Aboriginal Park

From CollabLandWiki

1 Inventory
2 History and Culture
3 Analysis
4 Program Goals
5 Existing

Inventory

Site has several random benches throughout, a few lights, a playground on the east side, a groove of trees in the northwest corner, is located right next to the Aboriginal Centre, and has good access from downtown. Rolling topography in the site creates poor drainage in area, low areas are squishy or have created small ponds.

History and Culture

Aboriginal People of Winnipeg

One in 10 Winnipeggers identified themselves as aboriginal in the 2006 census making it the largest percentage of any major city in Canada. The Métis and Inuit have seen dramatic growth of 22 per cent over five years bringing Winnipeg’s aboriginal population to 68,380.

Métis Culture and History

The Métis is a culture based on the native aboriginals adopting a new European tradition. The word Métis is derived by the French, from the Ojibwa word Wissakodewinmi which means half burnt woodsman. The term mixed blood was used in the 1800’s treaty process The Métis Culture came from the French Voyager culture along with the Indian cultures Many of the Métis worked in fur trading in the early 1800’sThey moved to south Manitoba and were encouraged to farm after the Hudson’s Bay Company no longer needed their services in an attempt to reduce expenses. They had a hard time adapting because their once adventurous life of hunting and trading was no longer their

Inuit Culture and History

The Inuit in Canada date back over 4000 years ago. The Inuit culture is very observant of the land around them. They pay close attention to the climate, landscapes, seascapes, and ecological systems; making them one with the land. They were a nomadic people until the 1940’s when they began to build permanent settlements in northern Canada. Their culture, history, and knowledge of plants and animals are passed on through oral tradition and other folklore ways. The family is at the center of Inuit culture however available resources are shared with the tribe. They have had to adopt the European way of life once settlers landed in the Americas. However, they still hold their traditions of storytelling, dance, and music as very important in today’s society.

Aboriginal Celebrations

National Aboriginal Day – June 21 Concerts, Dances, Pow Wows and Parties are held at various parks, the Forks, and downtown event centers. National Aboriginal Day provides all Canadians with an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the culture and contributions of the Inuit and Métis peoples. This celebration is held on June 21 each year, the summer solstice which is a very important cultural day. This annual celebration was first introduced in 1982 by the National Indian Brotherhood.

Manito Ahbee – October 31 to November 9 The second annual celebration welcomes the entire community. The festival offers Métis music, culture, art and dance in various top of the line venues in Winnipeg. The festival is a very popular event that attracted over 24,000 people in 2008.

References CBS News. Winnipeg has most aboriginal people in Canada. Tuesday, January 15, 2008. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/01/15/wpg-aboriginal.html Manitoba Music News. NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY 2007. June 18, 2007. http://www.manitobamusic.com/news/2308 Manito Ahbee Festival. A Festival For All Nations. http://www.manitoahbee.com/ The History of the Metis. 2007. http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=23955 Department of Indian Affairs. Inuit. March 2000. http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/info/info114_e.html

Analysis

On the timeline for the entire Point Douglas neighborhood, Abogiginal Park is one of the first sites to be worked on. The plan calls for it to be worked on and finished in 2010. When finished, one of the use plans for this park is for it to be incorperated into the Annual Aboriginal Festival.