THE STORY I WANT TO SHARE

In 2017, Florence guided visitors to Tadoule Lake in Northern Manitoba where the Sayisi Dene people chose to build a new home for themselves in the late 1970s. This is now home to the Sayisi Dene First Nation. That visit allowed Florence to connect with her heritage and truly begin the process of healing. While the story of forced relocation is relevant, Florence says that it never felt like that was the only history to share. “The tragic history of Camp 10 and Dene Village does not define who the Sayisi Dene people are. Ours is a beautiful culture filled will ceremony, tradition, history, and respect for the land, and that is the story I want to tell visitors,” Florence says.

Florence, now a resident of Churchill, wants to celebrate the lives of her ancestors and the good days when the Sayisi Dene people spent time at Little Duck Lake. Her captivating presentation speaks to hope and healing by re-connecting with the Dene heritage that was nearly lost. Feeling and touching tanned caribou hide, handmade tools, beadwork, sinew for thread and a drum, Florence lets her audience touch a part of her culture.

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