Meetings and Encounters Sharing our culture on Aboriginal Day

by Cam Martin

It has been 12 years since Governor General Roméo LeBlanc declared June 21st National Aboriginal Day, and the celebration gets bigger every year. More and more people are organizing events for their communities and their spirit has caught on, causing more participation and enthusiasm about our culture. Aboriginal day is a celebration of our culture amongst our nation, and not just within the First Nations community. It is a perfect opportunity to educate others about our traditions, and to congregate to share our pride in our native culture.

When Governor General Roméo LeBlanc signed the proclamation formally designating the day on June 13, 1996, he spoke about the important contributions that aboriginals have made in the country, “Many cities in Canada are less than a hundred years old. But aboriginal people have lived in this land for more than a hundred centuries. From coast to coast and in the Arctic, they first explored our lakes and rivers, they first mastered our forests and prairies, and they helped those who came later to join them.” Our connection to this land is ancient and we are the guides for our fellow Canadians. We must show them all that we, and Canada has to offer.

This year’s Aboriginal day celebrations are also give a very important opportunity for the First Nations to show their proud community sprit by recognizing the 400th anniversary of Québec City. Québec is special to Aboriginal day as it was the first province to celebrate and try to integrate a national day of Aboriginal solidarity.

With the combination of these two important festivals, the event planners tried to establish the theme “Meetings and Encounters” between Aboriginal and Europeans, highlighting the meeting of these two cultures. These celebrations will provide an exceptional opportunity to meet people with whom we share our daily lives and our future challenges.

It is under this theme that the Huron-Wendat Nation, the First Nations host of the 400th anniversary celebrations, along with the First Nations of Québec, Labrador and Canada, will be taking part in the festivities. Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation, Max “Oné-Onti” Gros-Louis, Marcel Godbout, President of the Office du tourisme de Wendake, and Jean Leclerc, President of the Société du 400e anniversaire de Québec, announced a program featuring numerous artists, artisans and prestigious partners.

“Without a doubt, the star attraction will be an intense two-hour extravaganza entitled Kiugwe (meaning “the time and the place for meeting ” in the Wendat language), during which spectators will experience our culture through our myths and our history. The originality of this show lies in part in the circuit spectators will take through Wendake to view each of the tableaux vivants that make up the presentation”, according to Grand Chief Max Gros-Louis.

This open-air super show featuring dramatic performances by Huron-Wendat and First Nations artists is a Jacques Crête production in collaboration with the expert resources provided by Inter-Nation-Art, a subsidiary of the Quebec City Summer Festival. As its director, Daniel Gélinas, noted, “This outstanding production will reflect the artistic and artisan talents of the Huron-Wendat Nation. Inter-Nation-Art will act as a catalyst for their strengths and riches.” The opening show is scheduled Friday, July 18, 2008, with at least twenty performances planned.

The international program will bring together the Chiefs of at least 40 Nations and some 400 representatives of the First Nations of Canada for a grand assembly in Quebec City on July 17. All of the participants will follow a symbolic trail extending from the Québec bridges to Wendake, marking the journey of the First Nations People and of Canada. The event will close with an official ceremony followed by a party on the site of the new outdoor amphitheatre in Wendake.

The regional program, a collaboration of public and private sectors, will include many dances, songs, and story telling, with encouragement to participate in the host nation’s traditional activities. Education programs for schools and community centres that will begin early in 2008 will help educate all Canadians about First Nations culture, and our important role in the development of Canada.

On the west coast there are also many outdoor events, which guests can engage actively with traditional customs. In Nanaimo, June 21st begins the “Alive with the Arts of Many Cultures” festival, a vibrant 11-day multicultural event showcasing Nanaimo’s rich cultural diversity. The events of June 21st begin at Maffeo Sutton Park where the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Mtis Nation, are putting on a large demonstration of traditional art. There will be interactive singing and dancing, with performances by Zinqwa dancers from the Cowichan Territory, as well as artwork and quilting stations, and even a fashion show, with firsthand demonstrations of the wool process and knitting. All of these sessions focus on educating about the use and history of these techniques. Finally, the day will conclude with a traditional Salmon barbecue.

The spirit of community is strong within the First Nations People across Canada, and that means recognizing our part as hosts in our diverse nation. On the inaugural celebration of Aboriginal day, Governor General Leblanc said, “On June 21st, this year and every year, Canada will honour the native peoples who first brought humanity to this great land, and may the first peoples of our past always be full and proud partners in our future.” A true message of integration, of accepting the past and future as one.

This year’s Aboriginal day is about recognizing our place within Canada’s diverse cultural makeup. It is about sharing our bountiful culture and traditions, and the lessons we have taken from them. We will celebrate with our fellow Canadians and hopefully, these new meetings and encounters will continue to foster a positive community spirit for both First Nations and non-First Nations.

“On June 21st, this year and every year, Canada will honour the native peoples who first brought humanity to this great land, and may the first peoples of our past always be full and proud partners in our future.” -Governor General Roméo Leblancgrand assembly in Quebec City on July 17. All of the participants will follow a symbolic trail extending from the Québec bridges to Wendake, marking the journey of the First Nations People and of Canada. The event will close with an official ceremony followed by a party on the site of the new outdoor amphitheatre in Wendake.

The regional program, a collaboration of public and private sectors, will include many dances, songs, and story telling, with encouragement to participate in the host nation’s traditional activities. Education programs for schools and community centres that will begin early in 2008 will help educate all Canadians about First Nations culture, and our important role in the development of Canada.

On the west coast there are also many outdoor events, which guests can engage actively with traditional customs. In Nanaimo, June 21st begins the “Alive with the Arts of Many Cultures” festival, a vibrant 11-day multicultural event showcasing Nanaimo’s rich cultural diversity. The events of June 21st begin at Maffeo Sutton Park where the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Mtis Nation, are putting on a large demonstration of traditional art. There will be interactive singing and dancing, with performances by Zinqwa dancers from the Cowichan Territory, as well as artwork and quilting stations, and even a fashion show, with firsthand demonstrations of the wool process and knitting. All of these sessions focus on educating about the use and history of these techniques. Finally, the day will conclude with a traditional Salmon barbecue.

The spirit of community is strong within the First Nations People across Canada, and that means recognizing our part as hosts in our diverse nation. On the inaugural celebration of Aboriginal day, Governor General Leblanc said, “On June 21st, this year and every year, Canada will honour the native peoples who first brought humanity to this great land, and may the first peoples of our past always be full and proud partners in our future.” A true message of integration, of accepting the past and future as one.

This year’s Aboriginal day is about recognizing our place within Canada’s diverse cultural makeup. It is about sharing our bountiful culture and traditions, and the lessons we have taken from them. We will celebrate with our fellow Canadians and hopefully, these new meetings and encounters will continue to foster a positive community spirit for both First Nations and non-First Nations.

“On June 21st, this year and every year, Canada will honour the native peoples who first brought humanity to this great land, and may the first peoples of our past always be full and proud partners in our future.” -Governor General Roméo Leblanc