Celebration Stage: Saturday Daytime

10:00AM | MÉTIS JIG PERFORMANCE – PRAIRIE FIRE
Prairie Fire is a fun family dance group that started out as Jaime and the Jiglets with their mother, artist Jaime Koebel. Prairie Fire is a lively and interactive group that also aims to teach audiences about Métis culture and the joy of the jig.

10:30AM | NIEGO AASIVAK INUIT THROAT SINGERS
Tracy Sarazin and Kendra Tagoona have over twenty years of performing Inuit throat singing. Inuit throat singing is an Inuit tradition practiced by Inuit women as a game and a friendly competition. Throat singing mimics sounds from the Arctic environment, such as the river and the wind. Throat singing starts with one person making a sound and then the next person repeats this sound immediately after. The leader switches the sound and the rhythm in an attempt to make the follower make a mistake. Tracy and Kendra enjoy sharing the beauty of Inuit culture with national and international audiences. Friends taught them how to throat sing when they were in their early 20s. They wanted to learn to help revitalize this practice which was almost lost due to colonization practices. Now they enjoy performing to promote reconciliation and share Inuit culture.

11:00AM | WORLD CHAMPION HOOP DANCER SCOTT SINQUAH
Scott Sixkiller Sinquah is proud to represent the Gila River Pima, Hopi/Tewa, Cherokee, and Choctaw Nations. Coming from the southwest in Arizona, he is a two-time and the current World Hoop Dance Champion. Scott has been fortunate to travel and share the Hoop Dance all across Turtle Island, as well as overseas into the United Kingdom, and Europe. Sharing his passion for Indigenous culture through song and dance, Scott’s main goal is to bring joy to your hearts and spread healing through this Hoop Dance.

11:30AM | FIDDLEGROUND WITH MÉTIS DANCER BRAD LAFORTUNE
Brad Lafortune is Métis originally from Sudbury, Ontario. Brad began jigging at a young age and started providing workshops and performances in 2009 upon moving to Ottawa. Brad studied at the University of Ottawa where he received his Bachelor of Science followed by a Master’s of Physiotherapy. Brad enjoys combining his passion for physical activity and wellbeing with a deep love and understanding of his culture. Brad believes jigging is an interactive way to physically engage individuals of any age, all the while learning about the intricacies of Métis culture.

1:30PM | MÉTIS JIG PERFORMANCE – PRAIRIE FIRE
Prairie Fire is a fun family dance group that started out as Jaime and the Jiglets with their mother, artist Jaime Koebel. Prairie Fire is a lively and interactive group that also aims to teach audiences about Métis culture and the joy of the jig.

2:00PM | NIEGO AASIVAK INUIT THROAT SINGERS
Tracy Sarazin and Kendra Tagoona have over twenty years of performing Inuit throat singing. Inuit throat singing is an Inuit tradition practiced by Inuit women as a game and a friendly competition. Throat singing mimics sounds from the Arctic environment, such as the river and the wind. Throat singing starts with one person making a sound and then the next person repeats this sound immediately after. The leader switches the sound and the rhythm in an attempt to make the follower make a mistake. Tracy and Kendra enjoy sharing the beauty of Inuit culture with national and international audiences. Friends taught them how to throat sing when they were in their early 20s. They wanted to learn to help revitalize this practice which was almost lost due to colonization practices. Now they enjoy performing to promote reconciliation and share Inuit culture.

2:30PM | INUIT GAMES
Born in St. John’s, NL, raised in Ottawa, ON, Aalla (Stranger) has spent more than a decade demonstrating and teaching traditional Inuit games. If your child attends school in Ottawa, it’s more than likely that Stranger has taught their class about the Inuit culture. Aalla will be joined by his son, who has inherited his father’s passion for teaching games to anyone who is willing to learn.