Trek to conference raises awareness

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The Healing Our Spirit B.C. First Nations AIDS Society and the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council hosted the fourth annual Aboriginal HIV/AIDS conference in Cranbrook on March 26 to 29. The conference theme was Honouring our Children and Families and its primary objective was to promote cultural awareness and create supportive networks for families infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

The conference was kicked off with an AIDS Trek designed to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the community and began at the Akisqnuk Health Centre on the Columbia Lake Reserve (more than 100 kilometres north of Cranbrook). The trekkers made their way some distance before being shuttled to the clock tower in Cranbrook where they met the trekkers who made their way from the St. Mary?s Indian Reserve, a distance of some 10 kilometres. From the clock tower, the trekkers marched to the Prestige Inn where the conference took place.

In the evening, a memorial powwow was held for the late Chris Williams of the St. Mary'?s community who suffered from AIDS and died in 1995. The powwow was well attended with five drums and many local dancers. The emcee for the evening was Paul Stanley who is also of the St. Mary's Band. Stanley is known for his work in the film I Heard the Owl Call my Name, a story about the expectation of death.

The conference included a political panel that featured Cheryl Casimer, counsellor for St. Mary's band; Carol Dawson, president of the board of directors for Healing Our Spirit; Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN); and Chief Leonard George, vice president of Healing Our Spirit, also known for his work in the movie Smoke Signals.

"I'm here as a chief, because I think chiefs should stand up for issues like this. If it's a problem today, then it's going to be a huge challenge tomorrow and I would rather be prepared for that challenge than being slapped in the face with a big shock when it gets here," said Chief George. "We have to challenge ourselves with these things. We have to make better choices. We can become spiritual beings. We are human beings and we should strive harder to be more spiritual in our approach," he said.

"It's important to have people like Chief George in our community," said AFN chief Fontaine. "I have always been of this view. It isn't politicians such as myself that bring about change, fundamental change, change that is important to us. . . it is the people in the arts - our writers, singers and dancers - it's our artists, our painters, carvers, it's our people in the theatre, these are the true visionaries in our community. They represent the creative geniuses in our community. They are on the forefront of bringing about change because they are always so far ahead in terms of their thinking and we just come back behind them. We take on the challenge that they leave."

Wrapping up the opening ceremonies was a play called From the Spirit, performed by locals and based on a Ktunaxa creation story, told in the Ktunaxa language.

The conference was videotaped and much of the proceedings can be viewed on the internet at www.theaidschannel.com. For more information about Healing Our Spirit B.C. First Nations AIDS Society call toll free at 1-800-336-9726, or in Vancouver, 983-877, or on the web at www.healingourspirit.org.