TIMMINS –
The sounds of drumming and singing could be heard from the gymnasium at Pinecrest Public School on Wednesday.
Hundreds of young students took part in a celebration of Aboriginal and Métis culture, organized by various community groups like the district school board Ontario North East (DSBONE), the Timmins Native Friendship Centre and the Timmins Multicultural Centre.
Jamie Davey, Aboriginal youth liaison officer for DSBONE, was among the organizers of the event. She said the idea was to educate the students about the differences between cultures, and the things that bring us all together as humans.
“Today we’re having a cultural celebration to celebrate First Nation and Métis culture,” explained Davey. “We’re going to open with a traditional prayer by Elder Angela Shisheesh.
“Then, we have Whitestone Cree drummers, they’re going to be performing a traditional song, followed by a presentation by the Métis Nation. They’ll be talking about Métis culture, as well as a special presentation about jigging. It’s a Métis dance, with fiddling music and a few little steps. We’re going to invite the kids to try and dance and get a little student participation.”
Ryan Plante, of the Métis Nation of Ontario in Timmins, gave the students a short history lesson about the origins and rise of the Métis people in parts of Ontario, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and the Northern United States.
As well as the jig, Plante showed examples of the sash, popular in original Métis culture for its many uses. Other than a fashion statement, the sash was handy for carrying items, keeping warm and for back support. Its threads could even be used to suture open wounds when the wearer was out in the forest trapping, or in battle.
Davey listed some of the other activities planned for the culture celebration, which lasted about an hour and a half.
“We’ll have the Fort Eagle Whistle Women’s Singers who will sing a traditional women’s song,” she explained. “From there, we’re going to have round dancing, which we’ll finish off with. Of course, we’ll get the students to participate in the round dance as well.”
Along with fellow community members interested in keeping Aboriginal and Métis cultural roots alive and well, Davey said the plan is to ramp up the number of events like Wednesday’s celebration.
“This is also going to be part of ongoing cultural education in the schools,” said Davey. “This is basically an introduction of what’s to come with the rest of the schools. We’ll be doing our best to hold similar events, and teachings that include the Aboriginal culture.
“For example, the seven Grandfather Teachings are love, respect, bravery, wisdom, honesty, truth and humility. Obviously, they’re universal teachings, and it’s not for a specific culture. We use those teachings to bring in that wider cultural awareness within our schools.”