Official programme

Breakfast and an informal welcome for participants.

A tour of the grounds, welcome areas, activity spaces and surroundings to help participants find their way throughout the week.

Lunch.

A ceremony at the cross in memory of Bernard Gobeil, known as “La Pipe”. Everyone who wishes to pay tribute is invited.

Delegation welcome, registration, settling in and distribution of information. Guidance for getting around and assistance for Elders moving between meal, rest and activity areas. Liaison officers will help participants find their way, identify individual needs and share essential information.

Community supper.

Official opening of the 30th Elders’ Gathering 2026. A conversation with Hubert Lessard, Georges Awaad and Gérard Tsatselam about learning Innu-aimun and the importance of the language. A traditional clothing fashion presentation by Création Puamun, followed by a musical performance. The evening will celebrate language, culture, identity and the passing on of knowledge.

Breakfast and an informal welcome for participants.

Discussion: “Living on the land: sharing, mutual support and caring for one another”. Drawing on experiences on the land: living with few resources, food brought or shared, family support, traditional travel, and hunting, fishing and survival practices during famine. This session reflects on how communities learned to help one another, share and care for each other.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Presentation of the play “TANITE NENE ETUATAMIN NITASSI? — Qu’as-tu fait de mon pays?” (“What have you done to my country?”), based on the work of An Antane Kapesh, at the school gymnasium. This activity celebrates memory, history, voice and the passing on of culture.

Community supper.

An evening of conversations among Elders: memories of arriving on the land, early life stories, encounters between communities and the opening of discussions about memory, language and sharing.

A shared meal.

Conversations with Elders about traditional spirituality, shamans, dreams, visions, prayers, the teueikan, signs from the land and teachings passed down by ancestors. A telephone phishing awareness workshop with speaker Aurel Mestokosho.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Games and contests for Elders. Active bingo at 5:00 p.m.

Community supper.

Conversations among Elders: hunting, fishing and trapping stories, preparing animals, respect for game, sharing food and passing on land-based skills.

A shared meal.

Book launch by Anne-Marie Ambroise. An information session on changes experienced by communities, government, industrial or mining pressures, relocations, loss of access to the land and effects on collective memory.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Games and contests for Elders. Nutrition workshop: from the land to the plate.

Community supper.

Conversations among Elders: accounts of changes, displacement, losses, resistance and lessons to pass on to young people. Discussion: what foods did First Nations bring when they went out on the land?

A shared meal.

Discussion of traditional hunting, fishing and trapping methods: caribou, small game, birds, net fishing, line fishing and ice fishing, and traps informed by seasons, tracks, winds and knowledge of the land. From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: a presentation by Institut Tshakapesh — the IKUTA workshop, highlighting Innu roots, strengthening culturally meaningful practices and encouraging safe approaches that respect Innu knowledge, language and identity.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Games and contests for Elders. Creative journaling workshop: the six pillars of First Nations well-being.

Community supper.

Conversations among Elders about visitors in earlier times: people from other communities, travellers, religious figures, merchants, workers and distant relatives. Discussion of hospitality, memories, relationships, changes in ways of life and experiences with people from elsewhere.

A shared meal.

A workshop on Elders’ well-being. An information session on passing knowledge between generations, Elders’ role as keepers of knowledge, values to share with young people, life lessons, mutual support, respect and responsibility toward the land.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Games and contests for Elders.

Community supper.

Conversations among Elders about sharing values, mutual support, passing knowledge to young people and essential knowledge to preserve.

A shared meal.

An information session on Nutshimiu-Aimun, expressions specific to the land, old words, pronunciation, Elders’ rich language knowledge and the importance of recording the language for future generations.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Games and contests for Elders.

Community supper.

Planned evening: conversations among Elders about language, expressions from the land, old stories, memories connected to Nutshimiu-Aimun and the importance of passing these words on to younger generations.

A shared meal.

An information session on preserving the Innu language, culture and collective memory. A celebration of Nutshimiu-Aimun, funny stories, anecdotes, messages to younger generations and connection to the land. A special moment, “There is still hope for the Innu language”, will show that the language can still be learned, spoken and passed on with pride through listening to Elders, daily practice and love of the culture.

Lunch and a rest period. Rest time for Elders from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Games and contests for Elders.

Community supper.

Closing evening: conversations among Elders, messages to future generations, anecdotes, funny stories, lasting memories and the conclusion of the Mémoire vivante initiative. The evening continues with the official closing, singer-songwriters, the prize presentation, a draw to determine the community for the next Elders’ Gathering and the official announcement of the host community for the 31st edition.