New chief quizzed by Fort Albany youth

Five campers, aged 9-11, in Frontier College’s Lieutenant Governor’s Aboriginal Summer Reading Camp recently took out their notebooks, sharpened their pencils and became intrepid reporters for Wawatay News.
Just days after the election of a new Chief and Council for Fort Albany First Nation, they were the first to interview the new chief. None of the questions were rehearsed beforehand.
Rather, the young journalists practiced asking the five W’s: who, what, where, when, why and how, on other unsuspecting victims. While doing so honed their skills at listening and note-taking.
Please read the result below and also Chief Knapaysweet’s reaction. We are very proud to have been part of this successful learning event and thank Chief Knapaysweet for his generous participation.
Barbara Halsig and Laura Crump
Camp Counselors
THE INTERVIEW
Adam: How old are you?
Chief: I’m 27 years old.
Kara: Who are you?
Chief: I’m Rex Knapaysweet
Tyra: How did you become chief?
Chief: Two people nominated me.
Jade: Where are you from?
Chief: Fort Albany
Adam: Why are you here?
Chief: To conduct this interview with you guys and listen to your questions.
Kara: When were you born?
R.K.: December 19, 1984
Tyra: Why did you become chief?
Chief: So that I can help the people of Fort Albany; so that I can be the voice for people who don’t have a voice.
Jade: When did you become chief?
Chief: July 28, right about 8 pm.
Tyra: How is it to be chief?
Chief: It is very challenging and exciting.
Tyra: What did you do to become chief?
Chief: Listen to the people; going door to door to ask what they want to see in the community.
Kara: How do you want to help the people of Fort Albany?
Chief: By creating jobs for other people in the future.
Kara: What kind of work did you do before?
Chief: My job before was Prevention Worker for Peetabeck Health Services.
Tyra: What is a prevention worker?
Chief: [A prevention worker] encourages people to do healthy stuff* like don’t smoke.
*Tyra’s way to shorten the answer
Adam: What kind of changes are you gonna make in Fort Albany?
Chief: Clean up the graffiti, paint it over. I’d also like to see a Youth and Elders Centre, and build more houses.
Dyran: What do you do when you are chief?
Chief: The chief and council have meetings and make decisions. As chief it’s my duty to listen to community members.
Kara: How do you want to make the bad things stop, like drinking?
Chief: Educate community members about how drinking is bad for the body; and that we need more sports like hiking, basketball, biking, baseball and soccer, and whatever kind of hobbies.
Tyra: What do you expect to see in Fort Albany?
Chief: I want community members to be proud about where they come from and see them make their own programs, like what we talked about. [They have the skills to start programs themselves].
Adam: What did you do at the time when you knew first you were chief?
Chief: I was fishing. I remember walking up the hill [to the Community Center]. I was scared and nervous. After I got up the hill, I saw my fiancé Charlotte. Then she told me I was the new chief and I was very happy.
Jade: How did you feel to be surprised when you became chief?
Chief: I had lots of different emotions. I was very happy, full of joy.
Dyran: Why do people make beer?
Chief: They make beer to make money, because they’re not working when they should be working. We need to stop this from happening because it hurts people.
Kara: Would you like seeing drunkards stop (drinking) and participating in community games?
Chief: Yes, I would love to see people stop drinking and choose to live a healthy lifestyle, like playing games.
Dyran: How would you stop people from drinking?
Chief: I would encourage and support them to get help. I would also encourage them to speak to the Elders.
Adam: What did you do when you were my age (11)?
Chief: When I was 11 years old, I skipped grade 7 and went to grade 8 with my sister Pam. I played ‘spotlight’ and hide-and-seek and we always played outside.
Jade: When are you guys gonna make a new arena for Fort Albany?
Chief (after some reflection): There is something in the process right now. So now we’re crossing our fingers. We’re hoping to find the funds and follow through.
Chief Rex Knapaysweet
After the interview:
“I wished I had this kind of opportunity when I was younger, to sit in front of the chief and ask hard-hitting questions, like ‘What are you going to do about it?’
It was a very humbling experience, these young kids asking me these questions; that they were comfortable to ask me anything they wanted.
It started slow, but then I kind of sensed they knew they mattered, that their voice was important. Obviously they see what is going on in the community. I am very proud of them. I see the potential they have.”
About his own experience:
“I was walking by Peetabeck Health Services when I was younger. They invited me in: Carmen Edwards, Lucy Edwards, Jackie Kataquapit. These three ladies invited me to partake in a youth gathering meeting and they asked me, ‘Rex, what do you want to see? What do you want to do at this youth gathering?’ And right then and there I knew that my voice mattered. -THE POWER of OPPORTUNITY!
I encourage people that there’s always opportunity, even outside, like traveling. It’s just a matter of finding it and taking that risk.”