September 9, 2022
LONDON, ONTARIO – Libro Credit Union is proud to support Warrior Womyn of Positive Drum from London as they join Drums Across Canada at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines.
Drums Across Canada returns on Sunday, September 11 at 3:30 p.m. as a FREE live and virtual cross-country drum circle broadcast event drawing the Celebration of Nations gathering to a close with collective message of unity, peace, respect, and friendship. Libro supported local involvement in the same event last year.
Drum groups will participate in a traditional call and response that will start in Niagara and travel back and forth across the country before culminating with a shared song and reflections from each drum group about their Drums Across Canada experience.
Drums Across Canada was created by Celebration of Nations Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett to foster healing, send love and drum for the children’s spirits who never made it home, our ancestors, our matriarchs, MMIWG2S, the next generation, for healing, and for wisdom. The message will echo unity, peace, respect and friendship in order to forge a new paradigm shift needed to create transformative and sustainable change for the next 7 Generations.
“Our drums are incredibly powerful medicine within our Indigenous culture. The beat of the drum mimics the nurturing heartbeat which is the first sound we hear in our mother’s womb. That heartbeat of Mother Earth resonates healing frequencies. By adding additional drum circles and performing arts venues to this year’s Drums Across Canada event and offering virtual participation options, even more people will be able to join us in wrapping our arms around this country to ripple out the much needed healing energies so many of our relations and kin are seeking. This powerful circle will send out love, gratitude, and respect though our songs, our dances and our drums for residential school survivors, the children’s spirit who never made it home, MMIW2S and to our ancestors, our elders, our matriarchs, our youth, and our relatives from the natural world.”
Libro Credit Union is the biggest credit union in southwestern Ontario and has a growing and important commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous communities across southwestern Ontario is an important part of this.
“We recognize the importance of honouring Indigenous cultures within Canada and are happy to be involved with Drums Across Canada for a second year,” said Carolina Triana, Libro’s Purpose Integration Specialist. “Last year I had the privilege to join the Drum Circle here in London and it was a powerful and humbling experience. We hope many people will join this celebration in person and virtually and get to experience the healing energies of the drums.”
Drums Across Canada is one of several Celebration of Nations events at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario taking place September 11, 2022. Celebration of Nations is an annual gathering of Indigenous Arts, Culture and Heritage and is curated by Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett (Métis) and Artistic Producer Tim Johnson (Mohawk).
The 6th annual gathering includes over 40 free and ticketed events including musical performances by Buffy Sainte-Marie, Shawnee Kish, Strong Water Singers, Mimi O’Bonsawin, Lacey Hill, The Métis Fiddlers, and more; a sacred fire that will burn throughout the weekend overseen by Fire Keepers Fred Bowering and Brian Kon; The Red Dress Exhibit – If Only These Dresses Could Tell Their Story; sunrise ceremonies and teachings around the sacred fire with Grandmother Jackie Labonte, Audra Sewell Malone, Grandmother Renee Thomas-Hill, and Perry Ground; teaching sessions focused on Indigenous Plant Life Along the Laura Secord Legacy Trail, and an information sharing session with The Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network.
2022 Celebration of Nations Full Program: https://www.celebrationofnations.ca/2022-schedule/
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We warmly welcome interview opportunities. For more information, please contact:
Media contacts:
Mike Donachie, Communications Manager, Libro Credit Union
226-926-4068, mike.donachie@libro.ca, libro.ca/media
Jordy Yack, Communications Coordinator, FirstOntario PAC
905-688-5601 x3614, jyack@firstontariopac.ca, www.firstontariopac.ca
Libro Credit Union
Libro Credit Union is a full-service financial institution serving more than 108,000 member-Owners through a network of digital service and 36 physical locations. As a trusted financial partner for more than 75 years, our passionate staff and commitment to our communities sets Libro apart.
Libro invests 100% of profits back into the people, businesses, and communities we serve. One of the ways we do this is by supporting organizations that are making a positive local impact helping to address some of the most challenging issues in southwestern Ontario in Employment, Financial Resilience, Local Food Accessibility and Housing. Libro is also proudly committed to making positive social and environmental impact as a certified B Corporation®, as an associate member of the Responsible Investment Association, and as Living Wage employer. To learn about becoming an Owner and what it means to bank with purpose, visit libro.ca.
Celebration of Nations
Celebration of Nations is part of a long-term vision of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Kakekalanicks and the City of St. Catharines. Now entering its 6th year, Celebration of Nations aims to build on the Two Row Wampum that promotes all Nations walking together, in parallel, with respect, compassion and understanding to cultivate an inclusive community for our shared future. It is intended to provide opportunities for national and international visitors to actively participate in an inclusive and engaging community gathering that will foster a greater sense of belonging, support meaningful reconciliation, and leave a lasting legacy of goodwill for future generations.
Kakekalanicks’ mission is to promote Indigenous art and artists to broad-based audiences and acts to educate the public about the deep-rooted beauty and uniqueness of each Nation’s culture, heritage and traditions through the medium of the arts.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000 square foot cultural complex comprised of four state-of-the-art performance venues and an outdoor space located downtown St. Catharines, Ontario on the shared traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and many other Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. The PAC hosts a signature presentation series of international and local performing artists and plays a vital role in the renaissance of downtown St. Catharines, serving as the catalyst in modernizing the area and reinforcing the brilliance of Niagara region’s diverse cultural cluster. The PAC aims to provide meaningful opportunities to bring our community together in a place of mutual understanding, empathy and respect through the arts.