A sunrise ceremony was held at the Giche-name-wiikwedong reconciliation garden at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park in Owen Sound on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (photo supplied by Francesca Dobbyn)
A sunrise ceremony is set to be held this Friday in Owen Sound to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The Gichi-Name Wiikwedong Reconciliation Garden Committee will be holding the event at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Chair of the Committee Susan Staves Schank says, “there will be firekeepers and a sacred fire, and there will be a land acknowledgement and opening prayer and singing and a pipe ceremony as well.”
She adds local dignitaries will also be present including Saugeen First Nation Elder and Knowledge Keeper Shirley John or Strong White Buffalo Woman, Saugeen First Nation Chief Conrad Ritchie, Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy, and Grey County Warden Brian Milne.
“It’s just a celebration of our traditions and culture and we like to bring knowledge to the people,” says Staves Schank.
The committee is also planning a flag-raising event on June 28 at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park in Owen Sound to acknowledge the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.
“As many look forward to the fireworks and celebration of Canada Day, it is important to be mindful of those who came before; those who lived in harmony with the land and the waters, and called this land home for millennia before colonization and confederation; those who had no concept of title or ownership, sharing freely the rich resources of the land and the waters, and taking only what was needed,” says the committee.
Additionally, the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre will be offering all-day free admission and guided tours, encouraging people to visit the Annishinaabwe Endaat Gallery.
The guided tours will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., offering visitors a chance to learn more about the history and contributions of Anishinaabe people in Bruce County.