White Bear First Nations officially opened he community's Aboriginal Head Start Center, Friday, Sept. 29. The event started with a traditional ceremony and ended with a feast - and appropriately, took place the day before 'The Orange Shirt Campaign - Every Child Matters Day', which is held annually on Sept. 30 in regognition and remembrance of Indigenous children in Canada who were forced to attend residential schools.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One of the dignitaries in attendance, Director of Children's Programs and Initiatives for the Dederation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), Vonnie Francis said: 鈥淲hat better way to celebrate 'Every Child Matters Day' - which is really the recognition of the residential schools on our people language and culture 鈥� than opening his new facility to revitalize our language and culture with the children.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Francis explained that the centre - which will benefit children from infancy to age six 鈥� will offer six components in its daily programming: Education, Language and Culture, Nutrition, Social Networking, Health Promotion and Parental Programming.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Alex Campbell, Regional Director General of Health Canada for Saskatchewan underscored the importance of the centre, addressing the crowd in both Cree and English, saying: 鈥淚 think we can all agree that strategic investments in a child's early years lead to greatly improved long-term health outcomes and this new space is an important step in extending the reach of your health programs to those who need them the most - our children.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ealth Canada recognizes the positive impact that the Aboriginal Head Start program is having in communities, particularly on children's readiness to learn and the learning of Aboriginal languages.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The morning's events opened with an open-air prayer in the playground, as pre-school children - many of them wearing orange 鈥� took part in a small ceremony just for them, led by Brent McArthur and J.R. McArthur, who also opened the indoor ceremony with traditional singing and drumming.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his was something Sandra Lonechild, the director asked us to do,鈥� said J.R. McArthur. 鈥淲e said a prayer for the new building, for her staff and for the little ones.鈥� When we do community functions, prayer, song and food are always involved.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he song was specifically for the kids,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e're here to honour the little people; we;re here to honour the opening of this beautiful building.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Inside the centre, Elder Nora Kakakaway opened the ceremony with a prayer and later said, 鈥淚t's great for me to be here today with all of the little ones here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Each of the special guests in attendance spoke of the facility's importance to the children of White Bear First Nations.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Executive Director of WBFN Ken Lonechild said: 鈥淭his ceremony is informal. The kids are here playing during the opening ceremony and it's informal, because it's all about the kids - and promoting our traditions, our culture and our language.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Councillor Bernard Shepherd said: 鈥淪eing my daughter and grandchildren here today enjoying all of this 鈥� it's become a full circle. We all have said we hoped to see something like this happen in our lifetimes and now it has.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Former White Bear First Nations Chief, Brian Standingready said: 鈥淭his program is an important part of our educational system here at White Bear. We have post-secondary, school to grade 12, the daycare and now, Head Start.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sandra Lonechild, WBFN Head Start director was praised for her commitment to helping to bring the Head Start building and program to White Bear.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t takes an entire community to raise a child,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are so many people who have contributed to this project and so many people who will do so moving forward.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his day was touching and wonderful,鈥� she added.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽Health Canada's Campbell summed up the day by saying: 鈥淭his is a significant investment in a child's early years and prepares them not only for their school years, but also for a good start in life.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Artist Michael Lonechild added: 鈥淚t's a new beginning.鈥�
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