Participants are taking part from across Canada and the United States. (Facebook)

By Angela Brown

Virtual competition

MGBHLM First Nation celebrates talents with virtual singing, hand drumming competition

Jan 8, 2021 | 4:04 PM

If you would like to take in some Indigenous hand drumming and singing from across Canada and the United States, this is the time to do it.

Mosquito/Grizzly Bears’ Head/Lean Man (MGBHLM) First Nation is hosting a virtual contest currently on its Facebook page, and inviting people to submit short videos of their performances to take part.

The competition started Jan. 1 and continues to Jan. 29. Each Friday night at 7 p.m. the event goes live. All nations are welcome to participate. COVID-19 protocols and social distancing is required for all video submissions. Groups are limited to five individuals. To view the performances, people can visit MGBHLM Facebook page, look under the category More, scroll to the Community section, and see the competition entries here.

The winners will be selected based on numbers of likes and shares on the Facebook postings.

The event honours the memory of the late Art “Peguts” Moosomin and the late Solomon Stone, both of MGBHLM.

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For the last year and a half, the First Nation has been recognizing its members’ various skills and talents.

“We’ve celebrated our cowboys and cowgirls, our elite athletes, all our princesses – junior and senior – in the powwow circuit,” Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman said. “Over the years we have honoured our drum groups, and we had a spotlight powwow for our dancers. We know we have people who have passed on.”

She said it is a great way to pay tribute to the memory of the late Art Moosomin and the late Solomon Stone with this year’s virtual event.

Aguilar-Antiman is impressed with the offering of submissions received from throughout North America.

“I cannot believe the incredible talent we have in our Indigenous communities,” she said.

There are four categories in which participants will be able to compete, including youth and adult sections.

The prize winners will be determined by people’s votes. Jan. 27 is the cut-off day for submissions. The finalists will be featured on Jan. 29. Vocalists will participate in a live sing-off from their homes that will be broadcast virtually. The winners will be announced Feb. 1.

“We have a line up of Masters of Ceremonies that worked with the late Solomon Stone over the years, and/or sang with the late Art Moosomin,”‘ Aguilar-Antiman said.

She mentioned Stone and Moosomin were instrumental in the entire round-dance celebration and ceremony traditions.

“They were two men who really brought us together as a people, and the surrounding nations, right across Canada and the United States,” Aguilar-Antiman said. “For the whole month of January we are honouring these two legends.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW