Meeting the Bloods at the Horse Lake Reserve

The part of the Horse Lake Reserve where teachers and others attended a conference entitled “Maintaining the Aboriginal Spirit in Today's World” is like a little town; it is very close to Hythe, Alberta so the elementary children there go to school in Hythe.

The conference took place at the Horse Lake Community Centre. Two people spoke about helping more First Nations children make better choices and helping them do better in school. Ken Ward and Julie Sullivan-Delorme are a Metis youth worker and a teacher/consultant. They won many hearts and people's respect through their speaking.
(Everyone was surprised – including the organisers and the speakers themselves - to see TWO guests with real blonde hair speaking at a First Nations Conference! When Mrs. Gula took their picture, Mr. Ward said “…the two blonde Indians, eh?”)

Our Worsley Grade 3/4 class delivered a letter to a school on the Blood Reserve through Mrs. Gula. Morris Manyfingers, a Blood tribe member and Director of Aboriginal Services with Alberta Ed., and Evelyn Goodstriker of Alberta Learning, a Blackfoot who married into the Blood tribe, were pleased to see the Gr. 3/4's letter.

Our lunch on Friday was our choice of beef and moose meat stews. There was also lots of bannock! Dancing was performed by a group from Horse Lake and by the Driftpile Drumming and Dancers Group. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Pearl Calahasen, closed the conference with her presentation and prayer.

We in Worsley are hoping to hear back from a class of elementary students from the Blood reserve

Here is the letter we wrote and sent, along with our photographs and signatures:

Worsley is a hamlet. It is north and west of Fairview, Alberta. The main jobs around here are farming, ranching, logging, and working in the gas and oil industry.
In our class of grades three and four, thirteen out of the fifteen students live on farms. Two live in the hamlet of Worsley. Worsley has nice people. It also has services including:
  • Baptist Church, United Church
  • Nursing Station
  • Garage with Car Wash
  • Bulk Fuel Agent – U.F.A.
  • Esso Oil and Fertilizer
  • Barber / Hairdresser
  • Fire Truck and Volunteer Firemen
  • Ambulance
  • School
  • Arena
  • General Store
  • Confectionary
  • Hotel and Restaurant
  • Bank, Post Office
  • Seniors' Meeting Place (the Legion Building)
  • Seniors' Apartments
  • Museum – Indoor and Outdoor
  • Private swimming pool, used for lessons
  • Government Building (M.D. of Clear Hills #21)
  • Rural Electrification Association
Also special to the area is the local ski hill, which is called “Whispering Pines Ski Hill.”
There is a reserve nearby and it is called the Clear Hills Reserve. Our First Nations are mostly Beaver and Cree.
We have studied the Land of the Bloods. If your class would like to write to us about your home, we would like to hear from you!
Grades Three and Four, Worsley Central School

Mrs. Gula took some pictures when she was visiting ... you can see them here.


Grade 3/4 Pages