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Crowds flocked to celebrate despite weather.

Article Origin

Author

Yvonne Irene Gladue, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

Volume

13

Issue

8

Year

2006

Page 9

It was cloudy and cool but that did not stop more than 1,000 people from celebrating National Aboriginal Day at Heritage Park in Fort McMurray on June 21.

Face painting, entertainment by a local Native dance group, music by a country band, Native sewing demonstrations, information on the history of Native people in the area and traditional foods, such as buffalo stew, bannock and a fish fry kept the gathering going for more than four hours.

To visit with friends, to watch the dancers, to listen to the music and to enjoy the food were some of the reasons people cited when asked why they attended the event despite the weather.

Joyce Cardinal, a resident of Fort McMurray, said she enjoyed the events and entertainment.

"I really like seeing everyone here. It is fun. I?m mainly here for the gathering, food and people," she said.

Children darted around with colorful Native symbols painted on their faces by local artist Madeline Nixon.

A tipi set up on the site had Lena Herman and Alvina Cardinal busy as they demonstrated how they made their intricate bead designs on home-made slippers, cell phone cases and hair accessories. Herman said the youth needed to start learning how to do these things before there is no one left to teach them.

"I feel that this is keeping our culture alive, because we are slowly losing out traditions," she said.

The Cree Mountain Dancers dressed in regalia kept the people in their seats during their performance and several people got out of their seats when the country music band Nicely Put Together played the Red River Jig.

Planning early for the event was the key to having such a large turn out, said Ivy Wigmore, chairperson for the planning committee. "This year's theme was All Nations Coming Together and that is what we had. This is our second annual gathering at the Heritage Park and I found that more people attended the celebration this year because we have a great planning committee and partly because of Bonnie Evans who started the ball rolling last year as well as this year." she said.

Wigmore said that for next year's celebration she hopes to have more Native themed demonstrations, such as drum making. "We want to thank everyone who sponsored us during the celebration, as well as Air Mikisew and First North Catering," she said.