The Prince Albert Grand Council starts picking its team for the Saskatchewan Indian Winter Games on Feb. 18 to 20. Those interested should contact Mel Parenteau, the Sports, Culture & Recreation Coordinator for the PAGC, said that the broomball tryouts will be at the East End Arena and the volleyball and badminton tryouts will be at the gymnasium of the Prince Albert Indian Student Education Centre.
Contact your tribal council for information on team formation and tryouts:
Mel Parenteau (PAGC) 953-7200, Agency Chiefs Tribal Council 724-4555, Battlefords Tribal Council 445-1383, Meadow Lake Tribal Council 236-5654, Saskatoon Tribal Council 956-6130, Southeast Treaty 4 Tribal Council 696-3451, Touchwood File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council 332-8200, Willow Creek Tribal Council 467-4523 and the Yorkton Tribal Council 794-2170.
The National Film Board premiered No Turning Back: The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples at the Stan Milner Library Theatre in Edmonton on Dec. 16, 1996. This 47 minute documentary portrayed the history of the Royal Commission, from its inception seven months after the Oka Crisis to its recent controversial report release. Directed by Greg Coyes, a Métis film maker from Edmonton, this production was the first time the NFB used a completely Aboriginal crew. The original music was created by John Kim Bell and Tina Keeper did the narration.
No Turning Back was the first production by the now defunct Studio One, the all Aboriginal studio of the NFB. Nearly 300 hours of video footage had to be edited down to the 47 minute broadcast copy.
Nearly 200 people attended the screening and there was a question and answer period after with Greg Coyes and Mel Buffalo, the president of the Indian Association of Alberta.
At present, there is no firm broadcast date for this documentary, but copies of it will be made available through the NFB.
The Saskatchewan Social Services Newsletter, next step, recently reported that Cal Albright from the Saskatoon Social Services Region was recently honored with a Community Appreciation Award by the Saskatoon Police Service. The awards are presented annually to individuals who, through their work with Saskatoon Police, have made an outstanding contribution to the community.
Among his other duties, Albright has worked tirelessly for the growing Aboriginal population in Saskatoon. He is a member of the Saskatoon Chief of Police Aboriginal Advisory Committee, and acts as a liaison between the tribal councils, police agencies, and community organizations.
Recently Albright, in his capacity as FSIN Director of Corrections and Youth Justice and in partnership with the Saskatoon Police Service, coordinated a successful canoe trip for ten Aboriginal youth and ten police officers. A local television crew who accompanied the group documented the trip.
Garry Brietkreuz, a Reform MP from Yorkton, has suggested alternatives to the Royal Commission's report. He suggests that if the commission's recommendations are followed, it would lead to a fractured Canada and the problems facing Aboriginal people will not be solved.
Some of his suggestions are for repealing the Indian Act, strictly defining what self-government means, making treaty entitlements payable directly to Indian people and not in mass sums to band governments, honoring treaty commitments and financial options for Indians who wish to live permanently off-reserve.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. The weather in Saskatchewan has been anything but predictable. Regina managed to enjoy the tail end of a chinook at the beginning of the month, but Saskatoon remained cold. Friends of mine in Vancouver were stunned by all the rain and snow that poured down on them. They're not used to bad weather out there. Those of us raised on the prairies consider -20°C without a wind a heat wave, so it's hard to feel sorry for the Vancouverites over a little snow.
It's funny, but I remember colder winters in Saskatoon than those in Prince Albert. It was supposed to be cold in Prince Albert. I remember my feet being so cold they were numb. We would venture out onto the frozen North Saskatchewan River to watch the sled dogs and snowmobile races during the Prince Albert Winter Carnival. I don't remember the winter ever being warm enough to make crossing the frozen river dangerous. Of course, P.A. never benefited from a chinook while I lived there.
You have to be optimistic when dealing with this time of year. There's actually a psychological condition - a type of depression - related to a lack of sunlight. I know I suffer from it, though I wouldn't say it was a psychological condition.
Of course, looking at my photo would lead you to believe that I suffered this all year long.
To combat this I have to focus on the fact that the days are actually getting longer. The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, was Dec. 21. For almost a month, the days have been getting longer. Just remember, we're only a month and a half away from the spring equinox. At least, it's something to look forward to.
* * *
How many of you made New Year's resolutions this year? How many of you are still keeping to them?
The key to keeping resolutions is to make them realistic and specific. If you resolve to give up smoking, eat less, work out more or not procrastinate, you'd better have a plan that you can stick to. If you don't, then there's a very good chance you're not going to keep your resolve. Another factor in keeping a resolution realistic is to start small. If you want to lose weight don't go on a deprivation diet. Start by cutting back on seconds and maybe walking up the stairs instead of using the elevator.
During my last trip to Toronto, I lost five kg just by using the stairs in the subway stations instead of the escalators. In just 12 days, that equaled over 100 flights of stairs. The difference was noticeable to my friends when I returned. I didn't try to lose the weight - I was just trying to hustle past the crowds who jammed the escalators. So a simple thing like resolving to use the stairs would lead to a healthier lifestyle and would be at least possible to maintain.
It also helps to be specific about your resolution. Resolving to be a more organized person is very vague. Focus on a particular, tangible goal such as resolving not to procrastinate. That's still a pretty vague goal, so I should specify what I won't procrastinate at one particular thing.
As a writer and editor, procrastination by myself and my writers is a headache that I have to deal with every month. When I procrastinate, I have no one but myself to blame.
I hereby resolve to not procrastinate in writing my column. Of course, I've already broken that one, but I'll try again in February. And, if you fall off the resolution bandwagon, don't beat yourself up. Just try to do better next time. After all, resolutions should make us feel better.
Then again, I remember resolving never to make resolutions again.
* * *
Those of you who can be in Regina from Jan. 31 till Feb. 14 should check out the production of Someday, a play by Drew Hayden Taylor. It will be produced at the Globe Theatre and will be directed by Floyd Favel. Drew is an Ojibway from Ontario and the current artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. Floyd is an internationally recognized theatre artist from Poundmaker's.
Someday is play about a Native woman who was adopted by a non-Native
family. Later on in her life, she finds her birth mother and goes to the
reserve that she is from. It's a bittersweet story about finding your past
and your place in the world. I highly recommend seeing it.
By Kenneth Williams
Sage Writer
SASKATOON
The first branch of the First Nations Bank of Canada will open in Saskatoon early in 1997. A ceremony was held Dec. 9, in Toronto, at the Toronto-Dominion offices, where the negotiations for the creation of the bank were hammered out. It also signified that the First Nations Bank intends to compete with the other major banks in the open market.
"This is a great day for all First Nations and Aboriginal peoples in Canada," said Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
"For the first time, Canada's First Nations are entering a new frontier of the economy in which we have yet to play a leadership role - the financial sector," said Blaine Favel, chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.
"I think that it's very positive for Saskatoon," said Henry Dayday, mayor of Saskatoon. "The First Nations Bank of Canada will add to the positive economic climate that already exists in this city."
Joanne Crofford, minister of Indian and Métis Affairs for Saskatchewan, considered the bank very timely, innovative and important to the future economic development of First Nations.
"No society in the world can proceed with economic development without banking services," she said. "Banking and economic development go hand in hand."
The bank will provide the financial management experience and expertise that will create a good basis for a strong First Nations' economic future, she continued. A First Nations' bank will guarantee that the money from Treaty Land Entitlements will stay within the First Nations' community.
The FSIN was the main political force behind the creation of the bank, but ownership will be available to all First Nations across Canada. No band will be allowed to own more than 10 per cent of the bank.
The First Nations Bank of Canada will operate as a subsidiary of the TD Bank for the first few years, while it creates and improves its own assets. The FSIN invested $2 million, through its Saskatchewan Indian Equity Foundation Inc., with $8 million invested by TD Bank. Under term of this agreement, the SIEF will receive 75 per cent of the profits, which will be re-invested in the bank, while the TD Bank will receive 25 per cent of the profits until its investment is repaid. It is anticipated that it will take 10 years to repay the TD Bank's investment.
Barry Menary, the former manager of Aboriginal financial services for the TD Bank, will be the first president of the First Nations Bank of Canada.
The bank will operate as a Schedule 2 bank and offer the full range of business and personal banking services through the TD bank. A Schedule 2 bank does not limit ownership of the bank to just 10 per cent. A Schedule 1 bank, such as the TD Bank, limits ownership to just 10 per cent.
In a speech earlier this year, Blaine Favel, chief of the FSIN, outlined the hurdles that had to overcome to make this bank a reality. Firstly, there were not many banks interested in the proposal. The idea of a bank controlled by First Nations was not readily accepted. When the Toronto-Dominion initially responded, it only wanted to allow the FSIN to control a branch. That was unacceptable and "smacked of tokenism," said Favel. The FSIN made it clear to the Toronto-Dominion that they would be an equal partner and no less.
Finally, the TD Bank agreed.
"From day one, our decision to participate has been a business decision," said Richard Thomson, chairman and chief executive officer of the TD Bank. "This is the key reason we became involved. We believe that the First Nations Bank of Canada has a competitive advantage in a market with a solid business potential."
"The Indian economy alone in Canada represents billions of dollars," said Chief Favel. "As First Nations continue to negotiate land claims settlements representing millions of dollars, we'll be competing - we believe successfully - for the business."
"I don't know how anyone can be against this," said Crofford.
The board of directors for the bank will include four appointments recommended by SIEF and four recommended from the TD Bank. The president of the bank will also sit on the board.
Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come from Quebec, Marv Tiller from Manitoba, Chief Roy Whitney from Alberta and Keith Martell from Saskatchewan will be sitting on the board of governors, representing First Nations from across Canada.
The TD Bank is the fifth largest bank in Canada and has assets over $125 billion. It has a rating of Aa2 by Moody's Investors Services and a AA rating by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, which are the highest securities ratings of any Canadian bank.
"This is a major step towards economic self-determination for Canada's First Nations," said Chief Favel. The bank "will help foster economic growth and job creation for our people, while generating profits for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal investors."
This follows along the FSIN philosophy of building sustainable institutions.
There were several important steps to creating the First Nations Bank of Canada. In 1982, the SIEF was Canada's first Aboriginal Capital Corporation, created by members of the FSIN to provide term loans to Saskatchewan First Nations businesses.
In 1993, the FSIN reached out to other financial institutions for support in creation of a First Nations Bank. The following year, the TD Bank and the SIEF began meaningful negotiations towards the creation of a bank.
TD Bank, SIEF and FSIN announced on Sept. 16, 1996 their intent to form
the First Nations Bank of Canada. Two months later, on Nov. 19, the First
Nations Bank of Canada is granted Letters Patent. On Dec. 4, the new bank's
application for membership in the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation received
regulatory approval at the CDIC Board Meeting.
By Debora Lockyer
Sage Writer
Cree artist Allen Sapp showcases 75 of his most stunning paintings in I heard the drums , a wonderful collection published by Stoddart.
The man from the Red Pheasant Reserve in Saskatchewan describes in a 24-page history how his Native heritage has influenced his work.
"I was lucky: I was born into a loving family, whose roots gave me a strong sense of identity. Many people spend their whole lives searching for their beginning, searching for a connection to their family. I know where I came from and for many years I have known where I am going," he writes of growing up on reserve with his family.
Sapp hopes that through his words he will encourage today's youth to seek out and embrace their culture - ". . .you can have a good life and be proud of your heritage if you listen to the drums," he writes.
The message is a simple one and is delivered in a simple way. In fact, if there is anything in this beautiful book that detracts, it is the simplicity of the prose.
An adult reader would surely find the pace of the book slow and the detail lacking. The story does not seem planned, but meanders from one subject to the next, leaving the reader always wanting more information.
The book also calls loudly for a good editor. Phrases like "Once, after my father shot a deer from his horse. . ." would not have made it past a keen-eyed professional and changing it would have improved the quality of the history without compromising the author's telling of his story. Yes, we know what Sapp means, but it's awkward and interrupts the pace of an already sluggish tale.
Despite these deficiencies, there are pearls in Sapp's history, as in his telling of his experiences as a sickly child.
"When I was about eight years old I became very sick and my grandmother's sister said that unless I got a new name - an Indian name - I would die. . . My Nookum told me later that the Nootoka (my grandmother's sister) stood by me and placed her hand on my head. In a loud voice, she said, "Your name shall be Kiskayetum"; translated, this means "He perceives it." After this was done she said I would live long and prosperously."
Sapp's deep and abiding love for his grandmother comes out strongly in this recount of his life. She was a great influence in his life and on his work and her image can be seen in many of Sapp's paintings.
"My Nokum encouraged me . One time I asked her if I could draw her. She said, sure, go ahead. So I did and she was very pleased with the finished drawing. She told me, "Keep on drawing - some day you will be very famous. Keep away from alcohol and things will work out for you." Since then my grandmother has been a favorite subject for many paintings," Sapp wrote.
There were other people who figured prominently in Sapp's life, including a hobby shop owner who, in the early days, provided Sapp with painting supplies and who introduced the artist to one of his greatest supporters - Dr. Allan Gonor. This section of the book emphasizes the great need for support from the private sector for burgeoning artists, and it shows that it takes more than talent to be a success in Canada.
The reader's reward in I heard the drums comes after the history has been told and the page is turned to the reproductions of Sapp's paintings. The rich colors of the prairie sky, the bluish shadows cast over a snow-covered landscape are trademark Sapp.
Anyone who has experienced reserve life will feel a great tug on the heartstrings as Sapp's images bring forth a flood of memories. For those readers who haven't, Sapp's paintings tell the stories of people who lived difficult, but gratifying lives.
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