(File photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Partnership project

Town planning celebration for National Indigenous Peoples Day

Apr 22, 2022 | 1:00 PM

The Town of Battleford announced it is making plans to host a National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration coming up.

The event will be be held Thursday, June 16 in downtown Battleford, a week before the formal National Indigenous Peoples Day, which is recognized across Canada on Tuesday, June 21.

The event was discussed at this week’s town council meeting. Council approved the proposal for the celebration.

The town will offer the event through a partnership with Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Inc. (BATC), BATC Community Development Corporation, Chief Poundmaker Museum, Miyawata Culture Inc. and Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation Economic Development Corp.

Community Planner Paige Hundt stated in her submitted report the event aims to celebrate the culture and contributions of Indigenous peoples around Canada.

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“The celebration would be held downtown for a full day of excitement and education,” she said.

The cost for the project will be about $15,000. The town’s portion of the funding would come out of the approved 2022 Planning and Development Operational Budget, grants, and donations. The town’s planning and development department received a $10,000 grant from BATC Community Development Corporation to put towards the event expenses.

The celebration will include an opening ceremony, singing, drumming, a beading class, storytelling, an art exhibit, Indigenous hand games, and a dancing performance during the day, followed by a fireworks display in the evening.

CAO Ash Alam said there has been a lot of positive feedback during the consultations, and suggested the town might want to give some thought into holding it every year.

Coun. Alexis Christensen proposed also adding some vendors and food offerings downtown during the event, to bring even more people out.

Mayor Ames Leslie is looking forward to the celebration.

“There has been a lot of work in the background, working towards making this happen,” he said.

Leslie said through consultations, the partners decided it would be better to hold the event on a day other than June 21, so it doesn’t take away from the focus of area Indigenous communities that are hosting events on the official day.

“I’m very excited about this,” Leslie added. “It’s still in the conceptual stage and many things will change… We’ll lean on consultation to make sure that we are making this is a great day for everybody.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow