artists are part of creating a sustainable economy for Eeyou Istchee. It is the Cree traditional knowledge that informs the products the artists create and while they are valued and used within Eeyou Istchee, it is time that they become part of the outside world.
“We have [Indigenous Affairs] Minister Ian Lafrenière here to open those doors to ensure that we are visible on the international stage as well to show the beauty of Indigenous people from Quebec,” Gull said.
Gull ended by giving a shout-out to John Henry Gull, noting his company was a partner in assisting to make the Watchiya store a reality and saying the store was just the first step.
Also in attendance was Deputy Grand Chief Norman Wapachee, who said he remembered the first Wachiya store that opened in Val-d’Or. Ouje-Bougamau Chief Gaston Cooper said that the original Watchiya had given all their unsold stock to the Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association (CNACA) when they closed shop. This allowed them to open a Watchiya online store (watchiya.com) that exists to this day.
“I see the story of the Cree and where we come from,” Wapachee said when he looked around the store. “When I look at the snowshoes, I remember my dad wearing them. When I look at the moccasins, I remember my mom making them. My mom would make moccasins for my dad and me to go out hunting. We didn’t consider it art like they do today. It was a way of life.
“I killed my first moose wearing the moccasins my mother made and the snowshoes my brother Philip made for me. I can only pray and hope that my children and grandchildren and their descendants are Dab Eeyou who can live on the land and know their traditions and why they lived that way.”
Chief Cooper said they are trying to combine their way of life with what is happening around them. He says a working relationship, education and more will benefit both the Cree and Quebec people. “This can be a house for different nations and the house that we can build will be something that we can all be proud of,” said Cooper.
Cooper added that Indigenous Peoples not only need to show what they can do in this country but worldwide. He felt that the Cree Nation could inspire as well as make a mark that other First Nations could follow.
Lafrenière said the store in Old Montreal was the perfect place to showcase Cree work and its beauty. He responded to Gull’s request for assistance in the international market saying that he would do what he could.
CNACA executive director Dale Cooper said there were so many people who made this store happen and that is true of the many things the Cree do.