THUNDER BAY - For Janine Desmoulin of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, hearing the drum start to beat and seeing the dancers enter the circle is a feeling like no other.
“I feel like my spirit is ignited,” she said. “This is a very beautiful thing to share our culture. The drum represents everybody’s heartbeat. Everybody is included. It shows that this is where your spirit is.”
The Lakehead University Native Student Association host its annual Powwow this weekend at the C. J. Saunders Fieldhouse, drawing in hundreds of people from all walks of life to share in Indigenous culture.
The annual Powwow has been held for the past 31 years and LUNSA president, Shai Loyie, said it serves as a kick-off to the powwow season.
“They will start happening in the spring and summer time but this is the first one to get people out after a long winter,” she said. “A lot of people are excited and eager to get out there and be with the community and be around the drum and get in regalia and dance.”
The weekend included drummers from across the region, traditional dances and regalia, and a traditional feast.
Loyie said everyone is always excited for the annual powwow and it’s important to showcase Indigenous culture to students, with many international students getting the opportunity to share in the celebration.
“We are in Canada and this is Indigenous land and it’s important for international students and people of all walks of life to come and experience and learn about this culture,” she said. “You learn a lot and we are welcome and open to people of all walks of life coming and experiencing this.”
“I think it’s the great people who organize this powwow,” Desmoulin added. “They get out many drummers and the drum groups come from all over to be a part of this powwow. It’s very much a community event that brings in all the people.”
And while the powwow provides an opportunity to share and celebrate Indigenous culture, it can also be a powerful experience for those who participate in the dances, or those watching from the sides, feeling their heart beat along with the drum.
“It’s nice to take a break and reconnect ourselves and reground ourselves with the drum in this community circle,” Loyie said. “I feel a sense of resurgence coming through. Indigenous people take a lot of pride in their powwows and dancing. It makes me feel that sense of pride.”
