Family Day weekend time to learn about Indigenous culture at Rondeau Provincial Park

RONDEAU – Five years ago Aamjiwnaang First Nation artist John Williams unveiled his painting titled ‘Makwa Endaad – Bears Lodge’ in the visitor center at Rondeau Provincial Park on the Saturday of the Family Day weekend.

Williams returned to the visitor center Saturday lead an art workshop that is part of the park’s Family Day Weekend – Cultural Celebration. This working relationship with the park developed from the painting he was commissioned to do.

“I was gaining some momentum” with the art workshops, Williams said before the COVID-19 pandemic came along.

He returned to in-person workshops at Rondeau Provincial Park last Labor Day weekend and then again on the last Thanksgiving Day weekend.

“I like that hands-on part of it,” Williams said.

He can assist if someone needs a little guidance, he added.

Along with having a work of art to take home, Williams said, “It’s about sharing your culture and highlighting the season.”

On Saturday, the project was a winter bird theme featuring a cardinal with the bright sun as a backdrop.

“I like to keep it seasonal,” Williams said, adding past artwork shops have featured dragonflies and butterflies as well as a pumpkin.

Jess Matthews, chief park naturalist at Rondeau, said about six years ago “as we looked around the visitor center we realized there wasn’t any Indigenous content, so we wanted to improve that.”

She said the park reached out to the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community and Williams was recommended as a great artist, so he was invited to Rondeau to look at the space in the visitor centre.

“That’s where Makwa Endaad – Bears Lodge painting came from,” Matthews said.

The Williams workshops leads have become very popular.

Typically when a workshop by Williams is posted on the park’s social media accounts, it is usually booked up the same day, Matthews said, adding there is limited space.

Nine-year-old Jolene Wood took the initiative to register her and her mother Jennifer Richmond for the artwork shop Williams held last Thanksgiving weekend.

They were back for the Family Day workshop.

“I like art, I like drawing and I like painting,” Jolene said. “So, I thought I would try it and I like it.”

The budding artist did so well with the pumpkin, featuring a crow and moon, at the Thanksgiving workshop she won Williams original painting as a prize.

“We enjoyed it last time,” Richmond said. “There was no hesitation in trying to make sure we got a spot.

“We call Rondeau our second home, so we’re always out here doing the activities,” she added.

Matthews said the Family Day weekend has consistently been when the park promotes the gathering of communities.

“We’ve had Indigenous dancers, speakers, artists come on Family Day.”

She added First Nation community members from Caldwell First Nation and Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit – Delaware Nation at Moraviantown, as well as Aamjiwnaang First Nation from near Sarnia also come to the park to share their culture at other times throughout the year.

Saturday also featured story a book reading from ‘A Walking in Nature’ by Janne Peters from Caldwell First Nation.

Matthews believes many people coming to participate in these cultural events have never had an opportunity to connect with someone from Indigenous communities.

She added the park works with different First Nations communities so people can see there are distinct cultures, including the fact different communities speak a different language.

Matthews believes it also helps people realize “these communities are here and thriving and current and are a part of Ontario.”

Williams said he enjoys seeing what comes from the art workshops.

“It’s nice to see people express themselves through (art),” he said. “When you can encourage them to express something and show them something to do, it’s very enlightening.”