“I walk in both worlds; both native and non-native. I think when I dance powwow I am saying ‘I’m proud to be a First Nations woman who is well educated and [who] built bridges.’”
A good education has always been important to Sylvia Wuttunee. After welcoming me into her home she draws my attention to the graduation photos of her and her daughters hanging on the wall between the kitchen and living room. Both she and her eldest daughter have degrees in social work and her youngest daughter has a Masters of Sociology. She beams with pride as she explains that her younger daughter now lives in Victoria, B.C. doing research for an AIDS organization. There are photos of her mother, daughters, granddaughter and great-granddaughters hanging on walls and resting on bookshelves throughout her cheery home.
Moving to a spot on the sofa with a cup of tea in hand Wuttunee expands on why getting an education has always been a priority for her. In part, Wuttunee says, she’s always loved learning and identifies as a “stay-at-home type,” but she also credits her upbringing, particularly her father’s influence.
“One of the things [that] was very important to me is my dad really valued education and what he always told me is ‘Sylvia, get an education, get a career,’ He never said ‘get married and have a whole bunch of kids.’”
Just out of high school, Wuttunee married her husband and became pregnant with her first child, but her father’s words about education were not forgotten. After the young family relocated to Regina, Wuttunee applied for a job with the provincial government as a parental care supervisor. It was her first job in the social services field. After another move to first Saskatoon and then settling back in North Battleford, Wuttunee says she felt it was the right time to pursue furthering her education.
“I started working at social services [in North Battleford]. The provincial government had programs where First Nations people were given a chance to work in government departments, so I worked as a social work assistant.
“I was there for a few years and I thought I might not have the education to really be in the job. I thought I needed to start looking at furthering my education, so I got a certificate in social work as I was working full time.”
The endeavour took 15 years of night classes at a satellite campus of the University of Regina, during which she went through a difficult divorce, but, Wuttunee says, she has always finished a project she starts.
The certificate in social work led Wuttunee to a job as an employment councillor with the Canadian Employment Centre, but, due to job uncertainty, the path of her education was not yet over.
“The provincial government wanted to take [the Canadian Employment Centre] over from the federal government, so a lot of people were laid off because of the transition. So, I thought, ‘hmm, maybe I should finish my degree.’ I needed two years of arts and science to get my degree,” she says.
Then, as she neared retirement, Wuttunee, at the age of 60, earned a Bachelor of Social Work, attending night classes at North West College while working full time.
After a short stint at Battlefords Tribal Council Wuttunee finally landed at Gold Eagle Casino as a career and employment consultant where she stayed for eight years before retiring.
As an employment consultant, Wuttunee says she experienced many gratifying moments by working with First Nation people, particularly in watching the career paths of people she assisted.
“It’s very satisfying. To be able to see our First Nations, especially, move ahead.”
At the same time, she highlights her own success navigating life off reserve in her career, often being the only First Nations individual on staff and introducing people to her culture.
“When I dance powwow I would tell my colleagues I’m going to be dancing and to come see me. And they did!” says Wuttunee, obviously delighted at the memory.
“I have, I think, walked in both worlds, the native and non-native worlds, effectively. I worked for the provincial government and I was the only First Nation [person] and I have very dear friendships with non-native people.”
Wuttunee is no stranger to finding a balance of cultures. Born on Red Pheasant Firt Nation, her father was half Cree and half Métis and her mother was Métis.
“I grew up being influenced by both [my parents’] cultures. My mother spoke fluent Michif and my dad spoke Cree,” says Wuttunee. “We grew up speaking mostly Cree and English. I am very, very happy they taught us both languages.”
Her father was also an excellent Métis fiddle player, Wuttunee says, and she has fond memories of him playing for neighbours and friends. Wuttunee credits her childhood on Red Pheasant with many of the traits she has fallen back on during her career and traits she has tried to instill in her own family.
Growing up on reserve, Wuttunee and her siblings were not forced into residential schooling because her grandfather hitched up a horse and wagon every day during winter to bring them to and from the day school that was three miles away.
“How much caring and love he showed us,” Wuttunee says, speaking of her grandfather. “It didn’t really hit me until now. I am just so thankful, because I think if it hadn’t been for that we would have ended up in residential school. I was very fortunate although I never thought of it then I think now ‘wow, I’m lucky.’”
Herself now a great-grandmother of two girls, Wuttunee says it is now her most important job, whether it’s picking them up from hockey practice or just being there for them. From an outsiders’ perspective it’s obvious Wuttunee practices what she preaches and that the lessons taught to her by her parents and grandparents are still being passed on.
In living her life, keeping in mind what she has been taught and what she can teach others, Wuttunee says that she sees herself as a role model, to her grandchildren and to other young people. While still working as an employment consultant at the casino Wuttunee was asked to give a presentation at a local school to inform and motivate young people about their future careers.
“I thought ‘yeah, I could just talk,’” Wutunee says, clearly unimpressed with that option. “I thought ‘I need some kind of prop otherwise it [won’t capture interest].’”
In the end, Wuttunee brought a cape she hand-beaded to teach the students about the skills that are necessary as they each move on into a career, such as setting goals, researching, organizing, flexibility and ability to adapt and commitment.
Completely hand-beaded in every available moment of free time and taking a year to complete, Wuttunee’s cape is a symbol of her determination.
“I’m not sure if [beading] brought that out in me or if it was always there,” Wuttunee wonders, but as she said herself, she has always finished what she starts.
