Building bridges between all communities
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/323637
JUNE 2014 • PAGE 3 From the Winnipeg main stage, the bold and beautiful Mi- chelle Thrush of Blackstone will team up with Derek Miller and his "Mohawk swagger" to co-host the Aboriginal Day Live concert. Artists scheduled to perform include Leon- ard Sumner, LightningCloud, Mike Bone, Murray Porter and Friends, Nelson Tagoona, and Yvonne St. Germaine. Who's the headliner? Well, it's none other than Billy Ray Cyrus! Get ready for his widely popular country sound! Why Billy Ray Cyrus? His choice speaks to the crossover and mass appeal that is the natural evolution of the celebration. This year marks the first time ever the event falls on Na- tional Aboriginal Day, and it's the eighth year APTN presents Aboriginal Day Live & Celebration in Canada. The next time this happens it'll be 2025! We're hoping to top last year's event that had over one million people tune in to the LIVE broadcast of the Aboriginal Day Live concert via on-air, online and radio across Canada and internationally. If you live in and around Winnipeg, APTN invites you to come on down to The Forks for Aboriginal Day Live & Celebration. The event is FREE and is a jam-packed day of cultural activities. The celebrations start at 11:00 a.m. Remember,you don't need a ticket, just show up at The Forks. Don't forget, there's a twin stage in another part of the country and this year the network travels east to Halifax. We've even invited Manitoba's own fiddle prodigy Sierra Noble to join the Halifax celebration. She'll be onstage with East Coast fiddle master Ashley MacIsaac for a one-off col- laboration during the Aboriginal Day Live concert. Previous locations included Yellowknife, Whitehorse, Ot- tawa, Regina and Iqaluit. Last year, new additions were in- troduced and they're all back. The Skateboard Park & Competition brought to you by RHYTHM 104.7 FM returns. On-air personalities will broadcast LIVE, and the ramps will be off the hook. Drop by to learn tricks from local skaters or watch the demo. You can even participate in a competition and end up walking away with some amazing prizes! The First Nations, Inuit and Métis Stages at the Celebration Village were also overwhelmingly popular. To honour our East Coast family and friends, you can experience the culture and traditions of the Mi'kmaq nation from Nova Scotia. There'll also be the Aboriginal Day Competi- tion Pow Wow brought to you by Manito Ahbee Festival. Be sure to stay for Aboriginal Day Live starting at 8:00 p.m. Even if you can't make it down for the day's activities, come down for the concert. Don't forget your lawn chair or blanket if you feel like having a seat. You may want to plan on com- ing down early this year. The headliner is a big one and may surprise some of you. When you're at the show, you can also be part of the Ab- original Day Live & Celebration social media team. Wheth- er it be on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or Instagram, you are invited to share pictures and posts via your mobile device. You might even have your photo or tweet added to our LIVE broadcast of Aboriginal Day Live. And to think it all started in a small park outside the offices of the network. The first Aboriginal Day Live & Celebration was a one-hour concert featuring "Fiddle Master" Donny Parenteau, the Asham Stompers, champion hoop dancer Lisa Odjig, JUNO award winner Leela Gilday, Nunavut's own Lucie Idlout, Dead Indians and the internationally renowned C-Weed Band. The hosts were Cheryl McKenzie of APTN National News and radio personality Ray St. Germain. Aboriginal Day Live airs Saturday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m. CT on APTN and APTN HD. For more information on Aboriginal Day Live & Celebra- tion, check out: aboriginaldaylive.com! Sheldon McRae, APTN Communications Coordinator Aptn celebrates AboriginAl DAY live: sAturDAY, June 21! APTN will mark Aboriginal Day with the largest celebration of its kind in the nation. Michelle Thrush