Drums, jigging and traditional food filled the Chief Joseph Custer Grounds on Tuesday as the Prince Albert Grand Council opened its annual Gathering of Nations.
The four-day celebration of culture and community runs from Aug. 25 to Aug. 28. This year’s event holds added significance as it coincides with the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6.
Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte emphasized that the milestone serves as a reminder of the enduring nature of the treaties.
“This year, as we mark 150 years since the signing of Treaty 6, we are also reminded that our treaties are living agreements,” Hardlotte said. “They are about relationships, responsibilities and promises that continue today.”
According to the PAGC, the event os expected to draw between 1,500 and 2,000 people daily, including members from the 12 PAGC First Nations, local residents and international visitors.
Organizers have lined up a full schedule of activities over the four days, including powwows, hand games, talent competitions, a two-step contest, bingo and a gospel jamboree. Cultural workshops featuring traditional paddle making, birch bark work and beadwork are running throughout the week.
The Northern Saskatchewan communities also donated wild meat, duck, locally picked blueberries and roughly 400 pounds of fish for the gathering.
Hardlotte noted that the event provides a space to pass knowledge to younger generations while welcoming non-Indigenous neighbors to learn about the lands First Nations have inhabited long before Canada existed.
The gathering will conclude with closing ceremonies at noon on Friday.
(TOP PHOTO – PAGC Grand Chif Brian Hardlotte speaks after the Grand Entry. Photo by Tina Pelletier)