by Krista Barclay
Through Ryan McMahon’s new CBC documentary Stories from the Land you will learn about Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung (the place of the long rapids) located on Manidoo Ziibi (Rainy River) in Northwestern Ontario. Owned and operated by Rainy River First Nations, Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung is one of a handful of Indigenous-run curatorial centres in Ontario. In the episode you will get to meet KC Oster, an Anishinaabe artist and interpreter at Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung, as well as Giitaagiizhig Art Hunter, a Rainy River First Nations Knowledge Keeper and community historian. Hunter is hard at work on a vital oral project called Giiatisoke: Preserving our Stories. Professor Pamela Klassen, Dr. Krista Barclay and students at the University of Toronto have been working with staff at Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung on historical research and developing photo books where community members can record their memories and stories as part of the Giiatisoke project. If you have photos of Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung/Manitou Mounds or Manitou Rapids that you would like to share with the project please get in touch with Krista Barclay (krista.barclay@utoronto.ca).
Follow Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung on Twitter @Manitoumounds for project updates and the Anishinaabemowin word of the day (and add them to your next road trip itinerary)!