Saskatchewan

Canadian Western Agribition moves on without Indigenous pavilion

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CEO says Indigenous culture and knowledge still shared during Agribition, but in a different way

Vendors selling a variety of goods and services have booths at the 2019 Western Canadian Agribition, but for the first time since 2013, there is no Indigenous pavilion a the event. (Bryan Eneas/CBC)

There are pavilions and booths for retailers, machinery, automobiles, animal grooming and even financial institutions, but none dedicated to Indigenous people at this year's Canadian Western Agribition.

People involved with the Indigenous pavilion at past Agribitions say they are disappointed that the booth, a fixture over the last six years, is absent this year.

Joely Bigeagle-Kequahtooway, a vendor and educational partner of the pavilion, said it provided a valuable resource for the annual event.

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"There needs to be some bridge between farmers and Indigenous people and you think Agribition would be the place that would be a potential place of learning," Bigeagle-Kequahtooway said.

"That's what we've been doing for six years."

She said people weren't forced to check out their pavilion, but it should be present so people who want to learn have an opportunity to do so.

Bigeagle-Kequahtooway took to social media to air her grievances with Agribition's decision to eliminate the pavilion.

She said the post resulted in a phone call from Canadian Western Agribition's CEO Chris Lane, who told CBC that the elimination of the pavilion was part of the regular evolution of the annual event.

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"Our programing changes all the time, whether that's entertainment programming or educational programming, it rarely looks like it always does, one year to the next," Lane said.

Booths from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and Dallas Valley Ranch currently occupy the space in the Family Ag Pavilion where the Indigenous pavilion was last year. (Bryan Eneas/CBC)

He said that while the Indigenous pavilion may not be there, elements of what it provided are still available at Agribition.

There's a booth in the Family Ag Pavilion this year that's teaching people Cree words, Lane said.

He noted that the Indigenous Agriculture Summit is still a part of the Agribition lineup this year and that so far the attendance has been a record high.

"I think that's a testament to the deliberate thought that we put in to making relevant Indigenous programming," he said.

Lane said Indigenous culture will be showcased during the opening of one of Agribition's biggest events, the rodeo, on Wednesday night.

Chris Lane, Agribition's CEO, said the event is constantly evolving and the most recent change, which removed the Indigenous pavilion at the event, doesn't mean Indigenous culture and knowledge isn't present. (Bryan Eneas/CBC)

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The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action were also considered during planning for this year's Agribition, according to Lane.

"We hoped that we were able to put together, in our Indigneous Ag Summit, a theme around economic reconciliation," Lane said.

"We felt that we really had a platform for that, we thought that we had a voice and a responsibility to be able to bring people together to talk about that."

Bigeagle-Keequatooway said she'd like to see the pavilion back at 2020's rendition of Agribition.

Lane said that after the 2018 Agribition, Indigenous staff and co-ordinators sat down and discussed how to go about providing that programming in the best way possible and that those discussions will happen again after this year's events.

"We're having the conversation now, and that's why the feedback that we're getting is pretty important," he said.