Calendar focuses on youth achievements

For the third year in a row, Tracey George Heese has given Inuit, Metis and First Nation youth between the ages of 15 to 30 the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and successes.
Heese is the creator of A Proud Generation, a calendar project that features young Aboriginal role models within its pages.

"We wanted youth that were living a healthy, responsible and productive lifestyle and what healthy means to me is living in good health, abstaining from things that cause bad health such as drugs and alcohol," said Heese.

The idea for the calendar came about after Heese accepted a teaching position at a school where about 95 per cent of the students were Aboriginal. She was warned about teachers getting beat up and stabbed and that there were gangs and prostitution in the school.

"I took the job and I didn't run into any of the things that I was warned about," said Heese. "This is why I really felt that it was important to bring awareness through this calendar because youth as a whole, regardless of race, generally carry the stereotype of being irresponsible."

Heese, along with the Proud Generation committee volunteers, launched the first calendar in 2004. The current committee is comprised of Elders, along with youth who have already been featured in the calendar.

In order to be considered for this non-profit calendar, young people need to be of Aboriginal ancestry and they must provide a reference, either from a nominator or from their school or employer. They are also required to answer five questions in the form of a biography.

"Each of the youth that are selected is just amazing in their own right," said Heese.

The young people featured in the 2006 calendar include Vicki Kenny of English River First Nation, Kihisis Lerat of Cowessess First Nation, Leah Missens of Pasqua First Nation, Tyrell Honetschlager of Muskeg Lake First Nation, Holly Rae Yuzicapi of Standing Buffalo First Nation, Naverone Thunderchild of Thunderchild First Nation, Francine Cote of Cote First Nation, Brandon Chief of Little Island Lake First Nation, Michael Linklater of Thunderchild First Nation, Shelagh McGinnis from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Kalea Lafontaine of Regina, Chris Belhumeur of Regina and Brenda Campeau of Yellow Quill First Nation.

Proceeds from the calendar will support three projects the committee has developed- individual bursaries, the A Proud Generation Endowment, and individual development accounts (IDAs).

Through the individual bursaries, each young person featured in the calendar receives an unrestricted bursary of $500. Bursaries for 2006 are sponsored by SaskEnergy.

"With this bursary we are basically saying, 'You're living a healthy, responsible and productive life, therefore, you don't need us to tell you what to do with it and you don't need to tell us what you're doing with the money,'" said Heese. "It's a totally non-restrictive bursary for themselves."

The A Proud Generation Endowment is a named fund administered and supported by United Way of Regina's Tomorrow Fund.

"Basically, any money that we put in will stay in this endowment," said Heese. "The youth on our committee will decide how the interest earned will be spent. Therefore, it could go towards the school's uniform, leadership training or whatever they want to do with it."

The IDA project, also being co-ordinated in partnership with United Way's Tomorrow Fund, is an innovative personal savings program for youth, offering them incentives to save for future education, small business start-ups or even purchasing a home.

According to Heese, if a youth puts $50 a month into an IDA for 12 months, United Way and the A Proud Generation committee will each match that amount.

"So, if the youth puts away a total of $600 a year, we will match it to bring a total of $1,800," said Heese. "Basically, the program is set up in order to teach the youth the purpose of savings."

Before an individual pursues the IDA program, they need to have a clear vision of what they want to do with the money, "because it's not just free money," Heese said. "They have to be able to tell us what their hopes are to do with the money."

Heese said she is dedicating her time and energy to A Proud Generation in an attempt to provide inspiration to young Aboriginal people. She remembers what it was like growing up as an Aboriginal youth. She had issues with identity and not knowing what her purpose in life was.

However, she said, she had role models and that's what helped foster her way through school.

"I had Chief Dan George and Buffy Sainte-Marie as role models and I know how important role models are," said Heese. "These youth that we feature have a definite impact on their own peers but also with the little ones. The little ones will say, 'Oh that's my auntie or cousin,' or 'I've seen him dance before.' Therefore, it gives them a sense of pride. That's the thing about growing up, we all want to be valued, we all want to be accepted, we all want to belong, be respected and we want to be given responsibility and authority."

Of the 2,000 calendars produced for 2006, only 500 calendars remain. Those need to be sold in order for the A Proud Generation committee to break even.

Calendars are available for $20 at Cowesses Gas & Grocery, Saulteaux Junction, United Way of Regina and the First Nation University of Canada in Regina.

If you're a young Aboriginal person and you'd like to be considered for inclusion in the 2007 calendar, submit your contact information, biography, references and photo to timeless.shadows@sasktel.net.