Breaking Twigs
as told by Johnny Neyelle, Deline Elder

Long ago, the elders spoke on all issues.

Setá (my father) taught us well. He died while I was in Wrigley attending school. He left a message for me with a woman back home. He told her, Setúé (my daughter), although young Johnny is away among strange people, I am not in the least worried about him. For I am very pleased about how he takes care of himself. Please pass this message on to Johnny.”

I have often wondered about setá’s message. I was his favourite, but he was at peace even in my absence. This is because the elders of long ago knew about the qualities of a young man the instant they heard him speak. They would also be able to judge him by how he clothes himself, and his work habits. A young man’s betá, or possibly an elder, would follow on his trail and look at the signs of his bush skills. This way, they could predict his future.

At the time, I didn’t own a house yet. I was but a young man with not a worry in the world.

Setá used to say, “Seya (my son), listen when someone is talking. Look at his mouth, and take an interest in learning. This is how you get knowledge.” And he said of someone who doesn’t listen, who doesn’t want to learn anything, that he will be prone to make mistakes, like breaking twigs and scaring the game away.

Thinking of my setá’s words about those who don’t listen reminds me of the three young men who broke through the ice and drowned along the Great Bear River about five years ago. Duwe duwe (my goodness), these are three individuals with eyes! So I marvel at setá’s remarks about twigs breaking, and I realise what “dew’i léto” (breaking twigs) means.

So last summer I decided to gather rake our children in June, on Ntádzíné (Father’s Day), so I could make a presentation to them. After our feast, I told rake t’sodani of kuse’s (their grandfather’s) wisdom. I told them that as dene yighone (parents), they had a duty to teach ku t’sdani. I told them of my realisation about what he meant when he talked about “dew’i léto.”

Yes, setá taught us well. Out in the bush, it would be cold. We would camp out by an open fire, and we weren’t sleeping in the best blankets, either! I see now that he was teaching us. I used to observe his hunting methods. Yes, I’ll say it again – he was teaching us.

A Good Path
One day, setá said, “Seya, if you are not going to have the gifts of a spiritual person, earn your knowledge by listening to what netá (your father) teaches you, for I have made a good path for you to follow. And he said, “Don’t expect only the good in life, for there are also pitfalls to watch out for. Yes, with determination you will live life until your hair turns grey. Seya, in difficult times you can’t predict a man’s behaviour.”

And so setá taught us every life skill we needed. He taught us how to lace snowshoes. He said, “Seya, you’re not going to be able to survive on the knowledge of your wife; you’ll have to live by your own wits.”

There were six of us boys that ñtá raised. One day, he said, “I am getting worried about you boys. Why don’t you try to get married? Life is less difficult when you are married.If you don’t want to get married, go and help the orphans, for they don’t have kumo (a mother) or kutá (a father).”

Yes, the elders used to be wise, long ago. And setá said, “You men, your duty as husbands is to provide, and the woman is to keep the campfire burning. And if there are children, she is meant to raise them.

“And you men, as you come home from hunting, and you notice that there isn’t enough firewood, don’t say anything to your wife. Just remember that there is a lot of responsibility in raising children, and go right back out and get wood, and cut it up, and then haul it into the tent.”

One summer day on the return trip from Wrigley after setá died, we stopped by where he was buried. I fed the fire, and I spoke these words to setá: “Setá, here I am, travelling.” And I asked him to help me in trapping.I said, “You yourself, you used to work hard and trap out on the land, so you would know what a struggle it is. So please help me to be successful in trapping this year.”And amazingly, that year I trapped forty-six lynxes, and three wolves. I sold fifteen of the lynxes for $3,600.

Since my request was being granted from beyond, I thought to myself that even those who have passed on can listen to our prayers.

I shot my last moose about ten years ago. I don’t go out on the land anymore. I’ve retired.