Form July 8-10, 2011, native Indian bands from BC and elsewhere congregated at a Pow Wow held at the Capilano Indian Reserve in North Vancouver. They come to meet and greet each other and celebrate their culture together at this annual event.
Aboriginal men and women in full regalia danced in the Grand Entry and participated in the Invocation. Later, they competed as individuals in various categories with each other. The modern day Pow Wow is also very much a family affair. The event presents an opportunity to recognize the work and contribution that native women have done for the community. At the same time, the role that the younger ones can play is also very much on the agenda.
Nowadays, many native youths live in urban areas and are increasingly alienated from the Land that the aboriginal society has such an affinity with. The Pow Wow therefore becomes a perfect place for the youngster to reconnect with their cultural identity and way of life, thus preserving the native tradition that goes back to thousands of years.
The Squamish Nation of BC was also one of the Four Host First Nations, a very important partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
On April 26, 2011, Vancouver celebrated the city’s 125th birthday (1886-2011). A special ceremony was held at the Jack Poole Plaza right next to Canada Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron being relit. BC Premier Christy Clark, Mayor Gregor Robertson, First Nations chief Ian Campbell and tens of thousands of others were there to help celebrate this special occasion. Local rock band 54-40 performed some of their hit songs including Ocean Pearl & Crossing A Canyon presented here.
Vancouver rock band 54-40 performed One Day In Your Life at the Jack Poole Plaza next to Canada Place and Vancouver Convention Centre. That day was April 06, 2011 and also Vancouver’s 125th Birthday where a big celebration was held earlier including the singing of the national anthem O Canada by the Vancouver Bach Choir, cake cutting, and the relit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron. Those present in the official ceremony included BC Premier Christy Clark, Mayor Gregor Robertson, the First Nations and other performers such as Leela Gilday, Uzume Taiko etc. 54-40 also celebrated its 30th anniversary this year also.
VIDEO – 54-40 One Day In Your Life @ Jack Poole Plaza
At the Vancouver 125th Birthday on April 06, 2011, Leela Gilday, a Dene/Canadian singer-songwriter from Yellowknife, NWT, sang some of her signature songs including One Drum, At The End of The Day etc. This Juno-nominated artist writes of her native urban experience with the hallmark free spirit of the True Canadian North. The Vancouver 125th birthday bash was held at the Jack Poole Plaza near Canada Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre. In attendance were BC Premier Christy Clark, Mayor Gregor Robertson, First Nations chief Ian Campbell and others.
VIDEO – NWT Leela Gilday at Vancouver 125th Birthday
Squamish Nations Chief Ian Campbell held the talking stick and spoke at the Gala Opening of the Talking Stick Festival 2011. Later Campbell lead a group of performers including the Git Hayetsk dancers who provided a number of traditional masked dances for a Gala Opening night on February 01, 2011.
It has long been a tradition In native North American culture that in order to speak in a council meeting, only the person with a talking stick is allowed to speak. The talking stick is a ceremonial item that is held in very high regard. It is very rude to interrupt the speaker and would be looked upon disapprovingly. When that person is finishing talking, the stick is then passed onto another council member who will then express his/her mind.
It is also a great honor to be in possession of the talking stick. It vouches for your status in the community, allows you to set the agenda, make an impression on those who are there to listen and over time leave a legacy behind.
The annual First Nations festival celebrates Canada’s First Nations people, their arts and culture and shares with the public the contribution and welcoming spirit of the people who were the aboriginal population that lived here for at least thousands of years. Namely, Squamish, Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh, the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) which was an integral partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games that operated on the traditional territories of these native people.
Talking Stick Festival 2011, February 1-13, 2011 at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre and other locations. Full details available at http://www.talkingstickfestival.ca VIDEO – Talking Stick Festival 2011 Gala Opening
As we approach the first anniversary of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games, I like to recall a wonderful journey that lead me to the discovery of some of Canada’s premier First Nations fashion designers.
A temporary cedar wood structure occupying the Queen Elizabeth Theatre plaza in downtown Vancouver was designated as the Aboriginal Pavilion during the 2010 Games. It was the place to be for visitors to learn about the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) arts and culture. Each day, thousands of tourists and locals alike lined up for a chance to cram into the small domed theatre (about 60’ in diameter) to enjoy a multimedia show about Canada’s aboriginal population and in particular the FHFN which was the full partner of Vancouver 2010. In fact, the 2010 Games operated on grounds that had been the traditional land of the Four Host First Nations (Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh) for at least thousands of years.
What many people overlooked was the five-day long (Feb 12-16, 2010) aboriginal fashion showcase that was held off site at the Vancouver Community College campus in downtown Vancouver just a couple of blocks away from the aboriginal pavilion.
The Aboriginal Fashion Showcase featured the work of a number of established and emerging native designers from across Canada. On Feb. 13, 2010, I attended a runway show that highlighted a group of younger designers – Kim Picard, Tammy Beauvais, Louie Gong, and Tracy Toulouse.
These aboriginal artists and stylists drew on the rich history of the Haida, Inuit, Metis and various First Nations tribes to incorporate traditional native arts and designs into contemporary-styled clothing.
A common denominator among many of today’s fashion designers is the diversity of background. While different cultures and upbringings provide the vitality that makes their works interesting, too exotic an approach could alienate the audience. Sometimes in an effort to be distinctive and separate themselves from the crowd, these fashionistas create work that failed to connect with the public. It is indeed difficult to find the right balance. Designers everywhere wrestle with this same problem. The First Nations designers of Canada are no exception either.
That said, I enjoyed the runway show at the Aboriginal Fashion Showcase tremendously. Part of the reason is that like many in the fashion industry, I have not been exposed to First Nations fashion designs much. In all, I find the designs to be both original and authentic. It is a new fashion statement and a welcome addition to the Canadian mainstream fashion scene. Sexy and exciting? Oh yeah, that too. In fact, this fashion event became one of the highlights of my very own experience of the Vancouver 2010 Games.
Best wishes for all the First Nations fashion designers to have a bright future and hope to see a bigger presence for Canada’s aboriginal stylists at the Vancouver fashion scene too.
I also like to mention DJ Kwe who provided the music that I used in this video. Bravo to DJ Kwe for a job well done! Kwe is First Nations herself and (for full disclosure) a dear Facebook friend of me as well.
VIDEO – FHFN Aboriginal Fashion Showcase During Vancouver 2010
VCC Downtown Campus 250 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC
It’s Pow Wow feet stomping with strength and stamina for the men and Indian fancy shawl dancing for the native women of Squamish BC Canada. With youth being the focus, young men and women, even children, are dressed in full regalia at this annual gathering of the Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow 2010. Squamish is part of Four Host First Nations, an official partner of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler.
Capilano Indian Reserve Park, 100 Capilano Road, West Vancouver, BC
It’s Pow Wow action Grand Entry time with First Nations aboriginal dancers of men and women from all ages. Native dancers in full regalia stomped on grass to kick off the Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow in Capilano Indian Reserve Park in West Vancouver on July 9-11, 2010. The event was a premiere North American gathering for the First Nations aboriginal people of Canada and their native American brothers in the south.
Capilano Indian Reserve Park, 100 Capilano Road, West Vancouver, BC
The 23rd annual Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow that took place on July 9-11 at Capilano Indian Reserve Park was a way for the indigenousness people of Canada and the U.S. to re-kindle old friendship, make new ones and to celebrate a common heritage of being the first people who have lived in different parts of North America for thousands of years if not longer. A key part of this year’s event was to encourage the younger generation to be engaged in the process, to learn about the native protocols and what it means to be part of a First Nations community.
The native people of Canada have suffered a great deal of unfair treatments at the hands of governments in the past. They were pushed off the land. Their languages and culture were suppressed with their traditional livelihood threatened. Forced assimilation, unemployment, discrimination etc. have all lead to a great deal of social problems at Indian reserves and in impoverish urban areas as a result. Progress has been gradually coming in recent years. Land claims and treaties are enacted and in the Vancouver area in particular, the formation of the Four Hosts First Nations (FHFN) which consisted of Squamish, Lil’wat, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations, which became an integral partner of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Passing on the traditional cultural heritage in a fast-changing and rapidly-assimilating world is a challenge for many of today’s societies that have a strong connection to their past. How to cultivate the youths to have a sense of belonging and be proud of their heritage are no so easily-achieved objectives. For the First Nations community, an event such as the Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow is certainly one of the ways to achieve that and emphasis has been placed in this years’ event.
There were native dance competition for all ages, arts and crafts, a food fair, and Grand Entry gatherings happened at various times of the three day event. Lots of handshakes, family togetherness, old friends and new acquaintances exchanging greeting and sharing a good joke or two all around.
Tewanee Joseph, executive director and CEO of the Four Host First Nations Squamish Nation Pow Wow 2010 Native Dance at Capilano Indian Reserve Park
The retiring of the 2009-2010 Squamish Nations Princesses too at Grand Entry
Grand Entry Dance with Northshore Mountains as Backdrop
Native Canadian Flag at Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow 2010
Drummers Bringing in Grand Entry at Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow 2010
Family Togetherness and Traditional Values at Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow 2010
Young Female Competitive Dancer at Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow 2010
Stand By the Canadian First Nations Flag with a Native Chief on It
First Natiosn Dancers Taking a Break at Grand Entry Time
Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow 2010 at Capilano Indian Reserve Park
Capilano Indian Reserve Park, 100 Capilano Road, West Vancouver, BC
Jody Broomfield is a native artist from Squamish, BC Canada. He designed the logo graphics for the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion built for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Just a few days before the Aboriginal Pavilion was to be opened on Feb 12, 2010, I watched Jody put on some final touches to his painting of a frog on a side wall. Why frog? Because Broomfield said it will bring luck to the pavilion. It did. The Aboriginal Pavilion was widely covered by the media and hosted more than 240,000 visitors from around the world. The Aboriginal Pavilion was a temporary structure that has now been dismantled. The 2010 Legacy totem that used to stand in front of the pavilion has been moved to its permanent home at Suncor in Calgary, Alberta. Suncor is the parent company of Petro-Canada, an official sponsor of the 2010 Games.
2010 Aboriginal Pavilion, 649 Cambie Street, Vancouver BC
