By ADELLE LARMOUR
Kirkland Lake’s Beaverhouse First Nation Community is carving out a unique type of value-added industry with cedar caskets.
Soon to be in full production, Beaverhouse Casket Company started with an initial investment from the First Nation community. An application for funding from Aboriginal Business Canada, a division of Industry Canada, has been submitted. Additionally, a grant of an undisclosed value from the Ontario Aboriginal Economic Development Program has brought the business forward under the Misamikowis Economic Development Corporation, which was established in 2001.
The 185-member non-status reserve developed the idea of selling cedar caskets when they were approached in 2001 by an unnamed entrepreneur who had built custom-made caskets, even going so far as making some that were kosher and native-themed, says band manager Nancy Wabie.
The idea was floated at a Crisis Team Conference held in Thunder Bay several years ago, where 50 crisis team leaders and representatives attended. The response was 98.7 per cent in favour of the caskets, and 99.3 per cent of the people supported the use of cedar as a construction material.
The idea was well received by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, partly because of its spiritual qualities.
As one of the four sacred medicines in the Aboriginal culture, cedar is used to smudge with in ceremonies, to purify the home, and when combined with tobacco and placed into a fire, it calls the attention of the spirits to the offering made.
Consequently, the primary market target will be First Nations communities, both on and off reserves.
Shawn Acton, general manager of Beaverhouse Casket Company, and Misamikowis’ economic development officer, says with recent changes to legislation the market has opened up, so private individuals can purchase their own caskets for use in funeral homes.
In light of the shifting views about how people want their funerals, Acton sees this as an opportune time for the company to develop sustainable employment and spur on long-term growth.
Profits from the business will be channeled back into the community in the form of wages, while fostering social growth.
After securing a supply of high quality clear cedar (high ground grown with few knots), five prototype caskets were built. The consumer has the choice of the traditional silk lining or natural cotton fabrics with native designs. Those fabrics will be stuffed with cedar shavings to act as bedding.
They will also offer computerized laser beam custom artwork on the caskets. Over 87 per cent of people at the Crisis Team Conference expressed interest in having their clan symbols inscribed into the caskets.
“We can engrave your image, flowers, or clan symbols - whatever you want,” covering a maximum engraving area up to 18-by-24 inches, Acton says.
The diverse ability of the custom laser equipment was met with one such enthusiastic inquiry to engrave butterflies, the meaning of the woman’s native name.
The 3,500-square-foot shop is equipped with all the carpentry tools necessary for production. Presently, they have hired two people, an experienced casket maker and a marketer. It is the intention to have a production staff of four at start-up.
“We want to make our product available through every band office in Ontario and move outward from there,” Acton says.
In addition to the Beaverhouse Casket Company, Acton’s future plans will be to develop three more businesses: tentatively named Beaverhouse Laser Engraving, the Misamikowis Moving and Cartage, and an undisclosed fourth operation, by year-end.
