National Indigenous Day will be celebrated in Quesnel on Sunday, but due to COVID, it won’t be done in the traditional way.
Tony Goulet, the Executive Director of the Quesnel Tillicum Society Native Friendship Centre, says they will have a virtual celebration…
“It starts at 10, and we’re hoping to go until 1-30 or two o’clock. The live MC part will be live and there will also be videos and people streaming what they’re doing. I believe there is going to be bannock making, a salmon video, some dancing, some drumming, and we’re still going to have the traditional walkout ceremony.”
Goulet says the walkout ceremony, through the Friendship Centre, will recognize the accomplishments of students, right from kindergarten up to graduation.
He says they will be making sure that they follow social distancing rules and not have more than 50 people.
We asked Goulet, with everything that is going on in the world right now, does this year’s celebration have more meaning ?
“It sure does, and it would be easy for people to cancel, and that has been what is happening. There are celebrations around different communities on Indigenous Day, and some of them have cancelled. Our committee decided that we need to really showcase and keep National Indigenous Day alive and well, and this is the best way to do that.”
Normally, National Indigenous Day is celebrated at the Helen Dixon Centre and features outdoor vendors and a lot of people enjoying food and entertainment.
People can take part in this year’s event by going through the Tillicum Society website and then onto their Facebook page.
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