Thunderchild honours women of community

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Members of Thunderchild First Nation gathered together on Oct. 26 to honour and recognize the women of the community and the contributions they have made.

The recognition came in the form of Returning to the Teachings, a daylong conference that focused on the sacred role of women within the circle and in maintaining healthy and strong communities.

Throughout the day, Elders spoke to conference participants during a series of workshops based on the teachings of the tipi poles. Workshop topics included obedience and respect; love and happiness; faith and hope; cleanliness and purity; thankfulness and sharing; humility and strength; kinship; good child rearing; ultimate protection; and treaties.

The conference, which took place at the All Nations Institute of Technology, began with a pipe ceremony and concluded with a banquet in the Piyesiw Awasis gymnasium. Guest speakers at the banquet included renowned writer, filmmaker and educator Maria Campbell, Thunderchild First Nation Elder Maria Linklater, who makes her home in Saskatoon, and Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Vice-chief Delbert Wapass.

While the spotlight was on the words and wisdom of the Elders during the conference workshops, the focus shifted to the youth during the entertainment portion of the banquet, when the Piyesiw Awasis drum group performed, singing an honour song and accompanying a number of young dancers who also entertained those gathered.

One of the great things about the conference was that it provided a link between the Elders and the youth of the community, explained Debbie Sunchild, one of the members of the committee that organized the event.

"There are a lot of kids now a days who don't know or they weren't taught anything in regards to what we were taught when a lot of people were younger," Sunchild said. The conference gave the younger generation a chance to hear from the Elders about the ways things were done in past generations and to ask questions and discuss issues with them.

Organizers are hoping the conference will become an annual event.