New Era powwow draws a crowd
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2016 (3622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Grand was the word used by organizers to describe the gathering of approximately 1,200 students at École New Era School on Wednesday.
The noon powwow featured four aboriginal drum groups and more than 50 dancers who were either a student or related to a student of one of the nine schools in attendance.
It was the first year all of the division schools with an aboriginal liaison program pooled their efforts to host a single event.
“(There were) a couple of phone calls — several phone calls, I would say — about how to do this,” laughed Shawna Mozdzen, an administrative assistant at George Fitton School.
Previously, she had worked on the Building Student Success with Aboriginal Parents program for five years and was only stepping down when they began to plan the 2016 event.
She didn’t mind offering advice as it was “nice to see (new workers) take initiative.”
The powwow was the second of three events on Wednesday. Nearly 700 students had gathered in the school’s gym that morning, and New Era welcomed the public to participate in its evening celebration.
According to Mozdzen, BSSAP’s efforts to connect families with schools prove that it is “a comfortable place, a safe place, for (students) to be.”
Among the audience members were parents and relatives who came to watch their family perform. Teryl Smoke and her mother kept their eyes out for Smoke’s sons, who are 11 and 12 years old, during the grand entry.
“My kids are not into sports, they’d rather dance. And I’m happy with that,” Smoke said.
Students at Betty Gibson School, the young boys have travelled as far as Swan Lake to participate in powwows.
Their mother is proud to see them taking an interest in their aboriginal culture — something that BSSAP has made an opportunity in the education system.
» aantoneshyn@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @AAntoneshyn
