'We are all connected': First Nations communities celebrate culture and tradition in North Bay Pow Wow
To the beat of the drum, dancers, young and old, took the centre stage inside the Canadore College gym to perform a spiritual dance. As they danced, they said a prayer of thanks to the ancestors and for healing.
Dancers from many generations made a prayer of thanks to the ancestors and for healing as part of their dancing. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)"We're dancing for those who can't dance anymore," said dancer Cody Sackaney, a member of the Timiskaming First Nation.
"For those who are sick, our ancestors who have passed on, our family and people close to us that we love."
34-years ago, a group of young students at Canadore College wanted to organize a yearly Pow Wow to celebrate their heritage and the neighbouring First Nations communities. The college is carrying on this tradition.
“As a Nipissing (University) student, a lot of us thought it was important for us to join the Pow Wow committee for the Canadore Pow Wow just to show the support between the two institutions," said committee member Genelle Manitowabi.
Representatives from several Ontario and Quebec Indigenous communities travelled to join in for the spiritual healing.
For many, this healing is needed as unmarked graves are still being discovered across the country.
"My father went to a residential school. My grandparents did, my uncles and aunties did and it really hit me on a personal level as well," said Sackaney.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Nipissing First Nation Deputy Chief Mike Sawyer said many family members and survivors are still feeling the effects and trauma.
"We're here to help one another and support one another as we start going forward in the future while recognizing the past," he said.
Up until 1951, Pow Wows were forbidden through the Indian Act unless it was for a special occasion. This grave moment in First Nation’s history still haunts generations 72-years later.
"We're here to celebrate our culture, our identity and our resilience," said Canadore College First Peoples' Centre Cultural Advisor.
"It's so important for us to all get together."
Members from Indigenous communities all over Ontario and Quebec travelled to join in for the spiritual healing Saturday. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)The theme for this year’s Pow Wow is ‘Supporting One Another’ in recognition of the difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic brought us.
"This is a way for us to show we are all connected," said Manitowabi.
Officials said the celebration doesn't end when the drum beat stops and everyone goes home, as culture and teachings are always passed on to the next generation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.