Working Circle Logo/Provided by City of Dryden
It’s National Indigenous History Month and most Dryden events and celebrations will be virtual once again this year.
The main event, the official renaming ceremony of Colonization Avenue on Indigenous Peoples Day.
Executive Director of the Dryden Native Friendship Centre and Co Chair of the City’s Working Circle Cheryl Edwards says it’s been a long time coming.
“We have a blessing of those signs and some messages from Indigenous leaders and leadership in Dryden as well. The working circle was a very big part of that and very instrumental by Lloyd Napish and the residents of Dryden with the submissions of the names.”
As of June 21, the north end of the road will be known as Boozhoo Avenue and the south as Memorial Avenue.
“We’ll also be doing a pow wow at The Centre that day, that’s going to be live streamed,” explains Edwards. “There’s also a concert June 20th and that’s going to be live streamed. Of course, anything to do with Indigenous Peoples Day and the Friendship Centre there’s always a feast, that’s going to be from a local catering business and we’re looking at dispersing that among the community.”
Edwards encourages those wanting to learn more to listen to Indigenous people.
“If you look online you’ll be able to find a lot of resources in order to actually hear some of those stories. It is a difficult thing to do that, but when we look at what true history is sometimes we need to go there. Even to get in touch with someone who is a survivor (of the residential school system) and to listen to their story, I believe that it promotes a lot of healing. Not only for us as Indigenous people but as an entire community, we need to have this understanding and be able to move forward.”
The virtual concert featuring Indigenous artist Shy-Anne Hovorka will start at 9:30pm to coincide with sunset to allow for better viewing at the Sunset Drive-In theatre or residents can stream the concert and Pow Wow through the Dryden Native Friendship Centre’s website.
Poster provided by City of Dryden
Updated Schedule Of Events Provided By City of Dryden
