A three day celebration to mark Lambton College's 25th annual pow wow is underway.
The event at Sarnia's Clearwater Arena featured a special educational awareness day for local secondary students Friday.
"It's important to engage the community to bring awareness and help bridge our first nation community with the broader Canadian community," says Dan Deleary, the student pow wow coordinator for Lambton College. "As we begin to talk about the celebration of Canada this year, it's important to create understanding. I hope students learn that first nation culture is a vibrant living culture."
Over 100 students participated in different workshops including ash basket making, indigenous artwork and history, pow wow dancing and etiquette, traditional beading and pouch making and lacrosse.
"A lot of our students are learning about indigenous culture and heritage in class," says North Lambton Secondary School teacher Mackenzie Horner. "Being able to come out to indigenous education day and being able to learn more and see it in the real world will make a big impact on a lot of these students"
"I think it's great we are bringing back the native culture and history," says Grade 11 student Emily Ferguson.
A variety of demonstrations and interactive activities are planned at the pow wow Saturday and Sunday.
"We really wanted an opportunity to showcase the culture," says Aboriginal Education Manager Jane Manning. "Doing the pow wow celebration is a great to share with the community so they can learn and begin to grow together."
Manning says it's a common misconception that pow wows are only for indigenous people.
"This is just as much for non-indigenous people as it is indigenous," she says. "It's an opportunity to share a culture and I think it's an awesome way to build relationships from that."
Manning says there will be craft exhibitions, dancers in full regalia, food vendors and traditional drumming and singing. She adds that there will be many opportunities to participate.
Doors open Saturday and Sunday at 10am, with dancers making a grand entry at noon and the event wrapping up at 6pm both days.
Admission is $2. Lambton College students and children under 12 are free.
Guests are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to support the Lambton College student food bank.
-Written by Meghan Bond, Fanshawe College Intern
