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Home My WebLink AboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-03-14, Page 24y}; J • 11� wIC. ... ^.t'xl•'p PJC; 1 . Serving over 25,600 homes in Listowel, W.ingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, Harriston, Brussels, AtwoodkMonkton, Millbank, Newton, Clifford, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur. Wednesday, March 14, 1984 Life at an isolate Story by Lynne Pinnegar Photos bypavid Wenger "If I had a TV I think I could live through it fora month." ' "I liked the baking, especially when the food turned out good." "Sleeping in the longhouse was the best part." "I like it ouside but it was a lot of hard work, especially carrying wood. It was fun when we were doing it though." Those were the comments from a group of Grade 7 Mount Forest students who recently returned from a "17th century winter ex- perience" at Sainte -Marie Among the Hurons, near Midland. The students, ac- companied by teacher Valerie Neal and four parent -volunteers lived for three days and two nights in the replica of Ontario's first European community at Sainte -Marie, a Jesuit mission built in 1639. Chris Bagley, Sainte -Marie acting education officer, says the live-in is more than simply a visit to a historical site. "They actually live here for a period of • STUDENTS Danica Kaduc, Tricia MacDonald, David Ferguson, Heather Donald, Paul Barnard, Andrea Wenger, Jeff Pollard and Chad Penwarden show off the corn husk dolls they made, under the supervision of Indian guide. time, he says. "Here, more than m any program, live-in students have an op- portunity to fully experience what life was like at the isolated mission during the long hard winter months." Teacher Valerie Neal says the students from Mount Forest will probably remember the unusually beautiful weather conditions during their stay at Sainte -Marie as much as anything else. Although they had packed mittens, toques and long underwear, the youngsters found they had their jackets off during much of the three-day visit during February's mild spell. "It was unfortunate in a way," she says. "A midnight snowshoe hike had to be cancelled and prior to going they had all • made snow snakes. The run had melted when we were there so they couldn't use them, although the snow snakes were judged by Sainte -Marie staff." Jack Pollard was judged as having made the best snow snake prior to the visit — a long wood pole carved and polished to look like a snake for the Huron snow snake game. The game is played by participants hurling the snakes along an icy trough, in com- petition with the other players. "We couldn't play," Chad Penwarden explained, "but we're thinking of it for next winter here in Mount Forest." He says the students really enjoyed playing lacrosse, though, during their stay at Sainte -Marie. Although Amy Reeves commented that her favorite part of the trip was "baking, especially when the food turned out good," some of her classmates laughed and asked when that was. Cooking was done over an open fire or in a bake -oven, and it- took the Mount Forest students awhile to catch on. Squash, which was supposed to be eaten 'for dinner Thurs- Mount Forest students visit 'Is n sio Sainte -Mare Among the Hurons day evening, wasn't cooked until breakfast time on Friday. They made a pot of rabbit stew at the school' before leaving for Midland, since the first meal had to be prepared in advance, and while there made venison stew for dinner one evening._ The students' reactions to the food was mixed, although Paul Barnard says the pork chops "we must have cooked 60" and pancakes were good. "We tried to eat as authentically as possible," Mrs. Neal said. "For example, we used maple syrup for a sweetner and things like that.' One evening the students snacked on sunflower seeds, dried apples and herbal tea: They also tried baking, although that was disappointing for the most part because the foods didn't rise without yeast. They made cornbread, which Amy Reeves says. the mice liked. "Mr. Wenger (parent -volunteer Dave Wenger) was sleeping in the cookhouse and there was a mouse in there that kept chewing on the corn, and kernels kept falling on his head," the students laugh. "He called him Fred. So, we put a piece of johnny cake in the cookhouse for Fred and he really liked it and Mr. Wenger got some sleep." , "Those guys got scared by a cat, too," Andrea Wenger says, launching into another one of the stories from Sainte -Marie among the Hurons that the students will long remember. "We told them it was just a rabbit or something." "It sure didn't look like a rabbit ... or a cat," Amy Reeves says, causing another peal of laughter from her classmates. "So, your sleeping bag caught on fire and you didn't even wake up," Amy retorts to Andrea, getting even for the cat story. "You could ' have burned down. the whole longhouse." ,; JVlrs. Neal reminds the students not to • going throughout the night. shapes it out a bit with a draw knife. Then Mrs. Neal says it was "very cozy and there's all different sizes of chisels and you warm" in the longhouse, much more round it outand dig out the bowl. That was comfortable than sleeping in the European- fun," she says. style dwellings even though they slept in The Mount Forest students began learning sleeping bags on the floor. about Sainte -Marie among the Hurons and Those who lived in Ontario's first life in the 17th century, and preparing for European community would not have the "winter experience" last October. Mrs: survived without lore from the Hurons, Mr. Neal attended a workshop at the site last fall Bagley says. The live-in program is deeply and returned to the classroom with in - infused with native experience, taught and formation on what to wear and what to demonstrated by native personel. bring. As well as unrelenting emphasis on "I liked the myths the best, and the visit to safety, planning also included menu the shrine," one student says. Historical organization and discussions on the interpreter Marie Brunelle assembled the historical background, of the 17th century students in the longhouse to retell ancient wilderness mission: legends learned from her grandfather. She The trip was recorded on video-tape and also explained how the Hurons gambled and the student are now preparing to hold an demonstrated indoor games designed to open house for their parents at the school develop the powers of coordination. one evening. "We spent one night, gambling in the Mr. Bagley says the program offered at longhouse," Paul Barnard says. "That was Sainte -Marie among the Hurons is so fun, some of the games were really good." popular that applications annually outstrip The students also made corn husk dolls as,. acceptances. Each winter, only 12 schools part of the program, and learned the stories can be slotted into the winter live-in time behind them. The dolls were made without ' frame. facial features and were not given names "Schools write us and tell us why they because that would automatically, in the would like to experience the winter live-in," Hurons' eyes, have given the dolls per- he says. "Then we select those which we feel sonalities and spirits. If the doll was lost or will get the most out of it." broken then it would have experienced pain. Mrs. Neal is sold on the value of the "The children's mothers were quite often program, although there are some minor away in the fields too," Mrs. Neal says, "so changes she would make if taking another they could imagine their mother's faces on group on the trip. There is presently about a• the faceless dolls while playing with them." two-year waiting period before classes are Making nails in the blacksmith's forge accepted. also rated high on the list of good ex- She said the parent -volunteers — Dave periences, according to the Mount Forest Wenger, Bob (Big Guy) McArthur, Helen students. Grant and Peggy Barnard — helped to make "You 'take a piece of iron and put it in the the project such a worthwhile one for the fire. When it is red hot you take it out and Mount Forest students. Without their help, square it off and then bash the top down so, the project could never have been realized. you have a little head," haul Barnard said, "It was fun," student Trisha MacDonald • admitting that it took him nearly half an says, summing up the trip.. "It was fun, but hour to make one nail. "They said a guy it sure would have been hard to have lived minutes back back then." 4ggerate could make two nails in 15 4L ^n�tkni-- 1ik •amrnt, In addition Amy Reeves was impresse4,, vOth the students.from`Mi?i tiurst; oronwNoblet , • - ng ; p` .to the Mount 'Forest -sehool ` f 1� fid.. (ine pigbt 11 o e s u en o nro the longhouse and, although they com- A wa>�, smoky. a... I had •ashes, in y 'hair t th'fl horning,'"- none . wig soon `' €Qget (the experience. They took turns wakK`i• ng up to put logs on the fire to keep it „opportuniti to ke:mj/.oaden l;� 41, e -Cambridge, Barrie, Ottawa, Fort Erie, carpenters' shop, under the guaartce,jif a i bridge, Notal ,ia -;jWhitbr=-and- costumed site interpreter. ;14.; .. ,L;lxbrklge participated In the "Sainte -Marie' "They give you...a piece of wood ana he winter'live-in program this year. ENJOYING the beautiful February sunshine, Danica naduc and Andrea Wenger work on turning pieces of wood into wooden spoons. TODD ADAMS (right) of Mount Forest Public School gets some help with a woodworking project at Sainte -Marie among the Hurons near Midland from a costumed site interpreter. Reconstructed 1 7th century buildings and palisade provided a realistic setting for the three-day two -night live-in enjoyed by Mount Forest youngsters. -' .. >r.' .. ', : ,. .... .}... :- ...<. ..r-. .. 'u, 4`.'". ... .'.! ..,l 'it.� : ,,.��xa�.�'d��.•�es2.ro�...: ,6'roG,i«h HEATHER DONALD (left) and Danica Kaduc (right) prepare breakfast over the open fireplace in the cookhouse at Sainte - Marie among the Hurons near Midland. The two students of r Mount Forest Public School were on a three-day two -night live-in at the restored mission. >4 4