Comment: Our Role Models
- Paul Chartrand | November 12, 2013
In the memories of the old ones and in the pages of the history books lie many stories. If Hollywood is looking for good stories for a movie, the historical Western Plains region is a good place to look. It is also a good place to look for the role models that the editor has chosen to focus upon this month.
There has been widespread local and national attention paid to the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation issued on 7 October 1763. It was issued by King George III to claim British North America after the defeat of the French regime but it is also remembered and is important because of the procedures that it set out for negotiating Treaties. However, things are never as simple as they might appear to be at first blush, and as I stated in an address in Winnipeg recently the RP 1763 must also be recognized as part of the legal witchcraft by which the British stole the Indian lands over which Canada now asserts de facto authority. In the story of the RP 1763 we meet Pontiac, one of the many indigenous role models from history. It was the political and military action of Pontiac (Obwandiyag) and his allies that compelled the British to seek peace, and from which actions came the RP 1763. The lesson is that political action is what leads to legal action and which is more important in the long run.
Turning to the Western Plains, the stories of Gabriel Dumont and Louis Riel are well-known on account of their roles in the troubles of 1885 along the Saskatchewan River, but a closer look at our history reveals other leaders who surely are candidates as role models for today. Neil McLeod, the Saskatchewan Cree philosopher, author and humorist has done a great job in revealing the story of Mistahi Musqua, commonly known at Big Bear, whose resistance to the enclosure of the Cree into small reserves by the government deserves to buy him a place in the annals of heroes of the region. Role models who resist the assertion of unconscionable power sometimes end up in jail, and along with Poundmaker, another Treaty Six leader, Big Bear spent time in Stony Mountain penitentiary, a true political prisoner in the foreboding federal prison which sits on a rise in the plains just north of Winnipeg. In the context of the 1885 events Fine Day also stands out as the military leader who beat British-Canadian forces.
There is a rich store of role model stories in what is now Saskatchewan, including in the resistance to the imposition of the Indian Act and the reserve system it imposed. We can only touch upon a few examples in this commentary and without intending to exclude any one of the many, we can name Pia Pot (Payepot) a contemporary of Big Bear who is one of the first and foremost defenders of the Treaties. In his story one also finds, incidentally, instances of what Ron Merasty has called the 'overdeveloped funny bone' or wonderful sense of humour of the Plains indigenous people. In the Treaty Four region there is a rich history of resistance by leaders such as Louis O’Soup and Joe Cote and others from Cowesess, Pasquah and Moscowpetung.
We have a rich store of more recent role models as well in our local history, including the author the Reverend Edward Ahenakew whose book documents the story of Chief Thunderchild and the Plains Cree. In Manitoba Chief Dave Courchene of Sagkeeng was a leader in the evolution of modern First Nation politics, as was Ahab Spence, an old friend from Split Lake in northern Manitoba, the President of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood who spent much time in Saskatchewan. The Reverend Ahab was a member of the National Forum on Secondary Education and of the Standing Committee on Native Languages in Canada who was awarded the Centennial Medal in 1967 and the Order of Canada in 1982.
What is the role of the schools and of the education system in remembering this history of role models and their contributions? How much of the stories of our local heroes is known and honoured in the schools, whether on reserves or in the public schools system? Must not the system of education and the telling of the stories of local role models operate together? Or should we be waiting for Hollywood to discover our true stories of inspiration?
There has been widespread local and national attention paid to the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation issued on 7 October 1763. It was issued by King George III to claim British North America after the defeat of the French regime but it is also remembered and is important because of the procedures that it set out for negotiating Treaties. However, things are never as simple as they might appear to be at first blush, and as I stated in an address in Winnipeg recently the RP 1763 must also be recognized as part of the legal witchcraft by which the British stole the Indian lands over which Canada now asserts de facto authority. In the story of the RP 1763 we meet Pontiac, one of the many indigenous role models from history. It was the political and military action of Pontiac (Obwandiyag) and his allies that compelled the British to seek peace, and from which actions came the RP 1763. The lesson is that political action is what leads to legal action and which is more important in the long run.
Turning to the Western Plains, the stories of Gabriel Dumont and Louis Riel are well-known on account of their roles in the troubles of 1885 along the Saskatchewan River, but a closer look at our history reveals other leaders who surely are candidates as role models for today. Neil McLeod, the Saskatchewan Cree philosopher, author and humorist has done a great job in revealing the story of Mistahi Musqua, commonly known at Big Bear, whose resistance to the enclosure of the Cree into small reserves by the government deserves to buy him a place in the annals of heroes of the region. Role models who resist the assertion of unconscionable power sometimes end up in jail, and along with Poundmaker, another Treaty Six leader, Big Bear spent time in Stony Mountain penitentiary, a true political prisoner in the foreboding federal prison which sits on a rise in the plains just north of Winnipeg. In the context of the 1885 events Fine Day also stands out as the military leader who beat British-Canadian forces.
There is a rich store of role model stories in what is now Saskatchewan, including in the resistance to the imposition of the Indian Act and the reserve system it imposed. We can only touch upon a few examples in this commentary and without intending to exclude any one of the many, we can name Pia Pot (Payepot) a contemporary of Big Bear who is one of the first and foremost defenders of the Treaties. In his story one also finds, incidentally, instances of what Ron Merasty has called the 'overdeveloped funny bone' or wonderful sense of humour of the Plains indigenous people. In the Treaty Four region there is a rich history of resistance by leaders such as Louis O’Soup and Joe Cote and others from Cowesess, Pasquah and Moscowpetung.
We have a rich store of more recent role models as well in our local history, including the author the Reverend Edward Ahenakew whose book documents the story of Chief Thunderchild and the Plains Cree. In Manitoba Chief Dave Courchene of Sagkeeng was a leader in the evolution of modern First Nation politics, as was Ahab Spence, an old friend from Split Lake in northern Manitoba, the President of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood who spent much time in Saskatchewan. The Reverend Ahab was a member of the National Forum on Secondary Education and of the Standing Committee on Native Languages in Canada who was awarded the Centennial Medal in 1967 and the Order of Canada in 1982.
A people sets its own destiny in part by making its own history. Thereby it affirms its sense of identity and identifies the values and things it holds dear. Its history inspires future generations.
What is the role of the schools and of the education system in remembering this history of role models and their contributions? How much of the stories of our local heroes is known and honoured in the schools, whether on reserves or in the public schools system? Must not the system of education and the telling of the stories of local role models operate together? Or should we be waiting for Hollywood to discover our true stories of inspiration?