Published January 11, 1999 Darlene Speidel, shown here at the Saskatoon Indian Cultural Centre, took the time this month to explain the provincial government's "feather bank." The Dakota lady explained that an Elders' panel makes the decisions on requests for eagle feathers and body parts that have been collected by Environment and Resource Management staff. Photo Credit: Pamela Sexsmith Green Vice-chief hopeful by Paul Sinkewicz Elders decide on use of feathers by Pamela Sexsmith Green First Native Studies Ph.D. program now available by Pamela Sexsmith Green Asimakaniseekan Askiy call centre wins award by Debora Lockyer Steel Boxers make Saskatchewan winter games team by Marie Burke Education: The Future Path by Denis Okanee Angus Here is a full list of additional stories featured in the January, 1999 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. Ph.D. candidates begin studies Program touching young lives Métis scientist makes breakthrough Woman's voice heard again Elders committee consulted by provincial government Local author examines Métis encounter with Mandela Vice-chief hopeful By Paul Sinkewicz Sage Writer PRINCE ALBERT The last hurdle may have been cleared to changing the way outstanding land claims are settled in Canada. Lawrence Joseph, vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, said meetings in December between the Chiefs' National Committee on Claims and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs has produced a consensus on how to move ahead with a new commission and tribunal to address historic land claims. The key will be a five-year assessment period for the new process with a settlement cap in place to control government fiscal expenditures. Joseph said it was the potential for the newly created independent body to make large awards that was scaring Ottawa away from implementing the new system. As were the large claims coming out of British Columbia. "Basically, the biggest problem was the budget item," Joseph said. "Those figures from mega-claims scared them off." While he said the settlement cap for the initial five-year period is still in negotiation, it should eliminate any further delays. "What they wanted was some control," Joseph said. "We gave them the tool." Joseph said the chiefs met with Scott Serson, deputy minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, on Dec. 7 and agreed on the concept of a settlement cap. The chiefs then ratified the draft legislation to create the commission and tribunal on Dec. 8. After more than 18 months of negotiations between First Nations and Ottawa, Joseph said he now expects the draft legislation to be submitted to cabinet, and hopes something will be in place by April 1. The need for a new land claims resolution process stems from the growing backlog of unresolved cases - some 400 nationwide and 200 from Saskatchewan - and the inherent unfairness of the old process, Joseph said. He likened the current process to going to court and finding out the defendant is also the judge and jury. "That's literally the situation right now," he said. "It's no longer acceptable. It never was." The major benefit of the proposed independent commission and tribunal would be the removal of the government from its position of conflict of interest, Joseph said. The claims would be looked at fairly and equitably by appointees from both the government and First Nations on the commission, and the backlog of cases will be cleared away. When negotiations at the commission level fail to produce results, the tribunal would have the power to make decisions that would be binding on both the First Nations and Canada. Joseph noted some of the outstanding claims are 125 years old. "Our preference is not to go to court, but to go to the commission and tribunal to save the Canadian taxpayer the money to go to court," he said. The money First Nations win in settlement decisions will be used to improve the economic condition of Indian people, Joseph said. Land would be bought to create more economic development opportunities and make bands more self-sustainable. He said in the long run, the settlements will be economically beneficial to the entire country. "The sooner these things are settled, the cheaper it will be," he said. "This effort is not intended to create the picture that we are beggars. We want to develop economic structures for the people." The government's own information shows how important that economic development is for First Nations. Press releases marking the anniversary of Gathering Strength - Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan, both tout the process set up to create an independent claims body, and make reference to conditions faced by Aboriginal people. It also confirms that, at 29 per cent, the unemployment rate on reserves is nearly three times the national average while the First Nations population is growing approximately twice as fast as the overall Canadian population. "If we don't do something, what's happening now will prevail," Joseph said. Elders decide on use of feathers By Pamela Sexsmith Green Sage Writer SASKATOON The sight of an eagle soaring high above the earth, flying with the cloud people, is a powerful experience. In Aboriginal tradition, the eagle represents the strongest of spiritual powers and when the bird dies, these powers remain in the feathers, claws and body parts. Eagle feathers are in great demand for the traditional spiritual ceremonies of the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota and Lakota cultures in Saskatchewan, and in even greater demand for the competitive powwow circuit in North America. In a unique partnership, the government of Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) and the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre in Saskatoon, have joined hands to facilitate and manage a traditionally appropriate distribution of feathers and body parts for ceremonial use among First Nations peoples in the province. The program, officially named "Birds of Prey For Indian Ceremonial Use" and also known as the "Feather Bank" among traditional dancers, has been designed to acknowledge the unique relationship and rights of Aboriginal people with provincial wildlife, once conservation needs have been met. "We are not a feather bank here at the Saskatchewan Cultural Centre," explained Darlene Speidel. "Birds of prey turned into or confiscated by Saskatchewan Fish and Wildlife officers are kept in a warehouse in Regina, and SERM lets us know when feathers are available." Under the direction of the traditional council of Elders at the cultural centre, eligible birds are given into the care of the cultural resource co-ordinator at Waneskewan, who cleans, dissects, and prepares the feathers and body parts for distribution, keeping them in cold storage until needed. When a significant number of feathers are available, the traditional council of Elders, made up of members from each of the different Aboriginal language groups in Saskatchewan, come together to sort through the applications forms - called birds of prey feather/body part requests - to see how many requests can be filled, explained Speidel. "Almost all of the applications we receive request feathers from immature golden eagles which are all white with black tips. There are not many requests for other raptors like owls, hawks and falcons and almost none for magpies, ravens or crows," she said. When the panel of Elders are sifting through and considering individual applications, a great deal of expert knowledge and care goes into the descision-making process due to the sacredness and rarity of raptor feathers. "First and foremost they are looking for Aboriginal practitioners such as Sun Dance leaders, Medicine Men and Women or Servers who would need a fan for ceremonial purposes. Veterans are given next consideration as are requests for feathers to dress an eagle staff. We also keep a few eagle feathers on hand for graduations, and in a few instances, feathers are given, at the request of a family, for a roach," said Speidel. The cultural centre also receives requests for chief headdresses for pomp and circumstance entrances, cultural ceremonies and special gifts in the political arena. The requests towards the creation of large traditional war bonnets or chief hats have created some sticky problems, said Speidel. Elders are not too keen about the use of eagle feathers in the creation of culturally generic "stock headdresses" for politicians, chiefs and grand chiefs and they are deeply concerned about the proper care and handling of these significant and valuable artifacts. Trying to cross international borders with chief headdresses has caused more than one politician a few headaches and led to the creation of both domestic and international permits, issued by the Saskatchewan Fish and Wildlife branch of SERM. When Ovid Mercredi was flying in from the United States to sign the treaty land entitlement in 1993 at Wanuskewin, he got hung up in customs and immigration because of the eagle feathers in his grand chief headdress. Another interesting problem presented itself when the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre was asked to provide a chief hat for Brian Mulroney, said Speidel. The Elders decided not to present Mulroney with "the real thing" and ordered a headdress from Oklahoma made of hand painted turkey feathers. The effect was so convincing that officials at the American/Canadian border confiscated the hat for a time, believing it to be real eagle feathers, added Speidel. (It was hearsay at the time that the Border officials commented on what a great sense of humor the Canadian Indians had, giving hand painted turkey feathers to Mulroney) The last and biggest category on the request list is from pow wow dancers who want eagle feathers and body parts for traditional regalia, with preference going to Veterans. "Dancers are not a priority. Our Elders have said, over and over again, that what you see in today's modern pow wows is violating traditional protocol, something they say has got way out of hand. They are very critical of large bustles and things like putting eagle heads on the backs of bustles or on dance sticks," said Speidel. "If a traditional dancer is requesting an eagle head to put in the center of their bustle, the panel of Elders would just garbage their application. We have even had requests ranging from 200 to 600 large feathers for an adult dance outfit. Not only do we not have that many feathers to distribute, our Elders would never allow such a thing." Applications for eagle feathers, body parts and other birds of prey for use by Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan are available at district offices or through band offices and are sent to the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre in Saskatoon and reviewed by the traditional council of Elders. The feathers and body parts are normally distributed once each year during a ceremonial feast in June sponsored by the cultural centre with an equal distribution among the five tribal groups. First Native Studies Ph.D. program now available By Pamela Sexsmith Green Sage Writer PETERBOROUGH, Ont. Trent University, nestled in the heart of ancestral Iroquois-Anishinabe lands in Southern Ontario, has always been a special place for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. As the home of the first Native Studies department in Canada, Trent will be celebrating 30 years of ground-breaking education with the addition a new Ph.D. program - the first of its kind in Canada - which will be welcoming four new doctoral candidates in September. Founded in 1969, the Native Studies program is the oldest in the country, offering bachelor degrees, honors bachelor degrees, a diploma program, a Native Management and Economic Development specialization course and a solid 10-year track record with the Native Studies component of the Trent's master's degree in Canadian Heritage and Development Studies. The addition of a Native Studies Ph.D. program will represent a new high water mark in a list of impressive firsts for Trent University. Designed to prepare graduate students for academic, research and leadership positions, the new Ph.D. program will bring together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students to study the historical, cultural and contemporary situation of the Aboriginal/Indigenous people. "There was a real need to open this door, a growing need for a Ph.D. in Native Studies," explained Paul Bourgeois, cultural advisor at Trent's Otonabee College. With 1200 students (out of 5000) enrolled in undergrad and graduate courses in the NS department and about 250 with Aboriginal ancestry, it was definitely an idea whose time had come, added Bourgeois. One of the things that will separate the new NS doctoral program from others in the country is that it has been designed to integrate Aboriginal knowledge, both experiential and traditional community learning, with a strong focus on Native people. "I think it's fair to say that within Trent and the larger community itself, including different First Nations in the area, that there is a lot of support, direction and participation. "And although four students in the new Ph.D. program may sound like a very small number, that will be its strength, a lot of interaction with faculty, traditional teachers and Elders, to get a better education. That is what Trent has striven to maintain from the beginning. Its strength is built on being a small university." With an ever increasing interest in Aboriginal studies on both a national and international level, there is a growing need to have qualified faculty in place with a background and specialization in Native studies. Up until now, most students taking Native studies in a university department have received their instruction from faculty from other disciplines like anthropology, sociology or political science. "What is very different now is that people in Native Studies at Trent are branching out into other disciplines. It used to be the other way around, people from the outside coming into Native Studies. Now our graduates are going off into other professions, education, politics and environmental studies, for instance, growth and learning from here going outward. There's a lot going on and it's very diverse, this thing called Native Studies." Best known for its annual Elders conference that draws visitors from all over the world, Native studies at Trent currently offers more than 30 courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels including Aboriginal languages, history, politics, law, literature, theatre, urbanization, education, northern and polar studies, Ojibwa and Iroquois culture, critical theory, community development, research, women's studies, self government and Aboriginal thought. Native Studies sponsors academic, social and cultural events, theatre productions, artists-in-residence, Elders gatherings and traditional ceremonies including Sweatlodges and Healing Lodges on campus. Daphne Taylor, a Spanish/English speaking Mexican-Otomi from central Mexico who grew up in Scarborough, Ont., explained that the "Aboriginal student community at Trent was very strong and a good safe place to live in southern Ontario for Native students coming in from all over Canada." Taylor, who has completed an honors degree in Native studies, an education degree and is currently working on a MA, says she is also aiming for the Ph.D. which she describes as "a very interdisciplinary kind of degree that stresses the importance of thinking through our own issues as Aboriginal people in contemporary culture, so that when we do go back into our own communities we have a better idea of what to do politically and socially. "I appreciate 'the different ways of knowing' here, and being from a Native studies department doesn't erase my own cultural identity or the complexity of where I'm coming from in any way," said Taylor. "There are many issues common to Indigenous groups from all over the world to be examined such as colonization, preserving and developing different Native traditions, language and culture without having to feel that we are all part of a smorgasbord or 'pan-Indian culture.' "Kevin Fitzmaurice, who co-ordinates the mentor/tutor program in the Native Studies Department, which matches up incoming and more experienced students, says that there is a definite sense of community and solidarity within divergent cultural groups that includes both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Fitzmaurice, who offers a non-Native perspective on the doctoral program, says that it could offer some real potential for western and non-western knowledge to come together by examining the "two different ways of knowing," perhaps moving it into a more healthy relationship. "Native Studies as a discipline is not a homogenized cultural or spiritual blanket imposed on everybody, even though in this part of the world known as Anishinabe/Mississauga we do offer culturally specific courses. There is no stereotyping within the department, or what one writer has recently called pan-Indianism or Shake-n-Bake shamanism," said Bourgeois. "In thinking of what to name a department that brings so many different people together. We had thought of calling it Aboriginal Studies so that we could be the first in the phone book, ahead of Anthropology," he added with a laugh. On a more serious note, explained Bourgeois, there exists in Aboriginal communities a significant need for research to be carried out to inform policy and program development as well as an expanding need for trained experts who can conduct basic and applied research and assume positions of responsibility and leadership at local, provincial and national levels. These individuals must be able to address contemporary and historical Aboriginal issues, building community infrastructure for self government, researching land claims, contributing to the revitalization of traditional cultures and languages, facilitating cross-cultural awareness, conducting comparative research with Indigenous peoples in other countries, developing models for natural resource management and analyzing social and political issues at an advanced level. Some people say that the 21st century will belong to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada. It seems only fitting that Trent, the small university set like a shining stone on a rolling river in one of the most beautiful and natural wilderness campuses in the country, should once again be on the cutting edge with the graduating class of 2002, the first of many future Ph.D.'s to come in Native Studies. Asimakaniseekan Askiy call centre wins award By Debora Lockyer Steel Sage Writer VANCOUVER Trains, planes and automobiles. Throw in a boat and bus ride and you have CANDO's 5th annual national conference held in Vancouver from Nov. 25 to Nov. 28. CANDO is the better known acronym for the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers. Representatives from Aboriginal economic development organizations across Canada gathered to share economic development news, ideas, problems and concerns during the four-day conference which culminated in a dinner featuring keynote speakers Frank Calder and Joe Gosnell from the Nisga'a territory. Delegates were also treated to a harbor cruise and a bus tour of the Squamish and Burrard nations' territories. Also on the agenda was the announcement of the winners of this year's economic development recognition awards and the Economic Developer of the Year Award, chosen from the four recognition winners. CANDO president, Angie Stewart, said the awards announcement was her favorite part of the conference as she presented the winners to conference delegates who were to vote for the developer of the year. Recognition award winners were the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies Call Center, the Khowutzun Development Corporation of Duncan, B.C., the Blood Tribe Irrigation Project of Stand Off, Alta. and the Campbell River Indian Band, located on Vancouver Island. The call centre, owned by the Asimakaniseekan Askiy band, provides call out and information gathering services in Cree, Dene, and Saulteaux on a fee for service basis to public and private sector organization who are marketing products or services, gathering information or administering surveys. The Khowutzun Development Corporation markets Cowichan sweaters over the internet, radio, in magazines and newspapers. The corporation has a joint venture to install gas lines in British Columbia and has developed a forest services company. It has created 85 jobs and also operates a destination tourist resort called the Cowichan Native Village. The Blood Tribe has developed a 25,000 acre state of the art irrigation system that is used domestically and marketed internationally. The project created 26 full- and part-time jobs and 50 sub-contracting opportunities. The irrigation project has created a hay densification project which exports internationally and will, when fully operational, create 75 jobs. The winner of the Economic Developer of the Year Award was the northern West Coast Campbell River Indian Band. In a joint venture, the band has developed the Discovery Harbour Centre, a 360,000 sq. ft. shopping centre valued at about $60 million. In total the mall project has created between 800 and 1,000 jobs. The band also operated the Discovery Harbour Marina, which, when complete, will have 1,000 berths. Conference delegates also attended information workshops and plenary sessions. Keynote speaker on the first full day of the conference was Inuit Taparisat of Canada president Okalik Eegeesiak. She said 1999 would be an exciting time for the north, not only because the new territory of Nunavut would be coming into existence, but also because the Royal Bank would be holding its symposium on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People sometime in April. She also shared information about some of the economic development initiatives in the works for the north, including a new contract with China for seal pelts worth $2 million annually. But the highlight of the weekend for many of the delegates was the Calder-Gosnell address at the awards banquet. Nisga's member Frank Calder, known by many as a pioneer in the treaty-making process, made a fiery speech to delegates about the oppression of the Indian Act. "You'll never get out of the system, because there is somebody on your back," said Calder. "I want to be a Canadian citizen, but I can't because there is somebody on my back." He said the settlement of the Nisga'a land question would get that somebody off his back. Nisga'a Tribal Council president Joe Gosnell agreed. "I'm going to take a great deal of pleasure when we are going to burn that Indian Act," he said, garnering heart-felt applause. Boxers make Saskatchewan winter games team By Marie Burke Sage Writer SASKATOON A boxing training camp may not be the place most people expect to be during the holidays, but for Jesse Derocher, a member of Team Saskatchewan, it was part of his journey to the 1999 Canada Winter Games. Derocher, 16, and his six teammates will be in Cornerbrook, Nfld. on Feb. 27 to compete in the intermediate boxing events. In the meantime, it will be training camps and a dedicated workout schedule for Derocher who is from the Flying Dust First Nation in Saskatchewan. "I feel happy for getting picked to the team. Everything happened so fast," said Derocher. He started training and had several fights at a small club in Meadow Lake about two years ago. When the club shut down, Derocher stopped fighting for a while. A surprise came in August last year when he received a invitation to come down to a training camp in Lodgepole, Alta. with about 90 other young boxers. "I guess someone had seen me fight before and I was invited to this camp," said Derocher. At the camp, a total of 11 boxers were selected for Team Saskatchewan. A September move to Saskatoon to continue his training with the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Boxing Club was a big thing, he said. As part of his training, Derocher travels around Alberta and Manitoba with the team, appearing on a variety of boxing cards. The hectic schedule is part of the team's training plan to gear up its members for the Winter Games. Derocher said he trains three days a week and on his days off it's jogging and sprinting for at least three miles. Classified as a welterweight at 67 kg. (147 lb.), Derocher stands about six feet tall. The young boxer is attending Grade 10 at a local high school in Saskatoon and took a short break to be home for Christmas. After Boxing Day (Dec. 26, that is) it was right back to work in Saskatoon. "I've always been supported by my mother. She has always been there," said Derocher. His mother and brother will be going to Cornerbrook to support him. It will be the first time he has flown and his first visit to Newfoundland, which he said makes it even more exciting. "We're looking for good things for these guys," said Kevin Howard, head coach for Team Saskatchewan. The training camp will be for three days and the team will be sparring, shadow boxing and attending seminars to prepare them for the games. One of the seminars will be on drug and alcohol abuse, which is mandatory for all boxers going to the games. "I just want them to go and experience it and I do expect all our guys to medal, I'm optimistic about that," said Howard. The games' official rules for the boxing events are straightforward, he said. Each competitor will draw another name in the same class from another team, but that also means it could be the best boxer from that team, said Howard. The fights are structured so that when a boxer is knocked out by his opponent he is out of the competition. Judges use a computerized system to score punches that basically consists of three judges marking a hit by pushing a button within one second of each other,said Howard. Another member of Team Saskatchewan is Brian Whitstone from Onion Lake First Nation. At age 17, he has more than two years of boxing experience under his belt and several accomplishments. Whitstone was the 1997 Alberta Golden Gloves champ and he's classified as a light welterweight at 62 kg. (137 lb.) "He has a very good chance getting the gold at the games," said Gord Blanchard, team manager. Whitstone already has two gold medals, one at the Saskatchewan Aboriginal games in 1997 and the other at the North American Indigenous Games. When Whitstone began boxing he was classified as a welterweight, but lost some weight last year after being sick for a while, said Blanchard. Education: The Future Path By Denis Okanee Angus Sage Columnist In the 1970s, First Nations people launched a campaign that was framed by the slogan "Indian control of Indian education." It was very clear that this campaign reflected the hopes of First Nations communities for the education of their children. However, this campaign really was not new. If you understand the treaty making process in the prairie provinces, access to education was an important topic for the people even way back then. What they dreamed about education for their children 120 years ago is not what they got from the system of day schools and residential schools. It is clear that we are still surviving the consequences of that legacy. The "Indian control of Indian education" campaign did realize some significant gains for Indian children. Residential schools became a thing of the past. Millions of dollars were devoted to building educational facilities in First Nations communities. Students began accessing post-secondary education. There is a challenging question that remains unanswered. How much has this change really changed the experience of Aboriginal people in the education situation? I look to the experiences of my family to help me reflect upon this important question. My wife is an educator and we have five children currently attending grade school. When we first moved back to the reserve our children attended the public school in the "border town" nearest the reserve. I thought they would get a better education and better skills at this school. This is not what they got. Particularly my oldest son Brandon had a difficult time at this school. Brandon took offense to much of what he was learning. For example, when the children studied the settlement of the west, no mention of Indian people was made at all. They had done a week of "Indians" before the week on settlement. This is an inaccurate reflection of how the west was settled. After some months, and with his mother's assistance, my son chose to file a human rights complaint against this school. After some two years of waiting (which is a horribly long time for a teenage boy now in Grade 9), this past June the investigation stage of Brandon's human rights case was completed. The Commission found both individual and systemic discrimination. They, however, did not recommend any positive remedy. The school board responsible has developed an equity policy and created some further initiatives. The school board is more conscious of issues of "race" in the school. The saddest part of this story is that the leaders in our community did not stand with our son. We remain so proud of our young man whose reason for proceeding with the human rights complaint was "for the other kids who are scared to speak up." Our kids now go to school on the reserve. My wife says at least the kids are getting an education that, for the most part, promotes a positive identity of who they are as children of Cree and Mohawk parents. With this positive identity, they can learn anything. If children are raised to believe in who they are and feel good about who they are, they can do anything. The dominant education system has for too long taught our children that they are problems and not solutions. Well, in my opinion, we have enough problems in Indian communities, we don't need any education system that sends more problems home to us. When I look at the "border town" school, I realize that more Indian people have left that school than have graduated. This is a dismal statistic and I don't know why the educators at this school have not done more about it. Despite the human rights complaint, Indian children are still leaving or being removed from this school. This is not our ancestors' dreams for the education of our children. It is not my dream. My wife teaches at a mainstream university, at least for now. I have watched her suffer and struggle for more than four years now in this institution. She has dreams and visions of creating Aboriginal education possibilities that reflect the dreams of her people. She has been frustrated in almost every attempt to plant this vision in her place of work (and I should mention she works in a Native Studies Department). I am not sure how much longer she can hang on. One of her Aboriginal students came to her just before the holidays and said, "You know, this place isn't much different from the residential schools. We still aren't learning good things that mean something to us. The only difference is that we now send our young people here willing." Education - meaningful education for our young people - still remains elusive. As Indian people we must stand together and understand that "control" of our education systems is not enough. We must be able to dream and encourage. Our young people are our hope for the future. We must stand together and not be divided when we insist that we deserve and have a fundamental right to educational institutions that respect who we are as First Peoples.