Sudbury's Lansdowne public school holds first teaching pow-wow
Elementary school hopes to get First Nations students talking about their culture, and others to understand it
It's not every day you see a pow-wow in a schoolyard.
But staff at an elementary school in downtown Sudbury hope it will get First Nations students talking about their culture, and non-Native students understanding it.
Hundreds of children danced in a circle outside Lansdowne Elementary School on Thursday as part of the school's first teaching pow-wow. Some dressed in First Nations regalia, while others wore t-shirts, shorts and sneakers.
The idea came after the school held a pow-wow showcasing First Nations dancers last year, according to Lauretta Miller, the school's Aboriginal support worker.
"We noticed there were a lot of students that wanted to dance but they really didn't know what style of dance," Miller said.
"They were shy and they didn't know what a pow-wow was. Or they didn't think they could dance or that they were allowed to dance," Miller said.
So this year the school decided to host a teaching pow-wow, where all students were taught about the significance of different First Nations songs, dance styles, and traditional clothing. Then they were all encouraged to join in.
The aim was to open the door for non-Native students to ask questions and develop a respect for their fellow classmates, Miller said.
But it was also a way to give Aboriginal students pride in their own culture --- something that Miller said she noticed happening as planning for the pow-wow got underway.
"A lot of the [Indigenous] kids started talking about themselves and about their culture, and not being so shy and not being afraid to even say that they're First Nation."
"They end up telling me they have a spirit name and regalia. Where they never did before. Because nobody talked about it in the schools," she said.
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