"Buy an old van and hit the Pow Wow trail"
Katherine Gottli
Issue date: 6/9/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
On June 5, 2009, Phil Fontaine said he would not seek a fourth three-year term as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, a decision that came as a shock to many in Canada.
Fontaine had been leader during some of the most monumental moments in recent Aboriginal history, including the historic apology from the federal government for decades of racism and abuse at the hand of government-funded aboriginal residential schools, as well as a visit to Vatican City along with a group of other Aboriginal delegates that met with the Pope, who also expressed feelings of sorrow for the Roman Catholic Church's role in the school systems.
Yet, despite his efforts in advocating for Aboriginal people across Canada, the apology from our government has stayed at that - words.
On June 20, 2009 at the Old Fort in Fort Erie, Aboriginals from the Niagara Region will congregate to honour the waters of the region at the Gathering at the Waters Tradional Pow Wow, where they will prove that words are simply words and the coming together of people is far more powerful.
"For what purpose is an apology? For whose pain is it meant to ease - the perpetrator or the victim?" said Lynne Sherry, a band member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Indian Reservation who resides in the Niagara Region. "I'm sorry - whoever needs those words can heal by them; however, action does indeed speak louder, and, nonetheless, we are still here."
Sherry serves on the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre's Board of Directors as well as part of the planning committee for the first annual Gathering at the Waters Traditional Pow Wow, and stresses the fact that this Pow Wow is an authentic experience that is being put on by the efforts of the Gathering at the Waters committee, as well of the Niagara Catholic and Public school boards.
"This event is profoundly well timed and synchronistic," Sherry said. "It was a mere six weeks ago that a few community members voiced a calling they felt toward having a traditional Pow Wow that would be an expression of unity in the First Nations community […] I cannot name on one page all the different types of First Nations people in North America, but the two values we all have in common are our resonant desire to keep our traditions alive and to honour, respect and offer healing for Mother Earth."
Fontaine had been leader during some of the most monumental moments in recent Aboriginal history, including the historic apology from the federal government for decades of racism and abuse at the hand of government-funded aboriginal residential schools, as well as a visit to Vatican City along with a group of other Aboriginal delegates that met with the Pope, who also expressed feelings of sorrow for the Roman Catholic Church's role in the school systems.
Yet, despite his efforts in advocating for Aboriginal people across Canada, the apology from our government has stayed at that - words.
On June 20, 2009 at the Old Fort in Fort Erie, Aboriginals from the Niagara Region will congregate to honour the waters of the region at the Gathering at the Waters Tradional Pow Wow, where they will prove that words are simply words and the coming together of people is far more powerful.
"For what purpose is an apology? For whose pain is it meant to ease - the perpetrator or the victim?" said Lynne Sherry, a band member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Indian Reservation who resides in the Niagara Region. "I'm sorry - whoever needs those words can heal by them; however, action does indeed speak louder, and, nonetheless, we are still here."
Sherry serves on the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre's Board of Directors as well as part of the planning committee for the first annual Gathering at the Waters Traditional Pow Wow, and stresses the fact that this Pow Wow is an authentic experience that is being put on by the efforts of the Gathering at the Waters committee, as well of the Niagara Catholic and Public school boards.
"This event is profoundly well timed and synchronistic," Sherry said. "It was a mere six weeks ago that a few community members voiced a calling they felt toward having a traditional Pow Wow that would be an expression of unity in the First Nations community […] I cannot name on one page all the different types of First Nations people in North America, but the two values we all have in common are our resonant desire to keep our traditions alive and to honour, respect and offer healing for Mother Earth."
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