Understanding the Haggadah

Cultural consultation gives Indigenous stories strength in Netflix’s new Little House on the Prairie

Through her work as an Indigenous consultant for film and TV, Julie O’Keefe, a citizen of the Osage Nation, has brought accuracy and authenticity to works such as Martin Scorsese’s 2023 crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, the 2025 western miniseries American Primeval and, most recently, Rebecca Sonnenshine’s new adaptation of Little House on the Prairie.

But she doesn’t work solo.

“One of the things that I always say is, in any of these jobs that I do — whether it’s Shoshone and Paiute and Ute or Osage — I never come alone to this,” says O’Keefe, who grew up in Pawhuska, Okla., the heart of the Osage Nation, and is now based in Santa Fe, N.M. “I engage because those stories are so much richer with our voices added to it, and we know that.

“I’m sitting down with brilliant directors, brilliant writers, and I’m handing over pieces of history that they’re like, ‘How come nobody knows this?’ And the great part is, this is the time in history … people are really starting to get on top of wanting this for their stories, because it really wasn’t of any importance before.”

Bombers search for an offensive identity after Week 8 tailspin

Tommy Condell has been around long enough to know that criticism is part of the job, so you can understand why there were moments when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator sounded a tad defensive when speaking to the media on Monday afternoon.

The Bombers were coming off a disappointing 52-30 loss to the Calgary Stampeders that dropped them to 4-3 on the season.

In many instances, a 30-point outburst would have been cause for celebration. But when you look under the hood of Friday’s outing — which included four interceptions for Bombers pivot Dru Brown — the picture wasn’t quite as rosy.

Compounding matters, star tailback Brady Oliveira went from making the longest touchdown run of his CFL career — a 45-yard scamper late in the third quarter — to being a mostly forgotten player in the fourth as the club mostly abandoned the run in an effort to rally from nine and eventually 12-point deficits.

Cyclists shown Winnipeg’s warmer side

Fundraising cyclists from New Brunswick who had their bikes stolen in Winnipeg got to see a completely different side of the city over the weekend.

“The good people in Winnipeg really wanted to show us that our first impression in Winnipeg is not what it was, and I think that’s really cool,” said Thomas Clark, 23, who is cycling across Canada with Valentine Duquenne to raise money for men’s mental health.

Winnipeggers rallied to raise nearly $16,000 in just a few days to replace their bikes, which were stolen Friday while the men were doing an interview with CBC.

The friends said they’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring support.

A small step among troubling signs

There’s no getting around the fact — to many people, downtown Winnipeg is unsafe. Period.

Understanding the Haggadah

During the Jewish holiday of Passover, the typical Seder table is set with a variety of ritual objects and symbolic foods. With the exception of the matza, or unleavened bread, the Haggadah is the most important item on any Seder table.

Haggadah, which literally translates as "the telling," is the user manual for the Seder, the festive meal that takes place at the start of the eight-day holiday. This year, Passover, began at sunset on Friday, April 3.

"The Haggadah is arguably the most popular Jewish book read by Jews," writes American religious studies scholar Katja Vehlow, in Understanding the Roots of the Haggadah.

The Haggadah, originally written in Hebrew with a spattering of Aramaic, sets out the 15 steps for the Seder to follow. These steps, which include such rituals as asking the Four Questions and eating a green vegetable dipped in salt water, were compiled by rabbinical scholars during the Talmudic era, roughly in the fourth century CE.

Cash injection will help women’s centre grow

Janice Lavellee grew up in a large family rife with substance abuse and domestic violence. She ran away from home at age 14.

When she found the North End Women’s Centre, it was a godsend.

“I never knew the North End Women’s Centre was there, because I never knew where to get help,” she said.

After having a child at 16, Lavellee said the centre gave her a job on the weekends. It was a stepping stone to finishing high school, and she later returned to the centre to work as a receptionist for 27 years before recently retiring.