FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION - At the heart of any Powwow is music and at the heart of the music is the drum. This year, Fort William First Nation celebrated the drum during its July Powwow at Mount McKay.
“The Powwow is honouring the beat of the nation,” said Chelsea Morriseau, a facilitator of the Powwow. “It is honouring the drums, the grandmother drum and the grandfather drum. We are honouring the beat that has been given to the community.”
“It’s a heartbeat,” she continued. “A heartbeat is what everyone has. We’re just giving back to the people.”
The annual Powwow wrapped up on Sunday and Morriseau said hundreds of people from across the region and some from the U.S. all gathered for the summer celebration.
“We are here to have fun and celebrate life,” she said. “That’s the joy of coming together.”
With this year celebrating the beat of the nation, it’s a great honour for those sitting around the different drum circles and giving the beat life.
For Peter Shebagabow of the Battle Nation Singers, being part of the drum is like being part of a brotherhood.
“But it’s also a time for healing,” he said. “We’re from all over Northern Ontario, but when we come together at that drum, it’s a time for healing for us, a time for us to laugh and cry and share hardships and positive vibes. But it’s definitely a safe place for me where I can share things as a man.”
Shebagabow added the drum is a huge part of the Powwow because that is where the music is and that is where the healing can begin.
“When we come to these gatherings, it’s a place of healing,” he said. “When we sing, we are always told to sing for the people. People from all over come for healing, but it’s also a time for social gathering, to meet up with old friends.”
With people becoming more disconnected, Peter said taking time out from a busy life can really help bring people closer together, which is exactly what the Powwow does for the community.
Peter, of Long Lake 58 First Nation, has been drumming for nearly four decades and while he is part of a brotherhood with his drum circle members, he feels close to the entire community when he sits down to drum and sing.
“When we sing, we are singing for the people,” he said. “I just always hope that people take some sense of healing with them. If you ever come by our drum and watch us sing, we sing with our hearts and let it all out.”
