Awards to recognize local achievements

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Do you know a First Nation person from Saskatchewan who is giving of their time and energy to benefit their community? Would you like to see that person recognized for all their efforts? That is what the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) annual Circle of Honour Awards are all about.

This year's Circle of Honour Awards will be handed out at a gala event at the Gold Eagle Casino in North Battleford on June 8. The event is being held in conjunction with the FSIN spring chiefs assembly.

Any individual or group that belongs to a Saskatchewan First Nation can be nominated for an award. Completed nomination packages must be postmarked by May 27 in order to be considered for this year's awards.

"The people that are nominated are mostly at the community level. Those are the people that volunteer a lot of their time and never get recognized for what they do. And so that's the people we're trying to reach, at the community level," said Lorraine Delorme, manager of programs and administration at FSIN's Regina office and co-ordinator of this year's Circle of Honour.

"In our First Nation schools or at the urban schools, we do have children that are really exceeding, and they never get recognized. In their academics, their average might be in the 90s ... those kinds of kids are being recognized. In sports, we have volunteers, like a person that may be at the community level that's been volunteering for the last 20 years and nobody ever noticed. You know, those kinds of people."

For many past recipients, having their efforts recognized in this way has really made a difference in their lives, Delorme said.

"I know that it has helped them in that it has motivated them. Like some of the kids in the education award, it has motivated them to continue in school. The people that receive the awards, they're so honoured. It's amazing what this has done to them, that finally, somebody recognizes what they do."

To find out how you can nominate someone to be recognized within the Circle of Honour, call the FSIN at 721-2822 or 665-1215.