BY KAEN VALOISE
Boozhoo! Kaen nindizhinikaaz.
That means “Hello! My name is Kaen” in Ojibwe, the First Nation culture I inherited from my father. I’ve been on gorgeous Salt Spring Island for a year now! From Montreal originally, I’ve spent the last 30 years in beautiful Vancouver working festivals and events. The plan was to come to Salt Spring Island to take it easy and ease into my mellow years, but to quote Michael Corleone, “just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!” No – I kid. In reality, I couldn’t be more thrilled or honoured about joining the organizing committee of the Indigenous Peoples Weekend.
Indigenous Peoples Day happens every June 21, but we have such a rich diversity of Indigenous culture on Salt Spring Island that we take a whole weekend to celebrate it! While it is very important to remember, recognize and honour some of the more challenging aspects of our collective past, and there will be opportunities for learning and reconciliation throughout the weekend, Indigenous Peoples Weekend is a chance to celebrate the joy and beauty of our cultures.
I’m not the only thing that’s new this year – we also have a new venue! The Farmers Institute has generously provided a new home for our event, and we’ve been working hard to bring together an exciting assortment of entertainment and activities so you can come, park, and make a day of it!
This year’s weekend is extra long, starting on Thursday June 18 when we welcome the Quw’utstun Cultural Connections Society. They’ll be presenting their deeply impactful and inspiring Journey of our Generation workshop. We hope you’ll join us as Quw’utsun Elders share stories of village life before settlers arrived, and the transformation after colonization. Quw’utsun Elders remind us “the longest journey is from our head to our hearts. We each have much to learn along the way as we learn forgiveness, and practice the values found in kindness, expressed through love and guided by respect.”
Tickets are on sale now. $75 includes lunch, snacks and tea, but no one will be turned away due to insufficient funds. You can read more on the Quw’utsun Cultural Connections website, the Facebook event page, or on our socials, @indigenouspeoplesweekend.
On Friday June 19, Quw’utsun Elder Qwiyawultu-hw will welcome us and share some wisdom. Then the community will come together to raise our magnificent tipi while Indigenous guests share their culture through stories, knowledge-sharing, and dance. Throughout the weekend, the tipi will be a gathering place where guests can hear stories, see puppet shows, and gather in conversation with Elders.
Inside the Hall, Stz’minus artist, historian, medicine man, and cultural practitioner Daniel Elliott will offer a free movement workshop. The workshop and tipi-raising will be followed by a large community potluck where we’ll serve salmon and Bannock alongside your offerings. This feast is an opportunity to honour our Elders, and gather to build relationships. After the feast, we’ll dance into the evening with Local Motion, featuring Métis singers (including our magnificent and wonderfully talented Artistic Director Sherry Williams).
On Saturday, the main stage will offer a dazzling array of performers, including Ed Peekakoot, Wesley Hardisty and the Edgar Hann Band. And perhaps a special surprise – be sure to keep an eye on our socials and website (indigenouspeoplesweekend.ca) for announcements! Sunday’s main stage will feature a stellar lineup of local talent and a few special guests, like Danielle Enblom’s Métis jigging!
Inside the Hall, we’ll be presenting a range of workshops, including a hula-and-history presentation by our Kanaka (Hawaiian) Salt Springers, and craft workshops for the whole family. The Hall will also house the Quw’utstun Cultural Connections’ amazing immersive exhibit Thu-it (pronounced tah-EET), which gives a walk-through experience of Quw’utsun history, a display on the history of the fur trade, and a silent auction to support the Q’ushin’tul’ (Walking Together) Ancestors Walk event.
In addition to the many events throughout the weekend at the Farmers Institute, there will be an Indigenous Art Show at ArtSpring (now accepting applications), Indigenous artist demos at Mahon Hall put on by the Arts Council, a talk on the BC Government and Indigenous Rights by former MLA and current W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip) Lead Negotiator Adam Olsen offered by the Salt Spring Forum at ArtSpring, and many other events in planning stages. If you are Indigenous, or have an Indigenous partner, we would love you to put on an event that we can add to our calendar!
Our schedule is still evolving, but you can keep up to date on our socials, or on our new website, which includes registration links for Journey of Our Generation and the Indigenous Art Show, and where you can find my contact info should you have any thoughts, suggestions or questions: www.indigenouspeoplesweekend.ca.
If you have a business and would like to support us, please contact me and we can discuss the best way to get you involved! If you’d like to donate, you can e-transfer to the Farmland Trust at ipw@ssifarmlandtrust.org. Every donation of any size is very much needed and appreciated!
And volunteers! As a volunteer-run event, we rely on the support of the community to make this incredible event happen. Whether you’re motivated by community, reconciliation, or philanthropy, please visit the Supporters page on our website to find out how you can help.
Miigwech! HÍSW̱KE! Huy ch q’u! Maarsi! Mahalo! Thank you for joining our celebration!