Humber College Presents ‘Aboriginal Week’

Nov 4, 2014 | Arts, Life

Photo by Evan Millar Aboriginal Elder Advisor Shelley Charles at Culture Days for Humber College.

Photo by Evan Millar
Aboriginal Elder Advisor Shelley Charles at Culture Days for Humber College.

By Viktoria Sciacca

The Humber Aboriginal Student Circle will be hosting Aboriginal Week from Nov. 4 to 7 at Humber’s Lakeshore Campus.

The active art installment called Anishinabe, Nongom! (Indigenous People, Today!) will feature free events all week at the L Space Gallery in partnership with Aboriginal Education Month to celebrate Aboriginal culture.

Each day will host a different workshop, along with a week-long display of traditional Aboriginal art pieces.

For those unable to attend the Lakeshore exhibit, North campus will also be hosting an Aboriginal Services Fair and Pow Wow on Thursday, Nov. 6, in the main concourse, starting at 10 a.m.

Natalie Snow, co-president of ASC Aboriginal Awareness Week told Humber Et Cetera that visitors can “expect to see an array of different art from around the GTA that is representative of Aboriginal culture.”

“It’s a creation of their specific view of people today or what they believe it encompasses,” said Snow in an interview with Humber Et Cetera reporter Tonia Vennieri.

She said everyone is welcome to attend the events. “We did an open call to the GTA…We have students from OCAD,” Snow said.

The show’s opening reception will be tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Week Schedule (Nov. 3-7)

ImagineNative Film Screening
Youth Shorts
Monday, Nov. 3
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Pow Wow Dance
Demonstration and Performance with Classic Roots
Tuesday, Nov. 4
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Traditional First Nations Storytelling
Wednesday, Nov. 5
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Dream Catcher Workshop
Thursday, Nov. 6
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Beading Workshop
Friday, Nov. 7
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Courtesy of Aboriginal Student Circle Aboriginal Awareness Week Poster

Courtesy of Aboriginal Student Circle
Aboriginal Awareness Week Poster

Natalie Snow said she also hopes to debunk the negative stereotype of Aboriginal culture,

“Unfortunately, people have misconceptions and negative thoughts of Aboriginal people but there’s so much more to them (than people realize),” Snow said.

“What I hope that students can take away and pull out from the community is just what a positive and vibrant culture it is, and that there’s so many different aspects to it,” she told Humber Et Cetera.

Shelley Charles, Aboriginal Elder advisor with the Aboriginal Resource Centre, said “the most important (reason for Aboriginal week) is to promote clarity and education within students about the original native land that we live on.”

“We also really try to promote the importance of family and working with others,” said Charles.

The show is open to everyone.  For more information visit the ASC Facebook page, Twitter, and Website.

The Aboriginal Resource Centre will also be hosting Aboriginal Awareness Training Tuesday Nov 18 and 19 at North and Lakeshore campuses.