Thursday, September 5, 2019
VOLUME 2 I ISSUE 10
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
Teepee Monument builds community relationships JAMIE HARKINS WRITER
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The Onion Lake Cree Nation has taken a step toward changing the relationship between authority figures and the community’s youth. The Virtue and Community Belonging Project team opened a massive 31.5foot metal teepee monument symbolizing the process of healing through coming together as one people during a joyful ceremony in front of administration officials, school teachers and staff, members of the Onion Lake Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local families at the Four Directions corner near the Kihew Waciston Cree Immersion School on Tuesday afternoon. The b are me t al s t ruc t u re w as given life through the hanging of donated metal tablespoons engraved with community family names along with a teepee teachings virtue on its poles and branches at the conclusion of the celebration. Peggy Harper, a councillor at Eagleview Comprehensive High School and project co-initiator with Brenda Rediron-Chocan and Laili Yazdani, said they long-ago determined that increased parental engagement in the education system through
celebrating identity and belonging with families in the community was needed. She said they had to somehow get inside the homes of
these families to enact this change but in an unobtrusive way. The teepee teachings virtues of respect, thankful-
Jamie Harkins Meridian Source
Virtue and Community Belonging Project initiators, from back, Brenda Rediron-Chocan, Laili Yazdani and Peggy Harper attach their engraved spoons onto a branch of the Teepee Monument.
ness, responsibility, honesty, trust, love, obedience, confidence, forgiveness, sharing, strength and patience presented an opening, noted Harper, and led to the creation of the frame. She added every family has a tablespoon, so they decided to ask members of the Onion Lake Cree Nation to donate one from their home for engravement and placement on the structure to build a sense of community belonging. “A teepee represents our First Nations, of course, but because we’re such a diverse community we wanted to unify or bring people together,” said Rediron-Chocan, a fellow councillor at Eagleview Comprehensive High School. “This is not a religious thing by any means. It’s who we are and what we want to see families become. It’s easy to say you’re respecting. But, if you actually see the virtues on the structure it becomes more meaningful. It touches you. We all have the same virtues even if we’re all from different cultures.” Rediron-Chocan said it took two-and-a-half years of hard work gaining support from the Rural Municipality of Frenchman Butte which actually owns the land, the Onion Lake chief and council as well as local contrac-
tors and volunteer helpers to reach this point. She noted it also took rounds of discussions with community members to garner their interest and bring them on board. “Now that the monument is up it’s generating a lot of discussion,” said Yazdani, a community program officer with the Onion Lake RCMP. “People can actually see the structure and visualize it, so I think that will really help. Also, we’re having this opening ceremony and celebrating with the community. And today isn’t the only day families can hang their spoons. There will be other opportunities including a celebration each year on Family Day.” Harper said the continuing ceremonies at the teepee monument is only the first phase of their project. She said they’re asking families who donate spoons to display a chosen virtue above their door in an effort to create dialogue among community members plus they’re planning to develop the area near the teepee into a park. “It brings a sense of belonging,” said Harper. “It’s what we need to bring our youth home because we know our youth are at risk whether it’s here in Onion Lake or in Lloydminster or in any reserve across Canada. This creates a sense of belonging for them.”