The inaugural Games will close with a traditional Pow Wow featuring dance specials and a community feast.
The Masters Indigenous Games 2018 (MIG 2018) Organizing Committee is pleased to announce the ‘Embody the Spirit Pow Wow’, scheduled to take place this summer, as a way to celebrate the spirit and cultural traditions of Indigenous Peoples from across the world. The Pow Wow will be held on Sunday, July 15, the last day of the four-day multi-sport and cultural event, set to inspire, educate and celebrate participants and spectators alike. The ‘Embody the Spirit Pow Wow’ will be part of the official closing events, including a community feast and closing ceremony. Although a focus of the MIG 2018 is to celebrate the global Indigenous community, a special emphasis on the cultures and traditions of ‘Indigenous Ontario’ will be showcased in the spotlight.
The Pow Wow will be held at Downsview Park, where the majority of MIG 2018 sport competitions are set to take place. To showcase the unique cultural make up of Indigenous Ontario, the Pow Wow will feature a variety of dance specials, including a competitive Smoke Dance special with male and female categories and a Smoke Dance Golden Age Demo special. Drum groups, a vital component for any Pow Wow, attending from across Ontario, include Smoke Trail, Little Creek, and M’skhaaziwin. The Smoke Dance special will be led by traditional Haudenosaunee singers, Old Mush. Old Mush is a singing society from Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, with very specific rules, traditions, leadership, and responsibilities who raise funds for their support their community members in time of need. Bob Goulais, an Anishinaabe from Nipissing First Nation and avid Pow Wow singer, will be the host emcee for the day. Additionally, cultural demonstrations from Africa, Australia and New Zealand will be on display, cultivating a global Indigenous celebration.
Pow Wow participants, athletes, honoured guests and volunteers, will be invited to join in a traditional community feast following the event, to emphasize the importance of community and to ensure that everyone leaves in a good way. Vendors will be on site at the Cultural Village selling Indigenous made art, goods and food throughout the day. An enticing prize board has been put together, with additional prize packs available for all registered Pow Wow dancers.
To register as a dancer or for more information about the ‘Embody the Spirit Pow Wow’, click here.