St. Albert will have two chances to celebrate its aboriginal peoples this week, one of which will feature an Olympic singer.
June 21 is the 20th annual National Aboriginal Day in Canada. The national event aims to celebrate the culture, heritage, and achievements of Canada’s First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.
St. Albert’s official celebration is this Sunday afternoon in Lions Park. After the traditional grand entry ceremony, 2010 Winter Olympics performer Jenna Broomfield will get the party started with a demonstration of Inuit throat singing and dance.
“St. Albert’s National Aboriginal Day almost didn’t happen this year,” said Gwen Crouse, president of the St. Albert National Aboriginal Day Society – Poundmaker’s Lodge was set to run the event, but had to pull out in April due to other commitments.
“We didn’t have anything booked.”
Fortunately, the society was able to get a full slate of performers for this year’s event, including the Métis Child & Family Jiggers, the Prince Charles Fiddlers, and the Rivercree Drummers & Dancers.
“We’ll be handing out free bannock,” Crouse said, and will have face-painting and aboriginal craft-making for the kids.
St. Albert Public Schools is getting in on the act with their first district-wide Aboriginal Day celebration on June 21 at Sir George Simpson School. Some 700 students will be there as part of the all-day event.
The event is part of the district’s new push to close the aboriginal education gap, which manifests in the lower grades and graduation rates of aboriginal students across the province, said Marianne Barrett, associate superintendent with the public board. It also comes in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, which called for more aboriginal content in schools.
Elder Floyd Cardinal will open and close the ceremony with a prayer and a smudge, after which St. Albert resident Ryan Arcand will demonstrate First Nations drumming and singing with the help of drummers from Saddle Lake. Métis author David Bouchard will also be there to talk to students.
Up to 16 per cent of Simpson students are aboriginal, and it’s important to encourage them to take pride in their origins, Rousseau said. The school regularly raises the Métis flag during Métis Week in November, and has sent students to the Edmonton session of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the annual Dreamcatcher Aboriginal Youth Conference at MacEwan University.
“There are many misconceptions about (aboriginal) culture,” he added, and the best way to dispel them is by having students meet elders at events such as Aboriginal Day who can explain their people and customs.
The public board has established a guidance council of about 20 teachers and elders to figure out more ways to enhance aboriginal content in its schools, Barrett said.
Crouse said she and area resident Tom Ghostkeeper have also formed a local chapter of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Formally established as of last week, the group will aim to improve the involvement of youth, seniors, and local businesses in Métis culture.
This Sunday’s free event runs from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Lions Park. The public school event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, with students divided into a morning and afternoon session.
