My First Time at Treaty 4

Dear Manly Diary,

          This was my first time at Treaty 4 Gathering and I’ve got to say, I kind of want to come back next year. It was a wonderful experience and next year I’m sure will be tons more fun. I interviewed one of the dancers and he said he dances mainly for the money, which intrigued me, so I questioned further. He said that he usually gets a couple hundred at each pow wow if he dances at his best. I never thought of pow wows that way, a “job”. Probably you can make a killing at pow wows if you dance a lot and are good at it. It’d be interesting to hear what the cooks at the pow wows make though. Maybe next year I’ll go and interview a cook on my own time to see how much they make. For my first time at Treaty 4 it was pretty refreshing coming from BC. Kamloopa is one of the bigger pow wows and coming to this pow wow kind of pales in comparison. Treaty 4 was still great though. I would recommend it for anyone else who wishes to partake in the activities offered at Treaty 4. There’s tons to do at T4!

Thanks for reading.

Seth Lafond

The Treaty 4 Family Reunion

By Breanne McCarron

          Wednesday, the 17^th was the first time I went to Treaty 4 and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Although I nearly froze to death, I learned way more than I thought I would have.

 Walking around with all kids from my class and Bert the Fox was really cool because it kept us warm and we got to see all the different things happening at the gathering. Some of the things going on at the gathering were the career fair, dances, singing, food trucks and tug o’ war, which -- by the way --  was really fun! 
 

I did not think I would fit in that well because I am not First Nations, but it was the complete opposite, I felt totally in place, part of their big familyJ. Some of my favorite things happening at the gathering were eating the french fries from Minnie’s Grill and the traditional dances; they had some little kids who looked about seven dancing for one song and it was seriously the cutest thing ever.

 I’ve never been to a powwow or anything like that so the dances were another first for me, and the regalia are so pretty and make the dances ten times better!

 As I said before it was utterly freezing that day and I just wore a sweater and pants so I was even colder. Some of the things that helped me keep from getting hypothermia were the yummy hot chocolate that tastes like chocolate pudding and the fire which was going all day for people who wanted to cook bannock on a stick.

After the whole day I learned that everybody should have gatherings like these, even if it’s just a family reunion at someone’s house; it really brings everyone together, well the food does, mostly.Everything was so inspiring, it really made me want to get my whole family together because Treaty 4 is like one huge family.

I Would Be Honoured to Go Back Another Year

By McKenzie McNaughton

We got on the bus and headed to Treaty 4; I remember the bus driver opened the doors at the tracks and looked then drove off; it was really confusing. Once we got there we walked around, and I met the person we were going to interview, Curtis Delorme. Curtis Delorme is my mom and dad’s friend; they grew up together in Fort Qu’Appelle. After we met Curtis, we walked around for a bit. We listened to the music that played. We also tried food such as bannock burgers, fries, hot chocolate, and cherry coke. It tasted amazing.

          Treaty 4 smelled so good; when we got there it smelled like fries and burgers it made me so hungry. Also, it was freezing cold. I had checked the weather network, and it had said it was supposed to be nice out, but no, it was freezing. I hugged the fox the whole time to stay warm. I also saw a bunch of people I knew such as Delvin and Cheryl Bitternose also known as Uncle Doc. Treaty 4 is beautiful. The tipis were very warm inside and had beautiful painting on the side. I would be honored to go back another year.

My Week at Treaty Four

By Maddy Montgrand

I go to Treaty Four gathering because I like to watch the different kinds of cultural dancing,uch as fancy, grass dance, and traditional. My favorite is jingle. I also really enjoy the food (especially the bannock burgers), listening to the music, and hanging out with all of my friends. This was not my first year at Treaty Four, but I enjoyed going when I was younger more than I do now. I liked it better when I was younger because our whole school would go; it would be so much fun hanging out with all of my friends from different grades! We did more activities when I was younger like going into the tipi’s, listening to presentations, and playing games like tag or red rover.  

I thought this year was different from others because NAIG gave away clothes and bags to everyone, which I think was a really good idea. This year I didn’t go into any of the tipi’s or make bannock on a stick. I did go to the career tent and I really liked that idea. It was always busy and people were really taking the time to learn about the possible job ideas for their future.

I also spent most of my time walking around the grounds with my friends. I saw buses, drums, elders, and dancers dressed in their beautiful regalia. I tasted the bannock, iced tea, and candy apples. My favorite part of the day was playing tug of war with Shantel, Gordie, and Chloe. I also played volleyball, drank hot chocolate, sat on the bleachers, and froze to death! I smelled sweet grass, fire, and lake water.

To end off the day I interviewed Mrs. Smith, one of my old teachers from elementary school. I was really nervous because I wasn’t that prepared. It was actually sort of a last minute thing.

To end off the week I went to the powwow on Saturday with my cousin Serenity. I saw many tipi’s and the flags. I heard the announcer, music, and many people talking. At the powwow I walked around and saw a few of my friends; it was really fun!

The History and Experience at Treaty 4

By Sterling Smith
 

I go to the Treaty 4 gathering because it’s part of my town’s history and I like the food, but the fact that a small valley sitting in Saskatchewan could have such a significance for the treaties signed, being the  4^th numbered one to be signed in Canada, that makes going to the Gathering even more significant.

The treaty was signed between the British Government on behalf of the Canadian Government and the Cree and Salteaux aboriginal peoples.

I find Treaty 4 a really interesting gathering because of the way it brings so many people together, and in the past few years it has grown considerably more popular in exhibits and the overall audience of students, teachers, and anyone interested in the gathering.  The variety of exhibits that show up to Treaty 4 is awesome; it has games for kids and more mature things to look at for adults, and I can’t forget the food. Whether you want a burger and fries to Tim Horton’s coffee, the food there is amazing. 

I really enjoy the fact that it still, to this day, has so much spirituality in the entire gathering, but they’ve made it interactive and fun for everyone I respect and it makes it seem very unique and special.

I really enjoyed Treaty 4 this year and I’m glad I got to go. 

Journalism: A Job I might Like When I'm Older

By Logan Sanderson

My very first time reporting was this year at Treaty Four for my English class. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done; I really liked being a reporter; I got to meet a really nice veteran named Tony Lerat and he told me about his time in the Royal Canadian infantry and many other things he has done.

Being a journalist seems like a job I might like to do when I’m older because for some of the job you get to do research, track down leads and you are partly responsible for making sure the people who read your article find out the truth about that subject. It was also a huge bonus that I got to report at Treaty Four because I got to see more of my culture first hand. The fact that I actually really like journalism shocks me because until I had actually done it I thought it would be extremely boring, but my experience changed how I look at journalism.

Reporting at Treaty Four was an amazing experience for me because I loved seeing all of my culture, just all the things that you could do. There is always music playing and the Emcee Howie Thompson was funny last year. My partner Evan and I had actually planned to do an interview with Howie, him but I’m glad that we interviewed Tony Lerat instead; he gave us a lot to make a report on, before we even asked him a question.

Overall the whole experience reporting and Treaty Four was pretty great.

Traditions Flourish under Umbrella of Safety at Treaty 4

by Amber Chang

It was my privilege to interview one of the security officers at Treaty Four this year. Security personal provide a safe and stable environment for Treaty Four participants and guests. Wrapped in warm layers to keep out the fall chilly air, visitors mingled amid First Nations’ traditions, and my class and I made among them.

We stopped in our tracks to observe a freshly skinned moose, wondering whether the hide would become mukluks and the rich red meat would make a succulent savory stew. Maybe jerky was its intent.

I longed for my native Korean at the Cree language station, trying out a few ancient Cree words. May our cherished languages never be forgotten. Fires blazed as ethereal dancers synchronized to primordial drum rhythms.

The tempting aromas of fresh hot bannock was too strong to resist.

Before I attended Treaty Four it meant nothing to me. I had never had the opportunity to go before, but fortunately this year thanks to my grade 10 ELA class which makes an annual trek there, I now have an enriching experience of a life time. I learned more about traditional prairie Cree dances, songs, and foods; I realized I was missing out on a very special Canadian event. Treaty Four in Fort Qu’Appelle Saskatchewan, every September, is the place to learn about First Nations’ culture while having fun. I will never forget it.