Gladys Wapass-Greyeyes
Gladys was born to Maryanne and David Jimmy in a tent on the Thunderchild First Nation on July 30, 1939. She is 85 years old.
Her education consisted of land-based learning from her parents until she turned 7 years old when she was taken to residential school for nine years. In those 9 years she was able to return to her parents for the summer months where her learning from connection to the land continued. She has often said that she learned more in those two months she spent with her parents on the land then she learned in residential school. She returned to Thunderchild the year she was turning 16 where she continued to attend day school for one year then was sent to Industrial School in PA for one more year.
Thereafter, she worked for local farmers living with the families and employed as a nanny and cook’s helper for $2 a day. Those children she met in those years keep in touch with her to this day. She met her future husband Philip Wapass when she was 18. They started their life together and had 6 children.
In 1973, she was involved in starting the education system in Thunderchild. She began taking University classes in Saskatoon taking The Methodology of Teaching a Language which prepared her to teach Cree Language and Cultural Revitalization classes. She was the Cree teacher in Thunderchild until 1985. She became widowed in 1983. She was president of the Women’s group and was also a fully licensed bus driver. She served a 2 year term as a band councillor. In 1986, she moved to Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and taught Cree and Culture for another 12 years. She met and married Ralph Greyeyes and she remained in Muskeg until his passing. During her time in Muskeg, she and Ralph worked on developing the Muskeg Lake Cultural Camp site still operating today. In the mid 1990’s she was initiated into the Elders’ Circle through a 4-day ceremony conducted by the late Ed and Emma Okanee and late Norman and Ina Sunchild. She continued working with youth in treatment centers focusing on cultural teachings for 17 years.
In 2002 she started working with the Office of the Treaty Commissionaire (OTC) in developing Teaching Treaties in the Classroom curriculum. They developed treaty kits and travelled across Saskatchewan delivering workshops on Treaty teachings. Gladys continues to work with the OTC as a member of the Elders Advisory Council.
n 2021, she was recognized by the Canadian Teachers Federation and awarded a plaque and pin for her years of service in the teaching profession. In 2022, she received the Queen Elizabeth Platinum medal from the Government of Saskatchewan in the field of teaching.
She advocates in Education, Cultural Teachings, Mental Health Awareness and readily assists as a support person in many areas. She is known as Kohkom to all the people she has met throughout her life.