First ever Mississauga Nation joint pow wow held in Celebration Square

The Mississauga Nation holds its first-ever joint pow wow in the City of Mississauga.

The Michi Sagiig – We Are All United Pow Wow comes to Celebration Square in Mississauga on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Wednesday, June 21 from noon to 4 p.m.

The event is a joint effort from the Mississauga Nation including Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Mississauga First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, said Councillor Veronica King-Jamieson, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, at the General Committee meeting on May 24.

“We talked about having a celebration within our territory,” King-Jamieson said.

The suggestion came to have a pow wow in the City of Mississauga, which takes its name from Michi Sagiig.

Michi Sagiig is an Ojibwa word meaning people of the water or “the people of the big river mouths.”

“Colonizers couldn’t properly pronounce Michi Sagiig and couldn’t be bothered, it just became Mississauga,” said John Dunlop, manager of Indigenous Relations for the City of Mississauga.

The pow wow will include traditional singing and dancing.

Those unfamiliar with the traditional event can review Pow Wow Etiquette. Etiquette includes referring to pow wow dancer’s clothing as regalia, not a costume, respecting elders and checking with organizers before taking photos or video.

The Indigenous Day celebration will continue in the evening in Celebration Square with live performances, food, activities and Indigenous art.

People can paint with the Moccasin Identifier Project and learn more about Indigenous heritage and historical moccasin designs from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

There will be a crayon colouring corner where kids can learn more about Indigenous languages spoken across Turtle island, featuring fun artwork created by Indigenous artists, also from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The biggest artists from across Turtle Island will take the stage, including folk-pop powerhouse DeeDee Austin, hip hop sensation MR. SAUGA, and headliner by the Godfather of Pow Wow Step, DJ Shub.

Here is the event schedule:

• Noon to 4 p.m.: Miichi Sagiig Anishinaabe United Pow Wow
• 4 p.m. : Short Films on the Screens: Generational Legacies presented by ImagineNATIVE
• 6 p.m.: Lisa Odjig, World Champion Hoop Dancer
• 6:15 p.m.: Classic Roots, electronica and Pow Wow techno DJ
• 6:40 p.m.:  Official Ceremony, featuring Manitou Mkwa Singers
• 7:15 p.m.: DeeDee Austin, award-winning pop singer/songwriter
• 8 p.m.: MR. SAUGA, hip hop artist/producer
• 8:30 p.m.: DJ Shub presents War Club Live, 2022 JUNO Award Winner for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year

For more information, see the City of Mississauga event page.