Kahnawake celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day
Community members of all age gave skateboarding a go for Go Skate Day. Courtesy KOR
From skateboarding to stand-up, Kahnawake was the place to be last Saturday, with events across town celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day.
“The weather was really nice and a lot of people showed up, there were so many activities to do, and you could really feel the camaraderie,” said Aaron McComber, who performed with fellow comedians Hank Leblanc and Jo Rice as part of Kahnawake Tourism’s Indigenous Peoples Day festivities at the Golden Age Club.
“I was happy to be there, and I was just happy that we’re doing stuff like this in town, because it’s easy to take it for granted sometimes.”
Kahnawake Tourism arranged a packed schedule for the day, with a live performance by Lone Wolf and The Spaghetti Corner Band, who travelled from Akwesasne for the event.
Events coordinator Melina Singh said it was special to see that the group made the journey, especially since the event was Kahnawake Tourism’s first time coordinating an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on its own.
Eric “Dirt” McComber fillets fish. Courtesy Kahnawake Tourism
Arts and food vendors were also set up throughout the day, as well as traditional workshops including moccasin and medicine bag making, and fish filleting with Eric “Dirt” McComber. Around 200 people attended the event.
“Every workshop was pretty much packed, people were laughing with the comedy show. It melted my heart, it was a really good experience,” Singh said.
Over at the Kahnawake Skatepark, community members were having fun at this year’s Go Skate Day. The team at the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center (KOR), who typically host the event, this year joined forces with the Kahnawake Youth Center (KYC) and Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takéhnhas Community Services (KSCS), a collaboration that went so well that KOR manager Scott Berwick said it will be repeated next year.
Go Skate Day is an international event, and KOR has been celebrating it since 2022, finding ways to celebrate skateboarding while also acknowledging Indigenous Peoples Day. This year around 80 participants came out to celebrate.
“We helped first-time skaters learn balance and basic pushing and stance,” said Berwick. “We had a skateboard assembly station, kids watched and helped put boards together, and they got free skateboards from the Skateboard Project.”
Prizes were handed out throughout the day including gift cards, apparel, and backpacks, and attendees jammed to live music by local artists Summerloss, heavenscoldhands, and ico94, snacking on free food and checking out local vendors at the event.
Community members craft at the event hosted by Kahnawake Tourism. Courtesy Kahnawake Tourism
Each year, the organization has printed art by Indigenous artists on skateboard decks as part of the Skateboard Project - Kahnawa’kehró:non Molly Huntington and Jordan Montour were selected for this year’s project. Huntington’s design featured a swirling sunset-coloured background a repeating pattern of a dancer wearing a ribbon skirt and fancy shawl.
It was a special moment when she saw it come to life on real skateboard decks.
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“It was amazing, such a good feeling,” she said. “It made me feel like I was really doing something with my art.”
Montour’s piece features his depiction of the Haudenosaunee creation story, an eagle flying overhead and an otter peeking up from water at the bottom of the piece.
“I’ve thought the Skateboard Project was very cool for a number of years, and I thought ‘I’m not really a very good artist by any stretch, but let me spend the time putting something together,’” Montour said. “It was very gratifying when I was told I was lucky enough to be selected.”
KYC hosted two drop-in days for skaters on June 12 and June 18, and plans to support young skaters in Kahnawake with more mini skate camps throughout the summer.
