An interactive area designed for hands-on learning and fun for the whole family, featuring:
- Niagara Regional Native Centre
- Fort Erie Friendship Centre
- Métis Nation
- Welland Museum
- Two Row Wampum Chalk Project
- + more!
Free and paid workshops available at each location on Saturday and Sunday, unless specified.
Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre (Saturday only)
Our mission at the FENFC is to educate our community on the Indigenous Culture & help them to have a better understanding of our culture & to bring back our teachings & language. — “Together for a stronger tomorrow”
- Make & take Medicine Pouches 10:30am-noon – Teachings on what the medicine pouches are used for & teachings on the various types of Medicines we use.
- Creation Story & Beaded Bracelets/Necklace 1:30-2:30pm – Teachings on the creation story, Make and take Bracelets & necklaces (using appropriate colours)
- Indigenous aspect of the environment 4-5:30pm – incorporate the thanksgiving address, who we are, how we relate & connect
- In between workshops, we will have other easy crafts & items for sale:
- Make & take key chains, rock painting and information about the FENFC & the programs we offer
- All workshop costs are by donation.
Metis Encampment
The Niagara Region Metis Council will host a traditional Métis encampment in The Backyard. Learn and interact with the descendants of the fur trade living life as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago!
Métis Voyageur teachings at the Encampment
Daily interactive demonstrations and teaching will be held at the Métis Encampment in the Backyard. Stop by and learn about the Métis ways of life and their bead work, leather pouch making, and stories.
Two Row Wampum Chalk Project
Join us to help build a Two Row Wampum all weekend long!
The Two Row Flag reinforces the historic bond Indigenous peoples and Canadians share, and enhances awareness of the significant role Indigenous nations played in shaping Canada. Celebration of Nations brings Native and non-native peoples together to share culture, traditions, and heritage through the arts, and provides interactive opportunities to polish the Covenant Chain of Friendship that was left to tarnish and weaken for several centuries.
Remarkably, although the Two Row Wampum Belt symbol extends back some 400 years, it continues to serve as the foundational value and philosophy for negotiations and each successive peace treaty made with European peoples.
The Celebration of Nations Festival serves to reawaken the spirit of solidarity amongst friends who once forged history together. In so doing, Celebration of Nations renews a legacy founded upon national equality, peace, and freedom.
Welland Museum
With Louise Golden: Indigenous Kits creator and teacher, Tami Nail: Assistant Curator, Welland Museum, Penny Morningstar: Curator/Manager, Welland Museum, Susan Ward, Welland Museum Board Director, Brock University Instructor
Discover a small exhibit displaying images, objects, and information from our Infinite History – Métis in Niagara Exhibit for the duration of the day. Museum staff will be on hand to explain the exhibit, tours, group visits and answer any questions.
Musee de Welland Museum in partnership with the Niagara Region Métis Council are proud to present: Infinite History – Métis in Niagara Exhibition. The exhibit celebrates the history and culture of the Métis and their significance to the Niagara area.
The Welland Museum now has excellent educational kits on Indigenous studies for grades 3 and 5, in both French and English.
There are a variety of activities to choose from: language, social studies, visual arts, etc. The kits include hands-on activities and inquiry based learning. They have been vetted by Indigenous educators and promote Indigenous studies in a respectful manner.
- English Kits 10:30 am + 1:30pm . The Workshop will be lead by the kit creator Louise Golden. She will be explaining the process of designing the kits as well as leading some of the hands-on-activities provided in the kit and how they can be used for classrooms.
- French Kits noon + 3pm. The Workshop will be lead by the kit creator Louise Golden. She will be explaining the process of designing the kits as well as leading some of the hands-on-activities provided in the kit and how they can be used for classrooms.. The presentation will be in French. The Exhibit display will be available throughout the whole day with staff available.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Discover the Observation Hive with Small Scale Farms
We need the BEES. They are a bio indicator. Essentially that means they are our teachers when it comes to what’s going on in our environment. We look to them and LEARN.
So what better way to learn about honey bees than through the use of an observation hive.
Small Scale Farms’ unique hive is equipped with glass on both sides specifically for those who might not normally have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of this amazing super organism.
With an observation hive you can witness:
- Colony structure and function.
- The various duties within the hive
- Development stages of larvae
- Comb building, honey production and storage
- Communication
It’s literally fascinating.
Be sure to come find us and say hi, we’d love to see you, and share with you, information about this incredible pollinator.
Willowbank Love Garden with Marie Louise Bowering, Spirit Fire Rising Indigenous Community Consultant
Marie Bowering is Mother of three, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Mohawk Indian. Her unique heritage and background has empowered her to be a diverse individual who has learned how to create positive lifestyle and working space within the Niagara Native community. Marie has been instrumental in planning and collaborating on various Indigenous community events and gatherings.
In 2014 the Willowbank School of Restoration and the Niagara Native community came together to plan and implement a community garden. We are in the times of “Truth and Reconciliation” and are aware of the gaps in supports, programs, services, partners and Cultural foundations with Elders and community helpers. Marie collaborated with the Willowbank School of Restoration and brought together the Willowbank Community Love Garden. The garden has been instrumental in bringing community together and has been the vessel to allow the people to come together and honor our teachings and treaties.
Marie is a community leader, helper, advocate and who builds bridges and removes barriers. She has over 20 years in the Indigenous community and has nurtured plenty of relationships with Youth, Elders, School boards and Institutions as a community member, counsel. She continues to work with the Youth and Elders to bring opportunities to learn share and grow together.
Niagara Regional Native Centre (Sunday only)
Crafts include:
- 10am-3pm: Rattles, Large bead bracelets, leather braided bracelets, and a variety of other easy crafts will be laid out for anyone to join at any time
- 10-11am: Come Craft and listen to Storytelling
- 11am-1pm: Dream Catchers – speaking to cultural appropriation and the true meaning behind the Dream Catcher
- 1-3pm: Recyclable Drums – Joe will give a teaching with demonstrating how to make a hand drum along with the teaching followed by participants being able to make mini drums out of tuna cans and recycled materials and why it is important to reduce, reuse, recycle.
Aims and Objectives of the Niagara Regional Native Centre
To promote awareness of the culture of Aboriginal peoples within the community in an effort to establish a relationship of mutual understanding and respect between the Aboriginal peoples and the other members of the community.
To advance, foster, encourage and promote the cultural and social interests of Aboriginal peoples, both collectively and individually.
To organize projects and carry out programs to alleviate and minimize, wherever possible, adverse social and economic conditions encountered by Aboriginal people in order to effect a general improvement in their overall welfare and well-being.
To promote native leadership in the native community.
Niagara Falls History Museum
Discovering Kaná:ta Exploration Zone
Explore reproductions of Indigenous artefacts found in the Niagara Falls History Museum’s collection. Six Nations artisans created the objects to allow visitors to engage with history in a hands-on way. Use all of your senses to investigate Indigenous culture — touch, hold and even smell!