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Drums, dancing and hands-on learning filled Victoria Park Friday as thousands of students and community members gathered for Regina’s National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Friday.
The event, held ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, brought together performers, vendors, educators and families for a day focused on First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures.
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Fawn Redwood, chair of Regina’s National Indigenous Peoples Day Planning Committee, says this year’s event featured the largest vendor market in the celebration’s history. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Fawn Redwood, chair of the National Indigenous Peoples Day planning committee, said the event continues to grow.
“Our vendor market is the biggest it’s ever been,” Redwood said. “We have approximately 35 vendors that are here today to sell their wares and show their artwork.”
Redwood said the celebration was moved to Friday to make it easier for students to attend before the end of the school year.
“We try to cater to our students and the end of the school year,” she said. “We decided to have it on Friday, which is accessible for students in our community.”
Around the park, students could take part in beading, finger weaving, tipi teachings, Inuit games and dancing demonstrations.
“It’s not only just for kids, adults can get involved as well,” Redwood said. “We try to make it so that it’s not just listening, but also interacting and learning about the culture.”
Teddy Bison of Charging Bear Productions says National Indigenous Peoples Day provides an opportunity for young people to connect with Indigenous culture, teachings and traditions. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
On stage, performers included Charging Bear Productions, the Northern Prairie Métis Dancers and local performer Brandon Alexson.
Teddy Bison, a dancer with Charging Bear Productions, said performing in front of so many young people was meaningful.
“Living in the urban centres, not everybody has access to culture, not everybody has access to ceremonies, not everybody has access to these dances and such,” Bison said. “So it means a lot to me.”
Bison said the dancers in the group come from different parts of North America, with different nations and teachings represented.
“We all have our own stories, depending on what territory we’re in,” he said. “We dance for life, we dance for the people, we dance for those who can’t dance.”
For Bison, the performance was also about carrying forward traditions that previous generations were not always able to practise openly.
“My old people told me that at one point this was all outlawed,” he said. “A lot of it went underground.”
He said elders often tell him they are proud to see younger generations continuing the songs and dances.
“They feel very proud. They feel very happy that this is continuing on,” Bison said.
Ann Perry, executive director of The Circle Project, says Regina’s National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration has grown significantly since the organization helped launch the city’s first event in 1997. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Ann Perry, executive director of The Circle Project, said Regina’s first National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration was organized in 1997, shortly after the day was nationally recognized.
“We had just had a vision to bring the community together to celebrate Indigenous culture and the achievements and accomplishments of Indigenous peoples,” Perry said.
She said the early celebration was much smaller than the event in Victoria Park, but people responded right away.
“We had a tremendous turnout,” Perry said. “That’s the days before social media, and so we had posters that we hung up in the community.”
Perry said the day remains both a celebration and a learning opportunity.
“I think the biggest thing is that familiarity with the Indigenous culture, hearing the drum, starting to understand what the songs mean, the honour songs, the Grand Entry, starting to understand the role of elders,” she said.
Redwood said the event is about recognizing Indigenous history and contributions.
“Indigenous people have been here from time immemorial,” she said. “We want to remember that history, acknowledging the treaties and all the people involved in their contributions for what we have today within Canada and in Saskatchewan.”
Organizers said about 3,000 people were expected to take part in the festivities by the end of the day.
For Redwood, seeing the park full of students, dancers, families and vendors is personal.
“To be a part of it, see all the kids come out, all the happy faces, all the people involved to bring this together just fills my heart with a lot of happiness,” she said.
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