Natuashish crafter worries traditional skills are vanishing in the face of modern distractions | CBC News

A traditional Natuashish crafter says people need to learn the skills of the past before they’re gone.

Caroline Penashue grew up watching her grandmother sew in their Innu tent. Her grandmother, Alice Noah, showed her how to sew the tent, moccasins, gun cases and more, Penashue told CBC News in a recent interview.

“I was making my very first moccasins when I was 12. It wasn’t good, though,” Penashue said with a laugh.

Penashue now makes moccasins, hats, skirts, slippers, baby swaddles, among other things, but says the next generation isn’t learning like she once did, and she’s worried the traditions will die. 

“All the teachers will be gone and there’s going to be only young generations here, and all of this will be disappeared,” Penashue said. “Maybe in 30, 40 years there won’t be no teachers at all.… All these crafts won’t exist in the future, so they got to learn.”

Cultural activities and traditions are taught in schools, said Penashue —she taught students herself for about 12 years. It’s as young people get older, she said, that crafts aren’t being practised like they once were. 

Penashue said she’s offered to teach any young people who are interested outside school but there hasn’t been any interest yet.

“They should start to watch and learn,” Penashue said. “I don’t mind teaching at all. I’ll be very patient when I teach.”

Dream Gregoire started crafting when her son was born nine years ago. Even though he’s older, Gregoire said, she still loves to make baby swaddle blankets, moccasins and hats. Gregoire said Penashue and the other women are kind teachers. 

“They don’t get mad,” she said, “They’re patient with you.”

Gregoire said it can be challenging to get good at traditional crafts because of modern distractions like spending time online. But Gregoire plans to keep practising to one day be able to teach traditional skills. 

“I just hope I can do best for the kids and for my grandkids. Teach everyone what I know,” Gregoire said. 

“I just hope that making crafts in this community don’t go away.… I hope it carries on. I will try.”

Penashue said she feels a sense of pride when she makes something traditional and sees people wearing it around the community. 

“Sometimes I cry when I see my stuff, when it’s used,” Penashue said. 

She hopes to teach that pride to others and often thinks back to how she learned in the Innu tent. Penashue said she believes her grandparents would like her needlework today. 

“When I sew, I do a lot of thinking,” Penashue said. “They would have been proud of me.”

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