March Newsletter
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
Submitted by Lynn Fabrick
Calendar of Events
- Mar. 2, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Pokaiks Medicine Wheel Workshop at the Confluence, 750 – 9th Ave SE, Calgary. For more information, click here and to register, click here.
- Mar. 8, 1:00 – 9:00 p.m. Miskanawah 19th Annual Friendship Round Dance at Winsport Calgary. For details, click here.
- Mar. 8, 1:00 – 11:00 p.p. Kainai Keeping our Niitsitapi Safe Powwow at the Red Crow Community College, Standoff, AB. For information, click here.
- Mar. 9, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. A Blanket Exercise hosted by Knowledge Keepers John Sinclair and Lynn Fabrick at Badlands Photography Studio in Drumheller (175 – 3rd Ave West. Entrance is in the alley). For more information or to register, contact Lynn Fabrick at drycanyoncollectables@shaw.ca or at 403-856-3556.
- Mar. 15, 5:30 – midnight. Soyinii Ootaaksii Passkan Round Dance & Community Feast, Pincher Creek Community Hall, Pincher Creek, AB. For details, click here.
- Mar. 28, 6:00 p.m. – 12:00, Margaret Runner Dixon Memorial Round Dance at the Bullhead Hall on the Tsuut’ina Nation. For more details, click here.
- Mar 31, 9:00 - 3:30 p.m. Lead by Example Conference at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino. An inspiring event designed to explore reconciliation in action. For more information, email info@leadbyexamplepowwow.ca ca or click here.
- Save the date – May 10 & 11, 2nd Annual Eagle Spirit Powwow in Taber. For details, click here.
- Save the date – June 6 – 8, Lead by Example Powwow at the Strathmore Agricultural Society. For info, click here.
- Save the date - August 2 – 3, Sixth annual Dancing with the Dinosaurs Powwow in Drumheller. For sponsorship opportunities, please email dancingdinosaurs5@gmail.com. For more information, click here.
Indigenous Learning Opportunities
Jennifer Lavier Jankovic attended the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre & Enoch Cree Nation 's 6th Annual Educator's Conference, "Igniting the Fire of our Ancestors" this week. Wherever your organization is on its Reconciliation Journey, she would highly recommend this Conference, which will be held in Calgary in 2026. They had an AMAZING lineup of keynote & breakout speakers with lots of opportunities to listen, learn, & engage in meaningful dialogue. Lots of takeaways regardless of your vocation or age. To learn more about the conference, click here.
Alberta has six UNEXCO World Heritage Sites, two of which are Indigenous in their history.
- Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump is one of the oldest and best-preserved buffalo jumps in North America, with evidence of First Nations' communal hunts dating back 7,000 years. The interpretive center is 18 kilometers (15 minutes) north and west of Fort Macleod on secondary Highway #785 (paved). For details about the site, programs offered and background information, click here.
- Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Áísínai’pi, contains the greatest concentration of rock art on the North American Great Plains.[ There are over 50 petroglyph sites and thousands of works. These carvings and paintings tell of the lives and journeys of those who created them, and of the spirits they found here. Join a park interpreter for a guided tour into the Archaeological Preserve. Click here for information on offerings at the park.
Sponsorship Opportunities
- Miskanawah 19th Annual Friendship Round Dance on March 8. Are you or your organization interested in partnering with Miskanawah to deliver their 19th Annual Round Dance? Please contact Tara Fillo (tfillo@miskanawah.ca) for more details, OR if you would like to make a donation to this event, click here.
- New Blood presentation in Ottawa on the May long weekend. Last September the Rotary Club of Chestermere brought the New Blood show to Chestermere. New Blood is a show about reconciliation and specifically Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman’s journey through residential school to healing, to becoming chief of his people. The production is heading to Ottawa on the May long weekend to participate in the national Starfest drama festival. The cost is $2000/student for airfare, accommodation, food, and festival fees. The school is covering $500/student. There are 40 students that are signed up to go but the cost is very prohibitive for many of them. Would you be willing to sponsor some of the students for $1500? They would be so grateful for the opportunity. For more information, please contact Deanne Bertsch at deanne.bertsch@ghsd75.ca. Please mention Bill Quinney as your source to reflect the connection with the Chestermere club.
- Kakatos'si Kristian Ayoungman Foundation is hosting several events (see Lead by Example events above) with opportunities to:
- Support Indigenous Rights & Reconciliation
- Promote Cultural Awareness & Education
- Celebrate Cultural Heritage
- Engage with the Community
Those interested in connecting with the foundation, please e-mail sponsorship@leadbyexamplepowwow.ca or click here.
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The DIRC Newsletter
This newsletter is published monthly by the District 5360 Indigenous Relations Committee. If you have any questions about the newsletter or have material you would like to submit, please email Brad Sewall.