This is the first in a series of articles on the First Nation pow wow - short history, the dances, the drums, the songs, and the all important protocol.
What is a pow wow? A pow wow is a celebration of dance, drums and songs - they are a tradition, a festival, a competition, a reunion, an arts and crafts venue, a food fair - one word cannot encompass the many facets of a pow wow; they are a feast for all five senses.
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When the British North America (BNA) Act was passed in 1867, Canada became a country but remained a colony of the British Empire. The BNA Act provided the basic governmental structures and laws by which Canada would govern its peoples. One section in particular - section 91(24) - defined the relationship between the government and Aboriginal Peoples, echoes of which continues to define the relationship to this day.
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It is important for those who did not attend an Indian residential school to remember that the legacy of those dark halls did not end with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s apology to the survivors in June 2008. Nor does the legacy end with the survivors of the residential schools. The emotional and physical trauma inflicted on the 150,000 First Nation, Metis and Inuit children is a multi-generational legacy. The residential school system is not something that occurred in the dim, dark, unenlightened past - it began decades ago but the last school did not close until 1996 so that legacy is very much a current influence on the lives of First Nation, Métis and Inuit families across the country.
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Michelle Shepherd-Wotton: Engaging First Nation Students through Compassion and Innovation
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