National Indigenous Peoples Day
Saturday June 20th
Again this year, Mississippi Mills All My Relations in partnership with Ginawaydaganuc Village are marking National Indigenous People’s Day by providing a community event for Indigenous and non Indigenous people to celebrate solstice together. It will take place Saturday June 20th in Riverfront Estates Park at 300 Spring Street and include the following:
Paddle in the Company of Indigenous Elders: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m
To join this event no registration is needed. Simply arrive at the designated “drop off spot” – Spring Street directly opposite the Community Dock – with your canoes, kayaks or Stand Up Paddleboards between 12:30 pm and 12:50 pm!
The paddle will be co-led by Indigenous Elder Larry McDermott (Algonquin of The Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation) and renowned Birchbark Canoe builder, Chuck Commanda (Algonquin of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation). This will include an opening ceremony, a relaxed paddle on The Mississippi River with several stops enroute where Larry and Chuck will share their perspectives related to local Indigenous history and connections with “All My Relations”.
The upstream route will begin across the river from the Community Dock and return downstream along the ‘near shore’ to our starting point before concluding with a ‘closing ceremony’.
Paddlers of all ages and experience! No registration necessary.
NOTE: Participants must wear properly fitting Personal Floatation Devices or Life Jackets while on the water.
Enjoy Indigenous ceremony, musicians, story telling, activities 3 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Do you have a question you’ve always wanted to ask an Indigenous Elder? Besides providing ceremony, Elder Larry McDermott, Algonquin of Shabot Obaadjiwan; Elder Barb Brant, Turtle Clan, Mohawk Nation of Tyendinaga; John Henry Commanda, Ojibway Anishinabe of the Eagle Clan[SE1] ; and Elder Tony Belcourt, born in the Métis community of Lac St. Anne, Alberta, will be happily available to chat with you.
Would you like to learn about Pow Wows? Have some fun learning the Pow Ww dance with Knowledge Keeper JP Longboat Mohawk, Turtle Clan from Six Nations.
Performances:
- Story teller Marie-Louise Perron, descendant of Red River Métis and early French newcomers will tell a children’s story –she says, “almost a ghost story”. includes
- Musician Marcia Chum-Gibbons, Cree heritage from Constant Lake, Native American Award Nominee and her husband Chris;
- Talamk Karen:na: Earth Music: with award winning Tiger Will Mason and Pauline Ducharme
- Chuck Commanda who will speak about the history of the canoe and how he builds them.
Ongoing Activities:
- Have fun at the family activity tents making crafts
- Learn about Indigenous Plants
- Try out a bit of wood carving with Nish Nabie, the Algonquin carver of the totems
- Purchase some bead work by the Soul Sisters
- Enjoy by donation a Seven Gifts BBQ provided by Larry Woermke, Mohawk and a strawberry treat.
Solstice in our area actually occurs 4:24 EDT, Sunday 21st but none of the Elders have suggested we pitch our tents for the night. We anticipate concluding this celebration well before sunset.
