A year ago, David Brass was on his usual daily jaunt through the downtown Regina library branch when he heard powwow drums echoing through the hallways.
He followed the sounds, which led him to the community commons area, where the Regina Public Library’s Culture Connect: Indigenous Teachings program coordinator gave him a warm welcome.
Since then, Brass and her daughter have attended the weekly drop-in sessions, where they discovered a compassionate and welcoming community that makes them feel accepted. Brass said her daughter is thriving in the program.
“She loves it: dancing, drumming. She sees her little friends here; now she has friends,” he said. “She’s here every week and they’ve become very close.”
Brass said he has also seen how the show has helped many others, including those who come just to watch.
“I’ve seen people come in, heal and come out differently. They seem to leave fuller,” he said. “They come in empty, bent over and with a sad face, but they come out full, with their chests up, you know, so everything is fine.”
Brass said it’s a wonderful program.
“There is healing, there is connection, there is a revitalization of tradition and culture. People learn about their roots in a comfortable and relaxed area.”
Four years ago, Phyllis Littletent and her mother created the Culture Connect program. It was originally started in the North Central community to help create healing.
When his mother became ill and could no longer help with the show, Littletent continued to direct it. He recognized the healing power of the program and its positive impact on many people.
“I met a lot of people who learned something from this program,” Littletent said. “Either it changed their lives or, you know, it gave them back a sense of who they are.”
The weekly drop-in program offers an inclusive environment for anyone to learn about indigenous cultural dances and songs without judgment.
A monthly mini-gathering is held in honor of the children, who are invited to dance with or without their badges. This promotes inclusion and respects all children, regardless of their background.
Littletent said the goal of the program is to promote healing through song and dance.
Several indigenous dances have been exhibited, emphasizing the rich diversity of indigenous cultural expressions through movement. Powwow drums, hand drums and even a water drum have been introduced to provide further teachings on the different types of drums used by indigenous people.
Since it began two years ago, the program has expanded significantly. To accommodate more participants and encourage community involvement, it is now held weekly at the downtown central library branch.
“We are very fortunate to have a beautiful place like this, the Regina Public Library, for allowing us to give ourselves a space to heal,” Littletent said. “Every week we leave a blessing here. You know, as our elders would say, where you carry those drums, where you do that healing, you also bless the area.”
Taylor Soderberg, a Métis citizen and welcome and safety specialist at the Regina Public Library, said it’s amazing to see this type of programming in their accessible space in the city centre.
“Our goal is to decolonize our spaces, but also build community in any way we can,” he said. “We are happy to have a space that can foster community and safety.”
Soderberg said many people who attend have a very positive experience and it is open to the public to come and enjoy.
“We see so many success stories coming out of this program and we have a lot of people who are regular library customers who come here and maybe they’re just having a really bad day because of a number of things that are going on,” he said. “But they come here and it’s a really safe space for a lot of people and a good source of healing.”
The program is open to the public and runs every Wednesday from 6 pm to 8 pm CST. It takes place downtown, in the community commons area of the central library branch.
