Emerald Award finalist hosted water ceremony

April 11, 2016.

“There was a loss, but they weren’t lost,” said Samson Cree Nation Elder Roy Louis of the ceremonies practised by First Nations people. And now, Louis has been selected as a finalist for an Emerald Award for the work he has done for the water ceremony.

For the past four years, Louis has opened his land along the Battle River for Maskwacis Elder John Crier to conduct the water ceremony. The ceremony is held along the bend of the river, a known sacred area. Crier is now being invited to other provinces to do other water ceremonies.

June 2015 marked the last year Louis and his wife Judy hosted the ceremony. It was a four-year commitment, he says, noting the significance of the number four for Plains Tribe people: four seasons, four directions, four elements.

“(Water) is one of four sacred elements. Water is very special and if we don’t deal with it in the proper way we can lose it some day. Fresh water could be lost some day and we don’t want that to happen,” said Louis. “There are millions of people now who don’t have access to safe water.”

The water ceremony on Louis’ land was open to both First Nation and non-First Nations people.

“It was to make people aware that the ceremonies were still there,” said Louis. “Many of our ceremonies were lost because of the fact that governments said we couldn’t do ceremonies.”

Louis points to the fact that Indigenous ceremonies were made illegal in 1885. It wasn’t until 1951, when there were major revisions of the Indian Act that the ceremonies were allowed again.

Louis was nominated for the Emerald Award by David Samm, general manager of the Battle River Watershed Alliance.

“I think it was very inspired for (Louis) to open the ceremony up to all people within the watershed, especially since this was basically started during the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” said Samm. “There’s more awareness, at least with the people, I talk to … about the interactions with First Nations people and (they are) very interested in how do we live all together?”

In a website-recounting of the ceremony, the watershed alliance wrote, “We were all invited to approach the bucket one at a time and ask for a blessing for ourselves, our families or someone we know. This was a special time as almost everyone in attendance rose, went to the bucket, filled our hands with the precious water and silently and humbly expressed our hearts’ request to Spirit…. We all exited the teepee to partake in the wonderful meal that was provided for the occasion. But now we were no longer individual people stepping out of that teepee because somehow, magically, we had become a community. The rest of the day felt different. It was sacred and important and we all felt like we had participated in something powerful. We were connected. We were one people. We Are Cree.”

Samm notes that every watershed alliance meeting is opened with the acknowledgement that they are on Treaty 6 territory.

Louis also now sits on the watershed alliance as a cultural advisor.

“We see the need to have more understanding of First Nations people,” said Samm.

Louis is one of three finalists in the individual commitment category for the Emerald Award. The two other finalists are Jerry Brunen, of the Western Sky Land Trust Society, in Calgary, and Melvin Mathison, with Lakeland College, in Vermilion. One winner in each of 10 categories will be announced June 8 in Calgary.

Said Louis of both being nominated and making the cut as a finalist, “I’m kind of tickled pink because I think there’s a lot of things First Nations people should be noted for or for the work that happens. For me, it’s good to see.”