Papakinece, which means “spark”, is the inner flame that nourishes creativity and illuminates our being. Minwashin is proud to support the creators and guardians of Anicinabe culture in their artistic approach. By traveling the Anicinabe territory, we seek to make this light grow and share it with the world.

Papakinece, which means “spark”, is the inner flame that nourishes creativity and illuminates our being. Minwashin is proud to support the creators and guardians of Anicinabe culture in their artistic approach. By traveling the Anicinabe territory, we seek to make this light grow and share it with the world.

“I want to keep our traditional knowledge alive. I want to keep our language alive. That’s what motivates me! I do it for the kids.”

Grace Ratt

“When I make crafts, I go out into the woods a lot. I take a tour of the places I’ve already been. It’s inspiring to have grown up in the woods, you never forget that. I feel lucky to have grown up in the bush.”

Agathe Denis-Damé

“My parents inspired me to pass on the language; my mother was a teacher in the community from the age of 19. So it was natural for me to follow in both my parents’ footsteps.”

Stéphanie Tenasco

“The mawisak on writing allowed me to make new memories, pick up tools and make contacts, and I’m going to miss the group.”

Sasheen Ruperthouse-Trapper - After the mawisak on writing
“Doing a writing retreat in Anicinabe land allows you to find other ways of expressing yourself.”
Jason Frechette - After the mawisak on writing

“I think about what I’m doing and who’s going to receive it and be happy. I put a lot of energy into it, good things, good thoughts, energy.”

Agathe Denis-Damé

“My grandmother Juliette was also a seamstress, sewing wedding dresses for everyone. You’d show her a picture, she’d take your measurements, and she’d make the dress without a pattern. People would cut out a catalog picture and say, “That’s what I want!” There was nothing to her proof!”

Debra Chevrier Polson

“Kokum Lina didn’t teach me by ordering me to “do this” or “do that”, but made me observe. A lot of observing without doing anything, just observing. Sometimes, if she needed help, I’d help her, but most of the time, she taught me by example, and that’s how we were taught: by observing and listening.”

Grace Ratt
“It’s a miracle what we’re doing, that we’re here, composing something with what’s happened and transforming it. It heals the heart.”
Alice Jérome - After the mawisak on writing

“I want people to know that we’re here and that there are still people out there doing handcrafted things. Everything is handmade, I think that’s the best thing. It makes more sense to people when they know it’s made by a First Nations person, that it’s all handmade.”

Debra Chevrier Polson
“With the writing mawisak, it seems that now it’s clearer, I’m really glad I came and I can’t wait to start writing.”
James Flamand - After the mawisak on writing

“If we don’t preserve the land, how are we going to continue to maintain our culture and teaching?”

Geneviève Nottaway

“I watched my grandparents make moose calls and canoe oars, and it inspired me to make things myself.”

Dave Moushoum

“I watched my father do it, and so did my brothers and sisters. It was normal to be present with our parents and to watch, and to be attentive: it’s the way of passing on between generations.”

Edouard Minawa Brazeau
“There’s no age for learning new things, and writing has always interested me.”
Monik Kistabish - After the mawisak on writing

“Choosing a tree for its bark is not a choice you make lightly. I get in touch with the forest and see which tree is ready to give up its bark, because it will keep this mark on its trunk for the rest of its life.”

Geneviève Nottaway
“For me, language is the most precious part of my culture!”
Edouard Minawa Brazeau

“I’ve been thinking about writing my story for a long time. One day, I’ll be able to tell it to you in a book.”

James Flamand

“I think about what I’m doing and who’s going to receive it and be happy. I put a lot of energy into it, good things, good thoughts, energy.”

Edouard Minawa Brazeau

“I watched my father do it, and so did my brothers and sisters. It was normal to be present with our parents and to watch, and to be attentive: it’s the way of passing on between generations.”

Edouard Minawa Brazeau

« C’est un miracle ce qu’on est en train de faire, qu’on soit ici, à composer quelque chose avec ce qui est arrivé et de le transformer. Ça guérit le cœur. »

Alice Jérome - Après le mawisak sur l’écriture

“Choosing a tree for its bark is not a choice you make lightly. I get in touch with the forest and see which tree is ready to give up its bark, because it will keep this mark on its trunk for the rest of its life.”

Geneviève Nottaway

“My parents inspired me to pass on the language; my mother was a teacher in the community from the age of 19. So it was natural for me to follow in both my parents’ footsteps.”

Stéphanie Tenasco

“I think about what I’m doing and who’s going to receive it and be happy. I put a lot of energy into it, good things, good thoughts, energy.”

Agathe Denis-Damé

“If we don’t preserve the land, how are we going to continue to maintain our culture and teaching?”

Geneviève Nottaway

“When I make crafts, I go out into the woods a lot. I take a tour of the places I’ve already been. It’s inspiring to have grown up in the woods, you never forget that. I feel lucky to have grown up in the bush.”

Agathe Denis-Damé

“With the writing mawisak, it seems that now it’s clearer, I’m really glad I came and I can’t wait to start writing.”

James Flamand - After the mawisak on writing

“Kokum Lina didn’t teach me by ordering me to “do this” or “do that”, but made me observe. A lot of observing without doing anything, just observing. Sometimes, if she needed help, I’d help her, but most of the time, she taught me by example, and that’s how we were taught: by observing and listening.”

Grace Ratt

“My grandmother Juliette was also a seamstress, sewing wedding dresses for everyone. You’d show her a picture, she’d take your measurements, and she’d make the dress without a pattern. People would cut out a catalog picture and say, “That’s what I want!” There was nothing to her proof!”

Dave Moushoum

“I want people to know that we’re here and that there are still people out there doing handcrafted things. Everything is handmade, I think that’s the best thing. It makes more sense to people when they know it’s made by a First Nations person, that it’s all handmade.”

Debra Chevrier Polson

“The mawisak on writing allowed me to make new memories, pick up tools and make contacts, and I’m going to miss the group.”

Sasheen Ruperthouse-Trapper - After the mawisak on writing

“I’ve been thinking about writing my story for a long time. One day, I’ll be able to tell it to you in a book.”

James Flamand

“For me, language is the most precious part of my culture!”

Debra Chevrier Polson

“Doing a writing retreat in Anicinabe land allows you to find other ways of expressing yourself.”

Jason Frechette - After the mawisak on writing

« Le mawisak sur l’écriture m’a permis de me faire des nouveaux souvenirs, de venir chercher des outils et de faire des contacts, la gang va me manquer. »

Sasheen Ruperthouse-Trapper - Après le mawisak sur l’écriture

“It’s a miracle what we’re doing, that we’re here, composing something with what’s happened and transforming it. It heals the heart.”

Monik Kistabish - After the mawisak on writing

“I want to keep our traditional knowledge alive. I want to keep our language alive. That’s what motivates me! I do it for the kids.”

Grace Ratt

Goals and values

In harmony with our mission, this program supports artists at every stage of their creative journey, forging human links and amplifying their voices.

Papakinece nurtures unique moments of sharing that inspire creativity and foster artistic growth. These experiences open doors to new opportunities, while strengthening the precious bonds between cultural bearers, artists and artisans. With this approach, we enhance their know-how and pass on the rich Anicinabe heritage.

Recognizing the spark in each individual, nurturing their creativity and respecting their development, whatever their artistic medium. Every gesture, every creation carries a story, and Minwashin wants to help artists bring them to life.

To offer a space for transmission and learning, where knowledge is shared through exchange and connection with the community. By learning from others and exploring new approaches, your art and your voice become even stronger.

Let the light shine on their talent by showcasing their art and creating links between artists, cultural ambassadors and the community. Honoring what artists create also means recognizing their value and the importance of traditions and their evolution over time.  

Mawisak

Mawisak, in Anicinabe, means “to be and share together”. It’s not just an artists’ residency or a training course, but a unique moment where you stop to reconnect with your art and your community.

Born of the desire of cultural carriers to delve deeper into traditional and contemporary skills such as music, beadwork, writing, textile arts and much more, mawisak offers a precious opportunity to explore modern means of expression while preserving the deep cultural link and importance of an authentic message.

During this suspended moment and place, artists and creators come together to draw inspiration, share experiences and forge precious links, all under different themes. It’s a place of transmission and evolution, a bridge between tradition and innovation, but still at the heart of Anicinabe culture.

Our mawisak

Writing and
poetry

3 days at Lac Joncas, in the middle of Parc La Vérandrye, where time stood still to open this creative window on writing and poetry. A group of seniors and writers, amateurs and professionals alike, came together to share moments of reflection and writing. We even composed a song together!

Clothing and
textiles

A week-long adventure in Santa Fe (New Mexico) at the Indian Market, to get inspired, discuss, open up to creative possibilities and meet indigenous artists from all over the world, with the aim of creating a textile work for the NIN exhibition.

Music and
composition

Two weeks of writing and composing, leading to a music album, co-produced with Musique nomade, in Anicinabemowin over the 6 seasons: Nogom Nikamowin. The songwriting process involved several dialects, giving a unique richness to the experience and to the songs.

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Crédits photo : Minwashin, Marie-Raphaëlle LeBlond et France Lemire.