Cradled on his mother’s back

Until children are about one year old, their feet do not touch the ground outside. In the old days, children were wrapped in a waaspisuuyaan (moss bag) and carried on their mothers’ backs on a cradleboard when they were outside the michiiwahp. They were also wrapped in awaashishchiish (ᐊᐧᐋᔑᔥᒌᔥ  , literally ‘baby moss’, a kind of sphagnum) which was dried and used for diapers.

The mother, Shirlene Mistacheesick, is dressed up as women did 50 years ago for a re-enactment of the move to Wemindji on the town’s 50th anniversary celebration.