12.07.2015 Views

Purpose Statements - Ka Ni Kanichihk

Purpose Statements - Ka Ni Kanichihk

Purpose Statements - Ka Ni Kanichihk

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Beatrice Hannah, Portage la PrairieManitoba Métis FederationMetis culture had oneof its greatest championsin Beatrice HannahShe had spent the last 43 years ofher life married to Allen Hannah andliving in Portage la Prairie. She raised 10children, 21 grandchildren, 14 greatgrandchildren, and numerous nieces andnephews. She passed away on February 18,2007 at the age of 75.Because of her love for the Metis Nation, ourculture, music and dance, Beatrice devoted herselfto teaching our children and ensuring Metistradition was taught, never to be forgotten. She didthis not only to benefit Metis Youth, but also toinspire the entire community to learn more.Beatrice made everyone aware of the wideningcultural generation gap that exists betweenElders and Youth of today. She believed thatchildren must keep the link between our pastand our future. Without a strong vision, shefeared we would lose our culture. She wascommitted to celebrating Metis life and Metishistory. Her extensive experience in Metisgovernance helped tremendously in gaining thenecessary resources for dancing and fiddlingclasses for Metis children. She also workedextremely hard to raise awareness of Metisissues at all levels of Government.Beatrice co-created the Portage Local MusicProgram. She organized and planned the MetisGala and the Metis Children in Concert. Shetook a lead role in finding sponsorships,organizing volunteers, and developing musiclesson programs.Her results were always outstanding. There weresold out crowds for the Metis Gala - an eventthat showcases the value of Metis culture. In theMetis Children in Concert, she gave Metis Youtha chance to perform on the largest stage inPortage la Prairie. Her performers receivedmedallions and Certificates of Achievement astokens of their success. She inspired children.She instilled a sense of pride in themselves andtheir roots.Beatrice truly cared about people. For instance,in 1989, she organized a fundraiser that raised$20,000 for a young lady who was seriouslyinjured. This is one of many examples of hergenerosity. Although her accomplishments areconsiderable, Beatrice always remainedhumble. She was never expecting or felt entitledto any recognition or praise. She simply carriedon doing what she loved to do and what shebelieved was important.When asked by her children to slow down andenjoy her passion of camping she would state,“This is what I enjoy, this is my life.” Sheappreciated a good joke and enjoyed giving astrong lecture. She was always loved, sometimesfeared, and much admired. She was fun. Foreverything she did, and the person she was, shewill always be treasured and forever remembered.


Ruth Norton, Sagkeeng First NationSouthern Chiefs’ OrganizationRuth Norton is amember of theSagkeeng First Nation inManitoba. Ruth has beenan educator for forty years andan advocate in the preservation andrevitalization of First Nation languages.Ruth holds a Bachelor of Education,Diploma in Education and a Masters fromCarlton University. She is an avid believerin the importance of First Nation languagesand a fluent speaker in Ojibway andAlgonquin.Ruth is currently a CurriculumDevelopment Specialist with the ManitobaFirst Nation Resource Centre working in thearea of Language Immersion Programming.Ruth has worked for and with a number ofFirst Nation and Aboriginal communities,and public and private sector organizationsfor more than 40 years. Ruth has extensiveexperience including being and EducationCounsellor, Director of Education,Principal, Curriculum Specialist and hasbeen involved with various boards over theyears. Ruth is the founder of the formerManitoba Association of Native Languageswhere she worked with elders andcommunity members in the north and southon the preservation and promotion oflanguages. Ruth was a member of the TaskForce on Languages and Culture.Ruth firmly believes in the Anicinabetraditional teachings and continues to shareher knowledge with her grandchildren andgreat-grandchildren.Ruth is the proud mother of seven children,sixteen grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.


Marie Bernadette Beardy, Pimicikamak Cree NationManitoba Keewatinook Ininew OkimowinBernadette was born toAntoine and Rose AnnScatch on January 30th, 1930in Cross Lake. Her mom passedaway when she was 5 years old.Shortly after her mom’s death she wasplaced in residential school in Cross Lake,along with two sisters, Margaret and Clara. Hersiblings were largely separated after the death of hermother and were kept separated from her during theresidential school years. Her youngest brother, ErnieScott (now deceased) was adopted by John James andAnnie Scott at the age of two. Their father remarried inNorway House and had three more children. Today hersisters are still separated geographically, with one sisterin The Pas and the other in Paris, France. Her Dad diedtragically in a canoeing accident while hunting in latefall of 1944.Throughout the residential school years she would staywith numerous relations, notably her aunts BetsyNorth, Ida Hamilton, Sarah Ross and Annie Scott. Itwas through these families that she was able to hang onto her traditional values of family and a traditionallifestyle. In the brief weeks she spent at ‘home’ in thesummer she was able to learn the traditional skillsrequired of a young woman. She was taught how tocook and prepare traditional meals, the traditional way.She learned how to dress moose and prepare the meatfor smoking. Those years were the most formative forher in terms of learning the traditional skills needed tosurvive as a First Nations woman. She has many storiesof trips made by canoe to the lake to fish and preparefood for winter and smoke hide. She was witness to heraunt Betsy’s medicinal preparations and watched herhelp those seeking help and receiving payment throughgifts of tobacco, pots and other assorted items.Bernadette left the residential school at the age of 16years after having spent 11 years there; at the schoolshe learned how to speak English and a bit of French.She also learned how to sew and operate a sewingmachine and made clothing for her children. Shelearned the art of beadwork and the creation of leatherclothing from her aunties and the art taught her thevirtue of patience. She went on to work in thecommunity as a housekeeper for sum of .50 cents aday, and of course this was a huge amount especiallywhen she could purchase a pack of cigarettes for .10cents.At the age of nineteen years, on March 09, 1949,Bernadette married Sandy Beardy, WWII veteran whobecame a much respected National Elder. He providedfor Bernadette and their 11 children. Through theirchildren they have been blessed with 45 grandchildrenand 69 great grandchildren. He was a man with aspecial purpose in life, and his life reflected that inevery way. He continued to fight for recognition andpreservation of Aboriginal and treaty rights. He was atrapper, fisherman, a chief, councilor, an elder and afather. Bernadette was strongly influenced by hisvisions as she was the confidant in whom the lateSandy Beardy consulted and she served her role as ‘firstlady’ well during his term as chief for the PimicikamakCree Nation. She spent a lot of time with her husbandin the pursuit of Aboriginal lifestyles and enjoyed thatimmensely.The influence of her aunt Betsy has given Bernadette adeep understanding of the importance of family andshe has served the role of expert in the uniquerelationships that exist among the Cree families. She isalso very knowledgeable in extended family relationsand their respective trees. She overcame the pressure ofalienating herself as an Aboriginal person and shakingthe residential school influence and has become arespected elder.The MKO Chiefs are greatly honoured to put forthMarie Bernadette Beardy of Pimicikamak Cree Nationforward to be recognized for her tremendouscontributions she has made in the preservation andtransmission of the First Nations culture.


Jeanette Goertzen, WinnipegAboriginal Council of WinnipegABORIGINAL COUNCILOF WINNIPEG inc.courage • unity •Jeanette was bornon July 29, 1940 andgrew up in ElphenstoneManitoba. She marriedJohn Goertzen and togetherthey raised four children. She is ofMétis ancestry, mixed Ojibway and English.pride •strength • honourFrom 1960 to 1970 Jeanette worked as aTeacher’s Aide, for the Winnipeg Schooldivision. During the next five years shestayed home and raised her family and alsotook some courses to upgrade hereducation. From 1975 to 1977 she was aCommunity Services Worker, for the MétisWomen’s Association. In 1978 to 1980 shebecame a councillor for Canada Mortgageand Housing Corporation.In 1980, and again in 1984 Jeanette waselected Vice-President of the ManitobaMétis Federation, Southwest Region. Whileserving her term as Vice-President of theSouthwest Region, Jeanette accomplishedmuch for the Métis people in hercommunity. She has always been involvedwith the Métis women’s issues in Manitobaand still remains involved. In 1992,Jeanette was awarded with the “Order ofthe Shawl” by the Métis Women ofManitoba. This was in recognition for all ofthe volunteer work she has done for theMétis of Manitoba.From 1984 to 2002 she worked forNorthern Affairs in many differentcapacities until her retirement.The Aboriginal Coucil of Winnipeg ishonoured to select Jeanette Goertzen as itsrespected grandmother.


Betsy Buck, Moose LakeManitoba Association of Community CouncilsBetsy Buck is a longtime resident ofMoose Lake, Manitoba.Betsy is better known as“Granny Buck” from MooseLake. She was born on December3rd, 1924 and was originally from SouthIndian Lake, Manitoba. Betsy Married LouisGeorge Buck at South Indian Lake in 1947and was widowed in the 1980’s. Betsy had17 children, 10 boys and 7 girls and has lost4 children to date.She has 54 Grandchildren and 56 GreatGrandchildren with one on the way!Betsy worked on the trap line for manyyears and has trained many youth incultural camps on how to work on the trapline and become successful. Betsy alsoworked with the Moose Lake Council as aCouncillor and she said she really enjoyedthe work with Moose Lake.Betsy enjoys quilting, handicrafts, cooking,beadwork, star blankets, housekeeping andcarpentry work.Betsy has been known by her service anddedication to delivering babies. She haspracticed Midwifery for 61 years anddelivered her last baby 9 years ago. Shenow works for the Nursing station as anescort. Betsy has attended manyconferences on Midwifery in Hamilton andManitoba.To this date Betsy has delivered 105 babies,and one of her own, which is 106 babies intotal.Betsy inherited her name “Granny Buck”based on the commitment and volunteeringshe has done in Moose Lake, Manitoba.“Granny Buck” is a well respected elderand grandmother in Moose Lake and theNACC is proud to honour her for hercontribution to preserving our traditionalknowledge.


Lucy Guiboche, CampervilleAboriginal Senior Resources CentreLucy Guiboche wasborn in WinnipegosisMB, the eldest of sixchildren. She was raised inCamperville MB and attendedChrist King School.Lucy has devoted her life to taking care offamily, friends and people in the Aboriginalcommunity. When her mother was battlingwith cancer, Lucy provided love and carefor her. To Lucy life is all about giving ofoneself and the more that she gives freely,the more she feels fulfilled. This is the secretof happiness“Compassion, respect and love are soneeded in the world today. Many doors areopened when you approach life this way.To give is to gain life happiness. As myrelationships and friendships grow, I havelearned to trust people and they havelearned to trust me.”Lucy has volunteered her time and hasserved as an Elder the community. In herbusy life Lucy provides support and care forthose who are no longer able to take care ofthemselves. Often times, she is their eyes,ears, hands and feet.Lucy is often asked to pray for people whoare sick at home or in the hospital andcredits her strong faith in God for this greathonour. She also volunteers as an OjibwayTranslator/Interpreter for people involve inthe criminal justice system.Lucy is also actively involved in housingissues assisting where can to help securesafe housing for Aboriginal people who arecoming into Winnipeg for medical or otherreasons. This is an important area thatneeds much work.“My outlook of the future is to ensure that Icontinue my role as a model Elder to theAboriginal community. I want to staypositive and share with others that life canbe bright and it is up to us how we arewilling to share ourselves and leave alasting impression. I am not big oncertificates and awards. I am moreconcerned about life experience and beingable to live life to the fullest. When I cry attimes for the Aboriginal community, it isgood tears because there is so much workto be done and I know that I can make adifference…even if it is in the lives of one,a few or many.”The Aboriginal Senior Resources Centre ishonoured to recognize Lucy for herdedication to volunteering to help ourpeople. You are truly an inspiration and arole model for all of us.


Noreen Bailey, Winnipeg<strong>Ka</strong> <strong>Ni</strong> <strong>Ka</strong>nichihkNoreen Bailey grewup in a smallcommunity during a timewhen it not acceptable to beof “mixed blood” ancestry.Growing up in that environment, itwas important that everyone “pass” (as awhite person) in order to “fit in” at school andbe able to access opportunities that all theother children in the community had.“My grandparents came out of the days ofscrip, country wives and they would have losteverything had they acknowledged the mixedblood in the family,” Noreen recalls.After completing high school, Noreenbecame a teacher in Lynn Lake. It was therethat she began to make changes in her life,including beginning a life of sobriety. She saidthat she will always be grateful for the friendsthat she met in the north for their support andencouragement.Noreen had a daughter who was part of the‘60’s scoop. Today Noreen and both of herchildren have a wonderful relationship. InDecember, she will become a greatgrandmother.Noreen has “wandered” through manycareers in her life journey as a school teacher,a free lance writer, and small town newspaperreporter, a life skills coach, a programdeveloper, back to being a teacher. She is nowworking as a counselor in the addictions field.“The Elders say that life goes full circle andmy life has. As I look back now I see that thelack of safety I experienced at times as a childhas been at the core of all I have done.”Noreen was introduced to the teachings of theNavaho people. She was mentored by aNavaho woman for many years and was giftedwith responsibilities for a pipe that she carriesfor the people. Many of her teachers havepassed over to the next life, leaving her with agrowing sense of responsibility to teach youngwomen how to live their lives in a good way.At present, Noreen works in the AnchorageAddictions Program, Salvation Army whereshe is one of the counselors. “I have learnedthat loving, honesty and generosity of spirit isat the core of healing, that our culturalteachings support us as we journey throughthis life. I have also learned that laughter healsand that the courage and resilience of peoplekeeps them walking together towards living ina good way.”Miigwetch Noreen for sharing your spirit andfor your courage to stand in your beauty as abeautiful Anishnaabe Ikwe. <strong>Ka</strong> <strong>Ni</strong> <strong>Ka</strong>nichihkis deeply honoured to put your name forwardfor this recognition.


Renewal CorporationManitobaAboriginal andNorthern Affairs

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!