TOMAHAWK PARK: PART 3
Remember this quote from a couple of days ago in Cut Knife Goes Western with Wild Rodeo?
Thousands of souvenir “wooden nickels” will be manufactured and redeemed during the days of the rodeo…
~ from Wild Rodeo
This past Saturday, during the Museum’s annual spring walk-thru, I found some! This is what they looked like.
Notice that the nickel back (bottom left) is stamped with Cree syllabics. Syllabics are symbols that represent either a combination of consonant and vowel, or just a consonant, or just a vowel. The Cree language was spoken by many First Nations in Saskatchewan historically, and continues to be spoken, and taught today, including in the neighbouring communities of Little Pine First Nation, Poundmaker Cree Nation, and Sweetgrass First Nation.
The October 9th, 1969 Courier Editorial described how the Town residents were working together with the three neighbouring First Nations communities on a joint economic endeavor to benefit the district. The goal was to establish an annual rodeo, and construct a giant tomahawk recognizing “the important part” these First Nations “have played in local history”.
The rodeo and the tomahawk will provide Cut Knife with its opportunity to cash-in on the tourist trade – one of the northwest’s fastest growing industries.
~ from Industrious People (page 2)
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To be continued…
~ Debbie M.
Clayton McLain Memorial Museum 