Brilliant educator will be remembered

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The wheel of life has turned, and a great teacher, leader, singer, activist and all-around accomplished Aboriginal woman has been lost from our sight, but Cathy Sewell's legacy lives on.

Cathy, who succumbed to cancer on Aug. 23, is recognized for more accomplishments in her 39 years on this planet than almost anyone you can think of.

With so many achievements, her sister Anna Marie is pleased that Sweetgrass is recognizing her accomplishments in the domain of education.

Cathy's eulogy, delivered Aug. 27 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Beaverlodge by Lewis Cardinal, reminded mourners of her many contributions to the University of Alberta, to student life and student causes.

Cardinal knew her in his capacity as director of Native Student Services.

"Cathy wasn't just a person. She was an experience," he said. He called her powerful, purposeful and "hard as nails." He said she was a warrior. But he also said she was "loyal" and "gentle and warm."

They met four years ago when Cardinal needed a dependable educator and writer to co-edit a university newspaper. Wherever he looked, people told him "You have to talk to Cathy Sewell." In that initial experience of Sewell's dedication to a cause, Cardinal described her as "awesome."

His respect grew as he saw her become the president of the Aboriginal student council; the education director for the Confederacy of Treaty 6; and leader and mentor for the American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society. In all these roles, "Cathy sought and made changes to improve conditions for Aboriginal students," said Cardinal.

Cathy had had music training at Grant McEwan Community College. She formed Canada's first Aboriginal women's a capella ensemble, ASANI, meaning "rock" in Cree. ASANI has performed all over the world. Although Cathy was too ill to perform at the recent World Games, her group brought her music to an estimated four billion people.

Sarah Pocklington knew Cathy almost 10 years. "I met Cathy in the first class that I ever taught here at the university. She was a student in my class." Through that relationship, Pocklington learned that that they both had gone through the same college music program. Cathy had started it the year Pocklington finished.

ASANI was already a presence on the music scene and Pocklington became a substitute singer then a full member with the group and Cathy's friend.

Last year, Cathy developed and taught the first and only Canadian course in "Contemporary Indigenous Women's Music."

It came about because Pocklington mentioned to Cathy that she had been thinking of putting a music course together. The very next day, Cathy came to her and offered to co-teach. Pocklington said "sure."

Next, "right at that moment she pulled out a syllabus, and I swear to you it was totally brilliant. I mean, she had done this overnight, from the previous conversation. . . . She had all kinds of resources and all kinds of ideas."

Cathy ended up teaching the course herself. "She got rave reviews," said Pocklington.

Along with her musical career, Cathy had obtained a bachelor's degree in Native studies with a minor in linguistics. At the time of her death she was working towards a master's degree in international intercultural education.

She taught Native studies for three years at the university.

By the time Cathy met him, Cardinal stated, "she felt that answers to Aboriginal social issues lay in the combination of education and the foundation of culture. She felt that education had to be a two-way street. In one way, Aboriginal people needed to utilize the tools found in education to build their communities and re-empower themselves by implementing their own cultures into a traditional, yet contemporary, framework. "The other way," he continued, "was to educate non-Aboriginal people about the traditions and contributions of Aboriginal people to Canada and the world."

Memorial donations will be used to establish the Cathy Sewell Scholarship to Indigenous Ats at the University of Alberta.