Regina's Mosiac now includes Indigenous presence
- Kaitlynn Nordal | August 01, 2019
Forget going around the world in 80 days, this year Regina residents can do it in three days at Mosaic – a popular event held annually.
This year Mosaic, which ran from May 30 to June 1st, had an Indigenous Pavilion with Piapot First Nation co-hosting the pavilion with Buffalo People Arts Institute.
This is the first time since 2015 that Mosaic has had an Indigenous Pavilion.
“We are super excited to be part of Mosaic this year,” said Rebecca BigEagle, one of two youth ambassadors. “We’ve had a lot of people tell us how exited they are to have us back at Mosaic this year.”
BigEagle was nominated to be a youth ambassador for the event by the committee after being involved with Buffalo People Arts Institute teaching beading workshops.
“It just seemed like a really good opportunity and a good way to meet new people,” she said. “I haven’t worked or been to Mosaic before so I figured this would be a really awesome way to see Mosaic for the first time.”
“As Indigenous people we have a lot to show and there’s so many different tribes even in our own communities,” said BigEagle. “We have a few diverse groups within just our own little pavilion. I think it’s important to show were not just a big group. There’s lots of different tribes. It’s good to come together and show off our culture.”
“There’s many times we come together for sad events. There’s not many events where we come together just to celebrate ourselves and so for me this an opportunity to gather people to have them sit around, talk, and eat some good food,” said Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway who was an organizer for the pavilion.
“I think in the time we are in right now we are seeing a rise of bold racist statements, events, or happenings in the community,” said BigEagle-Kequahtooway who is also a board member and co-founder of Buffalo People Arts Institute. “We need to have a presence especially at something like Mosaic which is supposed to be a celebration of diversity and celebration of cultures.”
BigEagle-Kequahtooway said she will consider the pavilion a success if it can bring the community together to sit, tell stories, visit, and watch their relatives in their performances as an old tradition.
For entertainment, the booth not only held a mini powwow but had various kinds of music from different people. Organizers served foods such as bannock burgers, Indian tacos, buffalo soup, wild rice and corn among others.
The Indigenous Peoples Pavilion was held at the Lutheran Trinity Church.