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ArtsCultureFestivals13TuesdayAugust122014SouthSlaveFriendshipFestivalcancelledagainPastperformersreacttosecondyearofeventhiatusByDALICARMICHAELForthesecondyearinarowtheannualSouthSlaveFriendshipFestivalhasbeencancelledleavingmusicloversandtheartis-ticcommunityintheregiondisappointed.TheseasonaltourismdrawtoFortSmithwasdroppedlastyearafterthetownsarenasufferedarethatleftorganizerswithoutaplacetohousetheirSuperShakerpartyoneofthemainmoneymakingeventsofthefour-dayfestival.EarlierthisyearLucyTulugarjukanartistbasedinFortSmithrevivedtheefforttocontinuethesum-mertimetraditionbutwasunsuccessful.OnJuly24sheannouncedinaFacebookposttotheFortSmithNWTCommunityBulletinBoardthatshewouldnolongerworkonthisyearsfestival.TheoriginalposthassincebeendeletedthoughremarksfromfellowcommunitymembersremainapplaudingTulugar-juksefforts.TheJournalreachedouttoTulugarjukwhodeclinedtocommentonthematter.WereallverysadthatanannualmusicreuniondidnthappenagainsaidVeronicaJohnnyaFortSmith-bornmusicianandrepeatper-formerbothsoloandwithherbandTheJohnnysnowbasedinToronto.ItsalwaysamajorpartofmyyearandIbookthingsaroundit.TravisMercredialocalmusiciannowlivinginYel-lowknifesaidthatinitshey-daytheFriendshipFestivalwassomethingheandhisfriendsalsolookedforwardtoeveryyear.EventhoughIwaslivinginYellowknifeitwasalwayspartofourplantogodownitwaspartofourscheduleMercredisaid.AbunchofbandswouldgodownfromYellowknifeandeveryonewaspsychedtobeapartofit.DavidPoitrasanotherlong-timeattendeeandper-formeratthemusicjambo-reeexpressedhisdispleasureovermissingtheannualmu-sicalrevelry.ItsprobablyoneofthebiggesthappeningsthattookplaceinFortSmithformanymanyyearsPoitrassaid.Despiteafewhiccupsovertimelikewhenhisbandwasbumpedforabelly-dancingperformancePoitrassaidhethoroughlyenjoyedplayingtheeventandwouldperformagaingiventhechance.AllIhadtodowasgodownwithmyguitarandgetuponstagehesaid.Ithinkthepeoplethatvolunteeraretheonesthathaveallthechallenges.Itsalotofwork.OrganizationalchallengesFormermusiciansvolun-teersandattendeesalikeareupsetatthecancellationofthefestivalasdisplayedinanumberofconversationshostedonsocialmediare-gardingthewaningproject.Anumberofproblemsplaguedthefestivalrepeat-edlyaccordingtoseveralsources.Evenwhensomeonesteppeduptotheplateandbeganplanningitseemedtherewasneverenoughhumanornancialsupporttogetthingsrunningsmoothly.Afteryearsofregularlyat-tendingthefestivalJohnnysaidsheroutinelywitnessedtheimmensededicationittooktosuccessfullyorga-nizeandcarryouttheevent.Iveneverbeenthecoor-dinatorbutIvehadmanyfriendsdothecoordinatorjobanditsjusttoomuchforonepersonshesaid.Whatshappenedinyearspastisfestivalcoordinatorsgetburntoutandthentheycantdoitanymore.Thereslotsofvolun-teersandthatstheotherthingthatsneededpeoplealwayscomethroughyouknoweverybodywantstoseethefestivalhappenJohnnysaid.Themainthingthatweneedtobefocusedonisaplanningcommitteeandhiringsomebodyreallyearlyonintheyear.MercrediagreedwithJohnnynotingthatitwouldtakeawell-oiledmachinethatcouldadapttochallengesyearoveryeartoensurethesuccessoffuturefestivals.Youhavetobuildsucces-sionintoanynon-protor-ganizationhesaid.Yourvolunteershavetobeyourfuturecoordinatorsyouhavetogivethemthatresponsi-bility.Healsopointedouttheneedforsupportfrommunicipalitiestomakesurecommunity-wideeventsliketheFriendshipFestivalre-mainedsuccessful.Thoughthegigisnothap-peningthisyearrumoursofearlyplanningforthe2015editionareabuzz.Astowhetherthoseplanswillcometofruitionitistooearlyyettotell.VeronicaJohnnyrocksoutatthelastSouthSlaveFriendshipFestivalheldin2012.ProgramteachesleadershipusingtraditionalvaluesEducationLeadershipByDALICARMICHAELAboriginalyouthfromFortSmithcametogetherlastweektoexplorehowtheycanbecomebetterleadersfortheircommuni-tiesbylearningtocombinetraditionalvaluesinterper-sonalskillsandacademicknowledgeintheirdaytodaylife.FromAug.5to7rep-resentativesfromtheUni-versityofCalgarysNativeAmbassadorPost-secondaryInitiativeNAPIventuredtothetowntorunaseriesofworkshopsonleadershipforthenineparticipants.Asyoungpeoplewere-allythought...whattheyweregoingtolearnintermsofthecoursecontentissome-thingthattheyregoingtoinstallandusethroughouttheiryounglivessaidAprilMcAlisteranem-ploymenttrainingofcerwithAboriginalSkillsEm-ploymentTrainingProgramASETSaninitiativeoftheAkaitchoTerritoryGov-ernment.ShewasinspiredtoorganizetheeventafterreadingaboutNAPIsvisittoFortChipewyan.Youlearntheseskillsandimplementtheminyourdailylifeandultimatelythatsgoingtohelpyouinthelongrunespeciallywhenitcomestoemploymentshesaid.ThecoursewasopentoAboriginalyouthages13to24andanyonewhowasinterestedwaswelcometoattend.Theobjectiveofourpro-gramistomotivateAborigi-nalyouthtondtheirleaderwithinandtoinspirethemtopursuepost-secondaryeducationsaidMallainaFriedlecoordinatorofNAPI.NAPIisadaptedfromasimilarinitiativeattheUniversityofCalgarythatteachespersonalteamcommunityandorganiza-tionalleadership.Traditionalvaluesandlessonslikethesevensacredteachingsofthegrandfatherswereaddedtomaketheconceptsmoreac-cessibletoAboriginalpop-ulationswhichhavesomeofthelowestuniversityandcollegeattendanceratesinthecountry.Nowambassa-dorstravelalloverWesternCanadasharingtheirknowl-edgewiththefutureorganiz-ersofFirstNationsMtisandInuitgroups.MatthewGagnonajuniorambassadorforNAPIsaidtheFortSmithkidstookpartintwomodules.Therstwasbasedinself-conceptualiza-tionself-empowermentandunderstandingonesownstrengthsandweaknesses.Thesecondmoduleworkedonusingthoseconceptstoimprovetheparticipantsstrengthsincoordinatingteamactivitiesfacilitatingconictresolutionandcre-atingchange.JustinLabelle20heardabouttheopportunitythroughSmithsLandingFirstNationSLFNwhereheisworkingasasummerstudent.Labellewhowantstobecomeaneco-tourismcoordinatorsaidhethoughtthediscussionswouldbeinterestingandprovideagreatchancetopracticepublicspeakingandconictresolution.SaythatIhavetwocrewmembersdisagree-ingIwouldgothroughcy-clesandaskthemwhattheproblemisandfromtheresolveithesaid.IthinkNAPIisprettyawesomeandIwouldrecommendittootherpeople.RileyHessdorfer15isanotherSLFNstudentwhodecidedtotryoutNAPI.Thehighschoolersaidhehopestobecomeanarchi-tectsomedayandbelievesthelessonscanhelphimbecomeabetternegotia-toranimportantassetinhischosenfield.Imreallyhappythattheyhadthisopportunitytotakepartinthiswork-shop.ThefacilitatorsareawesomeandtheyrejustrightatthatlevelwiththeyoungpeopleMcAlistersaid.Theyarejustsoen-ergizedthattheymakethedayveryinteresting.NAPIwillbeconductingasecondNorthwestTerri-toriessessioninHayRivertheweekofAug.18.PhotoDaliCarmichaelYouthandtheirNAPIambassadorsmeetinFortSmithAug.7tobuildleadershipskills.PhotoPaulBannister