DECEMBER 2016 VOLUME 19 - NUMBER 12 FREE The Kohkums … · 2017-01-04 · DECEMBER 2016 FREE VOLUME 19 - NUMBER 12 Newsmaker of the Year Edition Coming In January -2017 Preview Issu

DECEMBER 2016

FREE

VOLUME 19 - NUMBER 12

Newsmaker of the Year EditionComing In January -2017 Preview Issue

CPMA #40027204

RAPPING THE ISSUESBeary D’s music is touchingsome nerves, dealing with someof the tough issues of the day .

- Page 12

SHE’S A FIGHTERShana Pasapa is doing her bestto help women find the power tolook after themselves in toughsituations. - Page 21

ONE LAST TOURCurtis Peeteetuce is leaving hisrole as artistic director of GTNTbut he’s enjoying one more flingwith the Kohkums. - Page 14

SHE’S A PRINCESSStephanie Bellegarde hasbeen crowned FSIN princess inthe pageant’s 70th anniversaryyear. - Page 27

WALKING THE TALKResidential school survivorEugene Arcand has high praisefor the Frances Morrison CentralLibrary in Saskatoon. - Page 3

From left Dalton Lightfoot, Mitchell Poundmaker,Cory Dallas Standing and Krystle Pederson bringthe Rez Christmas story to a close with a four dayrun at the Broadway Theatre.

(Photo by Sweetmoon Photography)

The Kohkums are home for Christmas

By John LagimodiereOf Eagle Feather News

SASKATOON – The Kohkums from Kitweenook,from the holiday fan favourite Rez Christmas, hit thebig time this year.

No, they didn’t find the world’s biggest Wal-Mart.The feisty old ladies are actually taking over the 400seat Broadway Theatre for the final four nights of their

most successful tour season ever.The Christmas Kohkoms were originally created

by Curtis Peeteetuce in 2001 for the Circle of Voicesprogram. It began a holiday tradition for the companywith many of the actors returning to reprise their rolesyearly for the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre(GTNT).

• Continued on Page 14

Popular Christmas show has been around since 2001

DECEMBER 2016Eagle Feather News 2


SASKATOON – Just in time for Christmas, Potash-Corp has announced a half million dollar matching giftfor Food Banks of Saskatchewan.

The economic slowdown in Saskatchewan has hitthe poor the hardest and more people are being addedto the rolls daily. This situation has put stress on thefood security system and the food banks are struggling.

“The holidays can be a challenging time for manyfamilies and individuals in our community who are al-ready struggling. 21,000 people a month go through ourdoors, and it has stretched our resources at the foodbank. Almost half of those visits are children,” saidLaurie O’Connor, Executive Director at the SaskatoonFood Bank & Learning Centre at the announcement ofthe gift.

PotashCorp provided their support to food banksacross Saskatchewan for a seventh straight year withtheir matching gift campaign. Between now and Dec.31, PotashCorp will match the first $500,000 in cash do-nations to Saskatchewan food banks.

“Food security is a key part of our mandate as acompany. We try to help feed the world. And we haveto help feed the people in our own home towns andcommunities,” said Wayne Brownlee, Executive VicePresident, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer ofPotashCorp.

“Saskatchewan is our home and it makes a big dif-ference. Our employees rally to this cause and anythingwe can do to help we are more than pleased to do so. Itis the season of giving,” he said.

“PotashCorp’s matching donation campaign hasplaced us in a much better position to meet this demand.

We simply could not do what we do without this in-credible support,” O’Connor continued.

“With our community’s donations matched dollarfor dollar by PotashCorp, our organization can continueto provide emergency nutrition during these trying

times, and offer hope to those who need it the most.” If you want to donate items to the food bank,

please consider supplying high demand items likehearty soups and stews, canned protein, canned fruit andvegetables and infant formula.

PotashCorp brings Christmas cheer to Sask. food banks

Wayne Brownlee, Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of PotashCorp and Lau-rie O’Connor, Executive Director at the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre say that many people’sfood security is threatened by the high demand at the food banks. PotashCorp is matching individual do-nations up to $500,000 for food banks across Saskatchewan. (Photo by John Lagimodiere)

Eagle Feather News DECEMBER 2016 3

Reading forReconciliation


SASKATOON – A section of theFrances Morrison Central Library inSaskatoon has been dedicated to recon-ciliation.

The section is packed with books byIndigenous authors and others with top-ics ranging from fiction to poetry, to his-tory and residential schools. In a promi-nent location in the front of the library, abox wrapped in red cloth is in a windowdisplay that can be seen from inside andout. A ceremonial smudge and prayerfrom Elders Walter and Maria Linklaterhelped launch the official opening.

“As an active member of Reconcil-iation Saskatoon, the Library has firmlycommitted to answering many of theTruth and Reconciliation Commission’sCalls to Action. Our work in is intendedto bring all members of our communitytogether as we acknowledge the past andmove forward toward reconciliation to

promote healing and ultimately make ourcity, province and country stronger,” saidCarol Cooley CEO and Director of Li-braries for Saskatoon Public Library.

“Today we fulfill a promise wemade to residential school survivor Eu-gene Arcand, to create a space dedicatedto reconciliation in the library”

The reading section came aboutfrom a gift and request from Eugene Ar-cand. Arcand was presented with fivecomplete sets of the Truth and Reconcil-iation Commissions report and Calls toAction and books. So far, Arcand hasdonated boxes to SaskPolytechnic, theGreater Saskatoon Catholic SchoolBoard and the Saskatoon Public SchoolBoard. He donated this box to the librarybecause of the important role they play inpublic education.

“This is precedent setting in thisprovince,” said Arcand of the Read forReconciliation section.

“The residential school story willbe told by them. Bearing witness to this

kind of a legacy is about building publiceducation and understanding. Status quocan’t prevail. And the Library is walkingthe talk.”

The Saskatoon Library has embracedreconciliation. They are partners in Rec-onciliation Saskatoon, all of their employ-ees have been through Aboriginal aware-ness seminars and they have recentlynamed the Stonebridge outlet the RoundPrairie Branch in honour of Métis peoplewho lived in that area since the 1860s .

Mayor Charlie Clark was on handfor the dedication.

“There is a grassroots discussion tohelp us come to terms with the failure ofsociety with the residential schools. Creditto the Library to take this space for learn-ing and reflection in a safe space,” saidClark.

“My hope is that Saskatoon is theplace that is learning and growing andbuilding a community based on reconcil-iation. This is an important time for ourcity. We can feel proud and hopeful foryears to come.”

To officially open the section, Ar-cand invited his fellow residential schoolsurvivors Harry Lafond, Kelly Bitternose,Walter Linklater and Maria Linklater fromthe audience to join him in cutting thebirch bark.

“I never thought in my life we woulddeal with the residential schools. But thisreading section is a call to action,” said Ar-cand.

“The best part of this opening washaving my fellow survivors here. Littlethings mean a lot.”

The Read for Reconciliation spaceholds SPL’s growing collection of In-digenous literature and will host pro-gramming focused on healing, truth andreconciliation in Saskatoon. SPL’s Readfor Reconciliation booklist is available atwww.saskatoonlibrary.ca/reconciliation.

Eugene Arcand and the Truth andReconciliation bundle he donated tothe Saskatoon Public Library.

(Photo by John Lagimodiere)

“Status quocan’t prevail.

And the Library is walkingthe talk.”– Eugene Arcand

Eagle Feather News DECEMBER 20164

Suffice to say, 2016 was a verydifficult year. Just read the news. Often,when we consider our news maker ofthe year, it is easy to get a couple ofreally good and positive stories into themix for the voting. Unfortunately thisyear was quite the opposite.

The past year we faced was violentand dirty. The Eagle Feather News teamnarrowed down the stories to the schoolshooting in La Loche, the Husky oilspill on theNorthSaskatchewanRiver, the ColtenBoushieshooting and theconfrontationand violence atStanding Rock.None of thesestories were funto tell and therearen’t any happyendings in any ofthem.

We didn’tleave it up to us,though. We left itto the readers and hands down theypicked the Standing Rock protest andconflict as the news maker of the yearfor 2016. Even though it was anAmerican story, the call to protect thewater and support the Standing Rockcommunity was strong.

The defenders of the water weregoing to make sure the Dakota AccessPipeline was not going to be built undera Missouri River reservoir nearStanding Rock Sioux Reservation.

After witnessing the violence thatthe police force used on the protestorssparked outrage around the world, thecause and emotion spilled over intoCanada with many people making thetrip down to support the waterprotectors.

Even though many complainedthat the mainstream media ignored the

protest, there was never a lack of newscoming out of the territory as livestreaming and social media platformscarried a majority of the action.

People sent supplies andfundraised.

Eventually several thousandveterans showed up in support andstood between the protestors and police.To the jubilation of the camp ofprotestors that swelled to over 13,000

people at times,it wasannounced thatthe project willbe put on hold.

Followingthat, theVeterans askedfor andreceivedforgivenessfrom theDakota peoplebecause of theviolence andbroken Treatiesthat litteredNorth America.

A massive blizzard has hit thecamp and the community is now askingeveryone to pack up and go home.

Some insist the fight isn’t done yetand vow to remain vigilant. This storyis far from over because in January,Donald Trump becomes President ofthe United States of America and helikes oil and coal.

Racism, oil and gas developmentand pipelines and violence in ourcommunities are all realities that aregoing to be important issues to tackle in2017. It is a staggering list but the harshreality.

Financial resources are scant in thenorth and the recession has not madethings any better.

Those issues tied to colonialismand residential school trauma led toincidents like the shooting in La Loche

or even the crisis in the north withyoung people taking their own lives.

Add in poverty and poor ruralIndigenous and non-Indigenousrelations and that spills over into theColten Boushie shooting. This case willreceive plenty of attention in 2017when it hits the courts.

The province has yet to come toterms with the stinging racism thaterupted online after Colten’s passing.This story is tragic all around.

And just wait until next year whenthey start cutting ground for thereplacement pipeline that is going torun through parts of Saskatchewan.

The chatter online has peopletalking protest already. This is going tobe a difficult season since the deal isapproved and it is all legal and above

board. Will that stop the protests? Nota chance.

That was a pretty heavy year andwe hate to bum you out. Alwaysremember that even though there havebeen tough times there is still lots oflove and joy out there and ordinarypeople are doing extraordinary thingsevery day in our communities.

So continue reading on. You willfind much more uplifting news in theremaining pages of the paper.

Merry Christmas and Happy NewYear to everyone and may you havesafe travels and good tidings thisholiday season.

Standing Rock the big story of 2016

The killing ofColton Boushiewas just one of thetragic stories of2016

Eagle Feather NewsDECEMBER 2016 5

You know that sense of forebod-ing you get while driving down a darkSaskatchewan road that someone is inthe car with you? In my case, it’spretty much accurate as I always havecompany – mice.

In late October, I realized that Ihad visitors when I was cleaning underthe seat of my son’s car seat and foundone of his toys chewed to bits. For asecond I thought maybe our kid waspart dingo – but the mouse poop besideit made it clear. I had an infestation.

I worried about mice crawling onmy son every day as I locked him intohis car seat. But my mom says that’snot realistic. She called upon her vastknowledge of child-rearing to assureme: “He’s at the age where he canfight off a mouse.”

I was skeptical. “Really? That’s on the child de-

velopment charts? Eighteen months –able to fight off a small rodent? Sowhat at 24 months – is he able tostrangle a badger with his barehands?”

Now, here the animal lovers whohave extended their warm arms to ro-dents might want to look away.

I had no intention of ever allow-ing this animal to live in my vehicle or

anywhere else on this earth. I drove totown one weekend and bought traps inthe gar-den sec-tion ofW a l -Mart. Iset themw i t hp e a n u tb u t t e r(yup not my first time at the mouserodeo) and left them overnight in mycar.

The next day the peanut butterwas gone but there was no carcass.My traps were duds and my mice hadreceived a gourmet dinner.

So, I bought new traps. They alsodid not work. By day three, I waswondering if I should just sleep in myvehicle covered in peanut butter andarmed with a hammer.

Fortunately one of my friendshad battled mice the year before inhis rental. He gave me some plastictraps that were guaranteed to do thejob – the job here being bloody mur-der.

The traps worked. When Iopened the door to my vehicle, I re-ceived a prairie Christmas present– a

dead mouse was in the trap. The othertrap had peanut butter still in it –

which toldme that itwas justone mouse.As I gin-gerly battedthe trap outof the carwith my ice

scraper on the ground for myboyfriend to later pick up (and com-plain about), I was smiling brighterthan the sun’s reflection off the snow.I was home free.

I paid for a de-mousing packageat a Saskatoon detailer. It was expen-sive but how much would you pay toerase mouse urine from your life?

When I picked up my vehicle, Ifelt like a new woman. The carsmelled clean, the carpets washed andsanitized, and I could sit down know-ing that I was definitely not sitting inmouse poop. Life was a delicious ro-dent free cake.

Then last Sunday, I went out tothe car to look for a baby bottle thathad been left overnight. I opened thedoor, looked under the backseat andsaw the bottle, minus the nipple which

had been chewed beyond recognition. “I see,” I said as I closed the

door. I trudged back into the house,feeling as chewed up as the nipple.

For the next 12 hours, my lifebecame a blur of setting traps, check-ing them, disposing of the mouse-body, resetting them, waiting andchecking. We killed four mice thatnight.

I got desperate. My partner waslooking over my shoulder while I wassearching online. “You shopping for anew car?”

“My car has mice in it.”“Yeah but there’s no guarantee

they won’t get in the new car.” “Then I’ll just buy another one,

and another one, and another one…”When I opened the door to my

car the next morning on my way towork, the peanut butter was sitting inthe trap, uneaten. But I did not feelglee or even mild joy. For I will neverbe truly free from the mice, I knowthat now.

That weekend they sent me adark message – we can enter your ve-hicle when ever we want. Whereveryou go, we’ll be there too.

But on the bright side, at leastI’ll never get lonely.

Armed with peanut butter, I waged war against the mice


By Angela HillFor Eagle Feather News

SASKATOON – The bright yellow flagof Reconciliation Saskatoon is beingraised outside buildings across the city.

It shows that more and more organ-izations are committing to the processof reconciliation in their workplaces andwithin their communities.

Reconciliation Saskatoon is a groupof community organizations looking tobuild public awareness, education andengagement on reconciliation, said RhettSangster, director reconciliation and com-munity partnerships for the Office of theTreaty Commissioner (OTC).

“We’re trying very much to be a di-verse group, representative of all thevoices in the community to talk abouthow we move forward and also to buildrelationships, to be reconciliation in ac-tion,” he said.

It grew out of the City of Saska-toon calling 2015 the Year of Reconcili-ation after the release of the Truth andReconciliation Commissions’ (TRC)Calls to Action. The ReconciliationSaskatoon mandate is to create opportu-nities for education about history and en-courage response to the Calls to Action,said Gilles Dorval, Director of Aborigi-nal Relations for the city.

By pulling in organizations fromacross the city they can work collabora-tively and pool funding, “so we can domore with less,” said Dorval.

There are about 35 groups involvednow, including tribal councils, the In-dian Métis Friendship Centre, CentralUrban Métis Federation Incorporated,Saskatoon Public Library, the OTC,health regions, the City, newcomer or-ganizations, churches and others.

“So, it’s working with all people inthe community regardless of their faith,ethnicity, and creating an understandingof the Indigenous People before and howwe can work together to ensure that no-body gets left behind,” Dorval said.

“I really think we have an opportu-nity for change.”

Reconciliation Saskatoon startedwith a handful of organizations thatwould meet over lunch, but continues togrow, said Sangster.

The flag raisings outside buildings,including the most recent one outside theGreater Saskatoon Catholic Schools headoffice and one outside St. Paul’s Hospi-tal, are just a small part of the activitiesReconciliation Saskatoon are helping toorganize.

Since the launch of ReconciliationSaskatoon, they have organized speakingseries, Aboriginal Awareness Training tobusinesses, blanket exercises, conversa-tions with survivors and the massiveRock Your Roots, Walk for Reconcilia-tion that happened in the summer.

Recently the Saskatoon Public Li-brary announced the name of the newbranch to be opened in Stonebridge asRound Prairie This was done in consul-tation with an elders’ advisory panel or-ganized in partnerships with Reconcilia-tion Saskatoon.

“The relationships that we’ve builthave made each of these initiativesstronger and more representative of ourcommunity,” Sangster said.

The library also just opened a rec-onciliation reading room in their mainbranch, because education is the first stepin committing to reconciliation, saidCarol Cooley, director of libraries andCEO.

“Because of course reconciliation isnot just an organizational responsibility,but a responsibility of each and every in-dividual,” she said.

The passing of the library budget lastweek was another step in ensuring equi-table service, Cooley said.

“We will be able to increase ourhours of service in our core communi-ties,” she said.

“To me that’s reconciliation in ac-tion.”

Cooley said Reconciliation Saska-toon is important now because there waspublic recognition that something neededto happen after the Calls to Action.

“I think it helps keep the momentumgoing,” she said.

The model started as a pilot in Saska-toon, said Sangster, but the mandate of theOTC is provincial. He said there havebeen discussions in Regina about what

Reconciliation Regina could look like andon Dec. 2, Sangster and Dorval met withinterested stakeholders in Lloydminster.

“This is a movement that we’re look-ing to spread organically and allow peopleto take it on and be creative and buildnew relationships,” Sangster said.

The timing is right, because the TRCreport woke people up a little bit, headded.

“I think there is a genuine interest indoing better, but there is also hesitancy,these are issues that are political and somepeople are a bit hesitant to get outside oftheir comfort zone.”

That’s where Reconciliation Saska-toon can play a role. They offer advice,can facilitate discussion and create a safespace to build trust and shared relation-ships, Dorval said.

“Find the we, instead of the us andthem,” Sangster said.

From left, Brad Bird of the Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan,Gilles Dorval representing the City of Saskatoon and Rhett Sangster of the Of-fice of the Treaty Commissioner presented the Reconciliation flag at the RockYour Roots, Walk for Reconciliation this summer.


Reconciliation Saskatoon grows

DECEMBER 2016 7Eagle Feather News

By Julie WristonOf Eagle Feather News

SASKATOON –The Nehiyawiwin CreeLanguage & Culture Program at Con-federation Park Community School inSaskatoon was honoured recently with anIndspire Award at the Indspire NationalGathering for Indigenous Education.

The award provides meaningfulrecognition to Confederation ParkSchool for bringing Indigenous knowl-edge and teachings to students.

The Nehiyawiwin Cree Language& Culture Program began in 2005through a partnership between the Cen-tral Urban Metis Federation Inc., theSaskatoon Tribal Council, and Saska-toon Public Schools. The program ex-tends from pre-kindergarten through tograde five and offers bilingual and bi-cultural teachings that include Cree lan-guage, cultural protocols, and involve-ment in feasts, ceremonies, powwowsand round dances. Approximately 85 percent of the student population in the pro-gram are of First Nations or Métis her-itage.

Wally Awasis has spent the last fiveyears as the Cultural Teacher at the Ne-hiyawiwin program.

“Culture is embedded in language.Without language, kids miss out on theteachings of our culture – things get lostin translation.”

Awasis utilizes the Culture Room to

engage his students in a variety of ways.Tipi teachings are one form of learningthat is useful not only to educate stu-dents about things like numbers andwords, but also to instill values such aslistening skills, respect, and hospitality.

“I teach the kids about staying pres-ent, that this is a skill. Good listeningskills are a way to show respect,” he be-lieves.

Drumming and dancing groups areanother great tool for teaching languageand culture.

“Using the same principle as nurs-ery rhymes, singing helps kids learn lan-guage, and legends.”

It also helps to build confidence. “We go around and do perform-

ances which helps build the kid’s self-esteem. Other schools really admirewhat we are doing.”

This year, Awasis suggests that“the reconciliation process is lookingfor ways to give culture back to Abo-riginal people.”

He sees this as a good step for-ward for the “government to be morerelaxed about releasing funds for pro-grams like this.”

Looking forward, a big aspirationwould be for Nehiyawiwin to have aschool of its own.

“We are busting at the seams,”says Awasis. The program has contin-ued to grow in size, extending to

Grades 7 and 8 this year. “Each year we add a new teacher,

but we lack funding so we are stretch-ing our reach to include the highergrades.”

Awasis believes that this program

is important to all schools. “If you understand about us, you

will appreciate us more. We need to trainpeople how to do this in more schools.Although we have done a lot, we can domore.”

Confederation School program earns Indspire Award

Confederation Park Community School students displayed their cultural teach-ings at an assembly to celebrate the raising of the Treaty 6 flag in June. The Ne-hiyawiwin Cree Language & Culture Program at the school recently receivedan Indspire Award. (Photo by John Lagimodiere)


DECORATINGTHE TREEYoungsters in Ms. KristieFedoruk’s Grade 2 class atSt. Mary’s Wellness andEducation Centre showedup at the Affinity CreditUnion’s St. Mary’s branchin Saskatoon to help deco-rate the Christmas tree.St. Mary’s Wellness andEducation Centre is a com-munity school partner withAffinity Credit Union’s Artfor Life, a Remai Modernprogram operating in se-lected schools. This is St.Mary’s first year of athree-year partnership.The museum offers en-hanced visual arts experi-ences through workshopsin the classrooms.To commemorate the sea-son, the Grade 2 class atSt. Mary’s School madesparkling foil decorationsfor display. After placingtheir special creations onthe St. Mary’s AffinityCredit Union seasonal tree,the youngsters enjoyed artmaking and a snack beforeheading back to theirschool.



SASKATOON –As Donnie Speidel sang an honour song and presentedGord Downie with an eagle feather, the Canadian rock legend brokedown in tears and was visibly emotional.

Downie was honoured by the Assembly of First Nations for hiswork on reconciliation and the impact he has had around Canada by therelease of The Secret Path, an animated film based on Downie’s poemsand music about a boy named Chaney Wenjack who ran away from res-idential school and didn’t make it home. He passed away beside a railwayline.

“Gord Downie is shining a light on the inequality experienced by in-digenous peoples. Today, we lift up and honour Gord Downie, whosewords and music have introduced millions of Canadians to the story ofChanie Wenjack, a young boy who has come to represent the thousandsof children subjected to the Residential Schools system, just one of themany who was taken from his family never to see them again,” said As-sembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.

The solemn occasion was shown and shared widely on social media. “It will take 150 years, or seven generations, to heal the wound of the

residential school, to become a country that can truly call ourselvesCanada. It means we must become one,” Downie said who was also giventhe name Man Who Walks Among the Stars.

“We must walk down a path of reconciliation from now on. Togetherand forever. This is the first day of forever. The greatest day of my life.The greatest day of all our lives.”

Proceeds from the Secret Path album and graphic novel will be do-nated to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the Univer-sity of Manitoba.

Donnie Speidel sang an honour song for Gord Downie and then tied an eagle featheronto his hat. (Photo by Shelley Mike Photography)

AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde addresses the assembly as Valerie Galley holdsGord Downie’s hand as he was honoured in front of Chiefs from across Canada.

(Photo by Shelley Mike Photography)

AFN honours Downie’sreconciliation efforts

DECEMBER 2016Eagle Feather News10



REGINA – A new $400,000 fund has been created tohelp foster a greater awareness and understanding of in-digenous culture in Saskatchewan. Guided by the Truthand Reconciliation Commission’sCalls to Action, the Canada 150 Fundwill be used to build new and respect-ful relationships between Canada’s In-digenous and non-Indigenous peoplesthrough language, literature and artsengagement throughout 2017 and be-yond.

The funding announcement wasmade on Nov.25 by Ralph Goodale,the federal Minister of Public Safetyand Emergency Preparedness

“This funding will help celebratethe achievements of a broad cross-sec-tion of people in Saskatchewan andtheir invaluable contributions to Cana-dian nation building.”

The announcement outlined a listof activities that will take place withfund support:

• Indigenous artist presentationsto schools through LIVE Arts, in part-nership with Saskatchewan Arts Boardand Saskatchewan Ministry of Educa-tion;

• Design and delivery of In-digenous language workshops foryouth in First Nations communities, inpartnership with Saskatchewan In-

digenous Cultural Centre;• A Métis culture and language gathering, in

partnership with Gabriel Dumont Institute;• Expansion of an Indigenous literary festival, in part-

nership with Saskatchewan Aboriginal Writers Circle Inc.;

• Creative workshops and community celebra-tion, in partnership with Buffalo People Arts Institute;

And a final cultural gathering to showcase activ-ities and ensure a legacy, organized by SaskCulture.

SaskCulture will be responsible for fund man-agement and distribution.

“Canada’s 150th anniver-sary serves as an opportunityfor us all to reflect on thispoint in time, including theyears leading up to it, and thechanging relationships goingforward,” says Joanne Mc-Donald, President, SaskCul-ture.

SaskCulture, a provincialnon-profit cultural organiza-tion, together with expertisefrom various partners –Saskatchewan Indigenous Cul-tural Centre (SICC), GabrielDumont Institute (GDI),Saskatchewan Arts Board(SAB), Saskatchewan Aborig-inal Writers Circle Inc.(SAWCI), and Buffalo PeopleArts Institute - will offer arange of accessible and partic-ipatory programming designedto build understanding andawareness of Saskatchewan’sIndigenous peoples and cele-brate a new relationship mov-ing forward.

Federal gov’t supplying cash for Canada 150 Fund

SaskCulture and their partners in this photo include representatives of some of the othergroups that received Canada 150 funding including the Regina Folk Festival and the York-ton Film Festival and others. (Photo courtesy SaskCulture)


By Jamin MikeFor Eagle Feather News

Beary D is a rapper on the rise. He brings theyoung life and all sorts of issues to light through the artof music. But with his devotion for rapping, he uses mu-sic as tool for stress relief and to announce his thoughtsto the world.

Brennan Colby Daniels, 22, hails from the MuskegLake and Okanese First Nations but makes his home inSaskatoon. Since the age of 12, Daniels found that put-ting pen to paper and writing down lyrics was a passionof his. But in 2009 when Daniels was in high school, hebegan taking his rapping career to the next level.

“It’s an addiction and a reliever. I found anotherway out,” he said.

Daniels was nicknamed “Bear” at birth. Andthroughout his younger life, he was into sports. Hespent most of his life in the city, but was also movingback and forth from Regina as well. When he wouldplay hockey, his friends would always call him Beary—thus making “Beary D” his stage name.

Daniels expressed that he couldn’t have asked fora more supportive environment and family.

He wrote a song called Bridge City. The songheavily expresses the life of a youth living in Saskatoon.This was his first major recording and after the song hadbeen published, it was a hit on social-media websiteswhich started getting his name out to the public.

Daniels started creating more music, expressingdifferent things. His newest recording, Standing Rock,is a song that takes the movement to another level of un-derstanding.

Daniels shared that he believes that the protestersin Standing Rock are fighting for a good cause.

“I wrote this song to support the people fightingfor clean water… it’s a right and so is clean land,” heexplains.

The song is based on the protest involving hun-dreds of people who gathered in opposition of theDakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock SiouxReservation in North Dakota.

“I’m hoping this song will get people’s attention.It is important that we get these messages out there.”

One of his first gigs happened at the SutherlandHall in Saskatoon in 2015. He opened up for an artistby the name of Preme from Thunder Bay, Ont.

“My feelings were very nerve wracking at thetime, but went away once I performed,” he said.

His first album is currently in planning. He workswith DillyBat Productions, a production group basedout of Saskatoon. Themes for his new album are to shedlight on different issues Indigenous people are facinglike pipeline protests, rising suicide rates in the north,and poor conditions on reserves around Canada.

“My focus is to bring people together with mymusic of all cultures by speaking on all issues.” Heplans on keeping up with his music and is excited to seewhere it will bring him. Family continues to stand byhis side.

Rapper Beary D bites into the important issues

Beary D’s message is starting to be heard.

DECEMBER 2016 Eagle Feather News 13

By Tiffany HeadFor Eagle Feather NewsDriving into the camp, what they

saw was surreal. There were countlessflags from many nations on the outeredges of the camp as far as the eyescould see.

Members from the CumberlandHouse Cree Nation were in the SacredStones Camp to support the Dakota Ac-cess Pipeline Project (DAPL) proteston November 16.

Cory Cardinal, the Nisto Awasisakschool principal, along with 10 stu-dents, three elders, Chief Lorne Stew-art and Gerald Favel, President ofMétis Society of Cumberland House,got a firsthand look at what was hap-pening at Standing Rock.

Cardinal said this was an oppor-tunity of a lifetime for his students.This was something they could experi-ence, “instead of reading it in a book.”

He stated that he was hesitant togo at first because of all the violencehe saw on social media but he knewthey had to go.

“It’s about showing support forsomething that is near and dear to allof us, protecting our water resources,”Cardinal said.

He talked about how when theygot into the camp, there was a signthat stated the purpose of the camp.

“Absolutely no drugs or alcoholon you or in you, this is a camp ofprayer and ceremony.”

Cardinal said when he felt a real

sense of peace in the camp, but thefront lines had a completely differentfeeling.

“Very different vibe, very nega-tive vibe,” he describes.

Cardinal told his students thatwhat they saw there was what theytalked about in history. The police andsecurity were doing everything theycould to provoke a response.

“The people here have given themabsolutely nothing,” Cardinal statingabout how the protestors never re-sponded to the police violence.

The members of CHCN werehonored with an honor song and a flagsong. Chief Lorne Stewart brought theCHCN flag to be raised with the rest ofthe flags.

“It was a special moment. Theythanked us for coming to supportthem,” Cardinal said.

Grade 12 student Peter Bear saidthat it was great that they got to go andwas in awe by how many non-Aborig-inal people that were present showingtheir support.

“It was my first time being thereand it felt really good that they ac-knowledged us being there,” Bear said.

Cardinal said it was tough whenthey had to leave because they feltvery much at home on spiritualground.

“Our heart definitely stayed there,we wanted to be there longer, it wassuch a beautiful place to be,” Cardinalsaid.

CumberlandHouseleaders, studentsvisit DAPLprotestcamp

Members of Cumberland House Cree Nation, including several students, had an opportunity to witness an historicalevent when they visited Standing Rock in November.


• Continued from Page OneThis year is their 14th installment and it included a

tour around Saskatchewan to over a dozen communitiesas far south as Nekaneet and as far north as Buffalo Nar-rows.

This tour is the last for creator Curtis Peeteetuce whoends his time at GTNT as Artistic Director in the NewYear. And he loves the experience of the final run full ofnostalgia.

“One of the blessings of this particular production ishaving Mitchell Poundmaker back as the original Sihkos.Mitchell and I were both there back stage donning our dresses and our tights and ourbras and wigs and our purses over 15 years ago,” Peeteetuce recalls.

“It is really nice to come full circle and have Mitchell back with us. It is amaz-ing I’m so blessed. Another is having Cory and Dalton back. They have done thisthree years now and then Krystle Pederson returned who has been so involved in theChristmas series ... having those four involved really brings back a lot of memories.We had a lot of fun on tour. That was another blessing and now we have the Broad-way to look forward to,” said Peeteetuce.

This time around, Zula, Claire Bear and Sihkos find themselves searching amysterious new toy store for the perfect gifts for their great grandchildren. Hijinksensue, insults are hurled and the ladies go on an adventure that teaches them a mes-sage that stokes the Christmas spirit. And laughter ... lots of laughter.

“The best part of the show is the laughter and the fun. We have so much funon stage and get to joke with each other,” said veteran actor Krystle Pederson whoplays the trickster.

“It is great to bring joy to the community. The tour has been fun. It was nice togo back home to Buffalo Narrows. The communities have been really welcoming.”

And the communities love the show. The inside jokes, pop culture referencesand the Cree language, music and culture all combine for a delightful experience.

“We connect with the communities because we in-corporate the Cree language. I love seeing the actors usethe language. What our theatre does is give them backsome sort of language retention,” added Peeteetuce.

“And I love watching people give an honest sincerelaugh from the belly. We hear that every time we do theshow. That is a gift right there.”

Pederson agrees about the importance of the lan-guage in the play, and also the importance of the mes-sages.

“It feels good having so much Cree language in theshow. It is nice to hear them laugh and get the jokes. It isalso a challenge for us to make sure we get the Creeright,” said Pederson.

“The play gets me in the spirit. It reminds me to bewith my family and not make it so much about presentsbut more about the family. The Kohkums are all about be-ing together and supporting each other and making eachother laugh no matter what the situation is.”

Even though it is Peeteetuce’s last play as the Artis-tic Director, don’t say goodbye to the Kohkoms quite yet.

“I am outgoing artistic director, so now the incom-ing director has some choices to make. I will always behere. I think our actors are always going to be here. Wehave over 25 alum performers who have done the RezChristmas series,” said Peeteetuce of future shows.

“And we are all here standing by so if GTNT and thenew Artistic Director want a brand new Christmas show,hey, they know where to get a hold of me.”

The play runs at the Broadway December 14 to17th. For tickets call 306-652-6556.

Artistic Director and playwright Curtis Peeteetuce and actor Krystle Pederson share a quick moment infront of the touring van before the cast heads off for a gig in North Battleford. (Photo by John Lagimodiere)

Peeteetuce enjoystime with MitchellPoundmaker on finaltour with Kohkums


By Linda Mikolayenko for Eagle Feather NewsMusic, books, movies – these are classic gifts for any occasion. This holiday sea-son, you can delight family and friends with selections that have a northernSaskatchewan touch. Check out these suggestions for children, youth, and adults.

Small Town Life by Roland Corrigal($10)Roland Corrigal, from Air Ronge, released hisfirst CD in November. Small Town Life consistsof six original songs, with styles ranging fromclassic to modern. “Social media reviews have been glowing,” saysCorrigal. “I feel that it will open more opportuni-ties as a Métis from northern Saskatchewan whois now recognized as a Canadian CountryRecording Artist.” Corrigal was awarded 2016 Aboriginal Artist of the Year by the SaskatchewanCountry Music Association. Small Town Life is available for purchase fromrolandcorrigal.com or Amazon. For digital download and streaming options,check out Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and Spotify.Firewater: How Alcohol Is Killing My People (and Yours)By Harold R. Johnson, University of Regina Press ($16.95)Harold R. Johnson of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation wanted to start a conversa-tion when he wrote his latest book, Firewater: How Alcohol Is Killing My People(and Yours). After only being released this fall, it is a national bestseller, now inits third printing. It was a non-fiction finalist for the Governor General’s LiteraryAwards, which Johnson says was a huge surprise.

“I wrote in Firewater that alcohol was a sub-ject nobody wants to talk about,” says John-son. “I was wrong. It seems now is the timethat people want to discuss it.” You can find reviews, newspaper articles andradio interviews online and you can contributeto the conversation by picking up a copy of thebook at most booksellers. When the Trees Crackle with Cold: A Cree CalendarpīsimwasinahikanBy Bernice Johnson-Laxdal and MiriamKörner, Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing($19.95)Inspired by her childhood memories, BerniceJohnson-Laxdal collaborated with Miriam

Körner to create a picture book that brings to life the six seasons of the Cree cal-endar, divided into twelve moons which reflect the cycle of nature. For Frost-Exploding Moon (December), the text reads: “When the trees cracklewith cold, we stay close to home.Kohkom tells us stories of timeslong past while we sew moose-hide mittens for Christmas gifts.” Warmly illustrated with Körner’swatercolour paintings, the book iswritten in English, with some ofthe text in the y-dialect of thenorthern Plains Cree of the Île-à-laCrosse area where Johnson-Laxdalgrew up. The authors, who bothlive at Potato Lake near La Ronge,wanted to create a resource fornorthern schools and provide otherreaders with a glimpse into life inNorthern Saskatchewan. Yellow Dog by MiriamKörneRed Deer Press ($14.95)In her first young adult novel, Yellow Dog, Miriam Körner captures the spirit oftimes past, while creating an engaging contemporary story told from the point ofview of a young boy, Jeremy.Körner has been on many northern wilderness adventures. In her travels, she has

been privileged to hear Elders’ stories of whatit was like when a dog team was the primarymode of winter transportation in northernSaskatchewan. These stories were a gift shefelt she needed to share.“One way I could do that was to give all thesestories – all their memories – to the old man inthe book,” says Körner.Jeremy’s relationship with the old man leadshim to his own adventure that includes Aci-mosis, the yellow dog.The Land of Rock and GoldDirected by Daniel Redenbach and JanineWindolph ($30 DVD Pre-order)If you don’t mind waiting a while for delivery,you can give someone a DVD of a unique dra-matic feature film. The Land of Rock andGold has recently garnered acting awards for Charity Bradfield of La Ronge atthe Red Nation Film Awards in Los Angeles and the Saskatchewan IndependentFilm Awards.

Filmed last winter in the LaRonge area, the movie has beenscreened at a number of filmfestivals, but now the creatorswant to distribute it theatricallyacross the country, and get thestory out into the world. To dothat, they need help, so have setup an Indiegogo campaign.Different levels of contributionwill get you a range of perks –

from digital downloads and DVDs, to a beaded necklace and a secret recipe forbannock.

Warm up with some Christmas gifts from the North


DECEMBER 2016 17Eagle Feather News – Business/Careers


SASKATOON – Renewable energy andengaging First Nations businesses in sup-plying it was the topic of the day at theFirst Nations Power Authority (FNPA)2nd Annual Energy Forum on First Na-tion Renewable Energy in Saskatchewan.

A packed house at the conference ledto walls being removed and tables added toaccommodate the interested parties. Busi-ness and Indigenous leaders from acrossCanada came together to share best prac-tices and to network with community eco-nomic development corporations and bigbusiness.

After an opening prayer from ElderJoe Quewezance and territorial greetingsby Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief andFNPA board chairFelix Thomas, presen-ters from leading organizations sharedtheir wisdom.

Trevor McLeod, the Director of theCentre for Natural Resources Policy at theCanada West Foundation talked about reg-ulatory law and the current issues facingresource development. The Duty to Con-

sult and accommodate is going to have abig impact on development in the futureand that future development must includeFirst Nations he says. And he broke downthe law to something simple. “Duty toConsult means we need to talk. So get outthere and start talking,” said McLeod.

SaskPower has made a plan to in-crease the amount of renewable energy itbuys into the grid and Tim Schuster, Di-rector IPP and Development, Environmentand Sustainable Development showed theamount of opportunities available. The de-velopments could result in hundreds ofmillions dollars of economic developmentopportunity.

Many attendees came looking to findthe secret to engaging and meeting FirstNation development corporations. A panel,including Colin Asselstine of the KluaneDevelopment Corporation (KCDC), ChiefJim Leonard of the Rainy River First Na-tion in Northern Ontario and VickieWetchie who is the General Manager ofGreen Arrow Corp, a business owned bythe Montana First Nation in Alberta pro-vided invaluable information on engage-

ment. Vickie Wetchie from Green Arrow

Corp who has solar panels poweringhouses in her community put it straight forwhen it comes to engaging the community.

“Consult early and consult often,”she said. “Do not walk in at the last minuteof a project and expect a warm reception.You have to spend time getting to knowour community.

“Get to know our leaders. Not justelected Chief and council, but our Eldersand family heads. Come to our events likethe bingo, even. And use simple jargonand imagery. If you drop a big technicalmanual on the desk, you lose us.”

Chief Jim Leonard had an amazingstory of success. By acquiring two energylicenses to sell power to Ontario Hydro, hehas transformed his community.

“We used those licenses to leverageover $130 million in investments to ourcommunity to build a solar field,” saidChief Leonard. “Our people are trained insolar now and those skills are portable.”

The solar project they have pays theband back over $3 million annually. And

Rainy River is an isolated community ofjust over 300 people.

Companies like Suncor Energy,BluEarth and Lockheed Martin Energyalso made presentations on their servicesand new technology available in the field.

The large turnout was a bit of a shockfor the organizers, but they were happy tohave to deal with it.

“We had well over 200 people at-tend including 30 or so walk ups,” saidFNPA CEO Leah Nelson-Guay.

“I think this shows that the interestin the renewable market in Saskatchewanhas never been higher. Thanks to oursponsors we were able to create this fo-rum so interested people could get to-gether and make those introductions.

“Hopefully those conversations leadto partnerships that increase First Nationparticipation in renewable energy.”

A full house at the FNPA 2nd Annual Energy Forum was welcomed by organizers. (Right) Chief Jim Leonard of the RainyRiver First Nation in Ontario shared how his community leveraged financing of $130 million to build a solar farm in hiscommunity. (Photos by Bill Stevenson)

Huge interest in discussing renewable energy in Saskatchewan

DECEMBER 2016Eagle Feather News – Business/Careers18

By Jeanelle MandesOf Eagle Feather News

REGINA – Regina’s own Indigenoustelevision program, RezX TV, won theCanadian Cable Systems Alliance(CCSA) Tuned In Award in the cat-egory of best news program.

The winner of award chooseswhere to donate the $1,000 cashprize and RezX TV decided to do-nate to a non-profit organizationclose to their heart.

Chris Ross, the executive pro-ducer for the television show RezXTV, said the win is a chance to do-nate to a charity of their choice andhad asked their TV show provider,Access Communications, if theycan donate the winnings to Soul’sHarbour Rescue Mission.

“I really wanted to donate tosomething to help with our innercities and the homeless and lessfortunate. I feel a large proportionof people who are homeless areFirst Nations people. There’s a softspot in my heart for (those) livingon the street,” he says.

“It was a huge opportunity todonate to them to help out.”

The donation is very welcome con-sidering the festive season and the direneed in the community.

“We really appreciate Chris’s in-volvement in the community and thesupport he is able to provide to us. Wewere very excited,” says Patty

Humphreys, marketing manager ofSoul’s Harbour Rescue Mission.

“Chris is an activist and an advocate

for the people in the community. That heand his crew and the people he workswith feel it’s important to contribute to usis a great feeling.”

The monetary donation will be go-ing into the Samaritan project, which isa project that will have a new soup

kitchen, a men’s shelter, daycare and af-fordable housing suites in Regina. Oncethey receive the city’s approval, theyhope to start breaking ground in the

spring. “I encourage anybody to

support our organizations thatdon’t get help from the gov-ernment,” says Ross.

He explains RezX TVwill continue to support Soul’sHarbour Rescue Mission. TheSeason 3 Premiere date has notbeen finalized but Ross hopesit will be sometime in Janu-ary. They will be accepting ad-mission donations at the pre-miere screening and themoney collected will be do-nated to Soul’s Harbour Res-cue Mission to continue theirsupport.

Recently, RezX TV intro-duced a brand-new host, TylerTootoosis to join the originalhost, Erin Goodpipe. Rossadds that Shaw Cable will bestreaming the Indigenous TVshow on Channel 10 where itwill be available to communi-

ties throughout the province. The TVshow expanded from a province-widemagazine.

Award winning RezX TV shows its community spirit

RezX TV hosts Tyler Tootoosis and Erin Goodpipe will now be seen across the province throughAccess Communications and Shaw Cable. (Photo by Mike Dubois)




SASKATOON – Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has donated a retiredfrom flight status Sikorsky S-76A twin-engine helicopter to the Saskatchewan IndianInstitute of Technologies (SIIT) for training for their Aircraft Maintenance Engi-neering students.

Valued at $1.3 million, the non-flying, twin-engine helicopter with associatedequipment and documentation provides an important learning tool for students pur-suing a career in aviation maintenance.

“The addition of the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to our aircraft training fleet al-lows us to provide a greater hands-on experience to our students in a wide array ofsystems typical of modern helicopters,” said Riel Bellegarde, SIIT President andCEO.

“Our students will ultimately benefit in the workforce by gaining early first-handknowledge of the inspection, maintenance, and repair of a fully rigged helicopter, in-cluding its electronic, mechanical, and hydraulic systems.”

SIIT students, First Nations elders, provincial politicians and representativesfrom local Saskatoon business attended the transfer ceremony at the Aviation Learn-ing Centre.

During the ceremony, William Falk, Sikorsky’s director for the Maritime Hel-icopter Project, who leads the program team from Sikorsky’s headquarters in Strat-ford, Connecticut, urged students to embrace a life-long career in the exciting fieldof aviation engineering.

“I encourage students at the SIIT to think expan-sively about the knowledge they are acquiring whenthey learn to inspect and maintain a modern helicopter,”said Falk.

“This knowledge can then be taken to new heights– whether in Canada or internationally. This particularS-76A helicopter was previously maintained and oper-ated with great care to carry thousands of passengerssafely and reliably for almost 35 years.

“In its second life as a maintenance trainer, thissame vessel can open up a world of opportunities forthousands of students.”

The S-76A helicopter was withdrawn from activeflight status in 2015 after performing 26,291 hours inflight, and 16,723 landings since 1980. During its op-erational life, transport companies used the aircraft toferry up to 12 workers at a time to offshore oil and gasrigs, among other utility roles.

Sikorsky converted the aircraft to a non-flyingmaintenance trainer in the United States. In August2016, the trainer and support items arrived by truck atthe Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre.

The maintenance trainer consists of a Sikorsky S-76A™ twin-engine helicopter recently retired fromflight status, along with supporting hardware to keep thetrainer functioning. This includes equipment to moveand provide power to the trainer, and tablet-based elec-tronic technical manuals that help students troubleshootmaintenance issues with interactive graphics. To ensurefamiliarization with the trainer package, Sikorsky alsohas provided training courses for SIIT instructors.

From left, Deputy Premier Don Morgan, Jim Cocoran, Lockheed Martin,William Faulk, Sikorsky Aircraft and SIIT President and CEO Riel Bellegarde.


Million dollar Sikorskyhelicopter donated to SIIT


Shana Pasapa fighting hard to givewomen more power in their lives

By Jeanelle MandesOf Eagle Feather News

REGINA – Shana Pasapa started a business last Janu-ary called Power Our Women (POW). It’s a self-de-fence program for women and young girls, who wantto power their defense, help instil confidence and atti-tude to women and girls.

“We expanded into offering a whole workshop. Allthe instructors are certified and have background in per-sonal training,” says Pasapa.

The business started off at The Aboriginal YouthIdea Challenge (AYIC) in Saskatoon, which is a pro-gram that helps potential entrepreneurs to make theirideas real by helping to formulate business plans andfinding resources. The business took off last January asself-defence classes but has expanded into offeringworkshops including fitness, nutrition, goal setting,healthy living, positive choices, self-defence and bullymanagement.

Pasapa offers self-defence classes in the basementof her home but her and her team travel throughout theprovince to provide classes and workshops to commu-nities who inquire.

Pasapa, who is from White Bear First Nation butresides in Regina, believes it’s a tool that all womenshould have to learn (and) what your body is capable ofdoing.

“It’s a power that I’ve learned through martialarts and it has helped me to become a better person anda fighter but I feel like it’s something that can be shared

with other women to reignite that power within our-selves,” she explains.

“We need to bring more awareness to some of theissues that are going on right now and this is a good wayto bring more awareness.”

POW added a new seminar from striking and anti-abduction, which has been described as being veryhelpful.

“We help women and girls be aware of the situa-tion of being abducted. Then we put them in realitytraining by simulating them in that situation. We givethem the tools of different things they can do in thosescenarios,” she says.

The POW team show their participants differentstrategy tools that will help in crisis situations such asif somebody were to grab you from behind upon en-tering into a vehicle. The POW instructors show whichdirection to run and to be aware of things in your ve-hicle that may help. Pasapa says some people get emo-tional because they experience certain situations butfeels a sense of relief when they are given an opportu-nity to defend themselves.

“I’m working with a girl right now who is scaredto go out in public because of a situation she had beforeand (I’m) helping her to gain the confidence and to re-alize what she’s capable of. To hear that she has a lit-tle bit of confidence to do those things is real reward-ing,” she adds.

Pasapa would love to see more women going intomartial arts because it’s something that she says, you

don’t see often. “If anyone sees me walking down the street, they

wouldn’t expect I can defend myself very well becauseI’m a shorter woman and I don’t even look like I’m afighter, I know I’m able to handle myself.”

For those interested in signing up for self-defenceclasses and/or workshops, Pasapa can be reached [email protected] or you can find her busi-ness on their Facebook page: Power Our Women.

Entrepreneur and mixed martial artist Shana Pasapais powering her way into the business world.

(Photo by Creeson Agecoutay)


PRINCE ALBERT – Northern Wild Fishery re-cently celebrated the Grand Opening of their PrinceAlbert retail location, making northern fish availableto the public.

Owned and operated by Hatchet Lake Denesu-line First Nation at Wollaston, Northern Wild Fisheryoffers lake trout, pickerel, pike and whitefish straightfrom the waters of Saskatchewan’s North.

The fish is wild caught and blast frozen at lake-side to keep the fish fresh. The company uses sustain-able fishing practices inspired by traditional knowl-edge to minimize environmental impact and providesemployment opportunities and economic develop-ment for people in Hatchet Lake.

“We are very excited to be opening a retail loca-tion in Prince Albert,” says Anne Robillard, CEO ofHatchet Lake Development LP.

“With the hard work and determination of agreat many people, we officially opened the fish plantback home about a year ago, and the plant has createdgood jobs for people right in Hatchet Lake. Openinga location in Prince Albert for people to buy our fishdirectly is a great step in growing our business andwe are thrilled to be opening.”

“We are so pleased to be able to offer our top-quality fish to the public,” says Ed Benoanie, GeneralManager of Northern Wild Fishery.

“Since our plant opened, we’ve been asked byso many people how they can buy our fish becauseit’s local, it’s sustainable, and it tastes great and is sogood for you. Now people can buy our fish from theNorth without leaving the city!”

“This is a great day for Hatchet Lake,” saysChief Bart Tsannie.

“This fish plant is an excellent business that hashuge potential and provides a natural, quality productand jobs and economic development for our First Na-tion. We are extremely proud of our efforts in startingthis business and getting to where we are today, andproud to bring our local fish to Prince Albert foreveryone to enjoy.”

The Prince Albert location can be found at 247River St West, across from the train tracks on RiverStreet.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations(FSIN) and the Saskatchewan Institute of The Con-ference Board of Canada signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding recently to work together on the 20thanniversary edition of Saskatchewan and AboriginalPeoples in the 21st Century: Social, Economic andPolitical Changes and Challenges.

“The original report published 20-years agoforecasted an emerging First Nations population thatwould need to be prepared to take its rightful place inSaskatchewan’s economy,” said FSIN Chief BobbyCameron.

“The anniversary edition of this report will pro-vide an update on the progress made in preparing theyoung, vibrant First Nation population.”

Roger Francis is the Director of theSaskatchewan Institute of the Conference Board of

Canada. He was also involved in helping fund theoriginal report 20 years ago.

“I was at Cameco then and we were approachedto help fund the project. We did it then because it wasa no brainer,” said Francis.

“Once completed, the 20th Anniversary editionwill supply insights that strengthen policy across awide range of education, employment, health, andeconomic development portfolios. Organizationsthroughout Saskatchewan will benefit from its publi-cation.”

Chief Cameron hopes the new demographicstudy will be a powerful tool for industry to plan forthe future labour pool.

“This will signify to industry and employers thatwe are talking about investing so that every one of uswill benefit in this economy together. More impor-tantly it is about our children and grandchildren and

those yet unborn will survive and thrive and enjoywhat we leave behind from this partnership.”

SASKATOON – The Aboriginal Human ResourceCouncil of Canada (AHRC) recently announced itsnew name, Indigenous Works, and expanded mandateto foster the development of Corporate-Indigenouspartnerships.

Founded in 1998 in response to the Report of theRoyal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, AHRCwas mandated with improving the inclusion and en-gagement of Indigenous people in the Canadian econ-omy.

“For nearly 20 years, we have worked with com-panies and organizations to strengthen their perform-ance and results in Indigenous employment, work-place engagement and inclusion. Partnerships arekey to developing the right relationships and generat-ing better results. Indigenous Works is uniquely posi-tioned to address relationship building and respond tothe growing need for stronger partnership develop-ment between Indigenous-owned enterprises and cor-porate Canada,” says Kelly Lendsay, President andCEO of Indigenous Works.

“It is also timely given calls by the Truth andReconciliation Commission and Government ofCanada to renew relationships with Indigenous peo-ples for the betterment of Canadian society and oureconomy.”

“We have always been recognized nationally forour leadership in workplace inclusion and facilitatingstronger Indigenous inclusion strategies in Canadiancorporations. Our new name reflects our expandedvision by helping partnerships between Canadiancompanies and Indigenous organizations work bet-ter," explained Lendsay.

BUSINESS BRIEFS Something fishy in P.A..... in a good way New name, same

important mandate

Numbers help make a plan

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron and Roger Franciswith the Conference Board of Canada signed anMOU to do a demographic study of the Aboriginalcommunity in Saskatchewan.



John L.: Christmas is coming.So whether we want it or not, andwhether we asked for it or not, DirkDashing is here to supply us with hisannual Christmas Wish List for Men.Dirk, last year’s wish list was a bighit. What have you got for us thisyear?

Dirk: John, I consulted withthe huge members of Dirk Nationand before I could get their rec-ommendations they had issues theywanted someone like me to raisein a rather public, newspaperyway. And they thought, “Hey, Dirkis a guy like Dirk, so let’s get him.”

John L.: The members of DirkNation. Gods, every one of them.

Dirk: First, and I’m a bit tornabout this, but the Man Bun needsto go. On the one hand, Dirk Na-tion members feel it is not a propersymbol of male masculinity. Itscreams, “I, am a turkey lurkey.”On the other, I feel it is a warningto the general public that, “I, am aturkey lurkey”, so it kind of servesa purpose.

John L.: I’ll have to pass thismessage on to our good friend, Mr.Warren Goulding.

Dirk: Second, Skinny Pants ondudes. They gots to go. John, I

have a pair of skinny pants. Wornthem once and damn near gavemyself a vasectomy. Was talkinghigh for three days. So now, whenI see them being worn, I know thatguy has no . um….stones.

John L.: So, does that mean …you no longerhave….

Dirk: Itwas a miracu-lous, John, andthe lads and Ihave recovered.I’d show you,but this is afamily newspaper and we don’tneed a repeat of the Helsinki inci-dent.

John L.: Yes, let’s never speakof the Helsinki incident.

Dirk: But that’s not the point.The members of Dirk Nation feelthey are doing the ladies a publicservice, so they will not waste theirtime when they see a turkey lurkeywearing them.

John L.: Alright, now can we re-turn to the topic? What should ourwomen be budgeting for us thisChristmas?

Dirk: If your man is a fan ofStar Wars then I got you covered.

Drones have been big these lastcouple of years and while theyhave become more and more so-phisticated; the Millennium Fal-con remains the ultimate gift.

Nothing ramps up the festivespirit like a hard piece of flying

plastic rippingaround the livingroom, taking aneye out here andthere, while youare mouthing themusic from themovie. Doov-Doov, duh-duh-

duh-duh, daa-daa. Good times.John L.: This appeared in last

year’s list as I recall, but I didn’t getone. Here’s hoping this year is myyear. But what if that is too expen-sive. What is a loving woman to do?

Dirk: Then your man will ab-solutely love his very own HanSolo iPhone case, guaranteed tomake him the envy of every corpo-rate executive in Cupar.

John L.: That’s great, Dirk. Youcannot go wrong with Star Wars. Iparticularly like that episode whereCaptain Kirk had all those troubleswith the Tribbles and the Klingons.

Dirk: …..um, right. Anyway,

let’s say your man loves to barbe-cue. You can now get a personal-ized iron brand to burn a messageonto your steak. But don’t just gowith his initials. Why not sear intoyour meat a pair of eyes …y’know, two ample circles with alarge dot in each center! Use yourimagination.

John L.: Interesting recommen-dations, Dirk. Any final suggestions?

Dirk: The ultimate, ultimategift for men would have to be avirtual reality gaming system. Butdon’t go for the cheap version thathooks up to your cell phone. Gohardcore. The depth and clarity isincredible.

John L.: I can see it now, noth-ing will ever get done around thehouse ever again. Once more, Mr.Dashing, you have outdone yourself.

Dirk: To be honest, John, Idon’t know why anyone listens tome. I looked at the wish lists ofprevious years and even I laughedat myself when I looked at what Isaid we wanted.

Dirk says, You are stereotypingan elf that sings by calling him awrapper!

The annual Dirk Dashing Christmas Wish List for Men


Opinion By Julie WristonOf Eagle Feather NewsThere has been a lot of election ac-

tion happening all around us. Last year marked significant change

in Canadian Federal politics, theSaskatchewan municipal elections justfinished up here at home, and it was allbut impossible to ignore the U.S. federalelection. It is understandable that every-one is feeling a touch of election burnout.

Here’s the good news: we live in atime and place where we have the free-dom to vote. On Feb. 4, 2017, Métis peo-ple in Saskatchewan have another elec-tion to consider, and it’s one we need toface head on.

Setting aside the issues that havetaken centre stage over the past few years,there is still a need for strong leadership.There is a tremendous amount of progresswaiting to be made.

The Métis Nation – Saskatchewanis responsible for creating relationshipsto address Métis specific requirementsin the areas of health, housing, eco-nomic development, justice and educa-tion. This requires forward thinkingleaders, who possess a strong under-standing of Metis culture and have avision about how a healthy Métis pop-ulation will contribute to the success of

the Saskatchewan landscape. This is no small task. There is no

question that there are very capable Métispeople out there with the heart, passionand drive to build the type of reputationneeded to make strong relationships thatbenefit the people they have been electedto serve.

This is call to those Métis peoplewho feel that pull to serve. You are theones that have been watching, you stay in-formed about what is taking place andaren’t afraid to ask the hard questions.You are the ones that know there is a wayto lead through the issues, and that thereare tools out there that can work towardsbuilding a fair, stable, consistent voicethat represents the interests of all Métispeople in Saskatchewan.

Jan. 5, 2017 is the deadline to submitnames for the positions of President, VicePresident, and Secretary. There will alsobe elections for the position of RegionalDirector in all of the twelve Métis re-gions.

The opportunity is here once againto take action, whether that be by puttingyourself in a position to lead, or by takingthe time to understand the platforms ofthose that will, and get out to vote.

We have brilliant leaders among us.They need our support.

Julie Wriston says that Métis Nation-Saskatchewan needs new and inspired lead-ership to run for office in the Feb. 4 Métis Nation election. Perhaps the next GabrielDumont is waiting in the wings to make a big entrance. (Photo by John Lagimodiere)

Time for brilliant Métis leaders tostep forward and stand for election

DECEMBER 2016 25Eagle Feather News – Health

By Julie WristonOf Eagle Feather NewsThere’s a good chance that the vast

majority of people in Saskatchewan aretouched by diabetes in one way or an-other.

Whether it is through knowingsomeone who has it, through a familyhistory or by living with it personally, itis an unfortunate reality that many of usface.

According to the Canadian DiabetesAssociation’s 2016 Report on Diabetesin Saskatchewan, “Approximately314,000 people in Saskatchewan, orabout 29 per cent of its population, areliving with diabetes or prediabetes.” Thecost of this statistic is a staggering $98million burden to the Saskatchewanhealth care system.

The report shines a spotlight on thefact that the Indigenous population inSaskatchewan is showing diabetes ratesthat are three to five times higher thanthat of the non-indigenous population.

Many factors are identified in thereport that contribute to this increase inthe rates.

“Indigenous communities can facemultiple barriers to effectively preventand manage diabetes, such as higherprevalence of food insecurity, higherfood prices, higher prevalence of riskfactors related to type 2 diabetes, less

access to programs and services, lack ofproper infrastructure and a wide range ofsocial determinants of health such as lowincome, low level of education and in-adequate housing.”

Lyle Daniels has been living with adiagnosis of the most common form ofType 2 diabetes since 2008. With type 2diabetes your pancreas does not produceenough insulin, or your body does notproperly use the insulin it makes. As a re-sult, glucose (sugar) builds up in yourblood instead of being used for energy.

Daniels has found that committingto a healthy lifestyle goes a long way to-wards managing his diabetes, and insome cases corrects the damage that thedisease can cause.

“Our attitudes about eating and ac-tivity have to change,” he suggests. ForDaniels, staying active in the form ofrunning or walking up to five kilometersdaily as well as staying away from sug-ars have made a significant differencein his blood sugar readings.

“I’ve had to re-learn how to thinkabout food, finding alternatives to sugarydrinks and reducing portion sizes toabout one-third of what I used to eat. Wedon’t need to eat nearly as much food inone sitting as we tend to.”

He still enjoys the occasional treat,but he balances that with activity to helphis body use up the extra calories rather

than converting it to sugar which is thendifficult for his body to process.

He recalls vividly an encounter witha medical nurse who took the time toshow him two vials of blood. The firstvial was of a normal blood sample, witha normal blood sugar reading (between 3and 7) nothing out of the ordinary. Thesecond vial contained blood with a bloodsugar reading of 10.

“It looked like maple syrup. It wasa powerful visual about how muchharder your heart would have to work tomove this blood throughout your body.”

This was a wakeup call for Daniels. “We need to get information like

this out to our communities. Visual toolsare always the best in the communitysetting.”

Prevention is high on the list of pri-orities according to Daniels. Telling peo-ple’s stories and finding ways to relate tothe indigenous population will go a longway help educate about diabetes. TheCanadian Diabetes Association (CDA)provides tools such as an informationpackage titled Just the Basics.

It breaks down information abouthow to make healthy food choices andthe importance of adding activity to yourlife. The resource can be found on theCDA’s website and has been adapted intovariations in Ojibwe, Plains Cree, Inuk-titut and Inuinnaqtun to help Aboriginal

people make healthy choices. Daniels believes that he is proof

that we have to “make the time to de-velop a better understanding of our bod-ies. If we do that, there is hope for ahealthy lifestyle in our future.”

His simple advice to those who arelooking to avoid or better manage dia-betes is, “eat less, eat better, stay active.”

For more information about dia-betes you can visit the Canadian Dia-betes Association online athttp://www.diabetes.ca

Coping with diabetes means making healthy choices

Lyle Daniels suggests eating less, eatingbetter and staying active are keys forpeople dealing with diabetes.

DECEMBER 2016Eagle Feather News – Sports26

By Angela HillFor Eagle Feather News

A young woman with ties to Mistawasis FirstNation is using hockey to pave her way forward andinspiring others to dream big.

“I really wanted to use my opportunity of play-ing hockey to get an education,” said 21-year-oldSydney Daniels.

She has. Daniels is in her fourth year at Harvardand plans to go on to play for the first professionalwomen’s hockey league in the United States.

While she is the daughter of NHLer ScottDaniels, playing hockey wasn’t a given for her or hersisters.

“My dad actually didn’t want any of us to playhockey,” Daniels said.

“But I begged him and begged him to teach mehow to play and slowly broke him down into teach-ing me. I fell in love with it and it was such a greatbond I have with him, learning from him.”

Daniels says she loves everything about thesport – the competition, relying on teammates to ac-complish goals, the individual skills required, “andhow one sport, a simple sport, can take you so far inyour life.”

Harvard came for her hockey talent whenDaniels was in Grade 10. She verbally accepted thenwent through an official application process in Grade11. Fortunately for Daniels, while her father encour-aged her practicing her shot, her mother encouragedgood grades. In Grade 12, Daniels found out shewas accepted.

That was four years ago and now in her finalyear, Daniels is excited for the future, but also wishes

“I could stay here forever.”“There is so much diversity among the students

and teachers and what you are learning” she said.“Over the four years I’ve learned so much, but

I’ve grown as a person even more.”Daniels has been drafted to the National

Women’s Hockey League, the first Americanwomen’s league to pay their players.

“I’m not ready to give up hockey yet,” she saidand laughed.

And others are looking up to the example she issetting. Once or twice a year, Daniels travels toMistawasis First Nation to visit her extended family.It started when she was young, but continues today.

Her relatives see the impact her visits have.“I would go back and friends and family would

(say) you’re a role model to these kids, you’re a rolemodel,” she said.

“It took a while to kind of settle in and fully un-derstand what that meant and the influence I couldhave on girls and kids around that are younger thanme and look up to me.”

Daniels is modest when it comes to the title.“Over the years, I’ve tried to embrace that role

and it helps me … because I try to be a better personfor it,” she said.

Now when she plays tournaments in the com-munity, kids tend to flock to her.

“I love taking the time to have the conversationwith them to tell them to continue to work hard,keep your grades up, stay in school, things like that,”Daniels said.

“Anytime I get a chance to come back and in-teract with the youth, it’s one of my favourite things.”

Hockey moves a new generation of Daniels forward

Sydney Daniels is wrapping up her career at Harvardand is setting her sights on the professional ranks.



SASKATOON – This year marked the70th anniversary of the Federation of Sov-ereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Pow-wow Princess Pageant.

The Pageant takes place during theFSIN annual Spirit of Our Nation Pow-wow. This year’s event was well attendedwith close to 10,000 people visitingthroughout the course of the weekend.This year, the theme of the event was Pro-tecting, Honoring and Respecting ourWomen.

The Powwow Princess Pageant is al-ways a crowd favorite. This year threecontestants were judged based on an es-say, an individual interview that includestheir life goals, leadership qualities andtheir knowledge of the FSIN. They thenget to strut their stuff showing off theirskills in dance and regalia.

Congratulations to Stephanie Belle-garde who was crowned the new FSINPowwow Princess this year. She attributesher success to the essay she wrote aboutthe importance of culture and language.Bellegarde was surprised and humbledby the unexpected win.

“I’ve been told that I am a hiddenleader, but I didn’t have the confidence tothink I could win. I was very happy to seethat, when I did my speech, the crowd

agreed with what I said.” She is happy to be recognized as a

role model and to share her stories withthe youth.

“I have to take my time, as I amopening myself as well, I am very grate-ful for this opportunity.”

The message she hopes to spreadduring her title year is, “Listen to our Eld-ers and their stories. Learn your languageand honour our traditions. It is what de-fines us as a sovereign Nation. It is whatmakes us who we are and it connects us tothe mother earth and the grandfathers andgrandmothers. I encourage the youth tohonour them in a good way.”

Along with the lifelong prestigioustitle, Bellegarde will be responsible forrepresenting the FSIN across NorthAmerica over the next year. No doubtshe will be a wonderful role model tomany.

Other highlights of the event in-cluded funds raised from a blanket dancehosted in support of Standing Rock andthe visit from Miss Indian World, DanielleT’Sheena Finn, a member of the StandingRock Sioux Nation.

For a complete list of the winners inthe Singing and Dancing competitions,you can visit:http://www.fsin.com/2016/11/23/another-successful-spirit-of-our-nations-powwow/

Stephanie Bellegarde is namedFSIN’s 70th anniversary princess

In an emotional ceremony, Stephanie Bellegarde was crowned Miss FSIN at theSpirit of our Nation Powwow in Saskatoon. This year marks the 70th anniver-sary of the Princess Pageant. (Photo by Moe Morin)

Over 800 dancers attended the three day powwow at SaskTel Centre in Saska-toon. The theme was Honouring and Respecting our Women. (Photo by Moe Morin)


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