UNews - Native American Students' Association

Native Awareness Week still going strong after 40 years

caroline.zentner — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 22:15:05 +0000

This year’s Native Awareness Week (NAW) brings a full schedule of activities designed to celebrate Aboriginal culture and the 40th anniversary of the Native American Students’ Association (NASA) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The Native American Studies program and NASA have been an integral part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from its earliest days.

“We’re very, very proud of our record here,” says Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc ’72, DASc ’04), First Nations, Métis and Inuit advisor to the U of L president.

Little Bear says universities are about the search for knowledge and historically, Eurocentric thoughts about knowledge have dominated academic halls.

“There are many ways to interpret reality and many ways to look at things other than through Eurocentric windows,” says Little Bear. “The ways that Blackfoot people validate their knowledge and the Eurocentric approach to methodology is very different. So the inclusion of Native American Studies into the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ really is an attempt to enrich the overall experience of students, faculty and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a whole.”

The weeklong celebration begins with a blessing by Wilton Goodstriker at 11 a.m. Monday in the Atrium of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall. That’s followed by the grand entry and a naming ceremony. The Mini Contest Powwow begins at noon.

Monday also features two performances of New Blood, a play created by Strathmore High School dance, Blackfoot and glee classes. Produced by U of L alumni, New Blood features poetry, music and contemporary and traditional dance. Inspired by the Writing-On-Stone petroglyphs and the life of Siksika Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman, the play highlights his experiences in residential school and his fight to reclaim his way of life. The first performance at 4:15 p.m. is free for students and NAW visitors to campus. A paid performance open to the public is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tickets, at $15 each, are available at the U of L Box Office from Monday to Friday 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and one hour prior to the event, by calling 403-329-2616, or online at uleth.ca/tickets.

Tuesday’s events include fry bread and berry soup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and medicine-bag making from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Atrium.

Wednesday features an open house and talking circle at Iikaisskini Gathering Place in the Paterson Centre from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ART NOW will feature speaker Diane Landry from noon to 1 p.m. in the Recital Hall, W570.

On Thursday, Mike Bruised Head-Chief Bird (BASc ’80, BEd ’98), ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association, FNMI chapter president, and Billy Wadsworth (BA ’05), a Blood Tribe councillor, will be on campus Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon for a talk titled Bringing It Back and a special tribute to Narcisse Blood, who recently passed away. Brian Calliou, program director for The Banff Centre’s Indigenous Leadership and Management program, will talk about Aboriginal Governance from 3 to 5 p.m. in Andy’s Place. From there, the program moves to the Students’ Union ballrooms for the Native American Students’ Association’s talent show and hand drum contest with Armond Duck Chief, beginning at 5 p.m.

Friday, the Blackfoot Digital Library project will be featured from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Recital Hall, W570, followed by ART NOW speaker Ruth Phillips from noon to 1 p.m. Phillips, a Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ art history professor and Canada Research Chair, will discuss works made to pay homage to Norval Morrisseau, a prominent First Nations artist. A round dance at 6 p.m. at the Friendship Centre brings the festivities to a close.

Throughout the week, documentaries will be shown daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the NAS department, A410.

Family Pride

david.kirby — Thu, 15 May 2014 18:20:40 +0000

Spring came late in southern Alberta this year. It’s a bitterly cold morning in March, but the sun is shining brightly through the windows of Markin Hall at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. The warmth in the room is palpable. It’s a spiritual sort of warmth – the kind you feel when you’re around good people who radiate a glow from deep within their soul. If the sun weren’t shining, you’d almost bet the three women could light up the room themselves.

Maria Livingston, Margaret Lamouche and Sandra Lamouche.

Margaret Lamouche (BA '02, BEd '05) and her daughters, Sandra Lamouche (BA '07) and Maria Livingston, comprise two generations of U of L students and alumni. It’s easy to see the admiration between them and their pride in where they come from is clear. Each woman is an accomplished scholar, is respected in visual and performing arts, and all three will tell you that getting in touch with their heritage has been key to their happiness and success.

The road here hasn’t been easy though. Margaret was just 12 years old when her own mother was struck down and killed by a drunk driver in the small northern community of Wabasca, Alta. Four years later, she dropped out of school and left home in search of a job and a new life, away from the poverty she’d been contending with. Eventually she married, settled in Slave Lake, and became a dedicated stay-at-home mother of eight children.

Reading the newspaper one day, Margaret came across something that would change the trajectory of her life forever, and the lives of her children and countless other children, too. She read a feature that listed the names of local high school students who would graduate that spring. What she saw in the article, or more accurately, what she didn’t see, put a trickle of a thought in Margaret’s mind that would precipitate a river of change for her whole family.

“There were only a couple of native children’s names on the list, which made me very sad,” recalls Margaret. “I wanted my children to get a good education, so I helped them with their homework, read to them and got involved at their schools. It occurred to me that day that a lot of other First Nations children needed help, and I started thinking that maybe I should become a teacher.”

Margaret waited until her youngest child started school and then went back to school herself, completing her diploma through an upgrading program and then applying to the U of L.

Sandra and Maria remember their mother’s transformation as both surprising and inspirational. “I had always seen her as ‘mom’ and then suddenly she was studying, taking exams and working on assignments,” says Maria, reflecting on Margaret’s transition from mother to full-time student. “It was strange, but she was determined and focused, which made a big impression.”

Margaret’s application to the U of L was accepted in 1999. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Native American studies in 2002 and went on to complete a Bachelor of Education in 2005. Sandra vividly remembers the first time her mother brought her to campus.

“That was a real eye-opener,” Sandra recalls. “She brought me to an indigenous dance performance, and to see native people on campus was amazing. Mom would often give me her textbooks to read or bring me along to native art exhibits. It made me realize that I could get an education in my own culture, and that was very exciting.”

With her mother’s encouragement, Sandra began studying at the U of L in 2002. She is now in the finishing stages of a master’s degree through Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, is the mother of two young children and works as a youth mentor in Fort Macleod. Sandra also recently became a director with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit Alumni Chapter; is one of the only First Nations members on the International Dance Council (UNESCO); is a member of the United Nations of Dance; and has performed internationally as a hoop and contemporary dancer.

Artwork by Maria Livingston

“I followed my passion and interest, and through that I’ve built a career that is fulfilling and gives back to my community,” says Sandra. “I’ve created success on my terms.”

Her younger sister Maria’s path to the U of L took a bit more time. Shy and self-reflective, Maria wasn’t sure a university education was possible for her. It took four years for Margaret and Sandra to convince her to apply, but since she began her studies, Maria has gone through with flying colours.

Like her mother and sister before her, Maria will graduate from the NAS program. She is a member of the Native American Students’ Association, is involved with a working group under the Aboriginal Education Committee, as well as the on-campus FNMI mentorship program and has completed three applied studies and has been on the Dean’s Honour List four semesters. Maria says that her experience at the U of L has allowed her to connect with herself and her culture in a profound way.

“The past few years have been a path toward my true identity,” says Maria. “I’ve discovered where I fit in and what I’m supposed to do. I have a young son, so I work hard for him. I want to show him that it’s possible to make a living doing things you love to do.”

Beyond ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, all three women celebrate their culture artistically as well. Sandra and Maria have achieved national acclaim with their hoop dancing.Margaret focuses her talent on beading, poetry and meditation. Maria also paints and practises native fish-scale art.

“It’s about connecting to our people and finding positive ways to represent First Nations culture,” says Maria of her family’s artistic endeavours. “There are a lot of negative stereotypes and prejudices around native heritage. Finding ways to help break down those barriers and show the beauty of our culture is something all of us feel compelled to do.”

Margaret’s initial goal of becoming a teacher has been achieved – she’s been teaching Cree at Ben Calf Robe School in Edmonton since 2012, and has the same hopes for her students that she has for her own children.

“I want them to have balance in their lives, and I want them to help their people. We have a proud heritage, and anything is possible for us when we connect to the source of it,” says Margaret, who will return to the U of L campus this summer to begin the Master of Education program. “I want to do more. Life is about learning lessons, and finding and following the path that is meant for you. Without the Creator and my spiritual guides, I would not have the ability to complete the journey that I am on.”

This story appears in the Spring 2014 edition of SAM magazine. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Fox turns love of environment into career

trevor.kenney — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:33:50 +0000

Several years ago, Paulette Fox (Naatawawaohkaakii) (MSc '05), manager of the Environmental Protection Division for the Blood Tribe Land Management Department, was driving up Lethbridge's west side hill with her young son. She asked him to imagine the land with no buildings or houses, only teepees and buffalo. Pondering this for a few minutes he asked, "So mom, where did the buffalo go and what are we going to do about it?"

Raised on the Blood Reserve, Fox had contemplated the same question as a child.

"I always pondered the buffalo and that continued journey made me interested in environmental issues," says Fox. "When I graduated from high school in 1995 I enrolled at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. In my third year they offered an environmental science undergraduate program. I was one of the first students to participate in that."

In 1998, Fox put her undergraduate degree on hold to attend the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER). She earned a certificate in Environmental Protection, Assessment and Education in 2000 and moved to Lethbridge to take her last few undergraduate classes at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"I had always wanted to return home with my education and, not being quite finished, I got special permission to complete the last few courses of my U of C degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge," explains Fox.

In 2001, she completed her bachelor of science degree in environmental science and received an NSERC scholarship to begin her master's degree.

"Coming from a larger institution, I found the U of L campus very student friendly with the smaller class sizes, and I felt I could approach my professors," says Fox. "My supervisors, Dr. James Byrnes, Dr. Stefan Kienzle and Dr. Leroy Little Bear were great resources. Through Leroy, I had the opportunity to participate in dialogues with academic and spiritual leaders, not only from Native ancestry but from other ancestry as well. This was a very powerful experience for me, and one I don't think I would have had otherwise."

Fox was also involved in the Native American Students' Association and spent one semester as the association president.

"It was a very good experience in terms of being grounded in some of the issues that students face. I was able to get involved in many different activities and participate in Native Awareness Week," remembers Fox. "My experiences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ were very positive."

She continues her association with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ through her membership in the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) chapter of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Alumni Association (ULAA).

"The FNMI chapter is relatively new and I am proud to be part of its inception. This is a great step forward, bringing together graduates who have aboriginal ancestry," says Fox.

In 2005, Fox graduated with a master's degree in environmental science and began working for the Blood Tribe. At the time, there was no formal environmental protection division so Fox developed the agency to benefit her community.

"We write grants and get funding for proposals to work on a wide range of environmental projects on the reserve. We cover forestry, rangeland health and species at risk, and work on a regular basis with the elders and different advisory committees," explains Fox. "We are teaching our community to utilize cutting edge technology to monitor our landscape."

While her future goals include helping other First Nations communities develop their own successful environmental programs, Fox is very proud of her staff and the work they do in the field and in their own community.

"My hope for our community is to be able to thrive as when we had the buffalo, self-sufficient and proud of our ways."

GET THE FACTS

• Husband Duane Mistaken Chief (Aiaistahkommi), son Austin ( Kiisom), daughters Jaklyn (Niiokskasiipistakii) and Dallis (Akainskii) all speak, read and write Blackfoot.

• Fox's master's degree examined the use of GIS to link Blackfoot environmental knowledge with ecological databases.

• Fox serves as an advisor – Tribal Government, Blood Tribe Administration. She also co-facilitates community dialogues with Dr. Little Bear and is a panel member for the Native New Student Orientation at the U of L.

• Fox is a sessional instructor at Red Crow Community College and the recipient of research grants totaling more than $400,000.

UNews - Native American Students' Association

Native Awareness Week still going strong after 40 years

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Family Pride

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Fox turns love of environment into career

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