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The traditional Pow Wow ceremony

Living and growing up as a young Indigenous girl in a huge Canadian city in Toronto that is big on diversity and multi-culturalism, my path was kind of clouded. My culture and beliefs were non-existent even though I was aware of my heritage and birth rites as an Indigenous person in this country as a kid. That inter-generational disconnect was brought upon through my family specifically my grandmother whom attended 60’s scoop. Were the government placed Indigenous kids in foster care and separated them from their culture and knowledge of their heritage: “This experience left many adoptees with a lost sense of cultural identity. The physical and emotional separation from their birth families continues to affect adult adoptees and Indigenous communities to this day.” This was what my grandmother endured. It was very difficult for my grandmother the lead of the family to open up to the traumas of 60’s scoop in care being taken away and haircut in shame of her Indigenous background. This is the gap made and the battle to get back that interconnectedness to our family’s culture, beliefs, and heritage.

Going back 10 years ago as a young adult: (A.Safar Nov.5 11:28AM)”College and planning Pow Wow events was a learning curve.” I started the inner search to understand and learn Indigenous ways in the Anishinabek territory. I latched onto to the Ojibway teachings and ceremonial way: (A.Safar Nov.5 11:31 AM) “Interacting with elders at Pow Wows, moreover with social aspect of the community.” Specifically at the traditional Pow Wows. I found a sense of belonging as I had rarely any previous contact with First Nation communities previously living in and growing up in Toronto. The ceremonial circle was a gathering that welcomed all of any culture true diversity something that I could to relate to growing up. The significance of Pow Wow ceremony shown through Rosey’s teachings: “A Pow wow is a celebration of life and community gathering that allows family and friends to get together and share the Native American cultural traditions.” The stereotypes I had known in the past didn’t exist in the Pow Wow circle and that resounding feeling of reconnection, learning, my heritage I could grasp onto. Any Pow Wows are a celebration of the people, human beings and life. This ceremony could be utmost sacred of all the red peoples beliefs and the red nations of turtle island continue to do these celebrations at any cost and the venues have become very elaborate.

Being very close to my grandmother, with her disconnect growing up in the child welfare system a gap to family and culture roots was prominent.  I had been given little information to connect back to biological family roots. Approximately 5 years back I started searching my family tree and heritage. My linkage to the (Maracle) family name in the Takegnayga Mohawk territory started my rediscovery and I soon found I belonged to Haudenosaunee Mohawk culture. Recently I attended a ceremony in Takegnayga and learned from an elder I belonged to the wolf clan a respective group within the tribe. This rediscovery was brought upon the traditional Pow Wows I attended in the Anishinabek territory knowingly wondering of my family backgrounds and history of my true identity as an Indigenous person living in this land.

To date, I am now an advocate promoting Indigenous culture teaching Indigenous studies and the history surrounding issues with Canada. The importance of Indigenous rehabilitation: “In a summary report released earlier this year, the commission published 94 “calls to action” urging all levels of government — federal, provincial, territorial and aboriginal — to work together to change policies and programs in a concerted effort to repair the harm caused by residential schools and move forward with reconciliation.” Specific Indigenous cultural service provider for post-secondary educational institute in supporting students has given me an entirely new breath of life to rehabilitate my own culture and heritage.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sixties-scoop

https://roseystradingpost.com/blogs/teachings/pow-wow-dance-styles-teachings-and-meanings

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/truth-and-reconciliation-94-calls-to-action-1.3362258