On Sept. 18, hundreds of people gathered under the large open tent, on McGill’s Macdonald Campus, for the University’s 25th annual Pow Wow, a day of dancing, drumming, food and community, hosted in partnership with John Abbott College.
“This year’s Pow Wow is especially meaningful, as it also marks the beginning of McGill’s 15th Annual Indigenous Awareness Weeks,” said Celeste Pedri-Spade, McGill’s Associate Provost of Indigenous Initiatives.
Beyond the music, dance and celebration, Pedri-Spade said the Pow Wow is a valuable way to bring people together.
“Events like this are so important because they give us an opportunity to come together outside the usual academic spaces,” she said.
Among the many hundreds who accepted the invitation were students from McGill downtown and Macdonald campuses, John Abbott College, Macdonald High School and St. George’s School. . They gathered under the tent to watch dancers in full regalia, drummers and singers. Local artisans and vendors offered traditional food, crafts and other goods, providing additional opportunities to experience and learn about Indigenous cultures.
Evolution of Pow Wow
Ray Deer, a McGill alumnus, veteran of both the Canadian and American Armed Forces and the event’s Head Veteran, has participated in McGill’s Pow Wow since its early days, when it was held on the University’s Downtown Campus. He was delighted by the crowd size.
“It’s great to see how much Pow Wow has grown,” Deer said. “[The Macdonald Campus] is such a perfect location, and the attendance is out of this world.”
He was especially pleased to see so many young people.
“That’s who you want to attract,” he said. “It’s important to teach the younger generation about our culture, that we exist. We still claim this as our territory, but we want to work together.”
Deer looked on with a broad smile when dancers invited spectators to join the Intertribal Dance.
From an initial few, dozens entered the circle to dance, from elementary school children to senior citizens. Before long, there were more dancers than spectators.
It was a simple gesture that captured the spirit of the day: an invitation to cross a boundary, join in and build connections.
Coming together in a spirit of reconciliation
Angela Campbell, McGill’s Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic), emphasized the significance of the coming together as a manifestation of the University’s reconciliation efforts.
“Each year, this gathering grows, and each year it reminds us that reconciliation takes shape through relationships, through learning and listening, and through meaningful actions that strengthen our connections with one another and with Indigenous communities,” Campbell said.
She pointed to McGill’s ongoing efforts, including the 52 Calls to Action, released in 2017 by the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, as well as more recent initiatives supporting Indigenous students, research and scholarship, and Indigenous representation across the University.
But on this sunny September day, reconciliation was not only something to discuss. It was something to experience: through music and dance, through conversations and shared food, and through generations of people from different cultures dancing under the same tent.