Fort William First Nation closes out 2024 with 3rd annual Ambe Anishinaabeg Round Dance
By Rick Garrick
FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — Fort William hosted the Ambe Anishinaabeg Round Dance III on New Year’s Eve with Stickman Alex Copenace at the Fort William First Nation Community Centre.
“It’s important to promote sobriety and this is a good way to ring in the New Year in sobriety,” says Fort William Councillor Bess Legarde, one of the organizers of Ambe Anishinaabeg Round Dance III. “We’re bringing this from Cree territory to come into [Anishinabek] territory and hopefully learn the ceremony and the grieving ceremony part. It’s super important with everything that our communities are going through and trying to get away from addiction and promoting more sobriety within the community and helping those that are grieving as well.”
Copenace, from Naotkamegwanning in Treaty #3 territory, says his role was to pick the lead singers during the round dance.
“We’re working in sets of four, so all the lead singers that have been invited here tonight are expected to sing at least four songs here for the people,” Copenace says. “It is open to Cree-style round dance songs and [Anishinabek-style] round dance songs. It is up to the lead singer what they want to sing, but my job is like I am the DJ to a nightclub, I get to go and set the pace and keep in mind who sings what style and I do my best to try and build up the night so it climaxes around midnight.”
Copenace says round dances started out to help grieve loved ones who had passed on.
“When we pick a loved one to honour at these round dances, there are certain protocols, songs, prayers that need to be said and done,” Copenace says. “When the loved one is chosen, there needs to be four years dedicated to that loved one, holding these round dances, and honouring that loved one.”
Fort William Elder Celina Reitberger says the Ambe Anishinaabeg Round Dance III was fabulous.
“I was very impressed at the turnout, the drummers were top-notch,” Reitberger says. “I think it’s a very good healthy event for our community. People can have a really good time without any kind of stimulant, and this is a perfect example, you’ve got beautiful drummers, wonderful hosts, and the dancers are all having a great time.”
Jaycee Seenie, one of the lead singers who is from Roseau River in Manitoba, says he has been singing since he was very young.
“I was invited here to share some of the songs that I know and come and share that experience and good feeling,” Seenie says. “[The singers] all have their unique styles and it’s kind of nice to just blend that all in and to be able to share and have that good spirit and good feeling.”
Rene French, one of the lead singers who resides in Saskatchewan but is originally from Grassy Narrows in Treaty #3 territory, says he was introduced to the round dance when he was about 19-years-old.
“It’s brought me through a lot of hard times in the last few years,” French says. “I just love singing and I love being out here, I love the feelings that I get, so no community is too far to go sing and dance. I like to experience new communities as much as I can.”
Fawn Meshake, one of the organizers of Ambe Anishinaabeg Round Dance III, says this was the third annual round dance in Fort William.
“One of our main objectives for the round dance is to provide a safe place for sobriety and for families to come and gather and enter the New Year in a good way,” Meshake says. “There’s dancing and singing, we had a feast, there’s a small canteen.”