Dreamcatcher 2009 Conference Highlights

The Dreamcatcher Conference aims to both entertain and inspire you with a variety of activities throughout the weekend. Here are a few of the highlights….

Educational Fair – Friday, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Main College Cafeteria

Want to learn more about post-secondary opportunities and life on campus? Then you won’t want to miss the MacEwan Educational Fair. Learn about the various programs and services available to MacEwan students. Visit with representatives from the Students’ Association, Residence Services, Library Services, MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness, Student Resources Centre, and the Aboriginal Education Centre.

Tours – Friday, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Main College Cafeteria

Bring your walking shoes and take a tour of our City Centre Campus, which covers five city blocks. Starting from the 105 Street conference theatre, walk past the college cafeteria, library, technology services, the Office of the Registrar, into our MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness (which houses a complex that has been named the best collegiate athletics centre in Western Canada for seven consecutive years), and on to the Robbins Health Learning Centre and the student residences.

Delegate Meet, Greet, and Eat! Friday, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Main College Cafeteria

Following the educational fair, join our conference emcees for an hour of food and fun. Connect with other youth visiting from across Canada while you join in a fun, interactive networking activity. You could be the lucky winner of a cool door prize. Stew and bannock will be served. Don’t forget to bring your participant vision book.

Our Elders

Our Elders are an essential part of the conference and our lives. They are the spiritual component of our conference. They carry forward our history and share with us their knowledge and wisdom through stories that guide understanding and promote healing and growth. Join in the Pipe Ceremony that will start our activities each day, or take a moment to visit with our Elders in our Aboriginal Education Centre. They will be offering sessions throughout the conference and will be available to answer any questions you might have regarding culture, education, and the family, or just to share a cup of tea and chat.

Pipe Ceremonies
Friday, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m., and Sunday, 9:00 a.m.

The conference Elders and organizing committee invite you to join them in the daily Pipe Ceremonies.

** In honour of traditional protocols, young girls and women are asked to wear long skirts or to bring a blanket to cover their legs.

Dreamcatcher welcomes as our 2009 conference masters of ceremonies
Scott Ward and Suzette Amaya!

Scott Ward

Scott has been involved in Dreamcatcher since its inception in 1994. He is a proud Métis. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education (specializing in drama and intercultural education) from the University of Alberta. While working as a career counsellor in Red Deer, he also began the process of becoming certified in clinical hypnotherapy in his spare time. He soon began performing at conferences and other community celebrations. Scott is excited to share the fun that people can have with hypnosis and its practical, therapeutic uses. Scott has presented his hypnosis show at Dreamcatcher for eight years. See Scott in action by registering for one of his sessions. See workshop index. <P>Website: http://www.scottward.ca

 

Suzette Amaya

Suzette is a Kwakawaka aw, Cree, Nisga, and Coast Salish, born and raised in East Vancouver, British Columbia. She obtained her grade 12 diploma and graduated from Douglas College with a diploma in criminology and an associates of arts degree.

Suzette plays many roles within the Vancouver community. She is a support worker with St. James Community Services Society and is the creator and producer/host of the award-winning, widely listened to, radio show Think NDN, CFRO, 102.7 FM. She is also the owner and photographer for SAMAYA Photography & SAMAYA Entertainment, where she produces an annual Aboriginal calendar featuring Aboriginal role models in British Columbia. In addition, Suzette is known for being Vancouver’s successful freelance Aboriginal events coordinator/publicist for special events, concerts, fashion shows, and conferences, and is the producer of Vancouver’s first cross boarder Aboriginal hip hop CD compilation Settin’ Tha Precedence, Volume 1 & 2.

Suzette’s desire and passion is to motivate and to explore the issues Aboriginal young people face and offer alternatives in carving the paths to individual future plans to ensure healthy well-being and pride in being Indigenous peoples. <P>Website: http://www.myspace.com/samaya

Dreamcatcher welcomes as our 2009 drummers
the River Cree Singers and Little Boy Singers

River Cree Singers

River Cree is based out of Enoch Cree Nation, Alberta. The group started in 1995 with the help of Jessie Morin, who had a dream to start a drum group that promoted a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle. Hence, the “River Cree Singers” were born. Since then, River Cree has won and placed in various powwows all across Canada.

River Cree Singers: Romeo Waskahat, Terence Plante, Gordon Ward, James Sharphead, Burton Plante, Jessie Mornin, Derren Arcand, Wayne “Chubby” Morin, Bradley “Gus” Morin, “G-Joe” Morin, Francis Archand.

Little Boy Singers

The Little Boy Singers, under the lead of Arnold Alexis, were established after the legs of a 200-year-old traditional family drum were split and passed on to family members, with the direction to continue with their cultural ways and traditional songs. Daphne Alexis, daughter of Joe Paul, became the recipient of one of those legs. Today, this family drum group has over 30 singers when they all come together.

Honouring Our Youth – Honouring Our Communities Grand Entry

Each year Dreamcatcher honours its conference delegates and the communities in which they live. We invite all youth and community groups attending the conference to bring their banners or flags representing their schools or community and join us in the opening ceremony activities. Don’t miss the 5:45 call from our masters of ceremonies to assemble for the Grand Entry.