A place to gather
by Lisa Hale ~ September 25th, 2010. Filed under: Vancouver East.“Hey girlfriend!” said Michael Harris to a woman seated in the front row. Both laughed, clearly pleased to see each other.
Around the room, a similar scene played itself out as new people entered the large gymnasium at Vancouver’s Aboriginal Friendship Centre. Every Wednesday is West Coast night at the centre, with a different First Nation hosting the evening.
The room was set up with plastic chairs arranged in rows surrounding a large open space in the centre of the gym. Music played over a crackling loudspeaker hanging from the ceiling. Along the walls, stands were set up with jewelry and crafts for sale. A large booth in the corner was piled high with t-shirts and baseball hats with dazzling metallic patterns. Near the door, pamphlets and a poster board provided information on the Helping Spirit Lodge Society, an organization that works to prevent violence in the community.
Along the wall closest to the gym’s door two women were kept busy selling golden rounds of bannock, fruit salad and lemon meringue pie. Large jars of peanut butter and jam were lined up on the table, ready to be spread on the homemade bannock.
This week no specific nation hosted, so the event became an open mic night. Harris, one of three masters of ceremonies for the evening, told jokes and short stories to warm up the crowd. He then gave a warm welcome to newcomers to the event. He also greeted regulars, pointing out well-known artists and groups of people from different Aboriginal communities in the crowd. He urged all those in attendance to bring family members who might be visiting Vancouver to West Coast night. Harris then invited anyone with a drum to come up and sing.
Soon people started filtering to the front to join in traditional songs from the Kwakwaka’wakw and other nations. In the crowd, some listened to the music while others chatted in small groups. Children ran around the edges of the gym, playing tag and laughing. In the front row, a little girl who seemed to have just started walking bounced unsteadily to the music. She wandered closer to the singers clapping her hands, a huge grin on her face.
