freecouch:

I said I’d post some pictures of the Hobiyee new year at some point…so here it goes! 

I’m apologizing for the poor quality of the photos in this photo set…in my cameras old age it has become quite senile (plus I’m not the best at taking pictures..)

Also I wanna thank the Coast Salish and Nisga-a people for giving us a traditional welcome into their long house so we could take part in their 2011 Lunar New Year…Hobiyee!!

I would also like to state that these pictures are theirs and the dances belong to them (when they asked people not to take pictures during certain points throughout the day I made sure to turn my camera off…many people, including community members, didn’t which I thought was kinda strange…but who am I to judge…) There was one dance that I would have loved to have shared, but they didn’t want it recorded. It was of the two tribes going to war against each other, all the young men were marching towards each other and the women were behind them chanting back and forth. It ends with the Peace Feathers being presented and both communities calling a treaty. It was really moving. 

It was so awesome to get to see something so similar to the Anishinabek culture…but so different on many levels. The song and dances will stick with me forever.