Sâkêwêwak's mandate is to ensure that Aboriginal artists are consistently provided with the space and environment that allows them to develop their self-determined artistic practices through critical exchange with their peers and their audiences.
Sâkêwêwak's mandate is accomplished by established artistic objectives that facilitate projects for Aboriginal artists. Projects that are carried out by Sâkêwêwak must meet all or some of the following artistic objectives:

• Present artists' work to local, provincial and national audiences, ensuring that fair remuneration is paid.
  
• Provide artists with opportunities to produce new works, works in new media, and collaborative works.
  
• Provide artists with professional development and training opportunities that increase their knowledge of and abilities in a broad range of arts practices from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
  
• Contribute to the artists' ability to develop self-determined arts projects by providing professional development, training and experience in arts administration skills through their participation in planning, developing and delivering multi-disciplinary arts projects.
  
• Incorporate critical exchange, reviews and documentation of the artists' practices in order to provide the widest possible recognition of the strengths, diversity and values of their work and that contribute to contemporary Aboriginal art history and theoretical development.
  

Sâkêwêwak's mandate and objectives are vital to the arts in Saskatchewan as they acknowledge the government-legislated divisions between us and the politicization of such divisions, yet serve to rise above such boundaries. Also, the mandate and objectives of Sâkêwêwak are vital because they respect the right of all First Peoples to negotiate and self-determine their own artistic practices as individuals within the context of society at large.
In addition, Sâkêwêwak seeks, through workshops and mentoring relationships, to address the exploitation of those untrained and emerging Aboriginal artists living far below the poverty line. Sâkêwêwak also enables members to take risks, try new media, and explore concepts along with techniques in a supportive and culturally sensitive environment.

While Sâkêwêwak has experienced success in gaining support and acceptance from the local Aboriginal art community, we have identified that misconceptions among Aboriginal audiences about the nature of alternative art practices is still pervasive.

The Collective envisions, by supporting the production of new work and presentation of artists and their work, a greater understanding from Aboriginal audiences and leadership of the value of the artist in our communities.

WHAT

It was an inspiration that was well rewarded in terms of people participation as hundreds of Montreal Lake and district children and adults packed the band's Recreation Hall to witness the antics inherent in such contests as the Laughing Contest, Crying Contest, Liar's Contest and Kissing Contest.
Actually the Crying Contest was something of a misnomer, since very few people did any crying. The Contest instead produced the biggest laughing session of the entire afternoon.
In the children's section of the competition, it looked at first as though there wouldn't be any, winners. Surrounded as they were by wildly laughing people, the four contestants couldn't seem to do anything but laugh themselves. It finally dawned on two little girls however, that the crowd was laughing at them and then the smiles dissolved from their faces and the tears began in earnest. The crowd roared and the judges rushed in to
cheer up Annie and Virginia Bird with their prize money. The Laughing Contest was a great deal easier on the contestants since laughter dominated the hall and managed to infect everyone that afternoon. Indeed it would have been an interesting experiment