Published July 3, 2000 Face painter Lucelle Crichton helped young people, and the young at heart, to add a little extra festiveness to Aboriginal Day celebrations at the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre. Please see the story ... Photo Credit: Pamela Sexsmith Aboriginal Day 2000 celebrated by Pamela Sexsmith Student earns unique scholarship by Trina Gobért Chiefs urge preventative action by Trina Gobért Prepare for a new beginning by Ryan Atimoyoo Sage Youth Columnist Getting to the Special Olympics a stroke at a time by Marj Roden Youth are part of a revolution by Denis Okanee Angus Sage Columnist Here is a full list of additional stories featured in the July, 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. Aboriginal Day 2000 celebrated By Pamela Sexsmith Sage Writer LLOYDMINSTER As was the case in locations around the province, more than 600 people gathered to celebrate National Aboriginal Day at the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre. The festivities and events, hosted by the LNFC, the Lloydminster Métis Housing, Border City Métis Society and the BC Aboriginal Headstart Program, ran from dawn till dusk to help commemorate the longest day of the year. The Summer Solstice, June 21,traditionally held to be a sacred day by the Plains Cree, was officially declared National Aboriginal Day in 1996 by Governor General Romeo Leblanc to pay tribute to the rich cultural diversity and contributions of the First Nations people to Canada. Photo Credit: Pamela Sexsmith A very full program was presented this year, with many new members of the community coming on board for the first time, explained Gordie Willier, the new president of the LNFC board. "It is the first time that so many people have participated in our Aboriginal Day celebrations, including students from the public and Catholic school systems, local artists and businesses. After the early morning prayers and tipi raising, the children's choir from Father Gorman Catholic School opened our program with a song sung in Cree, the first time such a thing has ever happened here," said Willier, a Cree instructor at Eagleview High in Onion Lake First Nation. Master of ceremonies Raymond Whitstone, who introduced the guest artists, story tellers and visiting Elders, kept the day rolling with colorful stories about local history, traditions and etiquette. Maple Sugar, an old time fiddle band from Saskatoon, was joined by the traditional drum from Onion Lake and a number of local dancers, who jigged and squared danced in the roped off street square. Métis dancers in traditional red sash and dress, joined by voyageur Charlotte Moon, entertained local children with tales of the fur trade and the Riel rebellion. With the last minute cancellation of the Onion Lake Dance Troupe, a number of youthful dancers picked up the slack and did more than hold their own. Hoop Dancer Desmond Opikikew, Grass dancer Preston Opikikew, Chicken Dancer Christopher Albert, Traditional dancers Rochelle and Derek Wright and Fancy Shawl Dancer Charlene Wright danced up a storm for the cheering crowd. Photo Credit: Pamela Sexsmith "We were all very proud to see these children perform, including boys and girls from the local hoop dancing society. They are all very brave to stand up and face the music, living in town, as they do, and keeping up their traditional ways. I am very impressed with these organizations," explained Rose Naytowhow, one of the founders of the LNFC. Visiting students from a number of local schools, were also very enthusiastic about the program which included storytelling tipis with Cree and Métis Elders, children's games, traditional hand games, war paint and tattoos done by local volunteers, and a poster painting contest. This year's traditional arts display included (for the first time) two hand crafted masterpieces, a Plains Cree birch bark canoe and a classic Red River cart, made spoke to axle, entirely of wood. The Cree Nation presented a taste of dried moose meat, bison burgers, chokecherries and Saskatoon pudding. The Métis Nation gave a demonstration of bannock making done in cast iron frying pans and served up hundreds of pieces of wild berry pie. In what has become something of annual tradition, there was dancing in the streets for everyone attending. The major highlight of the day - the Round Dance circle - spread out around the corners of 49th Ave. and 46th St., with almost as many colorful balloons to be seen in the vicinity as children. "It was wonderful to see so many people join in, hold hands and dance together. With people coming in from all over the community, and the music of the Onion Lake Drum, we made a complete circle. It was for me, for everybody I think, the most spiritual part of the day," said Rose Naytowhow.   Student earns unique scholarship By Trina Gobért Sage Writer CUMBERLAND HOUSE His enthusiasm, maturity and zest for life won him a $50,000 scholarship to the prestigious Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. "When I found out I went outside and yelled and threw my hands in the air and said thank you," said Real Carriere, a 16-year-old Métis student from Cumberland House. "I'm still amazed that I got the scholarship." Carriere applied to an ad for the scholarship competition he saw in a Saskatoon newspaper last February by sending in his high school transcripts and a small biography. The scholarship is funded by Cogema Resources Inc., Mudjatik Thyssen Mining Joint Venture, Cameco Corp., and Northern Resources Trucking, who wanted to give northern students an educational opportunity. "The other finalists probably had better marks then me," said Carriere. "I think they look for a variety of things, like how good your references were and what sort of life you've lived." Carriere's 85 per cent high school average along with his outgoing personality put him along- side five other final applicants. The six finalists went through a day of interviews by a panel before the winning recipient was chosen. "In front of the interview panel and the other students you had to give a five minute speech and field questions for 10 minutes," said Carriere. "It was kind of difficult, and then you had to be interviewed individually by the whole panel." Carriere is accustomed to schooling away from home. He completed Grade 10 in Michigan while staying with some family friends. The Grade 11 student is now living with his grandmother in Saskatoon while attending Aden Bowman Collegiate. "It's an honor for him to be chosen," said Renee Carriere, Real's mom. "Still, as a mother, there is always heartache to see your first baby go. We missed him when he went to Michigan and we'll miss him more now." The college aims to bridge cultural gaps and will give the 200 students - 75 Canadians - an education in understanding people from all parts of the world. "Everybody will be equal, it's not like in high school where you have to try and fit in," said Carriere. "What I am excited about is to learn how to bridge the gaps culturally and how people who have lived a really tough life like that, how they have been able to cope, to meet them and learn from them." A sensitivity to the needs of others from other countries who don't speak English was a requirement because the recipient would room with three other such students. "Real is a very special young man, energetic, and full of life," said Joan Nielsen, assistant registrar for Saskatchewan Education and the chair of the Saskatchewan selection committee for Pearson College. "The recipient has to be gentle and caring. This is an individual who has also been chosen to be an ambassador for the province of Saskatchewan. He is expected to bring back his experience to the province and share it." Carriere plans to do just that when he returns from the two years at college. "I can come back and relate this to my cousins. I can tell them stories and maybe influence their lives," he said. "So I can maybe be an example to my cousins and family and other people." The baccalaureate program the college offers will allow Carriere to finish his Grade 12 and receive some university credits. Chiefs urge preventative action By Trina Gobért Sage Writer SASKATCHEWAN Saskatchewan chiefs are telling the provincial government that, when it comes to fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects, it's a question of pay a little now or pay a lot later. Acting to support a controversial ruling by Native judge Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond, (who is married to Saskatoon Tribal Council chief Harry Lafond) the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations passed a resolution calling for action that will stop children suffering from the affliction from falling through the cracks in the system. First Nation leaders believe that fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects are a root cause of justice, education and health problems for Aboriginal youth. "We don't have the numbers and a percentage as to how many are affected with FAS," said First Vice Chief Morley Watson of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. "There is not a lot of programming provincially or federally out there. It is almost like starting from scratch." On May 30, the chiefs of the FSIN passed a resolution to aggressively take action on the issue and are asking the Saskatchewan government to focus on the issue and provide programming. "The number one thing that we have to be most cognizant of is that it is very serious and the governments and public are uneducated about it," said Watson. "A lot of these young people don't realize the severity of their actions and find themselves on the wrong side of the law. In a lot of cases the education system doesn't realize they don't have the same learning capabilities and as a result they are looked at as being slow and they can't keep up. Then quitting is the easy way out for them. So in the areas of justice and education we want to bring some light to the situation." Some tribal councils unofficially realized the severity of the situation and did some preparatory work. On June 1, the chiefs legislative assembly gave the official go ahead to address the issue. "Hopefully, we can pull in the feds with the province and set something in place to help these young people," said Watson. The national average for children born with FAS is one to three per 3,000 children and between 160 to 600 births per 1000 for FAE. A recent provincial court decision ruled that the issue be addressed properly in regards to youth possibly affected with the disease. The Crown appealed the decision by Judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond saying that she was steering social policy. "Judge Lafond said, because there was no programming and no help available to the young individuals, that she was not going to continue to incarcerate young people," said Watson. "What the province wants to do is to continue to put them in youth detention centres as opposed to sending them to get help for FAS and FAE where they can get treatment. So, with no programming in place, the province just continually wanted to have Judge Lafond incarecerate them and she didn't want to do that." Although the First Nations have not heard anything more in regards to the appeal they plan to continue to pursue discussions with the government to take a closer look at the problem. "Like everything else government is always hesitant because it is going to cost money," said Watson. "I think when we talk of social programming this fits right in because the longer that they don't help then the longer they are still going to have high overhead costs for education, justice, and health. So the big thing that we want to do is convince them that it would be a better investment for us to work with these young people now."

Prepare for a new beginning

By Ryan Atimoyoo
Sage Youth Columnist
REGINA

The millennium has come. The Y2K scare has come and passed. The doomsday threat was anything but, and the cosmic alignment of planets in early May went off without a hitch. Yet, the millennium is so much more than a number or these events. It's a state of mind, a time of looking back and reflecting on how far we've come as human beings. More accurately, how far we've come as Aboriginal youth.

We've had our traditions to look to the past, which helped to define the very core of who we are. The old legends told to us by our grandmothers and grandfathers and the ceremonies have become icons to me, as an Aboriginal youth. I call upon these icons and the grandfathers to help me say, "Yes, I am Aboriginal and these are some of the things that make me proud to be who I am."

In traditional times, the youth were highly valued. They were taught to respect themselves and were treated with dignity by adults, parent and grandparents. From this, a clear sense of pride, stability and self became evident and these values established great leaders of tradition such as Big Bear, Starblanket and Piapot. The mold was cast and set for our people to grow with pride and respect.
And then our world changed.

With the arrival of European settlers, the nomadic lifestyle of our ancestors changed rapidly. No longer were the skills they learned highly regarded. Instead they were treated with contempt and disdain. Traditions that had been learned over centuries, as well as a mindset of peace and tranquillity, were lost during the attempted assimilation of our people.

Being thrust into residential schools was a great blow to our people and resulted in a cultural genocide of sorts. Children raised in such schools lost the ability to speak our languages and were, instead, taught "higher learning skills" such as reading and writing a language that decades previously hadn't even existed in this part of the world. Erasing our cultural ties meant a loss of connection to family and people and tradition. Gone was the mindset of oneness with the land and peace of mind. That was replaced with shame, humiliation, anger and confusion.

Being unable to leave the residential schools resulted in forced assimilation. Having to register and stay within a certain area or face retribution from the dreaded Indian agent called for the reservations. Land placed aside by the government as well as other rights such as health care, and education in exchange for land entitlement meant a definite end to a lifestyle that our people relied upon for centuries. This as well as the diminishment of the buffalo which were so highly used and regarded by our forefathers.

This forced assimilation caused a lost generation. During a time of great of distress for our people, many of our people regretted being Aboriginal and were ashamed of our people, ashamed of our tradition and culture. This shame, combined with the many proven cases of abuse in the schools, caused so much damage to our people. It introduced new factors into our family lives - drugs and alcohol.

We as Indian people had a new opponent that was much more damaging and evasive than the system which was forced on us.

Though we cannot condone the vices that plague so many of our people, forgiveness and surely understanding is certainly warranted. So few of us now are fully capable of understanding such rigorous assaults upon our heritage, our sense of being. For these people, no hate can be administered, no retribution by our beloved Elders, but rather a hand can be offered and freely at that.

Still, considering the new factors entered into our family makeup, we still suffer. As is so often heard, the drugs, alcohol, violence and hate, cause a vicious cycle that is still felt today. Certainly it has diminished somewhat, but it can never be fully eliminated. So many of our people are somewhat lost.

From the past, new lessons are learned. The millennium is here and new leaders are emerging. No longer are we a people seeking to grab scraps at a dinner table, but now there are leaders who fight for more. More rights, more respect and more sense of who we are. These leaders all have the one lesson of our ancestors in mind. We are from the people and we are for the people. It is a time of change and while we cannot ever return to who we were before the settlers arrived, we can hold on to what we have kept and move forward with pride and dignity.

A new age for Aboriginal people has come upon the youth of today. More ambition is present among our youth, more determination. The ability to not only compete in today's system, but succeed and prevail is becoming more and more evident as we see more and more Aboriginal doctors, lawyers and politicians. No longer is it a time of sorrow for those we have lost but rather a time to look ahead to the future and aggressively pursue what we desire - respect, pride and a sense of self.

I can only look to the positive aspects of our people. Such as the Aboriginal winter and summer games. In observing these athletes, I became fully aware of just how proficient in sports Aboriginal people have become. From observing the raw determination to win, despite any odds, that I saw on the face of many athletes, I shuddered to think of the will it had taken to get to that level of proficiency. Other positive steps are also being taken.

At only 22 years of age, I find it hard to find the right words, sometimes. I can only write this article in the hope of calling on new heroes among our youth to attain the hunger for success. We need to look toward a better time for our children and to seek new ways to grab hold with both hands and fight for what is owed to us.

It's time to reflect and set new goals.

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Getting to the Special Olympics a stroke at a time

By Marj Roden
Sage Writer
PRINCE ALBERT

Fourteen-year-old Rose Brass wasn't always the championship swimmer that she is today.
"She tried hockey first of all, then soccer, gymnastics, dancing, and finally swimming," said Giff Brass of his daughter's athletic endeavors. "Swimming seems to be her thing."

Her mother Jean agreed with her husband, adding, "When she first started swimming, her dad would take her to the pool, get her in the water and stuff. She was two when she started.

"She's been in the water for a long time. A little water baby, they all call her, because she so likes the water," Jean added.

Thanks to one of her teachers, Rose joined the Special Olympics Swimming Program this fall, an avenue her parents were not aware of.

"This is her first year with Special O," said Jean. "It was actually because of an educational consultant, who moved her from the mainstream classroom into a specialized one. Her daughter also competed in Special O, and she just informed us of what was out there. We had no idea that [Rose] would qualify. I always thought Special Olympics was for [people with] severe physical disability. I didn't realize that she would fit into this category."

That was in the fall of 1999. The Special Olympics' swim coach, Cathy Hoffman, recognized Rose's potential, and recommended her to another team.

"Her coach for the Special Olympics team thought that Rose's talent would exceed the capabilities of the team she had there, and then she gave us the number of Gord Shields," head coach of the Prince Albert Sharks Swim Club.

"Her coach brought her here," said Shields, "and we had her try out at a practice and see what we thought. We had a chance to meet the parents and talk to the parents about the program and what we have to offer, and what benefits we would get out of participating in the program, and so it has carried on since then.

"That was about in January of this year."

The end result of the tryout in the New Year was that Rose earned herself a spot on the Sharks' Swim Team.

Coach Maureen Strathdee, who is also a triathlete and a high school teacher, said, "Rose is a really fun student to have in the class. She tries hard, she wants to learn, and is anxious to do well. She likes to do well, so in that aspect, it's nice to coach someone who is always looking to improve and do well."

Coach Shields said Rose listens, "and she does pick things up fairly quickly. She has the ability to develop because she does take what the coaches have instructed her and put it into practice with what she's doing in the water with her technique."

In a few short months, Rose has learned a lot about technique and has also improved her speed, said Strathdee.

"Rose has really improved because her freestyle speed is getting better and she knew the stroke quite well. For example, she's picked up the technique for the butterfly this year, which is a really hard stroke to learn. So as well as getting faster on the strokes that she did know, she was able to learn some more strokes, and also the racing turns, the starts, relays, and being part of a team."
Then came Rose's first swim meet with Special Olympics, and everyone - including Rose - was in for a huge surprise.

"I think she surprised the coaches, too," said Jean Brass. "They just timed her once, and realized they had never timed her before, so I think that she surprised them too that she already had qualified (for the Canadian ParOlympic Team trials). Nobody was prepared for it, it was sort of 'we've got this kid who can make it,' and no one knew."

Thanks to some last-minute fund-raising done on Rose's behalf by the Special Olympics and the Shriners of Prince Albert, Rose was able to try out for a spot on the Canadian ParOlympic team that will be competing in the World ParOlympic Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. The ParOlympic games immediately follow the main Olympic Games this September.

"They raised the money," said Jean Brass on Rose's first day of the team tryouts in Montreal. "It was pretty fast. We were told Wednesday and had to leave Thursday."

Her first event on May 29 was the 100 metre backstroke, and she surprised many people there.
"She took just about 20 minutes off her backstroke time," said Jean in a phone interview that evening. "She made it through all the heats and made it right to the final."

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Youth are part of a revolution

By Denis Okanee Angus
Sage Columnist

Yesterday I was in North Battleford at my son's soccer game. Blake is nine and he plays for North Battleford Tribal Council. They played an exhibition game against Red Pheasant First Nation. These boys are getting ready to go to the Indian Summer Games in August at the Little Pine First Nation.
Long before Blake played sports, he was powwow dancing. I took many photographs of him. His photographs have been everywhere. There's a funny thing about this boy, everybody really loves him. For as far back as I can remember, people have been attracted to this little guy.

Blake stood out on the soccer field. He's about two or three inches taller than everyone else on his team. As a dad, I realized that little guy that I took pictures of is turning very quickly into a young man.

He's a boy that tries really hard. It doesn't matter if it's hockey, soccer or powwow dancing. He always tries really hard. He's fortunate because he always does really well. And even when he's hurt, he still tries hard.

Like yesterday, his knee was scratched up pretty bad from a bike accident on the gravel road and his toe is wounded from a trampoline accident at his cousin's. Blake was still out there hustling.

But it's more than just being his dad and being proud of your child. That boy stands in himself. He has a strength of spirit and character. I think it's why his photographs were so popular.

After soccer we took the kids to McDonald's for dinner. It's a must when you have the little ones with you and you are in the city. There's more evidence that Blake is growing into a young man. He would rather go to Kentucky Fried Chicken than McDonald's these days. But we had three little ones with us, so McDonald's it was.

And on the way home, something truly incredible happened. From the highway, when you looked east, it was all dark clouds and rain. To the west, however, the sun shone brightly. As we drove down into a valley, we saw the most beautiful rainbow ever. It was all contained in the valley and we could see the entire arch of the rainbow. It was brightly colored and took our breath away. Both my wife and I agreed we have never seen anything so spectacular. And as we stood in that cool rain, magically, above the first rainbow, a second one appeared.

My wife remembers hearing about this double rainbow. If she remembers right, it's part of a prophecy about the coming generations and the strength coming back to Indian nations. I think this rainbow was for my son. For his strength, courage and commitment to be all that he can be. I am humbled. Because my son lives in a world where people believe in him.

This is a world that I did not have as a young boy or even as a young man.

When I look at my son, I truly believe we are part of a revolution in Indian country. When we believe in each other, care about each other and help each other, it's true, we can really change the world.

All day yesterday, I just kept thinking about the kids. And all day yesterday, it just kept coming back to the same thing. I didn't really want to go to town, but I figured I had to support my son in his efforts at soccer. If we just care about the kids and make sure that they are living in good and safe spaces, then we don't really have to worry much about things like politics or self government. Being responsible to your kids is self government. I really learned something yesterday and I could feel it in my gut. Those two rainbows just seemed to be the most beautiful exclamation mark I have ever seen!

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