As Saddle Lake’s annual powwow showcased the First Nations culture of fantastic drumming, dancing and special ceremonies, it also celebrated some of the individuals that have represented Saddle Lake Cree Nation with honour, both on the reserve and abroad.
Returning to attend the powwow were three ladies with the last name Whiskeyjack that have been achieving success and prominence in different ways. Bobbie-Joe Whiskeyjack, the granddaughter of Ben Whiskeyjack, has been able to fulfill her dream by earning the right to compete at the Miss Canada Globe Pageant at Toronto in August.
Teneil Whiskeyjack — also a granddaughter of Ben — and her 11-year-old daughter Miika are making their mark in starring in dramatic stage and television productions that highlight the experiences of people living on First Nations reserves.
All three young ladies hope to inspire other youth of Saddle Lake to chase their dreams.
“I really hope to be a good role model for other young girls,” says 18-year-old Bobbie-Joe. “I want to help blaze a trail for them and be inspirational.”
“I always really love coming back to Saddle Lake,” says Teneil. “The community has really come a long way in the last few years, especially with more kids earning an education. I want the youth to realize that there are opportunities available.”
Bobbie-Joe
Bobbie-Joe has been able to advance to the national stage as a pageant contestant, even though she only began entering these shows a couple of years ago.
For Bobbie-Joe “overcoming her fear of being in the spotlight” was one of the primary things that propelled her into giving pageants a try. Monique Makokis-Lee, a fellow member of Saddle Lake that competed for the 2014 Miss Teen Canada Globe crown, also played an important role in motivating Bobbie-Joe to give pageantry a shot.
Both Bobbie-Joe and Monique will represent Alberta in Toronto in the Miss Canada Globe Pageant, which will largely feature participants between 18 to 25 years old.
Bobbie-Joe has never visited Toronto before so she expects the sightseeing opportunities will, like the pageant, be an invigorating adventure.
The weeklong competition will see Bobbie-Joe model in evening wear and swimming wear, among other dresses. For the talent portion of the competition, Bobbie-Joe will perform a traditional Fancy Dance. If she wins this pageant, it will provide her an opportunity to take part in international events. Past winners have gone on to represent Canada in events in locales that include Greece and Barbados.
Bobbie-Joe, who resides in Edmonton, hosted a fundraising garage sale this past Friday in Saddle Lake to help finance her trip. The monetary support that Saddle Lake residents provide her is one of many ways the community supports her.
Teneil and Miika
It was obvious after Teneil, 28, made her performing debut in the successful television movie Dreamkeeper back in 2003 that a future as an actress was a proper career path for her. After all, her debut performance earned her a First Americans in the Arts award for Outstanding New Female Performance.
She earned another award in 2007, for Best Performance by an Alberta actress at the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) Awards.
Collecting prizes has never been a primary goal of Teneil’s acting career though.
“I want to do work that matters,” says Teneil. “I want to be able to bring truth to the political and personal issues that people on reserves face. I want to be a voice of truth.”
Teneil became a mother to Miika at the age of 16. When Miika was seven years old, she decided to become an actress after watching her mom at work.
“I really thought it looked like a lot of fun,” says Miika. “I wanted to give it a try.”
At that time, Teneil was making appearances on the APTN drama, Blackstone, which is about a First Nation reserve that is falling apart due to the corruption of its leader. Teneil was playing the supporting role of Keri, whom she describes as a “dark and quick-witted” character with an alcohol problem.
The second season required a young actress to play the role of Wendy Bull, a girl that gets adopted into a good home after living with an alcoholic mother. Miika decided to go for it.
“When I did the audition, I didn’t think I would get the part. I was really happy and surprised that I did,” she said.
Blackstone, which is about to air on CBC, is going into its fifth season. Interestingly, the mother and daughter duo have not shared a scene yet, though they are on set together often.
In addition to appearing in Blackstone, Miika has starred in the feature film Rhymes for Young Ghouls in 2013. She played the younger version of the main character Avila.
In addition to acting, Miika has talent as a dancer. In addition to receiving various lessons, she is a member of the Edmonton Eskimos Junior Eskimo Cheer Team.
Currently Teneil is working towards receiving a drama major from Concordia University. She is also working on a play called “Old Earth,” which tells of the hardships endured by First Nations women through the generations. Experiences of these women at residential schools and in the sex trade are major focal points.
In addition to participating in events in Saddle Lake, both Teneil and Miika have given back to the Cree people of this area. Teneil has served as a board of director for Blue Quills College, and the mother-daughter team has spoken at the college’s Sun Gathering in the past.
An important reason that all three of the Whiskeyjacks give back to this area is because this it has helped them become who they are today, and Bobbie-Joe notes she feels the support of the community whenever she returns to it.
“Whenever I come here, I have different people come up to me and tell me that they are behind me and are proud of me. I am grateful for that.”
