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Published September 14, 1998 A group of teenagers and Elders from Black Lake recently completed a 10-day canoe trip. The jaunt was an attempt to help preserve the Dene heritage and stress the importance of it to the youth. Story... Photo Credit: Paul Sinkewicz Aboriginal website makes waves by Pamela Green Trip of a lifetime unites present and past by Paul Sinkewicz Basketball camp is a slam dunk by Sabrina Whyatt Aboriginal education supported by gambling profits by Sabrina Whyatt Tipi-maker is dedicated to work by Pamela Green Photography is my art by Denis Okanee Angus Here is a full list of additional stories featured in the September, 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. Volunteer team claims firefighting victory National sport conference draws big names New Jr. B hockey team ready to score Reserve benefits greatly from Big Bear film Firefighting is risky business Emergency room on wheels important commodity Self government in action in B.C. Kids treated to flight from the past Aboriginal website makes waves By Pamela Green Sage Writer SASKATOON There's a new Aboriginal web site making big waves on the World Wide Net. Designed to give people from all over the world an exciting taste of Wanuskewin, this 300-page interactive site delivers a comprehensive pre-tour of one of Canada's most important heritage and tourism attractions, done from the Native perspective. Funded by Industry Canada and the School Net Digital Collection, the project was created to encourage Aboriginal students to get involved in computer technology on their own terms, both culturally and spiritually. Nine students from the Nutana Collegiate in Saskatoon were hired to work on the new Website during the busy summer months at the Wanuskewin Heritage Park, an approach that gave them a real hands-on feel for the Aboriginal culture and its real impact on the tourism industry today. The creation of an upbeat interactive package that would open a window on Wanuskewin for the world became the goal. To educate the general public on the traditional and biological environment of the Meewasin Valley and its significance as an important crossroad for the ancient cultures of the plains. Ron Burntston, librarian and resident computer wiz at Nutana Collegiate, wrote up the grant application for the Website project and provided on-going technical support for the students, whose goal it was to have it up and running by September 1998. Shawn Lessard, a 23-year-old Reh Services councilor born on the Montreal Lake Reserve, north of Prince Albert, came on board as project manager, acting as a bridge between students, teachers, interpreters and archeologists and the sometimes scary world of cutting edge information technology. "It was his goal," explained Lessard, "to encourage Aboriginal people to get involved with computers and the endless possibilities of connecting to the World Wide Web." "And sometimes that means dragging them kicking and screaming into the computer era," he added. It also meant creating a highly marketable, professional web product that would command global respect and high interest, both for the culture and for the fragile environment of Wanuskewin. "Learning to respect the traditional and biological environment was the touchstone of our project." "It's not Disneyland out there, it's Mother Earth." The website is divided into four components including the trails section, culture, facilities, and the environmental index, each designed to give potential visitors a feel for what's available Each section opens with an original piece of artwork made by the students to focus on the highlights of a hands -on interactive tour, with real rock chips to click-on when moving from site to site. The tours of the natural trails feature video footage of white tailed deer, muskrats and beavers as well as some hidden suprises for the inquisitive browser. Watch out for the giant gopher, hidden in the woods, who jumps out with a sign that says ... don't feed the animals. The finished package which, according to Lessard, drew rave reviews from the staff and management of Wanuskewin, has recently gone on-line, sending out a strong message of respect and commitment for both Native and non-Native people that says, "Let's believe in this place." And for the students and staff who interacted on the project, it turned out to be an incredible summer, a real eye opener and learning experience; camping out in tipis, experiencing life and traditional ways from the past and networking with professional photographers from the Discovery Channel, on site to create a full lenglth feature presentation for an important series on famous Canadian parks. "It was a win-win situation for everyone involved," said Lesssard. "And that's something you don't see very often." Trip of a lifetime unites present and past By Paul Sinkewicz Sage Writer PRINCE ALBERT A group of teenagers and elders from Black Lake have triumphantly completed a 10-day canoe trip through the wilderness of northern Saskatchewan that was designed to help them preserve their Dene culture. The trip was planned by band councillor Freddie Throassie as a response to the threat posed by the new Athabasca seasonal road, which is currently under construction. According to Dan Robillard, band personnel director, the road is seen by many in his home town, only 100 kilometers from the Northwest Territories and 180 kilometers from the nearest highway to the south, as the possible death knell for the way of life his people know and cherish. "A lot of things will change the elders are saying. The drugs and booze will come in. It'll change the people," said Robillard. "Everything will change when the road comes in. There'll be more people, more tourists." Robillard said his people also fear trap lines will be disturbed and outside hunters and fishers will come in when the road is completed, further changing the community. Despite the worries more than 90 per cent of the band voted for construction of the road in a plebiscite two years ago in the belief that the road will bring more good than bad. But one thing Robillard and Throassie don't want to give up in the exchange is the culture of the band's youth. "This younger generation, it's right next door to them but they really haven't learned how to skin [the caribou] or hunt them," Robillard said. Despite the difficulties of living in the isolated community of 1,500, Robillard said life has improved since his days as a youth to the point where the children of Black Lake are no longer in contact with the land and how to survive on it as their forefathers did. Throassie agrees. "Today's kids have only been taught to watch T.V.," he said. Throassie's own upbringing taught him how to live off the land in harmony with nature, as was the practice of his forefathers. "Myself, I've been taught to do that," he said. "When I'm in the bush I have my sense of direction. All the elders believe that. These kids nowadays don't have that anymore." To help teach the children of the community about their cultural heritage, 10 canoes were purchased in Prince Albert. At Points North, a group of 12 boys and eight elders began a journey of several hundred kilometres by river, lake and portage to their home community of Black Lake. Throassie said only three days supply of food was taken with the intention that along the way the elders could teach the youths, aged 15 to 18, about the traditional ways of the Dene people - hunting, fishing and skinning to name a few. The trip proved to be both challenging and exciting right from the start. After spending the first few days learning how to handle the canoes, the flotilla of paddlers came to their first two sets of rapids. The second set got the better of one of the canoes and group spent several anxious minutes waiting for one of the boys and one elder to surface and make it to shore. There they dried off and set about to use their fishing net to replenish their dwindling food supply. An elder showed the boys how to make floats out of willow trees and weights out of stones. The nets were then set for the night. Throassie said it was about midnight when a roaring noise could be heard in the camp. He investigated at a hilltop and saw the unmistakable and frightening red glow of a forest fire on the horizon. He says he then saw a rolling ball of fire narrowly avoid the camp by only a few kilometres and be pushed off into another direction by the wind. A watch was kept for several hours to make sure the fire didn't double back on the camp. By morning only four fish were netted, and only two were big enough to eat. Throassie cooked the meagre breakfast up for the boys. It was then that the Creator stepped in, said Throassie. A two-year old black bear was attracted to the smell of the fish and came to the river bank where the canoes were stored. "It was a really good bear. A fat bear," he said. "When a bear gives himself up to you it's a good sign." The bear was shot and the group gave thanks to both the Creator and the spirit of the bear for giving itself up for the group. The Elders taught the boys how to singe the hide and how to make dried meat from the bear. "This bear that we killed opened everything up for us," Throassie said. "So that supplied us for a couple of days," Throassie said. By the seventh day the group was ready to hunt again and Throassie took them to an area he knew to be popular with moose. "Sure enough there was a moose there. So we shot it and the kids were so happy," Throassie said. "By the time I got there everyone was there and they had the cook pot out." The Elders showed them how to gut the carcass and prepare the hide with a traditional tool fashioned from a hind leg bone. "So the kids experienced everything first hand out there." Throassie now chuckles at the memory of how the boys acted as individuals at the start of the adventure. They had brought their own food and tobacco and would dip into their bags for themselves during the first few days. But he said at the end of the trip everyone was opening their bags to the group and sharing what they had. Now that the band has the canoes, Throassie would like to make the trip an annual event. Throassie said the trip was everything he had hoped it would be for the boys. "Doing something for yourself makes one feel proud," he said. "These kids, it shows on their face that they enjoyed themselves. They experienced first hand what our ancestors experienced travelling these routes." Basketball camp is a slam dunk By Sabrina Whyatt Sage Staff Writer SASKATOON A two-week youth basketball camp held in Saskatoon this summer turned out to be a success and will likely become an annual occurrence. The Saskatoon Native Basketball Association (SNBA) held its first camp in July, organized by longtime player and coach Allan Ross. He also co-ordinated the event with University of Saskatchewan basketball player Mike Zeller. Ross said his initial mandate was to promote the sport in an orderly setting in the inner-city. "There was a clear lack of programming for inner-city, underprivileged youth," said Ross. "I knew there were literally hundreds of kids all over this province that loved the game of basketball. I knew something had to be done. Someone had to get things organized." Ross said it didn't take long to convince people in both the city administration and Native organizations that the camp was a worthwhile project. "Funding and volunteers I found easy to get. I believe the goals of our SNBA was something that excited both funding agencies and volunteers." In addition to the physical challenge, SNBA was also designed to improve mental fitness by raising self confidence, developing social skills and acquiring a positive attitude. Part of the daily activities included written homework, which had to be done during lunch break, and group discussions on topics like stress skills and peer pressure. "This camp can contribute to stay in school programs, healthy lifestyles and respectful behaviors of youth - all of which the coaching staff and our SNBA and members witnessed over the two weeks of camp," said Ross. He added that the kids were encouraged to be non-violent, to develop friendships, solve problems and practice sportsmanship in basketball and everyday life. SNBA has received positive response from parents, and children alike, and was fortunate to have high profile basketball players of Native descent become available to coach. "These coaches not only did a remarkable job as leaders, they also imparted invaluable knowledge on the game of basketball and life. The kids always seemed attentive and displayed respect to the coaches." Aboriginal education supported by gambling profits By Sabrina Whyatt Sage Writer REGINA As an attempt to give something back to the community and to promote education, Casino Regina recently awarded scholarships to eight students, four of whom were Aboriginal. "It's just a part of our efforts to be a good corporate citizen," said Lynn Gidluck, director of communications and public relations for Casino Regina. "The corporation felt it was important to be helping as much as we can in the communities." Recognizing secondary education is imperative in today's competitive workforce, Gidluck said the decision to provide assistance to devoted students and communities wasn't a difficult one. However, the decision to choose eight winners from 150 applicants wasn't as easy. "It's amazing to know just how many talented young people there are. There wasn't just eight outstanding applicants, there were so many," said Gidluck. She said it was gratifying to go through the applications and to see how much these people contribute to the community and continue to succeed in their studies. "All of them are role models for the rest of the youth in the communities. Personally, I got a really good feeling knowing in five years, these are the people who will be involved in developing our communities." The eight recipients were chosen on their balance between education, being involved in the community and work. "It was an extremely difficult decision," said Gidluck. The scholarships will be awarded annually. This year's recipients are: Desiree Kematch, Christa Gould, Anne Laliberte, Stacey Lynn Nault, Joseph Bantle, Scott Carson, Amy Jo Sandeski and Satpal Virdi. Anne Laliberte recieves her scholarship certificate. Tipi-maker is dedicated to work By Pamela Green Sage Writer PASQUA RESERVE When the staff and students working on the Onion Lake Tipi Village were ready to order the eight canvas tipi covers needed to complete their new tourism site, they knew that they had to find the very best. They wanted the best quality, design and workmanship available, made with an authentic flavor that would stand the test of time. After researching the market, they chose the hand-crafted workmanship of Grace Stevenson, a well known tipi-maker from the Pasqua Reserve. Her recreations of ancient designs coupled with the latest in modern innovation were found to be second to none. A talented basket weaver, beadworker and seamstress, Stevenson spent years searching for the perfect tipi design. She aimed for a balance of form and function that's both practical and comfortable to live in. She wanted to honor and pay respect to the cultural ways and spiritual traditions of the Native peoples of the Plains. Adamant to see a job through, Stevenson was keeping busy during the Onion Lake Powwow, demonstrating the art and craft of tipi raising. She mentored students from the Youth Services Canada Project, supervised by tipi village program co-ordinator Dalphine Jameson. For the past year, these students have been trained to work in the tourism industry. Using lodge poles cut from the nearby forest, there had to be fine tuning, with all nicks and branch burs smoothed off before the central tripod and eagle's nest formation could be pulled up. Long support ropes pulled in a winding motion around an increasing number of lodge poles resulted in a standing structure of 15 that was securely tied, well grounded and ready for canvas. Stevenson said smooth lodge poles were extra insurance against nicks and tears in the liner and outside covering, especially when the wind blew causing friction and rubbing. The creation of a sturdy lodge covering starts with large rolls of heavy duty 10 oz. unbleached cotton sewn on an industrial strength machine using nylon thread as strong as fishing line. There can be no unfinished edges and critical points like the smoke flaps and lifting tab must be well reinforced to take the extra strain. Peg loops and pin holes for lacing doorways must be zigzagged for reinforcement and special care taken to ensure correct ventilation and updraft for the central fire. She explained that doorways were culturally specific depending on the tribe. The entrance to a Blackfoot lodge was said to be large enough to put a horse through during a raid (from the Cree) while the Cree lodges had much smaller holes that could be tightly laced and blockaded during a raid (from the Blackfoot). She said lodges would usually be set up in a sheltered area, set into a round shallow pit with the hardwood pegs driven in. The decoration of a tipi was both personal and universal, the inside liner being a kind of "Indian wallpaper" that reflected the personality of the owners and the outside designs which told of war deeds, myths and spiritual matters. "In my research I have tried to find out what really worked the best and was ready to listen to advice from Elders I met on my travels. If there is a way to improve on the design, I want to know about it." Stevenson said the personal satisfaction of creating something people really appreciate is incredible. "By helping give new life to an ancient tradition, I am drawing strength and creativity from the women of the past. "The woman's drum has been silent too long. The time has come to make it sing again." Photography is my art By Denis Okanee Angus Sage Columnist Some people don't think that photography is an art. This perplexes me. Photography isn't just taking a picture that is there. There's often a lot of posing that goes into making a picture. You can also put several photographs together. The last stage of many of my photographs is the hand painting. There's often many hours of work in hand coloring just one black and white photograph. Lately, I have started to work with old pictures taken 40 or 50 years ago. There's a saying that says, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Sometimes it's very hard for me to write my columns because the picture says all I wanted to say and it's very hard for me to put it into words. This picture is of an old school house, but there is another good story about an osprey. I took my kids out into the bush just a little ways from our house. Where I took the kids, this osprey had its nest. I have never heard of this before, and I may not have believed it, if I had not seen it. But this osprey got pushed out of his nest by two geese. Everytime the osprey would try to go to the nest, the geese would fight him. We watched the fighting for a long time. The next time we went back, about a week later, the osprey was gone. I don't know where the bird went for a couple of years, but this year it is back again. There's also a photograph of the dancer and a tipi that was taken at Whitefish powwow last year. It rained and rained at that powwow. I took that picture during the grand entry while the dancers were all waiting to file into the arbor. I realize when I take pictures that I am recording history. The images of my photographs will be here a lot longer than I am. For First Nations, I believe our history is very important and I am proud to be able to record today for tomorrow. We always had artists who recorded our history. It used to be recorded on skins or rocks and now we have technology. I believe that tradition is in my photographs. I was always interested in taking photographs. I can't remember when I first got the idea, but I was attracted to cameras. I started taking pictures of kids. After I got married, we moved to Ottawa. This was the very first time that I had been away from the Prairies and I did not like it over there at first. I missed home and I did not have too much to do with myself. One day my wife brought home a calendar from Algonquin College and asked me if there was something I wanted to take at school. I really wanted to take some photography courses but I was pretty shy about going to school. If someone had told me just a few years later that my pictures would be published and that I would be in an art show, I would have not believed them. My wife encouraged me. She never lets me quit and I think that's pretty important. It seemed like an impossible dream at first, I never even had a camera. Now, I have at least six cameras and I also have a collection of old cameras. I guess that's the thing about dreams. First you have to be able to say it, then you need people who care about you to support you in your dream. Getting to your dream isn't about taking one big leap, it's about taking little steps all in the direction of your dream.