肉肉传媒鈥檚 Studley Quad will be transformed next Tuesday (Sept. 29) into a vibrant, lively and colourful community hub for learning, celebration and reflection about Indigenous arts and culture.听
Dal鈥檚 16th听annual Mawio鈥檓i invites Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from throughout Mi鈥檏ma鈥檏i and beyond to celebrate Indigenous cultures through dance, song, drumming, crafts and good food, while reflecting on truth and reconciliation.听
This year鈥檚 event is happening earlier than usual, closer to the听听on Wednesday, Sept. 30听(鈥淥range Shirt Day鈥�) 鈥� a day to honour residential school survivors, their families, and the children who never returned home.
Michele Graveline, a long-time organizer of the campus Mawio'mi and advisor with the听Indigenous Student Center, encourages those in attendance to wear orange.
How the day will unfold
- 10 a.m.听Vendor and educational booths open and remain available until 3 p.m.
- 11 a.m.听Lunch is served (while supplies last).
- Noon Grand Entry, featuring the marching of the flags and opening remarks.
- 12:30 to 3 p.m. Performances throughout the afternoon, including singing, drumming and dancing.
Rain location: McInnes Room, Student Union Building.
鈥淪ince campus is closed [on Sept. 30], we really have to take the opportunity to acknowledge that day in other ways and at other times,鈥� says Graveline. She encourages poeple to take part in community events and education on the 30th as well.听
Graveline is particularly looking forward to inviting partners from the to facilitate a new all-ages embroidery workshop, which will encourage reflection about truth and teconciliation. Materials will be provided.
Sharing culture, building community
As always, the event will bring dozens of Indigenous performers and vendors from throughout Mi鈥檏ma鈥檏i and Turtle Island, including an Inuit group, the Northern Lights Drum Dancers & Throat Singers. In addition to viewing the performances and shopping from vendors throughout the day, attendees will be invited to participate in intertribal dances that bring together folks of all cultures and backgrounds.听
For Dillon Hughson, the other organizer from the Indigenous Student Center, the beauty of the day is that it creates space for both learning and celebration.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity for a lot of different folks to come together to share and learn from one another,鈥� says Hughson. 鈥淲e are saying, we are here, loud and proud.鈥澨�
We are saying, 'We are here, loud and proud.'
Hughson and Graveline look forward to having Dal student leaders who will be instrumental in helping facilitate the day. They are also excited to see youth come to campus, including school groups from pre-school to high school
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to see some of these younger, up-incoming students who might end up coming to Dal later,鈥� says Hughson.听
Graveline notes that the day is a unique opportunity for intercultural learning as many such gatherings happen within individual Indigenous communities.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 open to whoever is crossing the quad, whoever鈥檚 on campus,鈥� says Graveline. 鈥淲e want people to feel welcome and to learn something about culture and hopefully develop some appreciation and understanding.鈥澨�