Town commits up to $65,000 to Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow for 2025

LAURIE WEIR

After the cancellation of this year’s Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow in Smiths Falls, the town council has committed to invest up to $65,000 to host this cultural event in 2025.

They’ve also issued an apology to the Algonquin people.

Smiths Falls sits on the ancestral and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.

Mayor Shawn Pankow expressed “extreme gratitude to Josée for meeting with us and enabling a pathway to the pow wow for 2025.”

Pankow said they recognize how “meaningful the pow wow is.”

At the same time, “we need to acknowledge that we’ve made some mistakes along the way and I think those mistakes did create some unfortunate feelings within members of the pow wow committee … we let down a lot of the performers, the dancers, the drummers, participants, the vendors, who expected the pow wow to go ahead.”

The mayor said further the Smiths Falls and District Collegiate Institute’s (SFDCI) Indigenous Studies students “poured their hearts and souls into making sure this could happen in years past. In many ways, we failed to ensure it happened. The positive part is that we can ensure that it happens again in 2025.

Pankow noted that a social media post by the town earlier this year indicated that the cancellation was “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

“Sometimes communication that’s expressed is received differently than it’s intended,” Pankow said, as it may have looked like it was blamed on the partners. I don’t think that was the intention, but that was the reality that was felt by some of our partners.”

As an organization, Pankow said, “We do make mistakes, but it’s important that we acknowledge that, we learn from that, we grow from that and we do what we can to reconcile that for the future.”

The mayor said Josée’s involvement has been “extremely meaningful, and her commitment to helping us bring the pow wow back is deeply appreciated.”

Pankow said he knows this is “an important act of reconciliation for our community, the municipality, and the broader community and is an opportunity for celebration in ways that we otherwise could not do.”

It’s important that the town make the financial commitment now so they can move forward with this cultural event for 2025, the mayor said.

Josée is an Algonquin First Nations from Pikwakanagan. She is “just an individual” in this story, she said, on Aug. 1, when she asked that we use only her first name.

She and Paul Merredew of the Indigenous Education Department of the UCDSB and a teacher at SFDCI, have been working with four committee planners on the pow wow over the years.

“This has been an ongoing collaboration since 2016,” she said. “The Town of Smiths Falls are the funders along with the school board, and we’ve had some other sponsors.”

The involvement of a First Nations party, she said, is only herself. “I’m an individual entity. I don’t represent my First Nations. I don’t work for the Algonquins of Pikwaknagan.”

Regarding the town’s apology, Josée said the town is “taking steps in reconcilli-ACTION, to reach out to appropriate parties in the area – recognizing that Smiths Falls sits on the unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin people.”

To reach out to an Algonquin individual, Josée said that would be the “authentic way to start a collaboration. It started small in 2016 and has gotten bigger each year.”

It all worked out in the end, she said, “so it will be proceeding next year.”

When asked about the town’s apology, Josée said, “It was the right thing to do … the result is positive.”

It’s a stronger connection and “more of a cognizance amongst the council ensuring the sustainability of this pow wow.”

In a media release this week, the Town of Smiths Falls stated that it is keen to ensure that the Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow returns stronger than ever in 2025.

“We thank the community for their understanding and patience as we navigate this process. The Town of Smiths Falls remains committed to reconciliation, cultural celebration, and community engagement. By resolution of Council on July 22nd, 2024, the Town of Smiths Falls committed the funding required in the 2025 budget to ensure the return of the Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow to our community next year. We are grateful to our partners, and are looking forward to working together to create a vibrant and inclusive event next June.”

FINANCIALS

“The budget in all previous years was $50,000,” for this pow wow, Pankow told this publication on Aug. 1. “Understanding costs have increased, council committed to an upside limit of $65,000, expecting pow wow partners, Parks Canada and the Upper Canada District School Board will continue with their previous commitments of $5,000 and $10,000 respectively.”

The Smiths Falls Police Services Board has also committed $5,000 from its “Proceeds of Crime” purse, the mayor stated during a regular committee meeting on July 22.

“With plenty of lead time, the town will also be pursuing grant opportunities and possibly additional sources of revenue,” Pankow said.

Since that July 22 apology and funding announcement at council, the mayor said he’s heard nothing but positive feedback. “I believe the community is eager to once again participate in The Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow in 2025,” he said.

Stephanie Clark, the town’s director of community services, said the pre-approved budget amount of $65,000 was a “reasonable number” to execute the pow wow for 2025.

“We wanted to make sure we did it right and we’re committing wholly and wholeheartedly to ensuring that it comes back in 2025,” she said during the meeting.

Coun. Peter McKenna said $65,000 was the “top end” of the funding amount for this event and if other grant opportunities come through during the next year, “and our other partners step up it could be much less.”