Snowshoeing remains a way of life for Terry Denny

Snowshoeing has been part of Mi’gma’gi’s (a region that includes Nova Scotia) history for thousands of years. The Mi’kmaq wore aqmk (snowshoes) to help them travel through deep snow when hunting and trapping.

Here, Terry Denny, a Mi’kmaw Knowledge Keeper and storyteller, shares some of his family’s history of snowshoeing. He hopes to inspire Nova Scotians to get outside and connect with nature this winter.

Terry is from Eskasoni, but now lives and teaches on the Potlotek First Nation in Unama'ki (Cape Breton). He works at the Mi’kmawey School, teaching land-based learning to about 100 students from elementary to Grade 12. They learn about Mi’kmaq history and culture by listening and by observing Terry in his workshop near the school.

Watch and learn

The Knowledge Keeper learned the art of observation from his late grandfather, Joe R. Denny, who was a jack-of-all trades, including logging, welding and driving a truck. With little verbal instruction, Terry’s grandfather taught him to work with his hands, with wood and in the traditional ways of the Mi’kmaq.

The two shared a deep bond.

“My grandfather did [what’s known as] ‘silent teaching,’” said Terry. “I would watch him carve the wood, split the wood and pound it. From my grandfather, I knew all the knowledge, but to create something different is wisdom, because I used that knowledge he showed me.”

First snowshoes

Terry received his first pair of snowshoes in the 1970s from his late father, Eugene Denny. “In the 70s, my Dad was a hunter, fisher and trapper. He was really into it. At that time, there was only a handful of people left who did that. Colonization, the system had won.”

Terry still owns the snowshoes his father gave him, made of white ash with rawhide laces. He also has century-old snowshoes owned by his great grandfather, Richard Denny. When the Knowledge Keeper started making snowshoes, he took measurements from both sets and then tried something new.

“I made a hybrid,” Terry said, using nylon snowshoe lacings mixing coarse and fine mesh. Snowshoes with coarse mesh are typically worn in fresh snow, while fine mesh is better on hard-packed snow.

Sense of purpose

Terry said snowshoeing was never done for recreation – it was a way of life. They checked their traps daily, no matter the weather.

“We were five to seven miles up in the mountains in Eskasoni. There were places with 12 feet of snow. There was a purpose [to snowshoeing]. That’s the difference with snowshoeing nowadays, or even exercise. When a person wants to improve their health, then it becomes a purpose,” said Terry.

Get into the rhythm

Learning to snowshoe takes practice but, Terry said, once you get the hang of it, you can travel faster than by walking.

“You have to step over the other snowshoe, so your strides have to be longer. Once you get into a rhythm, with your chest puffed out and your back straight, oh boy, you’re travelling,” Terry said.

Connect with loved ones

Moving more in nature gives us the chance to feel rejuvenated, connect with loved ones, make memories and help preserve important stories and history.

Terry loves to take his sons with him when he heads into the woods, year-round. The father tells stories about those who walked before them.

“What I miss the most [from Eskasoni] are the mountains, all these places that I walked with my grandfather or my father,” said Terry. “Where I walk, I can hear our conversations. It brings back memories. When I’m with my sons, I tell them, ‘This is what they spoke.’ ‘This is what they told.’ ‘This is where we had tea.’ I want to make that connection to them.”

Postscript

Terry Denny said three of his favourite places In Nova Scotia to snowshoe are the Cape Breton Highlands, Margaree Valley and Baddeck.

There are more than 60 locations in six regions around the province where you can borrow snowshoes for free: Cape Breton, the Highlands, Fundy Region, Annapolis Valley, the South Shore and Halifax Region.

Make Your Move, Take the Roof Off Winter and honour Mi’kmaq history by trying snowshoeing this winter.