Lady Of The Thunderbirds

September 14, 2025

Lady of the Thunderbirds Honouring My Grandmother, Ilse Schweder (Elsie Clements/Bruderer)

There are few people whose life stories echo across generations my grandmother was one of them.

Born in The Pas, Manitoba in 1931 to Rosa Bighetty, a Cree woman from Pukatawagan, Manitoba, and Fredrick Schweder, a German immigrant working in the fur trade, she was given the name Ilse Schweder at birth.

In the community, she would become known as Elsie Clements and Elsie Bruderer, but to us, her true name was Lady of the Thunderbirds.

She was a legend in northern Manitoba a residential school and TB sanitarium survivor, a master beadworker, a cultural teacher, a wilderness survivor, and a fierce matriarch who helped shape the North in ways that no book could fully capture.

The Nine-Day Journey That Changed Everything

At the age of just 14, my grandmother became separated from her brothers while checking the family trapline near Windy River. A blizzard swept across the tundra, and for nine days and nine nights, she traveled alone through the unforgiving Barrens with nothing but a blanket, a tea pail, caribou outfit and a spirit stronger than the storm.

Her dogs just pups began to falter by the 2nd day. She had to release them and continue on foot.
She covered nearly ninety miles alone in sub-zero conditions, using survival skills passed down
through generations eating snow covered cranberries and frozen shrub and scaring off a wolf with
a simple “boo,” walking with the guidance of her ancestors.

She eventually was spotted by a veteran trapper named Ragnar Jonsson, who took her back to his camp Giving her tea and broth to gain energy to make the trek home. Which was the next day because he knew she needed to see a doctor.

When the doctor seen her feet he said they were gonna chop her feet off my grandpa Frederick said no she’ll crawl around the rest of her life but we’re not taking her feet. They used an Indian salve on her feet they healed and she drove until she was 86 years old.

That journey didn’t just save her it saved all of us. If she hadn’t survived, our family, our bloodline,
would have ended there.

Farley Mowat and the Theft of a Story

My grandmother's journey caught the attention of Farley Mowat, the famed Canadian author who
heard of her story during an expedition to the North with Dr. Francis Harper of the Smithsonian Institute. They were looking for animal samples to take back to the museum.

My grandfather had shared her tale on the train from The Pas to Churchill this was overheard by Doctor Harper and Farley Mowat.

When they found out that my grandfather, his sons and family members were master trappers they knew that they had found what they were looking for.

Throughout the eighteen day, stay with our family Farley sat there silently taking notes for his future books.

One of the prized possessions was a black wolf that our family caught, it is in the archives of the Smithsonian institute in Washington DC.

Farley would later twist and publish versions of this sacred story in his books, without permission or proper credit, causing deep pain in our family.

We often referred to him not as Farley Mowat, but as Hardly Knows-it. In my grandmother’s home, if you brought up his name, you would be asked to leave.

There was no respect for a man who stole and distorted the lived experiences of a Cree woman and family to serve his own literary ambitions.

Some members of our family attempted to pursue legal action in response to this exploitation. To this day, this is a reminder of the deep wounds caused when Indigenous stories are taken, altered, and sold without consent.

A Legacy of Teaching and Strength

Despite the trauma and disrespect, my grandmother continued to teach and share. She was a powerful knowledge keeper in Thompson, Manitoba, and a familiar figure in the local schools.

She taught children how to bead, how to make earrings, and how to sew moccasins. At University of the North, she would invite students to make a full pair of moccasins with her not just a
demonstration, but a transmission of living culture.

In our family, she was a protector and guide. I remember her carrying a bread bag full of dry pine boughs everywhere she went. “If you’re ever lost in the bush and need to start a fire you have dry
tinder”

A Love for Fishing and Family

In addition to all her other talents, my grandma truly loved to fish. After marrying our Grandpa Bryan Clements, he embraced all of us as grandchildren and family.

Together, they spent their later years doing what they adored: heading out onto the water. They had multiple boats and would always be out there, casting lines and enjoying the peace of fishing together. It was one of the simple joys that kept them connected to the land and to each other.

Honoring a Lifelong Bond

In her later years, my grandma also made a journey to see Ragnar Jonsson once more before he passed away. He was still living on the land, in a birchbark tipi, holding onto the old ways. After he died, my grandma and Grandpa Bryan flew to Nueltin Lake near Windy River to place a headstone in his memory. It was a final act of respect for the man who had once saved her life, a gesture that symbolized the deep bonds formed in the harsh northern wilderness.

A Portrait in Honor: Gerald Kuehl’s Tribute

Another special chapter in honoring my grandmother comes from the talented artist Gerald Kuehl, who is renowned for his portraits of First Nations elders. In his series "Portraits of the North,"

Gerald took the time to draw my grandmother and share her story. We are incredibly grateful for the care and attention he put into capturing her likeness and spirit.

Gerald had a bit of a humorous moment, too. He originally tried to convince her to wear a hat so he wouldn’t have to draw all her curls, but in the end, he faithfully depicted her as she was.

After my grandmother passed away, Gerald completed the portrait and helped keep her memory alive through his art. We’ll be sharing that portrait in the blog as a tribute to both her and to Gerald’s respectful work.

Cherished Moments and Secret Recordings

I dearly miss my grandma, and I’m so grateful for the time I got to spend with her. From 2015 to 2017.

My daughter Desiree and I went up to northern Manitoba to be with her. During that time, we were able to hear her share stories about her portages and what it was like growing up as a child. It was a precious window into her world.

One especially memorable experience, even though it came from a sad moment my late sister Sheena-Rae's funeral was when I drove my grandma from Winnipeg to Thompson, Manitoba. We shared some amazing cinnamon buns on that drive she was so happy about that simple joy, just sitting in the front seat and her granddaughter Desiree in the back chatting away. I secretly recorded her stories a few times, knowing she didn’t like being recorded after what Hardley Knows It had done to her.

I just wanted to keep those memories. Those moments are something I’ll always hold dear.

Artistic Tributes to Her Legacy

One final piece of my grandmother’s legacy lives on through the beautiful work my mother has created in her honor.

My mom, being the caretaker of an ancient art form called birch bark bitings, has become a master in this art from. It was initially used as a record keeping device in nations across Turtle Island wherever there was birch, trees found.

My mom has crafted several pieces of art that pay tribute to my grandmother, Lady of the Thunderbirds.

One that stands out is a jacket she made, called “Frozen Cranberries.” It features a birchbark biting on the back and is adorned with caribou hair dyed to the color of cranberries. This piece symbolizes the jacket my grandmother wore and the frozen cranberries she ate to survive her 9 day ordeal on the Barrens Lands.

This jacket, along with other pieces honoring my grandmother, is part of an art exhibit that travels from museum to museum, sharing her story and keeping her memory alive for many others to see.

Final Reflections

In sharing these stories, I hope to honor the incredible life of my grandmother, Lady of the Thunderbirds. Her resilience, her teachings, and the love she shared continue to guide us. From her incredible survival story on the Barrens, to the joy she found in fishing with Grandpa Bryan, to the special moments we shared over cinnamon buns and secret recordings, her legacy lives on in all of us.

Thank you for taking the time to read about her life. We’re grateful to artists like Gerald Kuehl,Pat Bruderer and Trina Rathgeber for helping preserve her memory, and we’ll continue to share her stories with the next generations.

May her spirit always remind us to keep walking forward, no matter the storm.

PICTURES BELOW

All My Relations

Maskikiy Muskwa

Medicine Bear

Grandma visiting Ragnar Johnson at his camp