DECEMBER 2016 VOLUME 19 - NUMBER 12 FREE The Kohkums are home for Christmas From left Dalton Lightfoot, Mitchell Poundmaker, Cory Dallas Standing and Krystle Pederson bring the Rez Christmas story to a close with a four day run at the Broadway Theatre. (Photo by Sweetmoon Photography) WALKING THE TALK Residential school survivor Eugene Arcand has high praise for the Frances Morrison Central Library in Saskatoon. - Page 3 RAPPING THE ISSUES Beary D’s music is touching some nerves, dealing with some of the tough issues of the day . - Pag e 12 ONE LAST TOUR Curtis Peeteetuce is leaving his role as artistic director of GTNT but he’s enjoying one more fling with the Kohkums. - Page 14 SHE’S A FIGHTER Shana Pasapa is doing her best to help women find the power to look after themselves in tough situations. - Page 21 SHE’S A PRINCESS Popular Christmas show has been around since 2001 Stephanie Bellegarde has been crowned FSIN princess in By John Lagimodiere most successful tour season ever. the pageant’s 70th anniversary Of Eagle Feather News The Christmas Kohkoms were originally created year. - P age 27 SASKATOON – The Kohkums from Kitweenook, by Curtis Peeteetuce in 2001 for the Circle of Voices from the holiday fan favourite Rez Christmas, hit the program. It began a holiday tradition for the company Newsmaker of the Year Edition big time this year. with many of the actors returning to reprise their roles Coming In January -2017 Preview Issu e No, they didn’t find the world’s biggest Wal-Mart. yearly for the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre The feisty old ladies are actually taking over the 400 (GTNT). CPMA #40027204 seat Broadway Theatre for the final four nights of their • Continued on Page 14 Eagle Feather News DECEMBER 2016 2 PotashCorp brings Christmas cheer to Sask. food banks By John Lagimodiere Of Eagle Feather News SASKATOON – Just in time for Christmas, Potash - Corp has announced a half million dollar matching gift for Food Banks of Saskatchewan. The economic slowdown in Saskatchewan has hit the poor the hardest and more people are being added to the rolls daily. This situation has put stress on the food security system and the food banks are struggling. “The holidays can be a challenging time for many families and individuals in our community who are al - ready struggling. 21,000 people a month go through our doors, and it has stretched our resources at the food bank. Almost half of those visits are children,” said Laurie O’Connor, Executive Director at the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre at the announcement of the gift. PotashCorp provided their support to food banks across Saskatchewan for a seventh straight year with their matching gift campaign. Between now and Dec. 31, PotashCorp will match the first $500,000 in cash do - nations to Saskatchewan food banks. “Food security is a key part of our mandate as a company. We try to help feed the world. And we have to help feed the people in our own home towns and communities,” said Wayne Brownlee, Executive Vice Wayne Brownlee, Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of PotashCorp and Lau - President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of rie O’Connor, Executive Director at the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre say that many people’s PotashCorp. food security is threatened by the high demand at the food banks. PotashCorp is matching individual do - (Photo by John Lagimodiere) “Saskatchewan is our home and it makes a big dif - nations up to $500,000 for food banks across Saskatchewan. ference. Our employees rally to this cause and anything We simply could not do what we do without this in - times, and offer hope to those who need it the most.” we can do to help we are more than pleased to do so. It credible support,” O’Connor continued. If you want to donate items to the food bank, is the season of giving,” he said. “With our community’s donations matched dollar please consider supplying high demand items like “PotashCorp’s matching donation campaign has for dollar by PotashCorp, our organization can continue hearty soups and stews, canned protein, canned fruit and placed us in a much better position to meet this demand. to provide emergency nutrition during these trying vegetables and infant formula. DECEMBER 2016 Eagle Feather News 3 Reading for Reconciliation By John Lagimodiere Of Eagle Feather News SASKATOON – A section of the Frances Morrison Central Library in Saskatoon has been dedicated to recon - ciliation. The section is packed with books by Indigenous authors and others with top - ics ranging from fiction to poetry, to his - tory and residential schools. In a promi - nent location in the front of the library, a box wrapped in red cloth is in a window display that can be seen from inside and out. A ceremonial smudge and prayer from Elders Walter and Maria Linklater helped launch the official opening. “As an active member of Reconcil - Eugene Arcand and the Truth and iation Saskatoon, the Library has firmly Reconciliation bundle he donated to committed to answering many of the the Saskatoon Public Library. Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (Photo by John Lagimodiere) Calls to Action. Our work in is intended to bring all members of our community together as we acknowledge the past and kind of a legacy is about building public move forward toward reconciliation to education and understanding. Status quo can’t prevail. And the Library is walking the talk.” The Saskatoon Library has embraced “Status quo reconciliation. They are partners in Rec - onciliation Saskatoon, all of their employ - ees have been through Aboriginal aware - can’t prevail. ness seminars and they have recently named the Stonebridge outlet the Round Prairie Branch in honour of Métis people And the who lived in that area since the 1860s . Mayor Charlie Clark was on hand Library is for the dedication. “There is a grassroots discussion to help us come to terms with the failure of walking society with the residential schools. Credit to the Library to take this space for learn - the talk.” ing and reflection in a safe space,” said – Eugene Arcand Clark. “My hope is that Saskatoon is the promote healing and ultimately make our place that is learning and growing and city, province and country stronger,” said building a community based on reconcil - Carol Cooley CEO and Director of Li - iation. This is an important time for our braries for Saskatoon Public Library. city. We can feel proud and hopeful for “Today we fulfill a promise we years to come.” made to residential school survivor Eu - To officially open the section, Ar - gene Arcand, to create a space dedicated cand invited his fellow residential school to reconciliation in the library” survivors Harry Lafond, Kelly Bitternose, The reading section came about Walter Linklater and Maria Linklater from from a gift and request from Eugene Ar - the audience to join him in cutting the cand. Arcand was presented with five birch bark. complete sets of the Truth and Reconcil - “I never thought in my life we would iation Commissions report and Calls to deal with the residential schools. But this Action and books. So far, Arcand has reading section is a call to action,” said Ar - donated boxes to SaskPolytechnic, the cand. Greater Saskatoon Catholic School “The best part of this opening was Board and the Saskatoon Public School having my fellow survivors here. Little Board. He donated this box to the library things mean a lot.” because of the important role they play in The Read for Reconciliation space public education. holds SPL’s growing collection of In - “This is precedent setting in this digenous literature and will host pro - province,” said Arcand of the Read for gramming focused on healing, truth and Reconciliation section. reconciliation in Saskatoon. SPL’s Read “The residential school story will for Reconciliation booklist is available at be told by them. Bearing witness to this www.saskatoonlibrary.ca/reconciliation. 4 Eagle Feather News DECEMBER 2016 Standing Rock the big story of 2016 Suffice to say, 2016 was a very protest, there was never a lack of news or even the crisis in the north with difficult year. Just read the news. Often, coming out of the territory as live young people taking their own lives. when we consider our news maker of streaming and social media platforms Add in poverty and poor rural the year, it is easy to get a couple of carried a majority of the action. Indigenous and non-Indigenous really good and positive stories into the People sent supplies and relations and that spills over into the board. Will that stop the protests? Not mix for the voting. Unfortunately this fundraised. Colten Boushie shooting. This case will a chance. year was quite the opposite. Eventually several thousand receive plenty of attention in 2017 That was a pretty heavy year and The past year we faced was violent veterans showed up in support and when it hits the courts. we hate to bum you out. Always and dirty. The Eagle Feather News team stood between the protestors and police. The province has yet to come to remember that even though there have narrowed down the stories to the school To the jubilation of the camp of terms with the stinging racism that been tough times there is still lots of shooting in La Loche, the Husky oil protestors that swelled to over 13,000 erupted online after Colten’s passing. love and joy out there and ordinary spill on the people at times, This story is tragic all around.