Tony Davis

It's been about two years since Lennox Island First Nation has been able to hold its annual gathering because of the pandemic.

But more than&nbsp;200 Islanders joined together on a hot day for the 20th&nbsp;annual Lennox Island Mawi'omi&nbsp;on Saturday afternoon.

"It's a glorious day," said&nbsp;Lennox Island First Nation Chief Darlene Bernard.

"We are a people who love to gather. We gather for everything. We gather to celebrate. We gather to face adversity. We gather to teach our children."

The gathering began with a grand entry. Flags were hung and dancers dressed in their regalia performed.

The mawi'omi also featured various food and art vendors, drumming and basket weaving demonstrations.

Bernard thinks so many showed up because the First Nation hasn't been able to hold a celebration like this for a long time.

"To be able to come and celebrate a mawi'omi is an amazing thing," she said. "It's an amazing gift given to us by the creator."

Richard Lush was one of many dancers performing at he mawi'omi.

Richard Lush 2021

Bernard hopes this is just the start of similar gatherings in the province now that pandemic restrictions have loosened.

Bernard said the community comes together not only to celebrate, but to heal. She said that is important, especially with the discoveries of&nbsp;

 on the grounds of former residential schools.

Richard Lush of Lennox Island, who&nbsp;danced at the mawi'omi, called it "an amazing experience."

"Our hearts are full," Lush said. "We're back to being able to celebrate [and] showcase our dance styles."

'Timely and appropriate' to include Mi'kmaq in P.E.I. land use decisions, says chief

The chief of the Lennox Island First Nation says she is "extremely delighted" to see a recommendation about the inclusion of the Mi’kmaq in policy decisions in P.E.I.’s latest report on land use.

When the railway was built, the earthen mound built to support the tracks acted like a dike, separating the south end of the marsh from the saltwater from the Hillsborough River.

Fullerton's marsh drone

L'nuey, which represents the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils, was one of the groups invited to present before the Land Matters Advisory Committee as it prepared its report.

Public event brings Indigenous culture to downtown Charlottetown

A Mi'kmaw writer, poet and member of Lennox Island First Nation was able to lead a public gathering in downtown Charlottetown on Saturday for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic.

'Through COVID it has been extremely hard with not being able to gather not being able to share our knowledge, our passion,' says Julie Pellissier-Lush, a Mi'kmaw writer, poet and member of Lennox Island First Nation.

Julie Pellissier-Lush july 2021

'Through COVID it has been extremely hard with not being able to gather, not being able to share our knowledge, our passion,' says Julie Pellissier-Lush, a Mi'kmaw writer, poet and member of Lennox Island First Nation.

Patrica Bourque of Lennox Island First Nation says while she was happy to be at a gathering again, she couldn't help but think about elders the community lost over the past two years.

Patrica Bourque aug 2021

While everyone at the event was happy to gather again,&nbsp;it felt&nbsp;like something was&nbsp;missing to some.

"We've lost a lot of elders in the last two years," Patricia Bourque of Lennox Island&nbsp;said.

"Before we came to start talking … an eagle just flew over really low and I thought, 'There is our&nbsp;missing … there is Frank Joe.&nbsp;He's checking in on us.'"

The event continues Sunday, closing at 7 p.m. with a grand exit.

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The life of P.E.I.'s "bookmobile lady" appropriately reads like novel.

Muriel Allen

'She was the funniest woman I know,' said Irene MacIsaac in Charlottetown.

Summerside emergency shelter for women and children to open in fall

LifeHouse Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter will have five units for women and their families.

Margie Fowler, left, and Susan DesRoche are members of the Lifehouse advisory committee. 

Margie Fowler, left, and Susan DesRoche 

Lifehouse Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter in Summerside will have five units operating in the fall.

Lifehouse Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter

'To be able to come and celebrate a mawi'omi is an amazing thing,' said Lennox Island First Nation Chief Darlene Bernard.

'Glorious day': Hundreds gather in Lennox Island to celebrate Mi'kmaw culture

Long time coming

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