Top News - July - 2004 Published July 7, 2004 Aboriginal spirits soar in capital city Regional partnership tackles local concerns Play revitalizes interest in priest's history This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the July 2004 issue of Alberta Sweetgrass. If you are not receiving your own copy of Sweetgrass, then you have missed out on a lot. Click here for Alberta Sweetgrass subscription information. Aboriginal spirits soar in capital city Carl Carter, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton This city's celebrations for National Aboriginal Day kicked off on June 18 with opening ceremonies held at city hall. Festivities continued for more than a week as Aboriginal people across Canada celebrated their heritage. Ward one councillor Karen Leibovici read the proclamation for National Aboriginal Day. The Boyle Street Hip-hop Performers entertained the crowd and the four winners of the Nellie Carlson Youth Awards were announced. "We're honoring Aboriginal youth for achievements, not only academic but athletic as well, and community service, volunteerism. A whole gambit of criteria," said Lewis Cardinal, chair of the Edmonton Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee. "The winners this year are just astounding." The four winners were Stephanie Gouda, Jonathan Bird, Eric Calvert and Angela Gladue. Each won for overcoming adversity and showing achievements in many categories ranging from academics to performing arts and leadership abilities. Gouda is involved with many school activities, including a peer teen panel where she helps other students make positive life choices. Bird is a role model for other students and works hard in his Grade 11 academic studies. Calvert, who plans to go to university or become a welder, became a role model for others through his talents in music and his work with his school's band. Gladue, who is a member of the Boyle Street Hip-hop Performers and a former powwow dancer, has a love for dancing that she plans to turn into a career as a dance instructor. "I think it's important for capacity building of the Aboriginal community to recognize our youth," said Laura Auger, Aboriginal community development co-ordinator for the urban affairs committee. Other festivities in Edmonton included powwows, the Dreamspeakers Film Festival, an Aboriginal music festival and many other events that celebrated and showcased Aboriginal traditions and talents. "It's a celebration of being Aboriginal, but also recognizing what we have gifted Canada. It's an opportunity for us to reach out to fellow Canadians and say thanks," said Cardinal about the celebrations. "The major thing is that there is a lot of contribution that Aboriginal people have given to Canada. I'm talking about our commitment in times of war, our commitment to working in peace and friendship within the community and contributing to the socio-economic fabric of Canada. There's a lot of contributions that we can take pride in from sports to medicine to politics." The weather was great for the Aboriginal music festival held at the legislature grounds on June 27. Organizer Ann Nipshank said she was pleased with the success of the event, but the tough part was getting the lineup of bands. There were 10 bands performing at the festival, which was down from last year's 40. "It's an important event because we want people to promote awareness to our Aboriginal community and our non-Aboriginal community so that they know we're celebrating National Aboriginal Day as Aboriginal people of this country," said Nipshank. "We're important members of this country and we should celebrate this important day together," said Ann Nipshank. Actor Ryan Black was the emcee for the music festival, where bands played many types of music including jazz, country and rock. "I love things like this. It's wonderful. I think it's great when you go to powwows and things like that, but it's just as great to see Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people coming out to see the festival," said Black, who's known for his roles in Dance Me Outside and The Rez. "One of the major things we've lost over the centuries is a sense of pride and I think festivals like this, and celebration of days like this, help to promote that. Some of the youth that I see are just bursting with talent, but they can't even look you in the eye, so it's important to make them proud of who they are. What we're trying to say is 'I'm Aboriginal and it's okay for me to be proud of that.'" Top

Regional partnership tackles local concerns Jennifer Chung, Sweetgrass Writer, Okotoks In an effort to improve and develop municipal services, 15 communities have joined forces to form the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP). The Tsuu T'ina Nation is the only Aboriginal community currently involved in the partnership. Peter K. Manywounds, a special project consultant with Tsuu T'ina, said what made CRP attractive was its emphasis on collaboration rather than being a new level of government. Officially established on May 14, the volunteer organization provides a forum for communities to discuss ways they can better deliver municipal services across the region, protect the environment, and implement regional strategies for economic development. Bill McAlpine, the CRP chair and mayor of Okotoks, said the partnership fosters "a general climate of co-operation and collaboration" where communities will work together to tackle issues such as water and waste management, transportation, emergency response and communications. McAlpine said economic development has become a special focus for CRP communities. "As we mature, we will become more globally competitive with the Edmonton region...or Salt Lake City or Phoenix or Kansas City. We need to be globally competitive in a North American market and this helps us go down that road in my opinion ... we hope to improve our competitive advantage in the Alberta advantage, let's put it that way," said McAlpine. Manywounds said the partnership allows all participants to bring to the table their own agenda. "Everybody has their own approval process, none of which is actually put on the table. What is there is a discussion about how do you mutually work together in those areas you can agree to, to benefit everybody. And how do you understand what other people are doing in relation to what you're doing and what impacts are there? It's information sharing, planning in a very global context," he said. The Tsuu T'ina Nation operates 18 businesses in the community, which includes two golf courses and a business park development. The community is working with the province and the city of Calgary on the Sarcee Trail extension and a casino development. Ecotourism is another area that could be prosperous for the community and its surrounding regions. "If the regional partnership is able to achieve a higher level of visits from tourists as a destination, and we're part of that, and we help increase that, we're going to benefit as well. So that's sort of a symbiotic relationship that is fundamental to the way the regional partnership works. The more successful we are, the more successful others will be and vice versa," said Manywounds. "We offer a unique cultural component ... they won't otherwise have in the region, which makes us a valuable component for the European and the Asian markets in particular, but also for the Canadian and North American market. So that's something that again, is a mutual benefit." In addition to the economic benefits, Manywounds said the partnership provides more opportunities for communication between regions so they can stay informed about issues that concern each of the CRP communities. "I think (it provides) better understanding both ways about our neighbors and who they are and what they do and what their plans are. Because, as I say, they do have an impact. Air, water, and fish and wildlife do not have borders, so those kinds of management things are important for us and we can't do them on our own. That's something that we have to work in partnership with people for. So those are some significant benefits." McAlpine said the members of the CRP committee are having informal discussions with the Stoney Tribal Administration about the possibility of joining the partnership. McAlpine added that members of the Siksika First Nation, which is located roughly 110 km east of Calgary, has not expressed interest in becoming involved with the organization. Robert Breaker, band manager of the Siksika Nation, said he has not heard of CRP. CRP has an operating budget of $2.4 million. The 14 municipalities and jurisdictions that make up CRP include Tsuu T'ina, Airdrie, Calgary, Black Diamond, Canmore, Chestermere, Cochrane, High River, Strathmore, Turner Valley, Big Horn, Foot Hills, Rocky View, Redwood Meadows and Okotoks. Top Play revitalizes interest in priest's history Carl Carter, Sweetgrass Writer, Pincher Creek The story of Father Albert Lacombe will be brought to life in a new play set to take to the stage in southern Alberta. "Man of a Good Heart" focuses on the connection Father Lacombe had with the Blackfoot people. It will be presented each Saturday during July and August at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek. Admission is included with the cost of admission to the museum. The 45-minute historical play zeroes in on the work done primarily in the later half of the 1800s by Father Lacombe, whose parish at one time was all of Alberta. Father Lacombe's hermitage, which was built in the 1880s, still stands in the pioneer village and will house a special display of memorabilia from the last 30 years of Father Lacombe's life. Joyce Sasse, a retired minister, wrote the play and will narrate it. Sasse said Father Lacombe was a great friend of the Blackfoot, Chief Crowfoot and prime minister John A. MacDonald. "I just think it's a tremendously exciting story, and as a person who grew up in southern Alberta I never knew that much about him," said Sasse. She said her goal in writing about Father Lacombe was to help people "to understand the Native history and the hardships that the Blackfoot people went through. "We speak a great deal about that. And the setting is a classroom, as if it is a modern classroom of today. And I think now is a great time to retell that story," said Sasse. "I think among Native people and non-Native people, this is a very important and very credible story." According to Farley Wuth, curator at the pioneer village, the play will also be a good attraction and a good way to bring the area's history to life. Wuth said the play is a good depiction of Father Lacombe and very balanced because it captures his role in history from both a settler's standpoint and a Native person's standpoint. "It's interesting because it's been a half-forgotten story out of our history. Father Lacombe is perhaps better known for his work up in north-central Alberta, but he did do a lot of work down here in the Pincher Creek area," said Wuth. "Most people don't appreciate that or they've forgotten a lot of that history, so that's why this play is so important for us to have here at the museum. It talks about the early settlers and his role and work with the Native peoples and his role with church work. It's a really fascinating chapter out of our history." Doris Metcalfe has been involved with the theatre at the pioneer village for many years and she said she feels "incredibly lucky" to be directing the production, as well as acting in it. "It's a really passionate story. It's funny about history, unless you're taught it in school or you hear stories, you're just not aware of it," said Metcalfe. "I bet there's tons of people here who don't know the story and need to hear it." Sasse agrees that people need to know more about the history behind Father Lacombe and hopes this play will attract people to the rich history in southern Alberta. "What I keep saying to people, who was (Father Lacombe) and what did he do? He was really an important person, and that's the end of their story. So we're going to give them a story." Top