Dreamcatcher 2010 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….

MacEwan Educational Fair – Friday, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

CN Theatre, Room 5-142

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. Stew and bannock will be served.

Tours – Friday, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Bring your walking shoes and take a tour of our City Centre Campus. Starting from the CN Conference Theatre (on 105 Street), walk west 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 (on 109 Street) and the student residences.

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.

2010 Masters of Ceremonies

Dreamcatcher welcomes as our 2010 conference masters of ceremonies - Kevin Seesequasis and Amanda Woodward!

Captain D. Kevin Seesequasis

Kevin Seesequasis (c-se-kway-sis), now a captain in the Canadian Forces, is of Cree ancestry, originally from Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation near Duck Lake, Saskatchewan.

In September 1997, Kevin became involved with the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Prince Albert, SK. By the end of his time with cadets, Seesequasis had been promoted to the rank of cadet chief warrant officer, had been appointed master cadet, and was the regimental sergeant major of his cadet corps, the highest appointments available to any army cadet. He was awarded the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence, the Lord Strathcona Medal, and the Army Cadet Service Medal for his five years of dedicated service.

He joined the Canadian Forces in October 2002, and after completion of the Basic Officer Qualification course at Regional Cadet Instructor School, was commissioned as a cadet instructor cadre officer in June 2003. In August 2004, Lt. Seesequasis was selected as the area cadet advisor (land) at the Regional Cadet Support Unit [RCSU] (Prairie) Detachment Regina, where he was responsible for overseeing cadet training in all 16 Army cadet corps in Saskatchewan, as well as providing developmental assistance.

Upon leaving the RCSU, Seesequasis served with 2293 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Saskatoon, SK, where he was instrumental in expanding the corps and in the formation of satellite corps in the core neighbourhoods serving Saskatoon’s Aboriginal community. Captain Seesequasis was promoted to his current rank in March 2009, and is currently enrolled in Grant MacEwan University’s Bachelor of Arts degree program.

Amanda Woodward

Amanda’s ancestral roots are from her mother, of the Upper Nicola Band, of the Okanagan Salish Nation. Coming from a family of five, she grew up in Alberta. Edmonton has been her home for the past 11 years. Currently, Amanda lives with her husband and three boys, who are 11, 7, and 3 years old, and recently inherited an 8-year-old girl through traditional kinship.

Since 1995, Amanda has worked in the school systems, usually as a liaison support for Aboriginal students and as a cultural instructor. Her passion is for sharing the positive aspects of Aboriginal peoples with people of all ages and all races. She enjoys powwow dancing, performing traditional flute music, and public speaking at various events. Since 1991, Amanda has explored her gift of teaching and performing through Aboriginal dance, music, and stories. The opportunity to travel throughout Canada and the US, and recently to New Zealand, has been a blessing for Amanda, allowing her to learn and share on a much larger scale.

Her belief is that we all have something special—a light within that we were born to discover, to shine brightly, and to help others do the same.

 

 

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.