By Adrian St.Onge

Medicine Hat celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day

Jun 21, 2023 | 5:10 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – As clouds formed at Kin Park on an unusually cool summer day in Medicine Hat, so did crowds for National Indigenous People’s Day.

Proclaimed in 1996 by the late Gov.-Gen. Romeo Leblanc to be in line with the summer solstice, today marks not only the first day of summer but also a day to celebrate and recognize Indigenous culture and heritage.

Drawing the community together, some as far as Pincher Creek, hundreds of people of all ages gathered to celebrate.

The Saamis Tepee saw visitors as a guided Miywasin Story Tour was offered. The Sunshine Trolley also took visitors to the Saamis Archaeological Site and Saratoga Park.

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Students at Ross Glen Elementary School were also treated to traditional Indigenous teachings Wednesday morning. They were able to learn about Metis sash teachings, ribbon skirt teachings, traditional languages like Cree and Michif and were regaled with traditional Anishanaabe songs.

JoLynn Parenteau, a knowledge keeper and the Community Engagement Facilitator with the Miywasin Friendship Centre says that National Indigenous Peoples Day provides and opportunity to explain and explore her culture in greater detail with future generations.

“It’s an honour to be teaching and sharing our knowledge on National Indigenous Peoples Day,” she said. “As an Indigenous person, I feel a responsibility to pass on the knowledge to the next generation. I’m really pleased to be sharing what I’ve learned on to the next generation.”

Jingle dancer Josie Saddleback also performed her traditional dance for students. Having danced for over two years, she discovered a love for traditional dancing during a time of healing in her life. The dress was passed down from her mother and the dance is a prayer of healing for afflicted people.

Now, she dances to honour her heritage and ancestry.

“It’s such an honour to dance and to be able to dance for schools and powwows,” she said. “It’s something my ancestors weren’t allowed to do. A long time ago, we weren’t able to practice our way of life, so being able to do it today, I do it for our ancestors and the ones who are sick and the ones who can’t dance. Being Indigenous is a way of life and it’s very important that we keep these traditions to pass down.”

After dancing at the school, Saddleback made her way to Kin Park for the traditional powwow demonstration. A prayer and the Grand Entry opened the celebrations. Dancers performed traditional prairie chicken dances, grass dances and jingle dress dances.

Powwows started in the late 19th century as a way to celebrate family and community through songs, dance and solidarity. Experiencing a revival in the mid-1950s, again in the early 1970s and again in the mid-2000s, to most, powwows represent a crucial part of a continuous and shared journey of truth and reconciliation.

“The revival of the Indigenous culture is part of truth and reconciliation” Anita Wagar, executive director of Saamis Employment and Training explained. “Celebrating is bringing it back, teaching it to younger generations. That is all in the mandate of truth and reconciliation.”