Last year on September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Amlamgog (Fort Folly) First Nation hosted a sacred fire and a giant haybale teddy bear sporting on orange shirt, and sent out an open invitation for people to come visit. Cultural coordinator Nicole Porter says hundreds of people came from surrounding communities to pay their respects, to ask questions about residential schools and truth and reconciliation, and of course, to climb on the Orange Shirt Bear.
Porter says the opportunity for members of Fort Folly to share their stories and culture was significant, so much so that after it was over she immediately started to think about what the community could do in 2023. An opportunity for some funding came along and so Porter thought, “let’s honour our children and actually have a mini powwow for them.”
Amlamgog is hosting its first ever Youth Mini Powwow this Saturday, September 30 at the Fort Folly band office on Bernard Trail, just outside the village of Dorchester. CHMA dropped in to the band office to find out more about the event from Porter and one of the youth organizers, Porter’s son, Zachary Dubé:
This powwow, or Mawiomi as the gathering is known in Mi’kmaq, is a first for Amlamgog, and part of a growing number of powwows happening in the Maritimes. Porter says access to funding is part of the equation, as is changing attitudes. “We definitely see a lot more powwows, and we’re able to come out and gather in a good way, and not be scared to have backlash or anything like that,” says Porter.
Zachary Dubé will serve as a fire keeper during the powwow, tending the sacred fire as he did last year, and answering questions from visitors. Porter says she is also hoping to recruit some elders and knowledge keepers willing to give cultural teachings, in an effort to “keep with that momemtum of sharing our culture.”
But the powwow is not just for visitors. Porter says in the small Amlamgog community not many people “venture out to powwows… So starting off small, coming here, it gives them a feel for what to expect at one of the bigger ones. And it’s a way for all of our children, our youth to come together, and just have fun.”
Kids from Amlamgog have been learning to dance, and will be wearing newly created regalia for the powwow, handmade by Porter and other community members. “We had sewing classes, so people in the community would come down, they would help sew with me, and piece together all of the regalia pieces. Then they were blessed in ceremony, and now they can actually wear them out to powwows.”
Porter says everyone is welcome to the powwow on September 30. Parking is available along the road or at the Fort Folly Habitat Recovery, where you can access the Medicine Trail that leads to the band office. Grand Entry starts at 10am on Saturday, and Zachary Dubé says it’s not to be missed. “That is the best time to be there,” says Dubé. “But really, you want to be there for as long as possible, to soak it all in.”
