In photos: 2024 All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:48:42 +0000

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 10/16/2024 - 11:48

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Emilee Ann Pitawanakwat, a hoop dancer from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, was the head dancer at the second-annual All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T Mississauga staff

Topic

City & Culture

All-Nations Powwow

Indigenous

U of T Mississauga

The University of Toronto Mississauga recently welcomed hundreds of participants and attendees from as far away as Aotearoa New Zealand, for the second annual All-Nations Powwow.

Scattered showers didn’t stop the outdoor event from going ahead on Sept. 28.

It was the first time the All-Nations Powwow was held outdoors. The event, which took place on the north field in front of Maanjiwe nendamowinan, was free to attend and open to all.

U of T Mississauga photographer Nick Iwanyshyn was on hand to capture the day:

Dan Secord of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation performs a dance while spectators look on (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

More than 30 dancers in regalia competed in the Traditional Men’s and Jingle Dress Dance Specials and took part in intertribal spot and exhibition dances.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Celeste Pedri-Spade, who is an Anishinaabe scholar and artist from northwestern Ontario and a band member of Lac des Milles Lacs First Nation, took top prize in the Jingle Dress Dance. Pedri-Spade has a PhD in visual anthropology and travelled to the All-Nations Powwow from Montreal, where she is the associate provost of Indigenous initiatives at McGill University.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Members of a Māori delegation, visiting from Aotearoa, New Zealand, demonstrated Haka, a ceremonial dance in Māori culture, for the assembled crowd.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Outside of the dances, All-Nations Powwow attendees were invited to browse the vendor stalls, which featured a variety of canned goods and other food along with clothing, accessories and wellness products.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

All attendees were invited to participate in intertribal dances. Intertribal dances are for all ages, backgrounds and abilities, with no set dance style.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Members of the Manitou Mkwa Singers, Juno-nominated hand-drum performers from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, were among the invited drummers in attendance.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

John Hupfield, who is Anishinaabe from Wasauksing First Nation and one of the All-Nations Powwow Head Dancers, took part in a grass dance during the event. Hupfield, who has a PhD in education from York University, has researched the roles that Powwows play within Anishinaabe contexts of education and pedagogy.

He welcomed the chance to lead dancers and to share Powwow traditions with the U of T Mississauga community.

“It is a space to work and gather together, share and pass tradition with everyone,” he said of the All-Nations Powwow. “That’s the beautiful aspect of it and I hope it continues to grow at UTM.”

‘A space for everyone’: U of T Mississauga prepares to host second annual All-Nations Powwow

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:21:04 +0000

‘A space for everyone’: U of T Mississauga prepares to host second annual All-Nations Powwow

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 09/10/2024 - 11:21

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Dancers perform during the inaugural All-Nations Powwow at U of T Mississauga in 2023 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

When you invite everyone, you need to make sure you have plenty of space.

With that in mind, the University of Toronto Mississauga’s All-Nations Powwow will be moving outdoors this year.

“A Powwow is a space for everyone,” says event co-lead dancer John Hupfield, who is Anishinaabe from Wasauksing First Nation. “A Powwow is not a show. It is a space to work and gather together, share and pass tradition with everyone.

“That’s the beautiful aspect of it and I hope it continues to grow at UTM.”

The free Sept. 28 event is hosted by the U of T Mississauga Indigenous Centre (UTMIC) and will be held on the north field in front of Maanjiwe nendamowinan, also known as MN.

Moving the event to an outdoor venue is welcome news for Hupfield, who specializes in grass dancing.

“Traditionally, when our people relocate, folks are sent out ahead to pat down the grass to allow work and settling to be done on the land,” he says. “It is done with song and ceremony – so when the people arrive, they know this place is safe. It is a way of taking care of the community.”

Community is a huge part of Powwows, adds Hupfield, who pursued his postdoctoral research in Indigenous forms of movement on both the U of T Mississauga and St. George campuses.

He says he is honoured to have been asked to lead the dancers into this year’s Powwow as part of the grand entry ceremony.

“It’s really humbling,” says Hupfield, who also assists the UTMIC with firekeeping in the Tipi on Principal’s Road for events that require sacred fire, as well as giving guest talks and dance demonstrations. “It’s a big responsibility and a chance to invite and honour all who came before us.”

Among the dancers he will be leading is MJ Singleton, a fourth-year U of T Mississauga student who is double majoring in psychology and criminology law and society.

Singleton, who is Anishinaabe and a two-spirit person, will be participating in both the fancy shawl and jingle dress events. They say they became involved in the Powwow through host group UTMIC, where they have participated in beadwork seminars and luncheons, led a paint session and helped create a community art installation for the MN building. Singleton says the centre, and Office of Indigenous Initiatives Director Tee Duke and Special Projects Officer Jessica Tabak, have been vital in helping them adjust to life at university.

“I didn’t grow up in a city – I was in a small northwestern town, four hours west of Thunder Bay, so coming from there and transitioning to Mississauga was a big challenge,” says Singleton, 21.

“Through the Indigenous Centre, I was able to meet people who were having a similar experience moving from up north to the hustle and bustle of southern Ontario. They gave us community.”

Singleton, who designed the Every Child Matters charity shirt sold in campus bookstores, says hosting an event like a Powwow at U of T Mississauga goes a long way to help Indigenous students overcome their feelings of isolation, and that the gathering and amplifying of Indigenous voices on campus is an important part of U of T’s ongoing reconciliation process.

“To be able to see everyone in person and celebrate with other people is really important,” says Singleton, who plans to take their U of T Mississauga education home to Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation (Eagle Lake) to help improve legal representation for Indigenous people in northern communities.

“Having access is especially important for those who have never been to a Powwow.”

Singleton says the benefits are magnified in places like U of T Mississauga, which draws students from around the world.

“UTM has such an amazing and diverse population of international students and local students who have never seen a Powwow, so this is a chance to learn about our culture,” Singleton says, noting they discovered a new relative through interaction at last year’s event.

“One of my best friends is from Peru and she thought last year’s Powwow, her first, was the most amazing thing. We had so much fun and I was so proud.”

Singleton says they hope many first-timers will turn out for the event and share in the spirit of community. In addition to a full afternoon of traditional ceremonies, singing and dancing, there will also be a marketplace featuring Indigenous-owned businesses.

“Come with an open mind, come with an open heart,” Singleton says. “Get to know the people in regalia, make those connections, form friendships and celebrate us as a people. It’s wonderful to be able to invite people of all kinds to dance during intertribal. It’s just so much fun for everyone.”