Friendship Centre promotes multi-cultural celebration

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In promoting Community Friendship Week, to be held Jan. 12 to 19, 2003, the Napi Friendship Centre is going beyond its usual mandate. It's a stretch that executive director Carol Specht thinks is necessary and not uncommon for this particular centre.

Specht believes that having an event that focuses on the different cultures that comprise the area, such as First Nations, Hutterite, and Mennonite, will attract more people and promote a wider buy-in to the event.

"We've been hearing from other people in the past that they'd like to know more about other cultures. We've heard that from the Aboriginal people. It's a good idea to learn about all cultures," said Specht.

Community Friendship Week will replace Napi's Cross Cultural Days, which took a year's hiatus, along with the traditional powwow. The powwow will be added to the friendship week's events and will also be the focal point of the closing ceremonies.

There will be changes in not only what is offered during friendship week, but also in its delivery.

"We're doing away with the workshops. This is more mobile. We go to meet (the people) instead of them going to us," said Peggy Yellow Horn, who is one of two co-ordinators for the event.

In the past, the Cross Cultural Days component of the five-day event saw seminars hosted at a single venue, usually in Pincher Creek.

"I always felt the conference should have been supported a little better. We were getting a lot of people from out of town; not the support from Pincher Creek," said Specht.

The primary focus of friendship week will be activities for school-aged children, which will encompass schools from Fort Macleod west to the Crowsnest Pass.

"We're hoping (the schools) will be a partner to teach respect for diversified culture," said Vhalle Hohn, the other co-ordinator for the event.

Activities in the schools will include hoop dancer performances, storytelling, and drumming. While some events will happen during noon hours, others will be part of an assembly.

Students' involvement will be tracked through a passport. Stamps in the passport at the various events, both in the school and in the community, will allow students to enter their passports for a number of draws, including a $500 Registered Education Savings Plan.

"(The passports) would be how we would measure if we're successful," said Hohn, who is hoping that students will take their passports home to their parents, encouraging them to take in the community events.

Seniors in Pincher Creek and Elders on the Peigan Nation are also included. They will be invited to take part in an afternoon session to reminisce.

Also included in the week's activities is an evening session geared to small business operators where respect in the work place will be discussed.

A display of art work that will showcase the cultural and ethnic groups in the area, will be held at the Pincher Creek museum.

The week's events will kick off with an opening ceremony to be held at the Pincher Creek Community Hall and will include the participating faiths and cultures.