Montreal First Peoples’ Festival underway

The 16th Annual First Peoples’ Festival kicked off in Montreal on May 25 with two weeks focused on aboriginal arts, crafts and films.

More than 50 films by or about the indigenous people of North America were included in the festival, including Piungituq (La Bête) by students in Puvirnituq and Isuma Igloolik’s Kinnaq Nigaqtuqtuaq about urban Inuit.

The festival is hosted by LandInSights, a non-profit organization. In 2006, the festival, which now has a budget of nearly $1 million, expanded for the first time into two parts.

The first portion of the festival, which included the film festival, ran from May 25 to June 8. The festival kicked off with an exhibition opening at the Canadian Guild of Crafts, featuring the work of 11 carvers from Inukjuak, Puvirnituq, Akulivik, Ivujivik and Kanqiqsujuaq.

“Nunavimmiuguvugut” or “We Come from Nunavik” remains on display at 1460 Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal until June 30.

The festival resumes on June 21, National Aboriginal Day, and wraps up June 25. The official Aboriginal Day celebration in Montreal takes place at the Tiotake site in the Émilie-Gamelin Park, starting at 11:00 a.m.

For more information on the festival go to www.nativelynx.qc.ca.