Book

Moose to moccasins: the story of Ka Kita Wa Pa No Kwe

Natural Heritage/Natural HistoryToronto, Ont. • Published In 1992 • Pages:

By: Theriault, Madeline.

Abstract
This is an autobiography of a Teme-Augama Anishnabai women, Ka Kita Wa Pa No Kwe, or 'Wise-day Woman,' alias Madeline Katt Theriault. Her personal experiences reflect the changes that transformed her culture in the 20th century. One of her early reminisces is meeting an old man who had lived in and roamed the countryside that is now Toronto. Her early life is one of trapping, hunting, and gathering. She knows how to tan deer and moose hides, make moccasins and deerskin clothes, smoke meat, render bear fat and store it in its intestines for use as cooking oil. Her story is one of personal loss: her husband died from tuberculosis at the age of 34, her daughter in a fire, her cabin was lost in a flood as a resultof a lumber company damming their lake, and her children were taken away and sent to residential school. She almost dies from tuberculosis herself, if not for a local doctor who intercedes on her behalf, gets her into a hospital, and later finds her work and a place to stay. She has a resilient spirit, which attests to the strength of her people who have survived for thousands of years.
Subjects
Life history materials
Annual cycle
Hunting and trapping
Labor supply and employment
culture
Ojibwa
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Arctic and Subarctic
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Indigenous Person
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 1998
Field Date
Not Specified
Coverage Date
1908-1990
Coverage Place
northeastern Ontario, Canada
Notes
Madeline Katt Theriault
LCSH
Ojibwa Indians