Senator served on platter

Page 8

In the style of the Dean Martin celebrity roasts where the featured man or woman of the hour sat through insults, put downs, and jokes from a panel of legendary celebrities, the Honorable Thelma J. Chalifoux Roast was just as entertaining.

Hosted by the Aboriginal Peoples' Commission (Alberta) on Jan. 25, the guests at the roast took shots at each other and Senator Chalifoux with an endless stream of hysterical and outrageous put downs. From Marlyn Buffalo's stories of rooming at Chailfoux's home, to Harry Daniels' tale of an eventful trip with Chalifoux to Lac La Biche, the crowd was kept in stitches the whole night long.

Chalifoux is the first Aboriginal woman to be appointed to the Senate of Canada.

Guests at the roast included First Nation chiefs, Metis political leaders and representatives from a variety of community organizations.

The panel included Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada; Minister of Indian Affairs, Robert Nault; Daniels, president of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples; Metis National Council President Gerald Morin; Senators Nick Taylor and Joyce Fairbairn; and Buffalo, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada.

"I had a great time," said Morin, who has known Chalifoux since 1988 when he held his first Metis National Council assembly.

"I thought it was an excellent roast. It had a good combination of everything. There were some really nice remarks made about Thelma, remarks made from the heart.

"Obviously, people love her a great deal. At the same time, the roasters had fun poking at her, in good faith, of course, so all in all I thought it was a wonderful evening," he said.

"Since Chretian appointed Thelma as a senator it is not only a great honor for her and her family, but it was also a great honor for the Metis Nation," said Morin.

"She made her name up there because of her involvement in the struggles of the Metis movement. She made herself a good name and it is a great deal of pride and honor for the entire Metis Nation," he said.

The Aboriginal Peoples' Commission is a federal initiative of the Liberal Party of Canada and the roast was organized to raise money for the Alberta branch of the commission.

"It is more to bring an awareness to what the Liberal party is doing for Aboriginal people," said Martha Campiou, vice president of the Alberta branch.

"A voice from the Aboriginal people is what the Aboriginal Peoples' Commission is all about. The roast was. . . co-ordinated by Irene Morin. It was her idea. She pretty well did all the ground and leg work," said Campiou.

"We are very grateful that Senator Thelma Chalifoux agreed to get roasted. We were more than satisfied at the number of people that attended, as well as the people who traveled from out of the city to come to the event."

The commission is hoping to raise enough money for the group to attend a four-day Liberal convention in Ottawa in March.