By Sarah Rae

Indigenous talent on display for National Aboriginal Day

Jun 22, 2016 | 2:00 PM

Aboriginal groups in the area are working together to make the most of the day dedicated to them. North Battleford councillor Ray Fox said when National Aboriginal Day was first declared 20 years ago, groups were scattered with different ideas of how to celebrate and competed to draw a crowd.

Fox said many groups in the Battlefords area came together about 10 years ago and decided to work together to make the celebrations better. The result of that group effort is a concert every year featuring Aboriginal artists from around the Battlefords.

“There’s only one day, so you have to try to do as much as you can in that one day,” he said. “We can’t all be at the same place at once.”

The talent showcase took place at Central Park in the evening of National Aboriginal Day, June 21. Some of the acts included local band The Evening Shift and Boss of Three, from Cochin.

Fox said over the last 20 years, he’s seen National Aboriginal Day become more acceptable. He said that comes from more understanding and discussion over the years.

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“We shouldn’t be afraid of each other, but it’s almost natural to be afraid of the unknown and the only way to get that knowing is to interact and tell each other stories and try to get that understanding and appreciate the cultures we come from,” he said.

He said having a day dedicated to celebrating Aboriginal people and their contributions is a great idea. The only thing lacking, Fox said, is declaring the day a national holiday. He said everyone will be better able to interact, share knowledge and celebrate if less people are held back because they have to work.

sarah.rae@jpbg.ca

@sarahjeanrae