Nault unveils historical plaque at the Mounds

Stephanie Fleming
FF Times

On Friday, Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung was deemed what many in the district already knew, a site of national historic significance.
It joined over 1,700 people, places, and events across Canada which have been designated as such by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Local MP and Minister of Indian Affairs Robert Nault, unveiled the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque.
“I’m extremely delighted to be here and Sheila [Copps, minister of Canadian Heritage] couldn’t come,” he joked. ”It gives me the opportunity to be here as the representative of the Canadian government.
“The Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung site holds deep cultural and spiritual meaning to Ojibway and other First Nation groups across the country,” stated Nault.
“It is a link among the lives of those who created the site in the past, and those who cherish it today. The importance of the Manitou is expressed in the rich ongoingtraditions of the Ojibway people. Northwestern Ontario has been enriched by the preservation of this important historical site. People from around the world continue to visit in order to learn more about the rich history of the Ojibway people. The government of Canada is proud to be part of their continuing legacy,” he said. “We should cherish the cultures that came before the Europeans.”
RCMP Constable Ron Miller, in full dress, carried the Canadian flag into the tent set-up specifically for the plaque unveiling, to mark the start of the ceremony.
Our Lady of the Way school choir sang the national anthem in Ojibway and Rainy River elder Annie Wilson said the opening prayer in Ojibway and then gave an English translation.
“We’re praying to the Creator to recognize what we1re doing,” she said.
“We’re not always thanking him for what we have. When I was a child, I had to respect everything.”
Professor William Neville, a member of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada was the emcee.
“We’re here to celebrate cultural significance [of the Mounds],” he remarked, adding that the Mounds have a central place in history not just for Aboriginals but for all Canadians.
Rainy River Chief Gary Medicine welcomed the over 200 people in attendance for the plaque unveiling. “It’s a very special day for the Rainy River First Nation community,” he said. “We want to retain our heritage. We worked alongside Emo, Chapple and the Rainy River district. Today is a significant day and I’d like to welcome everyone.”
Nault presented Medicine with a book on behalf of the Canadian government.
Former Rainy River Chief Willie Wilson translated the plaque inscription from Ojibway after the unveiling. The Rainy River First Nations group sang a traditional Earth Song “to honour those words, the spirit of the place, the waters and the sky,” said musician Al Hunter. The event concluded with a traditional closing prayer for the food by Wilson.
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is an advisory body to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It acts as an independent panel in recommending whether persons, places, or events are of national historic importance. It was created in 1919.
In 1995, Parks Canada gave the mounds $1.3 million, through the National Historic Sites of Canada Cost-Sharing program. It was used for site protection, interpretive trail development and construction of a historical centre and a traditional roundhouse.