Sweetgrass March 2014 final by Paul Macedo

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014 WHAT'S INSIDE:

1 Final national event about wisdom to move forward together Page 3 Literacy a key component in turning youth away from criminal activities

THE ABORIGINAL NEWSPAPER OF ALBERTA

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MARCH 2014 VOLUME 21 • NUMBER 4

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PHOTO: BARB NAHWEGAHBOW

About 500 people attended the Feb. 14 Strawberry Ceremony held in Toronto to honour the more than 600 Aboriginal women who are missing or have died violent deaths, and to seek justice for the women with calls for a national inquiry.

First Nations push for involvement in monitoring of Obed spill By Shari Narine Contributing Editor EDMONTON

“Damage control” is the term Kevin Ahkimnachie uses to describe the forum hosted Feb. 27 by the University of Alberta Water Initiative to go over the work being undertaken by the province and Sherritt International Corp. to address the Obed Mountain Mine coal slurry of last October. “It’s more of a damage control type of thing for Sherritt, backed up by the Alberta government and they keep referring to First Nations’ involvement. ‘We will contact them,’ and so on. But as far as the environmental protection order, there is no involvement of First Nations,” said Ahkimnachie, who serves as a director with the land office for Treaty 8. On Oct. 31, 2013 the largest coal slurry spill in Canadian history occurred from a pit 30 km east of Hinton releasing approximately 670 million litres of contaminated water into two tributaries leading to the Athabasca River. It took Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development until Nov. 19 to issue an environmental protection order. John Schadan, vice president of operations for Sherritt, says First

Nations and Métis groups along the tributaries and Athabasca River were notified “immediately” following the release. However, a number of First Nations downstream from the spill along the river say that was not the case. “Since that time, we continue to send out information updates. Since that time we’ve had some Aboriginal groups enter into some dialogue with us. We continue that dialogue,” said Schadan. Ahkimnachie contends that email updates and controlled dialogue are not what First Nations want. “We could be integral in doing all kinds of (monitoring and sampling) for transparency purposes to have our involvement and input in any of these, which will be later implemented into what will be the policy, whatever will be coming (for reclamation),” said Ahkimnachie. Schadan says Sherritt has trained members of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation to undertake water samples. To date, that is the only First Nation working in partnership with Sherritt on monitoring. Ahkimnachie’s comments followed an entire day of sitting with officials from the University of Alberta’s Water

Initiative, Alberta ESRD and Sherritt, including a closed-door session for Aboriginal groups only. “We were hoping to have some sort of announcement that we would be meaningfully consulted and involved and to have input with monitoring and testing at the water, soil, fish, animals. That didn’t happen,” said Ahkimnachie. Instead, those who live along the river and environmental groups (in the open forum) were told it was too early to have test results back. “How many animals or fish have been contaminated? We’ve been told it could take six months to a year for them to figure out it’s not safe. How many of our citizens will have eaten that contaminated food by then?” said Treaty 8 communications officer Greg Posein. He noted that many members live off the land to supplement the high cost of buying food in remote northern locations. “There was a significant amount of environmental damage,” said Dr. Greg Goss, an environmental toxicologist and executive director with the Water Initiative. “So there’s a lot of water that went into the Athabasca River, muddied that with all the chemicals … We

want to see how much went in there, what the impact on fish is, what the impact on wildlife is.” The Water Initiative, which is a team of scientists, was contracted by the Alberta ESRD as an independent body to make recommendations on how to assess the damage and to ensure that Sherritt’s monitoring plans are scientifically sound. Goss lauds the provincial government for taking the unusual step of hiring an independent body and says Sherritt has implemented all of WI’s short term recommendations for monitoring. However, neither the government nor Sherritt is obligated to follow WI’s recommendations. “(WI) doesn’t have any official power but I think it has moral power,” said Goss. “My job is to ensure the science is good.” WI’s contract expired March 10. Goss says that the WI will make their recommendations public and anticipates that will happen in a month’s time. What remediation work has to be done is not yet known. While winter freeze-up has slowed down the assessment, it has also contained the movement of contaminants. Goss says assessment of contaminants needs to be undertaken to determine both

where contaminants are located and if they need to be removed. Some contaminants naturally exist in the environment, he says. Goss says he will be pushing the government and Sherritt to monitor collected data closely and to hire someone who has a “good relationship with Aboriginal communities” to be able to present that data to those directly impacted. “That would be an ideal situation, but we haven’t had any of those discussions yet,” he said. CANADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL # 40063755

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

ALBERTA NEWS expansion. When the U.S. State Department released its final environmental impact statement Jan. 31 – which concluded Keystone would be unlikely to alter greenhouse gas emissions – Boxer released a statement that said she isn’t “satisfied with any analysis that does not accurately document what is really happening on the ground when it comes to the extraction, transport, refining, and waste disposal of dirty, filthy tar sands oil.” Boxer held a press conference in late February, which included U.S. scientists and environmentalists, and John O’Connor, a physician and long-time advocate for the health of First Nations communities in Alberta’s oil sands region. “The pipeline going ahead is going to open the floodgates in terms of development. I’m just fearful for what will happen five to 10 years down the road,” O’Connor said in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

Organizations, individuals recognized for flood efforts

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Program expansion showcased through Board released a report that found elevated cancer cases in Fort Chipewyan between1995 to 2006. performance After three years of working with Fort McMurray youth, UNITY Charity has expanded its program in northern Alberta with UNITY Day Programs in Janvier, Anzac, and Fort Chipewyan. Founded in 2007, UNITY Charity engages youth 10 to 18 by implementing school and community programs designed to teach positive self-expression through beatboxing, breakdancing, spoken word, poetry, graffiti, and more. Since it was founded, UNITY has reached over 100,000 youth across Canada. After spending most of March turning negative emotions like stress and anger into artistic expression, a free community showcase will take place on March 22 at Keyano College in Fort McMurray featuring performances by the highly acclaimed Northern Elements Crew, UNITY Team members and local youth.

Speech from the Throne delivers promises The Speech from the Throne, delivered by Lt. Gov. Donald Ethell, on March 3, committed the provincial government to “seeking clarity” from the federal government “on…improvements in Aboriginal consultation and care.” That commitment was immediately followed by the government pledging to “continue to advocate for important projects like Keystone XL, which are so vital to our long-term prosperity, while meeting misunderstanding with fact in promoting our record as a responsible energy producer.” The province also committed to “building a culture of transparency, quality care and continuous improvement in Alberta’s child intervention system,” while extending supports for young adults in care by two years, and implementing new funding through the Social Innovation Endowment to tackle social issues such as poverty and family violence.

Meeting to reveal cancer report findings cancelled A meeting with Alberta Health was cancelled by the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations because the government refused to provide an advance copy of a report on cancer to the local Nunee Health authority. The full cancer statistics report is set to go public in March. “We don’t want any surprises. We want to know exactly what was going on every step of the way entering this meeting,” MCFN Chief Steve Courtoreille told Fort McMurray Today. “There’s a lack of transparency going on right now. This is how mistrust is created.” In December, Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. James Talbot said he would share the Alberta Cancer Registry’s updated figures with Fort Chipewyan’s Aboriginal leadership in the new year. Alberta Health said it was not its practise to send advanced copies of health reports prior to community meetings. In 2009, the Alberta Cancer

HCOM urges change for health services on-reserve The Health Co-Management Secretariat contends that the provincial government plays an important role in reducing the number of children who die in care. “There’s no quick fix, but we can do better, and it starts with improving the on-reserve health system in this province, which currently lags far behind the health system offered in the rest of Alberta,” said Peyasu Wuttunee, coordinator of the HCOM Secretariat. The HCOM Secretariat works to increase the participation of First Nations in assessing, planning and managing programs and services that are funded or offered by Health Canada, First Nations Inuit Health in the Alberta Region. HCOM acts as an advocate for First Nations health interests on behalf of the Chiefs of Treaties 6, 7 and 8. A report recently prepared for the Child Intervention Roundtable, which took place in January, indicated that 58.2 per cent of children in care in Alberta between 1999 and 2012 were Aboriginal, and of the 143 deaths of children in care during that time, 98 of those children were Aboriginal. Wuttunee said maintaining the present health services on-reserve was making a decision. “Doing nothing is a choice. It is choosing to accept the unacceptable. If we don’t work to improve the health of Alberta’s on-reserve communities, the fear is that the number of our children in care will continue to rise, along with the awful outcomes that we’ve seen,” he said.

Former INAC minister pushing Northern Gateway Former Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada minister Jim Prentice is working with Enbridge to sell First Nations on the company’s Northern Gateway pipeline. “I am doing this because I believe that First Nations should be full partners in resource development and they should be owners of projects like the Northern Gateway,” Prentice said in a statement. “This project can bring jobs, economic opportunity, community development and educational opportunities to First Nation Canadians. This can be achieved while protecting the environment and respecting First Nations’ environmental priorities.” Prentice told CBC News that he has been in touch with Assembly of First Nations Chief Shawn Atleo and other Chiefs as well. The National Energy Board has set over 200 conditions for Enbridge to meet with the line. The federal government is expected to make its decision by June 2014.

Opposition to Keystone XL still vocal in the US Keystone XL pipeline opponent California Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer says the pipeline would worsen the environmental effects of Canadian oil sands development by opening the door to industry

The Siksika Nation Fire and Rescue Team is among the 175 nominations for first responders received by the government for recognition in relation to the southern Alberta flood last June. More than 1,300 nominations have been received recognizing those who went above and beyond to help others in the wake of the floods, as part of Alberta’s Heroes of the Flood recognition program. Also receiving nominations were the Calgary Stampede Indian Princess Committee and Siksika Housing Department. All nominees will receive a certificate and letter of appreciation. “The flood was more than just a catastrophic event. It was an opportunity for all Albertans to come together, to offer support, strength and friendship for those affected by the disaster. It is important for us as a province to recognize those among us who showed such bravery and strength in these times of struggle, who have helped with the rebuilding efforts,” said Premier Alison Redford in a news release.

Black and white photography depicts First Nations people through time Black and white photographs by three University of Lethbridge art students will be featured in Iiht·ÌsÌnaakio’p (Camera), an art exhibition curated by Rob First Charger. The concept behind the photographic exhibition, with work by Rudy Black Plume, Star Crop Eared Wolf and Joel No Runner, is a reflection of historical and contemporary photographs created by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal photographers. The three artists depict First Nations people in a continuum of time, created for a contemporary time and audience. Their photographic skills recreating Native Americans in photographic reality, a virtual world resonates in the realms of lived and learned experiences of Aboriginal people in the 21st century. They are conveying the same technical data, skill, and criteria found in mainstream fine arts photography. Fine arts photography is defined as a process whereby the artist establishes a creative vision to generate an artistic statement in the field of photography. The exhibition takes place March 1 to April 30 at the Blackfoot Art Gallery and Gift Shop, in Lethbridge.

Candidate announces intention to seek Liberal nomination The general manager of Fort McMurray Métis Local 1935 is seeking the federal Liberal nomination for Fort McMurray-Athabasca. Kyle Harrietha recently announced his intention to seek the nomination noting he has “spent 16 years working for responsible and sustainable development — a just society that respects Aboriginal and minority rights, and accountable, fiscally responsible, transparent government.” Harrietha accused the Conservatives of rolling back regulatory and environmental oversight “to the point where First Nations and Métis communities have little confidence that their rights and traditional lands are being protected.” As general manager of Fort McMurray Métis Local , Harrietha oversees more than 300 members dedicated to pursuing the advancement of the Métis people of northeastern Alberta.

Compiled by Shari Narine

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NEWS

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

Final national event about wisdom to move forward together By Shari Narine Sweetgrass Contributing Editor EDMONTON

For Chief Wilton Littlechild the seventh and final national event for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be different than the others he has attended. “It’s kind of a reunion for me as well and I look forward to putting certain parts of my life behind me. This event will help me personally,” he said. Littlechild, one of the commissioners with the TRC, spent 14 years in residential schools, three years of which were in a boarding school in Edmonton. He expects to see survivors he hasn’t spoken to in decades when former students, their descendants and spouses, along with the nonIndigenous public, gather at the Shaw Conference Centre from March 27-30. But there will be former students who will not be attending. Many survivors passed away before the TRC began its community and national events. On March 4, when the TRC held its media launch, Littlechild asked for a moment of silence for three survivors in his community of Ermineskin Cree Nation, who passed away that week. Later he said that at least two of them shared their stories at a recent community hearing in Maskwacis. “It was a special moment for their families to come forward and share what happened to them. For many of us this is a hidden story and once it’s told

PHOTO: SHARI NARINE

Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner and Chief Wilton Littlechild speaks at the Edmonton media launch of the upcoming TRC national event as Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and TRC Commissioner Marie Wilson listen on.

in a public setting it begins to heal not only individuals but the families as well. That’s why it was important they had that opportunity,” he said. Alberta had more residential schools operating than any other province or territory and has the second largest number of survivors at 12,000. The city of Edmonton is home to the largest number of residential school survivors. Newly elected Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson called for a “collective effort” to get passed the legacy created by residential schools.

“We must work as a nation together to uncover the truths and to offer each other meaningful reconciliation and this reconciliation is an important step toward acknowledging our past, learning from our experiences and healing our hearts. This will take the commitment of every last one of us but when achieved it will truly make for a stronger Edmonton, stronger Alberta, stronger Canada,” said Iveson. The theme of this last event is wisdom, one of the seven sacred teachings. Each national

event was based on a sacred teaching: respect, courage, love, truth, humility, and honesty. Littlechild holds that a recent letter of apology offered by the Catholic bishops from Alberta and the Northwest Territory “opens the door of a good entry into the (Alberta) event.” He says that in previous national and community hearings, many survivors felt they had not received an apology from the Catholic church. “When it’s expressed by the Catholic church through the

bishops, it’s a very significant message to the survivors that yes, there’s genuine regret here about what happened and people are sorry about what happened,” said Littlechild. Attendance by nonIndigenous peoples at the national events has increased over the five years the TRC has been in operation. Honourary witnesses, which include former prime ministers, auditors general, governors general as well as nonpoliticians, are part of that nonAboriginal involvement. In Alberta, one honourary witness is Wetaskiwin Mayor Bill Elliot. Elliot, who is a former teacher, says he only recently learned about the depth of the impact of residential schools. He attended the TRC hearing in Maskwacis and “was transformed” when he heard parents of students he taught talk about the abuse they suffered while attending residential schools. “As a municipal leader I feel it’s really important that I bear witness to this significant chapter in Canadian history. It’s important that I’m a role model and provide leadership to our community to assist in the understanding of effects residential school had on many generations, past and present,” said Elliot. “We want to share in the healing journey and we want to be part of the solution as we move forward together, conscientiously working on building a long, positive relationship with you, our neighbours.”

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NEWS

Fort McKay, Brion Energy reach out-of-court agreement By Shari Narine Sweetgrass Contributing Editor FORT McKAY FIRST NATION

Fort McKay First Nation and Brion Energy will not be going to court. The two signed an agreement on Feb. 21 for the development of the Dover oil sands project, four months after the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that the First Nation could argue Constitutional and treaty rights in its appeal of the Alberta Energy Regulator’s approval of the Dover project, a 250,000barrel-per-day thermal oilsands venture. Counsel for Fort McKay had expected the appeal to be heard by June 2014. Neither party will say whether pending court action was an incentive to reach a settlement. At the time of the court’s decision, Fort McKay First Nation CEO George Arcand Jr. said that the First Nation and Brion Energy, which is joint venture between Athabasca Oil Corp. and Phoenix Energy Holdings Limited, would continue talks, which had been ongoing for two years. “For us it was important that we reach a settlement, period,” said Krista Baron, senior communications advisor with Brion Energy. “In a large part because Fort McKay First Nation, in fact the whole Fort McKay community, has had a long standing relationship with

industry in general so we very much wanted to get off on the right foot and build that relationship.” The details of that agreement are confidential. Discussions have been held with the community “but up to a certain level…. We had limitations on what we could disclose or not,” said Alvaro Pinto, who is lead negotiator for long term agreements with industry for Fort McKay First Nation. However, Pinto says the agreement does not include the no-development zone around Moose Lake that the First Nation had been pushing for. “To get the 20-kilometre buffer zone that would have to come from the government,” said Pinto, who noted such a zone would impact other existing leases in the area and not only the Dover project. “We’ve been in negotiations with the government for probably about a year and a half. We will continue talking to the government about that.” Even though there is no buffer zone, Pinto says the agreement is heavy on environmental measurements to protect the Moose Lake reserve, which include implementing bestmanagement practices, access management control, and risk assessment. “The most important aspect of this agreement was not the fiscal component, it was the environmental component. In fact, we didn’t even start

discussions around the fiscal or business components until we got done with the environmental component because we wouldn’t have had an agreement at all,” said Pinto. Baron said Brion Energy has “committed to supporting the growth of business within their community,” which could mean employing Fort McKay members for work on the project as well as contracting Fort McKay businesses. Brion Energy is the first leaseholder in the Moose Lake reserve to move ahead with a project, says Pinto, and this agreement would serve as a “very strong” base for further development by the oil and gas industry. “That’s our expectation,” he said. “The agreement has been watched quite carefully, the whole situation, by other companies,” said Baron, although she fell short of saying Brion’s agreement could have an impact on other potential business in the area. “Really it’s a question of what Fort McKay deems important especially in its business relationships with other companies.” AER approved Brion’s Dover Commercial Project in August 2013. Now that Fort McKay First Nation has removed its objections to the development, the project is only awaiting an Order in Council from the province.

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NEWS

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

Literacy a key component in turning youth away from criminal activities By Paula E. Kirman Sweetgrass Contributor EDMONTON

Literacy is central to keeping youth out of the criminal justice system. “A lack of literacy means a lack of employment. It is very difficult to get a job if you can’t read or write,” said Kyle Dube, executive director of YOUCAN Youth Services and vice chair of REACH Edmonton board. “These young people need to see the importance of employment, which only comes from being literate.” Dube was the keynote speaker on Feb. 20 at Frontier College’s forum on Literacy’s Impact on Criminal Justice and Youth, in Edmonton. “Many of these young people have not been successful at school – either from poor attendance or being kicked out due to behavioural issues – and unfortunately a lot of them fall between the cracks and they don’t get the education they

need which means their literacy is not what it should be,” he said. “If these kids are not educated, if they don’t see the potential for education and being literate, then crime is an easy out for them.” Karen Erickson, formerly of Native Counselling Services of Alberta, said Aboriginal youth are particularly vulnerable because of “intergenerational issues caused by residential school experiences which have disrupted the fundamental relationship between parents and children, and led to a disconnectedness from ceremonies like sweats.” She also listed racism and the effects of colonization as factors, and stressed the need for self-determination. “An effect of residential schools is parents not knowing how to nurture their children.This starts the path to poverty through not attending school and self-medication from not being connected to a support network,” added David

PHOTO: PAULA E. KIRMAN

Karen Erickson, formerly of Native Counselling Services of Alberta, addresses a full room at a forum discussing the connections between literacy and youth crime.

Berger, deputy executive director with Boyle Street Community Services. Many local agencies offer programs that encourage

literacy amongst youth. Erickson talked about Pohna: Keepers of the Fire, a gang intervention program, while Berger touched on Boyle Street’s Water Wings program, which largely serves an Aboriginal and immigrant population by helping break through barriers to employment. The program offers resume building, careers searches, the acquisition of safety tickets, and other jobrelated assistance Dube said the government has a role to play in the quest towards youth literacy. “I think what they can continue doing is finding different ways of engaging nontraditional education, to teach the same things but in different ways. They need to continue supporting organizations in working with some of the

barriers to success that these young people have in education in order for us to get them back in school,” he said. Forums like this are part of Frontier College’s legacy which was founded in 1899 to take literacy to the frontiers, said Abby Robins, director of communications for Frontier College. “We still work on the frontiers, but now, those frontiers are places like innercity schools, prisons, Aboriginal communities, and shelters. We work with children, youth, and adults, helping them improve their literacy and increase their opportunities,” she said. The forum was a national event, taking place in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Halifax as well. A panel discussion in Winnipeg live streamed to all locations.

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

EDMONTON

Art part of healing process of residential schools By Shari Narine Sweetgrass Contributing Editor EDMONTON

PHOTO: PAULA KIRMAN

March recognizes missing, murdered men, boys as well Papaschase First Nation Chief Calvin Bruneau led the Memorial March in Edmonton, which took place on Valentine’s Day. An annual event honouring missing and murdered women, similar marches took place in other cities across Canada. This year, Edmonton’s march also honoured men and boys who are missing or who have met an untimely end. The march began and ended at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples.

Grandin Station to get new mural Métis activist and artist Aaron Paquette will be responding to Sylvie Nadeau’s controversial mural alluding to residential school with a mural of his own at the Grandin LRT station. Paquette’s work has been commissioned by the Francophonie Jeunesse de l’Alberta — donors of the original mural in 1989 – in an act of reconciliation. Paquette’s imagery will include a Cree Thunderbird sprouting humans, the last creatures to come to the land, according to tradition. The 6.7-metre piece will be bookended by circular drum images on both sides — new to the existing mural — bringing the two unique artistic styles together. The project’s partners include City of Edmonton’s Edmonton Aboriginal Relations Office, Edmonton Arts Council, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, ETS and members of the urban Aboriginal community. The collaborative piece will be unveiled during the TRC’S final national event, taking place in Edmonton March 27-30.

CAP National Chief hears local concerns Betty Lavallee, National Chief for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, held an informal gathering at Poundmakers Lodge, in St. Albert, as part of her grassroots national tour that brought her to Edmonton and area March 11. The goal of the cross-country tour is to conduct open, meaningful and productive conversations about off-reserve Aboriginal issues. Edmonton, which has the second highest urban Aboriginal population in the country, was one of a number of stops on CAP’s cross-country tour. CAP was formed in 1971 and serves as an advocate for the off-reserve, non-Status, and Status Indians, Métis and Southern Inuit living in urban, rural remote and isolated areas throughout Canada.

Inuit heritage workers receive instruction on better museum management A group of Inuit heritage workers from Nunavut were in Edmonton recently to learn how to better manage museums and cultural centres in Nunavut. Participants from Arviat, Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Iqaluit, and Qikiqtarjuaq were funded through the Inuit Heritage Trust’s Heritage Training Program. They visited a number of local museums and archives including the University of Alberta Museums, Royal Alberta Museum, Fort Edmonton Park, Provincial Archives of Alberta, St. James Cultural Centre and Amiskwaciy Academy. The Inuit Heritage Trust is dedicated to the preservation, enrichment and protection of Inuit cultural heritage and identity embodied in Nunavut’s archaeology sites, ethnographic resources and traditional place names.

Denny’s donation supports Bissell programs Denny’s downtown restaurant celebrated its re-opening March 4 by giving all proceeds from its Original Grand Slam breakfast to support the Bissell Centre’s programs and services. The Grand Slam sold for $2 and was available from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bissell Centre has over 20 programs focused on assisting people living in poverty. “It’s going to take teamwork to eliminate poverty in our community, so we’re encouraged that Denny’s is stepping up to the plate to help,” said Devin Komarniski, acting manager of marketing and communications with Bissell Centre. Dean Kraychy, Edmonton district manager for Denny’s Restaurant, said Denny’s was “excited about helping people in the (community).” Bissell Centre offers a fully accredited child care program for impoverished families; employment services for the unemployed to find work; food services that provides over 350 meals per day for the hungry; and a drop-in centre utilized by approximately 500 people every day who are looking for refuge.

Compiled by Shari Narine

Many residential schools were built from brick so artist Dawn Marie Marchand has invited survivors, their descendants and their spouses to draw their stories in the form of a three inch by nine inch piece of brown paper. “I want to recreate the stories on a wall and I wanted to use a medium that was easily accessible and anybody could mail,” said Marchand of choosing the brick-shape. Marchand is coordinating a collaborative installation that will be unveiled during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final national event, which takes place in Edmonton March 27-30. Marchand is hoping for 1,500 bricks. At the beginning of March she had only 100. But she isn’t panicking. She is confident that closer to the event, the bricks will start coming in. As well, she knows people who are planning to attend the TRC event and want to see their bricks go up. “Art builds,” as Marchand refers to them, have been held throughout the province, where those connected with residential schools have created their bricks. Marchand has personal exposure to residential schools. While her mother never attended, she had aunts, uncles and cousins who did. “All of the things that affected (my mother’s life) and my life, those intergenerational things affected us despite her not going,” said Marchand, who created a brick that has a photograph of herself with her finger held up to her lips for silence. “Even to this day, (my mother) won’t talk about who her cousins are that hurt her and who are the people who went.” The brick represents not only Marchand’s mother’s silence, but the silence demanded of the students: don’t speak your language, don’t speak about your culture, don’t speak to your siblings. Those who walk through the exhibit will be given a river stone to hold and rub, a common practise to help relieve tension in stressful situations. These stones will become part of a permanent Healing Garden installation at Blue Quills First Nation University as part of the garden path. “The symbolism behind it is

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Artist Dawn Marie Marchand writes of this “brick” she painted, “I was remembering another story, I was told. A story where a young girl went to school with her brother. Even though they were together they weren’t allowed to interact.”

that we’re going to put it under your feet so you can move forward,” said Marchand. The site of the brick installation has yet to be determined. Marchand is hopeful it will end up as a permanent installation somewhere when the TRC event concludes. There will be Aboriginal art work spread throughout the downtown area, says Debbie Hubbard, a member of the regional advisory committee for the national TRC event. “One of the things (we’ve) really tried to be intentional about with this event is in engaging the arts community and particularly some of the Aboriginal arts,” said Hubbard. “There’s a real recognition that in Edmonton there’s quite a vibrant Aboriginal, Inuit, Métis representation of skilled artists.” While the brick installation is

not a formal TRC exhibit, there will be a collection of artwork from Alberta Aboriginal artists on display in the Enterprise Square gallery in the former Hudson’s Bay building from March 20-April 18. Marchand is researching and writing the commentary to go along with the exhibit, which is a body of art purchased by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada in the 1990s. It is the collection of work undertaken by members of the Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts Society, which operated from 1975-91 and includes such well-known names as Alex Janvier, Joane Cardinal-Shubert and Faye Heavy Shield. “This artwork is so beautiful. It’s like 25 years ago and it’s so relevant and contemporary and incredible,” said Marchand. “This is a real great opportunity, especially for the new generation.”

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CALGARY

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

Art exhibit challenges gallerygoers to think

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Jen Lee with Sandra Crazybull, Mi Yvonne Cita, Allan Merovitz and Chantal Stormsong Chagnon at Calgary’s 6th Annual Valentine’s Day Women’s Memorial March.

Missing, murdered women honoured with march PHOTO: SUPPLIED

This is the problem by Tanya Harnett one of the pieces in the Deadly Lady Art Triumvarite exhibit at Contemporary Calgary.

By Darlene Chrapko Sweetgrass Writer CALGARY

The Deadly Lady Art Triumvarite exhibit at Contemporary Calgary, formerly the Art Gallery of Calgary, is unique in the manner of its creation and its multifaceted themes. Running until May 4, the 11 pieces in the exhibit incorporate traditional elements of Aboriginal spirituality and the text of original historical

documents in mixed media installations that include wood, tarp, blanket, beads, sculpture, animal skins, and branches. The intersecting themes of the works have multiple reference points, many of which point back to language, history, culture and the creation, suppression and obscuring of Aboriginal identity. When Kayleigh Hall, curator of the exhibit invited Aboriginal artists Tanya Harnett, Amy Malbeuf and Brittney Bear Hat to occupy the space for three months, the approach was open

and spontaneous. “It was a sandbox approach,” said Hall. “They were invited to play in the space.” Many of the works were organized beforehand, but created on site. The pieces are thought-provoking and evocative, presenting one side that draws the viewer close, with other less tangible aspects waiting to be discovered. The pieces “urge people to pay attention, to search for something,” said Hall. ( See Art on page 13.)

On Feb. 14, the Sixth Annual Valentine’s Day Women’s Memorial March took place beginning with speeches at Scarboro United Church and ending at 14 Street and 17 Avenue. The organizers created and blessed banners for the marchers to honour the lives of missing and murdered women of southern Alberta. The memorial march raises awareness and seeks to affect change. The planning committee shared facts to support the claim that although violence affects all women, Indigenous women face higher risks. “Unlike most women who are at a greater risk of being assaulted by an intimate partner, Indigenous women are equally at risk of being assaulted by a stranger – this is a clear indication of the racist and sexist underpinnings of violence against Indigenous women,” they said.

Conference explores genocide Mount Royal University hosted a three-day international conference on genocide Feb. 19-21. Understanding Atrocities, Remembering, Representing and Teaching Genocide brought leading experts together to share new ideas on the global problem. Calgary’s history includes the incarceration of Aboriginal people on surrounding reserves after 1885, mob violence against Chinese Calgarians in 1892, anti-German riots during the First World War, and the enforcement of the Sexual Sterilization Act from 1928 to 1972. These atrocities served as the starting point for conversations. Friday’s closing panel, featured former federal politicians Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock.

Professor Discusses The Healing Processes after Colonization On March 12, Professor Les Jerome, a senior instructor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary presented Healthy Communities: Some Observations and Implications between Individuals, Family, Community, and the World at a lunch and learn at the Kahanoff Centre. Focusing on the recovery process, he presented a number of related concepts: how if the individual heals, the communities and nation heal; how rediscovering First Nations identity will begin the recovery; how money, education and workplaces are reminders of colonization; how people create their own spirituality; and how moving to recovery will enable Canada’s Indigenous people to discover a single voice.

A Tribe Called Red nominated for a Juno Juno nominated A Tribe Called Red, on a national tour, stopped off in Calgary at the Hi-Fi Club on Feb. 20. The all First Nations DJ and electronic act has won several Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, but they are not nominated for the Juno Category Aboriginal Album of the year. Instead, A Tribe Called Red is up against acts working in the same genre for Electronic Album of the year. The band has earned two nominations for the upcoming Juno’s for their release Nation II Nation. Their music incorporates cultural elements into dance sounds inviting a discussion of First Nations issues among non-First Nations.

Youth to gather at Mount Royal University The third annual Aboriginal Youth Explosion is planned for April 12. Organized by Bridges Social Development, the annual event showcases Aboriginal youth in an interactive arts and crafts exhibition. Throughout the day, young artists will share their stories and artworks with the wider community. Participation is free but participants are required to take part in a two-day workshop on March 21 and 22 to prepare for the event.

Compiled by Darlene Chrapko

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

DISTANCE LEARNING

Organizations turn to flexibility, accessibility of e-learning By Shari Narine Sweetgrass Contributing Editor EDMONTON

After years of providing postsecondary schooling the traditional way, two established organizations are now making the leap to e-learning. “There’s tremendous potential for it. There’s real potential in northern Alberta and in the north, to provide courses to Aboriginal students who are in remote areas,” said Seaneen O’Rourke, dean of programs with the Yellowhead Tribal College. Not only is it about tapping otherwise unavailable resources, but it is also about allowing those who are already working an opportunity to further their education or solidify their positions. YTC, which has offered Athabasca University courses for years in the classroom, decided to take its learning opportunities outside of its walls. “I’m familiar with distance learning, but it wasn’t a mode we used,” said O’Rourke, who has a background in distance learning having been a tutor for Athabasca University of 30 years. For the first time, YTC is offering some of its 20-25 courses which comprise the Management Study program, which YTC developed in the 1990s as a classroom program,

online. There are less than a dozen students enrolled in the online pilot project. “We decided to give this a try because it provides access to students who can’t otherwise get to class,” said O’Rourke. Students can access assignments and instructions online as well as live-chat with a tutor. While the tutor is not available for live interaction all the time, students can email their questions and get email responses. “I like the flexibility, the accessibility this offers our students,” said O’Rourke. But she admits that e-learning isn’t the answer for everyone. Remote learners need to have access to both a computer and Internet. YTC students are funded through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Meanwhile, Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training is in the process of developing a survey, focusing primarily on its apprentices in northern Alberta, to look at retention issues. “In that study we’re asking questions around using technology as a way of learning because apprentices have to go away for eight weeks to go and take training. Is there an alternative mode of delivery that would be effective for those apprentices to maybe continue studying from the worksite?” said operations manager Eva John Gladue. ( See E-learning on page 9.)

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

DISTANCE LEARNING E-learning delivers flexibility ( Continued from page 8.) Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training is looking at whether e-learning or some form of blended learning may be the answer to keep its members who are part of the apprenticeship initiative in northeast Alberta on the job.

“Because if something is not working, we need to figure out how do we fix it,” said Gladue. “We have a skilled trade shortage in Alberta and so how are we going to address that until we know what the problem is?” Gladue says the results of the

survey won’t be known for at least a year. Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training is funded through Service Canada and has six subagreements with First Nations in Alberta: Cold Lake, Kehewin, Frog Lake, Beaver Lake, Whitefish and Heart Lake.

Distance learning provides opportunities for advancement By Shari Narine Sweetgrass Contributing Editor SLAVE LAKE

Distance learning has provided an educational opportunity that decades ago was impossible for people living in isolated communities, with limited resources, or in a restricted family situation. “The big advantage to distance learning is they’re able to stay in their communities and learn,” said Glenn Mitchell, dean with Northern Lakes College. “People are able to stay home.” NLC has over 25 campuses in northern Alberta, with its main sites in Grouard and Slave Lake. Working through community educational councils and community learning centre directors, NLC is able to offer programs unique to each community’s needs. “We’re the most communityfocused college in Alberta,” said Mitchell. But the beauty of distance learning, he adds, is if students throughout the region want the same course, “we can pull them all together in a class of eight or 10 and that’s enough to consider offering the program. That’s what distance allows us to do.” NLC offers two types of distance learning: synchronous and asynchronous. With synchronous learning, students all log into a classroom at the same time along with the instructor. This allows virtual classroom interaction. Asynchronous learning allows the student to log into his course at any time and access assignments, submit papers online and turn in the work at his own pace. Exams are written with an approved NLC supervisor. If a student has an Internet connection at home

then all school work can be done from home. “There’s also a blend of that, too, and many of our courses use that,” said Mitchell. Even with asynchronous learning, though, students have the opportunity to get together on campus to access Internet and computers and to do their work together. There is often a learning facilitator on site to guide students through their work. As well, students can gather and access a virtual classroom and instructor together. “That’s kind of a unique approach that Northern Lakes College takes really for the benefit of the student that not a lot of other institutions do. If you’re on line you’re on line and you’re doing it independently. But the way we do it, we give you support in your community,” said Mitchell. NLC also offers the traditional face-to-face classroom setting. NLC hires both traditional teachers to run classes and teachers who instruct through the virtual classrooms. NLC offers distance learning all the way from basic education to academic upgrading to university courses, and training in health care, the trades and technology. Distance learning is not an option limited to those seeking post-secondary education or to upgrade after graduating. It is also an option at the secondary school level. The Northland School Division, which operates 24 schools in northern Alberta and has over 2,500 students, accesses Alberta Distance Learning to augment its programming. Both NLC and NSD have a high number of Aboriginal students.

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

Internship program earns park gold award

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Juanita Tallman holds the IPAC gold award that was earned by the team from Writing-onStone Provincial Park, Alberta Parks, Aboriginal Relations, and Canadian Badlands.

By Susan Solway Sweetgrass Writer WRITING-ON-STONE PROVINCIAL PARK

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park recently brought home gold, an Alberta first in the Federal/Provincial/Territorial category within the Institute of Public Administration Public Sector Leadership Awards. And Juanita Tallman, the interpretive supervisor, could not be happier. This is an important win for the First Nations Interpretations Internship Program, a pilot project that she personally put so much time and effort in to. “Being able to see that this type of program is recognized, it was us [First Nations] being able to share our information and work with people in the government, it was challenging and interesting and I was very humbled to find out we were nominated,” said Tallman. With input and direction from Blackfoot Elders, local residents to the area, past interpreters and the Alberta Parks representatives, the program at Writing-on-Stone’s main focus was to train two First Nations interns with leadership skills that allow them to accurately and comfortably relay information

to over 4,000 visitors to the area, as well as to the neighbouring parks, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Bow Vey Lake and Cypress Hills Provincial Park. “Each of these parks do talk about some Blackfoot culture,” said Tallman, “ but we found that the visitors wanted that authentic experience, to hear it from our people in a way that is respectful, so that they will believe it more. At a lot of tourist places the tipi is just there for show and no one is around to explain it. We just wanted to bring something more to the parks.” At the end of the 2013 season, Tallman visited Toronto to speak on behalf of the program before a jury with the intention of earning gold, adding that the recognition of the award was valuable. “It was personal for me, I wanted these people that can provide funding and decisions to see that a program like this is needed, and in all other areas as well,” she said. Tallman believes that the program will help future interns receive the exposure needed to better communicate on different levels of management and bring back a positive experience to their family, friends and

acquaintances in the hopes of diminishing racism that is sometimes found in rural towns. The park collaborated with Alberta Parks, Aboriginal Relations, and Canadian Badlands to create the innovative program, bringing funding opportunities, and interpretive training and techniques to the staff of the park, says Tallman. Aisinai’pi, as the park is known in the Blackfoot language, is located southeast of the city of Lethbridge and sits on traditional Blackfoot territory. The park houses evidence of the rich culture through pictographs and petroglyphs depicted in the stone, making it a notorious landmark for First Nations people in Canada. The Leadership Awards invite all Canadian organizations to enter within respected categories, with projects that showcase courage, innovation, benefits, collaborative leadership, and measurable end results. Canadian Heritage took home the silver for its project ‘The Leadership Factor’ and Ontario Ministry of Government Services took the bronze for the OPS Diversity Office, Accessibility at Source.

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

Report shows untapped financial benefits from Aboriginal population By Shari Narine Sweetgrass Contributing Editor EDMONTON

Audrey Poitras is hopeful that a study recently released by the Rupertland Métis Centre for Research will impress upon the provincial government that investing in education for Métis people is critical. “The Howe report… sends out a clear call for both community and government action,” said Poitras, president of the Métis Nation of Alberta. The report, entitled Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap in Alberta, was released in early March. It was a collaborative effort undertaken by RMCR, the University of Alberta and the MNA. The study uses forensic economics to “assign a dollar value to lifetime earnings depending on education,” said author and University of Saskatchewan professor Dr. Eric Howe, who has done similar analyses in Saskatchewan and Ontario. “What the analysis concludes is that Alberta is leaving over a quarter of a trillion dollars unrealized and unclaimed, money that is essentially just lying on the ground, waiting to be picked up through Aboriginal education programs,” said Howe.

There is a growing education gap between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals. In Alberta, that gap is rising rapidly because of the increased Aboriginal population coming in to the province and, though more Aboriginal people are improving their education, nonAboriginal people are attaining higher education at an even greater rate. According to the report, over half of the non-Aboriginal population in Alberta has postsecondary credentials compared to the Métis population where over half has a high school diploma or less, and First Nations, where less than half has high school or less. Bridging that gap with education would result in $44.2 billion of increased earnings for Aboriginal people. Howe points out that increased education results in a “myriad of benefits” beyond improved wages. Those benefits include longer, healthier life spans, longer paid vacations, lower rates of crime and improved child care. Taking wage factors and nonmonetary advantages into consideration, the benefit of bridging the Aboriginal education gap is $270.5 billion, according to the report. In Ontario, which has an economy on par with Alberta, the

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PHOTO: SHARI NARINE

Dr. Eric Howe delivers the highlights on the report he authored, Bridging the Aboriginal Education Gap in Alberta.

aggregate figure for the benefits of bridging the education gap was $220 billion, while Saskatchewan, with a much

smaller economy, had an aggregate figure of $90 billion. The Alberta report breaks down earnings based on level of

education attained for nonAboriginal, Métis, and First Nations, as well as for men and women. This report is one of many that the RCMR and the university will undertake, says Dr. Brendan Hokowhitu, Dean of Native Studies Faculty with U of A. “The results are critical,” said Hokowhitu, “and demonstrate the importance of Indigenous groups, and particularly Métis to the growth of Alberta and Canada economically.” The report will be delivered to policy makers and RCMR is willing to have a discussion with the government, says RCMR director Dr. Chris Anderson. “We have actually received zero dollars (from the provincial government) to the Métis Nation for education for K-12. Of course we’re hoping things like this report will be able to help us to do whatever we need to do to change that. Hopefully somewhere down the road there will be a change in the view on supporting the Métis Nation to support Métis students,” said Poitras.

Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

Art exhibit challenges gallery-goers to think ( Continued from page 7.) The residency idea began with all three artists, originally from Alberta, meeting by email. Harnett, an educator from the Department of Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge and senior artist, worked with emerging artists Malbeuf and Bear Hat. When tossing around names for their Facebook page, the artists came up with the Deadly Lady Art Triumvarite. Despite the exhibit’s name, Hall said that the themes that emerge are less about Aboriginal women and more about Aboriginal people and the wider social and political themes in the creation of identity that emerge from the show. Hall sees the exhibit as moving from a macro to a micro level, from actual historical documents of political and social significance to the exploration of personal family identity in Bear Hat’s works. At a point of entry to the exhibit fog pours out on a ceremonious image of burning lemon grass and sage projected on a suspended silk cloth. For her focal piece titled Jimmie Durham 1974, 2014, Malbeuf used blue tarp framed with tree branches as her canvas upon which over 8,000 glass blue beads form the text of activist Durham’s protest piece. Elements from nature run throughout the pieces creating curious juxtapositions that invite thought. Hall sees these references as capturing “the

dysfunction between humanity and the natural landscape.” Malbeuf’s installation of animal pelts strung up was originally presented in a park in Edmonton. The piece is tactile, drawing the viewer in until the backside is viewed; each pelt has a safety vest on the reverse. The relationship between the two sides forms a point of intellectual inquiry. For her piece titled, The Bargain, 2014, Harnett’s canvas is a crimson four-point Hudson’s Bay blanket on which she has scripted word for word in felt pen the Dekis Treaty of 1655 of unknown origin given to her by an Elder from the Cold Lake area. The language sets out the manner of relationship between the settlers and the Aboriginal people. Bear Hat’s found image of a photo of her great grandfather Running Rabbit, a signatory of Treaty 7 in 1877, rests alongside the text of the Treaty itself. The melding of historical documents and traditional Aboriginal culture and spirituality in the exhibit ultimately queries the construction of Aboriginal identity in contemporary society. “The artists are breaking down stereotypes, investigating popular representations of being Indigenous, how people see them, how they see themselves, especially when family history is lost,” said Hall.

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

CAREERS & TRAINING

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

CAREERS & TRAINING

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Alberta Sweetgrass - March 2014

COMMUNITY

Gold winning boxer sets sights on Olympics By Sam Laskaris Sweetgrass Writer SLAVE LAKE

Though he only took up boxing a few months ago, Wyatt Brill can already boast about being a provincial champion. The 16-year-old Métis, who lives in Slave Lake, captured a gold medal in his category at the recent Alberta Winter Games, which were jointly hosted by Banff and Canmore from Feb. 6-9. Brill arrived at the boxing competition, held in Banff, not knowing how many competitors would be in his 75-kilogram class. As it turned out there was just one other participant, Brendon Donald from Calgary, in his division, featuring athletes aged 14-16. The original plan was to have Brill and his lone rival square off in a best-of-three competition. Brill won the first fight and then the next day before the pair was set to duke it out again, Donald withdrew from the competition due to illness. Brill, a Grade 10 student at Slave Lake’s Roland Michener Secondary School, was then awarded the gold medal and crowned a provincial champ.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Competing in boxing at the Alberta Winter Games were (from left) Cody Gauthier, coach Kris Hansen, and Wyatt Brill. Gauthier earned silver in the 50-kg class, while Brill took gold in the 75-kg class.

That’s a rather significant feat for Brill, who had only two fights and a 1-1 record, before entering the AWG. Ideally though he would have preferred to have had more bouts in Banff. “Even if I had lost them it would have given me more experience,” he said. “But I won gold so I can’t complain. And it’s a big accomplishment because I want to go a lot further in my boxing career.”The AWG attracted about 2,200 athletes and

coaches, who were representing eight zones from across the province. Brill was on the Zone 8 team. The games traditionally feature numerous Aboriginal athletes. But organizers have no way of determining the athletes’ ancestry since they are not required to list it on registration forms. Kris Hansen, a coach at the Slave Lake Boxing Club, also served as a coach for the Zone 8 boxing team.

He believes the fact Brill returned home with a gold medal will provide his fighter with an additional boost. “He had no clue what he was up against going there,” Hansen said. “But this is huge for his confidence.” Based on Donald’s 6-1 record and three years in the ring, Donald would have been the favourite heading into his bout against Brill. However, Brill registered a unanimous decision in the three-round bout.

“He boxed really well and he listened to his corner very well,” Hansen said. Hansen also believes Brill is capable of achieving a lot more in the sport. “If he sticks with it, he’s got a promising boxing future ahead of him,” he said. Brill, who only took up boxing last October, does indeed plan to continue on in the sport. In fact, he’s hoping to become a professional boxer. But before he does that he has set his sights on representing the country in the Olympics. Though an appearance at the 2020 Olympics might be a more realistic goal to aim for, Brill is not discounting an appearance at the next Summer Olympics, set for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brill is currently a two-sport athlete. He is also a member of his school’s wrestling team. He has managed to juggle his boxing and wrestling careers even though his training sessions for both sports are held on the same days. “It’s pretty hard doing two intense workouts a day,” said Brill, who also keeps in shape by running daily. “Next year I think I’m going to just stick with boxing.”