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A Little Bit About My Site
I hope to bring you new and exciting
information from my home region, North West Saskatchewan,
whenever I get a chance to update my site.
I am originally from Ile
a la Crosse, but spent many years of my young life on an island
called Sandy Point. I was adopted and raised
as an only child. I was one of thirteen children and unfortunately,
most of us have remained separate and do not know most of my brothers
and sisters well.
My adopted mother was a Morin and it
is with that family that we spent much of my young life and the ones
I got to know as family. No disrespect to my Durocher family.
The Morin and Gardiner families inhereted
the use of this area from the Larivieres. They originally lived on the
mainland we knew as Solabit. Grandpa Morin and Gardiner married Lariviere
sisters and each raised a large family there. Ambroise Morin originally
settled in the Buffalo Narrows area when he got married. The priest
told them to leave Buffalo and move to Sandy Point to be near grandmas
family. Uncle Leon Morin told me that is when they started clearing
and breaking land on where we now know as Sandy Point. Today, there
are over 400 descendents from these two couples. When you include Mrs.
Alex Ahenakew the oldest of the sisters, and Charlie Larivieres family,
there is probably another 400 descendants. If we go back two more generations
the numbers will surpass thousands.
I spent my first 20 years living at
Sandy Point with a few years at Deep River Mink Ranch where my dad worked
for five dollars a day. From 1969 to 74.
I trapped and commercial fished. I raced
snowmobiles for fun. In 1974 I moved to across the lake to town
(Ile-a-la-Crosse) when I started working for the Co-op. I was transferred
to La Ronge in 1976 as grocery manager, then as relief manager in Pinehouse
before I began working in Economic Development for the province. I have
lived in
Beauval, I have also lived and worked in La Ronge on several occasions
and am back here again. I lived in Yorkton for six months Articling
for Merchant Law
Group. I had a love-hate relationship with my job working as a lawyer.
Some days I loved it and other days I hated it. I enjoyed the court
work but, other things about the Justice System did not agree with me.
I worked for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band as their Human Resource Officer.
I enjoyed the work because I was able to communicate in my first language
on the job. This is the first professional job I held, where the majority
of the employees spoke Cree. I worked as Band Administrator for LLRIB
out of Grandmother's
Bay. The reserve is located on the northeast side of Otter Lake,
part of the Churchill River system.
My partner Debbs works in La Ronge at
edcentre.ca Online
School. Debbie and co-workers Ted Green, Kona Bryson and Kelly H.
develop distance education classes for high school and adult students.
It is a very interesting field they are working in.
I have two children, twins Meghan
and Kashtin who live in the city with their mother. I enjoy their
regular visits. We try to do things, such as golf in the summer, and
they snow board in the winter.
I enjoy the outdoors, fishing, golfing,
canoing, boating, the sounds of nature, adventurous trips exploring
new parts of Saskatchewan I have not seen before. I also enjoy painting
outdoor and wildlife scenes.
My long term plan is to eventually build
a nice cabin in the north, preferrably at Sandy Point. During the past
two years since graduating I have lectured a University of Saskatchewan,
Native Studies 219 - Native People and the Canadian Justice system class
in La Ronge. I also co-taught a computers class and I maintained (or
tried my best to keep the Windows lab alive - Macs don't die easy) both
computer labs for the NORTEP - NORPAC Program. The Northern Professional
Access College is where I started my post-secondary education. I suppose
this is one way of giving something back to the program before I begin
practicing law. Besides lecturing, I also tutor and assist students
with paper courses, or computer related problems and did much of the
desktop publishing requirements. I also taught a Business Law class
for the First Nations University who have classes for Lac La Ronge Indian
Band members.
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My Family
Now a little about my biological family: Starting
from the oldest. Yvonne (Alta.), Caroline (BC), Doreen (died as an
infant in a cabin fire along with her dad Tony Swanson), Julia(Sk),
Michael (I am the first son)(SK), Larry(SK), John (Leleep, we lost
him in a hunting accident), Violet(SK), Leona(SK), Diane(SK), Robert(Ont),
Delores(SK), and Lori(Alta). Isn't that what they call a "Baker's
Dozen?"
Eleven are still living. Our mother Aldina Lariviere,
(nee Durocher) now resides in Meadow Lake. She is a brother to my
adopted father Joe who lives in Ile a la Crosse. So, I was fortunate
that I was raised in Ile a la Crosse. Leleep and I knew each other
as kids,and got to know we were brothers when we were a bit older.
Yvonne, Caroline and the Late Doreen were born while
Aldina was married to Tony. The loss of a husband and a daughter must
have been very hard on our mother. She remarried to Clarence Lariviere
but they never had any children. Most my other siblings were born
in Meadow Lake. My sister Julia remembers the early days before Meadow
Lake and before the welfare system made her run away. She survived
and has done well, raised a daughter and is now a kokom. Violet married
Victor Thunderchild, now teaching while Vi runs her own daycare. They
bought a new house Dec 08. Leona and Diane were raised in a small
farm town so we have only met a few chance times; Larry and Dee live
in Meadow Lake, while Rob is in TO, Lori was the last to find in Calgary.
We didn't even know she existed, so she was the biggest surprise.
Photos will slowly make their way into this story.
Ile-a-la-Crosse Friendship Centre
The Ile-a-la-Crosse Friendship Centre was now on-line.
The Friendship Centre and various organizations and residents support
and work at the Annual Ile-a-la-Crosse Youth Wellness Conference.
Youth from across Canada come each year for workshops, meeting new
friends, learning our Metis culture and dancing nightly.
Buckley Belanger
Member of The Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly
Former Minister of Community Resource and Training
Buckley was born and raised in Ile-a-la-Crosse.He
too is a descendant of Sandy Point. He graduated from high school,
dabbled in journalism, got married to Becky, together they were blessed
with three daughters, and they started a local communications business;
he became the Mayor of Ile-a-la-Crosse then a few years later decided
to throw his hat into provincial politics. He first served as a Liberal
MLA before resigning his seat and winning the NDP nomination and a
record setting election winning over 90% of the vote.
I drove truck for ten years so I created
a photo album of a collection of
trucking related photos to share with my friends.
Alderville - Dave Mowat
A good friend of mine, Dave Mowat, blues
harp extraordinaire hails from Alderville
First Nation not far from Toronto. A few of students rented a
house together with Dave so we heard the blues harp every day.
Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry Report
The Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry Report - the
whole report, two volumes is available from this
LINK. The report was co-authored by Associate Chief Justice Murray
Hamilton of the Manitoba Provincial Court; Sinclair has since moved
to the Manitoba Queen's Bench in 2000 Other valuable information from
the Nelson Thomson
Learning are available through this link.
Gail Morin - Genealogy
Check this out - Gail Morin has created
a Metis Families Genealogy Site - It's quite comprehensive. Also,
I have made a direct link to the Riel Genealogy, the link is within
the second page where I discuss the Riel family.
There a lot genealogy web sites today.
You can also Google Names and see what they pick up. You will be surprised
at how many common names there are out there. Northwest Sask is rich
with history and genealogy has brought a lot of different people to
places like Ile a la Crosse seeking some connection with their past.
Without some kind of history a person cannot know who he is or where
he came from.
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Rick Laliberte MP- Served
two terms as our Member of Parliament representing the Churchill River
Riding of Saskatchewan.
Rick is from Beauval, Saskatchewan and
has lived there most of his life. He is a natural Master of Ceremonies,
and a Northerner at Heart.
I first met Rick when
he was about eighteen on the Beaver River. He was racing around in
this small Arctic Cat and I had my Thunder Jet. We became good friends
over the years and have maintained a connection through the years.
He has helped co-ordinate a dream about
rivers and its people. He is a supporter of the River
Gathering where land users of all walks and professions can meet
and discuss the land in the North and how we can have equal share
in all aspects of northern development.
Rick was also instrumental in organizing
and MC-ing the Sipisishk Jamboree or locally referred to as the Beauval
Jam. Some of the stars were Kashtin, Billy Joe Shaver, Buck Owens,
Doug Kershaw, Al Cherney, Don (DC) Corrigal, C-Weed & Errol Ranville,
Just The Boyz, Free
Bird, Ed Gamblin, Fire, and many others.
I scanned Church
Records from Ile-a-la-Crosse.
These records are photo copies provided by
John Leclair who in turn got them from Gail Morin, who does wonderful
work piecing together genealogy of Metis families across western Canada.
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Metis Memorials
This is an idea thathopefully will interest
people from all walks of life even though I am targetting Aboriginal
people from northern Saskatchewan. It is a Metis, First Nation, Inuit
Memorial and Genealogy Site (Off-Line until I find a new
Web Site Carrier). If that link doesn't work try this
Link. The memorial site will have links to a genealogy page which
over time should develop into a database of family trees. I did not
buy the genealogy program used to set up yet, however, the intention
is to have an interactive (dynamic) site so that the surfer can add
their families by filling out the proper formatted form and returning
it to me. I only have a few memorial examples at the moment however,
I should have more up in a short while. I will be asking for a small
fee to set up each memorial page however, once the memorial of a family
member or friend is up, that memorial will be a part of the internet
forever. The idea is to develop a data base of Aboriginal families
who are from or may have links to North West Saskatchewan. I have
received some family tree data however, I am at present trying to
develop a clean method of displaying them. Using the internet is such
a new medium so creating certain data bases and displaying them so
they work can be difficult. Therefore, please be patient it will take
some time to build it up. I have a partial display of my
genealogy of my biological side of the family.I am working on
one from my adopted side of the family. Even though many of our elders
have passed including my adopted mother the Morin family still treat
me as one of their own. I was so fortunate to have been raised by
such caring people.
NEW Photos of NORTEP - NORPAC
ASSORTED PHOTOS
OF NORTEP - NORPAC.
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NOTE: I am working on putting together genealogy charts
for families out of Ile-a-la-Crosse. Ken Suitor has also sent me valuable
information on the Roy family tree. John Leclair
was sent church records from Ile-a-la-Crosse from Gail Morin, and
now John has shared those with me. The records have been photocopies
from other copies so some entries are impossible to read. The records
are in French therefore, I have to read very carefully and I use aFrench-English
dictionary for certain terms. You must remember that these entries
of baptisms, marriages and funerals were done by priests who in most
cases spoke only French.
My Great-Great-Grandmother
Anne Bekkattla and some of her genealogy.
Aboriginal Arts and Crafts
Aboriginal
hand-made crafts, Artwork and Musicians
Artists, Crafts Producers, Musicians from northern Saskatchewan.
Metis Links, Genealogy
and Discussion Boards
Links to various Metis related sites, as well as other
interesting sites.
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Michif Speakers Data
Base
Many Metis people in Saskatchewan's Northwest
speak Michif and think they are speaking Cree. This is an Metis Nation
of Saskatchewan database. It will provide a good resource base of Michif
speaking Metis so make sure you register your name. Just click on
the blinking underlined words.
Below are some of My Own Sample
Michif Phrases I created on MP3
Good morning, my brother-in-law, come
in, heres a chair, I will put coffee on the table and we shall drink
some coffee.
When you winter fish, you use a chisel
to cut a hole in the ice, then you use the shovel to remove the ice,
then you insert a jigger and using a cord 100 yards long, then you
pull the net under the ice, leave it overnight, then the next day
use the chisel to chop through the ice, then remove the ice with the
shovel then you pull the net out and remove the fish.
Louis Riel and History Links
Louis Riel Articles, stories and
History Links More about my Heritage and
Metis History including some of my personal opinions. There are several
links to stories on Riel.
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Trial of Louis Riel
Justice and Mercy Denied
Check this out, a Metis lawyer, now
retired has written a book on The Trial of
Louis Riel, Justice and Mercy Denied. George R.D. Goulet B.A.,
LL.B., LL.M. must be commended for the hard task of going through
archives, travelling and gathering facts, even so far as travelling
to England because for some reason the Supreme Court of Canada was
bypassed and Riel's appeal was heard before Privy Council, which is
in England. For you folks who are not legally educated Mr. Goulet
has written this book in as much plain English as possible but nevertheless,
you will find many legal terms and may find a lot of the reading somewhat
boring. All in all, I enjoyed the book however, I have a legal education
and appreciate all the work Mr. Goulet has done to get to the truth.
That is to show that Louis Riel was hung by a drunk Prime Minister
and that Justice was corrupt, Justice was Denied and Justice has failed
all Canadians to this very day. Information about the author and more
about the book can be found at this
link.
Various Links
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Deep River - Ausland
Mink Ranch
(Please note all the links in this block
are outside my website.)
Memories
of Deep River Created by Selmer Ausland Deep River brings
back many fond memories of my childhood. My father worked for
the mink rancher so I spent many summers there, while winters
were spent living under prison-like conditions in a Student Residence
for Metis at Ile-a-la-Crosse. So, weekends out at the ranch and
summers were spent exploring the wilderness, baiting for perch
which we sold to the rancher for a dollar a tub. It was welcome expense
money when school started.
Selmer undertook the task of putting the Ile-a-la-Crosse Bi-Centennial
Booklet in his website. I have also made a link from here. Just
click on the underlined Ile-a-la-Crosse
to access it. He has also just completed another project, putting the
RC Church's
150 year history at Ile-a-la-Crosse on the internet. I also have
linked Buffalo
Narrows which has many great photos of people from the community.
Take a look and show them to your elders and see if the recognize all
the people in the pictures.New stuff include the history of Dore
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