I couldn’t hold back tears as the Turanga Ararau Kapa Haka Maori group from Gisborne, New Zealand said their last thank you to the crowd. They had just finished a half an hour performance that electrified the audience and produced many kiwi cheers. Maori Culture A quick tour through Maori culture was shared with us [...]
Cultural Dancing
First Nations Dance Troupe at Manito Ahbee Pow Wow, Winnipeg
Over my right shoulder. Over my left shoulder. Over my head. Then flip the hoops over and spread them like wings. This was my first attempt at First Nations hoop dancing and I was feeling pretty good about it. I’m in Winnipeg, Manitoba to learn about aboriginal dancing at the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow. I [...]
British Columbia
The Listel Hotel Vancouver: Robson Street Hotels in the West End
I had spent the day playing tourist in my own city, visiting First Nations art galleries and the Stanley Park totem poles, and the Bill Reid Gallery. The next day I was covering the Dalai Lama event, called the Vancouver Peace Summit, so I chose to stay overnight at one of the hotels in downtown [...]
British Columbia
First Nations Art Galleries and Totem Poles in Stanley Park
Today was a day to play tourist in my own city, checking out some First Nations tourism spots in Vancouver, BC, mostly art galleries and the totem poles in Stanley Park. There’s a great little First Nations gallery in North Vancouver called Khot La Cha Gallery (270 Whonoak Street, 604-987 3339). Unassumingly tucked off the [...]
New Brunswick
Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick, Canada
The New Brunswick Highland Games Festival is now over and today I drove to Caraquet, NB in the heart of the Acadian Peninsula. As soon as the car hit Burnt Church, the start of the Acadian flags of red, white and blue were everywhere. Some houses were completely decked out in the colours and had [...]
British Columbia
First Nations Culture in Lilloet, BC
After visiting the Xat’súll Heritage Village, our group stopped in Lilloet, BC to meet some of the First Nations people of the Bridge River band. Bonnie demonstrated how her people have been drying fish since the beginning of time (see her stretching a sockeye salmon in the video below). We were then fed a wonderful [...]
