Elder Lynn Jonasson receives a headdress from the Blood Tribe/Kainai in Stand Off, Alberta, presented by Elder and college instructor Calvin Williams at the 15th annual Community Spring Feast in Red Deer on June 3, 2023. (Andrea Dillingham-Lacoursiere/RaggedyAndrea.com)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

about responsibility

Local Elder honoured with headdress for endless amount of community work towards healing

Jun 10, 2023 | 3:06 PM

Lynn Jonasson, a well-known Indigenous Elder in Red Deer, has been doing incredibly important work around Red Deer and central Alberta for many many years.

His sweat, blood and tears culminated in what was a special and unforgettable moment at the 15th annual Community Spring Feast, held June 3 at Fort Normandeau.

During a ceremony at the event, Jonasson was presented with a traditional headdress, meaning that during ceremony moving forward, he would be addressed as chief.

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Jonasson was born on Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba, but came to Red Deer many years ago.

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On his journey, he and wife Theresa ‘Corky’ Larsen Jonasson met George Goodstriker, an Elder with Blood Tribe/Kainai Nation near Stand Off in southern Alberta.

Goodstriker first adopted the couple into the First Nation there, and later assisted Jonasson in getting one of Red Deer’s first sweatlodges going, which led to many other endeavours.

“Red Deer has a lot of urban Indigenous people from different areas and treaties, so the sweatlodge has given them opportunity to hear different elders share songs and stories in different languages,” he says, for one.

“We’ve worked on a number of different things like sobriety circles, healing circles, and through Safe Harbour with the Many Healing Blankets program. We work with remand and institutions helping inmates to complete their healing journey before they have to reintegrate.”

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Additionally, Jonasson works with Red Deer Regional Hospital to conduct ceremony in a cultural room there, not to mention his time spent alongside UAVS to discuss governance with the City of Red Deer under its 2017 protocol agreement.

Elder Lynn Jonasson (left) after receiving a headdress from the Blood Tribe/Kainai in Stand Off, Alberta, presented by Elder and college instructor Calvin Williams (right)at the 15th annual Community Spring Feast in Red Deer on June 3, 2023. (Andrea Dillingham-Lacoursiere/RaggedyAndrea.com)

“Over the years, this work has been observed by Stand Off and elders there. Elders wanted to honour me for the work I’ve done and what we continue to do, so they presented this headdress to me.”

As Jonasson tells, the headdress wasn’t always part of tradition for the Blood Tribe/Kainai, which belongs to the Blackfoot Confederacy.

READ MORE: Four-foot wide bannock pan at Community Feast speaks to sharing among community

Headdress of this kind became part of their ways, Jonasson explains, when Sitting Bull, a Native American Chief during the 1800s, had ventured into Canada with his followers, and made bonds with the Blackfoot Nation through presentation of a peace pipe.

Sitting Bull was grateful for the Blackfoot hospitality, and before returning south of the border, bestowed upon them a ceremonial headdress.

The tradition has been passed down since, Jonasson explains, and now includes the man himself.

“They told me they wanted to honour me because of what we’re doing here, which is trying to improve what’s gone on with the treatment of Indigenous people, including healing from residential schools,” he says.

“This means the world to me because it’s such a spiritual thing. My grandfather was a Chief on Fisher River Cree Nation, so it’s an honour that he would see me in the spirit world wearing this headdress.”

Jonasson, who is also referred to as ‘Buffalo Caller’, has the buffalo represented on the headdress, which also includes feathers of the white-headed eagle.

READ MORE: How a tipi in the middle of Red Deer is furthering truth and reconciliation

It was presented to him by Calvin Williams, an Elder and instructor at Red Crow Community College in Stand Off.

“All of our ceremony is conducted in a way to ask the Creator that we will leave something her for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and to honour what the Creator has put here for us to use,” says Jonasson.

“This headdress isn’t so much about title; it’s about responsibility.”