Libro Credit Union local lead sponsor for national event: Drums Across Canada
All Indigenous Peoples and Allies are invited to join in this powerful, unifying message to close the 5th annual Celebration of Nations.
September 9, 2021
LONDON, ONTARIO – Libro Credit Union is the local sponsor for a powerful program called Drums Across Canada, the closing program of the 5th annual Celebration of Nations and an event designed to bridge our country together in unity, love and healing.
A call and response of healing drum circles will be streaming live on Facebook and circulating nationwide. Starting in downtown St. Catharines in the backyard of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, the drum will be shared with three anchor drum circles in Saint John, New Brunswick; London, Ontario; and Nanaimo, British Columbia.
All are welcome to attend the London healing drum circle at Victoria Park (580 Clarence St.) at 4pm on Sunday, September 12, 2021.
Celebration of Nations Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett is behind this years’ inaugural Drums Across Canada program.
“Done in the traditional Call and Response, we will drum for the children’s spirits who never made it home, for our ancestors who walk along our side, our matriarchs, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People (MMIWG2S), the natural world and all our children’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren still unborn,” said Michele-Elise Burnett. “The message will echo unity, peace, respect and friendship in order to forge a new paradigm shift needed to create transformative and sustainable change for the next 7 Generations. We need to be great Ancestors.”
Brenda MacIntyre (Medicine Song Woman) along with Kim-meh (White Eagle Spirit Star Woman) and the Warrior Womyn of Positive Drum will lead the drum circle in London, Ontario from Victoria Park. The Call and Response will culminate with a sharing of Strong Woman Song by all communities.
“This is an invitation to gather our minds together as one, send out strength with love and compassion. Drum, sing and dance in your living room, your backyard, with friends, family, at community centres, in the forest,” Burnett added. “The importance is that we all drum together to raise the vibrational healing frequencies and vibrations which are much needed today. We encourage you to share our call far and wide so we can create transformable and healthy change!”
Libro Credit Union is the biggest credit union in southwestern Ontario and has a growing and important commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous communities across southwestern Ontario is an important part of this.
“We are encouraging everyone, including our staff, Board of Directors, Owner Representatives, customer-Owners and the general public to join us as we listen, learn and reflect,” said Steve Bolton, Libro’s President and CEO. “At Libro, we use our business as a force for good and listen to what matters to the communities we serve and the people within them. When we pool our resources and use our collective voices to support change, we will all be better off together.”
Drums Across Canada is the vision of Celebration of Nations Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett (Métis/ Algonquin Bear Clan) and collaborators Angela DeMontigny (Cree/ Métis), Audra Sewell Malone (Mi’kmaw) and Erin Moraghan (Settler).
Drums Across Canada is organized by Celebration of Nations and is the signature closing program of the 5th annual Celebration of Nations Indigenous Arts Gathering. Celebration of Nations was created as an opportunity for local, national, and international visitors to actively participate in an inclusive and engaging community gathering to foster a greater sense of belonging, support of meaningful reconciliation, and engender a lasting legacy of goodwill. The 2020 virtual edition attracted more than 36,000 viewers from across the globe and the 2021 edition will feature a diverse program of live, in-person and virtual events.
A pop-up Drum Circle toolkit has been developed to connect other healing drum circles. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtags #DrumsAcrossCanada and #CelebrationofNations to connect messages, videos and photos from their pop-up circles across the county.
Drums Across Canada Toolkit:
https://mcusercontent.com/2ece73e4f1b247c5b990b8db2/files/0f626537-da1d-6ae9-63cf-bdaa8cd185ea/Toolkit_Drums_Across_Canada.pdf
2021 Celebration of Nations Full Program:
https://www.celebrationofnations.ca/2021-events/
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We warmly welcome interview opportunities. For more information, please contact:
Media contacts:
Mike Donachie, Communications Manager, Libro Credit Union
226-926-4068, mike.donachie@libro.ca, libro.ca/media
Jeff Hardy, Marketing and Communications Manager, The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
jhardy@firstontariopac.ca
Brenda MacIntyre (Medicine Song Woman) – downloage image
Warrior Womyn of Positive Drum – download image
Libro Credit Union
Libro Credit Union is a full-service financial institution serving more than 108,000 member-Owners through a network of digital service and 36 physical locations. As a trusted financial partner for more than 75 years, our passionate staff and commitment to our communities sets Libro apart.
Libro invests 100% of profits back into the people, businesses, and communities we serve. One of the ways we do this is by supporting organizations that are making a positive local impact helping to address some of the most challenging issues in southwestern Ontario in Employment, Financial Resilience, Local Food Accessibility and Housing. Libro is also proudly committed to making positive social and environmental impact as a certified B Corporation®, as an associate member of the Responsible Investment Association, and as Living Wage employer. To learn about becoming an Owner and what it means to bank with purpose, visit libro.ca.
Celebration of Nations
Celebration of Nations is part of a long-term vision of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Kakekalanicks and the City of St. Catharines to build on the Two Row Wampum that promotes all Nations walking together, in parallel, with respect, compassion and understanding to cultivate an inclusive community for our shared future. It is intended to provide opportunities for national and international visitors to actively participate in an inclusive and engaging community gathering that will foster a greater sense of belonging, support meaningful reconciliation, and leave a lasting legacy of goodwill for future generations.
Kakekalanicks’ mission is to promote Indigenous art and artists to broad-based audiences and acts to educate the public about the deep-rooted beauty and uniqueness of each Nation’s culture, heritage and traditions through the medium of the Arts.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is located downtown St. Catharines, Ontario on the shared traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Neutral Peoples and many other Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We offer our sincere gratitude and respect to the original and continued stewards of this land. We also acknowledge Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, and 2SLGBTQQAI+ that have been marginalized for centuries and more – and our collective responsibility to take action for a better world free from oppression, discrimination and racism. The PAC aims to provide meaningful opportunities to bring our community together in a place of mutual understanding, empathy, and respect through the arts.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000 square foot cultural complex comprised of four state-of-the-art performance venues that host a signature presentation of international and local performing artists. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre plays a vital role in the renaissance of downtown St. Catharines, serving as the catalyst in modernizing the area and reinforcing the brilliance of Niagara region’s diverse cultural cluster.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre acknowledges the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, the City of St. Catharines and our long-time partnership with Brock University for their ongoing support.