Aboriginal entertainment will usher in a new public structure at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park starting Thursday.
Family celebrations for the entire community will be lined up over four days as the City of Prince George and Lheidli T'enneh First Nation join forces to cut the ribbon on the park's eye-popping new picnic pavilion and at the same time celebrate the oldest of Canada's cultures.
The four-day set of events was put together, said Lheidli T'enneh First Nation chief Dominic Frederick, as an act of friendship "that showcases our journey together and fosters intercultural understanding."
Prince George mayor Lyn Hall invited all to the official opening of the unique roof over which gatherings and fellowship of all sorts will now be held.
"It's modern, it's friendly, it's inviting, I think it's fantastic," Hall said. "There are a couple of attributes to it that are very interesting to me. One is the inlay in the concrete pad identifying the confluence of the two rivers, and the fact that this is the only structure that holds our City of Prince George logo and the Lheidli T'enneh logo in the same location."
The symbolic opening will take place Thursday at 10 a.m. followed by a partnership recognition ceremony at 11 a.m. at the nearby bandshell in the park.
Following that brief event, the rest of the day will unfold in a wave of entertainment and all-ages fun. From noon to 5 p.m. will be the annual festival marking National Indigenous Peoples Day with music, dancing, drumming, artisans, food vendors, kids' activities, community organization booths, and other cultural activities.
On Friday and Saturday, the culture continues with the play Blue Beads & Blueberries presented by Story Theatre of Victoria.
This play was written by Erin Macklem and directed by David MacPherson to stimulate young and old alike using Aboriginal themes.
"We commissioned (Macklem) to write this engaging show exploring her Mtis heritage which I'm sure you will love," MacPherson said. He added that Macklem "is of Irish, French, and Mtis descent. Her family did not talk about their Mtis heritage until she was in her 20s. She wrote this play as a way of learning about and celebrating Mtis culture."
The play tells the story of a princess "who must use her wits, daring and creativity to overcome challenges," said event organizers and the results are hilarious, tender and draw out social themes to think about across all walks of life.
This 45-minute play will be shown at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday then 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday all at the new pavilion.
Interactive drumming workshops and Indigenous storytelling sessions will also be available both those days spaced out from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday and between 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Sunday is dedicated nationwide as Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. Each June 24, this occasion sparks celebrations of French culture, and in Canada that has the added inclusion of the unique Mtis connection.
The Mtis Community Association and Le Cercle des Canadiens Franais joined forces, locally, to host an afternoon of games, music, food (cake in particular), and a busy array of other cultural commotions to bring fun for the whole family from 2-5 p.m.
The feature of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day activities at the new pavilion will be energetic performances by special guest act Folklofolie, a folk band steeped in the fiddles and sashes of franco-Mtis style. This dynamic duo of Andr Varin and Marie-Claude Gagnon are visiting from Gatineau, Que., where they are popular performers in a hotbed of acoustic music. Their free shows happen at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
