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NatioNal aborigiNal Day 2017

National Aboriginal Day brings community together Jonathan hamelin

National Aboriginal Day (NAD) is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, the three groups recognized as Aboriginal people in the Canadian Constitution.

NA D t a k e s p l a c e o n Wednesday, and there are some exciting activities planned in Regina to help mark the occasion.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Victoria Park, a large celebration is being put on by the City of Regina and several community partners such as Regina Public Library (RPL).

“Especially in light of the Truth and Reconciliation Report, it’s important that all of us celebrate National Aboriginal Day,” said Tanya Rogoschewsky, RPL lead of adult and young adult programming. “We felt it was a great opportunity for us to be part of bigger group working to celebrate the day. The whole idea of community and downtown community coming together to celebrate this is important.”

The event begins with the Grand Entry and opening prayer led by an elder.

Greetings will be brought by Mayor Fougere, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and other dignitaries.

Bannock and cake will be available in the park in celebration of the day. There will be two tipis erected on site, with elders available for discussion and knowledge sharing. On the main stages, people can enjoy a mixture of traditional and modern performances, including a Métis jig from Courtney Anaquad, a powwow performance by the Charging Bear Performance Group and a hip-hop perfor-

The City of Regina and the Regina Public Library will host National Aboriginal Day celebrations in Victoria Park tomorrow, beginning with the Grand Entry of First Nations elders and dignitaries. Ph o t o : Cit y o f R e giNA

First Nations dancers will entertain at the Circle Project Association’s National Aboriginal Day celebrations in Grassick Park. P h ot o: C i RC l e P Ro je Ct As so CiAt io N

mance by Brad Bellegarde.

RPL will have a booth at the event highlighting its Indigenous collection and programming. The library is also one of the lead partners in the children’s area and is partnering with Cree Language Instructor and Knowledge Keeper Bill Cook

for the ultimate educational experience. Children will be able to have their name written in Cree syllabics on a rock and be able to decorate the rock.

Building on the momentum of NAD, RPL is also hosting a talking circle featuring Elder Norma Jean

Byrd on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Central Library (2311 12 Ave).

“It’s important for us to use National Aboriginal Day as a learning opportunity,” Rogoschewsky said.

“We want to emphasize the educational aspect of RPL and promote the Indigenous programming we have going on throughout the year.”

Following the event, you can head over to Grassick Playground in North Central for an annual celebration put on by the Circle Project Association, Indian Métis Christian Fellowship and REACH Regina. It runs from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m.

It will be a historic celebration, as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. “ T he celebration has evolved significantly,” said Natasha Wesaquate, chair of the organizing committee.

“In the beginning, there was just a barbecue and a bike parade. It has grown from a crowd of 50 people to last year having 1,500 people at the park. It started off in a

parking lot and now takes place in one of the largest playgrounds in the North Central community.”

The event is referred to as “Mamawinitowin Mocikihtawinihkewin,” a Cree phrase meaning, “Our Community Celebration”.

“This event brings the community together and we keep everything free to ensure that some of our most vulnerable individuals have the opportunity to celebrate and are included,” Wesaquate said.

The event officially kicks off with the grand entry at 3 p.m. and opening remarks from dignitaries. From there, those in attendance will be treated to dance demonstrations, from the traditional powwow dance to the Red River jig, a traditional dance of the Métis people.

There will be a number of family activities throughout the day, including Dino Bouncers and face painting for the children, a craft area where people can make paper plate dream catchers

and a family photo tent.

A tipi will also be on display. Lacrosse demonstrations will be put on by The Fighting Sioux team out of Standing Buffalo First Nation.

Wesaquate said that one of the most popular features of the event is the culture tent, which is the ultimate learning opportunity for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to become immersed in the culture. A popular activity within the tent for elders is Cree bingo, which helps promote the Cree language.

From 5-6 p.m., there will be a barbecue featuring hot dogs, burgers, fruit and other snacks. People will have the chance to sit back, enjoy a meal and take in performances by some Aboriginal entertainers.

With this being the 20th edition of the event, Wesaquate noted organizers wanted to go all out to make it special. Upon the conclusion of the event, people can make their way to the old Saskatchewan Roughriders practice field for a fireworks show at 10 p.m.

On NAD, you can also stop by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for some exciting activities. There will be crafts until 2 p.m. including birch bark paper biting and paper parfleche envelopes. From 10 a.m. to noon and 12:30-2:30 p.m. you can learn how First Nations hunters used the atlatl 5,000 years ago and try it yourself.

Elder Hazel Dixon will also share stories and celebrate the unique history of Aboriginal people. Story times are half an hour in length and are at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 pm.

Currently, the RSM has a Treaty 4 exhibit titled “We Are All Treaty People,” highlighting the Paskwa Pictograph.

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NatioNal aborigiNal Day 2017 wat’s the future of reconciliation?

PaT rediGer

Over the past year, Reconciliation Saskatchewan has been hosting engagement sessions throughout the province and asking Saskatchewanians an important question: What does successful reconciliation look like in 25 years?

“We ask people to imagine they’re talking to their grandkids in the future, telling them how reconciliation has been successful and it all started in 2017. In your story, what are the changes that needed to happen?” said Rhett Sangster, director of reconciliation and community partnerships with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, which led the creation of the provincial movement.

“By engaging people from all walks of life – Indigenous, non-Indigenous, business, government and civil society – we can create a consensus around a vision for reconciliation in Saskatchewan. If we can figure out where the bus is going, then we can all get on that bus and start working together.”

The ultimate goal of reconciliation is to renew and maintain a positive Treaty relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership.

Reconciliation can be a delicate subject, which is why the Office of the Treaty Commissioner feels it has a role to play, using its stature as a neutral provincial facilitator to encourage open conversations.

Reconciliation Saskatchewan will hold the second annual Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation in conjunction with National Aboriginal Day, tomorrow, starting at 10 a.m. in Saskatoon’s Victoria Park. Photo: offiCe of the tReAty CommissioNeR

Reconciliation Saskatchewan was started in Saskatoon through support of partners such as the City of Saskatoon, Saskatoon Tribal Council, Central Urban Métis Federation, Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friend-

ship Centre and Saskatoon Health Region. Reconciliation Saskatoon has now expanded its circle to nearly 60 organizations. Reconciliation Saskatchewan has since formed similar groups in Regina, and Lloydminster and Onion Lake First Nation.

According to Sangster, a major goal of Reconciliation Saskatchewan has been to find reconciliation champions.

“In our view, a champion is anyone who has energy

to be proactive and make things better. We all have spheres of influence and we all have different ways of doing things, so we like to keep things democratic,” Sangster said. “We’ve had

people from churches, people from the business community; it’s been a pretty diverse group coming togethS E E R E C O N C I L I AT I O N O N PAGE 5

CELEBRATE

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

On June 21st, take the time to recognize and celebrate Indigenous cultures in Saskatchewan. Participate in events, learn about different cultures and take the opportunity to build intercultural understanding.

Find out about SaskCulture grant programs that support cultural activity at saskculture.ca.

During a Saskatoon public school powwow, students held white boards indicating what reconciliation meant to them. P h ot o: of f i C e of t h e tR eAt y C o m m is sio NeR REG00256412_1_1

Be yourself and soar with us Your individuality is an asset Be distinct. Be original. Be yourself.

Celebrate National Aboriginal Day on June 21. fcc.ca/Careers

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NatioNal aborigiNal Day 2017 Alex janvier an inspiration to all Canadians Carol T odd

As Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary, and on the eve of National Aboriginal Day, the MacKenzie Art Gallery is featuring an exhibition to “inspire all Canadians.”

Alex Janvier: Modern Indigenous Master is currently on tour for the National Gallery of Canada and is making its first stop outside of Ottawa in Regina. The career retrospective is the first to showcase more than five decades of the artist’s paintings and drawings, spanning from early in his career in the 1960s to the present day. It consists of more than 100 of his most impressive works, drawn from public and private collections across Canada, and features his best-known pieces alongside those that rarely have been seen.

“Alex Janvier is one of our most important and innovative artists nationally. He’s had a long and rich career.

This is a rare opportunity to see his work – work over several decades – gathered together in one place for the public to view and enjoy his journey as an artist,” said Anthony Kiendl, executive director and CEO of the Mackenzie Art Gallery.

The retrospective is important for everyone. “This is an exhibition for all Canadians, not just the art community, not just Indigenous people. It conveys a unique vision that is distinct, one of kind around the world,” said Kiendl. And, it’s not only the work of the artist that inspires; Janvier’s history is also motivating.

Born of Dene Suline and Saulteaux descent in 1935, Janvier was raised in the nurturing care of his family until the age of eight when he was uprooted from his home and sent to the Blue Quills Indian Residential School near St. Paul, Alta. Although he speaks of having a creative instinct from as far back as he can remember, it was at the residential school that Janvier was given the tools to create his first paintings. Unlike many Aboriginal artists of his time, Janvier received formal art training from the Alberta College of Art in Calgary and graduated with honours in 1960. Immediately after graduation, he took up an opportunity to instruct art at the University of Alberta.

“We should be so proud that he is from here – from Western Canada – and he’s gone through so many challenges in his life and espe-

Alex Janvier is considered one of the significant pioneering Aboriginal artists in Canada. The MacKenzie Art Gallery is featuring a retrospective of his works, organized by the National Gallery of Canada. The exhibit opens today and is available for viewing until Sept. 10. P h o t o : Kim gR iffit h s

cially with the residential school, and art school and college. He has shown such resiliency and single-mindedness vision that’s an inspiration for all Canadians,” Kiendl said.

As a member of the commonly referred to “Indian Group of Seven,” Janvier is considered one of the significant pioneering Aboriginal artists in Canada, and has influenced generations of Aboriginal artists. By virtue of his art, Janvier was selected to represent Canada in a Canadian/Chinese Cultural Exchange in 1985. Although he has completed

several murals nationally, Janvier speaks of the 450 m2 Morning Star at the Canadian Museum of Civilization as a major highlight in his career. In January 2004, one of Janvier’s works was displayed in Paris, France at the Canadian Forum on Cultural Enterprise. In recognition of his success, Janvier recently received three prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, The Tribal Chiefs Institute, and Cold Lake First Nations. In perhaps the greatest tribute, the Janvier Gallery opened on

Alex Janvier, Land of Beauty and Joy, 2015, watercolour on paper. Courtesy of the artist and Janvier Gallery, Cold Lake First Nations ©Alex Janvier. Photo: NAtioNA l gA lleRy of CANADA

the Cold Lake First Nation in 2012.

“He is based in our neighbouring province of Alberta and was part of the groundbreaking professional Artists Incorporated that came out of Winnipeg in the 1970s and so his work really r esonates with the Plains and Western Canada and the Indigenous communities, obviously,” said Kiendl.

The exhibition, which runs until Sept. 10, is the first showing outside Ottawa.

“We’re the first venue outside

of Ottawa – the first venue in Western Canada. It’s a rare opportunity in that it will be the only stop in Saskatchewan. It’s a great opportunity for the province,” he said.

Kiendl credits the National Gallery of Canada with making the retrospective possible. “The National Gallery has a lot of resources that are unique to put in the research to produce the publication and the touring exhibition.”

The MacKenzie, which Kiendl said is “actively in-

volved in thinking about reconciliation” in light of the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has received funding for a large-scale Indigenous public artwork to be unveiled outdoors on the gallery grounds in spring of 2018. On National Aboriginal Day, tomorrow, the gallery will have an information table set up in Regina’s Victoria Park, followed by a series of lectures and film screenings. Information is available at www.mackenzieartgallery.ca.

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Celebrate National Aboriginal Day

Celebrating Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal history and culture is important to us. Join us at Casinos Regina & Moose Jaw to help celebrate National Aboriginal Day.

From many peoples strength

Casino Regina Show Lounge:

Wednesday

4pm & 7pm • Charging Bear Dance Group See Aboriginal dance performances and enjoy complimentary bannock*.

JUNE 21

4pm–8pm • Aboriginal Arts & Craft Fair Products include beadwork, artwork, clothing, jewelry, accessories and more!

Saskatchewan is a land of strength, opportunity and history. As we mark the achievements of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples let’s talk about making it a land of reconciliation too.

Visitors to Casino Moose Jaw can enjoy complimentary bannock* at 2:30pm & 6:30pm.

On National Aboriginal Day, let’s reflect on the accomplishments of Aboriginal peoples and embrace the spirit of respect and mutual understanding.

*while supplies last

Together we are stronger.

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NatioNal aborigiNal Day 2017 Rising up for North Central

JonaThan hamelin

From the beginning, All RISE Project Inc. has been putting Regina’s North Central to work.

All RISE is a status-blind human service organization focused on developing and delivering communitydriven support services centred on traditional Indigenous values that are culturally relevant for all treaty people in urban Regina. As executive director Pam Raymond explains, a big goal for the organization since it started up in early 2015 has been to work with Indigenous people to secure meaningful employment.

“We started off with a research project funded through Indigenous Affairs looking at the barriers women in North Central face when it comes to obtaining and sustaining long-term employment,” Raymond said. “We wanted to look at addressing the root causes of unemployment rather than just finding people a job immediately.

“Through our research project, we identified that the need for personal identity and personal awareness is a critical component for an individual to sustain long-term employment.

You can go out and get a job, but it’s about keeping that job. You need to have a sense of personal identity to gain stability.”

With the initial funding All RISE received, it was able to run two intakes of its employment program for Indigenous women. All RISE later received additional funding and held two more employment program intakes this year for Indigenous youth.

Raymond said there have been plenty of success stories.

“One of our female participants had a desire to go into a non-traditional women’s career and she has successfully obtained and is currently employed as a welder,” Raymond said. “She went from being unemployed and on social assistance to working full-time and making over $20 an hour.”

As with many not-for-profit organizations, All RISE has learned that

“With our Red Cross training, we’re able to provide in-kind donations to other non-profits in the area in the form of affordable training.”

Culture plays a large part in All RISE’s mission. The location is home to the first permanent urban sweat lodge in the Regina in partnership with All Nations Hope Network.

While sitting in the sweat lodge, a type of sauna covered in blankets

and tarps, water is poured onto hot rocks and participants sing traditional Indigenous songs, pray and talk about different issues.

“Sweat lodges are part of teaching and healing in Indigenous culture,” Raymond said. “It’s an opportunity to heal while honouring everyone’s individual spirituality – facing your own issues and having an opportunity to talk freely in a safe space.”

The traditional Indigenous flatbread, bannock, is the star of the menu at The Bannock House. Ph ot o : s hAwN fu lt o N Ph o t o gR APh y

securing funding is no guarantee.

This is why the organization decided to come up with some creative ways to generate its own revenue and help further its mandate.

In March, All RISE officially opened The Bannock House, a restaurant in the North Central area featuring soup and bannock, bannock pizza, bannock and bologna sandwiches, bannock fritters and other unique creations. Bannock is a historically Scottish meal staple that inspired the post-colonialist traditional Indigenous food. It comes prepared in a variety of flat quick bread or any large, round article baked or fried and made from grain.

Raymond said All RISE received some great mentorship from local business owners, including Chris Plumb (owner of Mercury Cafe & Grill) and David Hansen (part-owner of Mercury and the Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria in east Regina). She notes that The Bannock House runs as a social enterprise, meaning it operates as a business but is also there to benefit the community.

“The mission of The Bannock House is to always keep what’s needed in the community as the primary goal, rather than solely focusing on profit margins,” Raymond said. “We work with other organizations; if we’re asked to cater something and aren’t able to meet that order, for

example, we would refer them to another community group like Chili For Children. We’ve been adamant about maintaining accessible pricing for the community so that a family can come in and have a hot meal and it’s not going to cost an arm and a leg. We encourage local artists to display their work in the restaurant and benefit with us in showcasing local art for sale.”

An added bonus of The Bannock House is that All RISE is able to provide jobs to the people it works with.

“The Bannock House itself has had a significant economic impact within the community because we’ve created four new jobs that didn’t exist before. That means that not only are those employees no longer dependent on social assistance, but they are now also contributing through their own income tax,” Raymond said. “These are people who are interested in the food services area and have the opportunity to access some training and gain experience in a supported environment.”

All RISE has also become certified to teach Canadian Red Cross first aid/CPR courses.

“It’s a fantastic service to have, because, when non-profits are applying for funding, they are required to show that they’ve found other sources of funding, whether it’s in-kind or cash donations,” Raymond said.

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Together We Grow PLAINS CREE

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We believe that strong communities grow from strong roots.

At PotashCorp, we’re helping to nourish the potential in our communities by investing in education and training, internship programs and local partnerships that can open doors for more Aboriginal people to pursue careers with our company.

By encouraging people to reach for the sky, we can see a bright future for us all. Because together, we grow.

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NatioNal aborigiNal Day 2017 R E C O N C I L I AT I O N F R O M PAGE 3

er. I was in Onion Lake recently for the second meeting between Lloydminster and Onion Lake partners to talk about how can people work together better in that region to engage the public, to educate, and work on economic development.”

Beyond the meetings, Sangster said public engagement is important to continue building momentum. He said the public needs to understand the importance of reconciliation and hear the positive stories that are happening instead of the negative.

Reconciliation Saskatchewan puts on numerous public events to raise awareness. Last year in Saskatoon, the group hosted a walk called Rock Your Roots: Walk for Reconciliation the day after National Aboriginal Day (NAD). This year, Reconciliation Saskatchewan is aligning the event with the NAD festivities on Wednesday in Victoria Park. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by the rest of the festivities.

Currently, there are no other walks in the province but Sangster said big plans are definitely in the works.

“In Lloydminster and Onion Lake, for example, they’ve talked about working together on an events calendar in September and October,” Sangster said. “They have a summit that happens every October around Indigenous economic development on how to bring the Lloydminster and Indigenous community together for business. We’re hoping to dovetail on that to reach a bigger audience,” said Sangster.

“In Regina, the OTC and the City of Regina brought together over 80 community leaders in April to share information about their own reconciliation activities.

The group agreed that ‘yes’, they want to work together on reconciliation and they identified some possible areas of focus. In late June, the plan is to meet again to further drill down on what kinds of things the group can do to-

gether. It’s about making concrete progress, but also about building trust and relationships.”

Reflecting back on the past year, Sangster said Reconciliation Saskatchewan has achieved some incredible things.

“We recently did a session where we asked people what the most significant change was for them in the past year as a result of their involvement,” Sangster said.

“A lot of people in the room talked about how this allowed them to move from feelings of guilt, or fear of saying the wrong thing, or

being ignorant, to learning, listening and finding their own personal call to action and own inspiration to try to move forward, finding some of the common language to have discussions on some of these issues.”

Sangster said Reconciliation Saskatchewan has attracted a lot of interest in other parts of the province like the Battlefords, Prince Albert and Swift Current.

“We think we’ve got a great model to use and frankly we’d love to have it going in every community in Saskatchewan,” he said.

NOW ON VIEW!

Reconciliation Saskatchewan organizes a variety of events to raise public awareness about the importance of reconciliation. Here, the Reconciliation Flag is raised at Saskatoon City Hall. Photo: offiCe of the t R eAty Co mm is sioNeR

AT THE MACKENZIE ART GALLERY

Proudly located on Treaty 4 territory with a presence in Treaty 6, and the homeland of the Métis, the University of Regina is committed to the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in every aspect of the academy. Ours is a welcoming, diverse community dedicated to the success of Indigenous faculty, staff and students through services offered by the Aboriginal Student Centre and the Indigenous Advisory Circle. The vision we share with our Indigenous partners is to create the most Indigenized campus in Canada – personifying Saskatchewan’s motto “From Many Peoples, Strength.”

ALEX JANVIER

MODERN INDIGENOUS MASTER ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA ON VIEW UNTIL SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

photo: UofR Photography

Alex Janvier, Land of Beauty and Joy, 2015, watercolour on paper, 91.4 cm (diameter). Courtesy of the artist and Janvier Gallery, Cold Lake First Nations © Alex Janvier. Photo: NGC.

mackenzieartgallery.ca

www.uregina.ca/strategic-plan

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GROWING

STRONGER TOGETHER At the University of Saskatchewan, we believe a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives makes us stronger. And that means more than welcoming students, faculty and staff from around the world—it means embracing different ways of knowing, learning and being.

Our unique spirit is enriched by our more than 2,200 Aboriginal students. We’re proud of our work to support all students’ success, and we will keep working together with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to be the best place we can be for them and for our students.

aboriginal.usask.ca

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TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017

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