Elders' Biographies
Pinamen (Rich) Katshinak
The daughter of Shinipesht Rich and Manishan, Pinamen was born in 1935. She is frequently called upon by younger people in her community to provide expertise on Innu history, and the traditional way of life on the land.
"I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. I still make crafts like moccasins and mitts, and I tan caribou hides. I still use traditional tools when I clean hides. I gather rotten wood for tanning hides. I taught young people nutshimiu-atusseun (country life skills) so that they can hang on to their traditional culture. Our culture is very important."
"I heard that before people had rifles, they would use arrows. And I heard that women used them for hunting partridges - the white partridges. I heard that they were good at shooting with the arrows when they hunted."
"[When I was young], we spent time at Ashtunekamuku (Snegamook Lake). We canoed from there. My father and mother were already dead. I lived with my uncle's family when they went to the country. Sometimes, there was not enough room for all of us in the canoe, and some of us had to walk. When we needed to get to the other side of the river, we would get in the canoe, and then we would walk again."
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