By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

15 years strong

Community Spring Feast to welcome all this Saturday in Red Deer

May 31, 2023 | 5:25 PM

Sacred ceremony, a 30-foot high tipi, a four-foot wide frying pan for bannock, and a feast like no other you’ll find in Red Deer…

These are among the things one may experience at this year’s 15th annual Community Spring Feast, taking place Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fort Normandeau.

The feast is put on by Safe Harbour Society. It goes rain or shine, and guests are asked to bring their own feast bag, chair, blanket and anything else to make their time more comfortable. Women should wear long skirts and men long pants.

Head Feastwoman Theresa ‘Corky’ Larsen Jonasson says the feast represents an Indigenous way of honouring and taking care of community, by way of ensuring everyone eats, “because food is life and we’d die without it,” she says.

“A lot of food shows up. It’s prayed over, and then distributed around to whoever is there, and until every crumb is gone. The story goes that we eat together or we starve together, and right now, it’s about this new year, new green leaves on the trees, and ceremonies are happening more,” she says proudly.

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“People said 15 years ago this feast couldn’t be done in Red Deer, or that it wouldn’t catch on. We made a four-year commitment, which has turned into 15. At first, my husband Lyn and I asked people to contribute, but now people, come April, are calling us to ask what they can give, and I think that’s beautiful.”

Year one saw around 40 people come out, says Larsen Jonasson; now they get over 200.

“This is also about honouring those from the community who’ve left us. A lot of people will bring that person’s favourite food to honour them,” she explains, noting the theme of ‘Honouring the peaceful warrior’ alludes to those who fight and stand up for others without need for physical violence.

“And it’s a time for teaching our young people how to work around the feast.”

A group of young men — called feast-helpers, or oskâpêwis in Cree — is chosen each year to serve the food. Prior, they go through teachings about the importance of their role.

“The men hunt, the women cook, the men serve, the women pray. It’s about balance,” Larsen Jonasson says. “It’s about nobody being better than the other; we’re all equal and part of the ceremony.”

The aforementioned very large bannock pan, she shares, was commissioned by Red Deer’s Red Feather Women, and created by Lyle Keewatin Richards, founder of the Remembering the Children Society.

There is no set schedule for the event, other than it runs from 11-5. Fort Normandeau is located at 28054 45 Avenue, Red Deer.