Elders Summit: Anishaa (Just for Fun)

RED LAKE’S FIRST ELDERS SUMMIT

Anishaa (Just for Fun) Tops Agenda

More than 330 Elders attended what Red Lake hopes will be it’s first annual Elders Summit at Seven Clans Casino - Red Lake - on Thursday and Friday March 31 and April 1, 2011. Much of the agenda for the Summit was just good fun.

Upon entering the complex, one would see several informational booths describing Tribal Programs and businesses scattered around the edge of the Hotel lobby. Many programs provided give-a-ways.

Girls basketball coach Randy Holthusen with some of his team volunteers

A mixing of youth and elders made for much of the fun of the event. Young volunteers from the High School Youth Council, high school girls and boys basketball players, and AmeriCorps performed needed tasks during the event, including serving the elders during lunch and supper times.

Organizer Thelma May poses for a photo with friend Dale Graves

“This is one of the things we were looking for in the Elders Conference”, said organizer Thelma May, “we wanted to have youth and elders mixing together, learning together, having fun together and enjoying each other”.

Drawings were held throughout the event for door prizes, most of small value, so that nearly everyone won something. The first 300 registrants received a T-shirts with a colorful logo “Honoring Our Elders" written in Ojibwe on the front and in English on the back. All also received tote bags with some give-a-ways inside with the same colorful logo “Ezhi-apiitenimindwaa Gigichi-aya'aaminaanig” (Honoring Our Elders) written in Ojibwe.

Young women offered samples of "World Famous Red Lake Walleye"

Opening
The event began with registration on Thursday morning. At 9 AM Spiritual Elder Eugene Stillday offered the invocation, followed by drum songs by the Red Lake Singers, and then a welcome by Red Lake Tribal Chairman Floyd Jourdain, Jr.

Red Lake Braves (Royalty) They serve for one year.

At 10:30 AM, Red Lake Nation Royalty, dressed in full regalia, took their turns providing a dance exhibition. Johnny Smith was the emcee, and shared knowledge of the various dances exhibited. Much to the delight of all present, many of the young people introduced themselves to the elders speaking Ojibwe, some fluently, a testament to the revitalization of culture and language that has been going on at Red Lake and in Indian Country.

Red Lake Princesses introduce themselves, some in fluent Ojibwe much to the delight of their elders

Following a fun session called “Test Your Knowledge” conducted by Devery Fairbanks , young people then kicked into gear, and with a plate in each hand gathered soup, sandwich, fruit, and beverage and delivered lunch to their sitting elders.

Diane Schwanz with her production team from Project Preserve

Project Preserve
At 1:30 Diane Schwanz of Project Preserve took the stage to present a video production entitled “Indian Humor Three”, that included several running humorous skits. Schwanz was joined on stage with three of the young actors who appear in the production.

The young actors included Kelly Iceman who played Chef Comod Bod Jr. who was trying to lose weight. Shinese Rosebear played the USDA Princess, the Chef’s weight loss coach, and Keisha Shoboyea played a woman cop.

Schwanz herself played a non-Indian (appropriately typecast) selling produce on the reservation who was arrested by “Red Cloud” from Pine Ridge. Schwanz protested that she had a “license to sell” issued by the Tribal Council. Other players included the high school’s principal and librarian who answered questions to determine who would be adopted into the tribe in this year’s “Wannabee” contest. Patrick Desjarlait was the host. It was delightful, creative, and humorous.

Schwanz spoke a little bit about the the series of Project Preserve video productions. Eight DVD’s have been produced in all, beginning with the basketball classic “Undefeated”. * (See story in next post about this game)

Following the entertaining video, Darren Defoe, Lee Lussier, and Wesley Jourdain provided a hand drum demonstration enjoyed by all at about 2:30 PM.

From 3:00 to 6:00 PM open activities were scheduled that included manicures, scalp massages, limo rides, and a wandering magician. Supper was served around 5:00 PM.

Moccasin Joe

At 6:00 PM, entertainment was provided Moccasin Joe (Comedian and Motivational Speaker). Moccasin Joe (aka Leonard Dick) is from Northern Ontario and of Ojibwe, French and Scottish heritage. A former correctional officer, he developed the fictional stereotypical Indian character Moccasin Joe as a comedy act and a workshop entitled “Healing Through the Spirit of Humor and Laughter”. He also does a few magic tricks, and by his own admission “is always trying to impress the ladies”.

Organizer Cheri Goodwin interviews with Lakeland News

The evening closed with what was billed as “the Late Night Session”, which included both a Black Jack Tournament, and Cribbage Tournament.

Cecilia Fire Thunder

Keynote Speech: Cecilia Fire Thunder
On Friday, the day began with registration again. At about 9:30 a large audience anticipated words from the “Keynote Speaker” of the conference, Cecilia Fire Thunder. Cecilia was a favorite among many of the women...and men in the audience. She used humor in her speech about some very serious issues.

Fire Thunder was born October 24, 1946, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. She has worked as a nurse, and served as tribal president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

Spiritual Elder Eugene Stillday visits with Cecilia Fire Thunder

She was elected as the first female leader of the Oglala Sioux on November 2, 2004. She has been active in efforts to recover and revive use of the Lakota language, which she speaks fluently. She was one of the original founders of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS). She formerly worked for Cangleska, Inc., a domestic violence shelter.

President Fire Thunder was and is a determined woman. She received wide public attention in March 2006 for her declaration of intent to create a Planned Parenthood clinic on her own land. She focused on the need to address rape as an issue for South Dakota women, particularly Native American women. One in six American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. The average annual rate of rape and sexual assault among American Indians is three and a half times higher than the national average.

Red Lake "Braves"

“We're missing out on teaching our boys and men about what they need to do to avoid pregnancies”, said Fire Thunder. “We need to start talking about those issues. Americans should be outraged about the number of women who are raped in this country. We need to also speak out for women in places like Afghanistan and other war-torn areas where rape is happening. This is not new. Rape has always been a part of life. Unfortunately, the world is not always a safe place for women”, she said.

“Women in America have something that women in other parts of the world don't have. Women in this country don't appreciate their right to free speech. Women in America can be the voice of women around the world. This is a call to arms by women in the United States”, Fire Thunder declared.

Fire Thunder closed her keynote speech with a bit of wry humor. She said she would consider running for the State Legislature in SD. Remembering the last presidential election with the blonde smiling “trophy” wives behind their white men, Fire Thunder said she would find a trophy husband about 6 ft. 7 in. tall, with long hair, a flat belly where you could see his belt buckle, long curly hair, and a single earring to stand behind her and smile sweetly...and he'd be White, she said. "I've got an earring and curly hair", I volunteered.

Organizer Delwyn Holthusen (rear) seeks applause to determine the winner of the talent contest

Closing
Things then loosened up a bit with a “Talent/Variety Show” closing out the morning and the conference. Judy Roy, Anna Gibbs, Royce Graves, Elizabeth “Pug” Kingbird, Bill Butcher and Johnny Smith vied for first, second and third place prizes determined by the applause of the audience.

Royce Graves is a champion Grass Dancer

Smith, much to the amusement of all, did a song he wrote than included a verse about tribal secretary Donald Cook. Kingbird told a story of three little pigs in Ojibwe, and although not understood by all, brought chuckles from those who were “fluent listeners”.

Johnny Smith

Lunch and a traveling song closed out the first annual Elders Conference.

Afterword: Gichi-aya’a and Mindimooye 
Why an Elders Conference? Why do Indians refer to “Senior Citizens” as Elders? Why does there seem to be so much more respect for “Elders” among American Indians than among other parts of “American Society”? These are questions this reporter has heard from non-Indians again and again, and questions that concern me more and more the older I get.

Youth volunteers fill lunch plates, one in each hand, and deliver to elders at their tables

And so I approached an elder and fluent Ojibwe speaker, Eugene Stillday for the answer. Stillday replied that “respect for elders is contained within the language”. He told me the word for “Elder” in Ojibwemowin (Ojibwe language) is gichi-aya'a which literally means “great being” and mindimooye is a word for female elder or family matriarch that literally means “one who holds things together”.

“When the literal meanings of “elder” is defined in such a respectful manner, (unlike English or many other non-native tongues) then, children are going to learn to respect elders at a very young age as they learn to talk,”, said Stillday.  “This is just one of many reasons the revitalization of culture and language is so important not only for American Indians, but America in general”.

Listen up America!