Corner Brook 'mini-powwow' promotes Qalipu Mi'kmaq culture

Grade 5 students from four schools in Corner Brook got to take part in a celebration of aboriginal culture on Monday. 

For the past eight weeks, the students have studied First Nations and Mi'kmaq culture as part of their social studies program. That program is a partnership between the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District. 

In what was described as a "mini-powwow," the students learned songs, took part in a smudge ceremony and made traditional rawhide rattles. 

Kevin Barnes, the western vice-chief of Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band, led the program. 

"Culture is very important to the aboriginal people," said Barnes. 

"You have to remember that we didn't grew up thinking ourselves as a Mi'kmaq person, we grew up thinking of ourselves as people, so this is a great way to introduce the next generation of Qalipu leaders and non-Qalipu leaders to see what the aboriginal movement is all about, what the people are all about."

Watch highlights from Monday's powwow in the video player above.