Massey to Sagamok First Nation to Spanish, ON
Traditional territory of the Algonquin, Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, Ojibway, Odawa and Cree
37 km
Sunny with cumulus clouds, 25 ºC
The first thing we did this morning was pedal south to Sagamok First Nation, where we interviewed two Ojibwe Elders, Dolores and Harvey. They talked about residential schooling and the challenge of revitalizing Indigenous culture in the wake of lasting trauma and oppression. One piece of that was bringing back the pow wow. In 1961, on the north shore of Lake Huron, Dolores and Harvey helped lead the first pow wow in Sagamok in over a hundred years.
It continues today. Literally, today. Dolores and Harvey invited us to join them at the pow wow, which happens every year on the second weekend of July. We spent the day dancing, watching dancers, having conversations and taking photos. Asad ate a moose burger. I played freeze tag with the little ones.
There are more photos than this but I’ve decided I want to write more about the Sagamok pow wow when I have more than 15% battery and mosquitos biting me. (Yes, mosquitos. We’re opting to sleep in a stable tonight instead of the tent. Pretty cool.)
Another really cool part of the day was coming across the leaders who organized the Reoccupation at Parliament Hill that Asad and I showed up for. They’re on their way to Sault Ste. Marie to meet again with the Bawating Water Protectors that held ceremony at the reoccupation, and stopped at the pow wow to speak about their work and Indigenous sovereignty. Will share more updates about that collective as they become available.
