Dust in the Wind - Flying Dust First Nation

Flying Dust First Nation
March 2016
Dust in the Wind
Calendar of Events
March 3
CCP Community Meeting
March 4-5
Sask Abor. Indoor Track and
Field Championships
March 10
CCP Community Meeting
March 15
Pre-School Screening Clinic
March 25
Good Friday—Office Closed
March 27—Apr.1 Sask. First Nations Winter
Games—Lloydminster
March 28
Easter Monday—Office Closed
March 31
Talent Show
Inside this issue:
Kikinaw update
2
Photos
3
Social Development
4
Housing
5
Health
6
Comm. Cultural Project 9
Membership Amend.
9
Youth And Recreation
10
Student Profile
12
Education
13
Birthday Greetings
14
Employment
15
Special points of
interest:
 Upcoming Fund Raising
Events
 Upcoming Community
Meetings
 Family Easter Activities
 Community Cultural Awareness Project
Page 2
Dust in the Wind
Elders Lodge Update
Greetings Dusters!!!
The Kikinaw project is going strong. With the mechanical and electrical moving at a steady pace and the constant involvement of the SIIT Programs, the lodge is
quickly becoming a reality.
We have been logging in volunteer hours every week and with the help of visitors from all over Canada and even the United States, we are sure to reach our required amount of 5000 hours for the project. Since the work being done right now is
largely high risk, we haven’t been encouraging people to volunteer in the interests of
safety. However, once the walls are closed in, we will be contacting people to come
in to do the finishing work such as painting, trim, etc.
It’s very exciting to see the units take shape. It’s very easy to see how happy the
residents will be when they see them. We will be planning the ceremony for May to
turn over the keys to the residents at which time we will have to start the outside
work with landscaping and planting grass and trees. We hope to have a solid turnout for volunteers.
Kikinaw Lodge—Fund Raising
Flying Dust will be hosting some fund raising events in the near future to
help pay for the construction of the Lodge.
We need everyone’s help to make these events successful. Since the
project depends on volunteers to get things done, the events will need people
to come and help too!!.
We have recently made an agreement with the Meadow Lake Co-op to
partner for the 2016 Pony Chuckwagons!!! There will be more information in
the coming months but be prepared to come out to help or just support by
watching some great races.
Page 3
The Great room will be impressive offering residents a chance
to have larger family gatherings or enjoy a place for visiting or a
friendly card game.. Community members can also capitalize
on this space for things such as story telling or asking Elders for
information.
Panoramic view of a 2 bedroom unit - hallway leads to bedrooms, laundry room, bathroom. Livingroom has a big window for lots
of light. This kitchen will have fridge, stove and dishwasher. And the laundry room a new washer and dryer. Each unit has a separate entrance as well as one that leads to the communal living area.
Page 4
Dust in the Wind
Social Development—Year End
Greetings Members!!
The end of the fiscal year is coming up so clients need to be advised of the following:
1. ALL earned income needs to be reported. As an Income Assistance recipient, you are allowed to
earn a certain amount of money per month but you will be required to provide;
- paystubs
- receipts
- any information of other expenses

Cheques will be held until this information is submitted
2. Medical notes for Level of Care, Diabetic, Pregnancy etc. must be in before the end of March.
3. Purchase Orders will now be monitored. If you are having trouble managing your budget, we
can work with you to help with budgeting training. If you are advancing yourself out and requesting PO’s for groceries repeatedly, we may have to consider other options such as appointing a Trustee to manage for you.
4. Clients need to come in to renew your file. To do this, you will be required to bring in the following documentation:
- 2 pcs of ID
- Bank account statement
- 2015 Tax return
- EI confirmation
- SIN card or number
Please remember, these rules and regulations are imposed by INAC as part of the Social Development-Income Assistance Program and not Flying Dust. We have to follow the rules if we don’t want
to be penalized and lose funding.
If you are ready to look for work or go back to school, we have a team here willing to help you on
your way.
Tina Derocher
Page 5
MEMBERSHIP
Tansi!!
I notice we are having a lot of babies in the community! Such an exciting
time for families.
Regulations with INAC for registering new babies are changing and
becoming more stringent. We require birth certificates now to register new
babies. We were provided these from the government before but this was
changed last year. It is now the parents responsibility to get them and bring
them in when you come to register your baby. You are given a form in the
hospital but I have them here if you need them.
HOUSING
The Housing Corp. has started charging Service Fees since 2010. It started with a
vote at one of our band meetings that the majority of people were in support. This
states that each house hold would pay $ 10.00 per month, to cover the high cost of
garbage pickup, road maintenance, sewer pump outs, plumbing and heating bills. So
for those of you who haven’t been paying please come in and arrange a payment
plan. Bills will be reviewed in May for ways of collection. (Water shut off) $ 10.00 is
small amount to pay compared to what they pay in town:
$ 175.00 average for water/garbage every three months.
Reno requests will be due by March 30th. They can be submitted through a
handwritten letter with pictures (if necessary), or a form is available at the
administration office. We appreciate your patience each year, due to our small
carpenter crew and limited amount of dollars coming in we struggle to get to
everyone in need.
Val Desjarlais
Page 6
Dust in the Wind
HEALTH
Human Services Report by Marcia Mirasty
Greetings members! I am writing a brief report of the major highlights that our department has been hosting THROUGH January and February.
January 13— A “Bullying Awareness & Prevention” workshop was delivered by Leah Gladue and Carole
Morin in which 55 youth & their parents registered.
January 15— The staff worked together to promote healthy substitutes to drinking alcoholic beverages
called “Mocktails & Smoothie” Day. This was combined with a community bake sale. All funds were given
to support Ajay Merasty’s baby Karlee who was in hospital at this time.
January 27— A workshop hosted by Brenda Norman and Abdul Aruga was presented to the youth centre
called “Impacts of Domestic Violence on Children” in which 47 youth and parents attended.
January 28— The Kohpahawakenum Juniors, youth and staff participated in a community “Candle Light
Vigil” in Support of La Loche at the Lion’s Hill in Meadow Lake. A total of 100+ people attended the vigil.
Our young men sang an Honour Song in memory of the families impacted by this tragedy. We ended the
evening with a community round dance.
January 29— The Health Office and Youth Centre hosted a “Building Strong Youth” workshop that focused
on Healthy Lifestyles, Gang Awareness and Prevention, and Respect for the Drum and Singing. There
were 50 people in attendance which was impressive when there was no school and many youth could
have easily taken the day off and stayed home. Guest Speakers were: Nathaniel Arcand & Elder Douglas
Joseph. The group also was able to travel by bus to Green Lake and support the families of Drayden &
Dayne Fontaine as they took their young men on their final journey home to be laid to rest. It was a beautiful, sombre, and honourable day for all those who attended.
February 4 & 5— A number of health staff and community members attended the “MLTC Residential
School” Conference held at the Flying Dust Gymnasium.
February 6— The Youth Centre took ten youth to view the “Walking with Our Sister’s” (WWOS) display in
North Battleford. It was powerful and impactful for our youth. The message was to honour our women as
sacred life givers.
February 10— The Health Office held a “Family Wellness Conference” with a focus on domestic violence
awareness and diabetes prevention. Speakers were Joseph & Joyce Fossella as well as Teco Bird who lost
300 pounds in his goal towards a healthy lifestyle. There were 67 people in attendance.
Respectfully,
Marcia Mirasty
Page 7
HEALTH
We are hosting a few more events in the near future. The “Brain Walk” will be held on February 23,
and “Traditional Parenting, Knowing the Father’s Role in Parenting and Self Care” with Janet Fox will be
held on February 24 & 25, 2016 at the Flying Dust Gym. A “HIV Belated Valentine’s Party” will also take
place the evening of February 24, 2016 from 4:30-6:30. On March 31, 2016 we will be hosting a “Flying
Dust – 2nd Annual Talent Show – Show Me Your Talent” evening. A banquet supper will be served. The
first twenty contestants will be performing. The theme is “Healthy Relationships Make a Better Community”.
In closing, I want to let you know our office will be involved in two transformational initiatives in the
near future. The first is we will be having a new “Health & Social Development Committee” and secondly,
our office will be participating in an “Accreditation Canada” process to evaluate programs, policies and
services.
We thank you for your continued support and prayers for our community. Together we make the
community stronger.
Flying Dust First Nation – Human Services department will be under-going a voluntary evaluation
with Accreditation Canada. The process will start in February with a “Self-Assessment Process”.
What is it?
It is an ongoing process of assessing health care and social services organizations against standards of
excellence to identify what is being done well and what needs to be improved.
The accreditation process improves quality of services, reduces risks, and strengthens accountability.
There are many other stakeholders that recognize these benefits. For example, the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada require any organization offering a residency training program to
be accredited by Accreditation Canada.
This process will require staff and stakeholders to devote time and resources to identify what we are
doing well and what can be done better. We will then take action to address issues so we can provide
the best possible care and service to our patients, clients and community. The journey becomes a cycle
of improvement that benefits everyone.
When you see the sign that an organization is accredited by Accreditation Canada it is a clear indication that the organization is continually working to meet national standards of quality and to provide
you with safe care.
Page 8
Dust in the Wind
Brain Walk
In January we applied for a Community Grant through SGI to host an event to promote awareness
on the prevention of ABI or Acquired Brain Injury. A big thanks to Carolyn Derocher who helped
mw with the grant application. We were able to get door prizes for the students with the grant
money. Principal Tim Biggins helped by organizing
staff and students at the school. Trisha Tupper was
the main contact with the school and was instrumental in getting the gym set up and having everything ready. My husband Jim Norman was on hand
to make soup and helping me get things ready for
the event. I would also like to thank the staff at the
school for making the event such a success.
Brenda Norman, Community School Educator
Thank you to the following volunteers:
Brenda Bear, Cheryl Bear, Sara Bear, Kristin Kyplain, Emerson
Kyplain, Nicole Laliberte, Charmaine Mirasty, Kailey Murray,
Sarah Norman, Shaye Stanley, Trisha Tupper
Instructors:: Kaitlyn Kwasney and
Jennie Knadsen
NURSING
What’s up with Health???
Toddler TB skin testing will be starting the beginning of March-Expect some home visiting from a
Nurse and Tb worker if you have preschool aged children.
Annual Pre-school Screening Event - March 15th This is an all-day event here at the clinic. Stations
will be set up for each child to adventure through, we’ll have an ECIP (Early Childhood Intervention)
screening station, a Dental Therapist station, an Occupational Therapist station, Nurses station (to
catch up on missed immunizations), and maybe a Registered Dietician/Nutritionist station. Each
child will get a passport and receive a stamp for each station they visit, if the child has been
through every station in the end they will receive a prizeJ
Prenatal classes will not be starting until April 2016, for those prenatal women who are interested
please feel free to contact :
Lindsay Iron, RN at 236-8371 or Phyllis Lavallee, RN at 236-8377
for more info at the Flying Dust health Centre 306-236-8670.
Page 9
Community Cultural Awareness Project
The Community Cultural Awareness Project has been going since September, 2015. Since
then we have covered several areas of interest relating to Cree Culture. We have had as some of
the goals for this program; reconnecting Youth and Elders, reviving Cree Culture within Flying
Dust, reviving Cree Language and building friendships and relationships between community
members.
Through the winter months, we have been concentrating on sewing and traditional
crafts. We have had several community members as resource people. Leona Durocher has
been and integral part of our sewing program and has used every opportunity to impart her wisdom on the group. We have had Karla Gervais, Delores Bear, Virginia Bear, Marg Lambert, Leon
Matchee and Gloria Lambert take part in different activities. We hope to continue this project
through the summer but that will depend largely on funding opportunities. For the current year,
we still have hide tanning and possibly teepee making.
We have also been fortunate enough to provide support for our drum group the Kohp.
Juniors. This group of young people have been truly inspirational in their dedication to the
group and to each other. Through the Cultural Project, we have been able to provide them with
funds to bring in the Waterhen Jrs. to provide instruction in protocol, drumstick making and other Cultural aspects of carrying the drum. This group will continue to make us proud as a Cree
community.
Proposed Membership Amendment
As Membership is aware, due to the existing Membership Act, only 6(1) members—that is,
members with 2 status parents— are permitted to vote. At a duly convened community meeting
held on January 14, a question was posed to the members in attendance as to whether Chief and
Council should pursue an amendment to allow all members of voting age to vote. By an overwhelming margin, Chief and Council were given the mandate to begin the process to amend the
existing Membership Code.
There are several steps that still need to be taken;
1. Membership must be notified of the proposed amendment
2. A draft of the proposed amendment must be created
3. A vote will be called for membership to decide on whether the amendment can be made.
Once this is completed, the amendment will be adopted by BCR and, if it successful, the next election will see all members of the age of 18 or more at the election polls.
Please keep an eye out for packages that will be mailed out and for more information on the
next off-reserve meetings.
Page 10
Dust in the Wind
Youth and Recreation
The Flying Dust First Nation will be taking several athletes to represent Meadow Lake Tribal Council to the 2016 Saskatchewan First Nations Winter Games. This
year the Games will be held in Lloydminster and hosted by Onion Lake First Nation.
The Games will begin on March 27 and run through until April 1, 2016. Athletes
will be competing in ; Volleyball, Basketball, Broomball, Hockey, Badminton, Table
Tennis and Curling.
If you would like more information on the Winter Games or have any questions relating to the Flying Dust Youth and Recreation Program or the Youth and
Disabled Wish Foundation, please contact Eric Gladue at 306-236-4437 or 306-2400456 or e-mail at [email protected].
Flying Dust Youth and Recreation would like to
recognize 2 very gifted hockey players—band
member Jerome Norman, son of Shauna and Jeremy Norman; and community member Kihisis Hansen, son of Alexis Mirasty and Darin Hansen.
These two young men have been playing at the
triple A level and doing very well. Darin and Kihisis will be taking part in several Triple A tournaments during the spring and summer and we
would like to wish them good luck. It takes a huge
commitment by the whole family when a child
wants to play hockey, and when they make the
elite level, the time and money it takes to make
games, practices and tournaments can add up really quickly. Good job to the families!!!
Novice Hockey—Winners!!!
The Flying Dust Eagles Novice
hockey team entered and dominated an Agency Chiefs Tribal
Council tournament held in
Whitefish on February 18th.
A big congratulations to the little guys!!! Way to go!!!
Taking part in organized sports
is so important to children
because it provides a learning
environment for teamwork,
dedication, commitment and
responsibility.
By supporting your child, you
will watch them grow into
confident young people who
are not afraid of a challenge
and who understand the value
of hard work.
Page 11
ATOM HOCKEY
Flying Dust Atom Division team will be competing in a one day 6 team tournament that will be
held in Waterhen lake First Nation on February 27th. The first game will be at 9am so if you
would like to come and watch be there early!!
The Atom team will also be competing in the FSIN Championships in Saskatoon. The team is
comprised of most of the Novice Champions of 2014. The Championships will be held April 15th
– 17th in Saskatoon at the Gemini Arena. Team parents are working hard fund raising to assist
with the expenses to attend this event. Please show your support and keep an eye out for fund
raising events with the community. We would like to thank the coaches; Chad Merasty and Joey
Tootoosis.
Flying Dust is also entering the female division as a Tribal Council. We are teaming up with Loon
Lake and English River. Playing for Flying Dust are; Sahayle Norman, Jessica Mirasty, Shanelle
Norman, Nikota Gladue, Renessa Derocher and Krysandra Derocher.
Northern Spirits Showcase—Voices of the North
Flying Dust Recreation took 4 community members to Prince Albert back in November to audition for the 2016 Northern Spirits showcase, two of which were selected to perform at the show this month.
Big congratulations to Keenan Gladue and Lashanti Iron as they will be performing at the
2016 Northern Spirits Showcase which is held in conjunction with Voices of the North. This
is an annual event held in Prince Albert and will take place February 26 and 27. Lashanti
and Keenan will be performing on Friday night at 6:30 pm.
Way to go guys!!! Make us proud!!!
2016 Saskatchewan Aboriginal Indoor Track and Field Championships
Sask. Aboriginal indoor Track and Field championships will take place on March 4-5
in Saskatoon at the Cosmo recreation center. I have tracked down several youth who participated in this event last year as well as several others to compete at this years event. We
will be taking approximately 11 youth.
We are leaving by 1:00 on Friday, if your child is going, please have them at the Band
Office by 12:30. They need to be packed with clothes for the 2 days, track clothes and
signed permission slips. Contact Eric Gladue for more information.
Page 12
Dust in the Wind
EDUCATION—STUDENT OF THE MONTH PROFILE
IRIS “NOOTCH” DEROCHER
Tansi Dusters!
My name is Iris Derocher, but most of you all know me as Nootch. I am 29 years old (plus 8 years
haha) and I am the daughter of Lorraine Derocher and Leon Matchee. I have three children; Kihisis 21,
Krysandra 13 and Dallynn 3.
I am currently taking the Dental Assistant program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Regina. It’s a
long way from home but I had no choice on the location of the program as this is the only place in the
province it is offered. I chose this field after obtaining my Medical Office Assistant certificate and working
in various medical offices in which my last job was in reception at a dental office. The hands-on work of a
dental assistant and sitting chair side to the dentist is what caught my interest for a career. Here at Sask
Polytechnic it is a one year diploma program, whereas at other institutions it’s a 2 year program. It’s a
very intense program; studying almost every night with a lot of assignments. I managed to finish my first
semester with an over 80% average, and am striving for the Dean’s List on graduation day. We are now
reaching the hands on part of the program where we get to work with real patients and get valuable
feedback from our instructors who are either dentists, dental therapists or dental assistants.
The biggest challenge I have is being away from my family and managing the financial strains of
being a student while having a child with health disabilities. Not one person I know lives without
challenges but we have to make the most of our situations and learn and grow from them. My biggest
influence is of course my mother. She is there for me in so many ways and is always the one to push me
further into my education. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for her. My children also push me
to be a better person, mother and student. I strive to be a role model and to relay the message of how
important it is to get an education (no matter how old you are) and that there is so much more to life and
opportunity if you are willing to go beyond the reserve.
I just want to mention how thankful I am to be from the community of Flying Dust. Not many
people can say they come from a place where the people are caring, educated, and have leadership who
strive for better education for their people. For the youth, STAY IN SCHOOL and strive for good grades and
you can have any career that you dream of! You’re never too old to get an education because learning is
a lifelong process!
Page 13
EDUCATION
As we enter March we realize that we are 2/3 of the way through the school year. It is a
time for both students and parents to take a real good look at the performance and progress of
their child so far. For those students that have been doing well in their studies all year long
give them some positive recognition because they definitely deserve it!! For those that have
been struggling, it’s a time to look at what those struggles are and how they can be tackled. Is
it poor attendance? Is there a disconnect between the student and the teacher? Are there
problems with their peers and/or other students? Whatever the issue is, now is the time to
address it and look for a solution. There is enough time (4 months) for your child to finish this
school year off successfully!
This month our children will be receiving report cards. It is SO IMPORTANT as a parent
to make every effort to attend your child’s parent-teacher interview. That is your chance to see
where your child may be struggling and to make a plan with your child’s teacher to ensure your
child gets the most out of their education. If you can’t make the interview, you can do this at
any time during the school year. Just call the school and arrange a meeting with your child’s
teacher or principal to discuss any concerns. If transportation is an issue, call me and I can
help with that.
For any students in grade 11 and 12, I strongly encourage you to see Mrs. Waterman to
do some “Career Cruising”. If you are unsure of what career path you want to take after high
school, as most teenagers are, this is a great tool for giving you some guidance in that area.
That program will gage out your interests and strengths and give you some career options that
you would do well in. I am trying to access such a program to have here in the office, but until
then I encourage you to do it at Carpenter High School with Mrs. Waterman. I will be meeting
with the grade 12’s in the near future to review the post-secondary application process.
Connie Derocher
Deadline for applying for Post-secondary funding is May 31, 2016
Essential Skills Development
The Essential Skills Development program or ESD is for young adults aged
between 18 and 24. This program is aimed at assisting people to identify and
overcome barriers to obtaining and retaining gainful employment.
If you would like to see what training or jobs you can qualify for or if you
need help in getting certificates to help get to work, please come in and see Marie
McCallum.
Page 14
Dust in the Wind
Birthday Greetings
Happy Birthday - March 7
Raven Darling!!!
Happy Birthday to Emily &
Allyesha
We love you very much
Mom, Dad and the whole family
Love you lots!!
Mommy, Daddy, Brothers
and sister
Happy Birthday Tyler McGuire
We are very proud of you and love you
very much!!
Love Dad, Mom and family
An elderly couple are in church.
The wife leans over and whispers
to her husband, "I just let out a
long, silent fart. What should I
do?"
The husband replies, "First off,
replace the batteries in your
hearing aid!"
For your funny bone
There was an elderly couple who in their old age noticed that
they were getting a lot more forgetful, so they decided to go to
the doctor.
The doctor told them that they should start writing things down
so they don't forget. They went home and the old lady told her
husband to get her a bowl of ice cream. "You might want to write
it down," she said.
The husband said, "No, I can remember that you want a bowl of
ice cream."
She then told her husband she wanted a bowl of ice cream with
whipped cream. "Write it down," she told him, and again he said,
"No, no, I can remember: you want a bowl of ice cream with
whipped cream." Then the old lady said she wants a bowl of ice
cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top. "Write it down,"
she told her husband and again he said, "No, I got it. You want a
bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top." So
he goes to get the ice cream and spends an unusually long time
in the kitchen, over 30 minutes. He comes out to his wife and
hands her a plate of eggs and bacon.
The old wife stares at the plate for a moment, then looks at her
husband and asks, "Where's the toast?"
Page 15
EMPLOYMENT
CHILDCARE CENTER WORKER

Current, passed Consent for Disclosure of Criminal Record Information including
Vulnerable Sector (CPIC) from your local RCMP Detachment

Current, passed Child Abuse Record Check (CARC) from your local Tribal Council
or Ministry of Social Services

Must be able to provide a Medical Certificate including cleared TB test results

Current First Aid/CPR Certificate or be willing to take training

Current Safe Food Handler’s Certificate or be willing to take training

Post Secondary, Certificate or diploma in Early Childhood Education, Teacher-Aide
would be an asset but not required

Strong communication skills as well as be fit and able to provide recreation and
sport activities with the children

Must be a team player and have precious experience in childcare
Please bring in your resume along with a cover letter, email or fax your resume with the attached
required criteria along with 3 references to:
FLYING DUST FIRST NATION
Human Resources Division
8001 Flying Dust
Meadow Lake, Sask.
S9X 1T8
ATT: Anne Caron, Human Resource Manager
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 306-236-3373
Only selected applicants submitting the above criteria OR awaiting to receive their CPIC/CARC will
be contacted for interview
Flying Dust First Nation
8001 Flying Dust
Meadow Lake, Sask.
S9 1T8
Phone: 306-2396-4437
Toll Free: 888-236-4437
Fax: 306-236-3373
E-mail: (firstname).(lastname)@flyingdust.net
flyingdust.net
Tell us your story!!
The Dust in the Wind is a
locally generate publication created for the benefit of Flying
Dust and its members.
If you have any stories,
events or greetings you would
like to see, please send them to
Carolyn Lachance-Derocher at
the office or email
[email protected]