A round dance, organized by the Friendship Centre in Meadow Lake, will take place in February. (file photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Community gathering

ML round dance aims to promote healthy relations

Jan 20, 2023 | 7:43 AM

North West Friendship Centre in Meadow Lake is looking forward to a special event coming up, called the Healthy Relations Round Dance.

The gathering will take place at the Meadow Lake Civic Centre, Feb. 11, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., and includes soup and bannock, and a bagged lunch.

The event is open to the community of Meadow Lake and area.

The Friendship Centre’s youth mentor, Justin Bear, said the gathering is for all ages. Both Indigenous and non Indigenous people are welcome to attend.

“It’s open to everyone,” he said. “I would love to see all sorts of different people there. It’s about coming together, regardless of who they are, or what our backgrounds are.”

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Bear noted the community’s youth will be involved in the celebration as well.

“The youth will be a large aspect of it,” he said. “They will be helping out. And, six youth will be honoured at the round dance.”

The event is called the Healthy Relations Round Dance since it aims to promote the importance of nurturing positive relations with one another, based on harmony, kindness and mutual respect.

The theme “Healthy Relations” also seemed fitting as the event takes place the weekend before Valentine’s Day, when people often celebrate with those they love, whether that’s a romantic partner, loved ones in their family, or friends they care about and admire.

“Indigenous people, we base a lot of our proactive healthy, holistic lifestyles off of the medicine wheel,” Bear said. “We practice the different aspects that go with that.”

Honouring the teachings of the traditional medicine wheel in Indigenous culture, the aim is to promote wellness in all aspects of people’s relations, both personally and with one another, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, to live a good life.

A number of local resource groups will have booths at the round dance for people looking for information or support services, whether that’s help with family or personal matters, or anything else.

People attending the event are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item and other donations to benefit the local food bank – the Meadow Lake Door of Hope.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @meadowlakenow