By Caitlin Brezinski

Special event keeps a culture alive

Sep 15, 2014 | 12:34 PM

James Smith Cree Nation will be hosting their annual Cultural Days Sept. 16-19 on their Cultural Grounds.

Mike Marion, health director at the James Smith Health Clinic, one of the agencies that are organizing the event, said the Cultural Days has been going on for the past 20 years.

Marion said the purpose of the event is to instill the culture and keep it alive.

“A lot of our people went to residential schools and they weren’t allowed to practice or even speak their language or practice their cultures. So just bringing that back into the community and bringing that back to the awareness to keep it alive. It’s important that it is passed on to the generations,” he said.

As part of the event, elders will be brought in to participate and tell children stories about their history. Cultural ceremonies, a traditional sweat lodge, traditional healers, and speakers will all be a part of the cultural days as well.

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“A lot of [the children] are very interested in their culture. In the past years, they’ve been really participating in our cultural ceremonies,” Marion said.

Some topics that will be talked about range from the medicine wheel, the meaning of teepee poles, violence in the community and gang awareness.

The event is open for anyone who wants to go.

“We call it a community cultural days, but it’s open to visitors if they want to come and participate. We don’t turn anybody away,” Marion said.

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