The main objective of a powwow held at a local elementary school was to raise cultural awareness and respect.
Cultural awareness and respect were the main ideas behind a powwow held Friday for students at Westmount Public School.
Jerry Dampier, a Native dancer who also happens to be a youth outreach worker at the south-side school, said showcasing culture and pride helps break down barriers between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students and it’s a lot of fun.
“It’s just to show the kids that everyone’s kind of the same. At a powwow everybody’s invited to do the drumming and the dancing. It’s just to let everybody know that we’re here and we’re proud,” he said.
At the powwow, held in the morning for younger students and in the afternoon for those in higher grades, dancers demonstrated several different traditional dances, including the grand entry, the flag song and a veteran’s song.
“Those are three songs that are always at a powwow. It gives the kids a chance to get involved. That’s what we’re trying to do, get everyone involved,” Dampier said, adding students seem receptive to new ideas and other cultures’ ways.
“I’ve been to classrooms all week and every one of them have been excited about Friday. They knew Friday was the powwow and they were all excited about that. To join in was what they were really looking forward to,” he said.
“Hopefully it brings us a little bit closer together, anyone who doesn’t know about our culture and for the Aboriginals who are a little bit nervous about getting involved in their own culture, maybe that will give them a little push to start dancing or singing or drumming.”
Westmout principal Anne Marie McMahon-Dupuis said her school is hosting the Urban Aboriginal Project on a full-time basis, and Friday’s powwow was a good way to reinforce what they’re doing.
“It’s always important for our students to not only be exposed, but also to celebrate some of our students who have this culture as well as exposing others. It isn’t in the curriculum, but we’re making it come alive today,” McMahon-Dupuis said.
