In front of a ring of onlookers in Convocation Hall in Saskatoon, Lamarr Oksasikewiyin threads a loop of string around his fingers, forming a pattern that looks much like the game Cat’s Cradle.
Only, this is the traditional version practised among his Cree ancestors.
And it had a purpose beyond amusement — such as building a rapport between teacher and student.
“Just pass the string back and forth, and when their hands are busy they’re calmed down, and then we could talk about whatever’s on their mind,” he explained.
The demonstration of traditional games is just one of the many events taking place at the University of Saskatchewan during Aboriginal Achievement Week, running today through Friday.
Annual celebration nears its 20th year
Lamarr Oksasikewiyin (centre) demonstrates traditional games during Aboriginal Achievement Week at the University of Saskatchewan. (Kathy Fitzpatrick/CBC)
It’s been almost 20 years since the first Aboriginal Achievement Week was held on campus, said Graeme Joseph, Team Leader of First Nations, Metis and Inuit Student Success.
In that time, the population of aboriginal students and faculty has grown.
“Many of the people that we have here at the university are not only leaders in the aboriginal community, but the community as a whole,” Joseph said.
The enrichment flows both ways.
“We think about them gaining an education from the institution, but it’s also a really important opportunity for aboriginal students to enrich the educational experiences of other students,” Joseph commented.
On Thursday, 33 students will be honoured by their colleges for their achievements in academics and research.
A host of other events, including performances, lectures, video screenings and exhibitions are scheduled.
For a full list, go to students.usask.ca/events/aaw.php.
