Cambrian College hosts its annual Pow Wow

SUDBURY – It will be a celebration of Indigenous culture and heritage this weekend at Cambrian College. The college’s annual Pow Wow is being held Friday and Saturday in the gymnasium.

Cambrian’s Pow Wow features drummers, dancers, teachings, and vendors selling Indigenous goods and crafts.  

This year’s theme is Water is Life: Honouring our Water Walkers. In Indigenous culture, women are responsible for caring for water. Water walkers are women who ceremonially carry water over long distances to draw attention to the importance of preserving and protecting water supplies.

“Our Pow Wow attracts people from across the province, as well as other parts of Canada, so it is a very important event in our yearly calendar,” explains Andrea Dokis, Director of Cambrian’s Wabnode Centre for Indigenous Services. “We have people of all ages attending our Pow Wow and this is vital as it is important for younger generations to see their culture and traditions being supported and celebrated, not just in their home communities, but in society in general, and especially here at Cambrian.”

Students from the Rainbow District School Board and Sudbury Catholic Schools will attend the Pow Wow on Friday. Cambrian also has more than 500 students who identify as Indigenous, including Alexie Cotton, E-Niigaanzid (Leader) of the Cambrian Indigenous Student Circle. For her, the Pow Wow is deeply personal.  As a young adult, she first attended the Pow Wow as the Head Veteran in 2017. When she decided to pursue a college education in 2021, Cambrian became the natural choice based on the connection she had with the Indigenous community at the college.

“The Pow Wow is more than just an event, it’s the highlight of our year,” says Cotton, who is helping organize this year’s Pow Wow. “For our Indigenous students who are far from their families and communities, it’s a place to find familiarity and belonging. It’s also important to remember that not so long ago, as late as the 1980s, our rights were not secured and our place in society was not protected. The Indian Act still allowed practices that breached the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as criminalizing cultural practices, suppressing self-governance, and stripping Indian status from Indigenous women. Today, we stand here, reclaiming and revitalizing our traditions while we’re showing the world that our culture is alive, strong, and meant to be shared. We wholeheartedly welcome everyone to join us, to celebrate, and to learn about our values and practices that shape us as we share our culture, our stories, and our spirit.”

Day one of the Pow Wow on Friday is focused on Cambrian employees and students, as well as students from the two local school boards. Day two of the Pow Wow on Saturday is open to the public. The grand entry begins at noon.

This year’s Cambrian Pow Wow is a presentation of Cambrian College, Wabnode Centre for Indigenous Services, Cambrian Indigenous Student Circle, Rainbow Schools, and Sudbury Catholic Schools.

To learn more about the Pow Wow, including proper etiquette to follow, visit www.cambriancollege.ca/events.