Come and celebrate National Aboriginal Day with the Mi’kmaq.
June 21, 2006 was a special day for the Penwa' Mawi-Amskwesewey L’nue’kati or Benoit First Nation - a Mi’kmaq Community located on the Port au Port Peninsula.
Penwa' Mawi-Amskwesewey L'nue'kati is pronounced Ben-wah um-skoo wess-so-whey ul-noo-eh-gut-dee.
This is a time we celebrated with pride our heritage and to shared with others our traditions. All were welcomed including members of other Mi’kmaq bands.
Ceremonial etiquette:
People were asked to be mindful and respectful of Mi’kmaq traditions and culture. Those present were told to ask the Chief for guidance.
Elders who visited were each given a tobacco tie by the youth coordinator. It is traditional to the Mi’kmaq that you offer tobacco before asking elders to speak. Tobacco ties are a sign of the great respect that we hold for our Mi'kmaq Elders.
Outdoor activities were cancelled due to the rainy weather.
At 9:00 am at the French Centre in De Grau we raised the Mi’kmaq Grand council Flag and smudged with sweetgrass and sage with prayers to the creator.
At 9:15 am breakfast: tea, or coffee, toast, hash browns and fried bologna was served. This was looked after by Phyllis Young and the women’s committee.
At 9:30 am a cultural display of crafts and artifacts took place at the French Centre and continued until 3:00 pm. This was hosted by Peter Benoit and Bernadette Tellac.
Traditional music and karaoke was played.
Children from the local schools visited and enjoyed themselves very much.
At 1:00 pm we had a traditional feast. Fry bread and stew (chicken was substituted for moose) was the highlight of the feast.
At 1:30 pm we cut the National Aboriginal Day Cake and everyone has desert- the cake was delicious.
At 2:00 pm a ticket was drawn on $50.00 worth of live lobster and the winner was Agnes Chaisson.
At 2:30 pm a give-away ceremony took place.
At 3:00 pm Activities finished up and organizers helped clean up. Chief Benwah thanked everyone who attended and the organizers and volunteers who helped make the event a success. Chief Benwah commented that this was the best attended Aboriginal day celebrations he had yet seen.
This is our annual celebration where we celebrate the summer solstice and share our culture and heritage with pride. We must constantly bring awareness to the Mi’kmaq presence -especially to the children and youth.
Please contact our Band Council for more information
The local Mi’kmaq Community in partnership with the Department of Canadian Heritage sponsored this event.
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Website Copyright © 2006 Benoit First Nation
