National Indigenous Peoples Day

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022 16 | NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY The Eagle Urban Transition Centre celebrates this year's National Indigenous Peoples Day with 60 First Nation youth and their families at a Goldeyes Baseball Game, an event in partnership with the AMC Jordans Principle Program. From all of us here at the Eagle Urban Transition Centre, we wish you and your loved ones an amazing Indigenous Peoples Day! "At first, the elders and the older folks weren't too happy with it because we took this traditional dance and we mixed it with modern music," he says. "Once everyone heard our reasoning for doing it, they eased up a little bit. We've been shown a lot of love. Everyone just supports it." The siblings also teach dance. "I think we've taught in every school here in Winnipeg," says Harris, who has also taught in New York, Vancouver and Toronto. "Teaching is something that I'm very passionate about because I want to take the Red River Jig to the next level. I believe that kids should be able to go into a studio and learn it. "Also, there's not a lot of Indigenous choreographers out there so it's really cool to just be out there kind of representing my people in a way." The dance has come far. "Whenever the Red River Jig comes on at a social or at a wedding and there's Métis people there, everyone's tapping their feet and jigging and it's a huge, huge party," says Mikey Harris. "That's what the dance does for people — it brings us all together." THAT'S WHAT THE DANCE DOES FOR PEOPLE — IT BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER. " " – Mikey Harris > continued from page 15 SEE THE IVAN FLETT MEMORIAL DANCERS PERFORM ON SATURDAY, JUNE 18 AT THE FORKS PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY

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