Whirl’n n twirl’n as DFC students square dance

Fiddle music and square dancing took over Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School (DFC) Dec. 14 as 10 students showed off moves they learned over the first semester.
“The first time we were like, ‘it’s just square dancing,’” said Mayveline Quill, a Grade 12 DFC student. “Then we started laughing about it and after a while we started having fun.”
Quill joined the dance group this fall along with 15 other students to help show that DFC students are involved in a wide variety of activities, including cultural activities such as square dancing, not just the negative activities portrayed in media coverage.
“We just like to have a good time while we are dancing,” Quill said. “If somebody makes a mistake, automatically, the next person will point out where they are going.”
Although the square dancers enjoyed themselves practicing over the last two-three months and performing in front of Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs and a number of other dignitaries as well as DFC students and staff, they thought the idea of square dancing was just a joke when first approached by Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO) staff.
“When they first mentioned it, everybody sort of laughed,” Quill said.
DFC principal Jonathan Kakegamic and Hobbs were among a number of audience members who joined in to dance with the square dancers after their performance was over.
“I rather enjoyed myself,” Kakegamic said. “Even though we were doing simple steps, I had to concentrate. It was nice to see the mayor there – he is a big supporter of our school.”
Kakegamic said the square dancers have been learning discipline in addition to their dance steps.
“They need to go three times a week, and most of them have been regular participants,” Kakegamic said. “And all of them did well in school.”
In addition to the DFC performance, the square dancers also performed at a Nishnawbe Aski Nation banquet and a KO Secondary School Services banquet.
“Once they got going, their practice and training took over,” Kakegamic said.
The idea for the square dancing lessons came from the square dance sessions provided during the Treaty 5 100th anniversary celebrations in Deer Lake a few years ago.
“Us leaders of KO were really impressed being entertained by the young people dancing (at the Treaty 5 100th anniversary celebrations),” said Goyce Kakegamic, education coordinator for KO Secondary School Services. “So at the beginning of the year, I asked the students if they would consider joining a dancing club.”
Goyce was impressed with the students’ dedication to their square dance lessons.
“They came three times a week and they were having a ball,” Goyce said. “After the (DFC square dance) presentation, even some other students were saying I’m going to consider joining the program after Christmas.”
Quill returned to DFC this year to complete additional courses in parenting and recreation and leadership to be better prepared for college.
“I haven’t failed a course in high school,” Quill said. “It feels good to accomplish things that you wanted to do when you were younger.”
Quill is looking forward to continuing her success in the field she chooses once she graduates from college.
“All I want to do is succeed in the workforce, have a better job and make a living out of it,” Quill said. “I’m thinking about working out here in the city for about five years and
then go back home to help out my chief and council.”
KO is a non-political chiefs council serving six northern First Nations.
More activities planned for winter at DFC:
Square dancing, guitar making, skating and broomball are among the activities planned for 2012 at Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School (DFC) in Thunder Bay.
“We hope to get the (outdoor skating rink) going by January,” said DFC principal Jonathan Kakegamic. “We’ll have a phys-ed program there; we’ll use it as an incentive too. It will be used quite regularly for broomball and hockey.”
Kakegamic said a minor hockey league team is also considering the use of the rink for practice sessions.
“As an outreach to the City of Thunder Bay, we are going to do that,” Kakegamic said.
Kakegamic said the guitar-making course offered this past fall is going to be offered again during the second semester due to student demand.
“And there will be incentive trips for our students,” Kakegamic said. “We do a road trip up North on the winter road one weekend when we take a group of hockey players and broomball players.”
Kakegamic said the male students went to Weagamow for hockey last year while the female students went to Mishkeegogamang for broomball.
“But this year we are going to combine it in Deer Lake,” Kakegamic said. “That will be done over the winter road as an outreach to our communities.”
Kakegamic said the square dancers will also perform in their home communities once the winter road opens.