Year-In-Review: Indigenous Accomplishments & News of 2014

2014 was the year, Indigenous People made a lot of progress, but was also another year of activism from the grassroots and Aboriginal politicians against a Conservative Government that has long ignored their efforts; From calls for an inquiry of the 1200+ Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women to many controversial bills that have passed legislation (with some failing like the First Nations Education Act, that forced the resignation of then AFN Chief Shawn Atleo), 2014 was a year mired in politics with Indigenous people trying to change history or at least change the outcome of it.

However, 2014 wasn’t all about politics, as many Indigenous People achieved milestones, as you will read in our 2014 Indigenous Accomplishments and News of the Year, which was also a year that seen Indigenous Women dominated the headlines. So although we couldn’t cover everything, here is just some of the biggest accomplishments and news of 2014, both locally and nationally.

JANUARY: The Four Launches, First TV show to feature four aboriginal women talking everyday issues

In January, The Four launched on Access 7 (Photo by Bill Stevenson)

Shauneen Pete, Shannon Fayant, Bevann Fox and Robyn Morin make up the all female cast of this new talk show which launched in January on Access 7 (Access Communication). The Four’s format was similar to The View, but it was different because it touched on a lot of issues facing Indigenous women and society and was also picked up in syndication in the US. Season 2 is set to kick off sometime in 2014. – Chris Tyrone Ross

FEBRUARY: Eriel Deranger organizes Neil Young Anti-Oil Sands Fundraisers

The “Honor the Treaties” Concert Tour was a project to help fundraise legal fees for the Athabasca Chipweyan First Nation (ACFN). The concert series was started in 2013 by Neil Young touring Fort McMurray and surrounding area with nation member: Eriel Deranger (a main activist and advocate for ACFN). Neil Young launched the “Honor the Treaties Concert” tour after visiting the territory and witnessing the first hand impacts of the Oil Sands. Neil Young met with Chief Allan Adam of ACFN and learned more about the legal battle that is ongoing. This legal battle is opposing the expansion and opening of Shell Canada’s Jackpine Mine project in their territory (Treaty 8). The concert tour reached the fundraising goal of $75,000.00 through the four stop concert series. The “Honor the Treaties” tour reached a wide audience of Canadians that kick-started discussions about the Oil Sands and the industrial site’s impacts on First Nation people and territories and even the globe. Neil Young toured through Winnipeg, Toronto, Regina, and Calgary. – Lace Mode

(Image: Eriel Deranger, Designed by TREATY)

MARCH: A Tribe Called Red Wins Juno, first Aboriginal to win New Group (George Leach also wins Best Aboriginal CD)

The 2014 Juno Award, Breakthrough Group of the Year was awarded to: A Tribe Called Red, the Indigenous Electric Powwow Drum group who consists of DJ Shub, DeeJay NDN, and DJ Bear Witness. This was the first time an Indigenous group has won outside of the Aboriginal Juno specific Category. It was a conscious decision for the group to not enter the Aboriginal Album of the Year Category, which was awarded to George Leach’s album Surrender. The group and their public stance on their decision raises questions whether or not the Juno’s need Aboriginal specific awards? – Lace Mode

A Tribe Called Red became the first Aboriginal group to win Best New Group at the 2014 Junos (Photo: Mike Dubois)

MARCH: Joseph Boyden’s Book: The Orenda wins Canada Reads 2014

“The Orenda” author Joseph Borden (Photo: www.cbc.ca)

Joseph Boyden, an Indigenous Canadian author, won the Canada Reads 2014 awards and competition for novel, “The Orenda”. The competition hosts Canadian personalities and they each pick a Canadian novel and publicly debate which novel should all Canadians read. The novel “The Orenda” was chosen over Margaret Atwood’s novel, “The Year of the Flood”. The book’s storyline is about before Canada formed as a formal nation and takes place between the Jesuit Missionaries and Iroquois and Huron. The competition has a goal to choose a novel that is meant to change our nation. – Lace Mode

MARCH: Erica Violet Forces Name Change of Bedford Road Redmen

The Saskatoon High School Bedford Road Collegiate changed their school name and mascot this year after many years of public debate and complaints lead by Erica Violet. The name was dropped after a Saskatoon School Board motion in March and after three months of meetings with Staff, students and Alumni the school revealed their new name Bedford Redhawks. The school began using the name “Redman” in the 1920’s and adopted an Aboriginal Man to be the logo in the 1960’s. The school said the name originally reflected the color of the sports teams jerseys and not any race. Without Erica Violet’s efforts, the name Redmen might never have changed today. – Lace Mode

From Redmen to RedHawks – Bedford Road’s new team name

JUNE: Supreme Court of Canada Tsilhqot’in Nation Land Title Ruling

The land title grantment was a one of a kind Supreme Court ruling in Canada. It granted Aboriginal title to more than 1700 kilometers of Tsilhqot’in territory to the Tsilhqot’in First Nation, which is made up of six bands. This sets a precedent for First Nations who have not signed Treaty in Canada. In 2012, the Tsilhquot’in First Nation was granted hunting, trade, and trapping within a large area of land. The government said that specific site declaration must be made where the traditional historic camps were, but the First Nation advocated that they were semi-nomadic to keep the land title broad. The Nation was successful in their resistance to narrowing their land title and claim. – Lace Mode

JULY: Regina Hosts 2014 North American Indigenous Games

Regina hosted the North American Indigenous Games 2014 (NAIG). The NAIG website states, “the event showcase(d) unity, sport, culture, youth, volunteerism and teamwork amongst First Nations, Metis, and non-Indigenous”. The weeklong events hosted teams and groups from 21 nations in North America through 14 sporting events including cultural events. The games, thousands of people to Regina and injected millions of dollars into Regina’s economy. – Lace Mode

The 2014 North American Indigenous Games brought in millions of dollars into Regina’s local economy (Photo by Ryan Peterman – Leftboot Photography)

AUGUST: First 5 Aboriginal Nurses to Fast Track and Graduate from U of R Nursing Program – Read Full Story here

SEPTEMBER: Six Nations Lacrosse Team Wins National Championship

The Six Nations Chiefs won the Mann Cup (Canadian Senior Men’s Championship) at the Peterborough Memorial Center with a 9-4 win over the Victoria Shamrocks. They took the best of seven series overall with 4-2 win. – Lace Mode

Six Nations Chiefs Win National Lacrosse Championship (Photo: thepeterboroughexaminer.com)

SEPTEMBER: Protect the Sacred – The making of a cross border and multicultural alliance: The Nawtsamaat Alliance.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous political and spiritual leaders signed the Nawtsamaat Alliance Treaty to, “heighten awareness of the increased risks and threats to (Pacific Northwest Coastline spanning BC and Washington State) by a fossil fuel industry that continues to exploit and destroy it. The Alliance mobilizes international, cross-cultural, and co-creative joint action to block fossil fuel projects such as the proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion in British Columbia, as well as oil trains, coal trains, oil tankers, ports and other pipelines.” On September 22nd, 2014, First Nations from the BC Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and Washington State came together to sign a historic treaty to protect the Salish Sea from tar sands oil and related threats; making the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project illegal under Coast Salish Law. The Indigenous Nations in this region are exercising their sovereignty in the creation of this Treaty and Alliance to ban the activity of oil and gas companies in their traditional lands and territory. – Lace Mode

SEPTEMBER: Tanya Tagaq, Indigenous Inuit Musician won the 2014 Polaris Music award in September beating Arcade Fire and Drake

The Polaris Music Award recognizes Canadian recorded music “of the highest artistic integrity” as stated on their website. The winner for 2014, Tanya Tagaq and her album Animism is breaking many barriers and definitions in music. Tanya Tagaq’s album Animism described by Geoff Berner off her official website: “If you listen, you will careen through a panorama of the contradictions of existence. You can hear the living land, and the land under assault. You can hear children being born and conceived. You can hear the torture of the innocent, and the glory of the tenacious, unstoppable force of life. If you listen you can actually hear the sound of a people defying genocide to rise, wounded but alive, strong, and ready to fight.” – Lace Mode

Tanya Tagaq won the Polaris Music Award in 2014, which is the most prestigous honour for Canadian Music every year.

OCTOBER: The ‘Falcon’ Almost Becomes Winnipeg’s First Aboriginal Mayor

Robert Falcon-Oullette (Cree) was an electoral candidate for Mayor in the Winnipeg, MB election 2014. He has been nicknamed “the Falcon” from his public speeches during his electoral candidate addresses, especially on his approach to topics such as race, Indigenous women issues, and poverty. Falcon’s history involves him growing up impoverished, spending time in the Military, and also includes his education credentials, which are lengthy: Bachelor of arts in music from the University of Calgary, master’s in music and master’s in education from Université Laval, and a PhD in anthropology from Laval. Falcon ended up coming up short but third overall in the Winnipeg Election. – Lace Mode

OCTOBER: Sisters in Spirit Raises Awareness for Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women

Hundreds of people were in attendance at the annual Sisters In Spirit Vigil, which took place on Saturday, October 4, 2014 at the First Nations University of Canada. This year’s event focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. According to Jacqueline Anaquod, event organizer, this vigil is crucial to providing “a traditional and ceremonial space for our community members who have been affected by violence.”

One of Jacqueline’s goals for this event was to “bridge Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together.” With the help of organizations like University of Regina, UofR Students’ Union, Amnesty International, Prairie Lily Feminist Group, and especially Regina Police Service, Jacqueline says she is hopeful that together they can “build relationships so that our future generations will have a foundation to stand on”. – Lani Elliot

Sisters in Spirit Vigil and Round Dance held at First Nations University (Photo by Chris Tyrone Ross)

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY – READ OUR EXTENDED VERSION HERE!

OCTOBER: Treaty 4 Medal Returns Home

A rare Treaty Four Medal, one of only 21 original medals presented to each chief who entered into treaty on Sept. 15, 1874 has finally come home, thanks to the intervention of Paula Acoose, a proud member of the Treaty Four Territory, and her husband, Ray McCallum.

The medal was purchased at auction in Ontario by the couple, who went up against five other bidders. When it discovered that this medal would be available to purchase, the couple dipped into their own personal savings, to the tune of $48,300 to bring this medal home because they knew the significance of it. And according to McCallum, “you can’t put a price on history. Generations to come are going to embrace this medal; we cannot put a measurement on that. For me this medal represents an entire history of Treaty Four since its existence in 1874, and it brings forward the spirit and intent of the negotiations. And so for that reason I am very proud for the people of Treaty Four to now have this medal in their possession.”

As for Acoose, she “has always wanted to be able to have an opportunity like this to support my people, and to support the kids too, and this (medal) is something tangible that they can hold and see and feel, and they know that they are Treaty people.” On September 29, 2014, Acoose’s dream to bring the medal home to her Treaty Four Territory became a reality. – Lani Elliot

One of 21 Original Treaty 4 Medals was returned home by Paula Acoose and Roy McCallum (Photo: Chris Tyrone Ross)

NOVEMBER: North Central Lakers Football Team Comes Close to City Championship

The North Central Lakers are Regina’s inner-city youth football team. Starting out in 2006 as the Pee Wee Blues this team entered the Bantam Football Division in 2007 and adopted the Lakers name.

Coach Brandon Brooks has been there since the start and remembers his early years as being a bit rough, “My first year we went 0-8. The second year we went 1-7. The third year we went 1-7. Once we were able to get uniforms that represented us. We found our identity and started moving forward.”

It wasn’t until the next year that Coach Brooks recalls his first successful season, “2009 we had our first successful season were we went 6-1-1 and we lost in the first round of the playoffs.”

And from that day on the North Central Lakers have not looked back, indeed this year was the first year in the clubs young history to play in the Bantam Championship final. Sadly, after that first touchdown by the Renegades and despite three Laker’s interceptions, and a hard battle that see-sawed the scoreboard throughout the game the final score came out to be a heartbreaking loss of 38-26 in the Renegades favor.

Coach Brooks intends to plan his team better next year and tip’s his hat to the Bantam Division Coaching, “The Bantam Division in the Regina Minor Football has great coaching. I think we have to make sure our boys are more ready for the unexpected each game.”

To the inner-city youth that come to play on his team from all ethnic backgrounds Coach Brooks wants to encourage them by saying, “If you choose to play football then you better make sure that it’s the sport for you. It’s the greatest sport on the planet, but if you’re not sold on being committed it can be a brutal sport to play.”

– Bill Stevenson

North Central Lakers (blue) watch the Championship Trophy being presented, after coming so close (Photo by Bill Stevenson)

DECEMBER: Devon Fiddler Gets Ready to Launch SheNative Goods Inc.

Devon Fiddler who is a young Indigenous woman from Saskatchewan and has been working for the last three years on her own company, SheNative. The official website describes the company, “SheNative is a start up high end handbag line made for the modern women.

SheNative is more than just another handbag line. We are about empowering Native women in Canada through the design, production and fabrication of our goods, and our community cause fund for disadvantaged women.” Devon has soft launched her company and is having an earlybird sale campaign to fundraise. The purpose of her fundraising through an Indiegogo campaign, is to help create her production team and company in Saskatoon SK, Canada. Devon has describe how her life has impacted her company’s vision, “I grew up a shy, timid Native girl, not having the best childhood experience with so much external negativity due to who I was, right down to the colour of my skin. I’ve since realized that I didn’t have to be who I was expected to be, and I could be whoever I wanted! So, I did it!”. Her company sets out to use wild leathers, and employ other Indigenous women. Find @shenative on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. – Lace Mode

FOR MORE ON DEVON FIDDLER & SHE NATIVE – READ OUR FULL FEATURE HERE