Onion Lake Cree Nation Grows and so does its Problems
Transcription
Onion Lake Cree Nation Grows and so does its Problems
Onion Lake Cree Nation Grows and so does its Problems When I look at the numbers where OLCN’s population growth is concerned and where it’s headed, many questions come to mind. Perhaps the most important inquiry into the matter; is this continued growth sustainable? babies. For some this is alarming, this is not to say that procreation is bad, it’s just that at those specific years where the youth should be focused on education many are now focused on how to raise a child of their own. Our population has surpassed the 5600 mark and with around 1000 more waiting to be inducted into our membership, the logistics of it all is enough to drive any government off the deep end. OLCN is in essence on the road to ruin if we do not begin to focus on how to stop this runaway train. Can you say, “thirdparty”? It’s a concept that may become reality in the journey we all share here at home. It’s not to say that it’s possible in the next few years, but it could be much later if our spending habits are not brought under control. Our community lacks self-discipline and the drive the tiny ant possesses in sustaining the future by preparing today for tomorrow. For a little while we’ve enjoyed high revenues and low expenses, today our expenses have exceeded our falling revenue and this gap will continue to widen as we seemingly continue to grow exponentially. What does this mean? It means, we have higher bills and the money in the bank is disappearing quicker than we can keep up. The Canadian government holds our money in trust and at just a little over 2% interest, it’s nothing to talking about. In the Onion Lake First Nation Population Forecast, Summary of Results, page five; overview – Age Specific Fertility Rates. The graph implies that our first nations youth, 1317yrs are on par with the adults in having Inside this issue Cadets lead parade Education Zone Atoskasotan Business Beat Scattered Unity Ms. Teen Canada Will we see revenue from the SAGD project right away? No. This is a very expensive endeavor for whichever company has the means to start such a project. To put it into perspective, literally no company can afford the startup costs in taking on such a task, usually this is if the community asks for revenue off the get go. On the other hand, if the deal is to become reality, the community must sit on the back burner and simmer until the company gets its return on investment. When all the money that is soaked into the project is paid off, then the community will begin to receive a higher percentage of revenue. This is just smart business and with a little patience, in approximately 4 or 5 years the money invested should hopefully be returned. Of course, this is also dependent upon the price of oil per barrel. The market will determine the pace at which this is paid off. In the meantime, we can either slow down the spending and cut costs hereand-there, or we can continue to spend until we run out of what we have left in our coffers. We are not like the municipalities that can collect taxes on our people so therefore, we really have no solution as how to at least break even. This day in age, is a great time for our youth to watch and learn. If they’re looking into becoming a leader of OLCN in the future, they have two choices… be part of the solution or be part of the problem. Today, we know where we stand around the fence and try to come to grips with where we stand on the spending issue. For now, it’ll be interesting to see how much we accept the fact that we alone are the masters of our own destinies, this includes our bank accounts. 28 Years of Teaching Comes to an End Alex Saliwonczyk started teaching here in Onion Lake at Chief Taylor and never looked back. Every year, U.S. schools hire more than 200,000 new teachers for that first day of class. By the time summer rolls around, at least 22,000 have quit. Even those who make it beyond the trying first year aren't likely to stay long: about 30 percent of new teachers flee the profession after just three years, and more than 45 percent leave after five. With as many retiring it’s hard to find replacements that’ll tough it out. Mr. Saliwonczyk beat the odds and was awarded a painting and a hundred dollars for every year he was teaching. He retired at the end of the 2014 school year teaching at Eagleview. Cadets Lead the Annual Bonnyville Parade The youth often need something to do to burn off not just energy but boredom. There are limitless activities one can do to keep busy and proactive as the hyper years kick into full gear. The only thing holding anyone back is the lack of motivation. In this case, the youth in this picture found their calling and joined the Cadets Program. The Cadets Program gives youth the opportunity to develop leadership skills, increase their physical fitness and make new friends while enjoying a variety of interesting and challenging activities. This program is delivered by the Department of National Defence. child is willing to try something new, let them choose as this is the best way for them to keep busy and gather new skills that may be transferable later in life. Kieran and Kane Quinney Kane had the opportunity to travel with the Sea Cadets as far as Hawaii and experience the ocean aboard a warship. Over time, cadets experience many activities to keep their interest in the program. If your To be eligible, participants must meet the following criteria: they must be 12 to 18 years of age and a Canadian citizen or a legal resident of Canada, other criteria may apply. Once enrolled in the program, youth may participate in it until their 19th birthday. Cadets are not members of the Canadian Forces, nor are they obligated to join the military. Youth can choose to join the Air, Army or Sea Cadets. There is no cost to join Cadets and uniforms are provided free of charge. Contact Information: General Inquiries: 1-800-627-0828 E-mail: [email protected] Specialized Youth Groups I believe; “if you build it they will come.” The youth could create any type of group with a focus on anything, this is a great way to bring about a united generation, or a partial unity to a group always searching for their own identity. Youth groups are like a big family with their own special structure for which they grow accustomed to or are already suited for. Let’s look at it from a different perspective; imagine if you will, a group that tries to focus on many areas are like a mall. They try to focus on too much under limited supervision creating the, “Jack of all trades master of nothing” ideology. This within a group is chaotic to say the least. If a group is to be developed, it should shoot with a rifle and not with a shot gun. This way the youth can develop a special set of skills creating a group of masters within their finely tuned atmosphere. They could create groups that focus on physical, intellectual, and spiritual activities and so forth. What would benefit them greatly though? Sure anything can be useful if a group is created. One idea on the other hand I don’t see too much of is a youth group focused mainly on volunteering. This helps when help is needed and in return, the youth involved gain priceless experience they may never have gotten alone. I bring this up because, our first nation’s communities have many societal issues condensed into a ball of dysfunction. Wouldn’t it be great if we helped the youth with the tools needed today to specialize in a future that isn’t so easy to acquire? Way Back Then I remember a story told many years ago about the time it rained fire. During this time, there were no forest fires in the area which to this day always had me baffled. Many of the elders that may have memories of this event in history were already 70 or older 25 years ago when I first heard the story. One story, the elder had a wet blanket over her to shield herself from the heat and the falling fire. Another story as told by an elderly man; his family quickly ran to a slew and covered themselves up with hide blankets, apparently a woman burnt her back so bad the hide stuck to her when all was said and done. Another story was there were what appeared to be rolling tumbleweeds on fire. Another elder remembers as a child seeing a huge fireball in the sky plummeting to earth as he rode in a horse drawn wagon. It couldn’t be a the great meteor storm of 1966 when over 166,000 meteors fell from the heavens in an hour; it couldn’t be the great Siberian asteroid impact of 1908 as this was too far to create fiery rain; it couldn’t be the other meteor storm of November 1885 when over 33,000 meteors fell to earth; it couldn’t be the massive solar storm of 1859 known as the Carrington Event, which obliterated the earth’s protective magnetosphere briefly as it lit up the night sky waking up many who thought it was morning and then proceeded to make breakfast at 1 or 2am. The only possibility may have been a huge meteor impact which usually hurls fiery projectiles in many directions and in this case, one was seen by an elder as mentioned above. Perhaps this meteor or maybe even an asteroid could have blown up in the atmosphere just above this area way back then. Rez Woes A woman buys a minivan from a man who is not a band member of Onion Lake but the husband of a member. Everything seemed legitimate as the bill of sale was written and presented to her as the $500 was handed over to him. She immediately went to register and insure the vehicle and then did some minor work to it totalling around $300. Sounds like everything went well, but lurking in the shadows is an untold truth behind the deal. The R.C.M.P. will pay the new owner a visit a number of days later and bring about some news that shocks the entire family. The man who sold the van had a falling out with his estranged ex-wife and with his money apparently, he purchased the van but she registered it. She sold it to her daughter before he could sell it as their battle continued, little did he know of the devious plot taking place behind his back. Ultimately, the victim was the woman that purchased the van from him. The R.C.M.P. regrettably had to take the van and unfortunately the victim did not get her money back. $800 is a lot of money for a majority of the members in Onion Lake, especially for those who have to live pay-cheque to pay-cheque. This financial bump through no fault of her own, wreaked havoc on her monthly budget for which she is still struggling to catch up. You see, she had to locate another vehicle to purchase with money she could have used to pay off some bills. All in all, she is behind the cost of the van, the cost of the other vehicle and some of the bills she needed to put a hold on and then add the penalties for being late on payments; then she needed to eventually pay another person to take her car hunting, she couldn’t make SGI in time to register the vehicle she just bought so it stayed at the sellers till she could make it back the next day, again she had to pay for the trip. Looking back at the beginning of the nightmare, it seemed innocent enough and all legitimate as SGI had no problem with registering the van for her. Little did she know she was about to face some Rez Woes. Employment Trends There are many jobs if you know where to look. Celebrity contractor Mike Holmes, there is more work in the housing industry and more to come. This would be an excellent time for first nations to get their feet in the door as the experience is priceless and could be utilized even back at home. It’s been reported that the big money is in pharmaceuticals and nursing today. There is no need to major in English for these careers, as the research has uncovered. Just do what you need to do to open the doors to a financially rewarding future. Onion Lake should soon have their own car and semi-truck training for those who lack the skills in driving or the necessary hours to gain employment in the trucking industry. This was something we needed in the community and was a financially viable option for the nation. Sending students or prospects to Lloydminster for training was not only costly to Onion Lake, but also to the person who needed to gain employment immediately and who needed to acquire the skills to gain the much needed employment. There are job postings throughout OLCN for those who need to find out what is available to become self-sufficient. When in doubt, check’em out. The Education Zone Another year for the books for all students attending the multiple institutions right here in Onion Lake. Kindergarten graduations; primary graduations; employment graduations; upgrading grad; high school graduation; awards days; an arts and craft gallery; a talent show; a fashion show; along with many other memorable functions students will remember for a long time. The educators and all employees under education work feverishly to keep our people learning, and continue by whatever means necessary to hand over the needed tools to become contributing members of society. Whether you are a full time student, part time or training, the pace is set to meet your needs. Our Cree language will now be offered in all four of our schools, the creative side will as usual be part of the system as it helps in opening the mind to new perspectives. A new year is upon us and the continuation of learning will continue for most in the system, now would be a great time to ready your student(s). It is often believed that it takes a community to raise a child, well similarly it takes a community to educate one as well. To be proactive as a family unit when educating a child is priceless, as the tools instilled within them are from different experiences and perspectives. Philosophically, they become stronger as different perspectives often begin to contradict each other. Humanity is complex and your pride and joy will develop with strengths you couldn’t imagine was possible in your family, nevertheless, allow your child to evolve and the path they follow will be full of finely honed skill sets you may have over looked in your own quest for knowledge. Atoskasotan Grads Employment, Training and Careers (Work for ourselves) This issue and the next, the Sovereign Sun would like to honor the Atoskasotan staff and congratulate the graduates of this wonderful training program. The time the staff invest in our people, cultivating those with great will and determination, is priceless. We tend to realize at some point in our lives, the present is as good a time as any to empower our future. “Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement - and we will make the goal.” ~Jerome Fleishman Group 10 Andrea Chief, Tana Littlewolfe, Calli Whitstone, Evan Moyah, Whitney Whitstone, Gina Carter, Blake Dillon, Peter Whitehead, Mackenzie Thomas, Darrel Chief, Timothy Naistus and Jimmy Chief – Missing: Tashina Littlewolfe, Tara Naistus, Lauren Waskewitch Group 9 & 8 Darci Gamble, Glen Littlewolfe Jr, Forrest Waskewitch, Lanny MacDonald, Kyle Waskewitch, Myrna Hill, Shannon Meesto, Conrad Dillon, Asinee Littlewolfe, Amanda Dillon, Cynthia Littlewolfe, Sandy Hill, Darci MacDonald, Chantille Chief, Marilyn Chief, Kathy Chief, Serena Wolfe, Darren Heathen, Stacey Cook and Cherish Merasty – Missing: Georgette Wahobin, Gerty Pahtayken Group 7 Kathy Chief, Stacey Crookedneck, Wynter Chief, Shayla Whitstone, Kelly Jimmy, Julian Dejarlais, Jonathan Littlewolfe and George Crookedneck – Missing: Joanne Montana Group 6 Yvonne Cardinal, Curtis Chief, Darlene Chief, Kristen Crookedneck, Faith Dillon, Monica Kehijekonaham, Jordana Kripnik, Jessica Moyah, Shawna Potts, Krissy Waskahat, Cody Whitstone and Kendall Whitstone Group 5 Onieda Trottier, Danille Unrau, Johnny Whitstone, Jenelle Waskewitch, Morissa Pahtayken, Lisa Chief, Lisa Wolfe, Kerri Checkosis and Emma Buglar Contact Information Employment, Training & Careers P.O. Box 669 Onion Lake, SK S0M 2E0 Phone: 306-344-1544 Fax: 306-344-1546 Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to Dance in the rain… Betting all our Chips on Oil When we look into our future, we usually bring along our oil revenues as a means of how it will all turn out. Like a lap dog; the revenues come along for the ride to the store, to work, to your parents’ house and you’ll even take it for a walk at the doggie park. It’s a bit humorous when we see those who are more focused on the rising market prices of oil rather than the imminent tumble it may take from time to time. For many, of course our livelihoods depend on the oil and it’s just the way it is today. Survival depends on many contributing factors for which suffice to say, is common knowledge to those who take up some reading and asking questions as to the direction the trends are taking us. For now, we need to look into the long-term forecast as to which is the better route in which we needn’t create a future of newly oil soaked Indians. Needless to say, we shouldn’t rue the day we devised a plan on capitalizing on our natural capital; it helps us greatly, whereas the federal government continues to suppress our economic development. Placing all our chips on the oily squares there on the roulette table is seemingly a for sure deal, but how long can we rely on chance? The markets are beginning to show an all too familiar trend and the cliff is just around the corner. There needs to be a plan for slow periods, a game plan if you will, where measures need to be implemented when we share the same financial crunch as the rug is pulled from under the oil stocks. Looking down the road twenty years or so from now and perhaps sooner, many analysts speculate an increased downward trend in oil prices. This is not an anomaly, this is just the way it is as many variables involved in this inevitable event are driven by humanity. These variables are all not that bad, as a matter of fact, if anything they are all part of the adapting process. We shouldn’t miss the train every time something new prances out of the woods, our community could benefit from the shift in advancements. Sure we may have missed the boat on numerous occasions, the youth on the other hand with their boarding passes in their back pockets, it’s their time to shine. Business Beat Who is in charge of your own self-sufficiency? If I was asked this question, I’d answer “me of course”. Do you have a business idea that through careful research, has proven to be a viable idea? When you have the drive to change your financial status, perhaps the best time to get things done. This new lease on life takes some work and for some, countless hours of hammering out possible problems that could arise in your ambitious business endeavors. Not only do you need to be sure your business will begin with as little difficulty as possible; before all is to take place… be sure your personal life at home is in as close to tiptop shape as possible as well. We have our own set of unique problems as we are not like regular communities. The greatest hurdle is perhaps the scattered consumers here at home. We are not within walking distance to make most businesses a worthwhile investment. So, for the time being we’ll need to create businesses that will need a concrete plan for these unique problems. Time and time again, I see business owners waste their profits on impulse shopping. They turn a profit for the month and feel the need to spend the revenue. This is a dangerous practice and will see you to your entrepreneurial demise. Most business owners have household incomes coming from a different source, this is usually from your regular day job or your significant other. Keep your regular paycheques for managing your day to day lives separate from your business finances, I cannot stress this enough. Your business may suffer a setback that needs money to bail you out, the business finances will help with those special circumstances. Say a year or so into your business, you are ready to reinvest your profits. By now you’ve noticed your company could use something new to enhance sales. It could be the esthetics, the product line, or through research a more unique approach to gaining increased sales; whatever the case maybe, the world is your oyster. Running a business is fun and a labour of love and in all seriousness, the finances are where the real work takes place. Strong business decisions need to be made to enhance your livelihood or if left alone, your lack of decision making could see you to bankruptcy. Don’t let this scare you, it’s the reality you’ll need to face head on. As a business owner, you’ll need to run the business and not work for it. Your dream as an owner means you need to run it and make sure it’s fulfilling your short term and long term goals. If you find yourself working for it you may lose sight of the goals and the business will in turn struggle. Leadership values need to be specialized for the type of company you start. Gone are the stale traditional management structures that needed to be revamped for a new generation of go-getters. Say you are selling “whatchamacallits” and another company sells “doodads”, they will need to share a common trait and that’ll be positivity, the management structure will be different for the most part and a special cultural aspect may need to be implemented to gain a specialized market. There are so many variables in business. Common knowledge has us nailed to the “rule of thumb” laws of business. Then there the concepts open to your imagination. If you are ready… have fun. Scattered Unity, Scattered Units, Scattered Infrastructure By Fabian Quinney This scattered unit idea is probably one of the worst ideas ever devised by a civilization. It affects everything in daily life. “How so?” I was asked. Well, where to begin? First off, this elusive concept of unity. It’s evident in the scattered housing strewn about the land. Wasn’t our people moving about the land in clusters? This model was like that of municipalities today, we stuck together in a setting that had everything in one spot. Now why did we ever break away from what worked for our people? Were our people afraid of what skeletons might be found out if we lived too close together? For whatever reason, it’s just hard to fathom this scattered concept, even today as we continue this practice. We need to bring back the trust and perhaps this may not happen for the next generation or two, but hold on, it’s on its way. We need to let go of what isn’t working for us, primarily social separation. We’ve seen how municipalities created systems to work for the population wherever needed. No matter what we attempt in a scattered community, it seems to leave undesirable results in the long run. When Tribal Design & Construction proposed a long term plan for restructuring Onion Lake’s residential zones, I thought this was a great start. However, the distance from the residential zones to the commercial and service zones were still not satisfactory. We still become dependent on transportation to get from one end to the other. This in turn still only favors those who can afford to make the distance to meet their needs. Economic equality needs a push and if we pursue a plan where this isn’t evident, then we will still promote divisive inequalities. Business opportunities open up as there would finally be a sustainable population all in one place rather than scattered about. Industry could move in for the same reasons as long as the quality of education can meet the needs of their company. Bringing all zones together unites employment opportunities with employable members of Onion Lake. Closer ties between the zones increases disposable income levels as less would be spent on transportation. Shorter commutes to work increases valuable time with the family, with most employment within walking distance it would also promote health as many could just walk to work. Health and emergency services would be more efficient as response times would be drastically cut to literally only a few minutes; when time is critical as is with emergencies, you’d like to see response times cut. Where officers and victim’s services are concerned, victims such as children would be impacted minimally when response times are adequate. Students would be within walking distance of the schools and with less bus days hindering their progress, this would be a welcome sight as today only those who are privileged enough would be driven. Some students are on the bus by 6:30am and home by around 4-4:30pm. Ten hours away from home is a long time and poses to be a problem for those who need to tend to daily chores, on top of home studies and leisure time. Bussing costs would be all but non-existent, today we see the cost in the hundreds of thousands transporting our children. Lower costs in education may see an increased investment in the quality. Illegal activity would be hard to hide as there would be more eyes and ears in the vicinity. Perhaps this model would be a good deterrent for those who are considering the other lifestyle. Poverty is one of the root causes for the societal break down of any community. Adopting social cohesion and through clustering all zones, it strengthens all aspects of life including our local economy. A strong economy reduces child poverty. A focal point where members can meet could be created right in the center. Lined with trees and maybe a fountain, this space could open to vendors daily or weekly to enhance diversification. The promotion of less vehicular activity and increased foot power within the community decreases our carbon footprint. Land that was once plagued by our existence can be reclaimed by nature. Wildlife may repopulate the area and medicines may grow once again where houses have once stood. Support structures would be easier to develop and access. Family support would be just a stone’s throw away. Positive social structures unite all in the collective as barriers crumble and acceptance is embraced. The days of the Welfare State are all but gone and a new era of equality brings about real sustainability in a globalized world. A renewed hope for those who desire equality. Fossil fuels will no longer fuel a fossilized system in as little as 20years. What do we do when most of our dreams are embedded within the revenues of oil and gas? What do the future generations do? It’ll be easier to start from scratch then to continue the road to ruin. I, like many of my generation will be long gone by the time such an endeavor should take place. Is there a trend in this? Yes, the Achilles heel of humanity, money. Though there may be no physical form of money by then, it’ll be all called credit. Perhaps there will be no such thing as Treaty then either; who knows what the future has in store for us? It’ll be easier to just create it rather than let it sneak up on us and kick us in the ass. DREAM CATCHER’S HOCKEY: Presented by Alfie Michaud Onion Lake Cree Nation & the Recreation Department are Proud to Partner with Dream Catcher’s Hockey & Alfie Michaud GOALIE DEVELOPMENT CLINIC ONION LAKE CREE NATION MEMORIAL COMMUNIPLEX AUGUST 18-22 Instructor: Alfie Michaud Selkirk, MB On and off-ice training taught by experienced and professional goalies For more information: facebook.com/DreamCatchersHockey Lebret Eagles (SJHL) 2.5 hours on-ice daily Gary Waskewitch University of Maine (NCAA) Dryland sessions Onion Lake Cree Nation National Champion 1999 Video review 306-344-2432 15-Year Professional NHL Vancouver Canucks Healthy snacks $500/goalie Co-Ed Day Clinic Only 15 spots open AHL-ECHL Dream Catcher’s Jersey European Elite League FIN-GERDEN Dream Catcher’s T-Shirt GRANT WHITESTONE 306-344-4521 NDN ARMY PROMOTIONS ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JR BORDER CHIEF’S MAIN CAMP The Onion Lake Jr. Border Chief’s of the NEAJBHL main camp is scheduled for September 5-7, 2014 at the Onion Lake Memorial Communiplex. Registrations begin at 5pm Friday and the first skate at 6:30pm. Registration Cost: $80.00 Contact: Coach, Mike Clague GM, Gary Waskewitch 780-872-9402 306-344-2432 Tanisha Littlewolfe Drops out of the Ms. Teen Canada till next year Ready to compete and take on many other contestants, Tanisha almost lost her life to an allergic reaction. She opted out of this year’s running to be on the safe side and would like to attempt once again next year. that believe as well. We need to bring back our roles as men and women in our community and our language is vitally important in understanding our ways as many elders can only speak Cree. I fully support the movement that honors all the missing and murdered aboriginal women. Lateral violence and all that compounds the issue such as drugs, alcohol and gangs I am strictly against. One day I would love to get into acting and would like to see theater brought into our school curriculum. She would like to apologize to her sponsors; Onion Lake, 7 Lakes and the Blackfoot Tribe. All the donations and raffle monies are locked in the bank for next year she added, to put at ease the minds of those who had invested in her. Tanisha is an avid believer in her culture and hopes there are many other youth New Additions I’ve included some new additions to The Sovereign Sun and would like to continue these articles. “Way Back Then” is a section focussing on stories that have been told by elders and their experiences pertaining to the story. “Rez Woes” are about injustices done onto a member of Onion Lake for which there may have been no restitution paid. “Employment Trends” are where the jobs maybe today and in the future. If you or someone you know would like to share a story or information, feel free to contact me and as usual, by texting or on the Teepee Hopper group page. If you would like to chat about any of the topics in this issue, please text. Views express in The Sovereign Sun do not necessarily reflect the views of the Teepee Hopper and its affiliates. News, topics, research, articles and opinions have been gathered from reliable sources and are subject to change and are published with written or verbal consent or may be classified public domain. Contact Information: Fabian Quinney Text 306-307-0779 Ph. /mgs 306-344-4200 306-344-2274 Email [email protected] Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TeepeeHopper