NAN Celebrates Life of Prolific Omushkigo Elder and Storyteller Louis Pennishish (Bird)

THUNDER BAY, ON: The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Executive Council has issued the following statement as prolific Omushkigo Elder and renown storyteller Louis Penishish (Bird) began his journey to the Spirit World last night:

“The sky was rumbling when we heard that our dear friend began his Spirit Journey. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and the entire Peawanuck community during this difficult time. We pray for the Creator to continue to guide him.

Louis Pennishish was a prolific storyteller, and his deep connection to the land was reflected in the profound experiences of traditional life in the James Bay lowlands that he freely shared. He called his stories ‘textbooks’ that cover everything needed to live on the land that has always sustained us, including spirituality and a system of ethics.

He is fondly remembered as a respected and approachable leader who dedicated his life to preserving and sharing the history, culture, language, and Treaty knowledge of our people. He was deeply committed to protecting Indigenous traditions and spent much of his life gathering teachings and learning from the Elders.

Through collaborations with universities and researchers he generously shared his extensive knowledge of our shared history, particularly in the James Bay region, ensuring that stories, teachings, and cultural knowledge are documented and remembered. His tremendous efforts to preserve our history for future generations is a priceless contribution that will be cherished forever. We hope his teachings will continue to engage and inspire people for many years to come.”

Louis Pennishish served as Chief of Weenusk First Nation in the 1970s, authored several books about the life and culture of the Omushkego people, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba. He is well known for his 2007 book The Spirit Lives in the Mind: Omushkego Stories, Lives, and Dreams, which contained the oral tradition of sharing teachings and stories of the people of the western lowlands of Hudson and James Bay. He contributed recordings to the Omushkigo Oral History Project, which has preserved Omushkigo history in the language to preserve our heritage for future generations.

He is praised for devoting decades of his life documenting Cree oral traditions, beginning in the 1960s when he started recording stories from his Elders. His collection of more than 340 hours of material is thought to be one of the largest collections ever recorded. Much of his work is preserved in recordings, publications, and archives across Turtle Island.

For more information please contact:
Michael Heintzman,
Director of Communications
Cell: (807) 621-2790
mheintzman@nan.ca