Indigenous awards gala returns

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This article was published 22/04/2023 (1284 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Organizers say they’re excited to bring the Honouring the Good Road gala back to Brandon next month, as this uplifting community event has been absent for the past four years.

Organizing committee lead Lisa Ramsay said she believes that during the gala’s absence many Westman residents continued to live according to the seven sacred teachings — love, respect, courage, honesty, humility, truth and wisdom — and deserve to be recognized on a major public stage.

“I like the idea of us talking about the strength of our community,” Ramsay said Friday.

“I think there’s so many people who do such good work in this community, and it’s important to acknowledge that and celebrate that.”

The inaugural Honouring the Good Road gala took place in 2019 at Brandon’s Dome Building, with Ramsay having conceived of this event years prior through her career as a social worker.

The gala featured 17 nominees whose names were put forward by members of the community, using the seven sacred teachings as their rubric.

The eventual list of winners from that inaugural ceremony included local educators (Sherry Baker), knowledge keepers (Verna Demontigny), social workers (Liz Spence) and a high school student (Trinity Ferland), who were all united in their dedication to making their community a better place.

This list of winners also included Deborah Tacan, whose position as a prevention education worker for Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, as well as her general knowledge of Métis and Cree cultural practices, secured her the Eagle Award that symbolizes the principle of “love.”

Talking to the Sun on Friday, Tacan said she was really pleased with how the inaugural gala was put together, viewing it as a networking event where members of Westman’s Indigenous community can help inspire the next generation.

“It’s always good for us to connect with the young people, because when we see them in the community we know who they are and they know who we are, and then it becomes easier to talk to them,” she said. “So it’s about getting to know each other through this big gathering.”

Based on the success of this first gala, Ramsay and her team were poised to run a followup event at the Keystone Centre’s UCT Pavilion in May 2020, although the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on ice.

After a lot of stops and starts, Ramsay said she’s happy the gears are finally back in motion for this big community gathering, especially since so many people are still reeling from lockdown measures and prolonged periods of social isolation.

“It’s been a really hard three years,” she said. “So it’s kind of nice and exciting to think about getting together and seeing each other’s faces and serving food. We’re going to have a beautiful meal and share some laughs and stories and just have an evening celebration.”

Right now, Honouring the Good Road organizers are still accepting applications for their upcoming awards ceremony, having recently extended the nomination deadline to next Friday.

While most of the awards are reserved for Indigenous adults who adhere to the seven sacred teachings, Ramsay said they are also accepting applications for youth and non-Indigenous allies who have demonstrated similarly admirable qualities.

For example, 2019’s adult “ally” award was given out to former Brandon Police Service head Ian Grant, who was recognized for taking part in many Indigenous events, ceremonies and initiatives throughout his five-year stint as chief.

But even if you’re not interested in this gala for the awards, Ramsay said the general ambiance is worth the price of admission alone, since it provides community members with the opportunity to rally around these inspirational figures and build a better road towards Indigenous reconciliation.

“Sometimes it’s hard when you’re busy to pause and stand back and look at the bigger picture, so this is a chance for us to focus on the positives,” she said.

This second Honouring the Good Road gala is scheduled to take place at the Keystone Centre’s UCT Pavilion on May 16 at 5:30 p.m.

Anyone interested in learning more information about how to nominate someone for an award can visit honouringthegoodroad.ca or the gala’s official Facebook page.

Tickets to attend this event are $75 and can be purchased through the Brandon Friendship Centre, which is located at 836 Lorne Ave.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson