Students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) had the chance to learn about the history of round-dancing on Monday, one of the events kicking off Indigenous Achievement Week (IAW) on campus.
“It’s a time for the university to celebrate culture, to celebrate identity and to celebrate success,” Dale Apesis, vice-president of the Indigenous Student Council, said. “It’s also a time to let others know that this is a safe place for Indigenous people to come study any field they desire.”
Festivities officially kicked off Monday morning with a pipe ceremony at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre.
The week is aimed at celebrating the successes and contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students and staff at the university.
Over 20 events are planned throughout the week that focus on education, engagement and communication with Indigenous culture.
“This isn’t an event for just Indigenous people, this is an event for everybody and we encourage all people of the university community to come out and participate within these events and activities that we have planned,” Graeme Joseph, team leader of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Success at the U of S, said.
“We want to promote cross-cultural communication.”
Events range from round dance 101 and bannock making, to an Indigenous student leadership panel and an achievement award ceremony. The ninth annual round dance will also be held this Friday at 7 p.m. CT at the education gym.
The theme of this year’s event is “Identity.”
“This is the opportunity to share our story, to share where we come from, again our struggles and where we want to go,” Ratt-Misponas said.
“We also see a course of an ever-increasing number of aboriginal students pursuing an education here at the university,” Joseph said.
There are over 2,500 First Nations students enrolled at the university, one of the highest rates ever.