Mother tongue language

"The Mother language, in which the first words are uttered and individual thought expressed, is the foundation for the history and culture of each individual...Languages are the best vehicles for mutual understanding and tolerance. Respect for all languages is a key factor for ensuring peaceful coexistance, without exclusion, of societies and all of their members." UNESCO 2010


Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of Mother Tongues will serve not only to encourage liguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop full awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerence and dialogue.

Indian Day School lawsuit

"Indian Day Schools were established in Canada by, or with the assistance and support of the Crown. Through mandatory federal government policy Aboriginal children were required to attend Indian Day Schools. Government policy dictated that attendance be compulsory for Aboriginal Children between ages 7 and 15.

These education regimes were designed to negate an Aboriginal Child's cultural identity by depriving them of their way of life in Indian Day Schools where they were forced to learn to speak and read a European language and also to accept a cultural way of life that was not their own.

In the result, these Aboriginal Children and their descendants were deprived of the opportunity to learn about and practise their own legal and social systems, including ceremony and culture and this form of education caused teh fragmentation. oppression and, in some instances, eradication of Aboriginal spirituality, Language, law and culture.

Many children were also subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuses, in addition to other inflictions of cruelty that took place while the policy was followed through within Indian Day Schools that created the arena which provided for the orchestration of ethnocide and hear cultural genocide of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

These policies were began in 1920 and existed untill 1996. The legacy of damage done through Indian Day Schools has saturated the very fabric of Aboriginal Peoples of Canada. Generations of Aboriginal people have suffered, and continue to suffer, damage, in addition to those classes that have been specified in this action.

The damage of Aboriginal Peoples, as a result of the federal ethnocide policy is evidenced today in, for example, higher suicide rates, incarcerated rates, infant mortality rates, diabetes rates and Aboriginal gangs."

*from the class action lawsuit of Spiritwind -Joan jack

Traditional First Nations Parenting

One of my fondest memories was of my Moshum, Edward Moosomin, waking me up in the morning, "Wa-nis-ka a-say e-ya-kwa ki-si-kaw"..."Wake up, it is already late in the day", he would say every morning, even though it was still dark out, the sun was'nt even up. My Kohkum Irene was already busy cooking by the wood stove, you could hear the fire crackle, you could hear and smell the bacon and eggs, poridge and fried bannock would already be done. The table was a feast, eating by moshum and kohkum watching the sun come up. There was a quietness in the kitchen as we ate but it was so warm and comforting that I never wanted it to end.

First Nations People have been practising traditional parenting since time immemorial, with well developed and well proven techniques in parenting passed down through the Generations.
Children are the future and a happy child is a healthy child.
The First Nations Plains tribes understood that it was everyone's responsibility to assure that the child was warm and fed, happier children did not cry, this was also to make sure the child did not scare away game during a hunt or alert the enemy. Teaching children was also a communal responsibility, life skills, ceremony and song was taught through active participation with guidance from the Elders.
The daily activities began as soon as the sun was on the horizon, with morning songs, offerings and prayer,the children learned to give thanks to the Creator. After washing up in the nearby stream or lake, a grand breakfast was prepared and enjoyed by everyone in the home, there was no such thing as "sleeping in". In the warm days meals were often eaten outside in the sun, and on cold days everyone ate by the campfire in the home.
Tiny babies were precious gifts from the Creator, children were believed to be on loan and it was everyones duty to take care of this gift.

Pow Wow Trail Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre
Presents
Pow Wow Trail
2009

June 2009

June 19 - 21
Sakimay First Nations Contest Pow wow ……..Grenfell, SK…………….306 – 697 – 2831

June 19 – 21
Moosomin First Nations Pow wow ………N of North Battleford, Sk……306 – 386 – 2206

June 20
National Aboriginal Day Celebration…Friendship Pk, Saskatoon, SK…306 – 244 - 0174

June 21
Paspiwin 4th Annual Traditional Pow wow…..P.A. National Park………..306 - ­­663 – 4508

June 23 – 25
Sakicawasihk Contest Pow wow………N Battleford Civic Centre………306 – 446 – 3833


July 2009
July 3 – 4
Muskeg Lake Cree Nation Pow wow…Muskeg Lake First Nation, SK….306 – 466 - 7175

July 10 – 12
Kahkewistahaw Pow wow………Kahkewistahaw First Nation, SK……...306 – 696 - 3291

July 17 – 19
Onion Lake Contest Pow wow………Onion Lake First Nation, SK……...306 – 344 – 7225

July 18 – 19
Mistawasis Traditional Pow wow ………Near Leask, SK …………………306 – 466 – 4800

July 24 – 26
Thunderchild Pow wow ……………Thunderchild First Nation, SK……...306 – 845 – 4300

July 24 – 26
Carry the Kettle Pow wow ……….Sintaluta, SK……………………………..306 – 727 – 2135

July 23 – 28
Back to Batoche –Metis Days…………East of Rosthern, SK…………….306 – 343 – 8285

July 31 – August 2
Ocean Man First Nation Pow wow…….Near Stoughton, SK……………..306 – 457 – 2679


July 31 – August 2
Touchwood Agency T.C. Pow wow…Kawakatoose First Nation, SK…..306 – 835 - 2125

August

August 6 – 9
John Arcand’s 12th Annual Fiddle Festival…..W of Saskatoon, SK…….306 – 382 – 0111

August 7 – 9
Standing Buffalo Pow wow ………….Fort Qu Appelle, SK………………..306 – 332 – 4685

August 11 – 13
Cowessess Traditional Pow wow…….Cowessess First Nation………….306 – 696 – 2520

August 21 – 23
George Gordon First Nation Pow wow…..S of Punnichy, SK…………….306 – 835 – 2232








* these dates could change at any time, please call phone numbers provided before you depart for the Pow Wow
John Spyglass

Birch Bark and First Nations

Birch Trees ( Betula papyrifera) are found throughout the North American Boreal Forest, highly prized by the First Nations people, the uses of the Birch Bark can be traced back to the beginning of time when the Thunderbirds marked the characteristic stripes and enriched exceptional properties. In fact many Indigenous cultures around the world regard the Birch Tree as a sacred plant that was blessed with qualities for the benefit of human kind. There are legends, ceremonies and offerings during the harvesting of the bark, roots , leaves, wood and the fungus that grows on the birch tree.

The use of the bark spanned the lifetime of an individual , the bark served as a Cradleboard cover when the child was born , and when the person passed on it became a wrapping for the deceased.

The Birchbark can be peeled to any thickness , stored for long periods of time, and regenerated for future use, it is light weight , portable, durable and is very strong, this resulted in its extensive use.

The Northern Cree have used the Birchbark for Lodge coverings, containers for food and medicine and other personal items, hunting gear, fishing gear, for tinder, torches and for artwork, beadwork and quillwork.

The bark also served for documentation purposes as maps and to transmit sacred rites, songs and teachings passed down from generation after generation since time immemorial.

Medicinal teas and ointments were brewed from the trees bark, leaves and twigs, the wood was used to make utensils.

Birchbark Canoes are ideal vehicles for people who depended upon hunting, gathering, and fishing for their survival, to travel the vast waterways this vehicle was perfect for it was easily manuevorable and lightweight.

Traditionally the skills and knowledge required for canoe makers would take years of observation and experience, besides knowing the technical skills needed the Canoemaker had an intimate understanding of the Birchbark and other materials gathered from Mother Earth - such as the various wood, resins, and roots . The Traditions required ceremony and thanksgiving , songs and stories about the Birchbark would be taught from one generation to the next.

The Gathering of materials, the Ceremonies, songs and stories required Family support, it was labour-intensive including the preparations for the Gathering all structured around the strong cultural relationships with Kinship and respect for the land. The Birchbark was gathered during the spring and late summe as the bark was more pliable and easily removed.

There are various uses for the Birchbark and its roots, First Nations believe that the Birch Tree provides strength, safety and security; containers, baskets and other artforms made from Birchbark are highly prized because they make the house safe and secure.

The Dream Catcher

In traditional worldview of the Saulteaux people of the North American Plains believe that the night is full of both positive and negative dreams.

The customary tradition is when a Dream Catcher is hung above or near the place where you sleep, it moves freely in the night and catches the dreams as they drift by.

The good dreams, knowing their way, flow and pass through the opening in the center of the Dream Catcher webbing, meanwhile the bad dreams, not knowing the way, are caught in the webbing and are destroyed at the first light of the morning sun.

Although the Saulteaux people are credited for the origins of the Dream Catcher, many other Indigenous cultures have adopted Dream Catcher Legends as part of their Oral History.

Though the intricate designs and Oral legends differ slightly, the underlying meaning and symbolism is universal and is understood across Indigenous cultures and language barriers.

Extraordinary persistance

Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert have grown tremendously with huge numbers of First Nations People coming from all over Saskatchewan as well as other provinces and countries. This diversity continues to grow as people migrate to better futures, better housing and better access to education and work, as this may be a positive change for many, there are certainly negative changes and attitudes that come with it.

Let me tell you a story of this one lady from a Northern Reserve , farther north from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, from a reserve called the Waterhen Lake Reserve, it is a Cree Community with little contact with the outside world, a place where much of the children learn Cree as their first language. Life is a difficult challenge for the residents on the Waterhen Lake reserve, much like all First Nations Reserves in Saskatchewan, poverty is abundant and jobs are scarce.

I could possibly use the real name of this determined lady, but I will call her Mary, Mary was born and raised on the Waterhen Lake reserve, speaking Cree and learning the traditional ways of her culture through her Kohkum and Moshum. Mary became a hard working young woman who met and married a nice man from the community. The young couple started a family but soon found out that on a reserve the waiting list for a new house could be many, many years, and with no place to live they both decided to move to Saskatoon where a cousin had moved to the year before. Mary's husband soon found a job in the Industrial area of the city with minimum wages and to make a living with this meagre paycheck, essential items had to be cut from the grocery list. As their son was growing up and was starting school, Mary and her husband could not afford the school costs and the extra activities, this was very discouraging.

Mary spoke Cree fluently, as a result she never completed school and quit altogether in Grade Six on the Dayschool in Waterhen Lake First Nation, she never drove a vehicle so she never got her license.

As there son grew up and started school, Mary decided to go back to school, she began with an Adult Upgrading Course starting with Grade 4 - 6 , than she completed grade 7 - 9 , than finally she completed her 10 - 12 , Mary Graduated in June 2003 with her grade 12 diploma.

With her diploma in hand, Mary entered the First Nations University of Canada in the Social Work Program, and in October 2007, Mary recieved her Social Work degree and now works in a Tribal office in Saskatchewan as one of the directors. Mary also learned how to drive and she got her own drivers license.

Mary has had difficult obstacles to overcome and she has had the determination to fight her own poverty, addictions and racism, but she is an example of how a person can achieve goals and dreams despite negative stereotypes.

Update: Mary continues to work in a director's postition, her husband continues to work in the labour force, and their son is now in junior high school. Mary still speaks Cree fluently, at her meetings she will speak in Cree and will translate for those that no longer want to speak Cree and to those that can't understand.