Tips from Chester and Brenda Knight on how to have a happy relationship
On Valentine's Day 25 years ago, Cree musician Chester Knight proposed to his love, Brenda Pahtayken.
With 23 years of marriage under their belt and a big blended family of seven children and 12 grandchildren, they must have some tips on how to have a lasting relationship.
But first, their story.
The two met at First Nations University in Regina when they both worked as academic counsellors. Chester is from Muskoday First Nation near Prince Albert, Sask., and Brenda is from Onion Lake Cree Nation on the Saskatchewan-Alberta border.
"How many years were we working there before you put your medicine on me?" Chester asks Brenda.
"Seven years," she says, laughing.
During those years, they became best friends and then eventually dated.
Married for 23 years, Brenda and Chester Knight, who got engaged on Valentine's Day, are still going strong. (Submitted by Brenda Knight)
Chester admits he fell in love when he saw her in her regalia. In a song he wrote about Brenda, the Juno award-winning musician sings, "And I fell in love with that Indian girl, one summer night while watching her twirl. I gave to her my heart and soul that day."
Then on a Valentine's Day date, Chester made the big leap.
"We went for lunch and then he brought out a jewelry box and proposed," said Brenda.
"I was super surprised."
The love birds married two years later, and he sang a song from his third album, Strange how it is, at their wedding.
Today, they are the power couple behind Chester Knight's Bannock Bistro in Saskatoon.
Starting a business
After some issues they both had working for other people, they wondered, 'Why don't we work for ourselves?'
"We both have different kind of skills," said Chester.
"She has organizational skills and I have promotional skills and so that's what we did."
Dinner at the Knight residence in Saskatoon last month. (Kevin Nepitabo/CBC)
The idea was to put all the food they love and grew up with on their menu, with Brenda as head cook.
"I did 16 cold calls," said Chester.
"Then people just started ordering."
Chester said he knew it just wasn't his outreach, it was Brenda's deadly meals that got them hooked.
"You can promote something all the heck but if you don't have the product, you know it's not gonna go anywhere," he said.
When the cooking for the catering business gets too overwhelming, Brenda's sister Karen Pahtayken steps in to help.
Chester Knight's Bannock Bistro head chef Brenda Knight and her sister Karen Pahtayken chop up vegetables while Chester 'supervises.' (Janell Henry/CBC)
"It was fun because we would do the shopping together, the prepping, the cooking," said Brenda.
"And we're the same height but I'd always get her to reach the top things."
Just like when they were kids, Brenda is still the boss in the kitchen.
"Mom taught us to cook different things and because there was three of us girls at home, she'd say 'Girls, make supper.'"
Chester helps out where he can.
"Chester did start off doing simple little things, you know, but something would happen and then I'd move him to another thing,'' said Brenda.
"First it was the grill, then the deep fryer. Then I tried the till. So now he's just the greeter."
For these two, teasing is a love language.
So whether you're married, shacked up or snaggable, here are Brenda and Chester's tips that, along with a sense of humour, could possibly get a pair of bedroom eyes locked on you this Valentine's Day.
Honour your ancestors.
Be a good human being.
Love strong.
Respect one another.
Work as a team.
Spend a lot of time together.
Renew your romance.
Spend a weekend alone together a few times a year (that means leave the kids with their aunties!)
Take care of each other.
Support each other.
