
Paul Pike is the Lead Cultural Outreach Officer with Qalipu First Nations and says Mi’kmaq people have always held “mawiomis,” or gatherings, which traditionally would have been a time for marriages or to reconnect with relatives.
June is National Indigenous History Month and this includes cultural events like pow wows and mawiomis. Paul Pike is the Lead Cultural Outreach Officer with Qalipu First Nations. He says these are social events and everyone is invited.
Pike says Mi’kmaq people have always held “mawiomis,” or gatherings, which traditionally would have been a time for marriages or to reconnect with relatives. He says today they are called the “pow wow” family. Pike says a lot of the traditional dances are traditions from out west but one thing remains the same; the dance is for the healing of communities.
New this year is the Benoit First Nation event in Port au Port on July 18-20. The Bay St. George pow wow is July 11-13, the Benoits Cove Mawiomi is July 27, Conne River is August 2-3, and the Elmastukwek Mawiomi is August 8-10th.