Committed to community

By Shirley Collingridge

Ask residents of Northern Saskatchewan, “Who is Freddie Throassie?” and you will hear a wide range of responses: Black Lake resident, family man, miner, former chief, survivalist, counsellor, community activist, and Elder. That’s because Throassie has spent his life committed to his family, his community, and his ancestral roots.

While raising five children, Throassie worked for Cameco Corporation where he spent more than two decades at Rabbit Lake, the longest-operating uranium production facility in the province. As he worked his way up from operator to supervisor, Throassie enjoyed the company’s flexible schedule: Rabbit Lake was the first Canadian mine to introduce the seven-days-in/seven-days-out commuter system.

Fred Throassie and daughter Michele roasting a caribou head over an open fire.

Those seven days out gave Throassie the time he needed to pursue his many passions. Besides spending time with family, he hunted, fished and became extremely active in community events. He also served as a volunteer counsellor, for 15 years leading throngs of at-risk youth through survivalist canoe trips. Located 170 kilometres southeast of Uranium City, Black Lake serves as an excellent backdrop for such adventures, being isolated yet surrounded by lakes and river systems.

The longest of these trips spanned 28 days and stretched across 600 kilometres. “It went from Black Lake to a series of rivers [along] a traditional route which had never been utilized since 1938,” said Throassie. “It consisted of about 80 young people from three communities: Wollaston, Black Lake, and Fond du Lac – and about 30 canoes with the voyageurs.”

This gruelling journey gave the teenagers a chance to prove themselves and to form important bonds. “I knew it would be pretty rough country,” explained Throassie. “I took on that task to challenge myself and these young people. Towards the end, they’d gathered a lot of relationships amongst themselves and respect for one another – and the ability to function in the harsh environment like their ancestor did.”

Throassie was able to continue leading the treks when he left Cameco in 2000 to work with the Prince Albert Grand Council, researching and collecting data on land use and traditional territories. “It is important for the future use of the territory and for the future generation that we have everything documented,” he said. “For example, the area where we collect medicines, sacred areas, burial sites and traditional territory people utilize to this day. It is really important, up in this remote northern area, because people still do utilize the old way of surviving. If it wasn’t for all these resources that we have like fish, caribou, and moose, it would be very hard to make ends meet.”

Throassie’s experience served as a natural transition to chiefdom in 2004, when he began a four-year stint as chief of the Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, formerly known as Stony Rapids Indian Band. Throassie is proud that the Dene language remains strong in the community, taught by the Elders to the children and youth both at home and within the school system.

After completing his four-year tenure as chief, Throassie found himself back in the mining industry, briefly taking on a job with CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. before returning to Cameco. “Working with CanAlaska is a good experience,” he said. “They built good relationships with the community. They are so keen on hiring the local people,” he added.

This year Throassie assumed the position of Community Relations Coordinator on behalf of Cameco Corporation and AREVA Inc. He is pleased that the liaison position allows him to continue working with youth through classroom presentations and mine tours. “I make them aware of the opportunities in our Basin, mainly with the mining industry,” he said. “I make them aware what training’s going to be out there and what qualifications they need. I introduce summer employment and scholarship programs.”

He is also able to continue his community contact. “I do a lot of PR work,” he said. “I sit down with elders and I also make contact with employees and their families to provide counselling services as required. I follow up on employees who are absent or left their job for some reason; I can refer them to some companies or even work with them on that.”

“I am really happy for my community and the Athabasca region that the people still practice the livelihoods passed on from their ancestors, still practice what they believe in and their language is strong,” he said. “Also, we are surrounded by several mines, which means our young people are fortunate enough to have jobs out there. It is really good for the community.”

Throassie’s one regret about this new position is that a nine-to-five weekday job does not give him the freedom for those lengthy canoe trips. His family will also miss the treks.

“The youngest one, he’s 23 right now, I took on a couple of trips,” reminisced Throassie. “On the last one, I was very fortunate to have my only daughter and my eight-year-old grandson. Casey can paddle by himself now. It’s really nice to have your family members with you on this trip.”

Throassie may commit his three-week vacation to future journeys – a willing sacrifice because, he says, “It makes me feel good.”

Throassie still has many life lessons to share with the youngsters, lessons like the true definition of an elder. “Elder may not necessarily be when you have white hair but is the person that carries themselves intelligently and respectfully in every area,” he explained. No doubt many northerners would agree that this definition includes Throassie.

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