Mi'kmaw craftsman brings back stories and keeps traditions alive while building birch-bark canoes
For thousands of years, birch-bark canoes were a vital part of Mi'kmaw life, but these days, it's a dying art -- one that Todd Labrador refuses to let go of.
The Mi'kmaw craftsman has kept the tradition alive in front of appreciative audiences at Kejimkujik National Park.
Labrador started working there in 1982 and was training to be a carpenter.
"I kept thinking 'I want to do Mi'kmaw cultural things,'" Labrador said. "I kept saying 'let's build a canoe' and in the first few years I was here, that wasn't something that they wanted to do. They had never seen me build a canoe, and I had never built a canoe -- so I can understand why."
But year after year of people saying "no" didn't discourage Labrador.
"It made me more determined," Labrador says.
Ashley Moffatt is a Parks Canada staffer at Kejimkujik National Park. She recalls a conversation she had with Labrador in 2014 during which he mentioned his idea of building a birch-bark canoe.
"I was like, 'alright, let's do it,'" Moffatt said. "I didn't know how we were gonna do it, and it was pretty makeshift the first couple years, but we made it happen."
Labrador says building a birch-bark canoe would take a couple of weeks if he focused only on the building part, but there's a lot of talking, too – and teaching.
As Labrador's helper Rosie Meuse says, it's not just building a canoe.
"It's bringing back the stories," Todd Labrador says. "We believe that elders are people who have been here many, many times. That's where the wisdom comes from. When an elder comes here, everything stops; that's like a walking book of knowledge just walked in, and so, we're so thankful to have that."
"It's bringing back the stories," Labrador said. "We believe that elders are people who have been here many, many times. That's where the wisdom comes from. When an elder comes here, everything stops; that's like a walking book of knowledge just walked in, and so, we're so thankful to have that."
Moffatt said the national park and its visitors are fortunate to have someone like Labrador doing what he does – in the way that he does it.
"What I find so special about Todd is, he's not the type of artist or craftsman that likes to work alone in a shop, doors closed," Moffatt says. "He wants to work -- and share his craft."
Labrador says he wouldn't have it any other way, though.
"When I was in my shop in the back of the house, with nobody to come visit, there wouldn't be any fun for me," Labrador says. "Being here, we meet people from all over the world, and they share their stories and we share ours. We work a little bit every now and then, and we build a canoe. But you know, canoe building is so much more than just canoe building, it's community building."
Videography and interviews by Cristian Monetta. Story written by Ryan Van Horne.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.