Published August 21, 2000 Last days of summer! Kara Thunderchild is enjoying the summer weather in her inner tube at the Turtle Lake Cultural Camp at Thunderchild First Nation in late July. Photo Credit: Pamela Sexsmith Kids have fun at Turtle Lake Cultural Camp by Pamela Sexsmith Cree student "discovers" then claims England by Dan Palmer Girl Guides reach out to Indigenous peoples by Stephen LaRose The new generation of Native music by Chris Tyrone Ross Sage Youth Columnist Métis history CD ready for release by Trina Gobért Role Models hockey school keeps growing by Marjorie Roden Here is a full list of additional stories featured in the August, 2000 issue of Saskatchewan Sage. If you are not receiving your own copy of Saskatchewan Sage, then you have missed all this information. Click here for Saskatchewan Sage subscription information. Kids have fun at Turtle Lake Cultural Camp By Pamela Sexsmith Sage Writer THUNDERCHILD FIRST NATION It is hard to say if they had more fun splashing in Turtle Lake or learning to hide the bones in the traditional handgame lessons. But it was clear that all the boys and girls attending the Turtle Lake Cultural Camp had a really good time. The "fun in the sun" was only the beginning, explained camp coordinator Linda Jimmy. "We had 25 children for five days camped out in three large tipis. Observing traditional protocol, there was one tipi for the girls, one for the boys and one in the centre for our Elders and the pipe. We kept the kids very busy and gathered sweetgrass everyday," she said. Set in a grassy pasture near the woods surrounding Turtle Lake, the Thunderchild campground has a number of log cabins and a large log lodge for indoor activities. Under the watchful eyes of Ester Sunchild, Adrienne Horse, and Jimmy, the children learned how to chop wood and keep the fires burning from dawn till dusk. They skinned a deer and learned how to smoke venison with Eliza Thunderchild, who tended the traditional smokehouse. Billy, George and Rod Wapass gave many of the children their first traditional handgame lessons, showing them how to hide the bones, roll the sticks, sing the songs and beat the hand drums. Sheena Paskimine and Vanessa Thunderchild cooked up many traditional foods for the feast and campout. Cree student "discovers" then claims England By Dan Palmer Sage Writer PRINCE ALBERT For a little more than three hours recently, part of the United Kingdom was unofficially in the hands of a 19-year-old Cree man and all of Canada's First Nations. "As far as I know, I'm the first Aboriginal to claim England," chuckled John McDonald, who staked his claim with a Canadian flag bearing a maple leaf and the image of an Aboriginal person on Cambridge University campus, while taking part in a British student-exchange program in July. The low-key protest on July 27 was to make Europeans realize that Canada and the rest of North America wasn't discovered by explorers such as English-backed John Cabot, Frenchman Jacques Cartier or Spanish-sponsored Christopher Columbus. "You can't discover anything when people are already there," said McDonald after his trip during an interview in Prince Albert where he currently lives. "I want society to realize there were people here first." Wearing a moose-hide jacket, an eagle feather in his hair, a T-shirt with the image of Big Bear and carrying a traditional dancing stick, McDonald took his unconventional Canadian flag and claimed England in front of about 80 people in a park behind Queen's College at Cambridge University. "It had a lot of open space," said McDonald, adding the area is also a main thoroughfare for the university's students. As for McDonald's attire, he said the T-shirt of Chief Big Bear fit the event since Bear was a proud Canadian Plains Cree leader during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, an armed uprising of Métis, Indians and white settlers in Saskatchewan lead by Louis Riel, who proclaimed a provisional government for Western Canada with the capital at Batoche, 90 km southwest of Prince Albert. Despite Big Bear's calls for moderation among his followers, he was convicted of treason-felony in 1885 and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Bear is one of McDonald's heroes, along with Sitting Bull, a Sioux chief who resisted the United States government's order of 1875 forcibly resettling the Sioux on reservations. "These are people I try emulating," said McDonald. The jacket and eagle feather were used because they are traditional Aboriginal items. The dancing stick, which is deer antlers wrapped in raccoon hide, is traditionally used to bring heated rocks into sweat lodges, a ceremony used for praying and cleansing the soul. McDonald also uses the stick as part of his costume during powwows and traditional singing. Once McDonald and his outfit were in place, he began to make his claim in front of the curious crowd. "I hereby claim this as Native land for all Aboriginals," said McDonald. "Then I stuck the flag in the ground." The member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation near Marcelin, 70 km southwest of Prince Albert, said his actions were similar to the explorers because his claim was on land where people already have an established culture, religion and justice system. By bringing awareness to the issue, McDonald said he hopes the history books will begin saying the explorers landed in North America rather than using the word "discovered." The crowd's reaction to the event - which McDonald said was to make a point, but in a humorous, peaceful way - was positive. "When I did it, I got a lot of applause," said McDonald. "They understood the point I got across." McDonald said he also got a lot of questions asking whether Canadian Natives still live in teepees and hunt buffalo. McDonald said he told people most Aboriginals were the same technologically as non-Aboriginals, while still practicing their traditional cultural ceremonies. About 30 people in the crowd were McDonald's classmates from the university, while others heard about the event through different international media agencies such as Reuters and The Canadian Press, which published a story in advance about the event earlier in July. McDonald, who was contacted before leaving for England by CBC Newsworld and a Toronto radio station which had picked up on the story, said he was pleased with all the advance media attention. However, British and Canadian press stationed in England were unable to cover the actual event. That's because the world's attention was focused on a Concorde crash in France. "It was discouraging. But I said I was going to do it and I did it," said McDonald, who had been getting used to seeing his name in print or hearing it over the airwaves. "It would've been nice to have (the media) there. But a plane crashing is a much bigger story than a guy claiming England." The idea for the stunt originally came from Ron Bentley, a former principal at Won Ska Cultural School, a Prince Albert educational facility incorporating Aboriginal culture with education that McDonald attended. The pair were chuckling about the idea at first, but McDonald later began to think about it seriously. "What had begun as a passing joke built momentum," said McDonald. McDonald's scholarship was arranged through Cambridge University, which contacted Reclaiming Youth International, a group based in Sioux Falls, S.D., that helps at-risk youths. In turn, Reclaiming Youth International got in touch with Won Ska Cultural School because McDonald was a youth who had turned his life around. That's because prior to attending Won Ska Cultural School, McDonald's life was a mess. He said he was mixed up with gangs and getting into trouble while living in Calgary. So, he decided to move to Prince Albert, but found attending regular high school was difficult because of racism. After dropping out of Prince Albert's Carlton Comprehensive High School, McDonald met an elder who suggested attending Won Ska. McDonald enrolled at the cultural school in the fall of 1997. He is now taking adult education classes in Prince Albert at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology. When he completes his Grade 12 equivalency course in June 2001, McDonald has a full scholarship to attend university in North Dakota. He plans to study native North American history. While in Cambridge this past July, McDonald studied the ethics of war and Greek rhetoric. He didn't get credit for the classes because he isn't in university yet, but he did get a certificate that says he attended summer school at Cambridge University. But McDonald said he has brought back other experiences and habits from England that can't be taught in a classroom. For instance, he said he still looks in the wrong direction for oncoming traffic while crossing the streets in Canada, since British vehicles drive on the opposite side of the road as compared to their North American counterparts. Watching the television program Antiques Road Show has also become a bit of a pastime for McDonald since he said he still likes to hear prices quoted in British pounds. British terminology has also been difficult to shake. "I find myself saying water closet instead of bathroom," said McDonald, who plans to go back to Britain one day. If he does, he will be able to go back to the two favorite things he discovered while in England. The first was the choir and bells at King's College Chapel at Cambridge University. McDonald said he used to wake up at 5:30 a.m. just to listen. "I'd walk around (campus) and there would be nobody. But I'd hear the choir as the sun came up," said McDonald. His other favorite pastime was hearing all the different languages at noon throughout Cambridge's market. "Those are the two things that will stay with me. They just hit me and left a lasting impression." McDonald said his English experience has opened up a whole new world, which used to just consist of Prince Albert and Calgary. He said he hopes to share his experience with other Aboriginal people. "I want to show people there's a life off the rez." Girl Guides reach out to Indigenous peoples By Stephen LaRose Sage Writer FORT QU'APPELLE Experienced, wise, and possessed with apparently boundless energy, Katie Poundmaker is the type of woman the Girl Guides is looking for as a leader. And when they find someone special, other Girl Guide leaders wanted to treat her in the best way. When Katie Poundmaker showed up at Tapestry 2000 in mid-July in Fort Qu'Appelle, the organizers thought they had a special treat for her. The Elder and counsellor with the Saskatoon public school system was going to have the use of a rocking chair during her quiet times. But during the week-long Girl Guides event at the Treaty 4 grounds, the chair was the last place organizers went to look for her. Instead, the "kookum" or grandmother for the more than 500 Girl Guides from across Canada and around the world, regaled campers with stories about First Nations legends and history, and showed them how to make traditional foods and crafts. "I used the rocking chair a couple of times," she said. "Well, I have been busy." From July 8 to 15, Poundmaker shared her knowledge of Cree culture and lifestyle with participants from across Western Canada and around the world. It's part of an ongoing program and policy by the Canadian Girl Guides association in order to introduce guides to Aboriginal culture, and to attract young Aboriginal women to the organization. "The ones from far away - the international ones - are the ones who have been asking the most questions about us and our culture," said Poundmaker, the great-great-grand-daughter-in law of the famous Chief Poundmaker. "But once a few start asking questions, everybody else starts asking." It led to a very hectic time for her and her niece, Sheila Kennedy, who teaches in the Saskatoon public school system and is also a Girl Guide leader. But it's also been a very rewarding time. "Even when they're out walking around they would come up to me and say 'hi Kookum, it's nice to see you,'" she added. "I have really enjoyed it. I am really happy to have helped." Poundmaker's and Kennedy's involvement reflect the Saskatchewan Girl Guides' move to build bridges - and attract new members - with First Nations and Métis communities. The gathering marked the first time a Girl Guide event has incorporated the lifestyles, history and activities of Aboriginal peoples as a major part of the camp-out. The meeting brought Girl Guides from the prairies, the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Guatemala to the shores of Mission Lake, where Treaty 4 was signed in September 1874. Events such as this provide a bridge to the future between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures, said Mike Pinay, a consultant and cultural liaison with the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council. When the Girl Guides began to plan this event more than 18 months ago, they contacted the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council for assistance. Tribal council staff members were instructed to assist the guides in planning the event. The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan Eastern Region III also held events and programs for the guides. "Being on Treaty 4 land, the tribal council became involved in some of these programs for them," Pinay said. "There's traditional stuff, such as how tipis were erected, and making bannock and pemmican. There's also traditional Indian hand games and storytelling, travois building and beadwork . . . many things going on here. "They've also taken a walk with one our Elders through the hills, discovering berries and plants that were used in traditional medicines . . . lots of things." In addition, the Eagle Claw Singers drum group, based in Regina, treated Tapestry 2000 participants to a round dance. But the cultural exchange is a two-way street, Pinay said. First Nations people - especially girls - could learn much from organizations such as the Girl Guides. "We have this week girls from all over Canada, all over the world . . . . To me this is very important. Today we have an opportunity to show them the good side of our life. "The Girl Guides is a very good organization. It's a leadership organization. They're developing young girls to be leaders. That's very important. "Events like this are very important, that we work together. Our First Nations people have to find that balance between the two societies. The best way to do that is through education, through gatherings like this," he said. Pinay was also very impressed with the spirit and co-operation of the Saskatchewan Girl Guides organization. "They have a very good organization. The event's been well organized and they're wonderful people to work with." Okanese First Nation Chief Marie Anne Daywalker-Pelletier echoed Pinay's good feelings. "It's an opportunity for the girls from across Canada and other countries to come together on Treaty 4, to share our diverse cultures and to take something back to their homes and communities, and to increase their knowledge," she said. "It's a great thing and I hope our First Nation young women would get involved and get organized, participating in something like this." In the past few years the Girl Guides has created programs specifically targeted for Aboriginal girls on reserves and in urban areas. A special subsidy program, "Project Lend A Hand," was established in the province several years ago, to make sure all interested girls and young women can participate in Girl Guide programs, regardless of economic circumstance. In addition the guides and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations have recently developed a new guiding program. Called Kiskinoswsinahikan, the project integrates Aboriginal philosophies and traditions through crafts, games and stories. Girl Guides boast about 6,000 members in Saskatchewan and about eight million worldwide. The year 2000 marks the 90th anniversary of the Girl Guide movement in this province.

The new generation of Native music

By Chris Tyrone Ross
Sage Youth Columnist

Our people have been expressing themselves through traditional music since the beginning. It started with traditional powwow music which eventually grew to contemporary music in the early 1990s.

Powwow groups, such as Wild Horse from North Battleford and BlackStone from Sweetgrass, began setting the trend for contemporary music that featured English words in the lyrics to help hype up the sound of powwow music. Since then the music of Native people has gone from powwow to country to rock and eventually hip hop and pop.

The new generation of Native music is a group of artists spread across Canada who express themselves in all the different genres. Alberta is home to many great hip hop acts such as the War Party, and the Red Power Squad. British Columbia is home to nationally known Native diva, Fara who is originally from Saskatchewan. Manitoba, is where you'll find brothers T.K.O (Taco) and GQ Smooth representing the Native hip hop scene in Winnipeg. Saskatchewan, is the province that boast the most talent with artists ranging from hip hop, to rock, to powwow, and pop.

Saskatchewan is where many nationally known artists got their start, such as Chester Knight and The Wind, Fara, Red Bull, Noon Express, Breach of Trust, and The 5th Generation. Leading the pack of new artists are the 5th Generation from Regina, who made their debut in First Nations schools across the province in the early 90s. This young pop group, consisting of four brothers and one sister, became nationally known when they performed at the 1999 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, which was later televised on CBC-TV.

Recently, Saskatchewan's own Chester Knight and The Wind won the 2000 Juno Award for Best Native Contemporary Music. Following in their footsteps are a group from La Ronge called Breach of Trust, a rock and alternative band. Lead singer Marty Ballentyne is the head of Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation and founded the group in the mid-90s. The group recently released its first CD, entitled Songs for Dying Nations, a 10 song album that reflects the lives of Native people, and the many dying nations that are losing their culture and spirituality.
Another group out of Saskatchewan is Noon Express. They have been on the powwow scene for almost 10 years. John Noon Jr. started the group with his four brothers, A.J., Dwayne, Dallas, and Ryan. John Noon also started Noon Records, a powwow record label that has recorded such champion groups as BlackStone, High Noon, Big Bear, The Boyz, Sweetgrass, and WildHorse. The label's latest discovery is Northern Buffalo from The Pas, Man., a group of young teens who has been able to stick to its culture, and stay away from the negative lifestyle. New albums from Northern Buffalo and Noon Express are expected to drop in late August and they are expected to be the biggest hits of the summer.

Alberta is the hip hop Native capital of Canada, just ask Rex Smallboy, the lead singer of the War Party.

"Hobbema hip hop is our style, because there's so much drama in this reserve. Kids get paid big bucks when they turn 18, and most of them spend it foolishly. There's also a lot of crime and drama, so that's why The War Party was created, to stop the drama, to stop the crime, and make good music."

The War Party is probably on top of its game with a new album The Reign that has Indian hip hop heads going "crazy." Such hits like "49 with you" and "Get Live" have become the themes for Indian hip hop. However, we can't forget about the Red Power Squad, a group of break dancers, powwow dancers and rappers, that promote positive lifestyles in their performances.

Edmonton is the home of the Red Power Squad, where many of its members have grown up in hard lifestyles and have lived to tell other youth not to follow that same path and rather live a positive lifestyle.

Whether it be hip hop, powwow, country, pop or rock, Native people all share the same message and that is the lifestyles within the music.

The new generation should bring change.

Besides, don't you think we could use something different besides country all the time?

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Métis history CD ready for release

By Trina Gobért
Sage Writer
SASKATOON

While Saskatchewan's Métis Nation celebrates with numerous gatherings and festivities, a new addition to Métis pride prepares to reveal itself on Sept. 1.
The Métis: Our People, Our Story CD-ROM will be released during the Prince Albert Métis Fall Festival by the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI).

"It has been quite some time in the making," said Darren Préfontaine, GDI curriculum development officer. "We finally put the finishing touches on it and are looking forward to releasing it."

The release of the CD-ROM comes in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Gabriel Dumont Institute.

"We timed it well in that sense because this has most certainly been our most thorough project," said Préfontaine. "It is the project we have worked on the longest. It has involved an incredible amount of work both by ourselves and others."

The development has been a joint initiative between GDI, Arnold Publishing, and the Department of Canadian Heritage since 1995. Numerous contract workers from Labrador to British Columbia, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, contributed to the making of the CD-ROM.

"It's quite comprehensive. We hired over the course of making the CD maybe 15 to 20 different people to write essays, contribute photos, write maps and so on," said Préfontaine. "It's pretty thorough."

The CD provides a holistic view of Métis history and culture by covering community, social, economic and political life. In doing so the CD utilizes hundreds of visual images, biographies, video clips, music bites, and digital maps and charts.

"We break Métis history down into its several components in the CD," said Préfontaine. "We had people who were anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, and Elders. It was important to get all these diverse views because there is no one voice or perspective you can take on Métis history. It's a very diverse, eclectic combination."

GDI hopes that the CD will be widely used throughout post- secondary schools, institutes, and within Native studies programs to encourage knowledge of Métis history.

"The focus is almost always on the first peoples in Native studies programs," said Préfontaine. "So we hope to spur students to study Métis history as well as the First Nations history. Because the Métis people have a fascinating history and have contributed to Canada's development."

The CD-ROM will be adaptable for both Macintosh and Windows 95 users and available for $69.

"GDI is very proud of this piece of work," said Préfontaine.

The Gabriel Dumont Institute trains and educates the Métis people of Saskatchewan for future roles in self government. With campuses in Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon, which are affiliated with the universities of Regina and Saskatchewan, GDI continues to offer valuable educational opportunities to Métis students.

"We are the educational and training arm for the Métis people in Saskatchewan," said Préfontaine. "The projects we produce are always geared toward teaching and training in regards to the Métis people and history."

GDI continues to promote Métis culture through research, materials development, collections and distributions of cultural Métis materials, as well as through the development and delivery of Métis-specific educational programs and services.
"Our next major project will be to revamp our college and expand it so students can obtain four-year bachelor of arts degrees and go on and do post- graduate work," said Préfontaine. "One day we hope to see a lot of Métis trained masters of arts and PhDs go through GDI and then staff the institute. We try to train our graduates and find employment for them. That is our next major project."

GDI continues to promote Métis culture, history and education as they are currently working on developing a video series on the Michif language.

"We intend for all of our projects to be useful in educating the public on the Métis," said Préfontaine.

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Role Models hockey school keeps growing

By Marjorie Roden
Sage Writer
PRINCE ALBERT

For three weeks in July, the Aboriginal Role Models Hockey School was open for three one-week sessions in Moosimin, Sask., Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton. Hundreds of Aboriginal kids - ranging in the ages of six to 16 years - attended.

The school was founded by National Hockey League scout Ron Delorme and Kevin Tootoosis.

Years ago, the two men were talking about hockey and decided to start up the school.

"It was probably about 10 years ago," said Tootoosis of his initial query to Delorme, who played in the National Hockey League when he was younger. "Ron and I sat down and I was more or less asking him questions about why there weren't very many Native hockey players in the NHL."

Delorme's response, according to Tootoosis, was: "He basically explained that he just felt that a lot of the kids weren't getting seen. They weren't getting the opportunities to play, and if they were talented enough, and they did go to camps, they really felt out of place.

"Maybe they experienced racism, or were just feeling uncomfortable. Ron felt we needed to start to try to get a message out to kids at a younger age. Tell them, 'Look, there are people out there who have succeeded, people like Ron (Delorme), like Gino Odjick, and others who've had to overcome a lot of obstacles in their hockey careers, but they've managed to succeed."

After a while, Tootoosis gave Delorme a telephone call.

"About a month later, I gave (Ron Delorme) a call and said, 'Well, if you can help me get instructors, I'll organize it,' so we decided to do it."

Brent Dodginghorse, 22, who formerly played for the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen, not only agrees with the ideas behind the program, but has also been an instructor at the school for the past two years. Dodginghorse sees the benefits to the young players in attendance.

"I think it's a good situation for a kid that wants an Aboriginal role model, but at the same time, wants quality in their hockey school because they offer so many good directions such as chalk talks, coaching, off-ice conditioning, nutrition, the power skating, and most of all, the role models."

One main concern for most of the parents wanting their kids to attend a hockey school is the fiscal side of it. Many schools are about $400 for a week but, thanks to corporate assistance, the cost per child attending is only $200.

Included in this price are two hours on the ice (one in power skating, the other in skill-building drills), an hour's worth of off-ice aerobic training, and a daily one-hour "chalk talk" (dealing with things ranging from drug abuse to the actual business of hockey) for five days.

One of the main sponsors was the National Hockey League Players' Association, which paid for part of the ice time for all three camps this summer. They also provided 50 sets of equipment for the school, and all the jerseys for the Prince Albert camp. This was the first Aboriginal hockey school the players' association has ever endorsed.

For some First Nations kids, the whole issue of culture shock is something that is mind-boggling. Ron Delorme understands this, and hopes that some of these anxieties are relieved by some of the things learned at the camps.

"Because of the fact that Native kids' upbringing is a little bit different on the reserves, there's nobody to tell them to watch for the green light, the red light, the yellow light, as far as crossing the road, and that's just a little example. Our upbringing is a lot different than it is in the city. They have to understand (city) culture."

There were others at the camp who did learn a lot, but things not included in the hockey school program. The main reason for this was because they were instructors at the camp who were not that familiar with Aboriginal culture.

"I think you can learn a little bit about the different culture," said Lorne Molleken, who has taught at the school for all nine years.

"Certainly, my wife is a Métis Indian. You learn about people that come from Northern Saskatchewan and Northern B.C. and it's nice to sit down with them and just discuss their way of life and what they see and what their young people are getting out of the hockey school."

Karen Westby, one of the power skating instructors and a former national-class figure skater, also enjoys learning about her students' culture.

"For me, it's very, very interesting to learn their customs and stuff," said Westby. "For instance, some of the kids were explaining to me what bannock was. So for me, that's interesting. We were out to a powwow at Mistewasis. I found that amazing. That was really great, just to see the dancing."

Perseverance seems to be the main lesson being taught to the kids at the camp. For Dodginghorse, who entered the WHL at 19 years of age, this has definitely been the case.

"I always think, being a Native person, you've got to work twice as hard.

Everything that you do good, you've got to be really proud of and I guess you've always got to look out and step a little bit further than anybody else, and strive a little harder. Coming through Junior A was definitely a blessing in disguise for me because I got to work on some of the weaker parts of my game.

"Going into the Western Hockey League at a late age, at age 19, was a good thing, but also a bad thing, as far as pro hockey went. I think I stepped in quite nicely with the (Calgary Hitmen) and I contributed with the team that I wanted to play for. That's what it's about, is just having fun and going out there and do what you want to do."

The future plans for the camp seem to be more expansion, according to Tootoosis.
"We're thinking of maybe adding one or two more (camps), so I think it will be between three to five weeks again," said Tootoosis.

"I was certainly happy with Prince Albert. It went very well. We were pretty happy with the Moosimin one, too. I think we need to do a little more work on (publicity with) Edmonton, and we have some interest in B.C. We also have some interest in doing one in Saskatoon."

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