When Fred Cardinal was young, he remembers taking a dog sled to and from school, back in the 1930s. “A lot of things have changed (since then),&” said the 85-year-old elder of Saddle Lake.
When Fred Cardinal was young, he remembers taking a dog sled to and from school, back in the 1930s.
“A lot of things have changed (since then),&” said the 85-year-old elder of Saddle Lake. But Cardinal noted one thing has remained the same - the importance of education. He always told his children to get an education, since they couldn't expect him to support them forever.
“All I have is the land, and that barely supports me,&” he said. On the evening of Feb. 14, he was on hand at the Ayiwakes cultural centre to see his words of encouragement realized, as his children appeared on a list of 329 Saddle Lake members who were honoured for graduating from high school, apprenticeships, masters and other post-secondary programs in the past two years.
Graduates honoured at the Saturday night round dance had broad smiles on their face as shawls were draped on them, and they accepted eagle feathers, gifts and certificates in recognition of their hard work. Dignitaries, including Chief Leonard Jackson, offered their congratulations.
Onchaminahos School teacher Valerie Cruz was among those honoured for her completion of a two-year Masters of Education at Blue Quills College.
“I wanted to inspire my family, my nieces and nephews, my children to pursue higher education,&” she said. She believes she was the first person in her family to achieve a post-secondary education, and certainly the only one to complete a Masters degree.
But thankfully, she was part of a group that encouraged one another to finish the program. “We had a strong cohort, we all supported each other.&”
“We were balancing full-time work, full-time families, full-time responsibilities,&” added Bernadine Houle-Steinhauer, who, while directing Saddle Lake's post-secondary department, also finished the Masters of Education program.
But it was an important goal for her to fulfill, she said, adding, “As a post-secondary director, I need to role-model for my students, for my family.&”
The night, which included a round dance and a feast, was a reward for all the work and efforts, she said.
“This is the best part of my job,&” noted the beaming Houle-Steinhauer of seeing everyone's accomplishment and honouring those within the community.
Ruby Stone, program manager for reinvestment and training, agreed, saying it was an “uplifting experience&” to see students achieve their goals.
“It's very inspiring to see our people equipped with educational backgrounds that will benefit our future.&”
