Dragon Boat Festival Celebrates Culture and Collaboration

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Dragon Boat Festival Celebrates Culture and Collaboration

This year's Dragon Boat Festival at Henderson Lake brings a unique twist: a cultural learning experience at the ATB KidZone.

Lethbridge Grads Team Up for Interactive Project

The project, a collaboration between University of Lethbridge graduates Jerett Sitter (Chinese) and Henry Heavyshield (Blackfoot), combines visual arts and storytelling to engage festival attendees, particularly children. Heavyshield expressed his enthusiasm for working with Sitter, whose illustrations grace Lethbridge's murals, magazines, and band posters.

Shared History of Marginalization Forms the Bridge

The project delves into the shared experiences of Chinese and Indigenous communities in Lethbridge. Heavyshield's grandparents, facing discrimination from other shops due to their Blackfoot heritage, found friendship with Chinatown shop owners. This shared history of marginalization forms the foundation for the project's message.

ATB Celebrates Diversity

Kimberlee Davis, Regional Director of ATB Wealth, highlights their longstanding support for the Dragon Boat Festival. However, this year, ATB takes it a step further, acknowledging Treaty 7 land on which the festival takes place. "We're honored to celebrate both the Dragon Boat's Chinese origins and the First Nations people of Treaty 7 territory," Davis says, "while offering learning opportunities for our community."

Interactive Storytelling and Community Building

Both Sitter and Heavyshield will be present at the KidZone on Saturday (12-3 pm) to guide visitors through the experience. Heavyshield will also perform readings of his story, "Ikkaayayisskattsiiyi" (The Race), which complements the interactive coloring page.

Heavyshield believes this collaborative art project fosters stronger relationships within the community. "The mural and poem celebrate the land, storytelling, the spirit of competition, and moments like this festival, where we come together as a community," he concludes.

The Dragon Boat Festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of culture, enriched by this unique focus on shared history and collaboration.

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