AAW Goes to the Lambton College Pow Wow

On April 4th the Grade 5/6 and 6 classes travelled to Lambton College in Sarnia for the annual Pow Wow.  This was an event that our classes were very excited to attend.  Some students had been to Pow Wows previously at Bkejwanong or Aamjiwanaang while others were looking forward to a new cultural experience.

The week before we left we reviewed a slideshow created by Gretchen with some background information on Pow Wows as well as Pow Wow etiquette.  It was important to me that our students knew how to behave and interact appropriately in order to be respectful of the dancers, drummers and cultural experience as a whole.

Our students had also become familiar with Pow Wow dances through dance and music classes earlier in the year.  If you're interested in introducing Pow Wow dancing to your classroom check out the Pow Wow Sweat video series on YouTube by clicking HERE.

When we arrived at Lambton College our students were so excited to head to the arena and check out the vendors, the drummers, the dancer's regalia, and of course the food, before the dancing started.  Once the Grand Entry began I was again thankful for Gretchen's slideshow as the students had acquired appropriate knowledge and understanding of the ceremony and proceedings that they were now a part of.

Over the course of the next hour or so many students took advantage of the opportunity to join in with the group dances while others chose to observe.  Either way, I was happy that our students had the opportunity to take part first hand in such a culturally rich experience that many would not have had otherwise.

If there is a local Pow Wow close to your school I would definitely recommend taking your class as it is a culturally rich experience that all students can benefit from and enjoy!


P.E. McGibbon off to the Pow Wow at Lambton College

With the news and anticipation of the 27th annual Lambton College Indigenous Pow Wow approaching, the team saw this as an opportunity to provide our students as well as ourselves with an authentic experience. Jen and I had familiarized our students with traditional Pow Wow dancing by engaging in Pow Wow Sweat (if you haven't checked out these YouTube videos by The Style Horse Collective yet, you're missing out!). 

Jen and I brought our grade 1's and 2's from P.E. McGibbon to the event and were overwhelmed by the knowledge that guided us into the new athletics centre where the PowWow dancing arena was formed. The most impressive aspect of the Pow Wow was the amount of knowledge its participants were able to seek out by walking around and speaking to Indigenous People to gain first hand knowledge on cultural practices such as beading, regalia, and symbols. 

Our students hurried to grab front row seats and immediately picked out dancers doing the fancy shawl and chicken dance. The most heartwarming part of the day was the inclusive environment established as attendees were invited to become participants. Every single one of my students jumped (literally) at the opportunity to join in the dancing arena. The rich cultural experience I gained alongside my students came from not only familiarizing ourselves with Ojibwe culture and dance but most importantly, taking that risk to try something new and foreign to us and coming together in that experience that we share and appreciate. 






Ojibwe Word of the Week: April

In preparation for some exciting events, this month we have decided to choose words that are related to PowWows and dancing. This month our schools will be attending the Lambton College PowWow. It will be an incredible opportunity for our students to engage in some indigenous cultural activities. They are very excited about watching and trying out some dancing! Which brings us to our second event, the Great Lakes Woodland Dance Troupe. During the month of May, both schools will be hosting the dance troupe and we look forward to their singing, dancing and storytelling!

Ojibwe Words of the Week: April

Ngamwin - song
Mnidoominesag - beads
Dewegan - drum
Niimi - He or she is dancing
Jiingtamog - PowWow 

Click here to access the Ojibwe Words of the Week PDF