On Friday, Sept. 20, the First Peoples’ House and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives hosted McGill’s 23rd annual Pow Wow at the Tomlinson Fieldhouse. The six-and-a-half-hour event saw Métis Jigging, Inuit throat singing, Haudenosaunee social dancing, and multiple Intertribals, with drumming from the RedTail Spirit Singers, Ottawa River Singers, SpiritWind, and Spirit Wolf. The Pow Wow, open to the McGill community and the general public, also hosted dozens of vendors, ranging from creators selling jewellery to an information and fundraising booth supporting the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), who are currently involved in a lawsuit with McGill over potential unmarked graves on the site of the university’s New Vic Project.
The event began with a Grand Entry, in which participants entered the center of the Fieldhouse while dancing, followed by opening words from organizers and the two masters of ceremonies, Lance Delisle and Marie-Celine Charron Einish. The opening also included a Flag Song, which featured the pinning-up of flags representing the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Every Child Matters campaign, Pride, and more.
Over the course of the day, speakers underlined that the Pow Wow was about joy and community. Amanda James, one of the performers of the Jingle Dance, explained to The Tribune that the Pow Wow is a celebration of Indigenous cultures.
“[The Pow Wow is] for people to have a look into our culture and to see what we’re about, and that we’re still here and we’re still dancing, and our culture is alive and well,” James said.
Over 25 vendors from across Canada were present at the event. Raphaëlle Langevin was selling earrings, bracelets, and other accessories which she said were inspired by animals and traditional motifs at the event. Langevin explained that her business, Matsheshu Créations, has been following the Pow Wow Trail, setting up booths at various Pow Wows throughout the summer. She noted that the event had the potential to foster connections and learning with non-Indigenous people.
“[A] Pow Wow is a great place to meet both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Part of our mission is to create bridges with non-Indigenous people, and I think that this is a great place for that,” Langevin explained.
Take Back Tekanontak, a group of community members in support of the Mohawk Mothers, were also present at the Pow Wow alongside Mohawk Mother Kahentinetha. Marjolaine Arpin, who was tabling with Take Back Tekanontak, spoke to The Tribune about how she found it ironic that McGill is hosting an event celebrating Indigenous life and culture, whilst simultaneously litigating against the Mohawk Mothers.
“McGill is a colonial institution and it plays [at] reconciliation, […] Indigenous celebration, and respect. That’s only a facade. So it’s really appalling and disgusting and heartbreaking to be honest, because it’s re-traumatizing,” Arpin said.
Others emphasized that the Pow Wow was an opportunity to learn from each other and learn more about local Indigenous cultures. Spenser Mandy, U3 Music, spoke to the responsibility that non-Indigenous people share in learning about the traditional Kanien’kehà:ka territory that McGill’s campus operates on.
“Since I’m studying in Quebec, I thought I should know a bit about the traditions of the people that are from the land that I’m studying on,” Mandy said.
Giselle Alfred, member of the Indigenous Student Alliance, was tabling for the group at the event. In an interview with The Tribune, Alfred explained that she saw the Pow Wow as an opportunity to learn about Indigenous cultures other than her own.
“I’m very much a guest on this land, just like a lot of others,” Alfred said. “I myself am from British Columbia, and that’s where my Indigenous ancestry comes from. So for me, I’m just grateful to be able to witness and experience [the] beautiful Indigenous [cultures] here.”
