A previous Woodland Cree Gathering. Photo courtesy La Ronge & Area Rez News, Facebook.
Stanley Mission is busy this week, getting ready for the Amachewespimawin Woodland Cree Gathering.
The annual event starts on Tuesday and ends Thursday, with everything taking place at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church site which is only accessible by boat. A boat shuttle will be running all days to get people to and from the location, which fortunately was not affected by the weekend’s storm.
There are some constants planned for each day: beading workshops, fish and moose meat drying, moose hide preparation, birch bark basket making, bouncy castles and what organizer Gordon Hardlotte calls a “poor man’s waterslide” for the kids.
“Anything to do with culture is a big thing nowadays where young people get to see how things were made back in the day and they get involved and do some hands-on training from people who know how to do the stuff,” he said of the week’s offerings.
Daily events range from Day 1’s canoe regatta and gospel night, to Day 2’s walleye fish derby and Texas hold’em tournament, to Day 3’s square dance and jigging competitions, accompanied by live music.
Hardlotte said he expects to see a couple hundred people each day, and that after putting on the Woodland Cree Gathering last year everything is going smoothly with preparation work, adding that special efforts are made to accommodate the needs of Elders.
He said people from Southend, Deschambault Lake, Montreal Lake, Grandmother’s Bay and Lac La Ronge region are expected to attend.