Celebrating Aboriginal Day

The staff of the North Bay Indian Friendship Centre is hosting a special celebration for the longest day of the year at the North Bay Waterfront today.

Victor Mitchell, Executive Director, of the North Bay Indian Friendship Centre said June 21 is Aboriginal Day and marks the beginning of a new season and offers an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate renewal.

“It is a message to say that we are celebrating our culture, our traditions, as well as to invite mainstream to join us in the celebration to understand our culture, where we come from and why we drum and why we dance.”

Mitchell says opening the event to the public is a way to educate and start an open dialogue about diversity in the community.

“We have things in the country that are happening different provinces in communities that. I believe having these more frequently, not just Aboriginal Day, but other days as well to make that cultural awareness to everyone and I believe that having this day as part of that healing process,” he says.

The day was packed with events including speeches, bands playing everything from the blues, to Elvis to traditional music, a potluck supper.

Cherilyn Wesley, NBIFC Youth Co-ordinator, who organised the event, said she wanted the day to be a celebration of understanding, as well as a good time.

“It’s about cultural appreciation and cultural awareness, the Aboriginal culture and for everybody to have a good time and maybe opening a gap from the North Bay community to the Aboriginal community.”

“This is the first step, and we got to start somewhere.”

The concerts continue until 10:30 tonight.