By Karl Dockstader for Niagara At Large
On Sunday, October 5th, volunteers and supporters of the First Nations communities are organizing the first annual Tracing Our Roots Pow Wow to be held at 382 Airport Road, NOTL, with a Grand Entry at Noon.
A little over 40 years ago community volunteers started a summer camp for Native children in Niagara, some of whom couldn’t afford Brownies, Scouts and other children’s activities. At about the same time there were traditional aboriginal crafts and beading lessons going on at the YMCA. Aboriginal volunteers got together and started to have meetings about creating a permanent place for Natives to gather for these types of activities. On October 9th, 1974, they realized that vision and incorporated the Niagara Regional Native Centre.
Over the next 40 years the Native Centre raised heroes out of humble community volunteers. Our children had a place to gather. Committee’s were born to foster the growth and development of drumming and dancing. Volunteers arranged trips for dancers all across Turtle Island including a trip as guests of the Pentagon in Washington DC, and an exchange with students in Germany.
Champions for social advocacy and justice were born out of the Native Centre too. Our first court worker was a reluctant leader who when charged with defending our people rose up to learn how to carve a place into the system for those who needed it the most. This is a legacy of dedication that obliges us to carry on the fires of those who came before us.
In honour of the efforts of all of those Grandmothers and Grandfathers who preceded us, volunteers from the Centre and from the grassroots Native communities are coming together. We are #TracingOurRoots back to where we came from to honour our past.
We are holding a traditional community Pow Wow for all the communities of Niagara to share in our rich and vibrant culture. #TracingOurRoots 2014 Pow Wow is about remembering those who blazed the trail before us, and holding our traditions up proudly for our youngsters to carry on our ways.
We hope that your families will join our families as we celebrate the shared histories that connect us all in Niagara as we continue #TracingOurRoots.
When: October 5th, 2014, Noon Grand Entry
Where: Niagara Regional Native Centre on 382 Airport Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake
What: All are welcome! Please come enjoy our Pow Wow starting with the awe inspiring Grand Entry. The powerful drums will be orchestrating the amazing footwork and performance skills of dancers who have trained their whole lives honing their craft. Don’t miss out on the traditional aboriginal artisans and vendors offering their unique wares. If you haven’t been to a Pow Wow before, come enjoy this special gathering of nations and celebration of culture with your family.
This is a grassroots initiative and we encourage donations, but only offer something if you can and want to. Seating is provided for aboriginal and non-aboriginal elders otherwise bringing a chair is encouraged.
Karl Dockstader is a resident of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Turtle Island. He is a father, husband, and lover of all of creation, including animals, and is an occasional contributor to Niagara At Large.
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By all means, passing the knowledge of the past, should be done by all cultures. However ,too often fantasy, unproven claims, distorted history, or history though proven, is ignored. Mr.Dockstader and others seem to invent history when the proven and generally accepted history of the past does not fit their manipulations of the truth.The claim of “hunting rights from the Nanfan Treaty” is a good example. A complete hoax/lie- hard evidence ignored.The Five Nations were chased out of “Ontario”, gave a two row wampum belt surrending “Ontario” to the Ojibwe et al, but still the present Six Nations claim “Ontario” as theirs.
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The point could be that getting in touch with ones roots is too know who you are, and where you came from ,and where you fit in , in this wild and turbulent world, my grand daughter has native roots from both of her maternal Grand parents,, both have native women as ancestors,, it is good to see that we all can gain some inspiration from the past.culture, art, and fellowship.
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