Aboriginal leaders support Sasipenita project

Sasipenita held their annual fundraising luncheon October 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon, with major sponsor being the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) and additional support coming from the Saskatoon Police Service, Saskatoon Community Youth Art Program, Eagle Feather News, and Ernie Scoles Fine Art and Framing.

Sasipenita (Cree for ‘never give up’) is working towards a portable Educational Exhibit. The first phase, ‘Accomplishments and Achievements of Aboriginal Women’, will be led by newly hired Exhibit Project Manager, Audrey Dreaver, to showcase Métis and First Nations contributions.

Media personality, Nelson Bird, emcee’d the event, noting twelve years ago he was the only First Nations reporter and now he sees things are changing.

Elder Michael Maurice gave a blessing, followed by greetings from provincial and local dignitaries including the Saskatoon Police Service, City of Saskatoon, Sasipenita board, and corporate sponsor SIGA, along with keynote speakers Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Guy Lonechild and Lac La Ronge Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson.

Chief Cook-Searson shared her journey into leading the largest band in Saskatchewan—about 10, 000 people, with almost 1000 employed at the band office itself.
“I understand grief and hardship - my oldest sister committed suicide in 2003, and than my two year old son drowned,” she shared. “But I’ve been in politics thirteen years running because I want to make a difference, and I care about people.”

She gave advice to everyone working towards a distant goal: don’t stop moving until you pass the finish line. After spending three terms on the council, she decided to run for chief.

“We’d never had a woman chief, but I ran because I wanted a change,” she said, adding that once she announced her candidacy, she found out she was pregnant.

“I had a boy Friday, and I was back to work Monday—if it ever happens again, I’ll take a month off.”

She kept the crowd laughing with this, and other comments.

“I’m going to run 7 km for you, and do you know what you’re going to get out of it?” she described, asking Lac La Ronge youth. “Nothing. You need to run yourselves, to get something out of it.”

Along with humour, she shared how fortunate she was to grow up traditionally on the land, speaking her Cree language.

“We’re all human beings, we’re all people, and we need to have that respect for each other, knowing our history, and who we are,” Cook-Searson said. “Don’t give up…, never give up, sasipenita.  Be proud of who you are,” she added.

“You can’t be anyone else, we are who we are. We need to love ourselves, it’s up to me to love myself and who I am.” she said, adding the secret was to get back up after a loss, take care of one another, and stay surrounded by people who support, help and love you.

“No matter what you’ve done or been through,” she said.
Chief Lonechild spoke about the pandemic racism still present in Canadian society, particularly against Aboriginals, but added the support in the room showed a shift was occurring towards educating society on the valuable contributions First Nations have made to this country, including First Nations in the province’s current economic boom.

“We have to build on the positive changes underway or we’re not working together,” Lonechild said. “The Saskatchewan motto, ‘From many people, strength’, includes the First Nations and Métis people.”

Lonechild said the event proved this future together was possible, and would create a new standard for a strong and united Canada.

“Never giving up means making a contribution. That’s what we need: love, compassion, healing,” he said, adding, “So I appeal to you, as chief of the FSIN, put away those old fears. We are truly grateful to be a part of this province. We need to heal and grow as a province, and the First Nations are a part of it.”