Grand Opening Ceremony Agenda
Thursday, September 6, 2007
8:00 - 9:45 am Registration
Coffee and breakfast on own in Oji Cree Fine Dining Restaurant. All Events to 7:00 pm Staged at Pow Wow Grounds, North side of Feather Building
10:00 am Welcome
Diane Andrews, President (Acting) Eagle's Earth Cree and Ojibway Historical Centre
10:00 am Elders Prayer, Edgar Sutherland
Cree version of "O Canada" by the Mamawmatawa Holistic Education Choir
Ojibway version of "O Canada" by Roberta Wesley
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Concurrent Session Arts and Crafts Workshops, Feather Building Theater
10:05 - 10:15 am
Smudging ceremony with John Sutherland, Traditionalist
10:15 - 10:30 am
Water Ceremony and Overview of Aboriginal Spirituality; smudge, fire keeper ...
Elizabeth Moore, Administrative Assistant Eagle's Earth
10:30 - 11:00 am
Pipe ceremony, Steve Miller, Traditionalist and Pipe Carrier
11:00 - 11:10 am
Hand Drummers - Opening song Sunrise Singers, and Sisters of the Eagle
11:10 - 11:20 am Brief History of Eagles Earth Project
Elizabeth Moore, Administrative Assistant, Eagle's Earth
11:20 - 11:50 am Opening Remarks and Introduction to Keynote Speakers
Guy Lamarche, Director of Operations, Eagle's Earth
Chief Arthur Moore
Grand Chief Stan Beardy, Nishnawbe Aski Nation
David Paul Achneepineskum - Matawa First Nation
Leigh Jessen, Associate Regional Director General, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Louise Paquette, Director General, FedNor
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Presentation of Thank You Gifts presented by Diane Andrews and Elizabeth Moore
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Lunch on own at vendor stands or Oji Cree Fine Dining
Restaurant and self guided tour of Eagle's Earth site
2:00 - 2:15 pm Gather in Arbour
Constance Lake First Nation Fashion Show
2:15 - 2:30 pm Pow Wow begins : Grand Entry
2:30 - 4:30 pm Pow Wow
4:30 - 5:15 pm DeRick Starlight Stand up comedy show
5:15 - 7:00pm Pow Wow continues
7:00 - 7:05 pm Closing Remarks, Diane Andrews
7:00 - 8:00 pm Self Guided Tour Eagle Earth
8 pm Eagles Earth Closes for the night
Aboriginal Tourism Project History
A Great Flame has Risen - it is Eagle's Earth
Four centuries ago, newcomers to our land incurred disastrous results upon our continuity of existence; an existence older than recorded history itself. Our stories, our values, our very culture were almost obliterated. Entire generations grew up forbidden to learn and live our heritage and traditions. It is only now, twenty generations later that the embers of our Cree and Ojibway cultures are beginning to burn brightly once more.
Eagle's Earth is a great tribute to the strength and ingenuity of our ancestors-individuals who fashioned plants into nets, created clothing from hides, preserved fish and game, harvested nature's bounty, constructed shelters, and developed a community dynamic, a way of life that lasted for hundreds of generations.
Eagle's Earth offers you a unique opportunity to experience first-hand life as it was 7,000 years ago-well in advance of European contact and influence with our people, one of the oldest Aboriginal groups still active today. Eagle's Earth is an authentic and unique experience never yet offered, residing in one of the most beautiful and rugged areas in North America.
Immerse yourself in our culture, commune with nature and learn the ways of our great people. Eagle's Earth is a tribute to our past and a celebration of our future and we invite you to be a part of it. A great flame has risen - it is Eagle's Earth.
Chief's Message
Welcome to Eagle's Earth Cree and Ojibway Historical Centre, and thank you for joining us for this great celebration. Eagle's Earth is a diverse and largely undocumented way of life, of history and prehistory of our First Nations in our area and we are excited to share all of it with you.
The Centre is an authentic, world-class destination. We are proud in celebrating Eagle's Earth's unique opportunity to express our living culture, by telling the untold stories of the past through the voices, the eyes and from the heart of our First Nations people.
We lived through these stories and welcome you to join us in the journey of the development of this project with the people of Constance Lake First Nation. We will strive to make your stay at Eagle's Earth enjoyable; we are committed to success and to deliver that success to our guests.
Eagle's Earth is a place for people with the same mind; a people place, a meeting place, a place which will leave you at peace. We invite you to experience the wilderness, the adventure, the knowledge and the vibrant culture. Treat your mind, your heart and your soul to the experience of a lifetime.
Kitchi Meegwetch!
Constance Lake First Nation
Chief Arthur Moore
Director's Message
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Eagle's Earth Cree and Ojibway Historical Centre. We are honoured that you have chosen to take part in this authentic Aboriginal tourism experience, and to celebrate with us the official opening of this incredible place.
Since opening to visitors, Eagle's Earth has quickly become one of the largest, most comprehensive Aboriginal tourism sites in Canada. Our representation of pre-contact Aboriginal culture, customs and traditions differentiate us from all other Aboriginal tourism experiences in North America, which generally focus on the post-contact (with the Europeans) era. Eagle's Earth has broad appeal for people from the world over.
I will strive to make Eagle's Earth the premier Canadian Aboriginal destination and I can assure you that customer service values-exemplified by industry best practices-are the guiding principal of this magnificent development. I urge you to immerse yourself in the Eagle's Earth experience, to live as we lived, to learn, and to take away with you the strength, peace and love of our people, and to share it with the world.
Eagle's Earth is truly a testament to small communities having big dreams and, just as importantly, to their will and burning passion to see these dreams become reality.
Meegwetch!
Guy Lamarche
Director, Operations, Marketing and Sales
Eagle's Earth Cree and Ojibway Historical Centre
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