Tatanga Day – Dancing for Healing for Other’s and Themselves

Photo of: Elders and dancers at Tatanga Day in Regina 

Photo by: Danielle Dufour

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By: Danielle Dufour 

Tatanga Day celebrations, hosted by the Buffalo People Arts Institute, took place on July 1st at Buffalo Meadows Park in Regina to honour Indigenous children and the Buffalo while celebrating Indigenous culture and community. 

There was a traditional pow-wow along with many drummers, entertainment, vendors, street mural artists and a community Buffalo feast. 

“Today we are not celebrating Canada Day,” said Jeff Cappo the Master of Ceremonies. “Here we are decolonizing Canada Day. We come here to dance; we come here to sing.” 

Cappo encouraged the audience to learn a word or song. 

“A long time ago there was a system called colonization and tried to take us out as Indigenous people, but we’re still here, we’re resilient people,” said Cappo. 

This annual event brought people together from all across Canada in a spirit of remembrance, learning, healing and celebration. 

Mary Lerat, from the Cowessess First Nation, attended the event with her family. 

“We come to enjoy the beautiful artwork everybody has, and the pow-wow their hosting today,” said Lerat.  

Her great-granddaughter, five-year-old Isabella, is a jingle dress dancer that loves pow-wow, dance and ceremony. 

“Her name is Woman comes from the east,” said Lerat. “She’s coming to dance for healing, for people that are sick in the hospitals, our brothers and sisters on the street. She understands that because I try and teach her as much as I can being her Kokum.” 

Lerat said Isabella learned to dance by observing others.  

“I pray for our people,” said Lerat. “I feel very humble when it comes to praying for our people.”