Kikino suffers
the growing pains of success
Gary Elaschuk, Sweetgrass Writer, Kikino
Some people consider 13 an unlucky number, but the only bad luck
for the Kikino Métis Settlement in their 13th year of
hosting the Kikino Celebration Days and Silver Birch Rodeo is
the event has grown so popular it's outgrowing the facility.
"We're at a point where we have to go bigger or smaller,"
said settlement administrator Roger Littlechilds. "We can't
stay at the midway point anymore. Parking is becoming a big problem
and there's not much room to expand."
The rodeo grounds at the Silver Birch Resort were packed with
spectators for three out of four days of the Aug. 8 to 11 event.
Littlechilds said attendance was around 500 for the first day,
when only chuckwagon and chariot races were running. But once
the rodeo kicked off on Friday, attendance soared to 2,100 a
day.
Rodeo fans filled all the bleachers to standing room only. Other
events on the grounds also drew large crowds, even while the
rodeo was running. These events included a two-day talent contest,
a small midway for the kids, pony rides, a horseshoe tournament,
pancake breakfasts, and steak barbecues. Flat races, the Adrian
Hope Memorial mile race for runners, a parade, a rodeo dance,
and fireworks rounded out a weekend full of activities.
All the campsites at the resort were sold out weeks in advance,
and overflow camping spilled into the parking area. The rodeo
events drew 372 competitors, up 17 per cent from the previous
year. There was a 30 per cent increase in entries in the chariot
and chuckwagon races, with 93 outfits signed up for four days
of racing.
The prize money of $2,500 per major rodeo event has always been
a big draw for cowboys and cowgirls, and as the number of competitors
grows, so does the entry fee amount kicked into the prize pot.
But money is not the only attraction. It's also a chance to compete
in front of a large, knowledgeable crowd, the country setting
with camping right on the site, the great rodeo stock and super
organization, and the festive atmosphere that has characterized
the event for years.
For Kikino the problem is the only room for expansion of the
site is into forested areas.
"We could go north of the (horserace) tracks," Littlechilds
said, "but we don't want to be cutting down all the trees.
It takes away from the site."
Another problem area is the beach where the Sunday night fireworks
are set off, preceded by open air live music. The reputation
of the fireworks draws people from many surrounding communities,
and the site with three steep backs surrounding a cove on Whitefish
Lake is ideal. But with only one road in, traffic control can
be a nightmare.
"The fireworks were packed," Littlechilds said. "It
took people up to an hour to get out."
Finding solutions to the problem of growth will occupy the rodeo
organizers this winter. One factor they can be sure of is the
crowds will continue to grow as people spread the word that it's
the best rodeo for a county mile, and gets better every year.
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Sturgeon Lake
hosts residential school conference
Yvonne Irene Gladue, Sweetgrass Writer, Sturgeon Lake
Alongside a picturesque lake in northern Alberta, the first
northern residential school conference titled Regaining our Spirit
was held from Aug. 26 to 30. Workshops were held in tents adjacent
to the community hall and included instruction on traditional
parenting, healing through the abuse, the justice system, as
well as an addictions workshop.
Facilitators and speakers included Shirley Armstrong, Albert
and Alma Desjarlais, Loretta English, Priscilla Lalonde, Rodney
Ward, Bob Miracle, Willie Blake, Carola Cunningham and Yvonne
Maes.
The community took part in the entertainment that was provided
each evening throughout the conference. The feast and round dance,
Karaoke night, talent show, and a sober dance were well attended.
More than 250 delegates from surrounding communities attended
the five-day event.
Shirley Armstrong who was the public relations person for the
conference was pleased to see the healing that took place.
"I was just so overwhelmed by this conference. I believe
that a lot of emotions were brought out. It was a great success.
We did not have as many people as we expected, but to me, where
can you go for $50 to get healing sessions, good food, good company,
unity and entertainment. It is way more than I expected. So much
more than I expected. It's the friendship of the people in Sturgeon
Lake, the way they've accepted everyone into their community,
and embracing them as their own family, to me that was also just
overwhelming," she said.
Elzear Punchy Whitehead of Peace River, Alta. donated $5,000
to have the conference. He said it made a dream of his come true.
"It was my dream. I always wanted it, and it is happening
now and my main reason for supporting this conference is to see
if I could heal myself. I cannot heal anybody if I cannot heal
myself. There are a lot of people here that are hurting. A lot
of people are in denial. They won't admit that they were abused
but when you get together like this it all starts to come out.
This conference is all about residential school survivors. I
was in one for 11 years, so getting together and telling our
stories, which are not really stories because they actually happened,
this is what healing is all about," he said.
Dave Nabew, president of the planning committee, stated that
if this conference reached one person, then he is considering
it a success.
"The healing that is happening here is phenomenal. Even
by the way people are responding and telling their stories, as
you go around in the healing circle you can pinpoint that. You
can hear it. I think that the conference was a success.
"There was such a wide range of topics that were talked
about here. I think that we pretty much hit on all the topics
that we wanted to and we met all the objectives that we thought
we would achieve. If one person could get one thing from this
whole conference, then it has been a success for me. My expectations
are not that high, but that is what I think," he said.
Master of ceremonies James Yellowknee kept things rolling with
his humorous sidelines and experiences.
"Conferences like this one here need to continue to happen.
They need to continue to take place. Some of our Elders and the
parents lack skills on how to love. If we are going to teach
our children and grandchildren not to be part of the cycle, the
cycles of abuses such as violence and you name it, we need to
start healing ourselves.
"That is why we need more people to understand what these
conferences are for, especially the grassroots people, the Native
people. We need to quit blaming, we need to quit denying and
we need to start working on ourselves.
"We also need to start to think that we are something because
a lot of our older people and adults still look down on themselves.
If I'm going to be talking about life to the younger generation
and generations to come, I better look at my own backyard and
start cleaning up my own garbage," he said.
Armstrong said she hopes the conference will become an annual
event.
"I really have a good feeling that people are ready for
a change. They are tired of living their abuse and they want
a different life for their children and grandchildren, and that
to me is what I think is what made this conference a great success
because of people wanting to change. I believe that they are
ready now," she said.
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