It was with a groggy mind that I arrived in Sudbury, Ontario from Moncton, NB. It was already a late flight but, after an hour delay, I didn’t make it into the Sudbury airport until about midnight (it was 1:00 am to me, still on New Brunswick time).
Thankfully, the National Car Rental guy was still waiting for me and I was able to get my car. Not only that, but, before he rushed home, he made sure I had gotten into my car and that I had left safely.
Actually, he was going the same way as me, so I followed him to downtown Sudbury, where I got to my hotel without incident and didn’t have to rely solely on the highway signs in the dark. I didn’t get his name, but he made my night. Thank you, whoever you are!
By 1:00 am Ontario time, I was at the Days Inn Sudbury and ready to fall into bed. Of course, I was a bit wound up and ended up tossing and turning all night. Grrrr.
Wikwemikong Pow Wow Drummers on Manitoulin Island, Ontario (Canada).
To make matters worse, I had gotten my directions mixed up for the next day and thought that it took 45 minutes to get from Sudbury to Wikwemikong on Manitoulin Island, where I was spending the weekend at the Wikwemikong Pow Wow.
My first contact was with a tourism rep who was to meet me at 11:15 am at Zaawmiknaang Crafts, Native Cuisine and Cultural Experiences. Well, that 45 minutes turned into a 2.5-hour drive. I was a little late.
Chatting with a man at Zaawmiknaang’s, he told me to go down to the pow wow site and ask for Luke. When I got there, it was mayhem. People were everywhere, parking was lining the streets for blocks and I wondered how I would ever find my contact.
The admission’s girls were nice enough to tell me to just go on in and find who I was looking for. So off I went into the crowd to find someone I had never met. I ended up wandering through the colourful vendors who were selling gorgeous artwork, First Nations crafts and lots of food.
After watching some of the dance competitions, my name was paged on the big stage. Giggling, I made my way over and met with Gladys, who gave me the lowdown on the festival and introduced me to Dawn, a dancer in the “Golden Age 50+” category but who didn’t look a day over 35. She promised to be around to answer my questions during the pow wow and would get me up dancing at some point.
Shaftesbury Inn Boutique Hotel in Little Current, Ontario (Canada).
With that, I grabbed some First Nations food and hit the road again, this time up to Little Current, where I was staying for the weekend.
What I Liked:
- Although my travel plans didn’t turn out to be perfect, locals helped me along and I ended up with nothing lost than a bit of sleep and frustration.
- My first step into the Wikwemikong Pow Wow was exciting: I’m in for a fun weekend of colourful dancers, intense drummers and locals who are welcoming without trying. The regalia is nothing like I’ve seen in the west, where it seems to be more modest and less flamboyant.
- I’m staying at the Shaftesbury Inn, a lovely boutique hotel in downtown Little Current. It was a relief to go from the outhouses of the pow wow site to this quaint, clean and charming country inn. I was actually upgraded to the honeymoon suite, so I have a little living room, dining room, Jacuzzi tub in the room and a separate shower and bathroom. I’m going to be very happy here
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