Andrea Langlois et al - Islands of Resistance - Pirate Radio in Canada

Awakening the ‘Voice of the Forest’ • 87
the previous day and showing them how to use the editing software.
Paul was on the other computer, lining up songs and downloading
music off the internet. His latest selection — a Wu-Tang Clan song
— blared through the big black stereo on the other side of the room.
With Courtney’s help, Sonny and the guys set up an email account for
the radio, and a blog to post audio and photos, as well as to link the
radio with other aboriginal radio stations.
The sun was setting, and we had to begin the long drive down to
Monyak, as Montréal is known in Algonquin. We said our goodbyes,
promising to return in a few weeks with more equipment, hopefully
including some portable recorders. As we left the school, a few more
young men showed up, joining the five or six others gathered with
Sonny around the mic and computer. We made the rounds of the
reserve quickly, stopping in houses and thanking everyone for their
hospitality and promising to return soon. Migwetch (thank you) they
said. Kanagootsanun, we replied. You’re welcome.
Soon we were in the car driving down the narrow, snow-covered
road that leads from the reserve to the highway a few kilometers away.
We turned on the radio and set it to 107.9 FM, just in time to catch the
end of Sonny introducing a song. “... listening to Radio Barriere Lake,
Mitchikinabiko’inik nodaktcigen, the ‘Voice of the Forest’ ... Migwetch.”
Out the window, frozen lakes rolled by, disappearing and appearing
again in between the thick stands of snowy pines. As we headed south,
out of the dense wilderness, kilometer by kilometer heading deeper
into so-called “civilization,” where native peoples have been forgotten,
Radio Barriere Lake’s signal got weaker and weaker and soon was lost
amidst the fuzz. But up in Rapid Lake, Sonny had just put Toby’s wampum
story on the air, and three generations of Barriere Lake Algonquins
were sitting around tiny radios, listening.