ST. PAUL – The Mannawanis Native Friendship Centre was packed to the brim with people during the Multicultural Day/Taste of Treaty Six event on June 27. People of several different ethnicities gathered in celebration of one another’s differences.
“It is very much needed in St. Paul that we all unite and work together... recognize our cultures and as who are as people and be able to self-identify in our own cultures and be accepted,” said Jamie Whitefish, coordinator of the event.
Whitefish said it is heartwarming seeing different cultures come together. “I’d just like to thank everybody coming in and showing their support,” as it shows that everyone, no matter their colour or creed, is willing to work together, be together, have fun together, and acknowledge each other for who they are, said Whitefish.
She said she would like the community to continue to recognize “our differences, our diversity, and that we all contribute as one."
Hinano Rosa, executive director at the Mannawanis Native Friendship Centre, said the annual event appears to be getting bigger and better each year, gesturing to the long line of people sampling the variety of cuisine originating from locations across the globe.
“We don’t even have enough chairs to accommodate people,” said Rosa. But it was a happy problem to have, and the long line was proof of people wanting to come together.
The event was entirely free for the public to attend and enjoy. He thanked all those who took the time to prepare food for the celebration. “We gave them money so that it doesn’t come out of their pockets,” said Rosa, which also applies to the performers invited for the evening.
“But... even if we didn’t have funding, these people participating today have done it for free before,” he said, adding that gesture “speaks a lot of our community.”
In addition to international cuisine, a variety of cultural performances also entertained people throughout the evening and into the night.
