Through dance, song and music, people learned a little more about each other’s culture at the International Drum and Dance Festival held as part of Nipissing Region North Bay Culture Days.
Held at the Kiwanis Band Shell, members of the First Nations community sang an honour song to welcome everyone.
Cecile Hookimaw from Attawapiskat sang in her Cree language.
“In the song I welcomed the eagle, I saw the eagle and I walk with the eagle and then I thank the eagle,” said Hookimaw.
“I think it was a very appropriate song to sing at an event like this because it is about freedom. I feel like it is an honour because of all the different cultures, including First Nations, coming together. I think it is really important that we all come together and share our cultures and have a big event like this. Our culture is who we are. It identifies who we are, the way we dress, dance and sing, all the different things that we do.”
Many cultures were represented at the festival which included Filipino Dancers, the Tibetan Singing Bowl and drumming.
Dancers representing many cultures took to the stage and grounds, gracefully moving to the beat of their traditional music.
Classical dancer Sneha Basuthkar has had a love of dance since she was two years old.
New to Canada, she has been in North Bay for the past six months.
“When you start knowing someone’s culture, then you will know the roots of the person. So that is where you will be connected, when you start respecting the culture. There is a mutual understanding which is very much connected to each other.”
Her dancing partner Tania Sharma says dance is the only way for her to express her feelings.
“I have been here almost one year. I see so many cultures here and I have also connected with people from different cultures. So, whenever I meet people I always like to know about their culture. So, it feels like my hometown here in North Bay.”
As a first generation Canadian, the event was very special to Kaarina Tulisalo.
“It just brings people together. I was just looking at the number of families who are here and I like the informal aspect of it with people just joining in and the children running around and having fun.”
At one point, to the delight of Culture Days co-chair Susan Terry, a spontaneous dance was preformed when dancers together with members of the public, held hands and formed a circle, dancing in unison.
Their smiles were broad and their laughter contagious.
“The culture. The rhythm. The harmony. The unity. It is so powerful see all these performances. There is such a strong element of creativity and life that brings us all together.”
Culture Days co-chair Reinalie Jorolan danced with her native Filipino dancers.
She moved to North Bay a year ago from Fort McMurray. When she heard North Bay did not have a Culture Days celebration on a grand scale, she took up the challenge of creating something memorable over a three-day period.
“My hope is for everybody to continue to strengthen the appreciation of every individual who is here in our community. We hope to foster more inclusion and diversity. I also hope that our children who are here will be able to see that it is really nice to be around people where they can get a different perspective on life. It allows them to grow that respect towards one another in school,” said Jorolan.
“It is an avenue to share who we are, and it is an avenue to learn who other people are. At the end of the day, each of us benefits from what we are doing and sharing with one another.”