On National Aboriginal Day, the Nipissing First Nation gathered at Nbisiing Secondary School to celebrate the country's First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.
The event is traditionally held in Garden Village, but that site is under renovation, so a change of venue was required.
The powwow was held on the shore of Lake Nipissing, and there were many workshops and booths available to the attendees, with offerings such as crafts, traditional medicine, tea and bannock, and wild food tasting.
The day coincides with the summer solstice, a culturally significant date for First Nations people.
The event saw hundreds visit, crowding into the school's gym to sample traditional (and non-traditional) fare for lunch, and to take in customary Native dancing, accompanied by the school's Red Hawk Drummers.
While the day is one of celebration, the presentation of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee's findings, as well as the plight of those living in Attawapiskat were recurring topics of conversation.
Click here for more BayToday.ca coverage of Attawapiskat.
When asked what the day means to her, Suzanne Goulais-Deering, of Nipissing First Nation said "It's about community, and coming together, to celebrate our heritage as aboriginal people. To teach the young ones our history and culture, and to be proud of that."
"Even in my day, traditions were not being passed on. For instance, my mother is a residential school survivor, so that broke our tradition. As I've gone through life, I've had to re-learn those traditions," relayed Goulais-Deering.
"We still have a long way to go, our language is being lost. We still have to live in the western society, but knowing who you are, the culture and the teachings, makes a stronger person as far as identity," continued Goulais-Deering.
On the topic of the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission), Goulais-Deering said that "It's important to let all Canadians know our history. The residential school history is especially important."
Jules Armstrong, Culture and Events Coordinator for Nipissing First Nation, took time to speak to BayToday.ca while juggling MC duties and organizing transportation for the community to Garden Village.
The notion of re-introducing culture to First Nation youth is the mandate Armstrong faces.
"There is a huge push, even outside of the community to understand and acknowledge the past, and the TRC and residential schools are part of that past. People are asking for it," intoned Armstrong.
"In my personal opinion, we need things like this to find our own identity. I think a huge part of Attawapiskat is a lack of identity, and I think we were there at one point too, and we've worked really hard to be able to do something like this, and to be proud of it," offered Armstrong.
From the display Tuesday at Nbisiing Secondary School, the community should be proud of what they are building.
