On Friday, I had an amazing experience at the Trout Lake Indigenous Day celebration. First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people would be gathering to share their stories, songs, art, dance, spirit, and indigenous diversity with the public. Five of us met at the Commercial Street Cafe and enjoyed a coffee before venturing out on an incredible journey to Trout Lake. On route, we toured through a community garden, exploring different gardening plots and gathered some great ideas! I always wanted to know what happened to the bulb of a garlic (see picture). We walked along a path that led us to a family garden which included an orchard of old and new fruit trees, mason bees, honey bees, and some lovely ripe gooseberries. Yummm! We even found a peaceful empty plot of land, wow, in the middle of the city! 
We arrived at Trout Lake just as the friendship walk parade was arriving from their journey from the Indigenous Friendship Center. The vibe was festive and welcoming! We found the Mr. Bannock Food Truck and enjoyed a flavorful piece of bannock topped with coleslaw and chicken. 
We found a nice picnic lunch spot to enjoy the Welcoming Ceremony and Opening Prayer. This was followed by an introduction to the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family and a performance by the M'Girls. Children from many schools participated in dancing and singing. We also watched the launching of the Indigenous Canoes into Trout Lake.  |
| How great is this! |
We continued our tour by walking through the First Nations market, selling local traditional crafts, such as drums, beaded jewelry, cedar weaved hats, and other amazing craftwork.
A few of us even enjoyed storytime in the teepee. This was a peaceful,warm, and amazing experience. I found the construction of the teepee quite fascinating. The canvas stretched over all the poles and was only attached on one side. This celebration would be a great field trip for students to embrace the traditions, stories, and crafts, food, and welcoming nature of the First Nations people. What a great day and fun company to enjoy with!
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