It was a day to showcase aboriginal culture and price in a place that’s been bringing people together for decades.
Cabot Square was the venue for International Indigenous Day celebrations Sunday afternoon.
After being closed for renovations for about a year, forcing many homeless and aboriginal people out of their meeting place, the square reopened earlier this summer.
“For the last thirty years, [it’s been] a meeting place for aboriginal people to see one another, speak to relatives, because a lot of people came away from their communities,” said Nakuset, executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.
There was soapstone carving, throat singing and more on display at the event.
Activities held at the revamped Cabot Square have gone very well, said Rachel Deutsch, Cabot Square project manager, and the space is home to different ways to support Montreal’s indigenous people.
“We’ve been able to employ Aboriginal people to work in the cafe, several of them are at risk of homelessness, we also have two outreach workers out here in the park who have an office.
Another part of the program is working with the city’s police to make sure needs are met.
“We already started in some stations we went in and we did a sensitivity information session and we talked about the realities up north and the ones they live here,” said Carlo Deangelis, aboriginal liaison officer.
But the partnership with police and the set up in the park is only the beginning.
“There’s still a lot more work to be done. In terms of the collaboration we have to have another meeting we have to develop this protocol for murdered and missing women, we have to develop the training and then we have to implement it,” Nakuset said.
