The conference on traditional medicine and healing started today in Miawpukek (Conne River), and already it seems assured of success. Two hundred and eighty attendees have already pre-registered, and are arriving at the community.
Over the next three days, organizers hope to cram in at least thirty-six, half hour presentations and some four informal sessions, by presenters from all over the world.
Born out of an idea from an international traditional medicine conference held in St. John's, in 1994, this conference, hopes to give presenters and participants a more relaxed atmosphere for "...sharing of information among all peoples interested in traditional and newer forms of alternative/complementary care".
Hosted by the Conne River Health and Social Services department of Miawpukek Mi'kamawey Mawi'omi, who's professionalism in planning and organizing has come through with flying colors, the conference will seek to explore and find a happy balance between the traditional medicine and healing of the aboriginal peoples of the world and the modern practices to which we have all become accustomed to.
What was an all grade school has now become a conference center/ dining room/communications center. Everyone expects to be well taken care of, whether it is to be given food for thought or food for the body.
In addition to the presentations, people will be able to view recent educational videotapes, accompany Saqamaw Misel Joe on spiritual walks, participate in sweat lodge and sunrise ceremonies, as well as attend informal information sessions with First Nation's groups.
The conference ends Friday afternoon.
(Miawpukek/Conne River) The conference on Traditional Medicine and Healing held this past week in Miawpukek, drew people from around the world. They came to present or be presented with ideas, opinions, results of research, and more.
The conference started on Wednesday, July 3, with a presentation of Miawpukek First Nation's own Health and Social Services Department, when key personnel, past and present, related their experiences in establishing an integrated Health and Social Services Agency for their community.
Throughout the following two days, participants, including many from the community itself, sat in on and received wisdom and inspiration from such noted people as: (to name a few) Benji Clethero, Ruby VanBibber and Martha VanHeel and their presentation about the Traditional Medicine Program of the Whitehorse General Hospital; Merdina Marshall's The Medicine Wheel; Joseph Winter's Traditional Tobacco use among Northeastern Tribes; The various opinions as relating to Chinese Acupuncture in Newfoundland, its introduction and adoption and the experiences encountered therein; Brooke Olson's Diabetes and First Nations Peoples; Samira Mubarek's Native Traditional Practices and Tuberculosis; David Turner's Music and Healing in Australian Aboriginal Culture.
The diversity of the conference was demonstrated by such presenter's as David Artiss' A writer's Alternative Treatment of Disease and Fran Storch's Nia Dance Workshop on Mind-Body relationships.
A concentrated effort was made to sensitize modern healers with presentations like Hunaara Kaa's Maori Health; Brendan Harding's Use of Sand Pictures in Inner Healing; Naomi Adelson and Arthur Cheechoo's Comparison of Healing Strategies and Beliefs; Hope MacLean's Huichol Indian Shamanism in Transition and David Young's Relationships between Biomedical Practitioners and Alternative Healers.
Because of the large number of people attending from Mexico, Thursday evening became "Mexican Evening". They gave a discourse on Medicine and Health in the Mexican Region of Oaxaca, Mexico and some information on the study of Medicine Plants. Their stay in the community was a joy to all.
The spiritual walks with Traditional Saqamaw Misel Joe was well attended and a highlight of the conference. The crowds followed Saqamaw Joe as he walked along Miawpukek's only designated nature trail. Participants were able to hear Saqamaw's words about Mi'kmaw traditional medicine as well as his thoughts on the customs and traditions of his people. They were also able to see and experience a small part of Mi'kmaw culture by viewing several Mi'kmaw Wikuoml (Houses), and were invited into one of them for a cup of tea. People were also able to experience traditional SUNRISE and SWEAT LODGE ceremonies.
It was a consensus of the people present that the conference was a success. Not only did it give people a chance to exchange their ideas, but it also gave some aboriginals of Turtle Island (North America) an opportunity to sensitize people of other nations about their ideas about how their people expected to be treated medically and it gave Miawpukek First Nation an opportunity to tell much of the world about themselves.
Many of the people present stayed around to Miawpukek First Nation's first Pow Wow, held back to back with the conference.
Miawpukek-Conne River)( The MIAWPUKEK police recently announced the appointment of a new officer in charge.
Constable Kyrien Benoit has temporarily assumed the duties of Officer in Charge. His appointment came about as a result of the recent suspension of acting Officer in Charge Sergeant Damien Hinks.
Sergeant Hinks has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of recent charges laid by the for causing a disturbance.
Miawpukek Police have been without an officer in Charged Since February 5 when then Acting Officer in Charge Sergeant Damien Hinks was suspended. Miawpukek police force a five person force charged with the responsibility of policing the Miawpukek Reserve, policing the Miawpukek First Nation and enforcing the First Nation By-laws. He will command Miawpukek First Nation's who have First Nation for their police force.
(Miawpukek/Conne River) Miawpukek First Nation's first Pow Wow left the organizers and dancers drained of energy and many participants pocket books drained of cash, but all agreed, they can hardly wait for next year's events to begin.
Six months of planning and organizing and worry for the Pow Wow '96 Committee came to an end Sunday, July 7, as exhausted dancers and relieved organizers followed the Miawpukek Staff and Flag out of the arbor for the grand exit one last time. For some who had come direct from Pow Wows in other parts of Turtle Island, it was an end of a long haul, for others continuing on the Pow Wow trail, it was a continuation of a summer long high.
Rainy weather caused opening ceremonies on Friday to be moved from the Pow Wow grounds to the Se'tanewe' Kegnamokwom Gym. Co MC's Misel Doucette and Albert Jackpine kept the procedures moving along and the people entertained. Better weather and the sunny Sunday permitted everything back on the Pow Wow grounds for the rest of the weekend.
Starting each day with the Grand entry and ending each day with the Grand Exit, the colorful pageantry and superbly dressed dancers had many first timers to Pow Wows gawking in amazement. Craft vendors did well considering the native apparel sported by almost everyone. It was truly a day to revel in one's native identity and tradition and be proud of their native heritage.
The highlight of each day was of course the drumming and dancing. Three drum groups, Eastern Dancers, Free Spirit and Miawpukek's own Mi'kmaq Drummers kept the people who wanted to, dancing endlessly. After the first bit of uneasiness, people soon got the nerve to get out dancing. But soon after finding the drum beat, it was no looking back.
Following the lead of the colorfully garbed head male and female lead dancers, visiting dancers in their finest dancing regalia charmed the crowd with their finest dance steps. Some first timers took a while to get the dance steps, others took to it naturally. People were thrilled with Miawpukek's own dancers like veteran dancer Kevin Drew and first timer dancer Conrad John. Conrad spontaneous dance steps were on par with the best. People could not stop marveling at his dancing, and many vowed that he will have full dancing regalia at next year's Pow Wow even if they have to buy it themselves.
The food vendors, Riverside Arcade's, Dashwood Service Station's and the Pow Wow Committee's kept the people fed and watered and happy. There were long line-ups for the Pow Wow Committee's barbecued salmon steaks and salmon burgers as well as moose and caribou dishes.
There were several vendors of native apparel and trinkets, some from afar and some from home, as well as craft producers province wide.
Besides the dancing, other important aspects of a native Pow Wow, like any sacred event, was the sacred fire. It was kept burning throughout the three days. There was the Sunrise ceremonies, held each morning. There were Sweat Lodge ceremonies which many people took part in, again many for the first time. There was even an all night Sweat, which only the most daring or most fervent traditionalists take part in. First timers who took part in this ceremony were all admired for their faith and perseverance.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the Pow Wow, was the spirituality around it. Spirituality and the peace of mind that comes with it was so strong, people said they could feel it. The universal heartbeat sounded by the drums seemed to lull everyone into a state of peace and relaxation. And to watch the dancers dance so in tune with the beat, and the spectators moving feet or body as they watched was as pleasant a scene as anybody could want.
The people of Miawpukek have a long history of dealing with their nativeness. Assimilation is playing a large part in this, and several events of crisis proportion in recent history can be directly attributed to this assimilation. Some communities need a crisis of negative impact to begin positive growth. Many think, however that the stability of the positive impact of this Pow Wow will be the beginning of Miawpukek's positive growth.
Maybe now, being native will be normal and natural. For the skeptics who dismiss this event as "Hollywood" or "foreign", the goodness that even the non natives "Could feel in the air" was real. And it was natural. And it was normal. It was aboriginal. And it was Mi'kmaq!
A side event to the Pow Wow, but no less important, was the swearing in of the recently elected government of the community of Miawpukek. Grand Saqamaw Ben Sylliboy swore in Traditional Saqamaw Misel Joe as Community Saqamaw along with members, Shayne McDonald, Rembert Jeddore, Mardina Joe, Gerard Joe, Mary Stride and Brian Kelly.
It was Saqamaw Misel Joe's dream that this Pow Wow take place, and the celebration of the event was a tribute to his dream and the hard work of his Pow Wow committee. A piece of Mi'kmaw territory that became a field of dreams from the time of the MacDonalds, has now become a field of hope for a new generation.
The goodness of the event was felt by all. The site was visited on several occasions by an eagle, the aboriginals' most sacred bird. Bad spirits like alcohol and drugs and negativeness were not welcomed and were never present. Everyone, from the MC who were on scene throughout the event to the security who's work meant they had to be somewhere else, from the organizers to the maintenance crews who put up and took down the structures and kept the grounds clean, from the participants to the spectators, leaving the grounds on closing day left a feeling of sadness because it had to end and wishing that it didn't.
But after a short break The Pow Wow 97 Committee will be getting together and making even bigger and better plans.
Newfoundland Telephone expects to have their system upgraded to a digital system by August. That's the word from Don Baker, resident manager for the company in Grand Falls-Windsor.
There were some rumors floating around in the area about proposed changes, so in a conversation initiated by this writer with Mr. Baker, it was confirmed that work is definitely in progress or being planned, so that the Baie d' Espoire area can soon say good by to their present analogue system.
For customers who know about these things and especially computer users, going digital means faster service on the Net as well as access to such "Feature Creatures" like call return-missed calls, call return-busy, three way calling and other features.
With the planned setup of the Net Server by the Miawpukek First Nation, people surfing the net, feel the new system is the next best improvement they can expect from Newfoundland Tel. Although everyone would like to see the company's fiber optic system extended to the Baie d' Espoire area, they also realize that the prohibitive cost of such an extension, will prevent that from happening for some time to come.
Another rumor being heard in the area is that "Our" telephone company's long term plans are to have most of the Connaigre Peninsula's telephone system as well as systems elsewhere, connected up so that there will be no long distance calls between the communities. Mr. Baker could only comment that Newfoundland Telephone would like to see this happen. However, his operation is governed by the CRTC, and at present they won't allow this to happen. Besides, such improvements would need lots of expenditure. Seems at present there is a lot of competition among telephone service suppliers, and this cuts into each other's revenues, while at the same time the bills still have to be paid.
In a related matter, news from Se'tanewe' Kegnamokwom (St. Ann's School), who are in the process of providing Internet access to the Baie d' Espoire area, reports that sixteen telephone lines will be installed at their site within the next week, equipment for their site is now on the way and people should be connected in as early as three weeks!