Camp de pêche micmac, près de la rivière Ristigouche, entre 1872 et 1875. (© Alexander Henderson, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, C-016436)It's summer and a gentle breeze wafts along the peninsula. In the Chaleur Bay area, tourists are enjoying their picnics on the shore and scaling the heights of Mont Saint-Joseph. Near Forillon, they gaze out at the open sea for a glimpse of passing whales. Hikers make their way along the trails of Parc de la Gaspésie. Without realising it, some of these visitors are following in the footprints of the Aboriginal peoples who preceded them.

The Gaspé Peninsula Mi'gmaq, the Lower St. Lawrence Maliseet, the New England Passamaquoddy, the North Shore Innu and all the others who walked this great continent have literally savoured the land. The sea and the forest served as their pantry, providing them with feasts or at times causing famine.

"The cuisine of the Aboriginal peoples of the Gaspé Peninsula featured moose, caribou, salmon, trout, herring, lobster and mackerel, most of which was dried, or smoked and then dried. Berries, such as cranberries or blueberries, were sometimes added to the menu to flavour their fare. But it was the desire for flesh—fish or meat—that counted most," explained Stephen Augustine, Curator of Ethnology for the Eastern Maritimes at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, who is first and foremost a Mi'gmaq from New Brunswick. So for him, knowledge and family memories intermingle.

The occupants of the Gaspé Peninsula made the most of its shores and hinterland in equal measure. In terms of distance, it was easier to access the forests there than on the North Shore, and the river system, directly connected to the rivers in the northeast of the United States, facilitated trade. People bartered stone, and learned to observe each other. Their diet was simple, ingenious and energy-efficient, and was key to their survival.

With the arrival of the Europeans, the local food supply acquired some new flavours. Salt and sugar changed the way food was preserved. "We gave them their very first hunting lessons!" said Manuel Kak'wa Kurtness, an Innu chef from Mashteuiatsh. "We made them taste and discover new things. Québec cuisine was born barely 400 years ago, inspired by the encounter between Aboriginal peoples and Europeans."

SHARED KNOWLEDGE

Très belle truite capturée par un Micmac de Listuguj, en Gaspésie, vers 1950.
(© Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat de Listuguj (Gaspésie) et site www.aboutourland.ca)

These encounters created some lasting culinary influences. Aboriginal nations adopted foods associated with a sedentary lifestyle and industrialisation, and, generally speaking, Quebecers now share their keen interest for smoked products and also enjoy game and wild fish. And let's not forget about corn, corn roasts and popcorn! "Iroquoian nations, such as the Huron and Iroquois, used to heat sand in earthenware, add corn to the scorching sand and place it back on the heat source until the kernels popped." Aboriginal people are also responsible for introducing maple syrup, dried berries and preservation techniques that lightened the load of backpacks.

Centuries later, it is unfortunately quite difficult to precisely measure the extent of this heritage. As the elders pass away, they take with them their knowledge and secrets.

A CUISINE FOR THE FUTURE

Is there promise in what remains of Aboriginal knowledge about food? "Our ancestors ate whole, chemical-free foods with high energy content... and we should return to this way of eating. We need to rediscover their ancient knowledge in order to find solutions to some of today's eating problems," explains Augustine.

Manuel Kak'wa Kurtness, who featured this heritage in PachaMama , a book dedicated to the culinary traditions of First Nations, recognises the importance of passing on this wisdom to reap its health benefits, especially for Aboriginal people. "It is our responsibility to spread the word about the inherent qualities of this kind of diet and to remind people of our influence. We played a major role, and we should be proud of it."

1. Côté, Louise; Tardivel, Louis; Vaugeois, Denis, L'Indien généreux : Ce que le monde doit aux Amériques, Montréal, Boréal, 1992, p. 219.

2. Kurtness, Manuel Kak'wa, PachaMama : Cuisine des Premières Nations, Montréal, Boréal, 2009, 183 pages.

PIQUE-NIQUE AU BORD DE L'EAU

(inspiré des propos du chef innu Manuel Kak'wa Kurtness)³

Choisissez votre journée : ensoleillée et peu venteuse.

Trouvez un endroit sécuritaire où allumer votre feu.

Dans votre sac, vous aurez glissé un peu de poisson, des moules bien fraîches dans leur coquille... Une courge : Butternut, Hubbard... ou une petite citrouille.

Prenez le temps de faire le feu. Laissez la flamme s'apaiser. Si le poisson est entier, cuisez-le à la broche, en présentant le dos aux flammes. Cuisez les filets « à la roche », en les promenant de chaque côté des braises. Pour les moules, c'est tout simple : à grande chaleur, la cuisson est instantanée. Dégustez avec les doigts.

Si vous vous y connaissez en petits fruits, regardez tout autour... il en pousse peut-être. Par précaution, peut-être aurez-vous apporté votre provision!

Ensuite, sous les braises, vous enfouirez la courge après l'avoir bien recouverte de papier d'aluminium ou de papier journal mouillé. Puis, quand elle sera bien tendre (après la sieste), vous n'aurez qu'à la sucrer de sirop d'érable et à la déguster!

Bon appétit!

3. Ibid.