Urban Saskatoon
Held annually on June 21, National Aboriginal Day ANAD) honours the diverse First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures across Canada.
Friendship Park is the traditional site of Saskatoon’s National Aboriginal Day celebrations, hosted by the Saskatoon Indian-Metis Friendship Centre, in partnership with a number of community partners.
Bill Mentram, executive director of the Saskatoon IndianMetis Friendship Centre, says that National Aboriginal Day is an opportunity “to celebrate our Aboriginal cultures and to provide education and awareness for the community at large.”
Saskatoon’s National Aboriginal Day festivities open tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. at Friendship Park. Programming will get underway at 11:00 a.m., beginning with the grand entry and opening ceremonies. The parade of dignitaries will include First Nation Chiefs and Elders, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan president Robert Doucette, Mayor Don Atchison, Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services Chief Dan Paulsen, Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill and other community leaders.
Following the opening ceremonies, a free soup and bannock lunch will be served to all in attendance. Mentram estimates the festivities attract a crowd of 2,000 people to the downtown park each year.
An entertainment-filled afternoon will begin at 1:00 p.m. “There will be powwow dancers and hoop dancers. Country music singer and Métis fiddler Donny Parenteau will be our special guest performer. Several school groups will also do cultural performances,” says Mentram.
Several community organizations will have display tables set up in the park, sharing information about their initiatives. Cultural arts and crafts will be displayed and sold by local artisans. A new addition to this year’s NAD event in Saskatoon will be a food market, set up by CHEP Good Food Incorporated. “It’s a new piece this year, part of CHEP’s effort to promote healthy eating,” says Mentram.
This year, Urban Treaty Day coincides with National Aboriginal Day festivities in Friendship Park. Urban Treaty Day is the day the federal government presents annuity payments to all status First Nations people, as part of historic Treaty agreements. Payments will be issued from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The $5 annuity payment is largely ceremonial, but of great importance to First Nation people. Urban Treaty Day also builds awareness and helps teach non-Aboriginal peoples about the significance of Treaties.
Festivities in Friendship Park will wrap up at 4:00 p.m., to allow time for the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival to set up for the evening’s free stage events.
The Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre will also host National Aboriginal Day celebrations, on-site at 2555 Grasswood Road East. There will be a powwow dance performance, round dance, singing, face painting and demonstrations of traditional games.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park has a full day of celebrations planned for tomorrow, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. PotashCorp Wanuskewin Day will include programming, tours and traditional dance performances. There will be no admission charge to the park tomorrow and free bus services will be offered throughout the day. Check Wanuskewin’s website for bus schedules.
Programming will include First Nations games, bannock bake, bison hunt, beading, face painting, self-directed trail walks, and gallery and exhibit tours. There will be ongoing traditional dance performances, including men’s and ladies’ traditional dance.
The grand finale, taking place from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will feature Aboriginal recording artists John Arcand, Eekwol, Whitefish Juniors, Violet Naytowhow, Meewasin Oma and Colby Tootoosis. There will also be performances by the Wanuskewin International Dance Troupe, Dallas Boyer, St. Mary’s Jiggers, Max Laplante and Lawrence Roy.
The celebrations include a powwow taking place Friday through Sunday at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. A princess pageant will also be held, with competitors vying for the title of Miss Wanuskewin 2013. The pageant is open to young First Nation women from across the province, ages 13 to 19. Each applicant must promote a positive and healthy lifestyle that is drug- and alcohol-free and be currently enrolled in schooling of some type. Competing in the pageant gives young women a chance to be a positive role model in the community. They can show off their academic achievement and demonstrate how they value their cultural identity and language.
For complete information about PotashCorp Wanuskewin Days cultural celebrations and powwow, visit the website at www.wanuskewin.com.