César Newashish

César Newashish was born in 1902 in the prosperous Atikamekw territory of Manawan. His father was Traditional Chief Seni Newashish, and his mother was Henriette Dubé. Manawan would be César’s home for as long as he lived. He grew up basking in his parents’ love and went on to father twelve children of his own: six with his first wife, Marguerite Moar, and six with his second wife, Marie Agathe Boivin. César understood the crucial importance of handing down his culture and traditional knowledge of ancestral practices and lands. He had a deep knowledge of his people’s history, and a reputation for always knowing just what to say, without ever leaving anything out. And he was an incredibly skilled craftsman.

One day, César saw that the lives of families in his community had changed beyond recognition. A sedentary life was becoming the norm, which meant that the wealth of the territory would be squandered over time. He thought of his grandfather, Louis Newashish, founder of the Manawan Reserve and a great source of inspiration who had travelled to Ottawa by birch bark canoe many times to negotiate with the federal government in the interests of his community.
César could see that traditional Atikamekw practices were under threat. The time had come to face and respond to the changes he saw all around him. He wanted to honour his ancestors and grandfather by becoming a carrier of culture and traditions. César stood up and affirmed the importance of the traditional values that anchor us within our ancestral heritage.

César had always understood the importance of natural balance. The land was his people’s “school.” César enjoyed walking in the forest and discovering medicinal uses of plants. He was fascinated by animals. And he always loved passing on his knowledge. His father had taught him the craft of building birch bark canoes, special knowledge held by a small number of Atikamekw craftsmen. At age ten, César had built his very first canoe. This difficult craft requires the precise handling of tools and mastery of a unique method in which everything is built by hand using materials gathered from the forest.

Later, César’s passion caught the eye of a filmmaker, Bernard Gosselin, who decided to make a film of César building a canoe. The resulting documentary, César’s Bark Canoe, was produced by the National Film Board in 1971. In it, we watch César, a man with so many stories to tell, as he brings a canoe to life. The entire process is shown, from cutting down the birch tree and gently peeling its bark to launching the finished canoe. The film was a hit! And thanks to it, César’s voice has been heard all over North America and as far away as Europe.

Just as his grandfather had been carried by the river’s waters, César and his canoes travelled far and wide to cultural events where he promoted Atikamekw culture. In 1985, he even took part in the construction of a thirty-foot multi-passenger canoe called a rabaska, which has been exhibited in several museums. César has become a key symbol of the culture of navigation. And he understood when the time came to pass on what he knew to his two sons, Jean-Louis and François, so new generations would continue to hold and pass on traditional knowledge.