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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR AN INDIGENOUS LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE FOR EVERYONE Vol. 3 No. 11 - April/May 2015
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is “High On Our Radar”
REZX PRODUCTION TEAM #11 PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Chris Tyrone Ross
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Welcome to another edition of RezX Magazine, which puts the focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in a few stories we cover. From the trial of Cindy Gladue in Edmonton, FSIN Interim-Chief Kimberly Jonathan AB (Indigenous speaks at a rally for Justice for Cindy News, Page 6) Gladue at Courthouse in Regina, SK to the MMIW Symposium held in Regina (Shauneen Pete, Page 8) to a look into past inquiries and studies held (The Aboriginal Inquiries, Page 15) we feel this is an issue that should no longer be ignored by the powers that be.
how Indigenous women are treated differently than their white counterparts.
Yet our own Prime Minister continues to ignore the importance of this issue, as cited in an interview by CBC’s Peter Mansbridge when asked about an inquiry into MMIW, to which Harper replied, “It’s not high on our radar.”
Thank you for picking up another edition of RezX. Hugh Poorman is on the cover and it’s a great read about how he went from Saskatchewan to Nashville. We also compiled a Pow Wow Calendar for 2015 and also covered some recent events as well. And make sure to visit us on-line; www.rezxmag.com, to check out some of our new video stories.
Here at RezX, it is very high on our radar, and not because of its relevance to timely or newsworthy publishing, but rather it’s an issue that affects all Canadians. What I think an inquiry will do is expose the systemic racism that exists in all levels of policing and the justice system, so that all Canadians will see
Proof is the recent trial of Cindy Gladue where her rapist was acquitted, which sparked outrage with rallies held across Canada (this brought back memories of Idle No More). I witnessed one of those rallies here in Regina where I got the chance to see our women on the front lines fighting the injustice. Among the many women who spoke was FSIN InterimChief Kimberly Jonathan, showing her support for an inquiry, but also the need for action (she was supposed to be featured in this issue with an exclusive interview, as that story is still being worked on for June). So in order to really push for any kind of inquiry or action, Indigenous people must now do the same things they did with INM, using the same passion and organization, because only then will our 1200+ Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women get the justice they deserve.
Sincerely, Chris Tyrone Ross Editor-In-Chief, RezX Magazine
INSIDE ISSUE NO. 11: April/May 2015
Quentin Karmark - Layout Chris Tyrone Ross - Cover
COPY EDITOR Lani Elliot
REZX WRITERS
Bill Stevenson, Chris Tyrone Ross, Jarrett Crowe, Jay Bird, Shane Bellegarde, Shauneen Pete
REZX PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Stevenson Jarrett Crowe Ryan Peterman
REZX EDITORIAL BOARD
Bill Stevenson, Chris Tyrone Ross, Jay Bird, Lani Elliot, Shane Bellegarde, Shauneen Pete
DISTRIBUTORS:
Harvey Knight - Prince Albert Lani Elliot - Regina Quentin Karmark - Saskatoon Jarrett Crowe - Fort Qu’Appelle
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REZX MAGAZINE
RezX Magazine is a division of RezX Multi-Media Company (founded in 2004) and is published 6 times per year (bi-monthly). RezX is distributed province wide in 3 major cities of Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and town of Fort Qu’Appelle and to all 75 First Nations and 10 Tribal Councils including 11 First Nations Community Schools of Treaty 4 Education Alliance Education Alliance (FHQTC). Digital Edition: 5000+ views Print Circulation: 7000 copies
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Any content, images, graphics are hereby copyright to RezX Multi-Media Company, (unless otherwise noted) and cannot be reproduced, reprinted, republished or altered in anyway without the expressed written permission of the Publisher.
ABOUT THE COVER:
COVER: Hugh Poorman PHOTOGRAPHER: Ryan Peterman for Leftboot Photography GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Chris Tyrone Ross
Page 9:
U of R Students gather for Annual Round Dance
Page 16:
Artists celebrate Storytellers Festival
Page 10:
Hugh Poorman From Saskatchewan to Nashville
Page 7:
2015 Finalists for CBC Sask’s Future 40
HOROSCOPES
Find online exclusives @www.rezxmag.com HUGH POORMAN BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO & PICS Interested in what goes on behind the scenes here at RezX? Check out our latest behind the scenes video and gallery when we interviewed music sensation Hugh Poorman.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW VIDEO – FSIN INTERIM CHIEF KIMBERLY JONATHAN, PART 1 We recently interviewed FSIN’s Interim Chief Kimberly Jonathan, who is also the first ever woman to hold this position at the FSIN (Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations). It’s such a long interview, that we had to break it down into separate parts. So check out Part 1, as Part 2 will be continued next issue.
MORE REZX VIDEO STORIES On top of bringing you many great stories in print, we also started shooting video stories and we have many of these already on the site, so please check it out, as we usually have a new video story every week.
SUBSCRIBE TO REZX FOR YOUR SCHOOL AND SAVE! Did you know, RezX is the only Indigenous publication that is used in the classroom in both University and High School, plus schools save more when they subscribe in bulk. You can now fill out a subscription form online and remit payment at: http://www.rezxmag.com/subscribe/
SUBSCRIBE TO REZX ON-LINE Interested in subscribing to RezX for your home, office or school? You can now fill out a subscription form online at: http://www.rezxmag.com/subscribe/
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Indigenous Horoscopes: April 2015 Spring Horoscopes By Bill Stevenson Ayikî-pîsim – The Frog Moon Beaver: March 21 - April 19
Pinaskâwi-pîsim – The Migrating Moon Turtle: Sept. 23 - October 22
Plan a date night with the partner and your friends instead by going to bingo! Here’s your Lucky Bingo Numbers: B2, N36, G58
You really should change your cooking grease more often! When your Indian tacos are good they are great! But people at the end of the food lines tend to wonder what all the fuss is about. Lucky Bingo Numbers: G46, I25, O61
Sâkipakâwi-pîsim – The Budding Moon Bear: April 20 - May 20 Education is so much more than main stream schooling, but also traditions, culture, ceremony. Get ready to spend some time centering yourself. Lately balance has been lacking because you have neglected certain aspects of your life. Get back to the basics and you will start to feel better. Lucky Bingo Numbers: B14, G53, N38
Pâskâwihowi-pîsim – The Hatching Moon Thunderbird: May 21 - June 20 Traveling packed tight in rezmobiles to the next pow wow can be an exciting experience but try not to forget your little sister this year! She is so excited to be a bigger part of the Pow wow circle and needs to get away from the parents as well for a bit as well. As her older sibling watch out for her. Lucky Bingo Numbers: N38, I21, G50
Paskowi-Pîsim – The Moulting Moon Coyote: June 21 - July 22 Just real deadly with your full cupboard of flavored rez chips! You are always eating your crushed up ichiban noodles and some of your friends are starting to plan an intervention to get you to stop. But just hide some in the trunk of your car where they will not check so you can still eat them at bingo. Lucky Bingo Numbers: N34, N33, O69
Iyikopiwi-pîsim – The Frost Moon Wolf: October 23 - Nov. 21 Watching the traditional movies, Pow Wow Highway, Smoke Signals and Thunderheart may make you think you know a lot about Indigenous people but it really only scratches the surface! Make your own adventure and turn it into your own movie this summer! Lucky Bingo Numbers: O66, I28, O73
Pawâcakinasîsi-pîsim – The Frost Exploding Trees Moon Spider: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 Web based strategy games might be your thing but trust me, many people already have you on ignore when it comes to your game requests. Perhaps its time to take all that strategy skill you have developed and apply to another area of your life. Lucky Bingo Numbers: N39, G51, O61
Kisê-pîsim – The Great Moon Deer: Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 Traveling in trucks and RV’s is a great way to make sure you and your family have a perfect place to stay, eat, sleep and chat during the season. It can also be come a communication point as your kids become more independent. Lucky Bingo Numbers: B07, N42, G60
Ohpahowi-pîsim – The Flying Up Moon Mouse: July 23 - August 22
Mikisiwi-pîsim– The Eagle Moon Eagle: Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Some people follow the Pow wow trail but you have been following the casino trail for a while now. Perhaps its time to consider looking at other leisure activities for you to spend your time and money with. Your family will appreciate it. No Lucky Bingo Numbers for you.
Spaying and neutering your pets and strange relatives is always a good idea this time of year so do not be afraid to take your little furry friends down to the clinic for the old snip snip! Trust me, your rez, your family, your township, your neighborhood will appreciate you so much for it. Lucky Bingo Numbers: N43, G48, I25
Nôcihitowi-pîsim– The Mating Moon Salmon: August 23 - Sept. 22 Chips and pop and chicken wings and nachos, Slurpee’s and diabetes, Indian taco’s, cards, Kaiser, cribbage, poker, pow wow dancing, late nights, 49’ers, new snags, old hags, BBQs. One of these things does not belong in your summer plans and you can stop it by being educated about it and physically active! Lucky Bingo Numbers: O71, N37, I20
Niski-pîsim – The Goose Moon – Cougar: Feb. 19 - March 20 The smell of smudge. The sound of the drum. The pounding of your heart as you wait in grand entry. The colour of everyone’s regalia around you. The joy of dancing with your family. It’s going to be a good season, smile and pray! Lucky Bingo Numbers: B12, I 24, O63
For more Indian Horoscopes every month, check out: http://www.rezxmag.com/category/horoscopes
INDIGENOUS NEWS & OPINION
Indigenous News & Opinion
The views expressed here are those of columnist Jay Bird and do not represent RezX as a company or magazine.
By Jay Bird
Cindy Gladue MMIW Case http://is.gd/jqCEv4
*Warning: Story contains graphic details which may be offensive and not suitable to younger readers.
Cindy Gladue was an Indigenous lady that worked in the prostitution trade in Edmonton, AB. She died from an 11cm wound inside her vagina, in which she bled to death in a rented hotel room. The defendant Mr. Barton was acquitted in a jury trial as he claimed his actions were consensual. In a country where Indigenous women are missing or murdered at an alarming rate this court case is troubling. They let a person walk for killing an Indigenous woman because ‘he didn’t mean it’. At the very least this is manslaughter but when the victim is seen with less value then the crime is getting caught.
U Winnipeg INDG Mandatory Course http://is.gd/sDbIDg
The University of Winnipeg has approved a motion that all their students will have Indigenous content in their degrees. The motion was put forth by the student association, the Aboriginal Students’ Council, and the Indigenous Advisory Council. The goal is more Indigenous inclusion in the university. The University of Regina already does this but it is thanks to purely indigenous efforts started by a visionary student, Julianne BeaudryHerney. In Winnipeg, it was because the Aboriginal Students’ Council willed it into existence. But what an existence the future will have, one with less racism and stereotypes because of mandatory education.
Shamattawa Suicide Issue http://is.gd/IVVNJs
Shamattawa is small First Nation community in northern Manitoba. In the last six weeks they have had a string of four suicide deaths and four suicide attempts. This is a recurrent theme in Shamattawa; in 2002 three youth took their own lives in nine days. So why isn’t Aboriginal Affairs (AANDC) providing more support to this community? Even with mental health and crisis supports this is still an ongoing problem. How about AANDC invests in the community for long term services and employment opportunities? There is something missing here as well as in other northern communities under AANDC, yet history tells us to expect this issue to get the brush off.
New U of S USSU President (Transgender) http://is.gd/cq1kgF
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The University of Saskatchewan’s Students Union (USSU) has nominated an Indigenous person for consecutive terms; this time it is Jack Saddleback. Jack won with 47% of the vote and is a Cree twospirited transgender man. This may be the first time I have heard of an Indigenous person that is two-spirited being nominated to any positon of higher authority. This speaks to the open-ness of the Indigenous community to embrace all gender backgrounds and normalize it within their society. I congratulate Jack on being that key figure to move sexual diversity forward and for representing Indigenous people in a good way.
SASKATCHEWAN NEWS BRIEFS
NEWS
the end, they receive prizes ranging from exposure on radio to a networking event. This year the CBC panel included a new category called ‘Bright Light’ nominees; this was for nominees that were still children or teens. This year Indigenous community members were nominated in record numbers and 13 were selected for the CBC top 40. Those nominees are: Candy Fox, Devon Fiddler, Cadmus Delorme, Bill Mintram, Jaimee Marks, Glenda Abbott, Shana Pasapa, Brad Bellegarde, Feather Pewapisconias-McKee, Warren Isbister-Bear, Cherish Jean-Baptiste/Deegan, and Bright Lights winner Valynica Sparvier.
CBC SK Future 40 http://is.gd/z1T30r
Each year CBC runs a nomination program in Saskatchewan called ‘future 40’. It is about promoting the best young minds and highlighting
the talent all over Saskatchewan. The participants are nominated by one of their peers and entered into the contest. These nominees are judged by a panel and the top 40 are selected based on their contributions to the community, both professional and volunteer. In
There were six other non-Indigenous nominees with links to the Indigenous community: Danny Fernandez, Dave Dalton, Haris Khan, Kent Lindgren, Nathan Elliott, and Heather Morrison. All in all, almost 50% of the nominations had connections to Indigenous communities and were active participants in the betterment of all of Saskatchewan.
Crime Rate Down in Regina http://is.gd/n44LPr
No Airstrip in Southend SK http://is.gd/4KtPaU
Southend is a community north of La Ronge, SK by about 220 kilometres. They are asking Aboriginal Affairs (AANDC) for an airstrip to accommodate air ambulances. The community is a two to three hour drive to the nearest medical facility in La Ronge. The problem is that in medical emergencies the person’s life would be at risk due to such a long commute. Niki Ashton, Churchill, Manitoba MP for the NDP, raised the issue to Bernard Valcourt, AANDC minister in the House of Commons. Valcourt has stated that there are two issues at play here: (a) Southend has medical emergency by helicopter or plane and (b) this is a provincial jurisdiction, not Federal. Southend rarely gets helicopter service, which is still a slow emergency service and STARS will not fly past Prince Albert for medical services. Further to the problem is emergency service planes only can land in winter when there is ice to land on. The Sask Party will not pitch in any funds to help with the airstrip issue and without the airstrip there can be no spring to fall emergency services by plane. At this point, AANDC is denying this community the funding to build the life-saving airstrip.
The latest Board of Police Commissioners report reveals that crime in Regina is down 32% from 2005. Troy Hagen, chief of Regina Police Services, noted reduced crime coupled with more people living in Regina was largely a positive trend. Hagen also noted that the 10-year report was a better indicator than using just year-to-year statistics. Overall, crime from 2013 to 2014 declined by 1%. The crimes against the person has a downward trend over 10 years of 30.2%.
Not everything in this report was positive. Crimes against the persons were up 3.3% and so were crimes involving property, sexual assault, and vehicles as compared to a year ago. Those 2013 Stats Canada numbers reveal that Regina had the highest crime severity index; in Regina crimes against the person were highest amongst all Canadian cities. Saskatchewan youth were the highest in crime severity. Taking out the measure for crime severity, Regina still had the highest crime rate in Canadian cities in 2013. These results are showing that Regina has become a safer city but is well below the Canadian average. In essence, Regina – even with it becoming safer – is still the most crime-ridden city in Canada.
Creighton to Remain Nuclear Waste Free http://is.gd/i5RloD
Canada is selecting sites for the storage of spent nuclear fuel for the next 100,000 years. 22 Canadian municipalities were on that list for hosting these underground facilities. The storage would consist of spent nuclear uranium pellets gathered together in 24 kilogram logs. The amount that needs to be stored would fill six hockey rinks from the ice to the top of the boards. The Nuclear Waste Management Organisation (NWMO) promised $400,000 and future employment if the communities were chosen. Prior to being chosen, the NMWO would put money into their economies as the Briarpatch reported concerning Pinehouse in 2011. Two Saskatchewan sites were turned down for ventilation reasons previously: English River First Nation and Pinehouse. Creighton was moved up the list since it had a population of 1500 and was in need of employment. Creighton has been ruled out since there are geological complexities in all six of the sites reviewed and fractures in the rock posed a problem. The NWMO felt that safety requirements could not be met at this site and they ceased studies. Saskatchewan will not be home to a nuclear waste storage site after all.
EDUCATION
FROM IGNORANCE TO AWARENESS TO RESPONSIBILITY: A Call for Action on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women
Photo by Bill Stevenson In 2010, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quoted as saying “there is no history of colonization in Canada.” In 2014, in reference to the call for a national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Aboriginal women, Harper stated, “it isn’t really high on our radar, to be honest.” While the CBC reported that the comments showed a “lack of respect,” the real problem is far more complex than a simple matter of respect. Harpers comments, like many of the vitriolic comments from readers that follow media stories, point to pervasive ignorance, wide-spread, blatant racism, and frankly, they represent white superiority in action. Ok, Ok, before you get all excited about my word choices here, take pause to dig deeper into what these words mean. Before you dismiss the remainder of this article, take a moment to ask yourself two questions: ‘how am I learning about Missing and Murdered Aboriginal women and when did I first learn about these issues?’ I’ve been asking these questions this week at the University of Regina and First Nations University of Canada as I host the Missing and Aboriginal Women Symposium (March 23-27, 2015). Two panels challenge faculty to identify the ways in which they are taking up these issues in the courses in the Liberal Arts as well as in our professional programs. A third panel frames the conversation around what students are learning on this issue. On March 27th I hosted a World Cafe event to engage diverse participants in creative dialogue about these issues. As a professor teaching from social justice and anti-oppressive frameworks I introduce my students (mostly members of the dominant group – white, female, and Christian) to the ideas of social inequality, dominance, and the ways in which institutions like schools and universities contribute to what Rauna Kuokkanen calls “epistemic ignorance” (2007). Think back to your own schooling – how (if ever) did you gain an understanding of Indigenous peoples histories and contemporary issues while you were in school? The lack of access to learning that reflects the experiences and aspirations of Indigenous peoples is reinforced by an educational system that demonstrates nothing but systemic indifference
to other than dominant world views. Therefore, pervasive ignorance about Indigenous peoples and issues can be understood as the by-product of white superiority in action. I understand white superiority as more than an individual’s attitude, but the very structures that ensure that only dominant world views are presented in this case in what is viewed as worthy of being taught. In the case of Harper, his comments rooted in white superiority means that he doesn’t ever have to learn about Indigenous peoples. Issues that don’t matter to the dominant group are not worthy of inquiry, so therefore “it’s not high on our radar”. At the same time, as a white male, his voice is heard by the public as the voice of authority simply because society, rooted in white superiority, values the white male voice the most. When Harper tells the public that this is not an issue worthy of inquiry, the public often accepts this assertion without question. Alternatively, the voices of Indigenous women in particular, are often viewed by the public as political, angry, and biased and get this – racist! And from these starting points Indigenous women’s voices can be and often are viewed as a threat to the public good. Don’t get me started about Bill C51! So how do we correct epistemic ignorance? I chose to carve some space for discussion about Missing and Murdered Aboriginal women by hosting the Symposium. FNUniv professor, Dr. Jesse ArchibaldBarber; Briercrest instructor (Native Studies and English) Johannah Bird; doctoral candidate, Holly McKenzie (UBC student) and Educational Counselling professor, Dr. JoLee Sasakamoose graciously accepted my call for presenters. These presenters shared their approaches to exploring these issues with their students. Johannah explained how she and her students compare the ways missing Indigenous women and white women’s disappearances are treated by media and how the police response is shaped by racial hierarchies. Holly identified four strategies she uses with her learners: she introduces the topic, examines the intersections of race, gender and class to deepen understanding and contextualize difference, and then through question posing her students begin to take responsibility for their own inquiry and activism. Dr. Archibald-Barber identified literature that introduces the topic and encourages his students to frame their creative expression on their real-life experiences and priorities as a way of counteracting absences in the curriculum that the students experience in other courses. Dr. Sasakamoose invites a variety of guests to speak in her classroom, and she requires her students to develop a gendered autobiography which includes an examination into how the students see themselves shaped by their genders, additionally, her students complete a book review on topics of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal women.
Dr. Shauneen Pete
Please don’t think that this work is only being undertaken by Indigenous peoples. While not speaking at the symposium I also want to speak to a course that Dr. Brenda Anderson is offering right now through Women’s and Gender Studies. Dr. Anderson’s course on Missing and Murdered Indigenous women offers learners an opportunity to delve more deeply into the issues. As well the timing couldn’t have been better to host the symposium. It follows in the wake of the symposium offered by the FSIN Women’s Commission two weeks ago, and is offered at the same time as the Man Up Against Violence conference organized by faculty in the Centre for Kinesiology and Health Studies (U of R). Man Up offers participants an opportunity to challenge dominant ideas about masculinity and challenges individuals to practice violence reduction in their own lives. How do we keep the call for an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women in front of a public that largely does not care? We must be proactive and persistent in our call for change and we must exercise our right as educators to determine curriculum responses that reflect the priorities and experiences of ALL people. We must recommit to designing courses and events that encourage informed participation in the discussion as well as require engaged, active involvement in reducing violence in all its forms, but in particular violence directed toward Indigenous girls and women. My hope is that your answers to the questions that I posed earlier will change through your active involvement – what story do you want to tell about your involvement?
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EDUCATION
Students Host 3rd Annual Round Dance at U of R Story and photos by Jarrett Crowe
It was hard to mistake the sounds of drumming and singing in the University of Regina halls during the annual round dance last Friday. For the last three years, the Indigenous Students’ Association has hosted a round dance at the university for students, staff, faculty, and the public to participate in. The round dance’s theme throughout the years has been “Uniting Youth with Elders,” which ISA President Jodie Woodward said allowed Elders from the community to help provide support to the students in their studies. “It’s right before final exams and we need strength and we need guidance to help us through that difficult time, and it’s a stress reliever to come out and dance for the night,” said Woodward. Prior to the round dance, male and female pipe ceremonies were held, followed by a traditional feast inside the Research and Innovation Centre building on campus, which also houses the U of R Aboriginal Student Centre. “We conduct the pipe ceremonies to pray to our ancestors and pray to the Creator to have pity on us and guide us through our journey,” said Woodward.
“The feast acknowledges the spirits that help bring up our prayers to the Creator and we ask them to come eat with us.” Stickman Teddy Bison remarked at the number of people in attendance and was pleasantly surprised at the positive turnout for the round dance, which was estimated to be over 500 people. “To be honest I thought it was going to be small because there are other round dances going on in different parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta…I was really surprised at the turnout. A lot of singers came, a lot of dancers came, and a lot of the public came,” said Bison. Bison added that holding the round dance in a university attracts a number of nonAboriginal students who can observe and learn more about Aboriginal people’s customs and traditions, fittingly, in an educational institution. “Not everybody can see what a round dance is, but a lot of the students here who were studying late, just happened to walk through it and witnessed it,” said Bison.
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COVER STORY
Hugh Poorman Poorma Story by Shane Bellegarde Photos by Ryan Peterman
S
ome of Hugh Poorman’s earliest memories are singing his heart out in front of company, family and friends. “When my pop was alive – I was maybe about five years old – they’d be having a party or whatever and he’d be strumming the guitar. He was an entertainer himself. He’d call me out in the room to come and sing a song.”
“
It’s very import do things now while here. First and forem the well-being of these and if we stick a mu instrument in front of it’s a fact that they w better in all parts of life, not only in h but also in schoo
an n
Looking back, it’s easy to tell Hugh was being honed for a life in the spotlight. As early as five years old, he was already learning how tough it was to make it in the cutthroat music business: while playing his first gig and seeing a hat being passed around during his performance, Hugh doesn’t “remember seeing any of that cash.” Undeterred, Hugh continued on a musical path. His early influences helped shape the gritty, bluesy, rocky, sound that Hugh has become known for. “Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard when I was growing up. When I hit my teens, it was metal days so a lot of metal too.” He was eager to learn and took guitar and drum lessons, then later enrolled at the Professional Musician’s College to study percussion, which ultimately led him to songwriting and back to the guitar. Years of dedication and hard work really began to pay off with Red Road, Hugh’s debut album released in 2013. Now that he had a hard copy of the songs he’d been working at creating over the years, it was time to let fate take over. “About a year and a half ago Crystal Shwanda was playing down in Ituna. I went down there and I took a CD with me, one of my Red Road CDs. I swapped one of her shirts for it. A month later I was sitting at the table. The phone rings and there’s a southern voice on the other side. He introduces himself as such and such. He goes on to say that ‘we like your style and your songwriting and music.’ I’m thinking, okay it’s one of my friends pulling my leg. But they proceeded to tell me that I should pack my bags, ‘You’re coming to Nashville.’ It was kind of numbing at the time. It was almost surreal. It was fate. It was luck... It was something I saw in my mind and it manifested.” The phone call was definitely no joke. Hugh Poorman signed a three-year deal with Sun Records and “that was the start of many trips going there and meeting many people. I’ve been really blessed to have a lot of people behind me and that support me in all kinds of ways.” Now he is anxiously awaiting the release date of his new album, one that has a lot of power behind it. “The first time I went down we were sitting in post-production in the studio and I looked to my left and there’s Waylon Jennings’ guitar player, Johnny Cash’s bass player, Aretha Franklin’s drummer here and then Crystal Shwanda is on the other side of me... They hand me the guitar and say ‘let’s see what you got!’ I’m thinking in my mind, this is it, Hugh, this is it right here and then I started to play.” Hugh closed his eyes and belted out his best songs like he’d been born to do. He made some fans in the room that day and the music they helped him create could earn him countless more. Some of those new fans are aspiring young musicians, and Hugh’s company HNV Productions Inc. is doing its best to ensure they are able to follow in his footsteps. “We started doing music lessons. Drum and guitar to start with. We got into that about a year ago and started doing the Touchwood area. It is just something that we love to do and our non-profit business is still on the hunt to find these kids some more instruments because it is something you can teach but they need a guitar to take home to practice and some of them just can’t afford it.”
tant to we’re most is e kids usical f them will be f their home, ol...
”
“It’s pretty exciting to see their face when they know a ‘G’ chord and they start strumming. Plug them into an electric guitar, turn up the gain, let them feel that distortion and their faces light up. Then you turn it up even louder and they’re holding their ears but they’re loving it. Or you put them behind a drum kit and teach them the straight rock beat and the counting. A lot of them pick it up so fast. To see them give’r nails after a few lessons, that’s the payback.” “It’s very important to do things now while we’re here. First and foremost is the well-being of these kids and if we stick a musical instrument in front of them it’s a fact that they will be better in all parts of their life, not only in home but also in school... the whole brain is working, not just half. It’s like a lightning storm going on in there.” Hugh’s smiling and personable demeanor has a lot do with his humility. He knows that music is a lifelong pursuit. “I’m still learning a lot, I’ve got a long way to go.” In the mean time he has stories to tell, songs to sing, lessons to hand down and hats to pass around. http://www.hughpoorman.com/
LESSONS
Buffalo Hide Tanning:
Sharing Your Gifts, Learning Together Story by Dr. Shauneen Pete, RezX Contributing Editor
This past Saturday I had the chance to travel to White Bear First Nation. I was grateful for the opportunity to join Joely Big Eagle and Lorne Kequahtooway from Buffalo People Arts Institute. They were offering individuals a chance to practice hide cleaning. As my colleague Denomme-Welch and I drove into the yard we saw Joely and Jackie Bates finishing the work \that was started the day before. The first hide was stretched and almost completed cleaned. Joely, Jackie and Lorne greeted us warmly. Spy offered tobacco to Joely and she offered us a smudge. Lorne shook our hands and explained the various tools that they were able to make or collect. I asked Lorne, “When did you learn?” He explained that he had asked to learn last August and that he and Joely had secured some hides from a local bison ranch. Joely noted that they had soaked the hides and that Lorne had made the frames as the
work had started the day before. I said that I was grateful for the opportunity to learn.
our places as we went inside to warm ourselves, the smell of bison roast inside the house was amazing.
Spy and I replaced Jackie and Joely at the frame and we began to experiment both with tools and technique. Spy found his rhythm before I did. I realized that the store-bought pelt cleaning tools that I had brought were really designed for small hides, and, like Spy, I found that the cut steel pipe worked perfectly. It didn’t take long to realize how much work this was going to be. Every few minutes I sat back on my heels to take a break, my arms starting to feel the burn. We couldn’t help but admire the elk bone knife that Jackie used; it cut through the fat like it was butter. We took turns at the hide until we agreed that it was done.
I am so grateful that Joely and Lorne offered to share what they know. For me, it was more than just the opportunity to learn a skill. It was about working together with a higher purpose: the reclamation and preservation of traditional knowledge. I couldn’t help but wonder how these activities would impact on the lives of the smaller children, and of the young men who played an active role in the process. One day, they too might be called to share what they know. Would they think back to this day? Would they remember the process of working with the hide and the feelings of belonging and accomplishment?
As the men began to build the next frame, Jackie, Joely and I talked about how important it is to recognize the teachings that we know and that – out of respect for traditional ways – we must offer these lessons to others. Joely said, “We can’t be stingy with what we know.” Joely and Jackie explained their vision for creating opportunities for others to learn together. Jackie and I laughed because we both regretted not picking up the roadkill porcupine that we had passed on our way to White Bear…we could have been cleaning quills while the men readied the next frame. Soon enough, the men were stringing the hide and the frame was ready to move into place. I took a last sip of my tea and joined Spy at the frame with Jackie and we once again returned to our work. The time passed quickly as we made good progress on the hide. There was storytelling, and Jackie was singing softly. I was lost in the rhythm of the work. The younger children were playing around the teepee. The young men took
At the end of the day, Spy and I joined the family for a pipe ceremony and bison dinner. I can only speak for myself, I am grateful for generous friends. I am grateful for their willingness to share what they know so that we can all learn together. I am reminded that for the past couple of years I’ve been a bit stingy with what I know. I’ve often doubted my knowledge, and worried about how others might perceive what I have to offer. The perceptions that some carry about protocols, can often serve as limitations to those of us who are coming to learn our traditions. We need to have faith if we are guided to these teachings that somehow our time is approaching when we too will be called upon to share what we know. This weekend was a reminder that I need to share more generously. Please take stock of your own gifts and consider the ways that you may share what you know with others. Our peoples and communities need us to work toward the preservation and revitalization of traditional knowledge. In this way, we ensure cultural continuity.
STORIES
A Short Story; Powwow Story by Lani Elliot, RezX Contributing Editor I am in a community where I know no one except the people in the drum group I travel with. And yet as I sit here with my camera attempting to capture some beautiful images, I am struck by the sense of belonging I feel here. I love everything about the powwow. I am fascinated by all the beautiful colors in each piece of regalia and can only hope that my camera can do it justice in its interpretation. I often wonder what people think when they see my photos. Did I photograph the right moment? Is there a story in the picture? Does anyone see what I saw? I did not grow up with my own culture, and as a child I had no idea what I was missing. I grew up in foster care, and while I love my foster parents dearly, I always felt like an outsider in my community. I attended my very first powwow when I was 15 years old and, to be honest, do not recall much of it as my friends and I were too busy trying to find the party, completely oblivious to the sacredness of the ceremony and the respect it deserves.
As I grew older I became more and more curious about my roots. And yet when I attended ceremonies, I was unable to comprehend the wash of emotions that always threatened to overwhelm me. What was this? Was it possible for someone to feel such a deep melancholy and at the same time, an unexplainable joy? I can remember the first time I watched, and I mean ‘really’ watched a grand entry. I was at SIFC Powwow and was standing near where the dancers would all enter the arena. I didn’t have a camera with me then, so was able to get the full scope of the scene before me, and I was completely mesmerized. And as I heard the announcer call in the dancers and allowed the sound of the drumbeat to envelope me, I started to cry, big giant tears unabashedly running down my face.
There is something so beautiful about the powwow, and it is not so easily captured through the camera lens. It is not just about the songs, the dancers and the regalia. It is the pride I see in the faces of all the participants, the smiles that are given so freely between the elders and the young, and the sense of family and community that is unmistakable. It is the connection that exists between the people, and in the sound of the drums, that same sound that we hear in the womb. It is the heartbeat of our mother, and as we dance with that beat beneath our feet, it is our own connection to mother earth. I finally get it. This is where I am supposed to be... among this extended family on the powwow trail. And no matter where we are, we are home.
It was in that moment when I finally understood exactly what I had been missing out on my entire life. This was who I am. Everything that I saw before me spelled out a part of me that I never even knew existed and suddenly I was enlightened.
WHAT’S YOUR SOUL REASON? To study where Indigenous cultures are an important part of my university experience. fnuniv.ca 1.800.267.6303
In the classroom and in ceremony, I feel a sense of belonging. PRINCE ALBERT • SASKATOON • REGINA
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OPINION
The Aboriginal Inquiries in Canada A Look Into What Past Inquiries and Studies Have Done Story by Bill Stevenson
The number of reports, recommendations, and inquiries that have been discussed and directed at First Nations for our own well-being in Canada is astounding. The saying that we’ve been ‘studied to death’ is no longer an oxymoron for us, it’s a reality. So why call to demand another inquiry, national in scope, indigenous in focus, and – as some people seem to think – could be solved if our men would just stop being jerks to our women? Just looking into the justice front for inquiries, I came across: •
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1991)
•
The Report of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba (1999)
•
The Ipperwash Inquiry (2003)
•
B.C. Appeal court justice Wally Oppal titled his five-volume report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (2012)
•
Commission of Inquiry into Matters Relating to the Death of Neil Stonechild (2004)
•
The RCMP Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview (2014)
The Royal Commission (1991) is often set as the example of what could have been accomplished if Canada had a real nation-to-nation relationship with the indigenous peoples of Canada rather than the current Indian Act wards-of-the-state relationship. Some of the recommendations – such as acknowledging terra nullius and that the doctrine of discovery are factually, legally and morally wrong – were so shattering that not only were they ignored completely, but also declared no longer a part of Canadian law, not allowed to be entered into courts as arguments, and declared an end to the Royal Proclamation to work with indigenous groups to renew the Indigenous people’s rightful place in the Canadian federation; in other words, a complete shift in thinking and how confederation works. The RCAP goes on to discuss other recommendations that were never implemented by successive governments such as fundamentally new fiscal arrangements for aboriginal governments with considerations not only for revenue raising capacities of each nation, but also weight given to the unique needs of Indigenous government challenges. It also goes on to discuss possible changes in how the federal government interacts with the Indigenous communities by reorganizing the department of Aboriginal Affairs and appointing a new Senior Cabinet position and a new Minister of Indian and Inuit Services to allocate funds for Indigenous expenditures across government ministries.
Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck What does this all mean? If only a quarter of the recommendations had been implemented from the RCAP, we would be having a vitally different relationship between the Crown and the Indigenous people. At the heart of our issues I still believe that the Indian Act is the main reason we are still in poverty and in struggling with so many of the issues we face. The recommendations for a new relationship are there but have not been followed; indeed the recommendations for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are there as well under the Oppal Report. Wally Oppal was a B.C. Court of Appeal Justice who oversaw the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (2012) which made many recommendations including creating a healing fund for families, “equality audits” to ensure marginalized women were treated fairly by law enforcement and better programs aimed at preventing violence against missing women and enhanced services in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Oppal went further to identify critical police failures when dealing with missing and murdered women. While focused on British Columbia police forces these recommendations could easily have nationwide application. Oppal pointed to poor report taking and follow ups on missing women, faulty risk analysis and risk assessments, a lack of proactive strategies, failure to consider or pursue all investigative strategies, cross jurisdictional issues
leading to ineffective co-ordination between police forces. A quick read through the Ontario “Ipperwash Inquiry” (2003) points to many of the issues Indigenous peoples are continually speaking to: settling land claims due to the crowns inability to resolve these consistently; natural resources disputes; respect to our sacred sites and burial sites; education about Indigenous peoples and treaties; pushing for Indigenous policing of First Nations territory; and better governmental relations. This article could go on and on about the other inquiries and recommendations that have been done but it’s clear that our issues are identified, recommendations made and have already been written about but are ignored. How will you push for change? How will you educate yourself about our issues? Will you approach our chief and councils, our tribal leaders, the Indigenous provincial and national organizations to demand action? Will you press our municipal, provincial and federal governmental representatives to demand change? As the Indigenous people of Turtle Island, we have a rightful place in confederation to have our voice heard but we must be both coherent and intelligent in our messaging. Remember, those who don’t learn from history’s mistakes are bound to make them again.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Celebration of Artists Through Annual Storytellers Festival Story and Photos by Jarrett Crowe
Showcase, featuring local bands Kinder Scout and Snake Oil Salesmen.
Indigenous artists featured their crafts during the Sâkêwêwak Storytellers Festival.
McMahon was honoured to be continually invited to the annual festival, adding artists from different mediums are able to contribute not only to this festival but also to the collective as a whole.
The festival ran from Feb. 23 through 28. Among the many events held during the week, the festival featured artists such as Kevin Wasequate, Zoey Pricelys Roy, and Brad Bellegarde in a Poetry Slam, a performance and exhibition from Peter Morin at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and an Indigenous Writers’ Table Read with literary work from Bill Stevenson. The weeklong gathering concluded with an opening reception at the Sâkêwêwak Art Gallery for “Indigenous Survivance,” featuring Julianne Beaudin-Herney, Hilary Ryder, Melanie Monique Rose, and Brian James. Joining the festival from Winnipeg was comedian Ryan McMahon. His contributions included a storytelling workshop at the University of Regina Aboriginal Student Centre, and recorded an episode for his podcast “Indian & Cowboy: Stories from the Land,” with visual artist Kevin McKenzie and storyteller and professor Shauneen Pete, at the Artful Dodger Café and Music Emporium. “There’s only a few festivals in Canada that have the history that Sâkêwêwak (Storytellers) has,” said McMahon. “To be invited back year after year… is a complete honour.” In addition McMahon provided stand-up onstage at the Artful Dodger to open the Indigenous Music
“We all need to realize we’re a small part of the big circle, and that’s why they should come here. We should all be contributing to that bigger circle,” said McMahon. The festival was also dedicated to the memory of the late Lacy Morin-Desjarlais who was active in the arts community and organizations including Sâkêwêwak, and along with Michele Sereda, had an important role in last year’s Storytellers Festival production.
2015 NORTH AMERICAN POW WOW EVENTS PLEASE VISIT WWW.REZXMAGAZINE.COM WHERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS CONVENIENT LIST TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICE OR COMPUTER
Gathering of Nations
April 23-25 – Albuquerque, NM (505) 836-2810 www.gatheringofnations.com www.facebook.com/GatheringofNationsPowwow
University of Manitoba Graduation Powwow May 2 – Winnipeg, MB (204) 474-8850 asc@umanitoba.ca www.umanitoba.ca/student/asc/events/ traditional_graduation_pow_wow.html
University of Saskatchewan Graduation Powwow May 27 – Saskatoon, SK (306) 966-7287 graeme.joseph@usask.ca www.students.usask.ca/events/powwow.php
Painted Hand Casino Powwow
June 6-7 – Yorkton, SK (306) 828-3005 memory.delorme-antoine@siga.sk.ca www.paintedhandcasino.ca
Wascana Centre National Aboriginal Day June 19 – Regina SK (306) 596-5131 regina.nad@accesscomm.ca www.reginanad.com www.facebook.com/ReginaNADCelebrations
Sakimay First Nation Powwow
June 20-22 – Sakimay First Nation, SK (306) 697-2831 – (306) 697-7324 www.facebook.com/OfficalSakimayFirstNations
Wanuskewin Heritage Park National Aboriginal Day
June 21 – Saskatoon, SK (306) 931-6767 – 1-877-547-6546 (Toll Free) info@wanuskewin.com www.wanuskewin.com
Gold Eagle Casino Powwow
July 7-9 –North Battleford, SK (306) 446-3833 – 1-877-446-3833 (Toll Free) www.goldeaglecasino.ca www.facebook.com/events/1383032238684906/
Enoch Cree Nation Powwow
July 10-12 – Enoch, AB www.facebook.com/events/1015610108466328/
Kahkewistahaw First Nation Powwow July 10-12 – Kahkewistahaw, SK (306) 696-3291 cotecrystal07@gmail.com www.kahkewistahaw.com
James Smith Cree Nation Annual Powwow July 10-12 – James Smith, SK (306) 864-3636 www.jamessmithcreenation.com
Poundmaker Cree Nation Traditional Powwow July 14-16 – Poundmaker, SK (306) 398-4971 www.poundmakercn.ca
One Arrow First Nation Traditional Powwow
July 17-19 – Bellevue, SK (306) 423-5493
Onion Lake Cree Nation Powwow July 17-19 – Onion Lake, SK (306) 344-4200 (SK) (780) 847-2200 (AB) 1-888-217-8625 (Toll Free) www.onionlake.ca
Ochapowace Cree Nation Powwow July 24-26 – Ochapowace, SK (306) 696-2425 1-888-706-706-2427 (Toll Free) www.ochapowace.com
Muskoday First Nation Traditional Powwow July 31-Aug 2 – Muskoday, SK (306) 764-1282 1-877-681-5632 (Toll Free) www.muskodayfn.ca
Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation Powwow August 7-9 – Standing Buffalo, SK (306) 332-4685 (306) 332-4681 www.standingbuffalo@sasktel.net
Cowesses First Nation Traditional Powwow August 11-13 – Cowesses, SK (306) 696-3324 www.cowessessfn.com
Piapot First Nation Traditional Powwow August 14-16 – Piapot, SK (306) 781-4848 www.piapotfn.ca
Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation Powwow August 21-23 – Beardy’s & Okemasis, SK (306) 467-4523 www.bofn9697.com www.facebook.com/chiefandcouncil.bofn
George Gordon First Nation Powwow
August 21-23 – George Gordon, SK (306) 835-2232 – 1-877-835-2232 (Toll Free) www.georgegordonfirstnation.com
Flying Dust First Nation Powwow August 28-30 – Flying Dust, SK (306) 236-4437 www.flyingdust.net
Manito Ahbee Festival
September 9-13 – Winnipeg, MB (204) 956-1849 1-866-449-0251 www.manitoahbee.ca www.facebook.com/events/836052296442373/
Treaty 4 Gathering
September 14-20 – Fort Qu’Appelle, SK (306) 332-8200 www.fhqtc.com www.facebook.com/pages/File-Hills-QuAppelleTribal-Council/173414686056311/
Northern Lights Casino Thanksgiving Powwow October 10-11 – Prince Albert, SK (306) 764-4777 paul.lomheim@siga.sk.ca www.facebook.com/NorthernLightsCasino
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Book Review: Up Ghost River A Chief’s Journey through the Turbulent Waters of Native History
Edmund Metatawabin and Alexandra Shimo Alfred A. Knopf Canada Publishing, 2014 317 pp. Hardcover $20.06 at www.Amazon.ca ISBN 978 0 307 39987 8 Winner 2015: CBC Bookie Award for Non-Fiction Finalist 2014: Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction Up Ghost River is the autobiography of Edmund Metatawabin. But who is Edmund Metatawabin? He lived off the land, attended Residential School, experienced torture/abuse, married a white girl, became a parent, struggled with alcohol abuse, and in due course becomes Chief. This book is Edmund’s experience and he shares it so we can awaken to the damages inflicted by the Canadian Government via the education system. Edmund’s story describes how he moved from childlike innocence to an environment that damaged his soul for years to come. His story starts with him as a child in the most ideal environment, with his parents, being trained in the skill of trapping. Times are getting tougher in the trapping business so Edmund’s parents feel he should attend the local Residential school to acquire new skills. This sole action starts a chain of events that find Edmund having to switch from support to survival mode. At St. Anne’s Residential School, in Northern Ontario, Edmund starts with having his culture stripped by punishment. Two of the more horrific punishments are the electric chair for running away and eating one’s puke for not having correct manners. These punishments are part of a daily cycle of sexual and physical abuse the kids experience as they are assimilated towards Canadian society. Edmund continues to struggle as he matures and marries, dealing with alcohol addiction, identity and self esteem issues. He does overcome
his demons when he places his wife and children alongside his healing journey. He ultimately becomes chief of his band and begins a process of communal healing for the St. Anne’s region. After the epilogue Edmund gives tips on how to get involved in healing Canada from the monstrosity residential schools were. I strongly recommend this book for Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike. For many nonIndigenous readers this will give you a firsthand account of what happened in residential schools and foster empathy towards the inter-generational problems this has created. For Indigenous readers, you will start to understand what may have happened to your family members and why they don’t talk about that time very often.
Book Review by Jason Bird
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