Sakewew High School celebrated its 10th anniversary and held its 10th annual powwow Sept. 29.
The event was a celebration, a blessing and a cultural event, bringing local chiefs, politicians, students from other schools in the Battlefords area, and students of the school together for dance, singing, drumming and food.
"It's a coming together, it's a sharing, it's a celebration, we're giving thanks back to the community with the elders we have in attendance," explained Aron Albert, a liaison worker for the school.
The powwow was an opportunity to celebrate the many achievements of the school in its 10-year history while also welcoming new students. The school has set a record for the greatest number of graduates from a First Nations school in Canada at 67 and has also set up a number of innovative programs aimed at addressing the needs of the community. Made up of a core of drummers and singers, the SSAEY, or Sakewew Substance Awareness Empowerment for Youth has won a SaskTel achievement award for its work fighting substance abuse and promoting healthy lifestyles. Nicole Laplante, a former Sakewew student and SSAEY member, also won accolades while studying there, earning a Saskatchewan Youth Award from Premier Brad Wall for her work at the school.
"A lot of our youth were, in a sense, out there wandering," explained Aron Albert as a reason for the founding of the school. The school was therefore built according to the community's needs, to help First Nations youth adjust from life on the reserve to life in the city. To do so, the school created a number of innovative programs to increase attendance, preserve traditional culture and improve education.
The school organizes its year into four quads rather than longer semesters, has onsite daycare and employs elders. Its curriculum also heavily features First Nations subjects and the school offers courses specifically based around traditional culture.
The powwow was also an important event for nearby First Nations communities as local chiefs came to participate and Chief Wayne Semmaganis took part in a head-dress ceremony. Students from schools in surrounding reservations also took part as spectators and participants.
Though the event was ultimately a celebration of Cree culture, it was also a blessing for the Battlefords, and a chance to celebrate the contributions of Cree and European cultures to Native life. The school, after all, teaches both European and Native ways of knowing, teaching Cree while also teaching chemistry, biology and physics. Students from other schools in the Battlefords were invited to participate and danced enthusiastically.
