Speakers and Entertainment

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Dr. Shauneen Pete,
PhD, University of Arizona,
Little Pine First Nation: Consultant/Researcher

Dr. Pete, of Saskatchewan's Little Pine First Nation, has been a distinguished educator for over 20 years. A gifted storyteller and speaker, she was a master of ceremonies at the recent Missing Women's Conference sponsored by the University of Regina and the First Nations University of Canada. This important gathering brought together international researchers, community activists and families.

Dr. Pete's consulting company provides anti-oppressive training/workshops and program reviews. She has facilitated training with the RCMP, the John Howard Society and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO).

A graduate of the Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) at the University of Saskatchewan, she has also completed a PhD at the University of Arizona.


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Bruce Barrett,
Government of Yukon

Since joining the Yukon Government in 1985, Bruce has spent more than 20 years assisting many Yukon First Nations to record and conserve their burial places, large and small. He administers the Historic Properties Assistance program, which makes matching funding available to individuals, First Nations and businesses to preserve their historic sites.

Bruce has worked extensively at Fort Selkirk, a site with a remarkable First Nation cemetery that includes grave fences and totems dating back to the 1800s. The joint ownership and management of the site, which is shared by the Yukon Government and the Selkirk First Nation under the Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement, is a ground-breaking arrangement that has formed the template for the management of many historic sites in the Yukon.


Michael Cachagee,
B.A. Hons, Laurentian University,
Chapleau Cree First Nation

A member of the Chapleau Cree First Nation, Michael is a founding member of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, as well as co-founder and president of the National Residential School Survivor Society.

After attending two other Indian Residential Schools in the Ontario, Michael was moved to the Shingwauk Indian Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie and went on to attend high school in the city. He would return to the same Shingwauk site, now Algoma University College, to attend classes as an adult student. He was awarded his B. A. (Honours) in Political Science by Algoma, an affiliate of Laurentian University in Sudbury, and also holds a number of Inter-Provincial Trade Certifications. Mike is conversant in his Cree language and has working knowledge of Oji-Cree and Nishnawbe. He will discuss the reconciliation of unmarked graves and repatriotation back to a place of honour.


Lorne Carrier,
B.A. Indian Studies, SIFC,
Recipient of Saskatchewan Order of Merit 2004

Lorne, the Manager of Aboriginal Tourism Association of Saskatchewan, has spent over 20 years working to support culture and heritage in Saskatchewan. His expertise has been developed through a diverse range of positions and experience, including: Manager of Community Development; Museums Association of Saskatchewan; Curator of Treaty 4 Keeping House and Archives; First Nations Liaison Officer, Heritage Unit; Government of Saskatchewan; and as a private consultant with Nehiyawpwat Consulting Services.

Over the years, Lorne's accomplishments have been honoured and recognized through numerous awards, including the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2004, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Circle of Honour Award for Culture in 2005 and Women of the Dawn, First Nation Award for Culture in 2008.


Tony Cote,
Korea War Veteran,
Recipient of Saskatchewan Order of Merit 2008,
Recipient of Tom Long Boat Award 1974,
Founder of Sask. Indian Winter and Summer Games

The son of Frank and Ellen Cote, Elder Tony Cote was born on the Cote First Nation Reservation. Following seven years at the St. Phillips Residential School, he attended the Cote First Nation Day School for two years. In 1952, at the age of 17, Tony joined the Canadian Armed Forces and served with the 81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. In March of 1953 his unit was shipped to Korea for 14 months. On his return from Korea, Tony re-enlisted for another three years and was stationed in New Brunswick and Germany.

A former Chief of the Cote First Nation and former Tribal Chief of the Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC), Tony founded the Saskatchewan Indian Winter and Summer games and was awarded the Tom Longboat Award in 1974. In 2008, Tony received Saskatchewan's highest honour, the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. Tony will discuss his experiences in attending funerals on First Nations.

Tony and his wife Sadie raised seven children. He now has 26 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren and maintains his residency on the Cote First Nation Reservation.


Rob Hilton

Rob, a graduate of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture programs at the Ontario's University of Guelph, is the founding principal of Hilton Landmarks Inc., a cemetery planning and design consulting firm based in Waterloo, Ontario. The firm serves clients from the private, not-for-profit, religious and municipal sectors across Canada and the United States.

Rob's consultancy has completed over 350 cemetery commissions in the last 19 years, ranging from a small 75 lot family cemetery to a 170 acre religious facility.


Brian Scribe,
MA, Archeology, U of S

Brian, a registered member of the Norway House Cree Nations, also has family ties to the Carry the Kettle Nakota Nation and the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan.

While pursuing an education that includes an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Brandon University and a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Saskatchewan, Brian has been an active member in the Canadian Archaeological Association, Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists, Saskatchewan Archaeological Society and the Manitoba Archaeological Society.


ENTERTAINMENT

Jack Semple

Regina's Jack Semple is a Juno award-winning guitarist, singer and composer who has performed from Vancouver to Montreal, released 7 CD's, and shared the stage with international artists ranging from Martha Reeves to k.d. lang. Since winning Much Music's "Guitar Wars" National Guitar Competition in 1992, Jack has wowed audiences and impressed critics wherever he has played. Don't miss your chance to see Saskatchewan's own guitar hero in action on Sunday.