Fort York Hosts Aboriginal Pavilion

Over nineteen days during the Pan Am and Parapan Games the Aboriginal Pavilion will showcase Indigenous music, arts, culture, and sports in a family-friendly festival.

At the heart of the Pavilion is the Cultural Village of four traditional houses: a Roundhouse, Métis voyageur tent, Longhouse, and Teepee, all around a common fire.

From July 17 to 26 the Main Stage at Garrison Common offers free admission to performances by A Tribe Called Red, Digging Roots, Crystal Shawanda, Susan Aglukark, the Métis Fiddler Quartet, and dozens more leading Indigenous musical talents from across the Americas. The Small Stage presents dance, theatre, and family programs daily from 11 am to 6 pm.

At Sports Zone visitors will meet notable athletes such as boxer Mary Spencer and try out sports and fitness activities. Since lacrosse is not included in the Pan Am roster two games are planned in the Pavilion area to spur interest in the sport. Other demonstrations feature traditional craft workshops, artist talks, and film screenings. Artisans will tempt festival goers with handcrafted work at the Artisan Marketplace.

Organized by Aboriginal Leadership Partners, a collective of fourteen groups, the Aboriginal Pavilion marks the first time that the Pan Am Games have featured a major Aboriginal cultural celebration.

For a full schedule visit www.alppavilion.ca

The festival lineup included, among many others, music multi-award winning throat singer Tanya Tagaq, Red Sky Performance’s theatre/dance piece “Mistatim”, and author Joseph Boyden, with over 4000 people attending on Saturday alone.

Presented by Na-Me-Res, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, and Fort York, the 14th annual Na-Me-Res Traditional Outdoor Pow-Wow was held at Fort York on Sunday June 21 to recognize National Aboriginal Day. Almost 10, 000 people attended the Pow-Wow with dancing, drumming, and a gala concert to close the day.

We are grateful for the opportunity to host Na-Me-Res’s Pow-Wow at Fort York and would like to thank the staff, volunteers, and participants for making it such an extraordinary experience.