Immerse yourself in a spectacular showcase of Indigenous culture with the Masters Indigenous Games 2018 Cultural Village. Located in Downsview Park, the village will be within walking distance of a majority of the sporting venues in a beautiful, open area. The village will offer a celebration of cultural experiences through workshops, storytelling, and interactive performances, as well as daily demonstrations of various traditional games. After the demonstrations, visitors will be able to participate in any of the given traditional games, which will be inclusive and entertaining for the whole family to enjoy. 

 

 Hours: 

  • Friday 11:00am – 5:00pm. Main Stage performances 7:00pm – 9:00pm. 
  • Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm. Main Stage performances 7:00pm – 9:00pm.
  • Sunday 11:00am – 5:00 pm. Pow Wow grand entry begins at Noon. Traditional feast to begin at 6:00pm.

 

 

About Downsview Park

Downsview Park is a dynamic urban park that combines active and passive elements, reflecting the diverse nature of the surrounding Downsview community. Visitors from all over the Greater Toronto Area are attracted to the Park’s various on-site uses, ranging from education, sports, nature, recreation and cultural events. Click here for more information about Downsview Park. 

 

 

Getting to Downsview Park and the Cultural Village

Visitors have access to free on-site parking, or you can access the park via public transportation. Downsview Park GO/TTC Station provides Park visitors a whole new way of getting there, and anywhere else you need to go in Toronto! The Downsview Park GO/TTC subway station connects to Line 1 and provides access all across Toronto. Please visit the TTC’s official website for up-to-date information, a list of schedules, and to follow services alerts.

 

 

MIG 2018 Cultural Village Schedule 

 

Children’s Activities 

  • Face painting 
  • Sacred stone painting
  • Paper moccasin making
  • Storytelling in the teepee
  • Reconciliation Labriynth 
  • Traditional sports to participate in such as lacrosse, tug of war, and the tomahawk throwing range
  • Chad Soloman, puppeteer will give a FREE show on Friday, July 13 at 2:00pm on the Cultural Village main stage with Rabbit and Bear Paws
  • Bannock making 
  • Craft making 
  • Ki O Ratu (Australian game)
  • And so much more! 

 

Traditional Sport Demonstrations 

The traditional sports demonstrations will be held in the Cultural Village where visitors will be able to view and participate after the demonstrations take place. The traditional sports being demonstrated will be Archery, Lacrosse, Standing Stick, Teepee Building, and Tug of War. The demonstrations will take place daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm within the Cultural Village! Be sure to check the daily schedules to make sure you don’t miss any demonstrations! 

 

Johnny Issaluk will be a major part of the Cultural Village. He’s joining us from Igluligaarjuk (also known as Chesterfield Inlet) in Nunavut to demonstrate the Inuit game of Standing Kick and more Arctic Sports demos. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cultural Performances and Demonstrations

The Cultural Village will give attendees the chance to celebrate and learn about Indigenous cultures from around the world. A number of performances will take place throughout the two-day Cultural Village including:

 

Moyos Rainos Mutamba

Moyos Rainos is a gwenyambira, master of the mbira instrument. The Mbira (‘um-BEER-a’), an African instrument typically associated with the Shona people have been played for more than a thousand years. Moyo Rainos Mutamba will be performing a large repertoire of ritual and ceremonial songs from ancient mbira music traditions. Moyos performances include dance and contemplative pieces that are ‘consistently trance-inducing’.  Moyo is the Founder of Ubuntu Learning Village, an indigenous culture hub and revitalization centre, located in Gutu Zimbabwe. Moyo has shared dance, hosho song, and cultural issues in Canada and the US for the last decade. 

 

 

Métis Jigger 

Auriele Diotte is a graduate of Redeemer University College (2014) holding a B.A. in Theatre Performance. She learned about her Métis culture and about jigging from the Oshawa Durham Region Métis Council and has, since, been an active Métis dancer for 8 years. She has been in association with the Act One School of Drama in Pickering as Counsellor, Instructor and Camp Director for 4 years and she is now a children’s party entertainer with The Fairytale Factory. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Native Martial Art Throwing Range

Indigenous weapon throwing demonstrations with Chief Master Instructor George Lepine and his professional staff. Okichitaw is a unique, powerful, practical martial art system that uses basic but aggressive combat movements that were employed specifically throughout Plains Indigenous Warfare.  Based on Indigenous Plains combat techniques and tactics, this concurrent version of the combat art embodies the spirit of the Plains Warrior fighting and warfare applications through the utilization with traditional weapons. Get your throwing arms ready, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in this unique indigenous weapon throwing experience!

 

 

 

Regalia – Traveling Exhibition 

Regalia – a traveling exhibit of striking imagery, outstanding personalities, and a culture proud of its heritage – comes to the Masters Indigenous Games. The exhibit will be available for viewing between July 13-15 within the Cultural Village.

Discover the culture of pow wows and share in an authentic Indigenous encounter. Follow in the footsteps of photographer Roland Lorente and his partner Aline Saffore in their 10,000-km trek across Eastern Canada attending over 20 powwows. This exhibit is brought to you by Canada Lands Company and Downsview Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reconciliation Labyrinth 

The Reconciliation Labyrinth is an experiential and relational installation that has been created through the collaborative, artistic partnership of Anny Fyreeagle and Nyle Johnston. Labyrinths are ancient and mysterious. Our discoveries are constantly finding them all over the world in older, unusual finds.  Creating new pathways in relationship, this labyrinth was created using the sacred circle and the medicine wheel. It is a dual path labyrinth which allows two people to walk simultaneously, a mirror path, joining in the centre circle where they reconcile before walking out, together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Stage Performances

Digging Roots 

Friday, July 13 

7:00pm – 9:00pm 

Juno-winning First Nations power couple Shoshona Kish and Raven Kanatakta have built their sound on a unique musical marriage of unvarnished truth and unconditional love. The two create music that blends blues, folk-rock, pop, and hip-hop styles into one to give listeners songs with purpose and deep meaning. Their latest single, AK-47 intertwines scenes of struggle and revival with colourful symbols of peace, love, and connection.

 

 

 

 

Crystal Shawanda 

Saturday, July 14 

7:00pm – 9:00+ Meet and greet

Starting out in country music at a young age, Crystal Shawanda later found her sound in the Blues genre. Crystal’s album is a modern take on the blues but is deeply rooted with heart-wrenching laments and catchy rump-shakers. It’s where the north meets the south and captures the resilience of the human spirit. Crystal Shawanda will make you feel every word with a powerful voice that never fails, pure and gritty at the same time.

 

 

 

 

Vendors Village 

Visitors to the Masters Indigenous Games 2018 Cultural Village will have the chance to browse a number of authentic Indigenous crafts, art, and material focused vendors. Children will have the opportunity to participate in a number of children-based educational workshops that focus on Indigenous cultures and knowledge sharing. 

Vendors may include but are not limited to: 

  • Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario 
  • Masters Indigenous Games 2021 (MIG2021)
  • Canadian Forces Recruiting
  • Nishnawbe Aski Police
  • Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada
  • Canard Blanc Creations 
  • Blue Dawn Jewelry 
  • Canadian Armed Forces 
  • Kwiio Couture 
  • Ontario Arts Council 
  • Anishinaabek Nation 
  • Marcos Arcentales – Tierra Sol Crafts
  • Irina Popova
  • Southerland-Chan School of Massage
  • 7th Generation Midwives 
  • Aamjiwwnaang First Nation Environmental Department 
  • Aboriginal Peacekeeping Unit 
  • Bell 
  • The Canadian Canoe Company 
  • Council Fire 
  • Team Ethiopia 
  • Family Tree Native Arts and Crafts 
  • FNTI 
  • Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle 
  • Kanatan Aski Arts and Crafts
  • Legacy Painting 
  • Leland Bell Art 
  • LUSH 
  • Meridian Credit Union 
  • Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services 
  • Mississauga of New Credit First Nation
  • Metis Nation of Ontario 
  • Moosenee Crafters 
  • National Aboriginal Diabetes Association (NADA)
  • Native Education and Training College 
  • Nish Gear 
  • 3|Nolans 
  • North Woodland Art 
  • Ottawa Tourism 
  • Peel Aboriginal Network 
  • Pikwaknagan First Nation 
  • Princess Margaret Indigenous Cancer Program 
  • Casino Rama Resort 
  • Ryerson Aboriginal Student Services 
  • Sumak Arts 
  • T.Litzen 
  • The Algonquians 
  • Turtle Soul Native Arts and Crafts 
  • University of Guelph at Humber 
  • Wheatley Enterprises