Mattagami First Nation held its seventh annual Pow Wow over the weekend featuring the theme of honouring elders past and present.
Newly elected Mattagami First Nation Chief Chad Boissoneau along with former chief Walter Naveau were as on hand to preside over the Mattagami Pow Wow.
“We are hoping for beautiful weather to mark our Pow Wow in which we honour our Elders,” said Chief Boissoneau. “There will a drumming circle and traditional dancers, along with some important messages from our Elders.”
The Pow Wow got started with the grass dancers, blessing the ceremonial grounds. Preparing for the grand entry of elders, chief, veterans, and other key participants like the dancers.
The Pow Wow ground is set up in a circle and all gathered around all equidistant to the centre.
The host drums were provided by Eagle River. The co-hosts were the Coldwater Ojibway Singers. These two drumming circles provided pounding beats, and chants to punctuate the event with a sacred pulse that energized those participating in the Pow Wow.
“The sacred grass dancers bless the grounds by dancing first one and then the other way around,” explained Greg Dreaver, the master of ceremonies for the Pow Wow. “If you watch their feet, it’s almost like they are tamping down the ground by making circles.”
“Traditionally, the grass dance society are the bravest of the brave, and what they do is arrive ahead of time, and find a place where this water, food, game, berries, medicine, and they performed this dance to identify the right spot for the Pow Wow, and that is where we would set up our teepees,” Dreaver explained.
After the ceremony of the grass dancers, the grand entry took place. A solemn and sacred event where people are asked to refrain from photographing or video recording the event. The men take off their hats.
Leading the grand entry were Chief Boissoneau, and former Chiefs Walter Naveau and Morris Naveau.
Agnes Naveau and Alex Jacobs were the grandmother and grandfather of the Pow Wow.
Ontario Regional Chief for the Chiefs of Ontario, Isadore Day, was invited to be the lead male ceremonial dancer and Angela Trudeau, the lead female dancer. Both Day and Trudeau are from the Serpent River First Nation.
“I am here on this ground where my mother was born, and she later moved down to White Fish Lake where my father was from,” said Alex Jacobs, a knowledge keeper and respected elder. “My father went overseas to fight for the land and the crown and he never came back – he died in Dieppe, over there with many other Canadians including Anishinabek and others.”
“I thank you for inviting me, I have here been since the beginning and I hope to keep on returning,” Jacobs said. “Eighty is not such an old age, I hope to be here for another 20 Pow Wows.”
Agnes Naveau, spoke next and she pointed to the sky and pointed out the three eagles that were flying gyres around the sky high above the Mattagami Pow Wow grounds.
“I would like to welcome everybody here today and please enjoy the Pow Wow,” she said. The eagles are already here flying overhead and watching us – I want to thank all the volunteers, the fire keeper, the singers, dancers and the vendors.”
Various sacred staffs, composed of eagle feathers were fastened around the posts of the central hub of the inner circle, where the drumming circles were located. This was led by elders, followed by Chief Chad Boissoneau, elder Walter Naveau, the previous chief, and several other elders.
The traditional dancing then followed with the veterans, the youth, lead male dancer Regional Chief Isadore Day and Angela Trudeau, lead female dancer.
On the periphery of the circle are the cultural, craft and food vendors. “They are our economic warriors,” said Dreaver.
On the weekend Michelle Polaniec, an artist from Mattagami First Nation, who combines traditional styles and themes with contemporary styling.
Shady Hafez, was the arena director, and he made sure the grounds were prepared and ready to fix any last-minute glitches.
For more information:
Mattagami First Nation Pow Wow 2017
