Keeping the ‘wow’ in Powwow

Posted December 31, 2009 By móniyáw

If you’ve ever attended a powwow, you may have noticed how dancers travel in only one direction around the center drum, how some of the best seats in the house are empty and long announcements are made before the dancing gets under way.

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“We just ask that people respect what we’re doing, although they may not understand what we’re doing. Please respect that there’s an order that goes along with a powwow. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end.”

As someone who has seen a pow-wow live, I never realized how much structure there is. See the full article here.

Categories: Events
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Causes of high levels of domestic violence against Native American women

By móniyáw

Conquest and colonization of Native Americans by Europeans forced drastic societal and cultural changes that have fostered the conditions of elevated domestic violence against Native American women.

Traditional Southwestern indigenous societies held high respect for women and viewed gender roles as complementary instead of antagonistic according to a 2006 article in Journal of Transcultural Nursing.

In traditional indigenous societies, mechanisms existed to prevent domestic violence and punish perpetrators. For example, marriage was an agreement between a man and a woman to live together until they agreed otherwise, which made it easy and acceptable to leave an abusive relationship according to “When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away: Marriage, Sexuality and Power in New Mexico,” by R.A. Gutierrez.

Part 2 of a 4 part series. Find the rest of this article here.

Categories: Health, Women
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Mythical seabear and modern snowboarder mascot brings First Nations’ Spirit Bear and orca legend to life.

By móniyáw

What does a hip, snowboarding seabear mascot have to do with British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest and the world’s only Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy? Miga’s family tree- with Orca whales on one side and British Columbia’s rare white Spirit Bear on the other- links back to the Great Bear Rainforest, the only region in the world where the white sub-species of the black bear is found.

(read the full story here)

Categories: First Nation
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Aboriginal games

By móniyáw

The self-described “anti-racism” demonstrators who have tried on various occasions to upset the progress of the Olympic flame, and succeeded in tripping up a torch bearer on Monday, claim to do so on behalf of aboriginal Canadians. That will be news to the four British Columbia native communities that are formal partners in the Olympics and, for that matter, the scores of aboriginal communities across Canada that have participated with pride in the torch relay.

I have seen articles that claim support and opposition from Canada’s First Nation communities. It would be interesting to hear from Canada’s aboriginal community, especially those living on reserves that are on the torch route.

Read the full story here.

Categories: Sports
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New Year’s Eve American Indian comedy slam is a first for national television

By móniyáw

This New Year’s Eve will see an historic event coming to your television via the Showtime network. Thursday, December 31, 2009 will be the night on Showtime for Native American stand-up comedy. Showtime is presenting “Goin’ Native: The American Indian Comedy Slam”.

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Showtime will air Goin’ Native, this Thursday (December 31st) at 10:00 p.m. EST/PST and will have it available On Demand in January 2010 from the 1st through January 28th.

(read the full story here)

Categories: Uncategorized
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New-look reconciliation commission settling into Winnipeg

Posted December 30, 2009 By móniyáw

Canada’s residential schools commission is settling in to its new home — and name — in Winnipeg.

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The five-year mandate of the commission, which has been plagued by delays and controversy, is to probe the assimilation and abuse aboriginal children faced at residential schools across Canada in the 20th century.

The commission is the first of its kind in the world to focus specifically on abuse against children of a specific race.

(read the full story here)

Categories: Health
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How Native American Drums Play A Spiritual Role In Indigenous Culture

By móniyáw

Native American drums are undeniably the most loved Native American instruments among Native and non Indian people alike. Drums for hundreds of years have always been at the center of Indian lifestyle, forming what is the channel of religion and spirituality as well as special days where a pow wow drum is center stage.

…To Native people, Indian drums are much more than just decorations or nice musical instruments. American Indian drums are thought to speak to the drummer. Native drums being made in a circle represent the earth and life. The most identifiable being hoop drums and shaman drums which are Indian hand drums used in many personal healing and religious ceremonies as well as public ceremonies such as a Native American powwow.

(read the full story here)

Categories: Uncategorized

Impressive Okanagan women share their stories

By móniyáw

The Kelowna Women In Business will be holding their sixth annual Her Story series at the Coast Capri Hotel, Jan. 13.

The event, which features local women who have surpassed challenges and found success, will offer an inspiring way to start the new year.

(full story here)

Categories: Education, First Nation
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Blue Moon happening on New Year’s Eve: Rare occurrence (video)

By móniyáw

The term “blue moon” has nothing to do with the color of the moon. Instead, it refers to the second full moon in a calendar month. This has not happened on a New Year’s Eve for twenty years.

Most months have one full moon, because the 29.5-day cycle of the moon matches the length of calendar months. Having two full moons in a month happens about every 2½ years, according to NASA experts.

Each full moon has a unique name. The Farmers’ Almanac lists these Native American names for the full moon as follows:

  • January: Wolf Moon
  • February: Snow Moon
  • March: Worm Moon
  • April: Pink Moon
  • May: Flower Moon
  • June: Strawberry Moon
  • July: Buck Moon
  • August: Sturgeon Moon
  • September: Corn Moon
  • October: Harvest Moon
  • November: Beaver Moon
  • December: Cold Moon
Categories: Uncategorized

Bourque teams up with Goodfish Lake

By móniyáw

Flames forward Rene Bourque is supporting efforts to raise money for the new arena and community centre in Whitefish Lake First Nation Number 128 by becoming the Honourary Chair of the Goodfish Lake Recreational Capital Campaign.

“My roots are in the Goodfish Lake Region. I know how important it is to have first-rate recreation facilities when growing up and participating in recreational activities and I feel privileged to be the Honourary Chair of the campaign,” says Rene Bourque.

The reserve is located near Bourque’s home town of Lac La Biche, Alberta. Unfortunately the arena previously located near the town, which had served the community well for over 30 years, burned down in 2005.

(read the full story here)

Categories: Sports