Saskatchewan’s Perry Bellegarde took 63% of the 464 first-ballot votes cast in Winnipeg on December 10th to become the new National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Quebec’s Ghislain Picard, the assembly’s interim leader, finished second, while Leon Jourdain, former chief of the Lac La Croix First Nation in Ontario, finished last.
Newly elected National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations: Perry Bellegarde.
Bellegarde’s campaign focused on self-determination and a pledge to restore pride among First Nations. Due to the restructuring of the AFN, Bellegarde will have an extra six months added to his term as national chief. Many argue the assembly should wean itself off federal funding, while others have argued it doesn’t reflect the views and concerns of grassroots people. Leon Jourdain said in his concession speech, “This is not a loss for me; it’s only the beginning.” He added that the choice of Bellegarde indicates the chiefs have decided to go down the same path. He warned the decision will “haunt us all,” as some in the crowd booed.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Derek Nepinak has been an outspoken critic of the AFN and formed an alternative group called the Treaty Alliance. Nepinak, who shared the stage with Bellegarde while he took his oath of office, is cautiously optimistic about the new AFN national chief. “Anybody who tries to stand in the way of the Treaty Alliance, whether it be regionally or nationally, would be making a mistake,” Nepinak said. “I hope that doesn’t happen.”
The new National Chief of the AFN warned it will no longer be business as usual when it comes to development on First Nations land. In his fired up victory speech to the 464 chiefs and AFN delegates, Bellegarde singled out pipelines and energy development the frontlines in his battle to put First Nations on equal footing with the rest of Canada. “To the people across this great land, I say to you, that the values of fairness and tolerance which Canada exports to the world are a lie when it comes to our people,” Bellegarde said.“Canada will no longer develop pipelines, no longer develop transmission lines or any infrastructure on our lands as business as usual. That is not on.”
He pledged to oppose any project that does not share profits with First Nations. “We will no longer accept poverty and hopelessness while resource companies and governments grow fat off our lands and territories and resources. If our lands and resources are to be developed, it will be done only with our fair share of the royalties, with our ownership of the resources and jobs for our people. It will be done on our terms and our timeline.” His final remarks drew a loud response from the crowd: “Canada is Indian land. This is my truth and this is the truth of our peoples.”
Women lucky enough to have survived the Sixties Scoop rarely returned to the reservations from which they had been taken. Most of them eventually ended up in large cities that already had a substantial Native presence. There may have been many casualties among Native women during this period, but stories about dead Indians didn’t usually make the daily newspapers. It wasn’t until 1967 that Rose Roper was murdered in Williams Lake. She had been raped and beaten and was left bleeding with a broken neck in a snow bank. Rose Roper was born into a poverty-stricken family with an alcoholic father who beat his wife and raped his own children. After 13 painful years in a residential school, when she returned home Rose was destined to a brutal confrontation with racism. She was picked up by four young men from Williams Lake. They drove her to a deserted area outside of town where they brutally raped and killed her. The men left her to die in the darkness, then went to a party where they displayed Roses’ underpants on the aerial radio antenna of their car.
A reflection of the racist white male attitude towards Aboriginal women was displayed by the local media and the residents of Williams Lake. They were not outraged that four men had raped and killed a Native woman. To the contrary, the media portrayed Rose as an Indian prostitute—which she was not—who got what she deserved, and the good citizens were incensed that three upstanding young men were being dragged through the gutter because of some Indian trash. The trial was a farce that ridiculed justice and showed clearly that even the police and the judiciary system looked down on Native women with contempt. Two of the men were released without any punishment (not even a warning from the judge), and the third accused was fined two hundred dollars. Not surprisingly, neither the CBC nor any major newspaper such as the Globe and Mail ever mentioned Rose Roper or her unjust trial.
History repeated itself on November 13th, 1971. Four years after Rose’s murder, a nineteen year old Helen “Betty” Osborne from The Pas, Manitoba, was forced into a car by four men and driven to an isolated area outside of town. The three men subsequently raped her and beat her to death. The autopsy report stated the victim was stabbed fifty three times with a screwdriver, and her face was beaten so badly that she was barely recognizable to anyone who knew her. The investigation took years, but finally in 1987, sixteen years after the crime, charges were brought against three of the four men. Two were acquitted; one was convicted and sentenced to life in jail but only served ten years.
What took justice so long? The Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission (AJIC) conducted an inquiry and came to the conclusion that the most important factor obstructing justice in this case was the “failure of members of the non-indigenous community to bring forward evidence that would have assisted the investigation. The question remains however, why the police waited more than ten years to publicly seek the assistance of the community.”
Dwayne Johnson was the only one of the four men to go to jail for his crime. He showed no remorse at all for the viciousness of his actions; in fact, before his arrest he had actually bragged at a party that he had “stabbed and kept stabbing that squaw.” Beyond the senseless brutality of the crime, the admission reveals how deeply ingrained his hatred for Native women truly was and how long it had been festering, just waiting for the right moment to surface. A fundamental question remains: how could an eighteen-year-old boy unleash such a homicidal fury against someone who had never harmed him?
Helen was a woman whose only crime was being Indian. Emma LaRocque, professor or Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, believes that Helen Betty Osborne was murdered because the young men involved “grew up with twisted notions of ‘Indian Girls’ as ‘squaws’.” Helen’s attempt to fight off the sexual advances of these men challenged their racist expectations that an Indian “squaw” should show subservience. In the Algonquin language, the term “squaw” simply means woman, but during the years that the residential schools operated, Native culture was ridiculed and Native people were looked down upon. The term “squaw” was appropriated, twisted, and redefined to reduce Native women to lesser human beings undeserving of the normal respect granted any other human being.
Helen Osborne’s murder and the years it took to be resolved ultimately inspired a television show based on her life and death. It also attracted enough media attention to make people realize that bodies of murdered Aboriginal women were being discovered in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Regina, and along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia. It took many years for the words “serial killer” to be used in the same sentence as “murdered Aboriginal women.” But eventually one man would define the word, and his name was Robert Pickton, convicted of the murders of six women and charged with the murders of 20 more. Pickton wasn’t the first serial killer to prey on Native women, but he was living proof that psychopaths were indeed preying on them.
One of the first was a barber with a serious drinking problem and an obsession with murdering Native women. Gilbert Paul Jordan didn’t look like a serial killer. Short and of slim build, he was bald on top and wore thick black-rimmed glasses that gave the impression he might work in a library. He had a slight resemblance to actor Jim Backus and an unassuming manner, plus a love for strong liquor which disguised the dangerous side of his persona. Jordan had the perverse habit of luring a woman with free drink, then forcing a lethal amount of alcohol down her throat. His favourite line was probably “Down the hatch, baby!” followed by a challenge: “Twenty bucks if you drink it down. See if you’re a real woman.” He never physically assaulted any of his victims; his psychopathic urges mixed with his love for alcohol were both gratified when he left his victims comatose in some sleazy hotel room. By the time he was finally arrested in 1987, five Native women had been poisoned by him and his sixth victim (a white woman named Vanessa Buckner) was found dead in a room at the Niagara Hotel. Jordan ended up serving only six of the eight years he was sentenced. He never showed the slightest remorse. “I didn’t give a damn who I was with.” Jordan told the Vancouver Sun, “I mean, we’re all dying sooner or later, whether it’s in this bar, across the street or whatever.”
Over the past 20 years, the Indspire Awards have recognized Indigenous professionals and youth who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in a variety of different career categories. They motivate and serve as invaluable role models for all Indigenous youth across Canada.
This year’s recipients demonstrate vast skills and knowledge base, while each proudly represents their Indigenous identity. Not only has each one mastered their skill, they also continue to work towards the betterment of their communities and for Indigenous success across Canada.
Indspire Awards Recipients 2015
Arts
Ron E. Scott – Métis – Alberta
Ron is the founder, president, and executive producer of Prairie Dog Film and Television. He has received awards for many of his productions, including Blackstone, Mixed Blessings, Consequences, and various television specials. Blackstone has become one of the most watched programs on APTN, garnering 75 award nominations and winning 26. He has also traveled and spoken internationally at conferences and universities. Ron will often donate series and episodes to libraries across the country to add to class curriculums. Ron is a member of the Aboriginal Filmmakers Program at the National Film Board, and invests his time and energy in training Indigenous people on the sets of his shows to introduce them to the industry.
Business & Commerce
Brenda LaRose – Métis – Manitoba
Brenda started her own executive search firm, Higgins International, after seeing discrimination displayed toward her people at her previous job. But she saw qualities and huge potential in them and began placing them in leadership roles across Canada. Higgins was the first Indigenous business in Canada to receive the Gold-level Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) Award from the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business (CCAB) in 2005, 2011, and 2014. With a proven track record for placing many of North America’s Indigenous executives at senior management, executive and board levels across a wide range of sectors and industries, Higgins has earned a reputation as the premier provider of Indigenous executive search services.
Culture, Heritage & Spirituality
Peter Irniq – Inuit – Nunavut
Peter is an Inuit cultural teacher who has lived most of his life in the Kivaliq Region of Nunavut. He was the executive assistant commissioner of the NWT from 1974 to 1975, then was elected to represent Keewatin Region for four years. He was named director of the Inuit Cultural Institute in 1992 and Director of Communications for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated the following year. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth with a mandate to be the guardian of traditional Inuit culture and language. Peter has also been recognized internationally for his artistic ability in designing inukshuks. His inukshuk for the 2010 Olympics was a highlight in Vancouver, and he has built Inukshuks in Paris, at Juno Beach in Normandy, in Buenos Aires, Mongolia, Washington D.C. and numerous other locations.
Education
Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay – First Nation: Mohawk – Ontario
Paulette has worked in the public sector for almost 40 years. Formerly she was the CEO for the National Aboriginal Health Organization from 2008 to 2011. She was the Director of Education at the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation from 2005 to 2008 and the Senior Administrative Officer for the Six Nations Council from 2002 to 2005. She has been a former professor at the Six Nations Polytechnic Institute, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa. She was also the Director of Education for the Assembly of First Nations for five years. She has been a curriculum designer; educational, evaluation and training consultant for the private sector; a management instructor, consultant and policy analyst for the federal government; and a high school teacher and counselor. The author of many reports, articles and educational curricula, she became the Director of Education and Training for AFOA Canada in 2012. Since November 2012, she is serving as the National Advisory Committee Chair for the Purdy Crawford Chair at Cape Breton University, and as an Associate Professor with the Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic since October 2008.
Gerald has worked with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University for over 27 years. His responsibility includes liaison with Indigenous groups in Canada and circumpolar. Gerald had worked extensively with Indigenous groups in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, and Nunavik. Gerald’s work with Indigenous groups primarily focus on establishing fisheries and marine education and training programs. Gerald helped developed Fisheries Development Training plans for Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, Innu Nation, Federation of Newfoundland Indians, and the Labrador Métis Nation. He worked very closely with Miawpukek First Nation in Conne River to develop and deliver a long-term fisheries and marine training program. The Marine Institute is increasing its presence across the north and strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities. Gerald works to see youth gain employment in the fisheries sector and marine transport industry by bringing the training to those who would otherwise be unable to access the necessary education.
Health
William Julius Mussell – Skwah First Nation – British Columbia
Bill was the first of his community to graduate from high school, and the first of his cultural territory to graduate from university. He has held roles as Executive Director of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, founding chair of the Coqualeetza Cultural-Education Centre, co-founder of the Sal’i’shan Institute, President and Co-chair of the Native Mental Health Association of Canada, and Chair of the First Nation, Inuit, and Métis Advisory Committee to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. His research experience has focused primarily upon Indigenous social development, education, health, management, and mental health issues. He has 50 years of volunteer experience, including service on the executive of the North American Indian Brotherhood, leader and spokesperson of the Sto:lo First Nation, and treasurer and president of the Vancouver Indian Friendship Centre. He has worked to build bridges between traditional knowledge and mainstream ways of learning. He continues to serve as the principal educator of the Sal’i’shan Institute, a private, post-secondary education organization that specializes in health, education, mental health, addictions, and social development.
Law & Justice
Dr. Wilton Littlechild – Ermineskin Cree Nation – Alberta
Wilton has the distinction of being the first Treaty First Nation person to acquire his law degree from the University of Alberta in 1976. He also holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Physical Education, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta, and the Indigenous Peoples’ Counsel (IPC) designation. An avid sportsman and athlete, he has won more than 70 provincial, regional, national and international championships, was a founder of the North American Indigenous Games, and was selected as a torch bearer and ambassador for the 2010 Olympics. He has been inducted into seven sports Halls of Fame. Wilton served as a Member of Parliament from 1988 to 1993 for the riding of Wetaskiwin-Rimby, served on several senior committees in the House of Commons, and served as a parliamentary delegate to the United Nations. He was appointed as Honorary Chief for the Maskwacis Crees and also honoured by the Chiefs of the Confederacy of Treaty 7 and 8 First Nations as the International Chief for Treaty 6. Chief Littlechild is a dedicated advocate of the implementation of treaties between Indigenous peoples and the Crown, and a pioneer of the global Indigenous rights movement. He was recently honoured with the Alberta Order of Excellence.
Politics
Kim Baird – Tsawwassen First Nation – British Columbia
Kim was recently named to the Order of Canada named for showing “exemplary leadership and vision by negotiating and implementing the first modern treaty in the BC Treaty Negotiations Process.” She was the youngest woman chief elected to head the Tsawwassen First Nation, and was a key player in negotiating British Columbia’s first modern urban land treaty, the Tsawwassen Final Agreement. She served six terms as Chief from 1999 to 2012. She initiated the Tsawwassen Mills project, a commercial real estate development, on Tsawwassen First Nation lands, currently estimated to be a 780 million dollar project. She has currently been working as a consultant for industry and First Nation groups and recently participated in a leadership exchange in Washington for women in politics. Kim has received a number of prestigious awards, including a honourary doctorate degree from Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University Distinguished Alumni Award, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, the National Aboriginal Women in Leadership Distinction Award, Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award, and more. She was appointed to the Premier’s Aboriginal Business Investment Council and the Minister’s Advisory Council on Aboriginal Women. Kim is the owner of Kim Baird Strategic Consulting.
Public Service
Madeleine Redfern – Inuit – Nunavut
Madeleine began her career as a businesswoman with a retail store in Ottawa, and began her extensive volunteering as President of the Tunngasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre, founding member of the Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre and the Ottawa Inuit Head Start programs. Following law school graduation, she became the first Inuit law clerk to clerk for the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2010, she became the Mayor of Iqaluit, and served for two years. Along with her positions with Ajungi Arctic Consulting and as Chair of the Legal Services Board, she also serves as an Advisory Board Member with Canadian Lawyers Abroad, as recent mentor with the Trudeau Foundation, and as a Northern Representative to EcoJustice Canada.
Sports
Gino Odjick – Kitigan Zibi First Nation – Quebec
Gino is a former National Hockey League player, and spent 12 seasons in the NHL, from 1990–1991 to 2001–2002 for the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, andVancouver Canucks, where he became known as the “Algonquin Enforcer” for his fighting prowess. Since retiring from the NHL in 2002, he has focused his energies on being a positive role model for Indigenous youth. He has delivered workshops around the province on issues such as bullying, effective communication skills, relationship building, and goal setting. In June 2014, it was revealed that he was diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, a rare, terminal disease which affects the heart. His fans have been very supportive, setting up a trust fund for his care to help his family be close to him while he is in hospital. Additional funds will also go towards funding programs for Indigenous education and health. His words for the youth with whom he works: “I am just a little old Indian boy who grew up on the Rez. If I can do it any one can do it; it just takes work.”
Youth: First Nation
Kendal Netmaker – Sweetgrass First Nation – Saskatchewan
Kendal is the owner and founder of thriving clothing company Neechie Gear. He developed his business plan while completing two degrees in Arts and Education at the University of Saskatchewan and, after participating in several business competitions, he had received thousands of dollars in start-up capital to launch his company. Neechie Gear is a lifestyle apparel brand that empowers youth through sports. A portion of profits help underprivileged kids to play sports. Kendal has received both entrepreneurial and chamber of commerce awards. To date, his company has contributed over $15,000 in donations and has helped over 2,500 youth across Canada take part in sports.
Youth: Inuit
Jordan Konek – Inuit – Nunavut
Jordan is a bilingual video journalist and reporter/editor for CBC North and has his own production company, Konek Productions. He developed his company while working as a researcher with the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project, filming activities related to the project in Yellowknife, Vancouver, and Ottawa. As co-director and co-producer, he hopes that this initiative will be an inspiration to Inuit youth. In 2011, he attended the COP 17 United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa and spoke at an international press conference about the Inuit perspective on climate change. An advocate for climate change, he also presented his work at the latest Inuit Studies Conference at the Smithsonian Institute and was a speaker at the International Polar Year conference in Montreal in 2011. He has also worked with the Canadian Rangers, assisting with the junior rangers program in Arviat, Nunuvut.
Youth: Métis
Gabrielle Fayant – Métis – Alberta
Gabrielle is the co-founder of a youth-led and youth-driven organization called Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) and Program Manager of an economic youth program called ReachUp! North in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust. She has worked for a number of National Aboriginal Organizations such as the National Association of Friendship Centres, Native Women’s Association of Canada, and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, and has experience on a number of local, regional, and national advisory committees and councils, such as the Canadian Commission of UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group, Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee, and Walking With Our Sisters Ottawa Youth Committee. Gabrielle also serves as a board member for the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, and she sings with a female drum group called Spirit Flowers and as backup for a men’s drum group called O-Town Boyz.
Lifetime Achievement
Elsie Yanik – Métis – Alberta
Elsie received an honorary Law Degree from the University of Alberta in April 2014. She has spent most of her long life spreading kindness, preserving Indigenous heritage and promoting health and education in her community. She began work as a nurse’s aide at 17 and has spent 80 years spreading kindness as a minister, mentor and volunteer. Her community commitment has included terms as president of the board of Voice of Native Women of Alberta, 10 years of service with the Young Offenders Board, and work with the Nunee Health Authority in Fort Chipewyan. Her efforts have earned her a blessing from Pope John Paul II, a Governor General’s Commemorative Medal, and the duty of Olympic torch-bearer for the 2010 Winter Games. At 97, she still works with Keyano College as an elder and occasionally teaches classes at the Golden Years’ Society. She has received numerous honours from her community.
Learn More or Nominate For Next Year
You can learn more about our past recipients by visiting the Previous Laureates page. If you know someone and would like to nominate them for an Indspire Award, visit our Nominations page for more information.
Xul-si-malt was a true pioneer, becoming one of the greatest soccer players of his generation. Xul-si-malt, also known by his English name Harry Manson, was born in 1879 on the Snuneymuxw First Nation. His brief but enduring legacy was that he played on all the premiere Nanaimo soccer teams and captained the Snuneymuxw Indian Wanderers. Local press during his soccer years acknowledges Manson as “one of the best players Nanaimo has produced.”
Harry “Xul-si-malt” Manson
Robert Janning, author of the 2012 West Coast Reign, a book recalling British Columbia’s soccer past from 1892-1905, became aware of Manson and his place in history while writing his book. “When I consider the bigger pictures of Xul-si-malt, I see a First Nation man breaking segregating barriers at a time when structures such as the Indian Reserves and Residential Schools were being constructed,” Janning said. “Harry Manson just wanted to pursue his passion for soccer, and it did not matter to him whether he was playing with or against players from different backgrounds. It is therefore an undisputed fact that Harry broke the colour barriers in sport long before Jessie Owens and Jackie Robinson had been born.”
Xul-si-malt made his competitive debut on September 2, 1897 at the age of 18 captaining Snuneymuxw Indian Warriors against the Nanaimo Thistles. That game as described in Westcoast Reign was marred by heavy gale and torrents of rain, and ended in a 4-4 draw. The two teams also played each other in two closely contested games during the 1897-98 season, with Xul-si-malt making a huge impression in those matches. The Nanaimo Thistles would compete in the 1898 BC Challenge Cup and BC provincial championships but were compelled by player illness to make line-up changes. They hastily recruited Xul-si-malt, making him the first indigenous player to compete in the BC provincial championship. Xul-si-malt wasted no time by scoring the first goal five minutes into the game against Victoria YMCA.
Victoria went on to win both games and the provincial championships, but this series also marked the first time a First Nations player played on a Nanaimo soccer team. According to West Coast Reign this was during the time when mistreatment and public disrespect towards First Nations people was socially acceptable and common. An article in the Nanaimo Free Press, for example, reported that a Ladysmith fan cried “Kill the savages!” during a match between the two towns in 1907, at which Nanaimo fielded a team comprising both Europeans and Snuneymuxw players. The article went on to praise the hometown indigenous players, stating that “the savages are all masters in football art.” Janning noted that despite such open and prevalent racism, the Snuneymuxw players persisted in the pursuit of soccer glory.
In 1899, the Snuneymuxw players finally convinced the soccer hierarchy they were good enough to play against the best players in British Columbia when the Nanaimo Indian Wanderers AFC were officially recognized. That same year, Snuneymuxw played the Nanaimo Thistles in the provincial semifinals on December 16, 1899 in one of the most bitterly contested series the province had ever seen. In the first game, the Indian Wanderers tied the Thistles in a come-from-behind 3-3 draw at a cold rainy Nanaimo Cricket Grounds. In game 2, on New Years Day 1900, the Thistles took a controversial 3-2 win over the Indian Wanderers, where the Wanderers argued the validity of the winning goal. Even the 500 plus spectators believed the Indian Wanderers were justified in making their claim against the goal ruling, but in the end their protests were denied. In game 3, the Indian Wanderers took a 2-1 victory forcing another match. In game 4, the Indian Wanderers appeared headed for the series victory when the Thistles scored the equalizer, ending the game in a 1-1 draw. Finally on February 3, 1900, the Thistles would go on to win 6-1 and the provincial semifinals, claiming one of the longest and most controversial series seen to that date. In 1902, the Indian Wanderers would lose the Nanaimo City Championships 4-3 to the Nanaimo Athletics.
Nanaimo All-Stars was formed in 1903 to play in the provincials with team members chosen from the four local teams. Xul-si-malt was one of three indigenous players chosen from Snuneymuxw Indian reserve. The All-Stars easily shut out the Cowichan AFC in 2 straight games, with 8-0 goals against to advance into the provincial finals. The All-Stars would defeat the Esquimalt Garrison FC 4-0 to claim the provincials with Xul-si-malt, Louis Martin, and Joe Peters becoming the first indigenous players to become BC provincial champions.
In 1904, the Indian Wanderers proved their superiority defeating the Nanaimo Athletics, 4-0 proving their earlier season 4-3 win against the Athletics was no fluke. The Athletics’ loss was reflected with a mere 4-line sports review in the Nanaimo Free Press, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Xul-si-malt and his teammates had to wait 6 months later two receive their City Championship medals.
The Harry Manson Family at the Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Vaughn, Ontario, November 9th 2014.
Xul-si-malt would go onto win many more soccer games with the Indian Wanderers and become one of the greatest soccer players of his time, even being scouted by European Teams. He developed into a fine baseball player as well, playing with the Nanaimo Reliance Baseball Club in 1906. He married Lucy Sampson, who gave him his only son, Adam. On February 10, 1912 at the age of 32, tragedy struck as he was killed by a train after walking into town getting medicine for his sick baby boy. The respect that was held for Xul-si-malt in the community was evident, as his death was given front page coverage in both the Nanaimo Daily Herald and Nanaimo Free Press.
“I believe the values of diversity and inclusivity that Xul-si-malt Harry Manson embraced set a wonderful example for today’s youth of the success that can be achieved,” Janning said. Adam Manson, Xul-si-malt’s great grandson says the Manson family was overwhelmed when they heard of the induction. “The emotions were high, and he deserves this great honour, and the family is proud of what Harry is bringing to the Manson name.” Adam Manson is an educational assistant at Stzuminus Community School and has kept the soccer legacy alive in the Manson family, as he is part of the soccer coaching school staff.
The 2014 Soccer Hall of Fame inducted Xul-si-malt in a ceremony held on November 9 in Vaughan, Ontario. The Friends of Harry Manson are looking for U-17 teams to compete in the Harry Manson Legacy soccer tournament on June 20, 2015.
Remembrance Day is a much respected and revered day of reflection at the Royal BC Museum, and for 2014 it’s all the more so, with the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War.
A series of special events and educational experiences, organized with the help of community partners, will help mark the occasion and explore how the First World War impacted British Columbia and its citizens.
Starting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, the Royal BC Museum will host a series of events to explore stories of the Great War through the emotive power of the written word and song. Most presentations will take place in Clifford Carl Hall and are free.
On November 5, Live @ Lunch: The Great War of 1914-1918: British Columbia Vignettes will feature Royal BC Museum Curator of History Lorne Hammond sharing stories on the contribution of British Columbians to the First World War and the conflict’s impact on our province. Event begins at noon.
That same evening, come out to the Royal BC Museum from 7 to 8 pm as a team of librarians and a Royal BC Museum curator speed review as many First World War-related books and films as they can during Booksmack at the Royal BC Museum.
The Community Speaker’s Series: World War 1 – A Local Perspective on Saturday, Nov. 8 will see a wide range of local experts speak to war, commemoration and remembrance from 1 to 3 pm.
Author Robert Taylor will kick off the series with The Ones Who Have to Pay: The Soldiers – Poets of Victoria, BC in the Great War, a look at poetry written by local soldiers and sent to Victoria newspapers and journals from the front lines, revealing some of the popular attitudes towards war, masculinity, the British Empire and the city a century ago.
Starting at 1:30 pm, military historian Paul Ferguson will take guests on a journey of commemoration with his talk, In That Distant Land: Touring the Great War. This discussion will assist those interested in visiting war sites of memory, from Tyne Cot to Vimy, Thiepval to Hill 60, Ypres and others.
A little known chapter of Victoria war history will be revealed by military historian and novelist Sidney Allison as he speaks on The Bantams: Victoria’s Unknown Soldiers at 2 pm. Among the 10 military units recruited in Victoria was the now virtually unknown 143rd Overseas Battalion, better known as the “Bantams” because the unit was made up of 700-odd men who were below the army’s minimum requirements for height. Learn more about the fate of this unit through Allison’s talk.
To finish off the Community Speaker’s Series, Victoria Genealogy Society Ambassador Joanne Barnard will present William Rochfort: A Victoria Architect Goes to War, following the path of Rochfort from renowned architect (he designed the Royal Theatre and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club clubhouse) to the theatre of war in Europe, and back home again.
Commemorations continue Sunday, Nov. 9 with Lest We Forget: A Musical Tribute to The Great War, featuring the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy as they play a musical tribute to the era of the First World War. This free performance is part of the Victoria Symphony’s “Lest We Forget” concert series.
On Remembrance Day itself, the Victoria Children’s Choir will visit the Royal BC Museum to perform music on themes of war and peace, including songs from the times of both World Wars, patriotic Canadian tunes and more recent compositions expressing the common desire for peace.
This award-winning choir, founded by Artistic Director Madeleine Humer, comprises about 50 talented singers aged eight to 17, known for their performances of wide-ranging repertoire both around Victoria and on tour. The choir will perform from 12:30 to 12:45 pm and from 1:45 to 2 pm.
Also performing that day will be the Story Theatre Company, which has teamed up with the Royal BC Museum to present The Call Goes Out, a collection of music, songs and poetry from the First World War era mixed with letters from the young men who travelled overseas to the trenches.
Both script and music have a British Columbian flair, through letters from the BC Archives written by local soldiers. This 30-minute presentation, running at 1 and 2:15 pm, brings back the efforts and sacrifices made by British Columbians. The Call Goes Out is an expression of our respect for those who answered it.
In addition to these events, the digitization and online publishing of 5,000 pages of letters and diaries from the BC Archives related to the First World War continues, allowing access to these important materials for all in British Columbia. This online component will also include a pilot crowd-sourced transcription project, one of the first of its kind in Canada.
For more information on these and other events please visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
About the Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, by 2017 the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
After the June 2014 landmark Supreme Court of Canada ruling giving the Tsilhqot’in Nation more than 1,750 sq. km. of land west of Williams Lake, BC, it’s more than fair to state that it fundamentally alters the relationships between First Nations and all forms of government. Rather than injecting uncertainty into how all levels of governments deal with First Nations, the ruling helps define for the first time how they can work together, Tsilhqot’in leaders told the Union of BC Municipalities convention attendees.
“The Supreme Court of Canada decision only encourages strong relationships with our neighbours,” said Chief Percy Guichon of Alexis Creek First Nation, one of the six First Nations that make up the Tsilhqot’in National Government. “We need to find ways to work together on these difficult topics,” referring to the many resource based industries. “We do live side by side, and we do need to work on a relationship to create or promote a common understanding among all of our constituents. I know that municipalities have a duty to consult, but I think we need to find the best way forward to consult with each other, regardless of what legal obligations might exist. I mean, that’s just neighbourly, right?” he told the audience of 1000 people. “It gives, we believe, all levels of government and 202 First Nation communities in BC the opportunity to embark on a new course and a new direction and relationship. The Supreme Court of Canada has clearly sent a message that the crown must take Aboriginal title seriously, and it must reconcile with First Nations, not just in BC but in Canada, honourably.”
Chief Roger William, Regional Director of Tsilhqot’in National Government and Chief of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation said that his community never accepted the government’s view that any title was limited to what he called “postage stamp reserves.” He said BC Premier Christy Clark’s visit to the Tsilhqot’in Nation in early September was a good sign toward building a new relationship.
Municipal governments are also affected by that decision because it upholds that Tsilhqot’in land has constitutional protection, and as such, it has more security than fee simple lands owned by others. For that reason, local governments, the province, and even the federal government are limited in what they can do. “Don’t be fooled by the brevity of the decision. I think this is the most significant legal case ever decided in British Columbia,” lawyer Gregg Cockrill told the UBCM convention. “It has big implications for BC and big implications for the rest of Canada as well. In terms of implications directly for local governments, they are probably as wide as we can think of examples. The door has been kicked wide open.”
The full effects of the court ruling have yet to be understood by both the Tsilhqot’in National Government and Canadian governments at all levels. Chief Guichon said that his people must now work at developing a “new relationship” with the province. He said that they have developed a draft policy around mining as a result of the proposed New Prosperity mine. “The Tsilhqot’in do not intend to ram policies down peoples’ throats. We share a lot of common interests in areas like resource development. We are not opposed to development. We need to find ways to work together, to support one another on these difficult topics.”
The old elder was a chief. He was a small man in his eighties the year we first met; he was only a hundred and sixty pounds full of peace, passion, strength and kindness. Everyone who had the opportunity to sit and listen to his wisdom felt his radiance, serenity, and harmony. He was chief of the chiefs; he was a leader for peace, power, righteousness, and equality.
Every year, we gathered in a place where there was a need to strengthen traditional Native culture and restore balance on respected Native territory. Leon was chief of all our chiefs. He was honored by being chosen to lead our ceremonies from the east on behalf of our circle of honored elders and for the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy known as the Six Nations or Iroquois. Leon said “We are the voice for the plants; we are a voice for all vegetation, trees, bushes, shrubs, medicines, fruits, and vegetables.” Leon said, ”It was our duty as Human Beings to give thanks, to acknowledge and respect the rivers, lakes, streams, the great oceans and tides, and all of creation.” He said “our Sacred Mother Earth was a lady, and she gives us her blood from her Sacred body for all life to drink.” Leon said, “We humans must never forget these instructions and our Sacred Duties.”
Next the old man said, “We human beings are a voice for all creation.” Leon took responsibility to address a thanksgiving to all life on Mother Earth including everything that moved in the Sky World and all that could not be seen with the human eye. “We join our minds together,” he said. “We give a great thanks as we wander about on this Sacred Mother Earth, to all our Relatives, the four legged, the winged ones, the creeping and the crawling and the fish life for sharing this Sacred Mother Earth with us human beings.” Leon was the humblest, noblest gentle man I had ever had the chance to see, hear, or experience in my life. This all happened over twenty years ago, and I can only try and share the experience I had in the circle of Native elders who were gathered to give thanks to all of the Natural World that morning in 1990. Everyone in the circle who stood with Leon that morning by the Sacred Fire witnessed the offering of our Sacred Tobacco for all the gifts the Great Mystery our Great Creator had given us Human Beings to enjoy on this Sacred Journey in Life. Leon moved slowly, for his old age had slowed him down to almost a shuffle. He was a respected elder in peace and had become one with Creation, sounds, colours, harmony and Celestial movement with the universe.
After honoring everything that moved on Mother Earth, Leon went on to give thanks to Mother Earth, then to Brother Sun, Grandmother Moon, and the Stars he said was where we Humans came from. Leon said, “We Humans came from the Sky World.” Leon gave thanksgiving to everything that moved in the sky, the Winds of the Four Directions, the Sacred Air we breathe and use in our ceremonies, the voices from the sky he called “Grandfathers/Thunder people” whose duty was to remind us that Our Way of Life would continue and the rains would come and replenish our rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans, and that all life would now be able to drink clean fresh water.
Our old elders always spoke in their Native tongue at ceremonies. Leon was of the Great Onondaga Nation from Onondaga Territory; his people and nation were of the Haudenausnee the Great Iroquois Confederacy, and the only times our elders would speak English at ceremonies was when they came into the cities to address environmental issues that threatened life everywhere. We were taught in our sacred circles over and over again that we cannot think of ourselves; we must think of our children’s children and their children. Leon was a leader of our circle, and we had many leaders from across Turtle Island. Leon was also a leader of the Onondaga Nation. He was chief of the chiefs; his title was Tadodaho. When we all would rise to greet the sun during our Sacred Sunrise Ceremony, Leon would be there; for many, many years and he would begin with our Thanksgiving Address. Then our Hopi brothers from the south would give their thanks to brother sun. Our old elders were gathering every year throughout the year and day after day to share their understanding of sacred cultural ways to keep our Native Way of Life alive! The old ones taught us to walk in peace and balance, to respect and love natural life, the universe, and cosmos. Our Sacred Circle was a beginning and way to create healing, harmony, respect and unity for all life; the circle represented the continuation of life itself.
The wisdom and teachings our elders bring to our circles is from their elders’ elders and their elders: the understanding of natural life, holistic healing with natural law and natural life, with a deep understanding that all life must be respected and that we Human Beings are not superior over other life forms. We were given the duty to be a voice for all life forms, and all life forms have their own duties. Our elders taught us that all life is connected and that we must stay connected to natural life on Mother Earth, not unnatural life. Our old elders brought us their strength, insights, culture, and healing ways of life through sacred ceremonies to our Sacred Circles. The harmony our elders had must have come from their grandfathers and grandmothers teaching of The Good Mind, the Oneness with respect for all life: four legged, winged ones, insects, fish life, earth, air, fire, water. In our Sacred Circles, we relive the way of life of our ancestors and their ancestors. In our Sacred Circles, we follow the footsteps of our Sacred Ancestors, the Thanksgiving Way of Life. In our sacred ceremonies, we maintain the way of life with respect to creation and all life forces that give us human beings life for the continuance of life on Sacred Mother Earth. Our children are depending on life for their own future now; they will need to heal, find peace, harmony, and be able to find the things they need for balance. The old circles are older than the old elders that stand in them and pray for thanksgiving every day, every year, or as often as they are asked to gather up or when it is time.
Our elders taught us all natural life is a part of the Native way of life, and this is how our children learn from the old ones how to keep happy, healthy, and feeling strong with the life around them in harmony. With the Good Mind, our circles, councils, and ceremonies create healing through disciplining our minds for life around us. The Lakota say “all life should be happy in the eyes of the Great Mystery, and all life should be able to play in harmony in the eyes of the Great Spirit.” Our Elders and Ancestors gave us the warmth through their eyes and smiles each time we watched them in ceremony and experiencing their love for life and Mother Earth. We are blessed to watch our elders walk, sit, sing, eat, and dance! The memories of our elders and ancestors are a beauty with universal power. The beauty and strength of our culture is with our Sacred Mother Earth; nothing will change this or ever will.
The memory of our circles in the early mornings as we gathered to give Thanksgiving to brother Sun is a sacred seed that sits in our minds, with the sacred fire in our hearts. Eagle, deer, wolf, turtle, bear, plantlife, water, sun, moon, and humans become one in the universe in our sacred ceremonies of thanksgiving and healing. It is an honour for us all to become one in unity for justice, life, and the protection of Mother Earth for our children’s children’s children. When we give thanksgiving it is to affirm our relationship to all life, the life is that our Great Creator has made.
The Metis Nation-Saskatchewan has been placed in default of its funding agreement with the Federal Government. The organization will lose its funding effective November 1, 2014. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt has sent a letter to the Metis leaders across Saskatchewan explaining the reasons of his ministry’s decision.
“It is my understanding that as of September 30, 2014, the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan has not been able to hold a properly and duly called Legislative Assembly due to ongoing internal governance issues, and as a result it is in default of its funding agreement as of October 1, 2014. Therefore, the federal government is holding Metis Nation-Saskatchewan to the terms and conditions of their Basic Organizational Capacity agreement and halting all payments to Metis Nation-Saskatchewan as of November 1, 2014,” said Valcourt in the letter dated October 1st, 2014, addressed to Metis Nation-Saskatchewan President Robert Doucette. “It is my hope that Metis Nation-Saskatchewan finds a way to effectively and efficiently give the Metis people of Saskatchewan the governance that they deserve — one which is transparent, accountable and democratic. I also firmly believe that taxpayer dollars are to be used wisely and for the benefit of all Canadians.”
This letter was long overdue. A divisive rift between the board members has led to no provincial council meetings being held. If no council meetings are held then that would mean no Legislative Assemblies can be called. The way the Federal Government sees it, if there are no council meetings and Legislative Assemblies, then there can be no governance, so no funding for the governance should be provided.
MN-S President Robert Doucette insists he has tried to call repeated meetings since this summer and has provided audits and other information requested but to no avail. “It is sad that it has come to this,” said Doucette. “At the end of the day, Metis citizens are impacted the most when their leaders don’t work together. I am attempting to convene a PMC (provincial council) meeting next week. I hope the majority of them will attend.”
Darlene McKay, Area Director for Western Region 2 disputes Doucette’s assertion that they won’t meet. “We have invited him and the executive to several meetings where we had quorum but they didn’t show up,” said McKay from her office in Prince Albert. “And Robert insists on calling a meeting with one agenda item, an MNLA (Legislative Assembly). But how can us as a Council go to an MNLA when we have not had proper reporting for years. We want full documentation on several different topics including the taxes owed at Batoche. We are responsible for this.”
The Metis Nation-Saskatchewan has 12 Regions, each with a volunteer Area Director and an estimated 130 Locals, of which, according to a report made by auditing firm Delloite, only 30 Locals actually fit the Constitutional criteria to qualify as a Local. The governance struggles, the lack of progress and the public animosity between board members have been very frustrating for Metis people in Saskatchewan.
The funding cut shouldn’t impact most of the average Metis citizens in Saskatchewan, and may be even welcomed for those who are eager for change. Some are reliant of this funding though, for educational, health and social needs. It will directly affect the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan Executive and staff. The feud and struggles at the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan have been running for years and some see this as a breaking point. “There may be no impact at all in the community,” said Murray Hamilton, an educator and former Vice President of the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan. “It has come to the point that the Metis Nation has no significance on our daily lives and is almost irrelevant. I would worry about Batoche and our affiliates, but I ask you this. Are you going to miss your Area Director?”
University of Victoria researchers using a robotic underwater vehicle off of Haida Gwaii’s coast believe they may have found the earliest evidence of human civilization in Canada. The site could date back almost 14,000 years and lies beneath hundreds of metres of water in the ocean around the Haida Gwaii archipelago.
Archaeologist Quentin Mackie from the University of Victoria and his team returned in early September from a research trip to the archipelago, where they used the autonomous underwater vehicle to scan the sea floor in search of evidence of the ancient civilization. “We’re not quite ready to say for sure that we found something,” he said. “We have really interesting-looking targets on the sea floor that, as an archeologist, they look like they could be cultural.”
Mackie has studied Haida Gwaii for 15 years, and he came to believe that the ancient residents would have harvested salmon near the coast of what was then a large single island that stretched well across Hecate Strait toward the mainland. At the time, the sea level was about 100 metres lower than it is today, and the main island of the archipelago was twice as large. “Stone tools or evidence of campfires would not be possible to see on the ocean bottom; they’re too small,” Mackie said. “But we had this idea that if people were harvesting salmon in the rivers… they might have been building fish weirs,” he said.
With the help of Parks Canada and its research vessel, Mackie and his colleagues set out to sea with detailed scans of the sea floor. For ten days and as many as 12 hours a day the torpedo-like AUV used sonar to survey 25 kms of what were once riverbeds. The scans suggest a wall of large stones was placed in a line at a right angle to the stream, a fishing technique used by many other ancient cultures, including those that thrived along BC’s coasts. “That’s pretty much the exact archetype of what we were looking for,” he said. Radiocarbon dating from another archeological site on the island suggests the weir could date back 13,800 years.
Theory matches oral history. Geologists will now study the images to ensure the rocks were not placed there by Mother Earth, then the University of Victoria research team will return next summer to take samples of the sediment near the site and to look for stone tools.
The superintendent of Gwaii Haanas, Ernie Gladstone, said such research helps Parks Canada and the Haida manage the land and sea of the archipelago, which includes the SGang Gwaay UNESCO world heritage. “Mackie’s theory matches up with the oral history of the First Nations,” Gladstone said. “We know that people have lived in the Gwaii Haanas area for many thousands of years. Much of the very early history of Gwaii Haanas and Haida Gwaii lies below the waters of Hecate Strait. If the current exploration site pans out, it’s a testament to the incredible resilience of the Haida. The village that you were born in would be underwater by the time you died. And they’re able to take all this change in stride, and they probably even thrived on that.”
