The Timmins Native Friendship Centre (TFNC) has been working to improve the quality of life for urban aboriginal people living in the Timmins area since 1974.
Funded through Heritage Canada’s Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program, the board and staff of the Timmins Native Friendship Centre strive to provide a “culturally safe environment that creates a sense of belonging for all Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal people.”
One of the ways the TNFC achieves this goal is by hosting Cultural Day.
Once every three months, the staff of TNFC invites the public to join with the Aboriginal community in culturally significant activities and games, as well as a feast.
“The feast usually consists of traditional food such as bannock, moose meat and goose,” said Kyla Brisbois, Urban Aboriginal Healthy Living Worker at the Timmins Native Friendship Centre.
“We have plenty of activities for the public, especially the children,” said Brisbois. “We recommend the general public to attend so that they can become familiar with the culture.”
With the weather having been colder than expected, some of the planned activities such as road hockey and a fishing pond for the kids as well as crafts, colouring and making clan necklaces in the teepee weren’t as busy as they are in the summer months.
A local drum group, who attended the event, took a comfortable place beside the fire to demonstrate traditional singing and drumming and quickly became the draw of the day with people crowding around to keep warm and enjoy the show.
The next Cultural Day is planned for February, so keep an eye on the Timmins Native Friendship Centre website at www.tnfc.ca for the date and time.
