The United Indigenous Student Council (UISC) held its final event of the year on Friday, May 17, with an all-day celebration at Hagersville Secondary School that included drumming, dancing, hands-on activities and crafts, special guest performances and community connections.
"A powwow is a celebration where people come to sing, dance and celebrate life, and the original teaching of the powwow drum is that it was a tool to bring people together from all nations," explained Nikki Shawana, Mississaugas of the Credit Teacher Advisor.
Grand Erie staff members Deneen Montour, left, and Nikki Shawana.
The Indigenous Education team helped guide the student-led planning that made the event a reality.
"The overall goal of the event was to provide the UISC with an opportunity to establish an event for Indigenous students, their families and their communities to be reflected in, to provide UISC with an opportunity to have their voices heard and to learn skills along the way," added Jessa Laight, Six Nations Advisor - Teacher Consultant.
The UISC includes representation from secondary schools across Grand Erie, comprised of learners from Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, meeting over the course of the year to prioritize leadership, culture, community and networking. The final event was a culmination of that learning, honouring Indigenous Ways of Being.
"It took us more than a year to do this, with input from the members of the Indigenous Student Council over the course of a lot of meetings," said Catherine, a Grade 10 student at Hagersville Secondary, who was one of the students active in the planning and day-of running of the event. "We built on last year's event, and planned a day for everyone to get together and enjoy themselves - that's what a powwow is all about, everyone is welcome."
The team behind the event would like to thank the drummers, singers and dancers - some of whom travelled from the Sault Ste. Marie area - the emcee, arena director, staff and student volunteers, food and craft vendors, workshop presenters, and the parents/caregivers, families, and community members who attended the event.
"I would really like to say nyawen'kówa/miigwetch/thank you to everyone who made the event possible, and to Gunn Hill Cheese and Colleen Bator, Kanata Fuels, the Aboriginal Health Centre, and others who donated towards the event," added Laight. "From the intertribal dancing, to eating traditional foods, shopping from local Indigenous craftspeople, taking part in traditional crafts and sports and visiting with friends - there was something for everyone at the powwow."
The event embodied Grand Erie's vision to learn, lead and inspire, and the collective priority of building belonging to support equitable, inclusive and responsive learning environments.
"My great-grandfather escaped residential school in Spanish, Ontario," said Avalon, a student in Grade 11 at Hagersville Seconday School. "I like to think a day like today says, 'we're still here, those schools didn't work. We survived.'"
