A multiculturalism event is taking place in the Quad Counties.
Mawita’nej- Multiculturalism East of the Causeway kicked off on National Indigenous Peoples Day Sunday; it wraps up on National Multiculturalism Day Saturday.
Amanda Mombourquette, one of the organizers, told The Hawk Morning Show their original plans were initially scrapped due to COVID-19, but they recently decided to go ahead anyway.
“We thought, you know what? The celebration of multiculturalism is important enough that we really should try to do something virtually,” she said. “We came together, and have put this celebration together, I would say, in less than a month online.”
Mombourquette said they felt the pandemic was all the more reason to hold the festival.
She said it’s important to carry on, because people are feeling the impact of self-isolation and physical distancing.
“It’s a real thing, and it’s really hard on people,” she said. “We thought we can tell stories of the people who are living in our back yard, and feature this rich, cultural history and the fabric of our communities in a way that can reach a lot of people.”
Mombourquette said it was also important to continue with the event given how racial tension has been building in our country and across the world recently.
She said cultures from every continent are featured on their Facebook page, which includes videos and other content, as well as a cultural discovery scavenger hunt.
Momborquette says the event is a collaboration among reps with the Potlotek First Nation and La Picasse in Richmond Co., the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, Y-Reach and the immigration department.
