Cree rider travels coast to coast, visiting Indigenous communities along the way

Vanna Blacksmith · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 02, 2025 11:24 AM EDT | Last Updated: little than a infinitesimal ago

What started arsenic a idiosyncratic escapade during goose interruption — a outpouring vacation successful galore Cree communities — turned into thing much revealing for Cree motorcyclist Paul John Murdoch.

Murdoch precocious finished making his mode crossed Canada connected his motorcycle.

He started successful Newfoundland, heading west, stopping successful Indigenous communities on the way.

"Meeting radical on that way, radical don't look astatine our communities arsenic destinations," said Murdoch, who grew up successful Wemindji and Waskaganish. 

As Murdoch cruised crossed provinces, often unsocial connected the highway, chap travellers would propulsion up beside him oregon onslaught up conversations astatine state stations and remainder stops.

"I'd stopped and different motorcycle radical and tourists would ask, 'Where are you going?' And I would archer them, 'Newfoundland to B.C.,'" Murdoch said.

These conversations usually came with suggestions for must-see landmarks.

"They say, 'You person to sojourn this nationalist park,' or 'You person to spell spot the large spoon oregon the large axe oregon whatever,'" helium said — but seeing roadside attractions oregon parks wasn't his crushed for the trip.

"I'd archer them that I'm lone going to Indigenous communities."

That reply often caught radical disconnected guard.

"There'd ever beryllium this large pause, like, 'why?'" Murdoch said.

Charting his course

The reasons, for him, are rooted successful some his idiosyncratic past and a broader taste reconnection.

"I was calved and raised successful Quebec, but it's the archetypal clip I went to Kanesatake oregon Kahnawake. I said, 'My God, this is beauteous — wherefore didn't I travel sojourn earlier?'" helium said.

To illustration his course, Murdoch began by downloading authorities maps that showed reserve lands and Indigenous territories.

The world connected the roadworthy didn't rather lucifer up.

"Even with those maps, I'd beryllium riding on and each of a abrupt a motion would popular up that there's a First Nation assemblage determination that's not adjacent connected anybody's map," said Murdoch.

This invisibility extended to question planning, too. Few Indigenous communities had evident accommodations for visitors.

"The program was a small spot hard due to the fact that we don't look astatine ourselves arsenic destinations and radical don't dainty america similar destinations," helium said.

Murdoch's reasoning echoes the work of Dr. Margaret Wickens Pearce, a cartographer who reimagined Canada's geography done a decolonial lens. Pearce created a representation of Canada with nary borders — with lone highways and Indigenous spot names.

Murdoch came crossed her representation portion preparing for the travel and recovered it moving.

"I don't deliberation she meant it to beryllium utilized arsenic a roadmap. The much I looked astatine it, I felt it was a portion of creation … it looked similar a painting," said Murdoch.

A long, fulfilling ride

For Murdoch, the thought of moving crossed onshore successful this mode felt profoundly cultural, adjacent ancestral.

"I deliberation our radical and our civilization are conscionable people predisposed to this benignant of travel."

Still, the carnal toll of the thrust was real.

"I was trying to mean betwixt 5 to 600 kilometres a day, but it's comic however the weather, the scenery — you know, 500 kilometres successful 1 time tin instrumentality 4 to 5 hours," said Murdoch.

Other times, 300 kilometres could instrumentality 7 hours.

Murdoch estimates that helium has visited astatine slightest 50 Indigenous communities implicit 19 days. The lone alteration helium would marque is allowing his assemblage to retrieve — and let much clip to link with locals. 

"In an perfect world, I would person possibly tripled the clip truthful that erstwhile I arrived successful each community, I would walk 1 full time conscionable hanging retired with the assemblage earlier leaving," helium said.

"I deliberation my ass would beryllium a batch much thankful for having done it that way."

He has ideas to program a longer travel with friends adjacent goose break: alternatively of going from eastbound to west, helium wants to question northbound to south.

"Why not north? Like from Alaska to Arizona, staying lone successful Indigenous communities," said Murdoch.

Murdoch encourages radical to get their licence to research their consciousness of freedom. 

"It's the closest happening to flying the level that I've experienced truthful far," said Murdoch.

Upon arriving successful British Columbia, the last limb of his cross-country roadworthy trip, Murdoch expressed that helium felt much affectional than helium had expected.

"If you tin imagination it up and bash it, it's not going to beryllium precisely similar your imagination probably, but man, it's gonna beryllium wonderful. You'll ne'er regret it," said Murdoch.