Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

There’s a beautiful resource right in our back yard that you may not know about. Thompson Island Cultural Camp is located on, you guessed it, Thompson Island and with so many events being held on the island lately, you may be curious about it if you have not had the opportunity to visit the camp.

Run by Bob Stevenson and Waylon Cook, Thompson Island is a gorgeous “eco-tourism” destination. The camp is open to residents and non-residents alike who are looking for a local get-away that features many unique qualities.

Access to the island is by boat only, with pickups from Adams Marina, or other local marinas in Cornwall, Summerstown or Akwesasne.

Once at the camp, you will be given an orientation and shown all of the features of the island such as trails and camping, either in a tent you pitch yourself or in one of the enclosed tents/cabins on site, which sleep several people and have cots. The shelters are raised off the ground to keep the wild life out and off of you. The trails go through the whole island and are the source for the two hour medicine walks which are conducted by Eddie Gray. This is one of the key benefits that make this camp unique: Eco-cultural education.

Skills taught during these seminars include medicine plant identification, Wilderness Survival, learning to live on the land, Traditional Agricultural Practices, Canoeing, basket workshops – from gathering and preparing the splint to finish, traditional Song and Dance as well as traditional teachings, and there are many more classes offered from time to time.

Included in the fee are meals, which are prepared on site in the cook house. There is a multi-use area, which when not being used for dining, houses crafts and activities. There are also showers, which are in the final stages of being built and may be finished by the time we print.

Waylon Cook prepares food for guests at the youth camp.

If you are interested in wildlife, there are amazing opportunities to take in the local species native to the area. There is an eagle watch canoe trip, which takes you across the river to a nearby island which has 4 to 5 eagles. The swamp walk lets kids go look at frogs and see the nearby nests or deer trails.

All of this beauty comes at a small cost, with fees being reasonable, and for Akwesasronon, negotiable. You are also responsible for chores while you’re there, but the dividends paid for the skills you can learn there are invaluable.

In truth, there are so many things to see on Thompson Island, it’s hard to list them all. It’s a great getaway to leave your iDevices behind and get the kids in the fresh air. The camp runs through the summer until November. For more information contact Bob Stevenson at bob.stevenson@akwesasne.ca or Waylon Cook at Waylon.cook@akwesasne.ca