Public invited to Algonquin Nation gathering

Jeff Green | Jul 14, 2011

The third annual Algonquins of Ontario Nation Gathering is slated for the Oso beach in Sharbot Lake this Saturday.

The general public is invited to join up to 300 Algonquin Nation members from throughout the Ontario Algonquin Territory who are expected to attend.

According to Shabot Obaadjiwan Chief, Doreen Davis, the event has two major goals, the strengthening of the ties between people of Algonquin descent who have scattered over the years, and the sharing of Algonquin traditions and culture with the general population.

To accomplish this, the host Shabot Obaadjiwans have emphasized interactive displays, including muskrat skinning, birch bark canoe and basket making lessons, wild rice harvesting and preparation techniques, and more. A number of kids’ activities will take place throughout the day.

The sacred fire to mark the start of the gathering will be lit on Friday night and a sunrise ceremony early Saturday morning will be the official start of the event. Breakfast will be served after that. There will be three female drums at the event, which will start up in the morning, including the first performance by the newly formed Shabot Obaadjiwan Drum.

At 11:00 a.m. (Algonquin time) the Grand Entry of the Algonquin communities will take place. A meeting will be held in a large tent at the far end of the site (in front of the Family Health Team). The meeting, which will be an update and question and answer session about the ongoing Land Claim negotiations, is the only event of the day that is for Algonquin people only.

“The meeting will take about 45 minutes,” said Chief Davis, “and most if not all of the information that will be shared at the meeting will be included in the material about the land claim that will be available to the public.”

In the afternoon, there will be bandshell performances by Brittany Wally, Pirate on the Rideau and the headline act, Shane Yellowbird of the Samson Cree Nation in Alberta.

A former winner of the Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year at the Aboriginal People’s Choice awards and the Rising Star of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards, Shane Yellowbird's show, which starts at 2:30 pm, will be a highlight of the gathering.

There will be vendors on hand throughout the day, and at 5 p.m. everyone is invited, Algonquin and non-Algonquin alike, to share in a feast, courtesy of the Shabot Obaadjiwan. While there will be salads and vegetarian fare available, and chicken as well, wild game will be featured, including Algonquin staples venison and moose, all cooked by local chef Tim Cota.

The Gathering was made possible through a “New Relationship Grant” of $24,000 from the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs as well as a number of corporate donations.

(Editor’s note: Because of recent events, the Shane Yellowbird show will have an added element of poignancy, a reminder of the issues facing Aboriginal peoples throughout the country. His five-year-old cousin, Ethan Yellowbird, was killed on Monday night, July 11, as he was sleeping in his bed. Ethan was struck by an errant bullet fired as part of apparent gang-related activity on the Samson Cree Nation.)