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TuesdayFebruary2420159HeritageDayshitYellowknifeAboriginalimmigranthistoryrecognizedinhistoricalcelebrationsByDALICARMICHAELFromtherolickinggoodtimesattheWild-catCaftothetraditionalpracticesoftheYel-lowknivesDenethehistoryandheritageoftheNWTwascelebratedovertheweekend.Modern-dayiconsincludingSnowkingAnthonyFoliotandmusicianRyanMcCordtookYellowknifersonatripthroughtimeduringHeritageDaysastheytoldstoriesofthecapitalspast.WeretryingtotaketheHeritageCom-mitteeonestepfurtherbeyondjustbeingacommitteeofthecitythatdecideswheretoputupplaquesordecideswhichbuildingstodesignateasheritagebuildingssaidcom-mitteevicechairRuthMcKeown.Weretryingtomakeitallcomealive.OnFridaynightMcCordhostedaneve-ningofmusicalfunattheWildcatCafewhereotherlocaltalentswereinvitedtohitthestageforanopenmicevening.Peoplejustdropinandoutanditsre-allycalmlowkeyfriendlyandenthusiasticforthemusiciansMcKeownsaid.Alotofpeopleenjoyeditespeciallythemusicianstheysaiditwassuchagreatvenueforper-forming.TheHeritageCommitteelikestousetheWildcatCafbecauseitbelongstothetaxpayers.WewouldliketomakethisanannualeventtohaveaFebruaryblahsmusicjamnightatattheWildcatOnSaturdaytheSnowkinghimselfstoodoutsidehiscastlemadeoficeandsnowonYellowknifeBayandandsharedtalesfromitshumblebeginnings.Werecelebratingour20thyearhesaid.Thelittlegrassrootsprojecthaskindofgrownuptobealittlebitsnappier.Thecrowdwatchedasacrewofsnowcar-pentersputthenishingtouchesonthesea-sonalbuildingwhileFoliotspokeabouttheevolutionofitsarchitecture.OnSundayfamiliesgatheredatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentreforanafternoonwintercarnivalheldoutdoorsonFrameLakecompletewithtraditionalteaboilingnaildrivingandlogthrowingcompetitions.CreatingheritagemomentsThisyeartheHeritageCommitteede-cidedtoholdaseriesofheritagedaysin-steadofhavingjustoneweektoallowforyear-roundevents.OneoftheirmainfocuseswillbecelebratingYellowknifefestivalsmakingsuretheHeri-tageCommitteehasapresenceateverythingfromthewintertimeSnowkingFestivaltothemid-summerpartyatFolkOnTheRocks.Theyhopetobeasinclusiveaspossible.WerealsohopingtodooutreachtosomeofthecommunitieswhoarenewertoYellow-knifesuchastheWestAfricancommunityandtheFilipinocommunitytheMuslimcommunitygroupsofpeoplewhoareimmi-gratingtoYellowknifeMcKeownsaid.Itssoimportanttocommemoratethepastbutthecityisalsochanging.Newpeoplecomeandwewanttohearaboutthosestories.CreativeCreeworkshopsspreadmessageofwellnessSongwritingdrummingandhealingworkshopspassonteachingsByMEAGANWOHLBERGWerelikeabraidofsweetgrasssaysVe-ronicaJohnnyamusicianmotherandstrongadvocateoftraditionalteachingsasawaytobringwellnesstoNortherncommunities.Onepersoncanonlydosomuchandan-otherpersoncanonlydosomuchbutwhenyouretogetherbraidedtogetherlikethatyouremuchstronger.Theresstrengthinnumbersandthatstheteachingaroundsweetgrass.Johnnywasbackinherhomecommu-nityofFortSmithlastweekasaguestoftheNWTCreeLanguageProgramwheretheCreewordoftheweekwasmiyo-pima-tisowinorthegoodlife.TeamingupwithCreeelderMaryCardinalwhoworksasatranslatorforthelanguagepro-gramJohnnyco-hostedadrummingcirclealongwithworkshopsonaddressinganxietyandsongwritingforyouththroughouttheweekhopingtospreadthemessageofwhatitistolivewellwithothersinourcommunities.FormeitsaboutempowermentJohnnysaid.Wereallresponsibleforourownhealingbutpartofthatisalsoaskingforhelpwhichissohardforallofustodo...Sothefocusishowwecanhelpeachotherandthatswhatthegoodlifeisabout-itsaboutdoingforothers.WhatcanwedoforsomeoneelseTenwomencameouttoWednesdaynightsanti-anxietyworkshopinFortSmithwhereparticipantssharedtheirexperiencesandtoolsforaddressingfeelingsofanxietyisolationanddepressionfromsmudgingtoexercise.ThatsreallywhatitsallaboutissteppingoutofyourcomfortzonegettingoutofthecocoonofyourhomethatyoufeelsosafeintojusttakethatsteptogetoutJohnnysaid.Evenifitsjustforaquicklittlecarrideorfora10-minutewalk.Justsomething-getout-sideandseepeople...andgetonestepclosertoyourcommunityandfamilyandfriends.AdrummingcirclefollowedonThursdaynightwhereJohnnyandCardinalsharedtheCreeteachingofthesevenwaystoheallaughingtalkingcryingsingingscream-ingsleepinganddancing.OnFridaythetroupetookoffforHayRiverwhereyouthwereinvitedtotakepartintwodaysofCreesongwritingthistimealsojoinedbyFortSmithmusicianGeronimoPaulette.ThosesongswillcontributetothelanguageprogramsongoingeffortstocreateanalbumoforiginalmusicallinCree.CreeLanguagemanagerKyleNapiersaidtheeventsemergedfromdiscussionsaroundtheneedforhealinginthecommunityfol-lowingseveralrecentdeaths.Theideacamefromthesensethatthecom-munityrightnowcouldreallyusethatfeelingofsupporthesaid.VeronicaandIweretalkingaboutworkshopsthatcouldbringthatsenseofcommunityandasafespacethatwouldallowforotherstocometogetherandexpresshowtheyrefeelingthedifferentanxietiestheyreliv-ingwithandhowtoeffectivelydealwiththem.Napiersaidincorporatinglanguageintotheteachingsisimportantforstrengthen-ingcommunitiesandhelpingpeopleontheirpathtohealingespeciallythoseimpactedbythelegacyofresidentialschoolswherechil-drenwereforbiddentospeaktheirlanguages.Languageinformsourcomplexidentitieshesaid.Creeisareallyhealthylanguage.Thereseemstobemoreofalight-heartedat-mospherewhereyoucouldtalkaboutsome-thingveryseriousbutitdoesntseemasheavyasifyouweretotalkaboutitinEnglish.Johnnysaidhavinglanguageasastrongfocusinworkshopsdesignedtohealmakesperfectsense.Theyenhanceeachothershesaid.Itsempowermenttolearnourlanguageisempowering.Theressomethingincrediblyspecialaboutourcultureandlanguageandwhereweliveandourcommunityandwerecelebratingthatbylearningourlanguage.Wereempoweringourselvesandfeelstron-gerandmoregrounded.Itstrengthensus.ARTSCULTUREHERITAGEARTSCULTURELANGUAGENWTCreeLanguageProgrammanagerKyleNapierandsinger-songwriterVeronicaJohnnyleadaCreelanguagesongwritingworkshopinHayRiverovertheweekend.PhotoCarlaUlrichPhotosDevinLakeYellowknifemusicianRyanMcCordhostsaspecialHeritageDaysopen-miceveningattheWildcatCafeonFeb.20.SnowkingAnthonyFoliottellstalesoffestivalspastathiscastleoficeandsnowonFeb.21.