On June 22, over 100 Pontiac residents gathered at the corner of rue Levèsque and chemin de la Chute in Mansfield et Pontefract to celebrate their Indigenous roots on National Aboriginal Day.

Hosted by the Pontiac Native Community, the event served as an opportunity for locals to celebrate their aboriginal heritage with live entertainment and delicious food and good people while raising funds for the town’s retirement facility Manoir Sacre-Coeur.

As part of the town’s 10th annual Indigenous celebration, the event consisted of a get together inviting people to roam from one tent to another, to socialize while jamming to some good tunes.

According to the organization’s Chief Richard Levèsque, representants from four different Native tribes attended the event, which made it feel even more special.

For Levèsque, the event is an important one for the community as a large portion of the locals have at least some sort of tie to Indigenous Canadian tribes.

“The people here from Fort Coulonge to Mansfield are about 80 per cent Metis,” he said. “So, they love it when we do that.”

Throughout the entirety of the event, a sacred fire emanated smoke from a fire pit – a common tradition practiced by Indigenous tribes all over the world, Levèsque said.

“We burn that all day, until we close,” he said.

To keep the folks entertained, number of musicians were on hand, including local one-man-show Nelson Levèsque as well as six Indigenous drummers providing rhythm and a sense of cultural authenticity to the event.

With a barbecue set-up, volunteers doled out hot dogs and hamburgers as well as cold beverages to keep the locals happy and their hungers satisfied.

A small number of vendors were on site as well selling all sorts of cool stuff from ancient artifacts, native artwork and even soaps and bath bombs.

With well over 100 people attending Saturday’s festivities and not a single cloud in the sky, Levèsque was very satisfied with how the celebration turned out calling it a successful event.

All proceeds from the event are dedicated towards the local seniors’ home, Levèsque said.

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