Moose, deer, wild rice, and a hefty serving of First Nations music, dance, crafts and culture, were all on the menu at the 12th annual Noongam Powwow over the weekend in Queen Juliana Park.
Yesterday, the last day of the powwow, was also Father’s Day, and co-ordinator Doug Comegan noted that many attendees had brought their young children along this year to expose them to Aboriginal culture.
“They don’t know what’s going on yet, but what we’re trying to do is leave something behind for these young people,” he said. “It’s about sharing.”
Among the guests this year were 18th Oshawa scout and cub troops, who camped out in their tents all weekend at the powwow, as well as taking in National Aboriginal Day events on Victoria Island and a tour of Parliament Hill.
“We’ve had a wonderful, wonderful time,” said Scouter Pauline Kennedy, who organized the trip to Ottawa. “The powwow’s been amazing.”
The scouts brought their award-winning mango tango chicken for Saturday’s potluck supper, sampled buffalo burgers and pitched in to keep the grounds clean of litter.
Kennedy said they also took part in yesterday’s sunrise ceremony and got a chance to learn about the Aboriginal traditions behind many scouting activities, like wilderness survival, from “the people who originated a lot of the stuff we do now.” They’re already planning to come back next year.
