All the teachings with drumming and dancing at the sunny Maamwi Kindaaswin Pow-Wow

By Kelly Anne Smith

NORTH BAY— Dancing took place under sunny skies at the Maamwi Kindaaswin Pow-Wow.

Hosted by the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, the 2019 theme was “Dancing with Our Ancestors”. The host drum, High Ridge, from Moose Factory and co-host North Bay Singers filled the arena at Lee Park in North Bay on June 8-9.

Jennifer Sequin of the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre (NBIFC) talked about the pow-wow welcoming everyone.

“It’s a chance to learn about our cultures, talk, dance, and it’s free.”

She explained the Sunrise Ceremony starts the pow-wow at 4:45 in the morning.

“The Sunrise Ceremony is one of our actual ceremonies. It’s for giving thanks and for passing on that knowledge. It’s thanking the Grandfather Sun for getting up. Without the sun, we don’t have life. It gives us our light. It gives us our food. It’s part of our teachings that we have to honour that in our Sunrise Ceremony.”

The Sacred Fire is started at the Sunrise Ceremony on the first morning and runs until Sunday night at the end of the pow-wow. Sequin says during that time, people go in and bring their tobacco and their prayers and thoughts to the fire.

“Sometimes they will sit down and talk to the Firekeeper. Or if the Elders are there, they will talk with them about the pow-wow or teachings. Or if they need to talk.”

A strawberry drink was available and important too, explains Sequin.

“Strawberries are our first fruits and we consider it to be a medicine. It’s the first berry of the year that’s ready.”

Food vendors had long line-ups of hungry festivalgoers enticed by the delicious smells. People were encouraged to bring feast bags and refillable water bottles for the water filling station.

Authentic Indigenous craft vendors were busy with shoppers eyeing wares including textile art and beautiful beadwork. The woodworking Koosees family enjoy the Maamwi Kindaaswin Pow-Wow for business and as a family get-together.

James Koosees is Cree originally from Kashechewan First Nation and now lives in North Bay.

“It runs in my family. That’s my dad and my brother Billy carves, too,” he says proudly.

His father Samual Koosees travels from Timmins to sell his wood carving sculptures and to visit with his family.

James says his dad passed the wood working skills on to him.

“My dad makes his own tools. He takes his time. But this generation, we use power tools like a jigsaw and skilsaw.”

James translates for Samual who speaks Cree. I asked how long he had been carving.

“I was 14-years-old. My dad was a carver, too. My favourite to carve is the beaver, the small geese and the standing geese.”

The beaver carvings are very popular and the standing geese have all sold out.

James says mostly cedar is used because it is softer, therefore easier to work with. He says it’s fun to get together with the family.

“Me and my dad carve together the whole time.”

James carves beavers, geese, pickerel, moose and snow geese and moose antlers.

Close to the Maamwi Kindaaswin arena, Samantha Mianskum delights her children with snow cones to cool down after dancing in their regalia. From Nipissing First Nation, Mianskum is thankful her parents provide many of the beautiful pieces of their regalia.

“Our outfits are done by our whole family. My mom [Tracey Larochelle] does sewing. My dad [Dan Commanda] does beadwork. All of their outfits are a team effort. My dad shows up with pieces of regalia. He is always happy to gift them to my kids. He sees as they are learning and growing what they are achieving at such a young age. He usually has a story to go along with what he is gifting them. And then he congratulates them on what they’ve achieved because they go through all kinds of milestones at that age.”

Mianskum says her family likes to hang out and be with their powwow family.

“I’m also an artist, so we come here to support our fellow artists by buying and trading too.”

After Grand Entry, the Head Male Elder, Elwood Ashawsega of Henvey Inlet First Nation, said miigwech to the Grandfathers of all directions. He called for remembrance for those that kept the ceremonies while they ran and hid from colonialists.

The Head Female Elder was Roberta Oshkibewisens; Head Male Dancer was Cody McKenzie-Sackaney; and Head Female Dancer was Elaine Kicknosway.

Youth Male Dancer was Theland Kicknosway, a grass dancer and Potawatomi-Cree from Walpole Island. Kicknosway has raised awareness of the children of Murdered Missing Indigenous Women and Girls with four 130km runs in the Ottawa area.

The Youth Female Dancer Brooklyn Sawyer of Nipissing First Nation is Miss Nipissing.

The NBIFC’s Jennifer Sequin says the popular urban pow-wow in its 10th year, had an aura of inclusiveness and aimed to get everyone out and involved.

“We want to incorporate as many people as possible, from the First Nations or the Indigenous communities as well as non-Indigenous people.”

The focus is on the drumming, the dancing, the singing, the feeling of community when you are there advises Sequin.

“I find it’s a sense of belonging. That community gives you that. There are people that will come and tell you, ‘Oh, I feel I want to dance’, yet they are really scared to go in. We encourage them.”

Starting the dignitary speeches, NBIFC Executive Director Kathy Fortin had gratitude for a good record of nine years of sunshine. She praised the pow-wow committee who are already working on next years NBIFC Maamwi Kindaaswin.