UTM’s first All-Nations Powwow attracts an estimated 1,500 guests and performers

Kate Martin

Monday, March 27, 2023 - 15:05

Main News

Indigenous dancers perform at the All-Nations Powwow, held on the UTM Campus

Dancers at the inaugural All-Nations Powwow, hosted by the U of T Mississauga Indigenous Centre and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, in the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre at UTM.

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

An estimated 1,500 visitors turned out to University of Toronto Mississauga on March 25 for the campus’ inaugural All-Nations Powwow. The event was co-hosted by U of T Mississauga's Indigenous Centre and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN).

Various performances at the All-Nations Powwow, hosted on the UTM campus — (Photos by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“It doesn’t just take one person; it actually takes an entire community to really bring this to fruition and make this successful,” Tee Duke, Director, UTM Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII-UTM) told local media.

“We are a very small team here, a tiny office, but it really did take the entire UTM community to bring this entire event to success.”

Centered in the RAWC, the day included a full program of traditional singing and dancing, spotlighting a Grand Entry ceremony as well as intertribal, spot, jingle dress and exhibition dances.

In addition to performances, the Powwow also featured a busy marketplace of Indigenous-owned businesses with products including apparel, artwork, jewelry and food items, as well as booths sharing information from Indigenous community groups and U of T services.

Various performances, speakers and attendees at the All-Nations Powwow, hosted on the UTM campus — (Photos by Nick Iwanyshyn)

When the OII-UTM first opened last year, Duke named hosting the Powwow as a priority, as part of the campus’s ongoing commitment to meet the recommendations U of T’s Truth and Reconciliation Steering Committee Report, Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin.