Honour Indigenous Women Every Day
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MARCH 2019 VOLUME 22 - NUMBER 3 FREE Brander is home at Wanuskewin Darlene Brander has returned to Wanuskewin after a twenty year absence. Once the Aboriginal awareness co-ordinator, she now has the title of CEO and a major renovation and renewal to oversee. (Photo by Angela Hill) 107 YEARS YOUNG! Res[ected elder Flora Weenonis from Big River First Nation will be celebrating another milestone this month. - Page 4 SUNCHILD NAMED QC Eleanore Sunchild has had an impressive 20-year law career and recently she was honoured with a QC designation. - Pag e 7 SIXTIES SCOOP A new movie addressing the issue of the Sixties Scoop with an Indigenous view has been released. - Page 8 MODEL IN PARIS Olivia Saulteaux, a Regina model was in Paris for Interna - By Angela Hill Brander started to fulfil her personal mandate: tional Indigenous Fashion For Eagle Feather News “serve and give back to the community in what way I Week . - Page 14 Darlene Brander has officially returned to a place can.” that has been part of her life for decades. She believes in planning for the future and fig - On March 4, she became the new CEO of uring out what impact you want to have. SEEING HER FUTURE Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Brander grew a career in human resources Stella Ketchemonia-Obey may “It’s going full circle for me,” said Brander, who through the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, have lost her vision but she has walked the trails after her wedding 25 years ago and City of Saskatoon and Athabasca Catering Limited a clear view of where her life is worked at the park in the late ‘90s, coordinating Abo - Partnership and volunteering with Saskatoon Aborig - headed. - Page 17 riginal awareness education programs. inal Professionals Association board. While Brander studied education at the Brander said the best piece of advice she received Women’s Edition Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, (now First is, “if there is a door of opportunity, you go through it.” Coming In April - Arts & Entertainment Issue Nations University of Canada), and taught for a few Her biggest piece of advice for women starting years in Saskatchewan’s Northwest, her time working their careers is simple. CPMA #40027204 at Wanuskewin marked a transition. • Continued on Page 2 Eagle Feather News MARCH 2019 2 Brander anxious to take world-class facility to next level • Continued from Page 1 “It’s important that they prioritize themselves, that they take care of them - selves physically, mentally, spiritually, so that they are the best versions of them - selves, so when they go to give back to the world, they have a good foundation.” Brander sits on the Children’s Discovery Mu - seum board (now Nutrien Wonderhub), and the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners, where she has been the chair since 2016. During Brander’s tenure as police board chair, Troy Cooper became Saskatoon’s police chief. He said Brander serves a special role on the board and “does an excellent job” in her role explaining the work of the police to the community. “She has guided the board into looking more to the community around ex - pectations around policing,” Cooper said. Brander chaired the human resources and nominating committee at the chil - dren’s museum. “I am very lucky Darlene saw in me “ ... so when you what the (Nutrien Wonderhub) needed,” executive director Amanda McReynolds walk through Doran said. “In addition to being a great pres - the door at ence, she is very introspective, very thoughtful and considers all the different Wanuskewin angles of our decision items.” Doran said she was happy to learn Brander would take the helm at you feel that Wanuskewin. “Wanuskewin is bringing someone you’ve come on board who understands the transition they are going through,” Doran said. “She home.” really has a great vision for celebrating – Darlene Brander those achievements.” Brander said she is looking forward to implementing the four-part plan at the park: creating the centre of excellence; preserving the valley; the returning of the bison, which is set for 2020; and be - coming a UNESCO heritage site. Wanuskewin is a world class facility, Brander said. “I want to bring it to the next level, so when you walk through the door at Wanuskewin you feel that you’ve come home. I want everybody to feel like that and that you want to come back home again, and you want to bring some people with you.” Eagle Feather News MARCH 2019 3 Michelle Brass named to provincial bench By Angela Hill gone back to teach classes for the Col - For Eagle Feather News lege of Law’s Wiyasiwewin Mikiwahp Michelle Brass didn’t plan to be - Native Law Centre. come a judge. She just wanted to serve “Judge Brass is an outstanding ap - society. pointment to the bench,” said “I’ve always enjoyed working for Saskatchewan’s justice minister and at - the public as a public servant,” Brass torney general Don Morgan. said. “From sharing her knowledge in the Throughout her career in law, span - classroom, to providing advice to the ning over 20 years, she has worked to ministry, she has made valuable contri - give back, spending time with Justice butions to the legal community in Canada, the Indian Specific Claims Saskatchewan and Canada. Her knowl - Commission, Saskatchewan Water Se - edge, experience and skill will certainly curity Agency and in private practice. enhance the judicial system in our She received her law degree from province.” the University of Saskatchewan and has Brass, who is from the Peepeekisis Michelle Brass being sworn in as the judge of Estevan Provincial Court. First Nation, was appointed in November cluding culture in the ceremony. and was sworn in as the judge of the Throughout her career, Brass said provincial court in Estevan on Jan. 11. she had people to look up to, whether it “It was a great ceremony,” Brass was her uncle inspiring her to pursue said. higher education, or her father starting Over the hour and a half long cere - her thinking about the law as a career mony there was both the traditions of path, and she always felt supported. the legal system and cultural tradition, Brass hopes she can be a role model to she said. youth. At the Regina Provincial Court - Seeing an Indigenous woman judge house, where the event was held, chief in the courtroom has led people to ap - justices from the courts and representa - proach Brass after court, “and say they tives from the legal community attended, are so happy to see me sitting there.” a drum group played an honour song, Another time, a youth wanted to know if and an elder offered a prayer. she would be there the next day. “I thought it was very important be - Brass finds it encouraging. cause it was the first time for Treaty 4 to “I think that this is a positive thing,” have an Indigenous judge sworn in in she said. “I find it an exciting challenge, their own territory,” she said, about in - a positive challenge.” A drum group played during the ceremony. ( Photos submitted by Nelson Bird) Eagle Feather News 4 MARCH 2019 Honour Indigenous women every day For our March issue, we are hon - ways acknowledged her birthday by celebrated her birthday yearly. ouring our Indigenous women. having a community celebration with Sarazine and Philomene will be We wanted to try something dif - cake and a community meal. missed by their families and commu - ferent, so I went out searching for fe - Philomene Moise, who lived on nities. male journalists and writers to the Muskowekwan First Nation, passed Flora Weenonis from the Big dren and great-grandchildren. Flora contribute to this month’s paper. All fe - away at the age of 105 in the same year River First Nation is the remaining old - continues to speak her Cree language male Indigenous writers. All stories as Sarazine. Philomene never took food est Indigenous woman in and practice her culture, eating tradi - based on Indigenous women! for granted and always ate wild meats, Saskatchewan. Flora will be celebrating tional foods like wild meat and still re - All of the contributing writers are soup, bannock, porridge and other tra - her 107th birthday this month! Her late fuses to eat fast foods. Her community women I went to university with, who ditional foods. She lost her eyesight and husband, Thomas Weenonis, passed celebrates her birthday with a commu - were my instructors, strong community resided in the Lestock care home for al - away years ago. Together, they had nity feast. leaders and my past coworkers. It was most nine years. Her community also about ten children and many grandchil - It was amazing to listen to these nice reconnecting with everyone. three women’s stories on how they The idea of giving our writers the lived their lives, their hobbies, what chance to pitch stories based on Indige - their diet consisted of and how they nous women was exciting. Hearing all stayed active. Covering this assignment their pitches was incredible and re - will always be a memorable experience freshing. There are so much stories out that will stay with me forever. there that are untouched and we gave Speaking of matriarchs, I am re - them a chance to shine a spotlight on minded by the strong women who made our Indigenous women. an impact in my life. We had a few stories that fell My mothers, Olive and Linda, and through due to the inability of connect - my traditionally adopted moms Loretta ing with the sources to meet our dead - and the late Delores.