Dreamers & The Land | DREAMERS
Makéts'awéswąą
Born circa 1870. Died in 1916.
Makéts'awéswąą literally means, "If He Leaves Things, That's the Way They Would Be." It has also been interpreted more loosely as, "His Way Only;" "The Way It Is;" and "He Shows The Way." His personal name was Atsukwa and archival records show that he may also have been called Metaklache. Many of our Dane-zaa families today are related to Makéts'awéswąą. He lived in the Halfway River area for much of his lifetime.
Makéts'awéswąą and Makénúúnatane are two of our most important early Dreamers. Like Makénúúnatane, Makéts'awéswąą told our people to think of Heaven and not to kill people who had harmed them. We have stories of Makéts'awéswąą being attacked once; he "thought of Heaven" and refused to retaliate. His message was that Yaak'eh atane, "The Trail to Heaven," is the right path that everyone must follow.
Makéts'awéswąą's songs showed people the way to reconcile their differences by singing and dancing together. We still sing his songs today at our Dreamers' Dances and gatherings.
Stories
Tommy Attachie, talking about the Dreamer Makéts'awéswąą at Sweeney Creek, 2005.
Tommy Attachie talks about the Dreamer Makéts'awéswąą, who is said to have become a dreamer at Sweeney Creek after dying for nine days and then coming back to life. Sweeney Creek, 2005.
Songs
Tommy Attachie and the Doig River Drummers singing a song by the Dreamer Makéts'awéswąą, Doig River, 2004.
Tommy Attachie and the Doig River Drummers sing a song by the Dreamer Makéts'awéswąą at a Dreamers Dance, Doig River, July, 2004.