Space maxed out at York University’s pow-wow
Wow, February.
By Barb Nahwegahbow
Looking at the dancers, drummers, vendors and community members that filled York University’s Vari Hall, Randy Pitawanakwat said, “we’ve outgrown this place.” Pitawanakwat is the Coordinator of Aboriginal Student Services at York University and he was speaking at the university’s 14th Annual Pow Wow on February 27.
“This is our biggest Pow Wow yet,” said Pitawanakwat, “It’s gotten bigger and bigger every year.” A record 127 dancers were registered, “double the number we had last year,” he said. In 2014, they had just 25 dancers.
One of the 127 dancers was Faith Maracle-Recollet. Her grandmother Vivian Recollet, a citizen of Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, said her granddaughter is seriously committed to dancing. A Fancy Shawl Dancer, Faith is six years old. She’s been dancing since she was three. Frequently at Pow Wows, she’ll run into little friends who encourage her to run around with them, and Recollet said Faith will tell them, “I’m here to dance, I’m not here to play.”
Faith barely misses a dance at the Pow Wow and is often the first dancer on the floor. She whirls and twirls with joy and confidence, the fringes on her shawl flying. When asked why she dances, she said, “Because it’s fun and it makes me feel good.” For that simple reason, “I’d like to see everybody dancing,” Faith said.
Pow Wow dance classes are offered at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. That’s where Faith learned to dance. Her regalia, she said, was a gift from her dance teacher.
“I’m really proud of her dancing,” said her grandmother. “It just invigorates her and all her activities. She’s loved the heartbeat of the drum since the first time she heard it when she was very small.” Recollet is the one who takes her to pow wows and dance classes. She’s even joined in to learn shawl dancing, “but I realized I can’t be a shawl dancer,” she said, laughing, “it’s too much work.”
The Centre for Aboriginal Student Services (CASS) at York co-hosts the Pow Wow with the Aboriginal Students Association. “CASS provides a lot of support,” said Pitawanakwat, “administrative and also financial support.”
They’d like to explore the possibility of having an outdoor Pow Wow simply because they need more space, particularly if it continues to grow. “We’d have to choose a warmer month,” Pitawanakwat said, “so September or early October. Nothing’s for sure yet. We’re asking the vendors and a lot of people.”
The Elder for the Pow Wow, Pauline Shirt, Cree from Alberta, said, “This Pow Wow’s really great. It’s like coming home.” Shirt did her Master’s degree in Education at York. “I’m really proud of the work we did in the education system to help our students,” she said. “Look at all the Native students that are here. 300 students have self-identified.”