This relatively remote and endlessly beautiful corner of Saskatchewan is known best by those who fish, hunt, hike and paddle it
It looks like a lake, but it’s called the Churchill River. This northern Saskatchewan waterway was once a major thoroughfare for fur traders. Today, it’s the home of local legend Abel Charles., on which he discusses topics of the day in his Indigenous language. His audience includes listeners in the region and around the world , but right now I’m lucky to be his only listener.
“It’s a living language that will continue to adapt over the years,” he says, noting it will take effort by younger generations to keep it going. He explains the difference between dialects. Among them, Plains Cree, Swampy Cree and Woodland Cree, which is what’s spoken here, across northern parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta.
I hear it not just today, but during other parts of this great northern adventure. I get more exposure to the language during a day spent with cousins Andrew and Lester Roberts, who pick me up at the dock of Twin Falls Lodge, where I’m staying. As we skim across the water in Andrew’s sleek speedboat, they chat back and forth with one another in Cree.
On the way back we stop to observe a series of rock paintings, human figures and the unmistakable form of an animal with big antlers. We also make a stop at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Dating back to 1854, it’s a provincial historic site, recognized as the oldest wood-frame church in Canada west of the Red River, and the oldest standing building in Saskatchewan. Lester heads inside, and moments later I hear the organ going. I step inside to see him playing it.
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