CORNWALL, Ontario – Not far from Cornwall is a camp that is steeped in the traditions of some of our founding people…and hundreds of years later their practices live on.
Isaac Cole and more than a dozen other teenagers are learning about the history of Akwesasne and the First Nations beliefs at the Thompson Island Cultural and Eco-Tourism Camp.
The camp is located just east of Summerstown in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. The sprawling 80-acre facility is only accessible by boat.
And that’s just the way campers Like Cole, and administrators of the property, like it.
“When I first came here…it feels like home,” said Cole, a 17-year-old Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School student. “We have elders who speak to us. It’s different that going through a textbook.”
On this day Cole and other students are learning first-hand some of the ancient treatments First Nations people employed to help with ailments, courtesy of medicine man Eddie Gray.
Akwesasne is marketing the camp, and other amenities within the reserve, to outside peoples as a way of educating non-natives about First Nations culture.
“Any beliefs that First Nations have should be shared with non-native people,” said Bob Stevenson, camp organizer and survivalist. “Especially when it comes to the environment.”
The camp has welcomed students, and others.
“Thompson Island has also been utilized when educating our neighbors and visitors about the Mohawks of Akwesasne through staff retreats and cultural sensitivity trainings,” said Waylon Cook co-organizer of events at the camp.
Agencies like the St. Lawrence River Institute, Environment Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Parks Canada have all spent time at the camp.
Cole and his fellow students are spending an entire week on Thompson Island, learning about local wildlife, how to prepare traditional First Nations meals and enjoying physical activity like canoeing and kayaking.
“It’s a good place for you to come and release the stress of school,” said Cole. “They give us the freedom to do what we’re interested in.”
The island has become a focal point of education when it comes to explaining the heritage of the First Nation community for both visitors and residents.
“Thompson Island is one of the only eco-tourism sites in Akwesasne open for school groups and families who want to enjoy the outdoors and the St. Lawrence River,” said Stevenson. “We try to host at least 40-50 people at a time…in our classrooms, the kitchens and on our trails.”
The camp has provided an opportunity for Akwesasne residents to reconnect with their history and culture, and has also allowed visitors the opportunity to learn more about their neighbours.
“Mohawk council recognized the need for an outdoor venue that would bring community members back to the lands and designated roughly 80 acres of Thompson Island to allow us to build a camp,” said Stevenson of the decision 18 years ago to create the camp. “It’s great because elders and youth can gather in one place and return to our old traditions for a day.
“Today, students are addicted to technology. When they come to the camp they unplug. There are many opportunities to experience the island and enjoy the outdoors through the trails fields and fun and games.”
More information on Thompson Island can be found by calling 613-575-5011.
