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There are events organized for all ages. (Facebook/Devin Bernatchez)
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Sucker River celebrates Indian Days

Sep 21, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Lac La Ronge Indian Band Coun. Devin Bernatchez said it’s a good time to be in Sucker River as the community of approximately 500 celebrates Indian Days.

“There used to be an Indian Days back in La Ronge when I was a kid at Morin’s Hill, so that’s kind of where I got the name from. The band used to do an Indian Day back in the 80s,” he explained.

“We used to have a SummerFest and we wanted to move it into the fall when there is better hunting and it’s beautiful outside with the trees. If you go outside today, you’ll see all kinds of colours out, so we wanted to move it into the fall and we’re going to try and have a summer event next summer.”

Indian Days began on Sept. 20 with a float parade, which included local kids on bikes, as well as the local fire truck. There was also a horseshoe tournament, youth dance and different cultural activities like moose hide tanning, birchbark basket making, birchbark biting, beading, and Cree storytelling.

On Thursday, activities included a shoreline fish derby, an outdoor movie with free popcorn, bouncy castles, baby crawl, leg wrestling and longest stare contests.

Moose hide tanning is one of many activities occurring at the five-day event. (Facebook/Devin Bernatchez)
Indian Days is an event designed to bring the community of Sucker River together. (Facebook/Devin Bernatchez)

“We try to make it so it fits every age category. We have some for kids, adults, youth, and that’s kind of what we’ve been focusing on is youth,” Bernatchez said.

“There’s a lot of good things happening and it’s just about wanting to bring people together. Everybody is welcome. There’s free food here for breakfast, lunch and supper. We’ve got traditional moose meat, geese, duck, fish, beaver meat. We’ve got it all.”

Other planned activities tournaments in baseball, cribbage, darts and pool. Indian Days will end Sunday with a rubber duck race and a gospel concert from Yvonne St. Germaine at the band hall.

“We just like to have a good time, and we always invite people from all over to come out and people are, they are stopping by,” Bernatchez said.

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

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