窪蹋勛圖厙

 

A fulfilling feast

Indigenous Student Centre's Friday tradition brings people together

- March 21, 2018

Moose meat minestrone soup, served at a recent Friday Feast at the Indigenous Student Centre. (Travis Devonport photos)
Moose meat minestrone soup, served at a recent Friday Feast at the Indigenous Student Centre. (Travis Devonport photos)

On the last Friday of every month a group of Indigenous students and staff gather in Dalhousies Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) to participate in a Friday Feast. Its a time in their busy schedules for them to come together, share a home-cooked meal inspired by traditional Indigenous cuisine, and unwind.

As its new location on Edward Street undergoes renovations, the ISC has been temporarily relocated to 1399 Seymour Street, just behind the Dal Arts Centre. While the temporary spot is smaller, it provides a cozy place for the students to gather in a room filled with Indigenous art.

A place to gather


At a recent Friday Feast, the food on the menu was a moose meat minestrone soup and a crowd favourite, traditional Bannock bread.

Its hard to cook and you cant get it anywhere else, says Angel Moore, an Indigenous student at Kings College and writing tutor at the ISC. It illustrates one of the reasons why the Friday Feast is important to the people who attend: delicious food that gives Indigenous students a bit of a feeling of home but cant find anywhere else on campus (or in the city, often). Angel hadnt had Bannock since coming back to school last year as a mature student.



Michele Graveline, the Indigenous Student Advisor, says the Friday Feasts are generally reserved for Indigenous students, stressing the importance of them having a safe space to gather.

窪蹋勛圖厙is working to make more safe spaces for Indigenous persons, but were still living in a colonialized time and 窪蹋勛圖厙is a colonial institution, so the Friday Feasts can be an important element for Indigenous students well-being, she says.

Forging connections


The gatherings are also opportunities for the students to meet and talk with other Indigenous students. The conversations range from the simple day-to-day aspects of being students, to Indigenous knowledge and culture. With Cree, M矇tis, Inuit, and Mikmaq represented at a recent Friday Feast, it helps students discover shared experiences as well as unique perspectives.

Michele is from a different area than myself, says Adeline Urban, from Horse Lake First Nation in Alberta. She can share different [Indigenous] knowledge than I can.



Traditionally, feasting has been a way to share the bounty with others, to celebrate, to honour community members and ancestors, as part of ceremonies, and to take care of important business, says Michele. It was a natural decision to begin hosting Friday Feasts at the ISC.

The Indigenous Student Centre, and the Friday Feasts in particular, act as a home away from home for the students there. Theyre able to find a support systemwhether its to help deal with university life, their personal lives, or connecting with their heritage.

I dont feel as homesick when Im there, says Angel. It feels like Im with family. Its comforting.

For more information on the Indigenous Student Centre and its Friday Feasts, .