Šawelihcikewin International Knowledge Keepers Gathering

Šawelihcikewin International Knowledge Keepers GatheringMoose Factory & Moosonee, Omushkego Aski, Ontario, Canada 

Recheduled for Autumn  2025 (specific dates to be confirmed)

2023 marked the 350th anniversary of Moose Factory, subarctic North America’s oldest continuous site of Indigenous-European relations and intermarriage. However, the history of the Moose River and its Ililiwak (people) extends well beyond the 1673 establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company trade post – in time and space. The southwestern James Bay watershed has long been the homeland of the Moose Cree, and a gathering site where hospitality has been extended to relations, friends, and visitors from Omushkego Aski, Eeyou Istchee (Western and Eastern James Bay), and beyond.

Following this tradition of hospitality, the Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association has been working with Moose Cree First Nation, MoCreebec Eeyoud Council, the Town of Moosonee, as well as many partners, to host two years of commemoration of More than 350 Years in the Making: Moose Factory in Omushkego Aski, from Time Immemorial to 1673 to 2023. Our theme is šawelihcikewin – “receiving with gratitude and a desire to give back” from the land, and from all our human and other-than-human relations.

Our international symposium will provide an opportunity for knowledge keepers from diverse disciplines and intellectual traditions to gather and explore the rich intercultural and natural heritage of this region and our global connections. We invite you to do so in the same spirit of šawelihcikewin: sharing your knowledge to help “build a future with our shared past” – a past that reveals our deep connection as Ililiwak.

This commemoration is part of larger More than 350 initiative that aims to leverage this anniversary for long-term community and economic development. The year  started with an opening ceremony in Sikwan (early spring) — March 2023 — and will end with a closing ceremony in Pipon (winter) — February 2025. The closing ceremony is not an end, but a transition into the next step in this larger vision. This gathering is a key part of that larger vision and initiative.

Possible themes include:

History, Memory & Oral Tradition • Culture & Language • Philosophy & Spirituality • Reconciliation, Resilience, Revitalization & Decolonization • Reciprocity, Hospitality, Intermarriage & Interculturality • Transatlantic & Transcontinental Connections & Cree Diaspora • Genealogy & Kinship • Orkney-Cree Connections • Sport, Music & Art • Architecture & Design • Tangible & Intangible Heritage • Natural World, Biodiversity, Conservation & Climate Change • Natural Laws, Human Rights & Governance • Treaty Relations • Cree Veterans & their Legacy • Holistic Community & Economic Development • Education & Leadership • Land-Based Living & Knowledge • Communitization • Mental & Physical Health & Healing

Possible formats: academic papers, posters, roundtables, storytelling, dance, art, film, and music. Submissions in English, Cree and French will be considered, with limited translation available. Presentations may be virtual or hybrid but in-person is preferred. The gathering will be recorded and live-streamed, and plans for publication are in development.

Please send a 300-word proposal to knowledgekeepers@mrhha.ca. Indicate any audio-visual or other equipment needs, and include a C.V., resume, portfolio, or description of your previous work.

The planning committee is still considering proposals.

Check again for updates to our growing list of co-sponsors, as well as a list of confirmed keynote speakers and sessions, or sign up for our newsletter.

Gathering Partners:

Mushkegowuk Marine Conservation – https://www.mushkegowukmarine.ca/

Wildlands League – https://wildlandsleague.org/

Ojibway & Cree Cultural Centre – http://occc.ca/

Northern College – https://www.northerncollege.ca/

Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University https://www.trentu.ca/indigenous/

Centre for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives, McGill University – https://cicada.world/

The Gregg Centre for the Study of War & Society, University of New Brunswick –  https://www.unb.ca/fredericton/arts/centres/gregg/

Stromness Museum – https://www.stromnessmuseum.org.uk/

Centre for Scottish Studies, University of Guelph – https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/scottish

Carleton Immersive Media Studio, Carleton University – https://cims.carleton.ca

Reconciliation Studies Program, St. Stephen’s University – https://www.ssu.ca/graduate/reconciliation-studies/

Ontario Heritage Trust – https://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/

National Trust for Canada – https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/

Nature’s Laws Institute – http://www.abheritage.ca/natureslaws/about.html

North Bay Museum – https://www.northbaymuseum.com/