Geoff Shields- Special to Wawatay News

Pelican Falls First Nations High School located just outside Sioux Lookout, is unique in the fact that it combines a formal school curriculum with traditional teachings. One of the courses they offer is the traditional harvesting program that consists of components such as trapping, snaring and harvesting of traditional foods and medicines.

Over 150 people attended the last day of the annual winter Sioux Mountain Powwow in Sioux Lookout, which commenced on Feb. 22 and ran for three days.
Organizers Ralph Johnson and Jenny Burns Wesley said they were overwhelmed by the number of people who attended.

Despite the overcast weather conditions, nearly 500 people attended the 13th annual Pow-Wow at Pelican Falls on April 20 and 21.
People came from various destinations to participate in the elaborate festive celebration.
Lola Goodwin, one of the organizers, said about 150 people came to the powwow from out of town to join the students and staff at the school during the powwow.
“We had a lot of help, we had Glen Whiskeychan’s exchange group from Toronto helping us move things and bringing food over,” Goodwin said.

On April 5, the doors of the new Tim Horton’s in Sioux Lookout opened to the public. The business is owned and operated by Lac Seul First Nation and the proprietors are Tabatha Jourdain and Les Carpenter. Geoff Shields caught up with Jourdain during a lull in an otherwise very hectic pace of the business and asked her about how things have been progressing since they opened.
Wawatay (WWT): Whose idea was it initially to open a Tim Horton’s in Sioux Lookout?

Lac Seul First Nation has decided not to support construction of a hydro-electric power plant at Big Falls on the Trout River, after concerns were raised by a number of local residents over the affects a dam would have the area’s cultural heritage.
The First Nation’s change in position comes after Lac Seul had originally agreed to partner on the three to four megawatt hydro dam with Horizon Energy, and potentially Grassy Narrows First Nation and Wabauskang First Nation.