CORNER BROOK, N.L. — As National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, approaches Indigenous people in this province are having to find new ways to celebrate.
“Considering the restrictions this year with the COVID-19 (pandemic) we can’t gather,” said Nicole Travers, the cultural resource co-ordinator with the Qalipu First Nation in Corner Brook.
In the past the Qalipu Cultural Foundation, a non-profit at arms-length of the band, has organized events for the Bay of Islands area in Corner Brook. Other groups across the province have also held events to mark the day.
Throughout the pandemic, a lot of those groups and organizations, such as the People of the Dawn Indigenous Friendship Centre, which has an office in Stephenville and runs programs in St. George's, the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network and Qalipu, have been sharing a lot of cultural content and connecting with people online.
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Travers has seen some great things happening and that got her thinking about trying something online for National Indigenous Peoples Day.
“It’s really appropriate for us. We’re a landless band and our population, our people lie right across the world. And how better to reach a lot of individuals who don’t reside in the Bay of Islands, or who don’t reside on the island, but virtually,” she said.
“We’re evolving and this has forced us to evolve.”
While people love the face-to-face contact, Travers said online platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Facebook still provide the ability to be face-to-face. “It’s not as personal as being one-on-one, but you can still provide that information.”
As June 21 approaches, Travers said, “we still want to celebrate who we are as Indigenous people.”
By doing it virtually the band can reach out to groups that often feel like they are left out because they are not in Corner Brook, such as those on the Northern Peninsula, in the central region and in St. John’s.
She used her network to gather information and to get those groups to come together as a collective of Mi’kmaw people.
“We want to do a day filled of videos and activities, some educational stuff, (showing) who we are. This is day that we can shine.”
The material gathered will be posted to the band’s Facebook page throughout the day.
Paul Pike, the director of community and cultural programming with the People of the Dawn Indigenous Friendship Centre, is organizing a song-sharing circle.
“I think music is important to every culture. No matter where you come from songs have a great way of reaching the heart,” he said.
“It’s a great way of expressing social things, celebration. It’s a great way for sharing teachings. It’s a way of recording something and passing it on to another generation.”
Pike said people in this province are musical in general and that’s no different for the Indigenous community.
“We can show the world, this is us, we are here.”
The song circle will feature Indigenous musicians of all genres. They’ll submit videos to Pike, and he will put them together in kind of a movie. People will hear everything from guitars to traditional drums, original songs and covers. The video will play on the centre’s page and on the Qalipu page.
Going virtual to connect and engage the Indigenous community is something the centre has been doing throughout COVID and Pike said it will continue.
Some of the groups that will be involved in the National Indigenous Peoples Day online celebration
- Mi'kmaq Drumming and Cultural Circle Inc.
- St. John’s Mi’kmaq Women’s Circle
- Qalipu First Nation
- People of Dawn Indigenous Friendship Centre
- Indian Cove Women’s Circle
- Qalipu Youth Network
- Northshore Aboriginal Group Inc.
- Exploits Aboriginal Community Group
Twitter: @WS_DianeCrocker
