Pinehouse Lake Workshop Tour 2022

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Artist in residence Jane Laxdal recants about the three-week Cultural Arts program that took place during June 2022 in Pinehouse Lake, SK.

“It was a very good opportunity for students to learn about and do some of the traditional indigenous arts of the community.” Said Laxdal. “The Minahik Waskahigan Elementary School and the community of Pinehouse Lake are very interested in continuing their cultural arts and reintroducing indigenous cultural arts.”

This art residency program was planned to involve the students and community during their annual Elders’ gathering.

As a teacher that has lived and taught in the community for over 20 years, Laxdal felt very confident in learning about and helping to teach these arts to the students as well as connecting with the community artists to help support this learning.

“With the support of the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange, I was able to plan and carry out two weeks of lessons at the elementary school.”

The third week was spent finishing some of the students’ projects in the school and continuing the cultural arts they had learned along with the Elders at the communities annual Northern Saskatchewan Elders Gathering.”

“To plan the project, I consulted with school principal Rosalena Smith about cultural arts projects that students would learn and work on during the residency.”

The projects were planned to match the age level of the students.

“I worked with all the elementary students from kindergarten to grade six. The projects were nature collages, dream catchers,

felt tobacco pouches, finger weaving and beadwork pins and key chains.’

All of these projects went very well and Laxdal was able to offer more than one project to some of the grade levels.

During the third week of the residency, the cultural arts that were carried over to the Elders Gathering were finger weaving, dream catchers and small beading projects. The Annual Elders Gathering was a great time of celebration for all the visitors and the whole community. Having the students able to work alongside the Elders was a good opportunity for everyone and there were many other cultural and arts activities going on during the whole week.

It is the hope to find ways to bring more cultural arts to the community such as hoop dancing, ribbon skirt and shirt sewing and other possibilities.

“We appreciate the support from the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange and the value of this support is shown in many ways in the school and the community.”

SEEKING ARTISTS FOR FALL WORKSHOP TOUR 2023

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For more than 40 years, the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society has been pivotal within

the Saskatchewan Arts scene for providing meaningful artist engagement for remote and under-served communities.

That tradition continues.

SCES is currently seeking artists to go on the road for the much anticipated Artist Workshop Tour in the Fall of 2023.

SCES is seeking a visual artist, dancer, storyteller, theatre artist and a musician. Each will travel together as a cohesive Artist Troupe visiting several schools in, mostly rural and northern Saskatchewan, for a six-week period between mid-September to the end of October.

Artists need a current criminal records check and to be available for travel and overnight stays, also, experience in working with students in a classroom setting is essential.

Interested? Find out more by emailing for details – carol@culturalexchange.ca by April 30th.

Preference will be given to artists who reside in Saskatchewan.

SEEKING ARTISTS FOR FALL WORKSHOP TOUR 2023

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For more than 40 years, the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society has been pivotal within the Saskatchewan Arts scene for providing meaningful artist engagement for remote and under-served communities.

That tradition continues.

SCES is currently seeking artists to go on the road for the much anticipated Artist Workshop Tour in the Fall of 2023.

SCES is seeking a visual artist, dancer, storyteller, theatre artist and a musician. Each will travel together as a cohesive Artist Troupe visiting several schools in, mostly rural and northern Saskatchewan, for a six-week period between mid-September to the end of October.

Artists need a current criminal records check and to be available for travel and overnight stays, also, experience in working with students in a classroom setting is essential.

Interested? Find out more by emailing for details – carol@culturalexchange.ca by April 30th.

Preference will be given to artists who reside in Saskatchewan.

2022 S.C.E.S. Annual General Meeting

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The Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange is pleased to invite its membership and all interested to its Annual General Meeting on November 26 2022.

Our staff and Board of Directors will be handling the business of an AGM and updating the membership on what the organization has accomplished in our 2021-2022 year.

All are welcome to attend the meeting, while voting is reserved for members of the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange who register for the meeting. Membership is open to anyone who participated in any program of the organization. To be eligible to vote, you must register for the meeting.

The meeting will take place at 2431 8th Ave, Regina SK. and via Zoom video conference.

If you would like to register please visit our website at www.culturalexchange.ca or email info@culturalexchange.ca and a login will be sent to you ahead of the meeting time.

Proceedings start at 11 a.m.

Call for board members.

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The Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society is looking for interested individuals who are willing to commit 40-60 volunteer hours per year to serve on our board of directors.

We are seeking committed individuals who will strengthen the overall skill set of the Board, contribute to its diversity and bring knowledge and experience that improves the governance of the SCES.  

The SCES provides cultural opportunities to rural and remote areas of Saskatchewan linking communities with artists as well as operating a cultural venue in Regina.

Interested applicants are encouraged to fill out the application below.

2021 S.C.E.S. Annual General Meeting.

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The Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange is pleased to invite its membership and all interested to its Annual General Meeting on November 27, 2021. Our staff and Board of Directors will be handling the business of an AGM and updating the membership on what the organization has accomplished in our 2020-2021 year.

All are welcome to attend the meeting, while voting is reserved for members of the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange. Membership is open to anyone who resides in Saskatchewan and registers for the meeting.

Sign up for our newsletter to become a member.

NOTICE – Members will be voting on new proposed bylaws which are posted on our website for inspection.

http://culturalexchange.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PROPOSED-Bylaws-of-the-Saskatchewan-Cultural-Exchange-Society-2021-Approved-by-Board-19-September-20211.pdf

The meeting will take place via Zoom video conference. If you would like to register please visit this link below or email info@culturalexchange.ca and a login will be sent to you ahead of the meeting time. Proceedings start at 11 a.m. The agenda will be added shortly.

Trauma-Informed Program Delivery Workshop

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REGINA — The Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society (SCES) hosted a virtual workshop on Wednesday for artists working in remote or northern communities that have experienced trauma.

Carol Rose GoldenEagle was one of the people behind the workshop. She has spent a lot of time storytelling and drumming in northern communities.
On a visit about a year ago, GoldenEagle said she met a young boy,
around the age of eleven or twelve.
“And while we were walking, I don’t know why or where it came from, he just kind of blurted out, and I have to use the word ‘blurted out,’ that he was thinking of killing himself,” said GoldenEagle.

While speaking to other artists at Wednesday’s workshop, GoldenEagle said she didn’t know how to respond to the boy, and the experience has remained with her ever since.
GoldenEagle spoke to other artists, and realized she wasn’t the only one dealing with this.
“Every artist who works in northern and remote communities encounters something like this. Some type of trauma-induced admission by a beautiful, young person,” she said. “We need to know how to be compassionate. We need to know how to be proactive. We need to know what is the right way to respond to something like this.”

John Kennedy, SCES’s executive director, said the organization has been sending
artists to rural and remote areas to perform for at least 30 years.
This is the first time they’ve run a workshop addressing some of those encounters.
“The ability to discuss (trauma) and confront it in constructive ways,” said Kennedy. “And also to help people channel that trauma into their art, and into a healthy way to express themselves.”
Between 15 and 20 artists took part in Wednesday’s workshop. SCES plans to hold several more in the future, including one in the spring of 2021.

Taylor Rattray CTV News Regina Anchor / Video Journalist

Trauma Informed Program Delivery Workshop.

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The Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society presents:

Trauma-Informed Program Delivery

Workshop for artists working with remote communities and populations who have experienced trauma.

A continuing Series

Wednesday, October 7th
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cultural Issues working with Indigenous Communities
Presenter: Dion Tootoosis

1:00 pm – 4:00pm
An Intro to Trauma-Informed Program Delivery
Presenter: John Koop Harder, MSW, RSW

Open to any Saskatchewan based artist. There is no fee to participate but space is limited and spots allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The workshop will use the Zoom meeting platform and participants will be emailed a link to the meeting a day or two prior.
Brought to you in part by Sasktel.


To register email john@culturalexchange.ca

Dion Tootoosis

An established Educator from Poundmaker Cree Nation, Dion maintains the family reputation of perpetuating language, beliefs, values, and practices through his work in the education sector, and at cultural events as a master of ceremonies, storyteller, and Knowledge Keeper.

He is a professional teacher since 2004, Dion has worked both on-Nation, for Catholic and public-school divisions in Alberta and Saskatchewan and for Mount Royal University in Calgary teaching Science, History, Language Arts and Indigenous Studies, as well as a guest lecturer for the Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of Saskatchewan.

He now serves as Cultural Coordinator under Student & Learning Services at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology, providing cultural and linguistic programming, curriculum development/enhancement, as well as coordinating Elder & Ceremonial support.

John Koop Harder, MSW, RSW

John has been working as a therapist and trainer for almost 20 years. He is a Registered Social Worker who holds a Master of Social Work degree. John is a co-author of our Counselling Insights book. Much of John’s career has centered on working with children, youth, adults, and families dealing with crisis and trauma.

While he has a diverse practice, he has particular interest and specialized experience in working with individuals and families impacted by mental health concerns, violence, post-war trauma recovery, gender/sexuality issues, and sexual abuse recovery.

John’s work is also informed by his international experiences working with individuals and communities impacted by civil war and ethnic conflicts in Colombia, Albania, and Northern Ireland. John believes people are their own best experts and already have many of the skills, abilities, and competencies that will assist them to address the challenges influencing their lives. John is a warm and engaging facilitator who values interactive learning experiences.