Indigenous Day Pow-wow

Thursday was National Indigenous Peoples Day, and in Penticton, that meant a cultural celebration at the Shatford Centre open to any and all who wished to join. 

Performers took part in traditional native dances, and invited the public to join them. 

"We want it to be open to everyone," said volunteer cultural coordinator for the Shatford Centre Anona Kempe. "We've decided to pull together our people to celebrate with a Pow Wow."

There were food and craft vendors at the event, which was well attended, with over a hundred visitors. 

The South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services group brought several new Canadian residents to the event, who enjoyed learning about Indigenous culture.

"It was my first time to see First Nations people and how they dance and their culture," said Alimatou Ba, a recent immigrant. "I"m new in Canada so i didn't know that before, so I'm really happy, I learned a lot."

Kempe wore a jingle dress to the event, which she danced in for a medicine dance. 

"It's a healing dress and dance," Kempe said.

The event is annual, and is a collaboration between the En’owkin Centre, Ooknakane Friendship Centre, South Okanagan Restorative Justice, School District 67 and the Shatford Centre.