Little Red River family credits culture camp for helping daughter with cancer

“She’s been through so much during her treatments. We’ve been in hospitals for months at a time,” Halkett said.

It was not long after Saskamoose woke up from the coma that Halkett got invited to the Oskayak Mawachiotwin Culture Camp, where Indigenous youth get to learn about their culture and traditions.

By the time the cultural camp started, her daughter temporarily stopped treatments. Halkett said she and her husband decided it would be a good idea to take their daughter away from hospitals and take her on her first ever camping trip.

Upon arrival, Halkett said the community prepared a healing dance for her daughter.

“Not long after the powwow she actually started walking on her own,” she said. “Ever since then she’s been fine. I’ve never seen a hospital in the last year, and I’m proud of her.”

Halkett said the healing dance was the final step to healing her daughter from cancer.

This year, the camp was held from July 31 to August 4. Kids had the opportunity to learn a number of different traditions such as sweet grass picking, traditional cooking, teachings of the drum, and hoop dancing.

One of the speakers at the event was hoop dance world champion, Terrance Little Tent. He said the purpose of the camp is to educate the youth on their way of life so that their culture and knowledge is kept alive for future generations.

“To have something like this is to be appreciative of who you are and not to be ashamed of where you come from,” he said.

rebbeca.marroquin@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @becamarroquin

by paNOW

Little Red River family credits culture camp for helping daughter with cancer

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