GATHERING OF THE NATIONS

Members of many Indian nations hold hands in peace and friendship, Among them are the Cheyenne, Dakota, Arapaho, Comanche, Nez Perce, Yakima, Ojibiwa, Hidasta and Tlingit. " It may be that some little root of the Sacred Tree still lives. Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds. Hear me, not for myself, but for my people; I am old. Hear me that they may once more go back into the sacred hoop and find the good red road, the shielding tree!"

Peace be with all peoples.

-- , Black Elk, Lakota --

RED EDGEWATER FAN DANCER

Fan dancer design and make their own outfits and may have their mothers, aunts or sisters help them. This fan dancer's outfit was made with help from her mother with material left over from clothes she had made for her other children. She is participating in the traditional winter ceremony known s the Ribbon Dance. It is held to show appreciation for all the good things the people have been blessed with and to bring happiness and good spirits to the dancers and the audience.

Navajo

-- May you make your pesence make the world more beautiful, kmvrjr --

THE DREAM OF THE STAR

While cultures throughout the world celebrate the Winter Solstice, the Iroquois saw it as a time of cleansing and renewal. The Iroquois Mid-Winter Festival consisted of many ceremonies. Dreams played an important part as they were regarded as communications from supernatural beings. The Pine Tree is the main focus, the White Pine being a holy tree and symbol for peace. The quill design half circle stands for life beneath the sky and protects the animals underneath representing all the children of the earth.

To dreams I owe the mystery.

-- Song of Thanks for Life and Power, Ojibwa --

North American Indigenous Games

Victoria, British Columbia - August 3rd to August 10, 1997

From August 3 - 10 First Nations/Indigenous peoples from around the world will gather in Victoria, British Columbia for the 1997 North American Indigeneous Games (NAIG).

This international event will offer a combination of artistic, cultural, spiritual and sporting events for approximately 6,500 participants.

The following is a brief outline of the NAIG and some of the Events:

This is the 4th time the NAIG have been held. Previous games have been held in Edmonton,Ab. Prince Albert, SK. and Minnesota, USA, with the main focus on the sporting events.

The Victoria NAIG are uniqe as they have an entire cutural program coinciding with the sporting events.

The 16 competition sports are: archery, atheletics (track & field), badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, canoeing, golf, lacrosse, rifle shooting, soccer, softball, swimming, tae kwon do, volleyball and wrestling.

The competitive sports participants are made up of 9 Canadian teams and 18 teams from the United States and represent 5,000 atheletes and 800 coaches and managers.

4,500 of these are "youth" participants made up of atheletes aged 13 to 21.

The NAIG cultural program will host an estimated 2,500 Aboriginal artists, singers, dancers, musicians and paddlers representing Indigenous groups throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Cultural events include traditional demonstration sports such as war canoe racing and hoop dancing, cultural villages consisting of outdoor stages, cultural presentations and demonstrations and artists market. Also included are the tribal journey canoe parties which consist of over 60 traditional Aboriginal ocean going canoes arriving from areas in Canada and Washington state.

Other Cultural sister projects include various powwows and the First Peoples Festival.

Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump

Interpretive Center World Heritage Site

About 150 years ago, according to legend, a young brave wanted to witness the plunge of countless buffalo as his people drove them to their deaths over the sandstone cliffs. Standing under the shelter of a ledge, like a man behind a waterfall, he watched the great beasts cascade past him. But the hunt was unusually good that day, and as the bodies mounted, he became trapped between the animals and the cliff. When his people came to do the butchering, they found him with is skull crushed by the weight of the buffalo. Thus, they named the place "Head-Smashed-In".

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Center documents the buffalo hunting culture fo the Plains Indians from the ancient times to the arrival of the White man.

The Center is located in southern Alberta, Canada just off highway 2. There are gift shops and a theater, and a cafateria for visitors to enjoy.

Diane's Page

Native Lore First Nations People of Canada

First Nations (Canadian Native)

First Nations/First Peoples Issues

Duster's Native American

The Gwich'in of Alaska and Canada

Aboriginal Links: Canada & U.S.

Atlantic 1st Nations Aids Task Force

Tribal Voice

First Nations Art (Canada)

Between two Worlds

What is A Powwow?

al intra NA Indian Websites

GUTHRIE STUDIOS

Artistic and Musical Paths

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Carving of Crazyhorse (a Native American Legend) in the Heart Of The Black Hills in South Dakota, USA