Thank you

Page 5

A feast, powwow and giveaway was held on Feb. 21 as a way for the men of the Natoyikiimaan Men's Lodge to say thank you to the community for its support. The lodge, which opened its doors in 2001, is an 11-bed lodge that houses single men.

Romeo Crow Chief is the volunteer manager of the lodge. He said the event was great and the turnout was excellent, despite the cold. His duties at the lodge include checks on the men, making sure that the facility is safe and that the men have food.

More than 300 people gathered at the community arena for the celebration, which also included a commemoration of the late Loretta Doore, who believed in the need for such a facility in the community.

Crow Chief recalls how he and Loretta were both on council when they started talking about building a house for single men.

"There is such a long list of people requiring homes, especially families, so our single men in the community are usually at the bottom of the list. There were not enough homes, so we thought this idea would be an alternative way of providing homes for all community members."

He said that many single men in a community tend to move from home to home and he found that many family members did not take other family members into consideration anymore.

"So we thought we would do that, so we looked for sponsors and we talked about it. Then Loretta passed away and I wanted to continue on with the dream, so I looked for funding from people who were associated with the community and I pushed them for funding. Chief and council were a big part of this success. Often they are forgotten when it comes to recognition, but they purchased the building and they believed in the idea too, and so did our social development. They were helpful in providing furniture, the beds and the mattresses," Romeo Crow Chief said.

Fred Yellow Old Woman, resident at the centre, said the men who live at the lodge all work in various jobs to pay their rent.

"We've been talking about putting on this [powwow] for about a year, because in the Blackfoot tradition when we have something, our people like to give back. So we decided here at this residence to do something for the community. It is a gratitude for the chief and council, Romeo Crow Chief and the late Loretta Doore, because we were homeless. We did not have a home, and they are responsible for what we have today," he said.

Yellow Old Woman recalls a time in the past when at this particular time of the year he would see people coming together to enjoy a huge potluck and dance. "I used to remember that around the flats and the river area people used to come together around this time, in January or February. Today it is a little more updated, so this is our way to keep these traditions and values that were handed down to us. Even today when we go and visit, people say 'Take this home with you' such as blankets and stuff like that. It is all in the traditional way, the way we were taught, but these traditions are dying quickly so we have to try to keep them," he said.

"I believe that when you get something you always give back. In the non-Aboriginal community people usually give tithes to give thanks, but in the Aboriginal community the Elders say 'Give them some tea, give them some bread, and food' is the way we tithe back to the community. This is the way we say thank you," he said.

"The powwow was great. We all had a good time. It turned out really good. We had a lot of compliments," he said.