The 4th installment of Council Fire’s Annual Youth Gathering, formerly known as the Annual Youth Pow Wow. In the past, the gathering was presented locally in Toronto’s Regent Park. Due to COVID-19, this year’s event was developed as a virtual presentation. Because the event is being held online, the Pow Wow was opened up to local dancers as well as participants from across Canada and the United States.
Why are you not calling this event a Pow Wow?
It is in the spirit of Revillagizing that we have chosen to describe our event as a gathering and not a Pow Wow. The term Pow Wow is a settler derivative created to depict their version of Indigenous gatherings. The most blatant example of this early cultural appropriation was the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West performance, showcasing war-type dances with tomahawks, loin clothes, and war cries. We are all aware that traditional gatherings were prohibited and subject to prosecution.
Revillagizing is a return to traditional cultural values and beliefs that honor Creation and all of its elements (The Creator, Mother Earth, the Waters, the Plant Life, The Guardians, the Star Worlds, Grandmother Moon, Elder Brother Sun, Thunder Beings, the Winds, the Winged Ones and the Four Legged). Through the support of our community members, knowledge keepers, elders, grandmothers, storytellers, drummers and dancers, we will gather in the spirit of our teachings, learning, sharing and collective growth.