Culture Crash Course: A Taste of Northern Saskatchewan

Waterhen Lake in northern Saskatchewan's boreal forest. August 29, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

Waterhen Lake in northern Saskatchewan’s boreal forest. August 29, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

I’m from the deep south of Saskatchewan, where the only natural trees grow in coulees and on creek banks. Down here, life is defined by the open prairie, the rugged hills, and the vast sky. Place defines our cultural identities. It shapes who we are and how we live. This past week, I was given the opportunity to travel north and to participate in cultural experiences that, though they are within the boundaries of the same province, were new to me, and very much shaped by the natural landscape.

SaskCulture Outreach Consultant Damon Badger Heit and I made a trek north to the Meadow Lake area, nestled in the boreal forest. It was the furthest north I have ever been to date, though when I checked out a map of Saskatchewan, I realized that it is still only about halfway up our vast province. Life there is defined by forest and abundant lakes. As soon as we travelled west and north from Prince Albert on Highway 55, the change in both landscape and culture was evident. For instance, one of the main topics of conversation was berries, particularly blueberries – where to find the best ones, the distances people had travelled in search of them, the quality of this year’s berry harvest. We drank wild mint tea that had been picked in the nearby forest. The road was full of logging trucks, not the grain semis and farm equipment I’m used to in the south.

As a community engagement animateur, my job is to engage and animate communities about culture. But I always end up on the receiving end of engagement and animation. I am constantly learning new things about the cultural fabric of this province. On this particular trip, Damon coordinated a series of learning adventures which allowed me to interact with a few cultures that I had previously had little personal experience with: Métis and traditional Cree culture.

Openin of the Northern Indigenous Media Arts Project at the Mann Art Gallery, Prince Albert. August 27, 2015. Kristin Catherwood.

Opening of the Northern Indigenous Media Arts Project at the Mann Art Gallery, Prince Albert. August 27, 2015. Kristin Catherwood.

First we attended the opening of Northern Indigenous Media Arts Project exhibition at the Mann Art Gallery in Prince Albert. The project enabled aboriginal youth to explore culture through the art of photography, allowing us to glimpse the world as they see it. Next we stopped at Keewatin Junction Station in Green Lake, a café housed in a former train station which doubles as a Métis cultural interpretive centre. Over the next couple days we visited three First Nation bands, experiencing a sweat lodge, feast and a Pow Wow. Oh, and I managed to squeeze in a workshop on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Meadow Lake as well.

The most profound experience of all was inclusion in two traditional Cree ceremonies. At Waterhen Lake First Nation I was honoured to participate in a sweat lodge ceremony. It was my first experience at a sweat, and Damon made sure I knew the proper etiquette: the offerings of tobacco and broadcloth, the proper attire, and the importance of bringing a towel! Though I was nervous since this was all new to me, I was so graciously welcomed by the elders leading the ceremony and all the other participants that it was easy to put my anxiety aside and commit to fully experiencing the ceremony. I will never forget it.

Keewatin Junction Station in Green Lake is a cafe/coffee shop as well as a Metis cultural heritage interpretive centre. August 28, 2015. Kristin Catherwood.

Keewatin Junction Station in Green Lake is a cafe/coffee shop as well as a Metis cultural heritage interpretive centre. August 28, 2015. Kristin Catherwood.

During my time at Waterhen, Damon showed me a place of offerings atop one of Water Hen’s Seven Hills. There people have left gifts for the Little People. Cultures around the world honour local spirits in this way, and it was humbling to see the reverence with which they are regarded by the many gifts left for them. The forest and the lake are a powerful force, and I felt compelled to make my own small offering in that place.

Before beginning our long journey home, we were invited to attend a Feast at Flying Dust First Nation. I was again immersed in traditional Cree culture, and thankful for the honour of being there, and for the guidance I received in how to conduct myself during the ceremony. We feasted on traditional northern foods like moose and elk meat, bannock, berries and wild mint tea, as well as more modern fare like garden potatoes and frosted cake. I learned that at a Feast, you eat until the food is all gone. Needless to say, Damon and I did not feel the need to stop for snacks on the drive home!

The sign for the Mistawassis Pow Wow, written in the local vernacular. August 29, 2015. Kristin Catherwood.

The sign for the Mistawasis Pow Wow, written in the local vernacular. August 29, 2015. Kristin Catherwood.

On the way back to Regina, we stopped at the Mistawasis First Nation Pow Wow. Dancers in traditional regalia mingled with the crowd, and I was struck by the pride I could see in the performer’s faces. It was a potent reminder that the celebration of culture is powerful. Altogether, my quick trip to the north was something of a crash course in traditional Cree culture. It was a totally immersive experience one of great personal significance.

We live in a province of incredible diversity: diversity of landscape, of people, of culture. So often we exist only within our own cultural comfort zones. We may observe another culture by reading about it, looking at art about it, or watching videos of it, we may eat so-called “ethnic foods” at a restaurant, or watch a cultural performance. But to truly understand culture, we must experience it in a personal way – by participating.  I am grateful I had the opportunity to do just that in my first ever northern Saskatchewan experience.

 

“Lighting the pipes” – The Two Spirit International gathering

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a portion of the 28th International Two Spirit gathering which was held at Batoche, SK. Since 1987 this weekend retreat has been held for First Nations and Indigenous Two Spirit people and their partners, family and friends.

As I learn about this part of the indigenous culture, I am struck by the high regard held for the two spirit individual within many tribes.  That someone who embraces both male and female traits would be revered and being very special people.  In modern culture, where the fluidity of gender is evolving it is necessary to find ones place within that cultural landscape.  My observation during the opening “Lighting of the Pipes” ceremony and the lighting of the fire (which burned throughout the three day event), was that those who gathered held the First Nations rituals in the highest regard.  The opening ceremony consisted of the building of the sweat lodge, the lighting of the pipes, and the sharing of the feast. Under the star-lit skies, we gathered around the teepee, and there was a palpable feeling of unity present. This was a weekend where participants felt safe to celebrate and to heal. Myself included. And indeed, it was an international gathering.

I had the opportunity to attend the sharing/healing circle. It began with the “smudging” as was done in the opening ceremony. The eagle feather, is passed to each individual as they share their own story and how they name their experience. It is an intensely personal time. As with the opening ceremony, I was struck by the strength of the women in the leadership role. And hearing them speak  brought me to tears.

I had many questions about the tradition of tobacco within the First Nations’ gatherings. Mostly out of ignorance and fear of making a mistake. I had some very good guidance from within the Two Spirit community in Saskatoon as well as SaskCulture.

Elders and traditional teachers are held in high regard within First Nations culture. They are leaders, teachers, role models and mentors.  Tobacco is one of the four sacred medicines. I spent an evening in advance of the weekend making white fabric pouches and filled each with tobacco and tied with a blue ribbon. The colours were purposely chosen.  I had originally planned to make an offering of tobacco in exchange for the chance to talk and share stories for a podcast (as is the case in episode 52 of SaskScapes with guest Jack Saddleback).  The three women who led the opening ceremony and who spoke so powerfully at the sharing circle the following day was so significant for me, that what I intuited to be most appropriate was to make an offering as a personal thanks. A deeply personal thanks. Not asking for anything in return, for what was given me had already been done. The experience. I was, in that moment, not there representing SaskCulture alone, I was there for me.  I found time to take each of the three aside privately and as I place the tobacco in the left hand of each, tears came to my eyes. “Thank you for what you have given me this day”. As a member of the LGBT community I identify with what had been shared around the issue of finding ones place and of healing.  And in that moment of offering I began to understand the true significance of the presentation of tobacco and the feeling of profound gratitude for being in that moment and sharing this tradition.

 

The Nature of Culture at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

The Artist's Cabin at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. July 26, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

The Artist’s Cabin at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. July 26, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

…or is it the culture of nature? Both are loaded terms with varying definitions. But, taken at their most basic, culture is “the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another” while nature is “the material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities” (both definitions come from www.dictionary.com). To make it even simpler: nature is the world as it is without human interference and culture is the world as it is perceived and lived by humans. Culture is always influenced by the natural world, and we usually give meaning to the natural world based upon our cultural background.

Head-scratching definitions aside, when nature and culture intersect as they do at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, it is truly an animating and memorable experience. The park is perhaps best known for its recreational opportunities: camping, hiking, horseback riding, birdwatching, snowmobiling, and ziplining. Of course, these are all cultural activities, too, since the way people choose to spend their leisure time is reflective of cultural values. But enough with the definitions!

Beyond the recreational activities which allow people to interact with the stunning natural landscape of the Cypress Hills, the park also offers opportunities for engagement with arts and culture. There is the park interpretive centre as well as nearby Fort Walsh National Historic Site. But nothing connects people to place like story. Park interpreter and master storyteller Mimi Martin leads visitors on a spine-tingling Haunted Happenings hike through the trails of the park.

More than 100 brave souls accompanied Mimi Martin on the Haunted Happenings guided hike at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. July 25, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

More than 100 brave souls accompanied Mimi Martin on the Haunted Happenings guided hike at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. July 25, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

As visitors follow Mimi up and down the hills of the evening-shrouded paths, she spins tales of the Northwest Mounted Police, of First Nations people, who called it the Thunder Breeding Hills, of the Métis bison hunters, and of the settler era of covered wagons and sod shacks. She also tells more recent stories, of camp counselors necking in the woods whilst a murderer lurks in the shadows, of bloodcurdling screams disturbing the peace of the forest. To listen to stories below towering lodgepole pines and learn about the intangible cultural heritage of the park is an experience that could happen in no other place. The stories and the natural world of their setting are totally intertwined. Though the Haunted Happenings walk is perhaps the most popular (because who doesn’t love a good ghost story?) other guided tours focus on astronomy, since Cypress Hills is a designated Dark Sky Preserve, and a Floriography, Fairies and Folklore walk which explores the park’s flora and its associated lore.

Children sit and listen, spellbound, as Mimi tells tales of mysterious happenings in the Cypress Hills. July 25, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

Children sit and listen, spellbound, as Mimi tells tales of mysterious happenings in the Cypress Hills. July 25, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

Another way of expressing culture is through the creation of art. Art in the Park, sponsored by the Saskatchewan Arts Board, is an artist-in-residence program. All summer long, selected artists have the opportunity to work on their projects as well as present workshops to the public in the Artist’s Cabin. The art grows out of nature, in the form of inspiration, and sometimes literally in the form of paintings on rocks and fallen tree branches. One of this year’s artists-in-residence, Wendy Nuttall, is a photographer who offers workshops to teach people how to capture their own particular interpretation of nature through a camera lens.

Artist-in-Residence Wendy Nuttall's armed with her artistic tool: her camera. July 26, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

Artist-in-Residence Wendy Nuttall’s armed with her artistic tool: her camera. July 26, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

All places are cultural, but when culture is celebrated in a place that has been set aside to preserve its nature, there is an opportunity to experience a place even more meaningfully. If one has a creative bent, art, in any form, whether a photograph, a painting, a sculpture, or a well-told story can be the result. Next time you are out in nature, ask yourself, “what are the stories of this place?”

Layers of Culture in Ogema

It might sound strange to ask the question, what do 9000 year-old bison bones, handmade Italian pizza and passenger trains have in common? But the answer, “you can find them all in Ogema” makes sense to anyone who was in that corner of the province this past weekend.

Ogema is usually known for its pioneer and settler history, since it is home to the Deep South Pioneer Museum  and the Southern Prairie Railway. However, from July 3rd-6th, a whole new level of Ogema’s past was unearthed. The Saskatchewan Archaeological Society presented a public excavation of the Farr Site just a few kilometres from the town of Ogema.

The Farr Site Excavation Site near Ogema. July 4, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

The Farr Site Excavation Site near Ogema. July 4, 2015. Kristin Catherwood

At the same time as the dig was going on, Ogema was celebrating its 101st Agricultural Fair on Saturday, July 4th and its Museum Day on Sunday, July 5th. Both the fair and the museum speak to the deep pioneer roots of this farming community. As well, the Southern Prairie Railway train chugged along the tracks, visible from the dig site. This resurrection of what used to be common on the prairies – passenger train travel – is an example of cultural tourism. Main Street Ogema was thronged with people visiting the local ice cream shop and the Italian pizzeria, indicative of 21st century culture. Meanwhile, at the dig site, the fierce prairie wind blew as participants scraped away thousands of years’ worth of soil, unearthing processed bison bones and projectile points dating from about 9000 years ago, identifying the site as part of the Cody Complex and potentially marking it out as one of the oldest excavation sites in Saskatchewan.

A steam-powered tractor evokes pioneer culture at the Deep South Pioneer Museum Day parade. July 5, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

A steam-powered tractor evokes pioneer culture at the Deep South Pioneer Museum Day parade. July 5, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

 

The Farr Site is on the northern slope of a hill which affords a stunning view of the surrounding countryside, and its cultural markers. To the right there was a decaying homestead, bookended by a barn with a missing roof. Just down the dirt road from the dig site, there were the ruins of the former Ogema Wheat Pool elevator, or part of it, turned upside down in a field, while a van spray painted with “Ogema” and “Riders” stood sentinel in front. Further down from the site in the opposite direction, modern farm equipment reminded us that this land, which has provided a livelihood for thousands of years, continues to provide one in a completely different way. Meanwhile, at the Deep South Pioneer Museum just a few kilometres away, there was a parade of antique tractors, one a steam-powered tractor from 1911. All of these images are cultural ones, from the 9000 year old spear points to the 21st century farm equipment. All of them tell us something about the culture of southern Saskatchewan – the many layers of culture, both tangible and intangible, that reside in any one place.

The ruins of a grain elevator near the Farr Site at Ogema. July 4, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

The ruins of a grain elevator near the Farr Site at Ogema. July 4, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

Ogema is not unique in this regard, though last weekend presented a unique opportunity to witness all of these layers intermingling. Each and every place has its own layers of culture. Take a look around at your own community and see if you can identify the different cultural layers, past and present, that contribute to the unique cultural map of your place.

Unearthing the ancient past at the Farr Site. July 4, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

Unearthing the ancient past at the Farr Site. July 4, 2015. Photo: Kristin Catherwood

SaskScapes Season Two!

It is so exciting to be back as Community Engagement Animateur to continue the SaskScapes podcast series.  There are still so many stories to tell.

Having someone tell you their story can be a very important moment in their lives and yours. Our stories are the great “unifier”.  A common bond of shared experiences.

SaskScapes is an “aural archive” chronicling stories of the past, present, kindness, courage, creativity, decency, dignity, resilience and strength. 48 episodes to date, over 28 hours of conversation and a listenership of over 11,000 and growing – from as far away as Kenya – the world is listening to your stories Saskatchewan! And this year you get to have your voice heard.

I welcome the opportunity to talk to any of you who feel there is a story that needs to be heard.  And I want to ENGAGE your communities in this series.  There seems to be a tremendous interest in “StorySlams” which is one of my most favourite podcast types to listen to.  A StorySlam is a public event where folks who have signed up have had a chance to craft a true story from their lives and distill it down to it’s essence of 5 minutes in length. That part is done in a workshop the day before,  then your community is invited to attend as the stories are being shared.  And, if you’d like, it’s tradition to have a bit of a friendly “competition” and have the audience choose their favourite story of the evening. That person could perhaps be featured in your town’s newsletter, or website.

You can find all of the previously recorded episodes here on the iheartculture.ca website, or download them for free from iTunes or Stitcher radio.

I’ve enjoyed meeting Carol and Kristin, my two CEA colleagues. We’ve been travelling together of the past few weeks, along with Damon Badger Heit and meeting with members of the communities in group sessions where we’ve shared what we can bring to your communities. Your response has been wonderful!

Just incase you’re asking yourself “what is this podcast thing all about anyway?” Here’s how I like to think of it:

Podcasts are the fastest growing form of spoken word and music on the Internet today. Millions of people download them daily. Think of a podcast as a radio style talk show. But unlike radio, you don’t have to wait for your favorite program to air. It’s on demand, ready for you to listen to when you want – streaming from the Internet or downloading to your computer, iPod, smart phone, iPad or other devices that can play mp3 files. Podcasts are portable. Listen to them while you’re driving, gardening, camping, exercising….

I look forward to engaging with you and your communities once again!

 

Culture Days in Saskatchewan – 5 Years and Growing

Clay workshop at the MacKenzie Art Gallery - Photo by Shawn Fulton Highland Dancing - Photo by Shawn Fulton

It’s been over five years since Saskatchewan joined forces with other provinces across the country to host Culture Days – a three-day celebration, held annually the last weekend in September, which encourages the public to engage in the cultural life of our communities.

“Culture Days emerged as a way to highlight the diversity of cultural activity available in the province, and as a proactive idea to help develop new audiences,” explains Rose Gilks, general manager, SaskCulture and member of the national Culture Days Board of Directors. “After five years, the numbers and testimonies show that Culture Days has contributed to a steady growth in cultural awareness, and increased participation by residents in the cultural life of their communities.”

Thanks to SaskCulture’s Culture Days Funding Assistance Grant, many organizations have received grants to help them engage new audiences in interactive cultural experiences during the Culture Days weekend.  Since its inception in 2012, SaskCulture has given out over $400,000 to groups supporting Culture Days.  “Thanks to this grant, we have also had many new groups learn more about what SaskCulture has to offer,” adds Gilks.  And, this support continues.

2014 Culture Days in Saskatchewan

In 2014, Culture Days continued to gain momentum in Saskatchewan.  The number of registered activities grew, social media connections flourished, animateur liaisons developed, and participation increased.  Promotion of the 2014 campaign included a participation guide flyer, “save the date” postcards, a promotional insert which was delivered to over 300,000 Saskatchewan households with SaskEnergy bills, paid Facebook and Twitter campaigns, ads placed in rural Saskatchewan weekly newspapers, comprehensive event guides for Saskatoon and Regina which were inserted in the Prairie Dog, Planet S, the QC and Bridges, highway billboards as well as reusable vinyl banners and blank posters for use by activity organizers.

Culture Days 2014 by the numbers:

  • 263 registered activities
  • 50 communities
  • 91 activity organizers
  • 960 new Facebook likes, 645 new Twitter followers
  • 870 video views on YouTube with an estimated 1,423 minutes watched by viewers
  • 44 episodes of the SaskScapes podcast produced with over 12,000 downloads
  • 26,264 total estimated attendance at Culture Days activities in Saskatchewan

Click on the graphs below to enlarge them…

 

Number of Participants

Culture Days Activities Registered

 

Pioneer Women Project

A group of people in Weyburn is raising funds for a sculpture of a pioneer woman.

As part of this project, the Committee, made up of Jan Linnell, Mayvis Goranson and M. Isabelle Butters, is encouraging people to share stories of Saskatchewan pioneer women. Two schools in Weyburn invited me to help turn their students’ narratives into digital stories. Grade 5 students at Assiniboia Park Elementary School were given the assignment to write about a pioneer woman travelling through time to the present day or to imagine a person from the year 2014 traveling back in time to pioneer days. The students wrote scripts, collected photos and produced imaginative digital stories that included a lot of references to Wal-Mart, cell phones, girls wearing pants, electricity, melting snow for water and general stores.

Later in the week, I visited Souris School and worked with 11 grade 5 students. Each had been given the assignment to interview a woman at a seniors’ home. The students brainstormed questions as a class and took a day trip to one of the local seniors’ homes, where they met women “as young as 94 years old,” as one student put it. After finding out what life was like for some of the seniors, the students took photos, wrote scripts and produced digital stories.

On the day that I was at Souris School, a couple of women from the Pioneer Woman Sculpture Committee and interested seniors visited the school to see what the students were up to. The students explained their projects to the seniors, who were impressed with the students’ creativity, dedication to the project, and their technical skills.

For more information about the Pioneer Woman Sculpture Project, please contact:

Ross McMurtry: 306-848-0444 Stan Runne: 306-842-5864 or Leo Leydon: 306-842-2595

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Sunday at the LMLCC

I spent the Sunday of Culture Days Weekend at the Last Mountain Lake Cultural Centre (LMLCC), for a full day of Poetry Readings, an Artist Talk, a Gallery Reception, and a workshop on Paper Quilting.

The Paper Quilting Workshop I facilitated incorporated a Culture Days Activity that happened the previous Friday: A Photographic Scavenger Hunt.   From this activity, participants brought their photos of the Lake and surrounding area to the workshop.

We took those photos and adhered them to various types of paper, then layered other items around the photo (i.e., pieces of fabric, buttons, lace or ribbon). Once we were satisfied with our assemblage of tidbits, we then used a darning needle and thick crochet thread to quilt around the collage.  Although we didn’t have any experienced quilters in the group, you couldn’t tell.  Most of the ladies were very adept at stitching and in no time had a small Paper Quilt.

 

 

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Printmaking at Traditions

Traditions Hand Craft Gallery, on 13th Ave in Regina, was one of nine Galleries that participated in an “ArtWalk” on the Saturday of of Culture Days Weekend. In essence, people were encouraged to engage in a self-guided tour, using the ArtWalk Map, and visit all nine Galleries: Assiniboia Gallery, Dunlop Art Gallery, Hague Gallery, Mysteria Gallery, Nouveau Gallery, Sakewewak Artists Collective, SLATE Fine Art Gallery, Singing Winds Gallery at Tatanka Boutique and Traditions Hand Craft Gallery.

In celebration of the ArtWalk, Traditions Hand Craft Gallery invited two Performance Artists and myself to add to the festivities.

While the two Performance Artists braved the cold, wet weather in front of the Gallery, I had the luxury of a little table set up inside the shop.  I gave brief tutorials on how to make a simple styrofoam print and then encouraged participants to make a few.

Again, despite the weather there was a constant stream of participants at my table for the afternoon.  People of all ages tried their hand at making prints of patterns, animals, and other inspirational images.

 

Artist Talk at Shurniak

On the Friday night of Culture Days Weekend three artists (myself, Jay Kimball, and Patricia Holdsworth) spoke at the Shurniak Gallery in Assiniboia.  All three of us have current exhibitions at the Gallery so the Reception was perfect timing with Culture Days.

I spoke mostly about the process involved in my artwork.  Jay Kimball spoke about the theory and philosophy behind his ceramics. And Patricia Holdsworth addressed the composition and inspiration of her photography.

The Gallery provided two fun Culture Days cakes, and many other goodies, and attendance was good.

Although the Reception was brief (7 – 9 p.m.) the event passed quickly, as there was much conversation and visiting.

Thanks Shurniak Gallery.

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