Photo: Dr. Kathy Walker speaking at PRRC Educational Gathering May 9, 2025 / Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
Elder Judy Pelly was unable to attend June’s gathering of the Prairie Rivers Reconciliation Circle, which was hosted for the second time by the Saskatoon Co-op at their administrative offices. Tri-chair Erica spoke on how the re-greening of the land after much-needed rain took her back to her childhood, and how she is thankful that her children can grow up knowing they are on Treaty 6 land. Existing in a world that is governed by treaties, it is important to recognize what it means to be a Treaty 6 resident and to work toward reconciliation.
Richelle and Janice from the Prairie Spirit School Division provided a recap of the PSSD Interschool Traditional Pow Wow that took place on June 2, titled “mamowintowin” (meaning “Coming Together” in Cree). The event was considered a successful inaugural gathering by both organizers and attendees. It celebrated student achievement as well as First Nations and Métis culture, aligning with the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, as well as the celebrations for National Indigenous Peoples Day and National Indigenous History Month in June.
Students from 23 schools across the Prairie Spirit School Division and beyond gathered at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex. Attendees included representatives from Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, One Arrow First Nation, Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, St. Francis Cree Bilingual School (Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools), and the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.
Opening prayers and blessings were offered by Elders Dolores Sand and Marylyne Parenteau. Sanford Strongarm served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, while Kirk Gamble acted as the arena boss, and Peter Eagle, assisted by Jerome Okemaysim, served as the drum boss. More than 150 dancers registered for the pow wow, with many additional participants attending from all over Treaty 6 territory. The host drum group was Sky Boyz, which consists of Grades 8 and 9 youth from Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation and Stobart Community School in Duck Lake. In total, eight drum groups participated in the event.
During the lunch break, the Creeland dancers showcased Métis Jigging. The Creeland Dancers are an Indigenous dance group, specializing in a fusion of Métis jigging and square dancing. The group was formed nearly 40 years ago by Cree elders Therese Seesequasis and her late husband, Ken Seesequasis, as a way to promote their culture and create opportunities for youth. Pow wow coordinators said they received expressions of appreciation for the inclusion of the Métis culture.
Special guests included representatives of PRRC, Elder Ray Keighley, Sharon Meyer, Angie Caron, Elders Mary Lee and Jasmyn Albert, Diamond House residents, Director of Education Tracey Young and Board of Education representatives for Prairie Spirit School Division, and most Saskatoon NDP MLAs.
The success of this year’s inaugural pow wow, organizers are already talking about next year and have chosen the date of June 2, 2026.
Then followed a debriefing by the Planning Committee for the May 9th PRRC Educational Gathering: The Power of Story – Honouring Indigenous Voices.
Senator Vivian Anderson of Whitecap Dakota First Nation offered an opening prayer before the keynote speaker, Connie Walker, who spoke on the importance of Truth Before Reconciliation, launching the day of learning. Other sessions included Treaty Commissioner, Dr Kathy Walker, speaking on creation stories and treaty making; Sandra Bender, Bilingual Community Engagement and Education Program Coordinator at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), Sharon Meyer (OTC) Being a Reconciliation Ally, Laura Golebiowski (Gov’t of AB) Work on the Preservation and Recognition of a Cemetery Associated with the Red Deer Industrial School, Elders Maria Linklater and Loreen Paul from the Saskatoon Survivors Circle, and Joy Caron spoke on Kichiota Indigenous Destinations, Canada’s first Indigenous tourism corridor and a partnership between Wanuskewin, Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation and Whitecap Dakota First Nation. A pow wow demonstration was held for the youth and any other interested attendees.
The gathering drew 163 for the main gathering and 45 youth who met in a separate space, and the amphitheatre for a conference within a conference. With interest outstripping available space, a livestream of the main stage speakers was carried on the PRRC’s Facebook page. The livestream had a total of over 846 views on four videos, and approximately 30 watched live all day. Existing followers of PRRC’s page accounted for 71 percent of views, while 29 percent were by non-followers.
Attendees were challenged to think and commit to some form of ‘Reconcili-Action’ either through learning, exploring, taking action, recognizing, or teaching.
Sponsorship totals equalled $36,500, while the cost of the gathering reached $40,319.75; the shortfall was covered from the PRRC’s regular funds. Sponsors were invited to take part by introducing speakers of the session they felt most aligned with to foster relationship building. Federated Co-operative – Legacy Sponsor; Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation – Premier Sponsor; Carlton Trail College, West Central Literacy Committee, Willow Cree Health – Lead Sponsors; Great Plains College, Mennonite Central Committee, Prairie Central Sports Culture and Recreation, Town of Hepburn – Nutrition/Swag Sponsors
Vendors on May 9th included Joe Taylor – One Arrow Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program, Naomi Baker – Auntie Energy Beads, Terri Lavallee – Northern Lights Beadwork, Tenielle Bird with Pihtikwe Market.
Moving on to the educational segment of the monthly gathering, Danielle Schmidt, Culture & Heritage Specialist, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, joined the gathering to explain the structure and responsibilities of the MN-S. Saskatchewan is divided into 12 regions, each with elected regional directors, and each region is made up of locals. Some locals have been active for several years already, while others are still just getting started.
Under 50,000 Métis citizens are registered with MN-S, but evidence points to there being over 80,000 in Saskatchewan. A Métis person is someone who self-identifies as Métis, but is distinct from other Indigenous groups because of shared history, language and experiences. The goal behind the Citizenship drive is to register individuals so they can access resources available to them through MN-S. Every story of a Métis person is unique and comes from a different journey. Some came from Road Allowance communities and others from communities where they ‘blended in’ and did not acknowledge their ancestry, aka the Silent Underground Métis.
For Danielle’s team in the Education branch, their biggest mandates are Cultural Reclamation and Revitalization of Michif Languages – Heritage, Northern, and French, with much of their work involving collecting stories, resources and “Michif-izing” spaces. Currently, there are 17 kindergarten and pre-kindergarten Michif programs in Saskatchewan, including in Duck Lake, St. Louis, and Wakaw.