Top News - October -2001 Published October 15, 2001 Darius Smallboy "pulls a stall" at the band Warparty's video shoot in Louis Bull Recreation Centre at Hobbema on Sept. 28. Darius is the son of group member Rex Smallboy. Photo by Brad Crowfoot Sewell memorial upbeat affair Cultural camp at town's back door Buffalo people's wisdom needed in land-use planning This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the October 2001 issue of Alberta Sweetgrass. If you are not receiving your own copy of Sweetgrass, then you have missed out on a lot. Sewell memorial upbeat affair Kenton Friesen, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton "A humorous song cannot compromise serious songs. They both stand on their own merit," wrote Cathy Sewell in one of her many University of Alberta papers. It was humor that was centre stage at the University of Alberta's Myer Horowitz Theatre on Sept. 22, as friends and family gathered to publicly celebrate their memories of Sewell. Sewell (April 5, 1962 to Aug. 23, 2001) was a gifted musician, journalist, leader, educator, speaker, warrior and woman who died from cancer. Calgary's Heebee Jeebees acted as master of ceremonies for the memorial evening called A Song of Celebration, and their off-the-cuff antics and outstanding vocal work set the tone. The a cappella foursome were Sewell's favorites, and her own Aboriginal vocal ensemble, ASANI, shared the stage with them many times. Sewell co-founded ASANI in 1997 and performed with them around the world, from South Africa to Hawaii to New York City's Carnegie Hall. The three remaining members, Debbie Houle, Sarah Pocklington and Sherryl Sewepagaham, took the stage early in the program with a song written for Sewell entitled "Ode to a Warrior." The melody was written before Sewell fell sick, but the words only came the day after her funeral. Amid the jocularity, the impassioned farewell song indeed stood on its own merit. Sewell graduated from U of A with a degree in Native studies and a minor in linguistics in 1996. She returned two years later to pursue a master's degree in international intercultural education. "She touched a lot of people at a lot of different levels. She was multi-faceted," said Lewis Cardinal, director of the Native Student Services at the university. Aboriginal rapper Bannock recalled just how diverse and daring an individual she was. When his back-up vocalist wasn't able to make a show where he was ASANI's opening act, he asked Sewell if she would kindly fill in. Sewell not only accepted, but gave Bannock complete artistic control of her wardrobe for the performance. "She was not bound by social expectations," said the rapper, who studied in Sewell's contemporary music course last spring. Articulate and well-spoken, Sewell made it her duty to deconstruct stereotypes -- especially those surrounding Canada's Native people. Throughout the ceremony, Angela Wolfe and Don Sewell read excerpts from Sewell's "Top Ten Challenges of being a Native Student at the U of A." They included: Having to memorize the Bering Strait theory for your anthropology exam when you know we've been here all along. Reading eight books and writing two 10-page papers for your Oral Traditions course. People saying they're surprised to find out you're Native because you don't talk with an accent and you're not an alcoholic and you got the highest mark in the course. Contributions were accepted throughout the evening to set up the Cathy Sewell Scholarship for the Indigenous Arts. The ceremony was followed by an open mic time, giving those present an opportunity to share their memories of Sewell. The majority who spoke remembered her as a dynamic, sharing individual who gave a lot of support to her community. The Northern Harmony Canadian A Cappella Competition will be held at the Myer Horowitz Theatre in Sewell's honour Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. It is clear Sewell will be missed - with a smile. Top

Cultural camp at town's back door Rob McKinley, Sweetgrass Writer, Lac La Biche If you go into the woods, make sure Walter Quinn is with you. Quinn, a long-time trapper, recently unveiled his new Aboriginal cultural camp located at Deeridge Estates, five kilometres southeast of Lac La Biche. With sponsorship from Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, where Quinn is employed as a trapper co-ordinator, the culture camp offers up a traditional glimpse of Aboriginal culture and spirituality. From authentic tipis to traditional feasts made over an open fire, the camp serves up a sampling of Aboriginal life to visitors from near and far. "We've had people in for overnight stays, two or three days or a week. We had some people here from Korea a little while ago." The camp, which opened about a year ago, is now in the final stages of completion and has something for everyone. "It's for the public, all ages, to come and experience some of the traditional ways of life," said Quinn. "We want to show people that the environment offers something for everyone." Although many of the traditional activities offered at the camp are not widely practiced anymore, Quinn hopes the camp will keep the culture alive in all races of people. "We are trying to get the message to the people that we don't have to live like this anymore, with all the technologies we have, but we can still do it and enjoy it." The things to enjoy include meals of smoked and dried meats, information on trapping and living off the land, and sweat lodges. Currently, the camp features eight large teepees to accommodate a growing number of visitors. Over the next year, Quinn plans to set up at least four more teepees on the five-acre parcel of land within the rural subdivision. Being just a few kilometres from the shores of Beaver Lake, activities also include nature hikes and lake tours. "It's for corporate retreats or school visits with teachers. It's open for everyone," said Quinn. A large component of the camp's programming revolves around the trapping industry, said Quinn, who works with the 450 trappers within Al-Pac's Forest Management Area. His work not only forges a partnership between industry and the trappers, it also provides the public with an insight in the trapping lifestyle. "We can spend a day on the traplines around here because it's important for people to understand what trapping is all about." Born in Imperial Mills, the Métis man has lived in the bush his entire life, so this venture is perfect for him. "I've been a bushman all my life. It's something I can't leave. It is me," he said. "It's natural life. I want to show people that all the tools they pack into the bush are unnecessary. [Show] them how to use what's in front of them and know how to use what the environment offers us." Top Buffalo people's wisdom needed in land-use planning Inna Dansereau, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton Decisions about land use should incorporate local Aboriginal people's traditional knowledge of the land, and their consent must be obtained along with government's before development, according to Allan J. Wolfleg. Wolfleg, a Blackfoot from the Siksika Nation and a member of the regulatory advisory committee of Environment Canada, presented his views at a lunchtime seminar on traditional knowledge and environmental protection at the Environmental Law Centre in Edmonton on Sept. 20. Both Aboriginal people and government have to pick a team and put their people together for discussion. "As one whole team, together we decide what to do and agree on some terms," he said. All sources are worthy of listening to, added Wolfleg. Eric Mohun, community relations manager for KeySpan Energy Canada, said companies are asked to provide wisdom, and it doesn't matter if it's Aboriginal or not. "We are not allowed to impact on traditional values. We're asking the community to show how my footprint is going to affect the traditional values." Mohun also said companies are being asked to undertake environmental assessments that include Aboriginal traditional knowledge. "But then the report is being sent to an agency that's very conservative, that has to follow the rules and has no clue what's going on. You're expecting that body to improve, but all the new information isn't understood, isn't accepted . . . it takes years of teaching them," Mohun said. Wolfleg told many stories and legends to illustrate the importance of traditional knowledge. He said the essential part of the knowledge is the experience. He told of the ceremonies and formalities for purification he learned as a child. Wolfleg speaks Blackfoot, Cree and English. He said English terms imprison the understanding of Indian people. "We are forced to defend ourselves and to try and fit in." There is a lot to learn about the interconnection of all beings and the earth, said Elizabeth Seale, a human rights educator with the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. The Aboriginal view of a relationship with nature is very different from the western European view, she said, adding, "What good are human rights, if the Earth is non-sustainable?" She brought a rock that she found a few weeks ago at Buffalo Lake. "I find it soothing and comforting, reminding me of water, tears and support of women with me there then," she wrote. "I choose two cones found by a friend as she and I were walking. They speak to me of hope and reconciliation." She also brought an ocean shell given by a friend far away: "It reminds me of all the beings around the whole wide world with whom we share this peace." Top