Welcoming ancestors at 2018 Round Dance
By Kelly Anne Smith
NIPISSING FIRST NATION—Ancestors were honoured at the 2018 Round Dance held on Nipissing First Nation. The pipe ceremony, feast and round dance took place at Nbisiing Secondary School in Duchesney Village on March 24. The big draw included prizes worth $1,500 in the drumming competition. A Ribbon Skirt competition was held as well.
Starting off the event, Elder Perry McLeod-Shabogesic carried out a pipe ceremony. Everyone was still and quiet during the pipe ceremony although McLeod-Shabogesic turned to two talking Elders, smiled and said, “Trying to be spiritual here”. Everyone laughed.
The Elder used medicines, smudged and offered big juicy strawberries. He prayed to the water in a sacred copper vessel. He wore a message from artists Christie Belcourt and Isaac Murdoch on his t-shirt, Water is Life. An artist himself, McLeod-Shabogesic is from Nipissing First Nation and the Director of Traditional Programming at the Director of Traditional Programming at Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre in Sudbury.
“Pipe Ceremony is done to prepare the space; getting the attention of the spirits that this is going to happen; calling them in; inviting them in to be a part of the feast and part of the celebration itself – the drums. When the drums come in and they’re sounded, the spirits come into the drums. They become alive. That is part of the ceremony at the beginning. You are preparing the space and calling in the spirits to be here today for the celebration.”
McLeod-Shabogesic showed those in the circle the pipe that Herb Nabagon from Ojibways of Pic River First Nation gave him before passing to the Spirit World.
“To continue the work of that pipe. When we carry a pipe, we don’t own it. It’s a partnership. It helps me, I help it. When Herb was finishing his work, the pipe wasn’t done yet, so he felt he needed to pass it to someone to keep doing his work. So, he chose me after a sweat he was doing. He passed it to me and told me what it was for and what to do with it. I accepted the powaagon.”
The Round Dance Master of Ceremonies was Kirby Mianskum from Moose Cree First Nation. An employment counsellor at the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre by day, he has been a busy master of ceremonies at dances and pow wow events for about 10 years.
Mianskum explains the purpose of the Round Dance.
“There is protocol to running a round dance. This evening tonight, it’s just a social one. I’ve invited singers that come over some travel to be here. They bring their songs or they carry songs that have been passed down to them…The idea is that we are honouring our ancestors, the ones that have passed on, our loved ones…If you look up to the northern sky, you’ll see the northern lights. Our belief system, according to our Elders, is that those are our ancestors dancing. That’s why we have the round dance in the wintertime.”
At a round dance, a person is appointed the Stick Man.
“He has a responsibility to keep things going with the singers. He sings the opening song. The song is like a prayer song and an introductory song that pleases our great spirit, our creator.” The Stick Man for the 2018 Winter Round Dance was Lester Mianskum.
Audrey Commanda, the Cultural Events Coordinator for Nipissing First Nation, organized the event with staff, volunteers and resources from North Bay Regional Health Centre, North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, CTS Canadian Career College and Modern College of Hairstyling & Esthetics, Nipissing University’s Enji giigdoyang – Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and National Indian Brotherhood.
Winners of Single Hand Drum Contest:
1st place: Junior Ottawa
2nd place: Conrad Fantail
3rd place: Jordan Mowatt
Winners of Team Hand Drum Contest:
1st place: Junior Ottawa & Kimmaye Ratt
2nd Place: Gerry McComb & Tyler Eagle
3rd place: Jordan Mowatt & Nathalie Restoule
Winners of Ribbon Skirt Contest – sponsored by Lester & Samantha Mianskum:
1st place: Miigwaans Buswa
2nd place: Nathalie Restoule
3rd place: Stephanie Pelletier
The Hand Drum Contests were sponsored by Nipissing First Nation while invited singer Junior Ottawa was sponsored by Nipissing First Nation and National Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund.