St. Mary’s First Nation hosts first ever New Year’s Eve powwow

When Ann Paul walked into the gym at Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School in Fredericton for a New Year’s Eve powwow, the hair on her arms and neck stood on end.

The energy in the room was palpable, he said. She had watched four generations of her community slowly revive her culture, beginning with her own mother, Maggie Paul, and the New Year’s Eve powwow, the first in the community, was a testament to how far they had come. .

His own children and grandchildren attended that night, along with nearly 200 other people, and his son Possesom Paul was the powwow emcee.

Although the powwow was held at a St. Mary’s First Nation (Sitansisk) elementary school, Paul said the event was open to people of all ages and places, including some who came from as far away as Boston.

Abigail Brooks and Bronson Acquin-Mandisodza of Sitansisk Wolastoqiyik organized the powwow, with the help of several volunteers.

Paul said they wanted to host a New Year’s event that didn’t focus on alcohol. Powwows are traditionally alcohol-free, Paul said, making them a big draw for families and children, who are sometimes left out of New Year’s events because of the alcohol, he said.

When midnight came around, Paul said the party didn’t stop. People kept dancing until 1 am and she said that she was so excited that she couldn’t fall asleep until about 4 am.

The night was a celebration of identity, Paul said, and there was so much beauty that she wanted to share…