'Culture all around': Stories and knowledge passed down at Indigenous Village
Among the hustle and bustle of the Queen City Ex in Regina this weekend, there was a man telling stories.
Roy Bison is a Lakota-Nakota Nation storyteller. He has travelled through the U.S. and Canada, learning from others and receiving knowledge passed down through generations of Indigenous culture.
Now, he teaches the lessons he’s learned through his stories and songs.
“We do this to reach people,” he said. “Our talents, through song and dance, and our language is here. There’s culture all around.”
He told stories of connections to animals, how traditional food was without sugar or salt, much different from the processed foods of today. All while singing the songs of his ancestors.
Bison’s stage was situated near the middle of the fair, a popular walkway for patrons looking to escape the heat outside. Many onlookers stopped for only a minute or two before moving along.
Although many stayed for only a short moment, Bison hoped anyone who heard his stories learned something new about his culture.
“No matter how they came, at least they got a little bit of the sound of the songs,” he said.
“We’re not forced into these ways. But we come for help in these ways. And everyone knows everything out there is in our own First Nations communities and within our homes and our language and culture.”
Bison said it’s important to learn from all people and it’s important to realize there are also connections no matter the culture or way of life.
“We must carry on our culture and way of life. We have teachers and educators in our families,” he said.
“We are all related somehow.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.