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The story of how a hotel, art gallery and social housing organization established a sustainable cycle of positive social impact

The 2015 Canada Games marks a series of firsts. It is the first time in the 48 year history of the Canada Games that a First Nation has been granted the designation of “Official Host First Nation.” The Lheidli T’enneh, on whose traditional territory the City of Prince George sits, bear that honour and as the Official Host First Nation, their flag flies on the roof of Canada Games House along with the Canadian and provincial flags, also a first ever occurrence. And, it is the first time the Canada Games have been held in BC.

"Being designated the official host First Nation is historic and we are proud to be the one to start this journey. In seven days we officially open our doors to the country and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of aboriginal peoples across Canada," said Chief Dominic Frederick. "We want to welcome all cultures to our pavilion. Regardless of who you are, we want you to come in and to experience all the other cultures and the culture of Lheidli T'enneh." Prince George Citizen, February 7, 2015

In a previous article we wrote about the Talking Stick and associated protocol. Here we are going to explore some of the symbolism represented in the wood, carvings, paints and adornments.

First Nation Talking Stick symbolism is ripe with spirituality and tradition. While each First Nation’s culture, traditions and history is unique there are some shared or common symbolism attached to animals, birds, trees and colours. For instance, the eagle is almost universally considered, by both Aboriginal People in Canada and Native Americans, to be the ruler of the sky with a connection to the Creator.

• Appreciating or appropriating Indigenous culture

The Talking stick, used in many Indigenous cultures, is an ancient and powerful “communication tool” that ensures a code of conduct of respect during meetings is followed. The person holding the stick, and only that person, is designated as having the right to speak and all others must listen quietly and respectfully.

By Julie Domvile

In 2014 I was honoured to be invited to witness a potlatch just off Northern Vancouver Island and wanted to provide a bit of history and some important things I learned so others who have a similar honour will get the most out of their experience.

July 30, 2013 - Reno, NV -- In 2004, Laura Ramirez published what was to be an award-winning book and a great source of wisdom and support for parents throughout America and further afield. Now almost a decade later, "Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting" continues to attract great reviews, especially amongst Native Americans looking to reconnect with traditional values.

An Exploration of Ktunaxa Creation Stories

By Tanya Laing Gahr

This video was created as part of a thesis project for a master’s degree in professional communication and represents an exploration of the Ktunaxa Nation’s creation stories in order to understand the significance of these narratives in the formation and maintenance of the Ktunaxa (also known as the Kutenai/Kootenay in Canada, or the Ksanka or Kootenai in the U.S.) culture. These stories inform and support the Ktunaxa ways of knowing, their world views, their history pre- and post-contact, and their connection to the geography of the Ktunaxa territory. Themes that emerged through the ceremony of storytelling include life lessons, communal understandings about characters and landscapes, and the experience of reclaiming culture following residential school trauma as well as the ways that Ktunaxa elders say these stories relate to and support the culture of the Ktunaxa, past and present.

While other cultures used wampum, this article is primarily about the  Haudenosaunee usage.

This is the third in our three-part series on the Indigenous powwow. The first was A Primer on the Indigenous Powwow, the second was about the all-important protocol, and in this article, we have brief descriptions of some of the common elements and dances of powwows.

This is the second in our three-part series on powwows. In the first part, A Primer on Indigenous Powwows, we covered a bit of the history. This article is about powwow protocol and the third part is about Indigenous Powwow Dances.