Out for another ride in northern Ontario. It's not fall yet but I can feel it in the air.
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X Kataquapit
@xkataquapit@mstdn.ca
mastodon 4.8.0-alpha.3+glitchI am an Indigenous writer / journalist originally from Attawapiskat FN. I am a Kattawapiskak Ininew (a Mushkego Cree) and a member of Attawapiskat FN which is on the James Bay coast in northern Ontario. I was born and raised in my home community and I fluently speak my Cree language. Since 1997, I have been producing my regular column titled 'Under The Northern Sky' as well as working as a journalist writing about Indigenous people, communities and issues in the north.
403 Followers
482 Following
30 Posts
Joined February 21, 2025
Website:
First Nation:
Attawapiskat
Tribal Council:
Mushkegowuk Council
Political Representation:
Nishnawbe-Aski Nation
@CatherineBabault@mastodon.social here is an audio file for you to hear the words for beaver and otter in the James Bay Cree language. I tried writing it out but it was better to use a voice recording. I don't know how this works, never sent audio recordings before.
Boosted by @trending@homestead.social
Here are my photos of the Mattagami FN Pow Wow which took place on August 15 and 16, 2026 in Mattagami First Nation.
To view the full gallery of photos, click on the link below
https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-g5DQbp#indigenous #firstnations #nishnawbe #treaty9 #mattagamifirstnation #powwow
I dedicated my latest column to talking about Pow Wow and how important and meaningful these events are for our communities.
#indigenous #firstnations #onpoli #canPoli #powwow #nishnawbe #mushkegowukhttps://www.wawataynews.ca/blogs-columns/pow-wow-sacred-gathering
Boosted by @GroupNebula563@mastodon.social
Don't have any where sensible for me to share my riding photos, so I thought I'd share them with you folks on Mastodon.
Great day for riding north of Timmins Ontario. I stopped at the Driftwood turn off at the end of Highway 655. It used to be a great restaurant stop years ago but the place is empty now. Sad to see the change but it's still a fun destination for a quick ride.
#indigenous #motorcycles #motorcycle #firstnations
Replying to
@Tode@indieweb.social @CatherineBabault@mastodon.social
this is unbelievable ... I listened to more and I got down to the 'songs' section. The 1st song is a Catholic hymn and the 2nd is a children's song she made to help us memorize the syllabic chart. It's our children's ABC song for Syllabics.
Eh-Ee-Oo-Ah - ᐁ ᐃ ᐅ ᐊ
Peh-Pee-Poh-Pah - ᐯ ᐱ ᐳ ᐸ
Teh-Tee-Toh-Tah - ᑌ ᑎ ᑐ ᑕ
Keh-Kee-Koh-Kah - ᑫ ᑭ ᑯ ᑲ
there's more to it but that is the first part
Lol ... I haven't heard that song in years!!!!
#indigenous #firstnations
First day long solo ride through northern Quebec. What a day for a ride. Felt like +20 in the sun but it feels like a hint of winter again as the sun is going down. #motorcycle #bmw_motorrad #indigenous
Still winter in northern Ontario but it was warm enough for a quick ride. Chilly but with enough layers it was passable. Hope it's warmer where you are. #motorcycle #indigenous #winter
Replying to
@CatherineBabault@mastodon.social @Tode@indieweb.social very small world indeed ... I've been writing for them since 1997. It's one of the first publications that picked up my column.
On another ride because the weather bumped up to a tropical +15 today. Took a ride to northern Quebec with a stop at Palmarolle, where the river ice is still breaking up. #motorcycle #bmwmotorrad #indigenous
In my latest column, I talk about the forest fire reality we live with here in the north and how governments prioritize the dangers.
#indigenous #firstnations #nishnawbe #mushkegowuk #forestfireshttps://www.wawataynews.ca/blogs-columns/ring-forest-fire
I'm happy to announce I've entered into the Fediverse with a Mastodon account here at mstdn.ca
I've been learning about the fediverse for a few years and I knew I had to break away from corporate run social media.
I publish a regular column every two weeks so from now on, I will share it here in addition to everywhere else I get published and use this publicly controlled forum more often.
Happy Birthday ... a great figure who helped us all understand the beauty, power and wisdom of our planet and all life on it. My Indigenous parents who were born and raised on the land enjoyed watching his programs (as did I and I still do) and to just see and know about the great variety of life on this planet.
Sir David Attenborough: A century of storytelling - BBC
In my latest column, I wanted to say Meegwetch (thanks) to our northern FN youth Jeronimo Kataquapit, Ramon Kataquapit, Kohen Mattinas and Ryan Fleming for representing us on the international stage at the United Nations this past month.
#indigenous #firstnations #bill5 #nishnawbe #mushkegowuk #attawapiskat
https://www.wawataynews.ca/blogs-columns/first-nation-youth-speak-united-nations
Replying to
@dariana@mindly.social "Non-linear time could help us to navigate compounding ecological crises, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and mass extinction."
I grew up learning about the world from my parents and elders who were all born in the land. Their view of life and time is way more open and inclusive than the way the modern world operates. They always taught us to remember the past, live in the moment and to be aware that whatever we do now will affect the future. We aren't just living a life now, we are honoring those who came before us and we are preparing the world for the lives of those after us.
In my latest column, I write about how everyone on the James Bay coast (and in the far south) is working hard to preserve and practice our traditional culture.
#indigenous #firstnations #mushkegowuk #nishnawbe #attawapiskat
https://www.windspeaker.com/under-northern-sky-xavier-kataquapit/birds-are-calling-spring
Replying to
@MCDuncanLab@mstdn.social great to be here. It's important to me to use and support open and community focused social media instead of the black hole of corporately controlled private social media
Replying to
@Indigenousamericanindian8@mastodon.social reminds me of my favorite unattributed anonymous internet quote ...
“Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor, but because we cannot satisfy the rich.”
Replying to
@Windspeaker@mstdn.ca In the poem “Life,” she writes, “In this time/of steel/and of speed,/we need/poetry./…A new dawn:/in its blue-shadow world/things move so fast./Now moving faster and faster.”
Always great to read how other fellow indigenous people view the modern world. Amazing to think that these words written in 1989 still resonate in the same way today. #indigenous
Replying to
@flexghost@mastodon.social White supremacy
Call it for what it is ... white nationalism.
The more everyone dances around the explanation and details, the more they get away with these actions.
This is just another example of how european settlers view the land and people. Namely that they (white christian europeans) believe they are somehow more special and more privileged than anyone else. The last time we allowed this mentality to fester for too long ... it caused a world war.
Replying to
@oatmeal I think we all suffer from Stockholm Syndrome with our brains.
Always enjoy your comics!
Replying to
@sn0wbl1nd@fosstodon.org meegwetch doodem ... "thanks my friend" in my Cree language ... happy to be here
Replying to
@DavidM_yeg@mstdn.ca Thanks ... even after writing my column for over 20 years, it still feels good to hear how others feel about my writing. And yes, I'm happy to finally be here ... the community's great!
Always great to see how the American people and Indigenous Americans are standing up to tyranny and supporting those who are fighting the good fight.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-in-minneapolis-native-americans-show-how-community-care-is-done/
Took another ride north of Cochrane, Ontario. Beautiful bright blue skies and hot weather, which is short lived in the north. We have to take advantage of every sunny day we can. Hope you're all having a good summer.
#indigenous #firstnation #motorcycle #motorcycles
Replying to
@vextaur Thanks for the tip .. it's neat wandering around the fediverse and I've often wondered about Friendica as several people have recommended it. I'll be looking into it for sure.
Replying to
@sunguramy@flipping.rocks A good reminder that every little thing we do in this life has a definite impact on the future.