Sweetgrass September 2014 final

Alberta Sweetgrass - September 2014

1

$5.00 + GST where applicableVOLUME 21 • NUMBER 10SEPTEMBER 2014

THE ABORIGINAL NEWSPAPER OF ALBERTA

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CANADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL# 40063755

By Shari NarineSweetgrass Contributing Editor

EDMONTON

More than half of the FirstNations in Alberta will not bemeeting with the provincialgovernment to discuss the newAboriginal consultation policy.

“We want to be clear, this is notabout being against resourcedevelopment. This is about policiesthat directly affect our First Nationsbeing created for us withoutmeaningful participation. We areleaders, elected officials that governour unique territories. It’s 2014 andour people and sovereigngovernments are still being treatedwith a paternalistic hand. Today isabout us saying, it’s time thisstops,” said Treaty 8 Grand ChiefRichard Kappo.

Chiefs from Treaty 8, whichnumbers 25 First Nations in thenorthern part of the province,missed an engagement meetingwith Aboriginal Affairs MinisterFrank Oberle on Aug. 28 and saidthey remain opposed to the newstructure the government hasimplemented in order for industrialdevelopment to take place on FirstNations lands.

“It is a violation of our humanand constitutional treaty rights,”said Driftpile Cree Nation Chief

Rose Laboucan. “We need toeliminate the paternalistic viewthat someone has to speak for us.We can speak for ourselves.”

Samson Cree NationCouncillor Patrick Buffalo sayshe “respects” the position Treaty8 Nations have taken. But Buffalogoes a step further in condemningthe province.

“There is a fictional worldcreated and (the provincialgovernment) plays a major rolein that fiction (and) that includesthe consultation process. It’s afiction. They think it’s real. Butit’s a fiction. What authorizesthem to govern over us?” askedBuffalo. “Absolutely nothing.They have no jurisdiction overus.”

He says Treaty 6 Chiefsrecently met to discuss strategyand how to address the province’sconsultation process.

Chiefs across the provinceexpressed concern with theprovince’s AboriginalConsultation Levy Act when thegovernment announced itsintentions almost two years ago.

The government released thefinal version of its guidelines onConsultation with First Nationson Land and Natural ResourceManagement at the end of July.These guidelines and policy on

Consultation with First Nationson Land and Natural ResourceManagement, 2013, replace theformer 2005 policy and 2007guidelines.

The changes for consultationand development centre aroundthe creation of an AboriginalConsultation Office, which,among other factors, woulddetermine if consultation isrequired. If consultation isrequired, the ACO determines theamount of consultation.Guidelines determine the timelinethat is to be followed, which alsoincludes sector-specificconsultation matrices. The FirstNation is required to provideinformation and meet deadlines.As well, the ACO woulddistribute fees, collected fromcompanies who plan to developon Crown land, to First Nationsor Aboriginal groups to enabletheir participation in consultation.

Liberal Leader Raj Shermanand NDP critic Deron Bilous bothexpressed concerns over theAboriginal Consultation Levy Actsaying it gave too much power tothe Aboriginal Affairs minister.

“Consultation is thegovernment’s role in dictatingtheir laws to us and I’m saying ourposition is we have our laws andit’s time our laws were heard,”

Strong opposition to province-guided consultation process

Mural, totem pole symbols of needed changeLes Cardinal, of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, wrote “Enough is enough” as his contribution to a mural that has travelled along with a totem pole thatwas erected at the Beaver Lake Cree Nation in September. The Lummi people, based in Washington State, gifted the totem pole as a symbol of sharedresponsibility to BLCN on the front lines of the expansion of the Canadian tar sands. Cardinal was among a handful of people at the Alberta Legislature onSept. 5, when the group stopped in Edmonton. “There’s a lot of truth in this mural when you actually look at it. A lot of people’s hearts are going into it, a lot ofpeople’s feelings,” said Cardinal. “When it comes right down to it, it’s time to stand up and say, Enough is enough.’”

PHOTO: SHARI NARINE

said Buffalo.Chief Trevor Mercredi, who is

Treaty 8 Portfolio Chief ofLivelihood, says the governmenthas not responded to letters ofconcern from the First Nations.

“At the same time thegovernment qualifies ourparticipation at these sessions asconsultation on the issue. If ourparticipation can’t change theprocess, why are we asked toparticipate? The complex natureof consultation cannot beaddressed in one group meeting,(the province) must meet with ourNations individually,” saidMercredi.

One of the guiding principlesfor the consultation policy states,“Alberta will consult with honour,respect, and good faith, with aview to reconciling First Nations’Treaty rights and traditional useswith its mandate to manageprovincial Crown lands andresources for the benefit of allAlbertans.”

“The extreme irony of theAboriginal Consultation Levy Actis that it was created withoutadequate or meaningfulAboriginal consultation and theregulations have been nodifferent,” said Kappo.

The chiefs want the legislationrescinded. If it isn’t, they say they

will take legal action.Buffalo says he would like to

see the issue go to the world stageas Samson Cree Nation hasexhausted all domestic avenues.

“We have sued the government.We lost. We appealed the decision.We lost. We went to the SupremeCourt. We lost. So what’s the nextstep? It’s the world court. That’sthe only action I see,” he said.

Oral Aboriginal tradition to beconsidered by NEB in pipelineexpansion

Page 3Study finds Edmonton, Calgary heavy onracist tweets

Page 4


2 A L B E R T A N E W SA L B E R T A N E W SA L B E R T A N E W SA L B E R T A N E W SA L B E R T A N E W S

Tragedy claims East Vancouver inspirationSlam poetry performer Zaccheus Jackson Nyce (fourth

from left backrow) was struck and killed by a train inToronto on Aug. 27. A member of the Piikani Nation,Nyce, 36, was in the midst of a solo tour of Canada.Nyce ended up living in East Vancouver, battling a drugaddiction. He found a way to overcome when he hit itbig entering a slam poetry competition in 2005 and goingon to win a spot on the Vancouver Poetry Slam Teamthat would compete nationally. He turned that successand his experience into working with youth. His deathhas been ruled accidental. In a statement to CBC, hisfamily said he was “a free spirit” and an artist. “Likemost successful artists, he needed life experiences tobring him inspiration.”

Ermineskin lawyer named VP for CCUErmineskin Cree Nation lawyer Danika Billie

Littlechild has been named vice president of theCanadian Commission for UNESCO. Littlechildpractices law with Indigenous peoples in several areasof expertise: governance, Indigenous legal systems,environment and international law. She has been amember of the CCU for more than a decade, serving aschair and vice-chair in various positions between 2003and 2012. The CCU serves as a forum for governmentsand civil society to promote the participation oforganizations and individuals in the areas of education,natural and social sciences and humanities, as well asculture, communication and information. Littlechild

sure that children and families are kept safe,” said HumanServices Minister Manmeet S. Bhullar, in a news release.The funding is in support of the government’scommitment to address the root causes that bring childreninto care, take action to support vulnerable Albertans,and keep children healthy and safe.

Tuberculosis poses multi-drug resistanceTuberculosis rates are highest among First Nations

residents, and immigrants and refugees who arrive inAlberta from countries where tuberculosis is widespread.Cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis are on the risein the province, according to a new surveillance report,which examined the cases between 2010 and 2012.However, the office of the province’s chief medicalofficer of health, says the figures are no cause for alarm.Among the 500 cases reported, 47 were resistant to atleast one of the first-line treatment drugs and 10 wereresistant to multiple drugs needed to treat tuberculosis.Provincial health officials remain vigilant for such cases,said Dr. James Talbot, Alberta’s chief medical officer.Alberta’s tuberculosis rates remain relatively low overall.While the 196 cases reported in 2012 are the highestnumber since 1996, the annual figures are considered instep with population growth, according to the report.

Human Services signs on with Australian approachAlberta signed a Memorandum of Understanding via

videoconference with Child Protection for WesternAustralia to formalize a partnership to exchangeknowledge, research collaboration and a potentialcaseworker job exchange. Australia has been leading theimplementation of the Signs of Safety model. It focuseson tools to help workers determine a family’s strengthsand resources to reduce the risk to the child and to createa safer healthier environment. Currently, five DelegatedFirst Nations Agencies and all Child and Family Servicesregions are using Signs of Safety. The approach, used inover 200 jurisdictions in 13 countries, empowers familiesand holds them accountable for identifying approachesthat will keep children safe. Improving the childintervention practice is a key component of Human

begins in her position immediately.

Voices silenced in LARP concernsThe Alberta government has directed the panel

reviewing the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan to notconsider concerns raised by the Athabasca Chipewyan,Fort McKay, Onion Lake, Cold Lake Cree, MikisewCree, and Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nations, andFort McKay Métis as they are not directly harmed byLARP. The province has also said that treaty rights donot fall within the purview of the panel. Alberta arguesAboriginal consultation will take place on frameworkswithin the plan dealing specifically with everything frombiodiversity to air and water quality. But two years afterLARP was introduced, few of those frameworks havebeen developed. “By restricting the scope of First Nationsinvolvement to discrete lower-level decisions, the LARPfundamentally misunderstands what is required tomeaningfully involve First Nations people in landplanning,” says Onion Lake in a written submission. Thepanel has until June 22, 2015, to file its recommendations.

No recommendations from suicide deathA two-day fatality inquiry into the suicide death of

Billy Joe Crowshoe, 32, at the Drumheller Institutionhas resulted in no recommendations. Crowshoe hangedhimself on Sept. 21, 2010, in his prison cell while servinghis sentence. He made a noose out of his bed sheet,attaching the sheet to the wall 10 feet above the ground.Presiding over the inquiry was Provincial Court JudgeMichael C. Dinkel.

Additional funding for root causesThe provincial government’s new Family and

Community Safety program has $20 million to deliverto local agencies to help end child abuse, family violence,sexual assault and bullying, and to support children’smental health. The fund will build on the work that isongoing in communities and strengthen it by supportingnew and innovative programs. “This funding will beinstrumental in ending and preventing the root causes ofsocial issues. Community partnerships will play a hugerole in having these new projects come on stream to make

PHOTO: ZACCHEUS’S FACEBOOK PAGE

( Continued on page 5.)


3N E W SN E W SN E W SN E W SN E W S

By Shari NarineSweetgrass Contributing Editor

EDMONTON

First Nations and Métis are nottaking lightly the opportunitythey have been given to talk toboth the National Energy Boardand Kinder Morganrepresentatives. And they want toensure that neither the NEB northe pipeline company take theirresponsibility to listen lightlyeither.

“So we see negative impactsof development like this and wehave relayed importantinformation to you to consider inmaking this decision. It is onlywhen our concerns aremeaningfully addressed before— beforehand that we will bewilling to consider if this isviable,” said Norine Saddleback,consultation coordinator for theSamson Cree Nation. “Anydecision to move forward withthis project without our concernsbeing fully studied oraccommodated is going to beproblematic for you and theHarper government that supportsthis project.”

The Samson Cree Nation wasjoined by the O’Chiese,Sunchild, and Michel FirstNations along with the GunnMétis Settlement in providing

oral traditional evidence to theNEB, which is consideringKinder Morgan’s expansionproposal for the Trans Mountainpipeline. The presentations,made between Aug. 27-Sept. 4,were the first oral traditionalevidence gathered by the NEB.

The $5.4-billion TransMountain Expansion projectwould roughly triple the capacityof an existing oil pipelinebetween Strathcona County anda Burnaby, B.C., marine terminal

Oral Aboriginal tradition to be considered by NEBin pipeline expansion

to 890,000 barrels per day.Approximately 994 km of newpipeline will be built and 193 kmof pipeline reactivated. Twentynew tanks will be added toexisting storage terminals,including five in Edmonton. Theproposed new pipeline, whichincludes a stretch betweenEdmonton and Hinton alongHighway 16, will carry heavieroils. The Trans Mountainpipeline first began operating in1953 and since then has seen a

number of expansions.The NEB heard that the

proposed pipeline constructionwould occur close to Aboriginalhomes as well as crosswaterways, ceremonial grounds,and possible burial sites.Presenters also made it clear thatboundaries which marked theirlands and reserves were artificial.They talked about how they oncegathered medicines, hunted,fished, and camped in areas thatare no longer available to thembecause the lands have beenimpacted by industry or now sitas private property. They talkedabout how their people wereburied where they died and therewas concern that constructioncould unearth graves. Theytalked about their spiritualconnection to the land. Theytalked about advocating for thefish and the wildlife. They talkedabout leaving something good topass on to the next generation.

“I guess this is one of thereasons why we say we want towork with Kinder and Morganwith the proposed pipeline. Wewant to be on the front lines andto say and to show the companyhey — and to say, “Hey, youcan’t go through here. This is asacred ground for our ancestorsand for ourselves.” We want toprotect us. We don’t want this to

be disturbed,” said EdwinFrencheater, councillor withSunchild First Nation.

“Our community membershave many concerns of thepotential spill, as they haveexperienced it, its repercussionsfirsthand,” said Gunn MétisLocal President MurleenCrossen, referring to the 2005CN Rail derailment and dump ofoil and chemicals into the lake.“This pipeline’s proposed site is,in some locations, amazing closeto the waters of Lake Wabamun.Many of our people are notoverly comfortable with thisprospect.”

Developing buffer zones orchanging the path of the pipelinewas suggested as solutions toaddress sensitive areas.

“I think their demands are veryreasonable and I hope for oncean energy board actually listensto the interveners and rethinksthe locating of this line,” saidEdmonton-Strathcona ND MPLinda Duncan, who attended thepresentation made by GunnMétis Local.

The NEB panel has three moresessions scheduled, all in BritishColumbia later this year, togather further Aboriginal oraltraditional evidence. The NEBpanel’s final report will bereleased by Jan. 25, 2016.

Samson Cree Nation delegation (from left) Councillor PatBuffalo, Henry Lightning, Lawrence Saddleback, and BisonDolphus Saddleback appeared before the National EnergyBoard to provide oral testimony in respect to Kinder Morgan’sproposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

PHOTO: SHARI NARINE


4

~ Established December 1993 ~ISSN #1199-6773 • Canadian Publication Mail # 40063755

Published monthly by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA)

ADVERTISINGThe deadline for advertising in Alberta Sweetgrass October 2014issue is October 2, 2014. Call Shirley Olsen toll free at1-800-661-5469 for more information on how to place your ad.Advertisements designed, set and produced by Alberta Sweetgrassare the property of Alberta Sweetgrass and may not be usedwithout the express written permission of Alberta Sweetgrass.

SUB

SC

RIB

E N

OW

!

$45 is all it takes toreceive Alberta Sweetgrass for 1 year (12 issues)!

Name: ____________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________

City/Town:______________________ Province: _________

Postal Code: _____________ Phone: ________________

$45 SUBSCRIPTIONSPlease enclose a cheque or money order for

$45.00+2.25 GST or charge to your Visa/ Mastercard/Amex.Make cheques payable to A.M.M.S.A.

Fax this order form to (780) 455-7639.

Visa/Mastercard:

Expiry Date:

Signature:

Send to: Alberta Sweetgrass13245 - 146 Street NW

Edmonton, Alberta T5L 4S8or Phone Toll Free 1-800-661-5469

E-mail: [email protected]

Subscription Order Form

I S A B O U T Y O U R C O M M U N I T YYOUTH, ELDERS, ARTISTS, WRITERS.

ALBERTA SWEETGRASS PROVIDES THE BESTCOVERAGE OF THE NEWS AND EVENTS INALBERTA'S ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES.

DON'T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE!

Bert Crowfoot—Publisher •

Shari Narine – Contributing Editor

Paul Macedo – Director of MarketingShirley Olsen – Sales Consultant

Carol Russ– Accounts

Distribution: 8,500Alberta Sweetgrass is politically and financially independent.

Board of DirectorsNoel McNaughton - President

Rose Marie Willier - Vice President Dr. Chester Cunningham - TreasurerLeona Shandruk - Director Jennie Cardinal - Director

All editorial content in Alberta Sweetgrass is copyright, and may not bereproduced in any manner without the express written permission of the editor.Prospective writers should send for writers' guidelines and a sample copy fromthe editor. Letters to the editor and all undeliverable Canadian addressedcopies can be sent to:

Alberta Sweetgrass13245 - 146 Street,

Edmonton, AB T5L 4S8E-mail: [email protected]

Facebook: /sweetgrassnewsTwitter: @windspeakernews

N E W SN E W SN E W SN E W SN E W S

By Darlene ChrapkoSweetgrass Writer

EDMONTON

Throughout the months ofJune, July and August in 2013,Irfan Chaudry, a University ofAlberta sociology PhDcandidate, tracked tweets in sixmajor cities, including Calgaryand Edmonton, and discoveredthat racism is being expressedthrough the use of Twitter.

“In Canada, we sweep itunder the rug and don’t like totalk about it,” he said. “Twitterprovides a different avenue tounderstand it or to express it.”

On his website,twitterracism.com, Chaudrydescribes his methodology.“The words chosen representedthe most common racist termsassociated with specificracialized groups,” he noted.Chaudry was surprised todiscover that the term “Native,”not usually a racist word, wasused negatively on twitter, so heincluded it as a key term of thedata set. He used the socialmedia platform Hootsuite tosearch for tweets that containedracist words used in a negativecontext, including “Native” and“Natives.”

Although Chaudry admits

that his sample is small,consisting of 750 tweets out ofthe 2,000 he read over a three-month period, it is telling andhas raised interestingdiscussion. The highest numberof negative uses of the word“Native,” emerged in cities witha higher number of Aboriginalresidents, Calgary, Edmontonand Winnipeg. The resultsresonate with public perceptionstudies, says Chaudry, citing a2010 Environics study on urbanAboriginals that agreed thatpeople from Alberta faced themost discrimination. InEdmonton, of the 60 tweetsdeemed racist, 27 referenced“Natives.” Of the 62 tweetsconsidered racist in Calgary, 30were directed at “Natives.” Inmany instances people wereresponding to a physicalsituation on a bus or transit, forexample.

Chaudry concludes thatheritage limits inclusion.

“People don’t understandhow the online and offlineworlds are coalescing and it’sdifficult to separate the two,”said Chaudry.

Tweeting gives a false senseof anonymity as people arebehind a phone or computer.“You don’t see the person that

you’re communicating with andthe person doesn’t know what’sbeing said about them.”

Tweeting appears to create asafe space for individuals toshowcase different types of hatespeech, he adds. Many peoplehold the view that they areentitled to express their opinionas freedom of speech. Or theydon’t understand the fullimplication of their actions.“What’s the big deal? I justtweeted it, they say.”

Chaudry believes people needto take responsibility for whatthey say on twitter. Twitter isengaging more mechanisms toallow people to report abuse, butabusers find different waysaround it, by creating anotherprofile or another account, hesays.

That these issues are emerginghas a positive aspect. “Peopleare openly talking about issuesof race, both positive andnegative. Discussions arehappening and creating moreawareness of the issue.”

Chaudry believes he has onlyscratched the surface and willdelve deeper in his next projectin which he plans to track andanalyze the missing andmurdered women hashtagacross the country.

Study finds Edmonton, Calgaryheavy on racist tweets

By Julie MacIsaacSweetgrass Writer

KIKINO MÉTISSETTLEMENT

It was 1940, in the dog daysof summer, less than a year afterthe Kikino Métis Settlement –then known as Good Fish LakeColony Number Seven - wasestablished on March 29, 1939,near Lac La Biche.

“I remember when we cameover those hills on the old trail,and we saw the houses in thehamlet,” said RaymondBellerose, then a 16 year-oldboy traveling with his family.“There were just a few homesat that time, and they were alllog cabins.”

There were 24 families livingin Kikino when it wasestablished. People cleared theland themselves, using thetimber to build their houses andkeeping their families warm onthe long, dark winter nights.Logging was the onlyemployment in the settlementand the founding familiessupplemented their income byhunting and trapping, and theirdiet with produce from theirgardens.

Floyd Thompson, Kikino’scurrent Council chair, and a 44-year veteran of the Métispolitical scene, remembers theearly days, too.

“I still remember vividly,every time somebody built ahouse, once they got four walls,there’d be an open air dance.And if there wasn’t a housebeing built next week, there

would be a cake with a nickel init, and whoever got the nickelhad to host the next dance. I usedto get chased home to bedbecause I was too little,”Thompson chuckled. “So Ilearned to sing because I knewI’d be welcome.”

Thompson started his politicalcareer on Kikino council in1972 and served on the MétisGeneral Council from 1994 to2000. He worked on the MétisSettlement Accord in 1988, andsat on the Legislative Councilfor the Métis Settlement Act in1990. He was also integral to theplanning of last year’s MétisSettlement Amendment Act—legislation that saw moresupport from the province forMétis self-governance.

According to Thompson andBellerose, it was access thatbrought the first major changeto the settlement. The two-lanegravel highway that wasconstructed in 1963 connectedthe community to Highway 36,and gave Kikino the opportunityto expand.

Since then Kikino has grown.The saw mill is long gone, butthe community continues todevelop the local economy.Kikino runs a successful touristattraction—the Silver BirchResort, which hosted its 25annual rodeo this year—a gameranch and a gravel operation,along with holding the surfacemineral rights to their land.

Thompson insists that theyears of change have been goodfor his hometown. Kikino wasrenamed by the community in

Numerous changes in 75 years

1942. The Cree word means“our home.” There are now100or so families with a populationof over 1,100.

“My dad always told me,”Thompson said. “In yourlifetime, you’re going to see alot of change, and a lot fasterthan when I was a boy. Changecan make you bitter, or it canmake you better, but don’t everstand in the way of it. If you canaccept and work with change,you and your community willonly get better.”

Council Chair FloydThompson presents KikinoMetis Settlement’s eldestcitizen, Raymond Bellerose,with his Citizen of the Yearplaque. Bellerose has livedin the community since hewas 16, and shared his90th birthday this summerwith Kikino’s 75th.

PHOTO SUPPLIED


5N E W SN E W SN E W SN E W SN E W S

Alberta BriefsServices Minister Manmeet S. Bhullar’s five-point plan announcedin January. “Signs of Safety is changing our child interventionpractice. It gives our workers tools to help determine what is goodand safe in a family instead of what it is wrong and taking a childinto care as a result,” said Bhullar.

DiCaprio is one more voice blasting oilsand developmentActor Leonardo DiCaprio was in Fort McMurray for a few days

to tour the oilsands for an environmental documentary he is workingon, reports CBC News. DiCaprio wanted to see the oilsands first-hand and learn more about their impact. He currently serves on theboard of the World Wildlife Fund and Natural Resources DefenceCouncil and started his own environmental charity foundation in1998. DiCaprio narrates the recently released video Carbon, whichwarns about climate change and depicts the fossil-fuel industry as arobotic monster stomping over the Earth. DiCaprio’s visit to theoilsands was met by criticism by the Alberta government and the oilindustry. “It was a great boon for the community,” Eriel Deranger,communications co-ordinator for the Athabasca Chipewyan FirstNation, told the Globe and Mail. “It’s a reflection that we are gettingour message across, and I’m happy to see a slew of celebritiesshowing concerns for what is happening in the region.” While there,DiCaprio also took part in the ALS ice bucket challenge, calling outPrime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper has already made donationsto ALS. Also taking part in the ice bucket challenge were ACFNChief Allan Adam, who challenged Dave Collyer president ofCanadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and Mikisew CreeNation Chief Steve Courtoreille, who challenged Shell CEO Benvan Beurden.

Compiled by Shari Narine

( Continued from page 2.)


6 E D M O N T O NE D M O N T O NE D M O N T O NE D M O N T O NE D M O N T O N

Dance, dance, danceDancers were among the offerings from the Aboriginal Pavilion

hosted by the Canadian Native Friendship Centre at this year’sHeritage Festival. Visitors to the annual event were able to steepthemselves in culture and Native food, which included bannock,bison bannock burgers, buffalo skewers and mint tea.

Homeless count scheduled for OctoberOct. 15 and 16 will mark the homeless count in Edmonton.

Headed by Homeward Trust Edmonton, the two-day count is apoint-in-time count of Edmonton’s homeless population and servesto provide a snapshot of the current overall homeless population,enabling organizations like Homeward Trust to examine how thispopulation changes over time. The count will be followed on Oct.19 with Homeless Connect, which is an opportunity for thehomeless population and those at risk of homelessness to getservices from the professional community. The one day event willtake place at the Shaw Conference Centre and is expected to helpover 1,000 people.

Award winning novelist Boyden headlines STARFestNovelist and short-story writer of Irish, Scottish and Métis

descent, Joseph Boyden is headlining STARFest, St. Albert Readers’Festival, Oct. 17-Nov.3. Boyden’s most recent novel, The Orenda,won Canada Reads, and was also nominated for the ScotiabankGiller Prize and shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award forFiction. “We have been trying to get (Boyden) in our Readers’Festival lineup for quite some time, and we have finally done it –and in the year he wins Canada Reads! With a couple of months togo before his appearance, we are already seeing great ticket sales –I think people recognize this is a great opportunity to meet one oftoday’s literary giants,” said STARFest Director Heather Dolman.Boyden will present Oct. 23 at the Arden Theatre.

Call for artists for Boyle Street exhibitThe Quarters Arts Society and Boyle Street Community League

have partnered to develop a visual art exhibition program at thenew 101 Boyle Street Plaza. Visual artists from the Quarters, BoyleStreet, Riverdale and McCauley will be featured and provided withan opportunity to sell their work. Artist’s biographies and contactinformation will be displayed with the work and sales will beencouraged and supported. Artists’ work may be selected for oneor more walls at the Plaza from a total of five feature walls.Exhibitions will run for up to four months.

Potatoes to be harvested for food bankThe large field of potatoes planted by Buffalo Head Prairie School

at Fort Edmonton Park will be harvested later this month and thevegetables donated to the Edmonton Food Bank. The school fromthe Fort Vermilion School Division made use of the area in front ofthe Hudson Bay Garden. Plant a Row, Grow a Row builds on thelong-standing tradition of gardeners sharing their harvest withothers. It is a people-helping-people program to assist in feedingthe hungry in their own communities, says Judy Yawney, Food HubCoordinator with Edmonton’s Food Bank. “We are proud to beable to offer our clients and affiliated agencies beautiful, freshproduce thanks to our incredible donors.”

Artist’s work displayed in SaskatoonWork by Edmonton Métis artists Heather Shillinglaw is on display

as part of the City of Saskatoon’s Public Art Placemaker program.The art will be shown for two years. It is the first time Shillinglawhas had her art displayed in Saskatoon. It is installed at the entranceto Cosmopolitan Park at the top of the University Bridge and endof College Drive. Shillinglaw describes the piece as “Métis flaginspired entitled ‘Sweetgrass Sway’ in an infinity positionplacement. (This) is to share my personal pride being Métis anddrawing a subject that First Nations people identify with.”

Compiled by Shari Narine

PHOTO: PAULA KIRMAN

By Paula E. KirmanSweetgrass Contributor

EDMONTON

Old Earth Productions, anAboriginal dramatic collective,is producing plays about socialissues, featuring Aboriginalthemes and actors.

“Old Earth Productionsutilizes theatre as a tool forcreating social change,” saidExecutive Director DarleneAuger. “We are interested ingathering and telling the storiesof local Native people, to createpublic awareness on pressingissues.”

Auger explains that the needfor an Aboriginal theatrecompany was felt in 2005 whenthe Walterdale Theatre heldauditions for the play The RezSisters by Tompson Highway, aFirst Nations playwright - thefirst time ever that an Aboriginalplay was being placed in theWalterdale’s line up.

“Apparently, there was someconcern about whether the playcould be cast by Aboriginalactors and if the productioncould be sold,” she said. “Nearlyevery show of 10 shows was soldout! The eight actors who werecast for this production realizedthat Edmonton and Alberta wasin need of a Native theatrecompany that would produce andpresent the stories of local Nativepeople.”

As a result, Old EarthProductions was born in 2006,when the eight actors created a

collective to perform The RezSisters for that year’s FringeFestival. In early 2008, six of theoriginal eight membersregistered the collective as asociety.

The latest production from thecompany is the original play AMusta-Be: Maskihkiy MaskwaIskwew, about theintergenerational effects ofinstitutionalization on Nativewomen and their daughtersincluding Indian residentialschool, jail, Indian hospital, andchild welfare.

In 2008-2009, memberChristopher Grignard was adoctoral student when YvonneJohnson was brought into aUniversity of Alberta classroomas a guest speaker. Johnson, anAboriginal woman serving the

last of a life sentence at theEdmonton Institute for Women,was shackled and handcuffed.

“She spoke about herexperience in prison and put acall out to the people to dosomething about theintergenerational incarcerationof Aboriginal woman and theirdaughters,” Auger explained.“Christopher came back to thecollective and we decided to takeup Yvonne’s call.”

Members began engagingNative women, including othersincarcerated at the EdmontonInstitution, to share their storiesand members also contributedtheir own personal stories asintergenerational survivors ofinstitutionalization. Johnsonbecame the key informant.

Darlene Auger and Roxanne Blood in an Indian residentialschool scene of two little girl.

PHOTO:NANCY SANDERCOCK

Aboriginal company strong onAlberta’s theatre scene

(See Aboriginal on page 7.)


7C A L G A R YC A L G A R YC A L G A R YC A L G A R YC A L G A R Y

PHOTO: PROVIDED

Over 20 First Nations and non-Aboriginal performers, dancers,musicians and poets are featured in the World Premiere ofMaking Treaty 7.

Making Treaty 7 world premiereMaking Treaty 7 Cultural Society launched its theatrical

presentation at Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village on Sept.11, 13 and 14. “We Are All Treaty People” marks 137 years after thesigning of Treaty 7 at Blackfoot Crossing between the Plains Indiansand the Queen, covering southern Alberta, and explores theramifications of the signing of the Treaty from both a historical andcontemporary perspective. “All cultures are expressed through theirconnection to ‘place.’ Making Treaty 7 is the story of the land welive on, that we cultivate, harvest and build our cities on. It is alsothe story of who each of us are, where we came from, and why weare here today. Looking forward, it is the story of how we hope tolive here together in the future,” said executive and creative producerMichael Green. Among the performers are Gemini award winningactress Michelle Thrush and Calgary’s former poet laureate andmusician Kris Demeanor. Presented as part of Heritage Park’s 50th

anniversary celebrations, the idea began in Calgary 2012, withmultiple partners: Heritage Park Historical Village, the Making Treaty7 Cultural Society, One Yellow Rabbit, The Banff Centre and AlbertaAboriginal Performing Arts. Following two years of consultationwith Treaty 7 First Nations Chiefs Association and Treaty 7community Elders, the production continues its evolutionapproaching Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.

ASIRT investigates police handling of disappearance of CrowshoeThe Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been brought in

by the Calgary Police Service to investigate interactions CPSmembers had with 18-year-old Colton Crowshoe, prior to hisdisappearance, and allegations by Crowshoe’s family of breach oftrust in response to the missing person’s investigation. On July 24,Crowshoe’s body was found in a pond in Abbeydale in northeastCalgary. ASIRT’s mandate is “to effectively, independently andobjectively investigate, as directed by the Director of LawEnforcement, matters of a serious or sensitive nature related to theactions of a police officer in Alberta.” On July 2, CPS took Crowshoeinto custody. He was released that day in the early morning. OnJuly 6, Crowshoe’s family reported him missing. He was believedto have been last seen on the evening of July 3.

CPRA enhances support of Missing Children SocietyThe Calgary Police Service and the Calgary Police Rodeo

Association continue expanding support of the Missing ChildrenSociety Search Program. For the past 10 years, the rodeo has donatedover $75,000 to MCSC. Some of these funds were used to developthe search program, which uses technology to activate individuals,employees and law enforcement as soon as a child goes missing.Powerful communication tools such as CodeSearch garner animmediate response and active search using geo-targeted alerts andnewsfeeds as they happen. The World’s Most Valuable Project usessocial media to spread instant awareness and public alert of a missingchild. Individuals ‘donate’ their social feeds to MCSC, which inturn uses social media to spread the word. The viral effect of socialmedia can reach hundreds of thousands of Canadians in meremoments. In effect, Valuable Project is the first online search partyin the world. Several Calgary corporations, including WestJet, areon board, involving their employees to respond instantaneously tomissing children. The CPS will ask its 2,100 members with work-issued smart phones to register with CodeSearch. The rodeo hopedto raise an additional $10,000 at their Aug. 10 annual fundraisingevent.

RCMP cruiser stolen at CheckstopOn Aug. 16, a Cochrane RCMP cruiser was stolen at an impaired-

driving Checkstop. Police were running a Checkstop alongHorseshoe Drive, north of the Stoney Casino, when they tookLorenzo Anthony Bearspaw into custody. Officers were dealing withindividuals and damaged vehicles at the scene when they noticedthe police cruiser departing. A warrant was issued for Bearspaw, 25,on three charges: theft of a motor vehicle, impaired operation of amotor vehicle and escaping lawful custody. On Aug. 19, Bearspaw,a member of the Stoney First Nation, was arrested in Calgary. Airand ground searches were conducted on the Stoney First Nation torecover the stolen police cruiser.

By Darlene ChrapkoSweetgrass Writer

CALGARY

“The difficult was easy, theimpossible took a little longer,”said Father Paul Hefferenan inhis 1995 eulogy to Canada’sFirst Female Indian Act Chief,Elsie Marie Knott of the CurveLake First Nation insoutheastern Ontario. ChiefKnott, elected in 1952, whoserved for eight years in thispioneering role, is thetouchstone of Cora Voyageur’sgroundbreaking study of FirstNations Women Chiefs,Firekeepers of the Twenty-FirstCentury.

Voyageur, from the AthabascaChipewyan First Nation, isprofessor of sociology at theUniversity of Calgary and alsoleads the Indigenous Women inLeadership program at the BanffCentre. In this first academicstudy of women chiefs inCanada published in 2008,Voyageur interviewed 64 of 90women chiefs to understandtheir experiences.

“Nobody really knows what aChief does,” said Voyageur,describing the role as “acombination of CEO andmayor.” That many families onthe reserves are related or knowone another personally presentsan additional complexity.

In the study she was surprisedto discover that three-quarters ofthe women were from politicalfamilies.

“They also learned aboutpolitics at an early age andbecame accustomed to thepolitical realm of reservepolitics,” she writes. “Manybelieved that they had beengroomed, howeverunknowingly, for their presentpositions.”

Voyageur also discovered thatmost had strong educationalbackgrounds.

It was not surprising to learnthat women chiefs face the sameobstacles as all working women.Voyageur writes, “They dealwith household chores, children,spouse, and the never-ending

struggle to maintain a balancebetween work and the rest oflife.” Unlike other workingwomen, however, “as Chiefsthey are also expected to be jacksof all trades and experts in manydifferent areas.” These include ahost of different issues includingfisheries, mining, resourcedevelopment and social issues.

Of greater consequence,women chiefs must not only dealwith racism and discrimination,but also sexism.

“Some believe that women areincapable of making harddecisions and base theirdeliberation on emotion ratherthan logic,” Voyageur writes.

“The most effective womenhave formal education, knowissues, and are effective, caringand honest leaders,” she said.She also found that womenleaders are more willing to dotedious work.

Voyageur concludes thatwomen chiefs face manyprofessional and personalconcerns. “These professionalconcerns include trying toimprove living conditions on thereserve through increased

Groundbreaking studyexamines women Chiefs

employment, educationalattainment, better housing, andexpanded infrastructure. On thepersonal side, women chiefsmust overcome sexism, racism,and self-doubt, maintain abalance between work and life,sustain family relations andfriendships and try to find timeto care for themselves.”

While conducting her study,Voyageur was askedcontinuously about thedifference between men andwomen.

“Is the experience of malechiefs different than womenchiefs?” She has begun toexplore this question in arecently launched follow-upgender-based study that willsurvey the experiences of all 600plus Canadian chiefs.

Along the way, she hopes tocontinue to dispel some of thedeeply held myths andstereotypes that characterizeleadership in Aboriginalcommunities, particularly theview of corruption the mediaoften latches onto.

“There are bad appleseverywhere,” she said.

Cora Voyageur: University of Calgary professor and leader ofthe Indigenous Women in Leadership program at the BanffCentre.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“We learned that Yvonne’sCree name is MaskihkiyMaskwa Iskwew and she is adescendant of Chief Big Bear.During our interviews withYvonne, she often said “it’s amusta be” in relation to thingsthat she believed are meant tohappen or must happen,” saidAuger.

With the assistance ofplaywright Jane Heather, AMusta Be: Maskihkiy MaskwaIskwew was produced in 2010.

“The name of the play is inreference to the ‘medicine’ ofintrospection - the gift ofpersonal acceptance and lovethat all the women in the playtouch and eventually hold,” saidAuger.

The play has been performedseveral times over the years atthe Timms Centre for the Artsin Edmonton, most recently inJune, and just toured throughoutAlberta.

“People that see the play havetold us that it is a very powerfulplay that tells the painful truth

of many current issues that arehurting Native people today.People tell us that they can relateto the characters and the storiesin the play and that it is soamazing to see these storiesunfold on a public stage!” saidAuger.

Now, organizations are askingOld Earth Production to write orpresent plays on other socialissues, such as homelessness.Currently, a play about theSixties Scoop and anotherproduction of The Rez Sisters isin the works.

Aboriginal company strong on Alberta’stheatre scene

(Continued from page 6.)


8 C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y

By Sam LaskarisSweetgrass Writer

EDMONTON

Elek Himer finally managed tobring home some hardware froma prestigious lacrossecompetition.

Himer, a 15-year-old who hasCree and Mohawk ancestry, wasa member of the Alberta entrythat captured the bronze medalat the national boys’ under-16field lacrosse tournament.

The six-team event, which wascalled the Alumni Cup,concluded on Aug. 31 inEdmonton.

Himer, who lives in Innisfail,was the only Aboriginal playeron the Alberta entry. His squaddefeated Saskatchewan 19-5 inthe bronze-medal match.

Ontario downed BritishColumbia 12-4 in the gold-medal contest. Nova Scotia andManitoba also fielded clubs atthe nationals.

Earlier this summer Himercompeted with the Alberta entryat the North AmericanIndigenous Games in Regina.He was a member of the under-

19 squad that placed fourth.Himer also had a pair of other

fourth-place finishes to showfrom his previous nationalchampionships, while he was atthe Peewee and Bantam levels.

Understandably, he’s thrilledto have captured a medal at hismost recent Canadiantournament.

“A big weight was lifted offmy shoulders,” he said. “I’mglad the team effort cametogether.”

Himer, who plays the attackposition, contributed offensivelyby racking up 15 points (threegoals, 12 assists) in sixtournament games.

He said he was confident hisside would be among the topthree finishers in Edmonton.

“I knew our team could pull itout,” he said. “But I don’t thinkof the outcome. I play the gameand see whatever happens. I playfor my Creator and my Kokum.”

Himer, a Grade 10 student atNotre Dame High School in RedDeer, has been playing lacrossefor seven years.

This year he played boxlacrosse at the Midget level with

the Red Deer Chiefs. He alsoplayed field lacrosse with theRed Deer Orangemen.

Himer plans to continueplaying both box and fieldlacrosse, ideally graduating tothe professional ranks some day.

He’s hoping his lacrosse skillseventually land him an athleticscholarship at an Americanuniversity. Then he wants to playpro in the National LacrosseLeague, a box lacrosse circuit,as well as the Major LacrosseLeague, the highest calibre fieldcircuit around.

Since his high school does notoffer a lacrosse program, Himeris hoping to suit up for severalother teams this school year.

Right now he’s a fullback withthe Notre Dame varsity footballsquad. Himer has the ideal sizefor a fullback, packing 230pounds onto his 5-foot-10frame.

He is also hoping to suit upfor his school’s basketball,volleyball and golf teams thisyear.

Despite being thrilled he wasthe only Aboriginal player on histeam at the nationals, Himer was

not trying to make a big deal outof this fact.

“I wasn’t going out thererepping (Aboriginals),” he said.“But I was showing peoplethere’s Natives still playing thesport. I was very humble aboutit - keeping it calm and cool.”

Elek Himer, 15, helped lead his team to a bronze medal at thenationals with 15 points.

Lacrosse player has big plans for his future in the sport

PHOTO: MANDY HIMER

Though he was the onlyAboriginal player on the Albertaclub, Himer was not the onlyteam member with anIndigenous connection.

Roy Payne, a Métis who livesin Edmonton, served as theteam’s assistant coach.


9 C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O M M U N I T Y

By Susan SolwaySweetgrass Writer

RED DEER

After taking a year off in2013, the organizers of the5thAnnual Turtle Awards cameback fully excited to recognize

Aboriginal achievement inCentral Alberta.

“It’s really important to meto acknowledge the support ofthe community. It really is acelebration of Aboriginalpeople by the community, andthis year was all about looking

forward,” said Tanya Schur,executive director of the RedDeer Native FriendshipSociety.

Eighteen awards in variouscategories were handed out atthe end of June, 11 of whichwere sponsored by outsidesources. The Native FriendshipSociety sponsored awards foryouth, Moosom, education,and service provider.

The youth nominations werereceived from various schoolsin an area spanning up to the

Turtle awards return with strong showingLeduc County and down to theedge of Airdrie, including theFirst Nations of Maskwacis,O’Chiese, and Sunchild. Theyouth award recognizes notonly academic achievement butsubstantial leadership attributesand cultural promotion.

“As we continue toencourage our kids to stay inschool and do their best, theseare not necessarily academicawards. They are awards thatrecognize the good hard workthat our youngsters do. Someof the criteria we look for arethose who are goodambassadors of their cultureand their community withintheir schools,” said Schur.

Chelsey Southcomb was oneof four youth award winners forthe 12-24 year old category,recognized for her role as amentor and a powwow dancerwith the Red Deer Aboriginaldance troup, something that shehas done for a number of years.

Métis Elder Berry Nielsontook home this year’s Moosomaward for his continuous effortsand overall involvement in thelives of his own children andin supporting the Métis Localin Red Deer.

Berv Martin was the recipient

of this year’s LifetimeAchievement Award, whichtraditionally has recognizedthose who have spent their livespromoting Aboriginal cultureand working within CentralAlberta. Martin has also beenwith the Red Deer FriendshipSociety movement since thebeginning.

“Berv said so herself, that itreally is an honour to have yourcommunity recognize the workyou’ve done in your lifetimebecause the work is really hardbut it’s also really important,”said Schur.

To coincide with the event, asilent auction was held with theproceeds going toward thefriendship society’sprogramming and also to thenewly planned ASOOAHUMCentre, which is now gearingup to break ground. This newfriendship centre will also serveas a housing development.

According to a Cree Elderwho named the newinfrastructure, the Cree namingof ASOOAHUM is “crossing”and Schur sees it as a newAboriginal neighbourhood thatwill help people cross over to agood life and the opportunityto experience the culture.

Looking for your idealcareer?

Check out our onlinecareer listings only at:

www.ammsa.com

For a complete list of radio bingo sellersvisit: www.radiobingo.ca

HIGH LEVELCFWE RADIO BINGO SELLERS

• AssumptionCJ Pizza

• Bushe River Bushe Store

• Fort VermilionPioneer PharmaSave

• Fox LakeJohn’s Convenience Store

• Garden River5th Meridian Store• John Dor Prairie

5th Meridian Market• Keg River

Millenium Cabins Inc.• Rocky LaneCha Gas Bar


10 C A R E E R S & T R A I N I N GC A R E E R S & T R A I N I N GC A R E E R S & T R A I N I N GC A R E E R S & T R A I N I N GC A R E E R S & T R A I N I N G

By Sam LaskarisSweetgrass Writer

FORT MCMURRAY

A Royal Conservatory of Musicprogram that has dramaticallyincreased academic engagementand success of First Nation, Métisand Inuit students is beingexpanded.

For the past six years LearningThrough the Arts YouthEmpowerment Program has beenoperating in numerous FortMcMurray schools. Developed byThe Royal Conservatory in 1994,it uses arts-based activities to helpengage students as they learn keysubjects in their curriculum.

“The gains the studentsachieved were pretty spectacular,”said Shaun Elder, the executivedirector of the RoyalConservatory’s program. “All ofa sudden the kids were engaged.They didn’t have that before.”

Recently released test results,showing Provincial AchievementTest scores in math, science andsocial studies, demonstrate justhow successful the program hasbeen, especially amongAboriginal students.

The 2013 PAT score for scienceshows that 74.2 per cent ofAboriginal students achieved theprovincial standard, a significantincrease from the 54.2 per centfrom the 2010-12 results.

During this same period, 66.1per cent of Grade 9 Aboriginalstudents met the acceptableprovincial standard, up from anaverage of just 44.7 per cent.

All parties are thrilled with theresults.

“We can’t say our program was100 per cent responsible for it,”Elder said. “But (officials from)the school district told us ours wasreally the only new initiative inthe curriculum.”

The program brought inConservatory-trained dramaticand visual artists, musicians,dancers and writers to work

creatively with teachers andstudents, in the hopes of engagingthe latter to take more of aninterest in their studies.

Bringing in a local Elder to helpteach also generated moreengagement from Aboriginalstudents.

“I knew the test results wouldbe better because I saw the studentengagement in the classroom,”said Program leader ShelleyMacDonald, who is Métis.

The program operated in 15Catholic schools and seven publicschools in Fort McMurray.

MacDonald had a sense theprogram would be successful,even before it was implementedas some Aboriginal students hada say in how it would operate.

“We had visioning sessionsbefore the program waslaunched,” she said. “We really

Art-based program helps toimprove student-learning

Students engage in visual arts, one of the many areas ofcreative learning that is part of the Royal Conservatory ofMusic’s Learning Through the Arts Youth EmpowermentProgram.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

felt it was important for thestudents to be involved with thatas well. And they were very mucha part of the visioning.”

When the program first startedit was working only with Grade 6students.

But grant dollars from theAlberta government has allowedthe program to expand the pastthree years.

“What that (grant money)allowed us to do was to work withstudents who were in Grades 7-9as well,” Elder said.

A total of 3,000 students havebenefitted from the program.MacDonald said some of the FortMcMurray schools featureenrolments of about 50 per centAboriginal students.

And now the program will beexpanded to other northernAlberta communities thanks to a

For complete list of radio bingo sellers visit:www.radiobingo.ca

COLD LAKE CFWE RADIO BINGO SELLERS• Cold Lake

Cold Lake NativeFriendship Centre

• Cold LakeNorlite I.D.A. Pharmacy

• Joussard Larsen’s General Store

• KinusoJ’s One Stop• Slave Lake

Winks of Slave Lake• Desmarais

Bigstone Food Store Ltd.• Wabasca

E & M Foods Ltd.


11


12

Documents

Sweetgrass September 2014 final