Song and dance filled the Allen Bird Memorial Centre (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Indigenous culture

Round dance helps mark anniversary

Mar 10, 2019 | 2:00 PM

The Northern Lights Casino is celebrating its twenty-third birthday.

In this spirit, the casino put on a round dance at the Senator Allen Bird Memorial Centre Saturday night. Casino General Manager Richard Ahenakew told paNOW putting on the event is way to show thanks.

“It’s just a way of saying we had another good year, that we’re thankful and a time to remember those who may have passed away and those in the community who may be going through so tough times,” he said.

Ahenakew added the round dance is also a good way to recognize the staff and the work of the casino’s volunteer committee.

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The festivities got started around 5 p.m. with a feast and the dance got going at 7 p.m. Early in the evening Ahenakew was pleased with the turnout.

“There’s already a lot of people here, we don’t see the full effect of the turnout until 11 o’clock,” he said.

Ahenakew said regardless of how many people end up coming through the doors, the spirit of the evening is what’s important.

“It’s not about the number of people coming through the door, it’s to have the celebration,” he said.

Those singing for the round dance were set up in the middle of the gym at Allen Bird. People watched on three sides, with many getting up to dance.

Sanford Strongarm was seated at the table alongside the master of ceremonies. Strongarm, who himself has been a singer at round dances, spoke about the spirituality of the ceremony.

“The singers what they’re singing right now, basically you feel that heartbeat, that’s the heartbeat of the ceremony itself and that heartbeat lives in all people,” he said.

Strongarm explained people tend to experience different emotions at round dances, but that the ceremony overall has a uniting force with healing being overarching.

“We’ve got a majority of different people that are here with us here tonight, by having this connection, by dancing with one another, we’re all related, we’re all one people, we’re all one spirit, within this lodge,” he said.

The singers who performed Saturday night tend to travel often to events like round dances, according to Strongarm and there are others who show up to help give regular singers a break.

“A lot of the times you’ll find that there’s a lot of singers that are out there,” he said.

Stongarm’s sons have also sung at these ceremonies and said they generally come about their skills without much direction.

“I didn’t have to teach them anything, when they picked up a drum stick, they picked up a drum, it was just basically natural for them, so I didn’t have to teach them anything, so that’s just the way singers are,” he said.

A healthy crowd came out to watch the round dance early Saturday night (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn