Patsy Waskewitch, left, executive director of Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre, and elder John Donny Littlewolfe, helped to organize Indigenous People’s Day activities at the Native Friendship Centre on June 21. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
There is nothing like a free lunch to attract a large crowd.
That was the case at the start of National Indigenous People’s Day with a long line-up for burgers at the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre on June 21.
It was a day to celebrate the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations people and the first day of summer.
“This is a day for us. We actually get to share it with everyone. It’s getting bigger; I’m really happy about that,” said friendship centre executive director, Patsy Waskewitch.
The agenda listed opening remarks from Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers, Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young and friendship centre board president, Audrey Parke.
“Today we have the drum group and the powwow dancers,” said Waskewitch.
“We have a band coming in. They are going to play fiddle for our jiggers. We have our booths set up for arts and crafts. That’s awesome.”
Waiting in the wings to deliver an opening prayer was Elder John Donny Littlewolfe from Onion Lake Cree Nation, who was stoked the national recognition day also marked the summer solstice.
“It’s a good time to celebrate and share our Indigenous traditions, customs and morals,” he said.
As an elder at the friendship centre, Littlewolfe leads activities like pipe ceremonies; he’s also a traditional dancer.
Littlewolfe said the event has some element of truth and reconciliation to it, but it’s mainly to “enhance our pride and share our culture,” as he described it.
That was also the overall sentiment of Waskewitch, who noted the event was a small part of reconciliation.
“This is inclusive. Everyone is invited. This just amplifies our culture, what we are as a nation,” she said.
Keanu Crow just moved to Lloydminster from Saskatoon and said coming from an urban area, the event put him in touch with his roots with Poundmaker Cree Nation.
“It really makes me feel nice. I kind of feel at home,” said Crow.
“It means something like family, my grandparents, even though some of them are Ukrainian, we still partake on my Indigenous side.”
He also had good things to say about the friendship centre since his arrival in Lloyd.
“People here at the friendship centre have been much more than friendly. I’ve actually gotten my tickets. They helped me out with that. Right now, I am on a job search. They are helping me out with that, too,” said Crow.
Former board member and Métis, Yvonne Kenyon, dropped by to keep in touch and took a moment to explain what she did at the friendship centre.
“I helped with Christmas dinners and the suppers and the jam sessions and Halloween parties. I volunteered for everything,” said the 82-year-old.
As for the annual national day of celebration, she says it means a lot.
Val Hoveland, who works at Bea Fisher, rattled off multiple reasons for attending while standing in the food line.
“I do a lot of volunteering at the native friendship centre and I’m here for the free meal and to watch some of the dancers,” she explained.
“I have lots of friends from the centre—so to support them.”
