The Aboriginal Newspaper of Saskatchewan
 |
Suicide prevention is the theme of a new play entitled the The Day
Billy Lived performed by Azimuth Theatre. Actor Irvin Munroe, pictured with
Sophie Lees, has a personal connection with the issue. He lost his fatherthrough
suicide in the late sixties. Photo Credit: Bruce Wier |
Byelection in the works by Allison Kidd
Stand up and be counted by Allison Kidd
Thinking about sweethearts by Denis Okanee Angus
Suicide prevention theme of new play by Bruce Wier
Here is a full list of additional stories featured in the February, 1998 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.
"Gathering Strength" not strong enough
Favel appointment announcedMixed reviews to Canada's RCAP response
Elders of tomorrow should teach children well today - LetterDiabetes plagues First Nations communities
Rewriting history
Classic adapted for modern day CreeWorld class chance for young black belt
By Bruce Wier
Sage Writer
EDMONTON
When the cast of Azimuth Theatre's The Day Billy Lived sets out on its three month tour, one of its members will be bringing along a wealth of personal experience. However, because the play deals with the issues surrounding suicide, it is a knowledge that Irvin Munroe would be happy to be without.
"I lost my father through suicide in 1968," said Munroe. "He was 32 years old and I was 13." Charles Eldon Munroe was a railway foreman in Manitoba for 15 years and his suicide has had a lasting impact on his son, now 42.
His father's legacy is one of the main reasons Munroe wanted to be in the play.
"My father never had any help. There was nothing like that in our community. If I can help reach out and increase awareness about suicide prevention, then maybe it doesn't have to be like that."
Munroe, a member of the Cote Band of the Saulteaux Nation outside of Kamsack, Sask., was a long time coming to his determination.
"I held off a lot of years before confronting it," he said. "I wondered if he died in vain. Today, I don't believe he did."
This belief was not arrived at easily.
"I started my healing journey in 1983," Munroe said. "It involved changing my attitude and behavior. I made a decision to help people, to get involved with promoting positive change." Initially, this meant working in alcohol and drug abuse treatment centres and it eventually took Munroe to Vancouver where he enrolled in high school upgrading courses at Vancouver Community College two years ago.
One of the courses included a role playing exercise dealing with time management and it was this experience that got Munroe hooked on acting. He signed up for a one-year acting program at the Vancouver Film School and has worked as an extra and acted in some student films.
Munroe's love of acting, and his desire to help people, make him a perfect match for Edmonton's Azimuth Theatre. The company was formed in 1987 with a mandate to create and perform plays that "promote social change."
In the fall of 1995, after surveying teachers, principals, representatives from correctional institutions, and people working in the fields of family violence and suicide prevention, Azimuth called for submissions of scripts. The following summer, The Day Billy Lived by Christopher Craddock was selected for production.
Billy is a teenager who attempts suicide only to find himself transported to a world between life and death where he must confront his decision. Munroe's character plays a kind of bureaucrat who must process Billy's "application for termination." Part of the attraction of the script is its use of humor and pop culture references.
Sophie Lees, the play's director, feels these elements are critical to the play's success.
"Humor allows for recognition and it creates a certain safety for the audience," she said. "You're able to recognize your fellow human when a play appeals to you. It allows the audience to engage." This is particularly important because most performances are at junior and senior high schools for teenaged audiences and "you don't want them throwing tomatoes," Lees adds jokingly.
In addition to directing the play, Lees serves as Azimuth's artistic director and she has been involved with the current project from the beginning. After deciding on a script, Azimuth performed it for an audience of suicide prevention workers, teenagers and members of the local theatre community.
"At first, each group was kind of defensive," said Lees. "They each had a unique take on the script, but eventually there was an amazing connection. We realized we all wanted the same result, we just had different ways of getting there."
The workshops resulting in a new draft of the script and the result, Lees said, is "a wonderful tool for dealing with the issues surrounding suicide."
The next step was casting the play and Lees looked for actors "with the intelligence and integrity to deal with the issue in an open way." Lees wanted actors who were engaging and could deal with the issue with a certain ambiguity, because it is important not to shut out any members of the audience.
"I think the most important thing to accomplish is to break the myth that suicide shouldn't be talked about and to offer support for people feeling suicidal or dealing with loss. We're just one small part in the process of a community dealing with the issue."
Part of the process is a post-performance discussion of the issues and topics raised in the play and it is just as important as the play itself. There will be local suicide prevention experts involved in these discussions.
The play will tour British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan from February until mid-May and Munroe is looking forward to it.
"I've been chomping at the bit since November," he said. "There is a great need for this play. I've had nothing but encouragement from people I've told about it and I'm really happy that there are Native and non-Natives working together on it because we all need each other to work this out."
By Denis Okanee Angus
Sage Columnist
Last month I wrote about how important it is to be a dad who's really involved in raising his children. We have six kids we are responsible for (and it seems there's always a few others hanging around.) There are three boys and three girls. It's coming close to Valentine's Day so it's only natural that a guy is thinking about his girls. This picture is of my daughter Kate. She just turned five in January.
I have watched this little girl grow up. I have been with her almost every day of her life. This year she started going to go to school. This has really changed how my little girl is. She never had problems before she went to school. Now she comes home with stories about what did not go right at school. Sometimes she wants me to fix the problems and tells me what she thinks I should do. I have gone and talked to the people at the school because Kate said so.
I was at a meeting of the band yesterday. I watched and listened. I noticed that the women were all sitting together. The men all sat together too. Watching all those old women, I could see their strength. I could see the important role they played at that meeting. They watched. Just like watching their children at the playground, they saw who behaved right. It was only the men who talked and some of the young women. But I knew those old women were watching to make sure that we got everything right. Just because the women, especially the old women, are quiet at meetings does not mean that they are not involved. I saw how quietly and proudly they exercised their responsibilities. I know a lot of outsiders would never understand how our government works and how involved the women always have been just because they are quiet at meetings.
One of my cousins, just a young man, talked a lot. I thought about his mom. I thought about how much she must have taught him for him to behave like that. For him to be able to talk like that. I could see he cared about his people and I knew he got that from his mom. I felt a great pride for him. He stood right up to the lawyer who was trying to tell our community what to do. And I saw his mom watching him.
I started thinking about my wife. She is the one that really talks to our kids, especially the boys. They really listen up when she talks to them about how she expects them to behave. I might be in charge when the rules are broken and have to talk strongly to the boys, but it is always mom who is teaching them the big, important lessons about how to behave as boys learning to be men.
I know that Kate just follows her mom, watching, watching, always watching. This is how she is learning her responsibilities. I realize now just how much our culture and ways are still alive. And today, I am really grateful for the women.
I want to say clearly that I am not saying that women should be at home. I think women should have their careers and education if that's what they want. I think women can and should be leaders. I do not think that disturbs our ways. My heart aches for my wife when the men at her work don't listen to her or respect her. It's hard because I want to protect her from the hurt, but there is no way for me to do that because she works in the world outside our community. I know that "protecting" her is my responsibility as a Cree man. But I am proud of all she has accomplished as a professional person. Each of us has a gift from the Creator. My wife's is to teach. I will always support her in her work and what she decides she has to do.
I think my wife has given me a very great gift. She has been willing to let me stay here with the children. And my daughter Kate, she knows what it means to be a woman. She's always bossing me around. I remember one day my wife and I were talking to Kate about starting school in September. She got a very worried look on her face. Kate is often the "woman of the house" as her mom is away at work at least a few days every week.
She said, "but who's gonna take care of dad and baby Jack." Both the missus and I laughed. I have a great respect for the women, a respect that grew when I was watching how they conducted themselves yesterday. I am grateful that they remember and watch.
By Allison Kydd
Sage Writer
SASKATOON
As the name, "Count Me In - A'kimin - Comptez Sur Moi", suggests, the first Métis enumeration project has been organized by three institutions working together. It is also part ot the tripartite process of self government which is being worked out between the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan and the provincial and federal governments.
According to the Métis Nation, this Saskatchewan enumeration is the first of its kind in Canada. The enumeration is not a new idea, however.
"We have been calling for a Métis enumeration for many years," Saskatchewan Métis president Jim Durocher has said. "It is our belief that to move into self government agreements, our citizenry must be defined and our Aboriginal rights recognized."
Because the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan is having its election this month on Feb. 21, many of those involved in planning the enumeration project were not available for comment. However, Métis Minister of Tripartite Allan Morin has said the enumeration is essential because Métis can better exercise their Aboriginal rights when they know their exact numbers. Up to now, official counts vary widely. For instance, the registration list for the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has 17,000 names on it. However, the 1991 federal census recorded a total of 27,000 Métis, and the 1996 census identified 36,000.
The counting doesn't begin until April, and the project is expected to take about a year to complete, but the process is already underway. The total project budget is $600,000, and the funds are in place through a cost-sharing arrangement between the provincial and federal governments.
The contract for the project has also been awarded, after a "rigorous selection process," to NorSask Aboriginal Consulting Group, an incorporated Métis business owned by Paul and Rhonda Daigneault. "It will be an interesting job, and I'm looking forward to it," said Paul Daigneault, on Jan. 28. He also described some of the communications strategies the company will use to ensure that all those who are eligible come forward.
The first strategy will be a mailout, followed by community consultations. Each step of the process will be evaluated as it goes along, and difficulties in contacting Métis people will be anticipated as much as possible. One thing that would not be a problem, said Daigneault, is the definition of who is a Métis. His company is using the definition clearly stated in the Constitution of the Métis Nations of Saskatchewan. That definition is, in part: "a person of Aboriginal descent who is accepted as Métis by the Métis community or is a descendent of those who received Red River grants from the federal government in the 1800s."
Daigneault said his company will be making use of the information highway to locate people; for instance, they are setting up an enumeration website. Because the enumeration is important historically, and to give people an added incentive to take part in it, Daigneault's plan is to combine it with a cultural event. A series of "Metis Census Days" would bring Métis people together to trade stories and to share pictures, documents and artifacts as well as to be enumerated.
The Métis enumeration will undoubtedly play a part in the upcoming
elections, and more information will be available after Feb.21, when the
new executive is in place.
By Allison Kidd
Sage Writer
OTTAWA
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations has lost its newly-re-elected chief, Blaine Favel, to an important federal appointment. On Jan. 9, Foreign Affairs Minister, Lloyd Axworthy, announced that Favel, who comes from Poundmaker First Nation, near Paynton, would be the federal government's first Counsellor on International Indigenous Issues.
Both Saskatchewan colleagues and national colleagues wish Favel well. Lawrence Joseph, fourth vice-chief of the federation and former Prince Albert city councillor, has called the appointment a positive sign for Aboriginal people both in Saskatchewan and across Canada.
"This appointment will support the strengthening of First Nations' initiatives in the fields of economic and business development, not only in Canada but also around the world," said Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine.
After tendering his resignation, Counsellor Favel had less than a week to close down his office in Saskatoon. That didn't leave a lot of time for celebration, but he takes the congratulations of his family and friends with him to Ottawa. Favel also sees his new appointment as an indication that the federal government is seriously trying to improve its relationship with First Nations.
At the same time as they congratulate Favel, however, Saskatchewan Nations must prepare for a second election in just over six months. Thirty-three-year-old Favel was just elected to his second three-year term in October. The byelection will take place in Saskatoon on April 28, and nominations will be accepted until April 27, said Angela Chief, executive secretary in Chief Morley Watson's office. Ochapawace's Watson, who became first vice-chief after the last election, will be interim chief of the federation until the byelection.
Because he holds two portfolios, Watson will be travelling back and forth between the Regina and Saskatoon offices of the federation. Though the task of "maintaining business as usual" sounds deceptively easy, there's actually a lot to it. As one staff person, Luwayne Bitternose, put it, Chief Watson "took over all the responsibilities of the former chief" and will be expected to know about and give input on "everything to do with First Nations in Saskatchewan."
Two of the more publicized developments while Favel was in office were the casino deal with the provincial government, one that should provide 800 on-reserve jobs in the province, and the opening of the first First Nations Bank of Canada in Saskatoon. Part of Watson's job will be to help oversee these operations. Favel's term also coincided with the federal response to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples report. The implications of this report are being worked out in Saskatchewan Nations as elsewhere.
Watson himself is not the only one who will be extremely busy. His executive assistant, Shelley Bear, and all the staff of both the Regina and Saskatoon offices of the federation have been fielding calls from the media and other interested parties almost non-stop since the announcement of Favel's appointment. Federation executive and staff appear to be anxious that no one speak out of turn, which means it is very difficult to find out how any of the chiefs and vice-chiefs are feeling about the changes.
In spite of the diplomacy of staff members and the difficulty reaching the executive themselves, one cannot help guessing that another election so soon is going to be expensive for the federation, as well as inconvenient. One former Saskatchewan Indian Nations vice-chief estimated the byelection will cost the federation more than $100,000. Favel himself apparently said he would not have run for the federation office if he'd known that far ahead about the federal appointment. The position was offered to him only a month ago.
As interim chief, Morley Watson will not be elegible to run for the office of chief. However, though the byelection is still a few months away, there are a number of other well-known contenders for the federation's top job. Two names that have been mentioned as possibilities are fourth vice-chief, Lawrence Joseph, and second vice-chief, Terry Sanderson. Neither has committed himself yet. According to the federation's constitution, candidates must resign from their present positions before they can be considered for chief. Candidates must declare themselves by March 27, however, said Shelley Bear.
| Top of This Page | AMMSA Home Page |
[ Windspeaker
| CFWE-FM | Alberta
Sweetgrass | Saskatchewan Sage | Raven's Eye | Aboriginal Media
Services ]
[ Mission & History | AMMSA
Marketing | Advertising | Merchandise
| Subscriptions | Contest
]
Comments: e-mail: edsage@ammsa.com