Traditional Indigenous feast brings sense of community to gathering at Falstaff Family Centre

The traditional Indigenous Feast was laid out in preparation of first serving a dish to be offered in thanks to the spirits, followed by youth plating food to serve elders and guests.

A traditional Indigenous feast was held on the grounds of the Falstaff Family Centre (FFC) on Saturday, Sept. 13, uniting First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) people from Perth and Huron counties.

The gathering was part of an initiative to support FNIM people and to bring together youth and elders in celebration, connection and rebuilding relationships.

Dozens gathered on the spacious grounds, where a medicine garden and traditional teepee are permanently installed. A sacred fire was lit, drum circle and music performed, and stories shared.

Piles of orange shirts were donated by Phyllis Webstad, founder and ambassador of the Orange Shirt Society, so no one would go without on Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

This was the first event connected with The Gathering Place, a space under development at the FFC.

“The mission of bringing together The Gathering Place is to have a safe place for anyone in the community who identifies as First Nations, Inuit and Métis,” explained Saranne Whetung of Curve Lake First Nation, cultural and wellness manager with the Huron-Perth Children’s Aid Society. “(It is) to bring our community together, to build a strong connection, and to have a safe place to do teachings, be involved in the culture, talk about the culture and use their voice within that culture.”

Whetung noted that within her culture, oral storytelling and history are central. “Those stories are passed down generationally, so this provides a safe and comfortable space for those culturally significant conversations to happen,” she said.

Organizers hoped to bring together FNIM people from Stratford and Huron-Perth counties and were pleased to welcome at least six Inuit who travelled from other communities. One guest, Tawny, wore a traditional southern amauti used to carry babies on the back. She said she wore it to honour her birth mother, who never had the opportunity to use one, as Tawny was apprehended the day she was born.

“I would say we have really reached the people we were hoping to reach,” Whetung said. “We have a lot of people from First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures who are joining us today, and we made sure those folks feel welcome. It’s about bringing people together, having a good meal, and sharing lots of stories and teachings.”

The event marked the beginning of what organizers hope will be an ongoing path to community, togetherness, authenticity and sharing of culture and history.