People are coming from across Ontario to take part in a traditional powwow this weekend.
The 17th annual gathering at Northern College is taking place April 21 and 22, with this year’s theme being Remembering and Honouring our Sisters and Brothers.
“This has been a very exciting event to see grow over the last number of years within the community here and each year we continue to see more and more of the community coming out,” said Fred Gibbons, Northern College president.
Powwow co-ordinator Joseph Nakogee said the event is held every spring as a celebration of life.
“The weekend consists of praying, singing and dancing. We’re giving thanks, we’re appreciating our world and we’re sharing our culture with the rest of the world and invite them to come, everybody’s welcome, it is free. You can come for five minutes, 10 minutes, an hour or stay all day, it’s up to you,” he said.
At the powwow, he said the MC is the program narrator. For people unsure of when they can take photographs or what the songs are about or the style of dance, Nakogee said the MC will explain it.
Organizers are expecting between 1,500 to 2,000 people throughout the weekend, with everybody in the community invited to take part.
“That’s what a powwow is, it’s an equal circle. We all dance together, we’re all equal in that circle; there’s nobody greater or less than, we’re all brother and sisters in that dance and that circle,” Nakogee said.
The weekend will also feature about 30 arts and crafts vendors in the main foyer and kids’ arts and crafts activities in the pub. Saturday, there is a $2 feast at 5 p.m.
“We have a teepee in front, sacred fire going all weekend and if you want to go and sit there and sit around the fire and talk with Indigenous peoples and connect, ask questions, people will be in there,” he said. “The main thing too is, Indigenous people in the crowd, this is the time where you can go and ask questions, talk about culture, talk about themselves and share and learn and understand. This is the venue for it, the weekend for it.”
The traditional powwow at the college began at the request of students.
“We’re a college that aspires to become the choice of Indigenous people within the region to pursue their post-secondary education and training here at Northern College, so we’ve been developing very strong relationships and partnerships with First Nations communities and organizations. This is a demonstrable way for us to physically engage the community and Indigenous people in a cultural celebration that I really do think adds to cultural understanding,” said Gibbons.
Entry to the powwow is free.
If you haven’t been to a powwow before, Nakogee and Gibbons agree the best time to attend is for the grand entry, which is at noon each day. Saturday the festivities run from noon to 7 p.m., while it runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
