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Beaver Lake
Pilgrimage marks 50th anniversary
Gary Elaschuk,
Sweetgrass Writer,
Beaver Lake
August 18 and 19 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Sacred
Heart Catholic Church Pilgrimage at Beaver Lake Cree Nation,
near Lac La Biche.
"We were supposed to celebrate 50 years this year,"
said Beaver Lake resident Rita Gladue, "but nothing special
was made." Only half a dozen campers were scattered over
the grounds this year, and the attendance of 100 to 150 was down
significantly from previous years.
"We were disappointed," said Gladue, 59, who has helped
organize the pilgrimage since it was revived six years ago. "Two
years ago there were around 500 people" from Native communities
all over northern Alberta.
Her sister Flora Whitford, 69, who lives on the Kikino Métis
Settlement, has also helped organize the pilgrimage the past
six years. She said she has been going to the Beaver Lake pilgrimage
since she was "just a kid." Their father, Pierre Gladue,
helped build the fourteen stone monuments that mark the way of
the cross on the church grounds.
Gladue said she remembers the men at Beaver Lake gathering stones
"from all over the reserve" to build the stations of
the cross 50 years ago. "One person would build them,"
she said, "and put their name on the one they built."
Only one name has survived the weathering over time, she added:
"M. Richard, and I don't know who that was."
Whitford said she did not care to speculate about why there were
far fewer people at this year's pilgrimage, but she noted that
"people don't go to church that much, especially young people."
She noted that attendance had also dropped at the Kehewin pilgrimage
this year. "Old-timers used to go to church lots,"
she said. "Everyone used to go to church, and to the pilgrimages.
Now the young people would rather go to ball games or rodeos."
"In the old days there were tents set up everywhere,"
Gladue said. "Everyone from the reserve set up there; people
came from all over the north. When they started the pilgrimage
it was with teams of horses. People would set up camp a week
ahead of time."
Attendance dropped when camping was banned on the church grounds,
she said, and then the event was cancelled for a 10-year period.
When it was revived, it was because people at Beaver Lake "didn't
want to let it go."
Ninety-year-old Beaver Lake Elder Leo Mountain, who has attended
the pilgrimage for "40 years or more," said "the
camp ground used to be full in the old days - it's starting to
come back."
"There are not many believers anymore," he said. "The
young people have lost their way; they don't believe in anything
they can't touch or see."
Gladue felt attendance was down this year because the word did
not get out to other Native communities. Although she regularly
travels to the big pilgrimage at Lac St. Anne, Gladue feels the
smaller pilgrimages keep closer to the original intent of renewing
and celebrating faith. At Lac St. Anne "there is so much
other stuff going on it's not religion anymore," she said.
"There's gambling, people selling a small bannock bun for
a dollar. You're not supposed to go there to make money. It's
a holy thing you're supposed to follow - to pray."
The Sunday mass was dedicated in memory of Archie Gladue, a Beaver
Lake businessman and philanthropist who died in a traffic accident
last December at age 61. A hawthorn tree was planted in his memory.
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Music festival
attracts great talent, small crowd
Inna Dansereau,
Sweetgrass Writer,
Edmonton
Even though the Indian Summer Music Festival at Telus Field
wasn't successful Sept. 1, its producer wants to do it again.
Only 110 people bought tickets said producer Leon Anthony. Showoff
Productions, which organized the festival, gave out 1,200 complimentary
tickets; about 300 people came.
If the price was lower (tickets sold through TicketMaster for
$48) people would be more eager to come, said James Piche, one
of the few who spent his cash. He also said he didn't know about
the show until the night before.
"If there were more promotion and a price drop, this place
would have been packed," said Piche. He came for George
Leach, but he said the price was too high to pay to see just
one person. He also liked Eagle & Hawk because of their diverse
repertoire.
The producer, however, said they were looking at the mainstream
concert market and priced their tickets at $40. "We gave
a huge variety of music for all to enjoy," he said.
Anthony said he has outstanding amounts to pay for the event
and counts his loss at $36,000. He said it is very discouraging,
but he plans to do the show again next year.
The low attendance was because of a lack of star power, said
Anthony. He plans to invite a big-name non-Aboriginal performer,
who has strong ties to Aboriginal communities and causes, to
attract larger crowds next summer. He didn't give out his name.
Anthony also said more powerful advertising in concert listings,
magazines and billboards will be done. He plans to involve major
beer companies as sponsors. This year, the festival was advertised
on the radio for only one week.
Anthony said his idea was to introduce Aboriginal musicians,
as well as his company, to the mainstream. Video footage from
the concert will appear on his show on the Aboriginal People's
Television Network.
Because of a severe thunderstorm, two groups never performed.
Comedian Howie Miller tried to make fun of being left without
the audience, which went home or ran around looking for shelter.
The earlier performers had success among the small crowd.
Claude McKenzie is a former Kashtin group member from Montreal
with a great voice. He sings in Inuu, a language spoken by fewer
than 12,000 people in northeastern Quebec. Many of McKenzie's
songs he wrote to his wife and son about hard times being on
the road. He has written about 200 songs and said singing them
is like dreaming - he doesn't see anything around him when he
sings. He plans to promote his first solo album, Inuu Town. He
has recorded songs in French, English and Inuu. "I just
want to be a musician and share my rhythm and spirit with all
the people," said McKenzie.
Julie Robertson and Dawn Ferguson have been singing in harmony
for seven years. They come from Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement.
CreeAtive Harmony's latest album, Tribute to Elders, has been
nominated for the Outstanding Aboriginal Recording of the Year
award.
WarParty was formed in 1995. Rex and Cynthia Smallboy, Karmen
Omeosoo and Ryan Small are rappers from Hobbema. They sing about
problems on reserves across Canada and promote Native pride.
Cynthia said she is able to bring the feminine perspective into
their music and she loves it.
"How many people have to commit suicide before we open our
eyes and try to realize that things just don't gotta be like
this . . . ." Her I'm feeling reserved was written after
10 suicides were committed in Hobbema within a few months.
WarParty will produce its first music video for Much Music in
Toronto this fall. The clip is about wrong choices a guy makes
in life and about how it could have been different.
Mishi Donovan has been professionally singing for seven years.
She writes her own songs about people's struggles, problems,
love, hope, dreams and fantasies. "I sing from the depth
of my soul and hope it would touch them (audience) as it touched
me," said Donovan. She will also focus on composing the
music for her new album Walking on Fire to be released next year.
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