Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 2, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Getting hypnotized and dancing in front of a crowd was just one of the things one of the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 students got to experience during the 2007 Dreamcatcher conference in Edmonton Oct. 12 to 14.

Chantal Shae, Nicole Lawson, Shannon Payne, and Doreen Cleary enjoy a guided tour of the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton. The group of students and staff from Yellowknife Education District No. 1 were treated to a tour of the campus prior to the Dreamcatcher conference that took place in Edmonton Oct. 12 to 14. - photo courtesy of Robyn Stewart

With activities ranging from a presentation by aboriginal hypnotist Scott Ward, to talks about drug abuse from previous drug users, the focus of the conference was healthy goals and positive lifestyles.

"The aboriginal way of approaching things is not to box things in like in Canadian society," said DiAnn Blesse, an aboriginal teacher at Sir John Franklin high school, about why the conference had such a variety of sessions.

"The way we look at things, is that everything is interconnected."

From the evening entertainment to the daily sessions, each student took away something different from the conference.

For Lacey Taylor-Payne, 16, the highlight was the powwow dance and circle dance session. With each culture explaining their regalia, the session was a chance to learn about different aboriginal cultures in Canada.

"They shared their backgrounds, and what (their regalia) meant to them," said Taylor-Payne. "It was very personal."

Courtney Arychuk, 17, agreed that meeting up with aboriginal students from different places was a great chance to widen her perspective on cultures from across the country.

"We're just used to the same traditions," said Arychuk. "Aboriginal cultures from down South, their traditions are way different."

For Shawna McLeod, 16, the conference was a fresh way to hear about drug abuse, as the conference brought in previous drug users to talk about the problem.

"Normally you hear from people who never even tried it," said McLeod. "Here was a guy who did it all."

The students left Yellowknife by bus Oct. 10, to get to Edmonton the following day. The group was a mix of students from Mildred Hall school, William McDonald Middle school, Range Lake North school and Sir John Franklin high school. Seven chaperones accompanied the 44 students who attended.

With the conference not starting until the Friday, the students got a special treat on Thursday with a tour of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton and the University of Alberta campus.

Blesse said the conference was not only a chance to promote positive lifestyle choices for the students, but also to give them exposure to the bigger world outside Yellowknife. As many of the students haven't seen much beyond Yellowknife, Blesse said it can be a challenge getting students to understand issues in classes, such as globalization.

"They begin to understand there are lots of different indigenous groups and different cultural practices," said Blesse.

Three of the Yk1 students, Calvin Desjarlais, Morgan Watsyk, and R.J. Beaulieu, were selected as three of the five flag carriers for the ceremony.

In total 1,500 people attended the conference, coming primarily from Western Canada but also from Nunavut, Yukon, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.