CRA employee honoured with Crowchild Memorial Award.

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CALGARY

Elder Vinnia van Overdyke was recently honoured by the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC) and the Aboriginal community of Calgary for her service, and heartfelt dedication to the advancement of health and healing of the Aboriginal community in Calgary and beyond.

Based on the work of the late Chief David Crowchild of Tsuu T'ina Nation, nominees are judged on their work towards creating bridges of understanding through cross-cultural experiences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures creating, within Canadian society, an understanding of the uniqueness and value of Aboriginal culture and encouraging or supporting Aboriginal people in the fields of education, employment and training.

Van Overdyke was nominated for the Chief David Crowchild Memorial Award by Danial Curotte, chair of Committee for the Awareness of Native Employees at Canada Revenue Agency. Curotte said that Van Overdyke not only demonstrated all of the qualifications for nomination, but had also gone beyond in serving the Aboriginal community and the non-Aboriginal community at large.

"Over the past 10 years, Canada Revenue Agency has worked closely with Vinnia. She has created an awareness of Aboriginal issues by addressing managers and employees alike. She has held one-on-one sessions, and on occasion, we have requested her support in talking circles to alleviate conflicts successfully," explained Curotte at the awards ceremony held in June.

"She steadfastly holds to her traditional belief system, and when we try to compensate her for her services, amazingly, she has always told people that you give what you can. We have joined her at pow-wows, and have witnessed her many, many foster children who continue to return to her home year after year after year, even after they have attained adulthood. We have joined her most recently in a march through Kensington to honour the missing and murdered Aboriginal women across this country," continued Curotte.

In her acceptance speech, Van Overdyke spoke with great pride of her children, the many lessons she has taken away from them, and how their teachings guide her work.

"Sharing," stressed Van Overdyke, " the one rule I always had in my home was to share. My children have incorporated this rule or teaching to heart, and in turn always shared what we had, with whomever needed it. In turn, I share what I can with those who need it most."

Joining a long list of past recipients, Van Overdyke's accomplishments will be commemorated on the Chief David Crowchild Memorial Award, situated in the centre of the City of Calgary Municipal building.

BY SHARON GOULET

Sweetgrass Writer