Youth learn of living treaties during gathering

Keewaywin’s Julian Mamakeesic was impressed with this years’ Oshkaatisak Niigaan Oji Gathering for Nishnawbe Aski Nation youth.
“It was awesome,” Mamakeesic said. “I found out about my rights, education and getting community tools going.”
Mamakeesic said the keynote presentation by Doris Slipperjack, the subject of a short documentary on prescription drug addictions, was the most interesting event during the gathering, which was held Feb. 7-9 at the Best Western Nor’Wester Hotel and Conference Centre outside of Thunder Bay.
“I found that was pretty inspiring, how she is a recovering addict,” Mamakeesic said. “So many people can relate to that.”
Mamakeesic also found the youth engagement workshop by Laura Calmwind to be very informative.
“She told her story about different rights,” Mamakeesic said. “She also taught us about the treaty — there was a written treaty and a spirit and intent kind of treaty that our ancestors had. It was pretty cool to learn that we never really surrendered our land, we kind of shared it.”
The gathering started off with a morning of icebreaker sessions led by Stan Wesley, who originally created and played the Bunnuck character on Wawatay TV back in the 1990s.
“When things weren’t good enough (many years ago) they were called nuck,” Wesley said. “When I was a kid they started calling things that weren’t good enough bunnuck. It was a big time rundown.”
Wesley said his biggest Bunnuck fan was in attendance at the gathering, pointing out Grand Chief Stan Beardy.
“He pronounces (my name) as bannock,” Wesley said. “He says bannock.”
Beardy said he had always called Bunnuck bannock because he thought he had named himself after the popular food.
“Many changes have happened to us as First Nations people,” Beardy said. “For the last 10,000 years there have been two principles that have guided our people. One is our special relationship with the Creator, and that is why this morning at the start of this session our Elder offered a prayer of acknowledgement to the Creator.”
Beardy said the second principle is the special relationship First Nations people have with the land, which has sustained them in the past, continues to sustain them today and will sustain them in the future.
“So it becomes very important as young people ... you are the future,” Beardy said. “It becomes very important for you to understand who you are, where you came from and your past.”
Beardy said it is important for First Nations youth to make every effort to understand who they are and what they are.
“Without a past, it’s very difficult if not impossible to go forward and be successful,” Beardy said.
In addition to Slipperjack’s keynote presentation, the gathering also featured a sweat lodge, a movie night and a performance by two-time Juno Award winner Derek Miller.
“NAN recognizes that our youth are the future of our generation,” said NAN Deputy Grand Chief Les Louttit. “More than ever, NAN youth are engaging in community initiatives, becoming better educated, and branching out into rewarding First Nation job opportunities. But there are also many challenges facing our youth. We hope this gathering further nurtures First Nation cultural opportunities for our youth, while also developing strategies to help our youth overcome the more difficult issues facing them.”
Presentations on healthy needs, gang prevention, youth in First Nations governance, youth empowerment and economic development and a career fair on health and opportunities related to the Ring of Fire also took place during the gathering.