by Robert Washburn
Sacred teachings are being passed on to a younger generation for the first time as part of the preparations for the annual Alderville Pow Wow this weekend.
Pow Wow coordinator Vicki Niles said young women from Alderville will be receiving specialized training from both local elders and from other Anishinaabe communities in the traditional water ceremony tonight.
It is part of the theme of this year’s Pow Wow: Honouring the Fire; Honouring the Water.
Niles said women are considered keepers of water, while men are the keepers of fire. On Tuesday, young men received their own lessons.
“This is followed by the medicine teachings,” she said.
It is considered a sacred ceremony involving only the members of Alderville and part of the spiritual preparations for the event.
“It is part of our culture that we should be doing by offering the teachings in the community…We are preparing the grounds and making sure there is good energy out there,” Niles said.
But it is only one of many tasks to get ready for the two-day event. About 30 people are working hard to get prepared for all the vendors, food, and performances.
Besides the arts and crafts vendors, there will also be a wide range of traditional and non-traditional foods. There will be dancing and drumming. This year will feature a new hand-drum competition in addition to the giant drums, she added.
Young children and seniors are free. Youth 7 to 12 are $3 to get in. Everyone else is $6.
