In the summer of 1917, life changed
forever for 24 young Cree men from along the James Bay coast near Attawapiskat. As was our
tradition during the summer, my people would gather at a place on the James Bay coast on
the banks of the Attawapiskat River where Attawapiskat sits today. The story as handed
down by my grandmother Louise Paulmartin, her daughter Susan Kataquapit, who is my mom and
by my dad, Marius Kataquapit starts with the appearance of an army recruitment officer.
They all tell me that this representative of the government came to the summer
gathering place and signed 24 of our young men, ranging in age from their late teens to
mid twenties. Apparently no one understood what those men had agreed to or where they
would be going. It was believed by most that they were heading south for awhile to help
the government out in some way. It was later discovered that a limit of five young men
were to be recruited for the First World War from each settlement along the James Bay
coast but for some reason, 24 were pulled out of the Attawapiskat area. I am also told
that the local priest in the area was not present when the recruiter came to take the
young men away and when he returned he was very upset at what had transpired. Imagine the
impact on families and the community of Attawapiskat as 24 of the most healthy, strong and
vibrant young men were uprooted and taken away.
Both of my grandfathers, John Chookomolin and James Kataquapit, were part of the group
that left with the recruiter by canoe that summer. They headed out into the bay in eight
wooden canoes, made their way to the Albany River to the south and then along the Kenogami
River then onto the Little Current River to a place called Pagwa near Nakina. These young
men had little in terms of supplies and the two week trip was hard on them. From Nakina
they boarded the train, left the land of the Mushkegowu, and headed south and then to the
east coast.
They joined thousands of young men on a convoy of three ships that departed Halifax for
England. Now you have to remember, none of these young Cree spoke any English, they had no
idea where they were going or what was expected of them. If I close my eyes I can see them
in their uniforms and with their faces etched in anguish as the shores of Canada slipped
away and the great ocean opened up before them like an infinity. Once they made it to
England, they were more or less on their own and were split off in some cases and headed
into different directions.
Of all the men who left that sad summer of 1917, some did not make it back and those
who did were changed forever. John Chookomolin, my great grandfather on my mom's side, was
never heard from again. There was no telegram, no letter, nothing. He just never came
home. My grandmother finally found out through some research by my cousin George Hookimaw
in 1990 that John Chookomolin has been stricken with pneumonia during the crossing of the
Atlantic. He managed to survive the trip and passed some time in the hospital in England
until his untimely death, separated from family and friends in a foreign land. His body
lies in England to this day.
My dad's father, James Kataquapit, made it back two and a half years later to the
surprise and thankfulness of his family. He talked of frightening nights in war torn
places and of strange and wonderful sights. He recalled that at the end of the war those
young Cree men who had managed to survive and return were simply dropped off at the rail
stop at Nakina and told to go home. Some actually walked the banks of the river retracing
their two week canoe trip, all the way back to Fort Albany where they were taken back to
Attawapiskat.
Luckily, few of these young Cree actually saw combat as the war was in its final stage
by the time they arrived on the scene. Still, some of them did not return and in most
cases their lives after leaving Attawapiskat in the summer of 1917 remains a great
mystery.
I am still researching this story and I hope it will grow to give us a window on the
lives of these men during this tumultuous time. It is with great respect and a sadness
that I honour the following Attawapiskat Cree men who left that summer day: Joachim
Spence, Jacob Edwards, John Chookomolin, Peter Chakasum, Peter Swanson, Jacob Swanson,
Ruby Linklater, John Chakasum, Patrick Kataquapit, William Kataquapit, George Kioke, Nora
Chakasum, Michel Nipin, John Kiash, Solomon Sutherland, Thomas Sutherland, James Pony,
John Nakogee, James Kataquapit, David Okitigo, Thomas Noah, Charles Tomagatick, Jake
Carpenter.
As far as I know right now, four men did not make it back including: John Chookomolin,
Jacob Swanson, Nora Chakasum, and Michel Nipin, but I am not sure. I thank Father Vezina
of Attawapiskat for providing me with these names. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have
a plaque made up in honour of all these men and place it in the new Reg Louttit Sportsplex
in Attawapiskat. Their story lives on.