Building bridges between all communities
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/73121
JULY 2012 • PAGE 9 Sagkeeng's Finest took away all our excuses Education: a Chief Keith McCaskill Winnipeg Police Service I was raised in a small community in After what we all witnessed during the month of May, there is no way anyone can ever say that our youth are a lost genera- tion. No one can say that all hope is lost for the future. Of course, this is especially true and especially important for our Aboriginal youth. As almost everyone now knows and has witnessed, three young men from the Sag- keeng First Nation climbed a mountain that some may have thought was bigger than Mount Everest. They didn't just climb that mountain; they conquered it with dedica- tion, class, and enthusiasm. For those of you that aren't aware of what I'm referring to, I'm talking about brothers Dallas and Bran- don Courchene, and Vince O'Laney who are collectively known as "Sagkeeng's Finest". They are not only Sagkeeng's Finest, they are Canada's Finest. As these three travelled the journey from their first dance performance all the way to the finals, you could see the excite- ment building, along with the at- tention that was given to them both locally and nationally. After winning the title, they returned to Winnipeg, and were treated to a hero's welcome at the airport. A couple of days later, they gave an encore performance, along with other members from their dance troupe in front of several hundred at the Manitoba Legislature. During this event, the boys were appointed to the Order of the Buffalo Hunt by Premier Greg Selinger for the contribution to Manitoba. We had a couple of our own members attend, not to control the crowd, but to show our support and appreciation for what they had done. You may wonder why I find it important tive when the right choices are made, and when hard work is undertaken. From a policing standpoint, we deal with a lot of youth and adults who seek excuses for their actions. They blame everyone but themselves for the situations they find them- selves in. They prefer to not accept their own responsibility which would lead to them climbing their own mountain of success, whatever that may be. This "easy way out" often creates a convenient reason for drop- ping out of school, failing to get a job, poor parenting, and criminal activity. Obviously, none of this appears to hold any water with Sagkeeng's Finest. Watching the May 14th award winning All people must acknowledge that lives can be productive when the right choices are made, and when hard work is undertaken. performance by Dallas, Brandon and Vince, it's hard to not be amazed by the flurry of jig- ging steps they do to a mix of traditional and hip-hop music. They won the competition and showed the nation how talented they are. But, while I watched their final performance, there was some- thing else I realized that was even more important. If you watch closely, you may notice a couple of brief moments where their dancing wasn't com- pletely identical; and footsteps weren't completely aligned. No this is not a criticism but rather, my recognition of their greatest accomplish- ment. You see, those observations rein- to talk about the accomplishments of these young men. There are many Aboriginal youths who accomplish great things and lead productive lives. Sagkeeng's Finest aren't the only ones. This is true, but they are one of the most visual examples we can refer to that all Canadians will be familiar with. And it is because of that, that all people must acknowledge that lives can be produc- forced to me that these were not robots, but three separate human individuals. These were three separate individuals who had a common dream. These were three separate individuals who had a common dream who worked together to accomplish something great. Each did their very best and they got the job done. End of story! There are many problems facing Ab- originals in this country that we haven't yet solved. But if we recognize that Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals are individuals who can have a common dream and work together, we should be able to follow the example set by Dallas, Brandon and Vince and accom- plish great things. They never used any ex- cuses. The rest of us can't either. Northern Manitoba. Coming from a small community has given me the opportunity to know all the community members and growing up with 50 other kids closer to my age has been an experience that has shaped each one of us individually. I am from Pukatwagan, Manitoba, which is located just north of The Pas and Flin Flon with approximately 3000 regis- tered members. I left my community after grade 9 expecting I was going to be back to live in my community as soon as I was done my grade 12 education. During high school I was always in- volved in Track and Field and Cross Coun- try running. My involvement in Track and Field influenced me to apply to the Univer- sity of Manitoba to join the Bison Track and Field team. When I finished high school I moved to Winnipeg to attend the U of M for the Bachelor of Arts program and to join the Bison's Track and Field team. When I was first accepted to Uof M I spent a little time thinking I was on my way to a different environment I have nev- er been to before. I did not know what to expect moving from small community to the big urban city. I couldn't imagine how my mom felt at this moment that her eigh- teen year old son out of high school is now moving to Winnipeg. Was she thinking if I knew anything about the city or how to get around? Well, I did not and despite my lack of research I made the move for a higher education and my excitement to run in the Bison's track team. I spent 5 years at the U of M struggling to complete my degree. I spent the first few years struggling with a few deaths in my family which challenged me for years after trying to figure out what life and my purpose was really about. I continued to struggle throughout and life only seemed to challenge me. Losing childhood friends through suicide and struggling with my ac- ademics seemed to be my new way of life. I returned to my community during the summer months and winter breaks. I con- sidered my community as a pit stop to rest when I felt like giving up from the long road trip that seemed to be going nowhere. It wears you down. Each time I had visited my community I always left with energy to continue my long road trip again but each time I had a destination and a goal to reach. It was then that I realized that life is packing a bunch of punches and that I better get used to it. The last year of University I had pushed aside everything that I knew would slow success story me down and c o n st a n t ly pushed for- ward no matter what happened. I continue to make my academic life first pri- ority and I knew that whatever happened it happened for a reason. Being a full time student and having a part time job I had bulldozed my way through school making my priority clear and continuing my purpose as a young Ab- original leader. It became visible that I was close to finishing my studies and that the end was in sight. I completed and received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Na- tive Studies in spring 2010. I was invited to a conference in Toronto, Ontario at which I met other First Nation students who were graduating from differ- ent major Universities in Canada. It was then it dawned on me that I was going to be graduating with other First Nations stu- dents across Canada! It became evident that what I went through over the years had been experienced by similar students I had met from different parts of Canada. We talked and concluded we had fought the same invisible ripple effect of the residen- tial school system and the only difference was we were in different parts of Canada. Today I continue to push for a higher education. My wife blessed me with a beautiful baby girl who gave me strength to continue to be a positive role model for her and as a young Aboriginal leader. I have worked for two years with different companies and organizations in which I just finished a Gang Prevention Program in the North End of Winnipeg. I represent my community of Pukatwagan to the best of my abilities, sit on the Manitoba First Nation Youth Council, volunteer for pub- lic speaking forums regarding youth and the importance of education, continue to speak to my community youth about edu- cation and I will be starting a political posi- tion with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okiman- ganak in July. I recently returned from a Law School Admittance Test program at the University of Calgary, as I plan to continue my educa- tion in Law in the fall of 2013. It is my road and dream I have always wanted to take. It has been a long journey, time has passed and events in life make it impossible to look back and moving forward seems to be the only option. Ekosi