They walk silently in the snow, in the middle of Nitaskinan, the traditional territory which, with each step, reveals itself a little more. Fresh animal tracks on the left, a lake on the right, fir trees and hardwoods all around.
The four Atikamekw men pull their sled in which are a pair of snowshoes and their belongings for ten days. During these long hours in the woods between the two Atikamekw communities of Wemotaci and Manawan, they will advance, run out of steam, stop, listen, reflect; 160 kilometers to try above all to find oneself and to heal.
A short break?
Adelard Awashish asks at the top of a rise overlooking the surroundings. This Atikamekw from Opitciwan is, with his wife Simone, the group’s spiritual guide for this trip that could transform the lives of these men.
Out of breath, the 61-year-old grabs a traditional racket and points to the three parts. The back, the pointed end, represents the past; the center, the wider part, the present; and the front, the future. Then he tells the group what it means: this past that we must put behind us by living the present and using the teachings to design a better future.
Indeed, the men before him have all broken the law. However, instead of finding themselves at the bar of a court, they take part in the Program of Alternative Measures for Adults in Native Communities (PMRA), which the Atikamekw call restorative justice.
The overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the federal correctional system has worsened, says Auditor General Karen Hogan in her latest report. While they make up 4% of Canada’s adult population, they account for 27% of those incarcerated in federal institutions in fiscal year 2020-2021.
The Alternative Measures Program for adults in Aboriginal communities was introduced in 2001 and revised in 2015. In 2018, for the first time in Quebec, certain domestic violence offenses were integrated into the program in an agreement signed with the Council of the Atikamekw Nation. The latter is therefore the only organization dealing with cases of alternative measures program in matters of domestic violence for offenses committed on the territory of the communities of Manawan and Wemotaci.
In the silence, a young man puts one foot in front of the other. Concentrate. He stops for a moment, then observes nature. His goal? Feel good.
He will not give his name, because he is here for domestic violence and, precisely, he wishes lay down, give up many things
during his stay in the woods. For this he will take the time to think
on him. To also take advantage of the mutual aid that is created.
It’s to heal, somehow
, he blurts out in Atikamekw. He did therapy for six months, but he wanted to try something else. The wood soothes him.
Stays in the natural environment, meetings with workshops, therapies, community work, prevention activities, supply of firewood to seniors, food hunted in the community… the measures of this program are multiple.
They are discussed by the council of elders which deals with, among other things, the files of the PMRA. In Wemotaci, it is made up of five men and five women between the ages of 30 and 76 whose knowledge, ability to listen and thoughts are sought after.
Cécile Petiquay has been part of this council for 22 years, which meets with victims, then offenders, who listens to them and advises them in order to establish the best measures.
Most often in the Atikamekw language, the offender offers them solutions for their progress. It’s not us who are going to say what they have to do, it has to come from them, otherwise things will get out of hand!
launches Cécile Petiquay.
Reuniting with Nitaskinan is an increasingly popular measure.
We do things that our people did, so we try as often as possible to move around the territory, to go into the woods
explains the regional coordinator for the Atikamekw justice program at the Atikamekw Nation Council, Pierre Clary-Rock.
This snowshoe walk, for example, is much more than a hike of a hundred kilometres. It’s not fun. The first days, there will be anger. They live full of emotions. Everything has to make sense, rooted in culture, in the identity that some have lost. We’re trying to make up for it
he continues, watching the walkers walk away.
” An elder told me: nature will take care of this person if they show themselves to be strong and able to get through it. It is a step towards healing. »
A fiery young man moves very fast, overtaking everyone. A few kilometers later, he slows down so much that he finally finds himself far behind the group. The speaker Atisoko Chilton turns around and inquires about his physical and mental state.
It’s hard, it’s hard
, recognizes the young man. Atisoko Chilton tells him to take his time, that the energy will come back and that he must concentrate on his mind and his breathing. It’s going to be okay, one step at a time, she told him.
It is a symbol of the steps to be taken in the life of this boiling young man. Everyone needs a little encouragement, not to think about the past, to move on and think about the present moment without looking too far ahead so as not to get discouraged
says the Atikamekw woman before resuming the expedition.
Clinical mental health supervisor in Wemotaci, she helps participants navigate and manage their emotions. Not very talkative, she mainly observes, then intervenes at the appropriate time.
She herself feels the relief offered by these kilometers on the trail of the ancestors, because being here, with certain men who have been violent with their wives, challenges her. She herself was a victim. It’s going to be a big challenge to rub shoulders with men
she confides to the sidelines.
Her role, she continues, will also be to show what women are and the respect due to them. Together, they will take up this challenge in this place conducive to reflection and a return to origins.
Restorative justice: the crossroads of the Atikamekw | Radio-Canada.ca