"Powwow Helps Young Regain Native Identity"

NEW CREDIT - Mississaugas of the New Credit have been stripped of their identity and culture for the past century. Leaders on the reserve recently became frustrated with the situation and now "the push is on" to educate people about their heritage.

"How do you know who you are unless you know who you were?" asked Carolyn King, the Mississaugas' community development coordinator.

She said the ways of her people were forgotten when they moved to the reserve from Port Credit in 1847. The band's Sacred Feathers Theatre Company wrote and performed a play Saturday night depicting the move.

"Peter Jones was the chief of the reserve then. He was a methodist preacher who encouraged people to take on the white man's ways in order to survive. In time, they did. They changed their dress, went to church and started speaking English. The first building constructed on this reserve was a church. Peter Jones was a strong influence and people really believed what he was doing was the right thing. Personally, I think we lost a lot."

So does Eddie Benton Banai, of a Wisconsin reserve. He helped direct the weekend ceremonies. The Mississaugas gave up their cultural identity and tribal value for European, self-centred, destructive, demoralizing values.

The second annual Three Fires Homecoming Powwow on the reserve this weekend was part of the effort to revive the band's culture.

The need to learn about the past was recognized in the reserve's community plan of 1982.

The chief of the reserve, Maurice LaForme, said he was pleased with remarks by young people during the weekend.

"Some of them told me they're trying to find themselves. and the powwow is helpful. It's quite an experience when you walk along and don't know what society you belong to. We're just finding out now that we are aboriginal people with a strong culture. We're going to continue working on that."

Mrs. King participates in the lightning of the three fires. "I realized a bit more about the ceremony. We've all got to learn a lot more."