Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

Traditional teachings continue to attract people from far and wide to Pays Plat First Nation, which held its fifth cultural teachings week from July 23-26.
“We were here last year and we really enjoyed the hospitality,” said Elsie Bissallion, an Elder from Serpent River who has been following the powwow trail in the region. “It was just great so we came back.”
Bissallion found this year’s women’s hand drumming workshop to be “very beneficial.”

Attawapiskat Chief Teresa Spence was surprised by an Aug. 1 Federal Court decision that it was “unreasonable in all the circumstances” for the federal government to appoint a third-party manager to her community this past winter.
“I was really amazed and shocked at the same time,” Spence said. “It was a good judgement from the courts for them to see that the government did wrongful things when we declared an emergency.”

Sightseeing flights around Thunder Bay were a hit for many youth at Wasaya Airway’s Pimesaywii Apitamahkaywin First Nations Youth Aviation Camp.
“It was fun,” said Weagamow’s Jayden Williams. “We were on the plane (for) most likely half an hour. (We saw) the Sleeping Giant.”
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug’s Barry McKay also enjoyed the opportunity to fly a Cessna 172 for a while during his sightseeing flight to Kakabeka Falls.

Gull Bay’s Sherry King enjoyed last year’s First Nations Natural Resources Youth Employment program (FNNRYEP) so much she came back for another session.
“I came back for more training,” King said. “It’s become very useful — soon I will be doing firefighting, my S100, which I will take next year.”
King plans to continue on with firefighting and other natural resource work opportunities in the future.
“It’s changed my life completely,” King said. “I’m taking life more serious, getting an education.”

Red Rock First Nation has been gathering stories from Elders over the past three years for an online community story project.
“We’ve been ... gathering information from each individual Elder about the history of this place and the stories that have been passed on from generation to generation,” said Red Rock Elder Terry Bouchard, the project’s consultation point person. “It’s going to be our own community story based on our own people’s information.”
Bouchard said a website for the community story will be developed by next year.