NIpisihkopahk Acimowin

NIPISIHKOPAHK

ACIMOWIN

Ohpahowi Pîsim August 2021

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 45

T

ansi and welcome to another edition of the Acimowin. You can read Chief Vernon Saddleback’s weekly update on page 6 and see what he has to say about the homeless shelter closing in Wetaskiwin and how it’s going to be re-located in Samson. From Facebook: @samsoncreenation there, the Pigeon Lake Youth Day Camp took place over 3 days and you can see the pictures, youth workers and schedule on page 12. Good job to all the youth workers who worked the Youth Day Camp. Moving on, see the pictures on page 16 on the 2021 Alberta Twitter: @SamsonCree Indigenous Games in Edmonton. Chief Saddleback was present at the opening ceremonies along with teams from Samson. Finally, there was an Open Meeting behind the Willowview Centre about Instagram: @samsoncreenation the temporary homeless shelter that will be moved there-page23.

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The Samson Cree Nation Acimowin (Newsletter) Communications Coordinator, Delorna Makinaw.

SCN Covid 19 Colour Code Flag Email: dbmakinaw@gmail.com System for your window.

Events Planner, Angela Boysis-Bull.

SCN Vaccination Registration Email: ang.bbull@yahoo.com Phone Number.

Chief Vernon Saddleback Samson Communications Department: Box 159 Update via his Facebook page. Maskwacis, AB T0C 1N0. Ph: 780-585-3793 ext. 233 or Pigeon Lake Youth Day Camp.

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Table of Contents

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AB Indigenous Games 2021 SCN Departments: Please send your announcements, Opening Ceremony. events or information to the Acimowin for publication.

Pg 19 Central Cemetery Clean Up Email: guide@ualberta.ca Pictures.

Ph: 780-585-3793 ext. 266 Pg 20 Pictures from the All Nations Cup-Golf Tournament.

The Acimowin is released bi-weekly every month.

Pg 22 Justice For Day Scholars Advertisers please call the Communications Office.

Information.

Pg 23 Open Meeting for Temporary Community events can be forwarded to the Newsletter Shelter in the Town Site.

Please make it a JPEG format to save paper.

Pg 24 Request to Support Kids Cancer with Lyric Ermineskin.

Vision Statement HAWK 93.5 FM Radio Samson Cree Nation is a healthy, educated, To advertise with the only central Alberta knowledgeable and industrious community.

First Nations radio station please call: 780-585-4295.

Mission Statement Email: hawk.radio891@gmail.com Samson Cree Nation is a Sovereign Nation that is connect@hawkradio935.com dedicated to improving the quality of life for all our People Web: www.hawkradio935.com by maximizing our Human Resources and respecting our Contact: Robert “Bobby Jack” Ward.

Cree Language and Traditions of our Peoples. www.samsoncree.com/aboutus

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Maskwacis Covid 19 Timeline Total Cases

SCN Departments

Please send your announcements, events or information to the Acimowin for publication.

Email: guide@ualberta.ca Ph: 780-585-3793 ext. 266 4

Samson Communications Department @SamsonCreeNation

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July 31, 2021

myself to them.

Hello. Sorry I did not post last week but I am posting now.

I was horribly ill last week. I got a Covid 19 test and it was negative.

Last Friday July 30: We had a meeting with Maskwacis Cree Tribal Council (MCTC). We were talking about the evaluation process of Maskwacis Health Services.

July 26-28: We were in the Maskwacis Cultural College strategic planning and we discussing the future of the college. We are trying to find a permanent location for the college.

What happened last week leads into this week. Last week, Senior Administration was becoming concerned about the fentanyl deaths that we have been having in our community. I think we have had five in Maskwacis recently.

We had two last week so that’s raising the alarm. We are coming up with an immediate plan, a mid term plan and a long term plan. We had to do an eviction in the town site last week. There were warnings given to the occupants and its where one of the fatalities took place. We have to get a handle on the meth addictions and what it’s doing to our people.

We have to figure out how to provide supports for them. On Thursday’s meeting and with Covid 19 restrictions easing we realized we still have the isolation trailers. I suggested that the Open Doors project in Wetaskiwin is looking for a new home. Harper Potts from Emergency Management offered half the wing of the trailers, I believe it has 42 rooms in it.

All four nations were talking about who can host Open Doors. It’s such a critical program and they help our people who live the at risk lifestyle. So that was last week.

Let’s back up to last Thursday July 22: Deanna Cutknife thank you for inviting me to the Bring Our Children Home Peace Rally in Wetaskiwin. The rally focused on children in care and trying to bring them home and this is her second year doing it. With the residential school burial sites being found this year she focused on that this year. Elder Flora Northwest spoke along with Mayor Tyler Gandam.

I’ve said it before, you don’t have to be an elected leader to be a leader in the community. I want to thank Samson Community Wellness for supporting Deanna. There were some local bikers who showed up for support this year and they were there last year so this year I went and introduced 6

Samson Communications Department @SamsonCreeNation

Monday August 2: We were talking about bringing Open Doors to Samson. We invited Jessica Hutton, Chief Executive Officer of the Open Door Association to do a presentation for us. Some of the statistics are that 75% of the people who use Open Door services are from Maskwacis. With the program the crime rates are down and the hospital visits are down. It will be a regional solution not just for Samson. We will be reaching out to the Pigeon Lake area as well with this issue. Jessica said that the services will be mobile. The Open Door Association has to close their doors August 4th. I called in Council and some of them came in from their holidays to deal with this issue. I want to thank Council for supporting this project. We made a motion to allocate the isolation trailers to be the new home for the Open Door Association. We went ahead without knowing if there was going to be any funding from the province. We’re not sure who was funding them. We know FNHIB funds them with some of their budget. So we got that part done.

Tuesday August 3: I met with Kasohkowew Child Wellness Society, we did the financial fiscal audit and we approved it.

Thursday August 5: Esso hosts a yearly meeting on the Pigeon Lake reclamation project with the four nations and they provide a break down of where they are at. I made Councilor Laurie Buffalo proxy Chief for that project because she understands reclamation, oil and gas better than me. So she is the lead on that.

She will make sure all the concerns from Pigeon Lake are heard.

Thursday afternoon I was invited by the Wetaskiwin Mayor Tyler Gandam to attend a mayors conference. All the mayors in Alberta attended this. Chief Ermineskin was in attendance and he talked about the ground penetrating radar project going on at the former residential school. I spoke about us being good neighbours and that we should work together. I want to thank Mayor Gandam for the invite.

Friday August 6: We had an emergency child welfare meeting and I don’t talk about that much. We protect our children in care and that’s what I did Friday.

Wednesday August 4: We did approve to the bring the Open Door Association to Samson. On Wednesday night I was at home and Rick Wilson, Alberta Indigenous Services Minister, gave me a call and brought up the Open Doors project. He said he was trying to find it a home. I had to tell him that the nation made a motion to bring them in. Rick was happy about that. The Associate Minister of Health & Addictions Mike Ellis along with Rick and Chief did a tour of the facility Saturday July 31.

Most of Council and our Senior Administration including our BA Bonita Crier Saddleback showed up that Saturday along with Kim Potts, Harper Potts, and Deb Roberts. Chief was suggesting to the Ministers that a support system be created after the person is apprehended or released from the Samson Communications Department @SamsonCreeNation 7

hospital in order to get the proper help that they need. Samson also offered the Willowview building in case they need it. So for now, the province will be funding the Open Door Association. I am excited about this project.

Minister Mike Ellis also let me know that there might be funding for the Justice program that we have.

Policing also came up in the discussion so we will see where those projects go. I want to thank Senior Administration and Council for stepping up and helping people who are struggling.

Covid 19 is still with us so get tested if you can. I want to add this last statistic in: On July 29, Dr. Parminder Thiara, Regional Director, Primary and Population Health, FNIHB-AB, she stated that since January of this year, 87% of the deaths from Covid 19 have been from people who have not gotten their vaccines. She also stated that there have been no deaths for fully vaccinated First Nations people since January of this year. I want to thank the Maskwacis Health Services for pushing for the vaccines in our community. MHS has since gone mobile with their vaccinations and they are now going door to door.

One of the discussions we had at the strategic planning meeting was school. If our student vaccination rate does not go up we have figure out what we are going to do about the school year.

We might have to have virtual classrooms.

I got a note from Administration that the bad office will be closed for the month of August and maybe we will open up in September but it will depend of the numbers.

With that thank you very much.

Friday August 13, 2021, Shelter meeting.

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August 5, 2021 Pigeon Lake Recreation Centre: Youth Day Camp. Marcella Dion, PL Youth Program Coordinator.

Day Camp August 4,5,6, 2021.

The three day camp started off each morning with a smudge and prayer and some of the speakers were: Bernice Stoney, Trevor Larocque, Bill Lightning, Shawna Crier Potts, Kadee Omeasoo, Damian Omeasoo, Karlene Cutknife, Joe Brown, Lester Brown, Pat Buffalo, Marlyn Moonias, Janet Fox, Christopher Lightning, Terry Johnson and Rod Soosay.

The young people had a few activities like making rainbow tye dye t-shirts, calming jars, hand games, hoop dancing and at the end they had a feast and mini pow wow. Samson Councilor Katherine Swampy stopped by and took some pictures of the kids.

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Samson Community Friendship Center Source: Samson Community Friendship Center Facebook.

Soup Kitchen Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Every Wednesdays at 12:00 PM. soup and bannock with desert.

Our Volunteers networking group come together and build the entire community a beautiful, hearty meal.

New Volunteers are always welcome to the kitchen. Free WIFI and much more. Positive choices make for better lifestyles. Call Janet at the Food Bank. PH 780-361-7383

Dr. Heather Dreise

Samson Cree Nation: Pediatry PEDIATRIC CLINIC NOW OPEN Dr. Heather Dreise-Pediatrician Location: former MYI Building Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9 AM to 4 PM For Appointments call 780-585-4062.

Walk Ins are available.

From the Office of Samson Gas Utility SCN Community Wellness: Client Support

Services Ph: 780-335-5953. Outreach 780-3357439. Respite Care 780-335-9687.

Box 1200 Maskwacis, AB T0C 1N0 Ph: 780-585-3793 Email: gasutility.scn@ Samson Cree Nation Urban Office in gmail.com Edmonton.

Location: 12046 - 77 St. Edmonton.

Lyle Littlepoplar, Manager 1-780-335-6073 Ph: 780-477-6648 ext. 257 Everette Omeasoo, Supervisor 1-780-312-9748 Gas Co-op Shop 780-585-3547 Please Leave A Message Email: gasutility.scn@gmail.com Please call EXT#215, Cell 780-335-6073 or Email: lyle.littlepoplar2020@gmail.com If you have any questions on this matter. Thank you.

The Acimowin (Samson’s local newsletter) Submission Dates for 2021.

July Friday April 9 Friday April 23 August Friday March 13 Friday March 27

September Friday May 10 Friday May 24 October Friday Oct. 8 Friday Oct. 22

Integrated Family Services (IFS) Ph: 780-5852254 Email: integratedfamily@yahoo.com MMIWG 24/7 Toll Free Support Phone Line: 1-844-413-6649 Maskwacis Mobile Mental Health: Call us at any time on our hotline 780-362-2150 or Email : info@maaems.com 14 Samson Communications Department @SamsonCreeNation

Maskwacis Education Schools Commission

Transportation information: Starting in September 2021, MESC will be managing transportation for students attending MESC schools ans students attending local Wolf Cree Public Schools, STAR Catholic Schools and Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools.

Parents /Guardians with students attending MESC schools will need to ensure their land location is up to date using the MESC Parent Portal to have their student assigned to a bus.

Parents / Gaurdians with students needing transportation to local Wolf Creek Public Schools, STAR Catholic Schools and Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools need to contact MESC Transportation at 780-585-2506.

Please be advised that the Samson Cree Nation Personnel Department has a New Email Address: personnel.179@gmail.com Anybody applying for a job or submitting their documents to Personnel Department can send to the email provided. Thank You.

The Samson Cree Housing Department is now located at the Trades Centre (on Cranes Road).

New phone number: 780-585-3919 The Samson Community Initiatives Program 780-585-0111 Check them out on Facebook. @samsoncommunityinitiativesprogram

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August 12, 2021 West Edmonton Mall: 2021 Alberta Indigenous Games.

Presenting sponsors of the games: Alberta Government and the City of Edmonton. Platinum Sponsor: Ptarmigan Charitable Foundation. Gold Sponsors: Global Edmonton and West Edmonton Mall.

Silver Sponsors: Oteenow Employment and Training Society, Zach’s Food Truck, Edmonton Inn & Conference Centre and Just Serve. Media Sponsor: CFWE FM radio. Bronze Sponsors: Enoch Cree Nation, Indigenous Council of Alberta, Western Varieties Wholesale, TRI³ hardgear, Alberta Basketball, Rugby Alberta, Alberta Soccer Association, RBC bank, TD bank. Friends of the Games: Ben Calf Robe Society, Canadian Native Friendship Centre, Native Counselling Services of Alberta and McDonalds.

The Metis Settlement Teams: Buffalo Lake Metis, Kikino Metis, Grouard, Elizabeth and Conklin. Metis Nation of Alberta: MNA Voyageurs, Lac La Biche Dodgers.

Other Communities from outside Alberta: Beardy’s, Muskeg Lake, Cowessess, Makwa Sahgaiechan, Benchok, Ochapowace, Island Lake, Onion Lake, Wet’suwet’en, Kawacatoose, Kinngait, Thunderchild, Beyhcho’ko, Tuktoyatuk, Little Black Bear, Keeseekoose, Gjoa Howen, Liidii kae, Okanagan Indian Band, Kawacatoos and Sandy Bay. Chief Vernon Saddleback was present along with the Chief Ermineskin. The Samson team entered the Ice Palace arena with the rest of the First Nations, Inuit and Metis teams from all across Canada.

The Samson volleyball team “Serves You Right” will be playing Tuesday August 17, 2021, at the Saville Community Sports Centre 11610 65 Ave. NW Edmonton.

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July 28, 2021: Central Cemetery Clean Up. Thank you to the crew who cleaned up.

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July 28, 2021 Ponoka, Wolf Creek Golf Course: Host of the All Nations Senior Cup with over 600 First Nations male and female competitors. Former Oiler Ethan Bear was present.

Derwin Swampy DJ XLR from the Hawk 93.5 FM radio station with Ethan Bear.

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Friday August 13, 2021: Open Meeting for the Temporary Shelter in the SCN Town Site Willowview Building in Samson: Chief Vernon Saddleback, BA Bonita Crier Saddleback, Emergency Management Director Harper Potts and Sandy Palmer from Maskwacis Mobile Mental Health along with about 20 town site residents discussed the temporary location of the homeless shelter in the area. Chief Vernon stated that this is a temporary solution until a long term plan can be made for the location. Chief mentioned that it might be moved south of Whoville or near Pesakastew in the future.

Chief talked about the past problems that have led us to where we are at now. There has been some improvements like getting the province to temporary pay for the shelter and the work of the Mobile Mental Health and Steve Skakum’s work on bringing down the suicide rate in Samson.

Chief Vernon mentioned that leadership has short, mid and long term solutions to this issue. Rick Wilson, Indigenous Services Minister along with Mike Ellis, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, have stated that they want a full range of services available for the people of Maskwacis and will have a plan by August 20th for the Chief. The Chief will let the people know on how the discussions are going. The next meeting for the Shelter will be Friday August 27, 2021, Location to be announced.

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My Story This August 2021, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kid’s cancer!

Why? Because right now, over 1400 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and it’s the biggest killer of children from disease in Canada.

Kids should be living life not fighting for it.

So I am raising funds through my challenge to help these kids and support SickKids Foundation to allow them to continue their work in developing treatments and finding a cure for childhood cancer.

Please support me by making a donation to give these kids the brighter future they deserve.

Your support will change little lives.

Thank you.

Lyric.

Website: www.greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/LyricErmineskin

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Walkers end at Sask. River Forks SK.

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August 2021

behind HBMC 9:30 Newsletter.

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Treaty Day Thursday September 23, 2021 Announcement of Treaty Day: Samson Cree Nation Date: Thursday September 23, 2021 Time: 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Location: Behind the HBMC Recreation Centre in Samson.

Please provide picture ID. Parent needs ID for children.

SCN Covid 19 masks are for sale for $10. Contact the Samson Communications Department 780-585-3793 ext 233

►Jim O Cultural Centre News: Samson Band Members $150 Non Refundable. Non Samson Band Members $150 Non Refundable. $50 Damage Deposit. Centre must be cleaned after use, kitchen cleaned up, floors swept, chairs put away. Call 780-585-3793 ext. 159. No Double Booking. No Smoking. No Public Phone. ►Samson Trades: High volume of calls due to not changing furnace filters, please do not pour grease down the drains, the Housing department has moved into the Trades Center.

To see the back issues of the Acimowin.

www.issuu.com/samsoncreenation 28 Samson Communications Department @SamsonCreeNation