Retracing our footsteps
Elder’s Gathering celebrates aboriginal culture at the U of M
MELISSA HIEBERT STAFF
Over a hundred people made it out to the sixth annual Elders’ Gathering at the U of M this weekend. The gathering, entitled “Retracing our Footsteps,” included a number of workshops, panel discussions, opening and closing ceremonies, as well as a traditional community feast on the Saturday night, which featured round dancing and other entertainment.
The workshops ranged from teaching about medicine and language to traditional games. The larger teaching circles, that featured talks from the elders, covered topics such as “the youth,” “women’s teachings,” and “rural and urban aboriginals.”
The elders in attendance came from all four directions — Northern, Eastern, and Western Canada, as well as the United States. Many different First Nations were also represented, with elders coming from Cree, Métis, Inuit, Mohawk and Ojibway communities, among many others.
The Aboriginal Students’ Centre (ASC), in conjunction with the department of native studies, hosted the event. The idea for the gathering came from native studies professor Peter Kulchyski, who attended elders’ gatherings as a professor at Trent University and thought it would be a good idea to try at the U of M.
“It’s important to open the university up to the aboriginal community,” said Kulchyski.
He has been involved with the event for the past six years, alongside the director of the ASC, Kali Storm, who said that the event was important in order to expand knowledge about aboriginal culture, help validate and celebrate people’s origins and backgrounds, and to create more awareness around aboriginal issues.
Carl Stone, from the ASC, reminisces about his first encounter with a gathering of this type back in the ’70s. “I thought I didn’t know who I was,” said Stone. “But I was reminded by the elders, who I am. And now, in the new millennium, there is a need to bring this knowledge into a university setting.”
There is definitely an importance and a need to bring aboriginal knowledge and culture to a university setting, and so far the event has received positive feedback. “It’s a really rewarding experience,” said Nellie Bodnar, who volunteered for the event. “You learn a lot in the circle, but the teachings continue after you leave the circle.”
