‘It’s a time for gathering’: Sask.’s Kona Festival returns to Wanuskewin

(Hallee Mandyk/CTV News)

In spite of the chilly temperatures, visitors bundled up to take part in the Kona Festival on Saturday at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, to learn more about those who inhabited the land for generations.

“Indigenous people lived on the Northern Plains year-round. So it doesn’t matter whether it’s plus 30 or minus 30. You are living out on the land. And there is a lot of things that we do for entertainment while we’re out there,” Breanna Tait, the visitor services coordinator at Wanuskewin, said.

The event has been an annual tradition since 2018, intended to highlight land based winter teachings. Visitors could try out dog sledding, taste bison meat smoked over a fire, and explore the grounds of Wanuskewin throughout the day.

Tait shared that much of the programming highlighted the resourcefulness of the first peoples on the Northern Plains, adding that for those living on the land, it was about both surviving the winter, and finding ways to pass the time throughout the colder months.

“Things like storytelling... learning about how to make tools. So we actually have this Saskatchewan Archeological Society here doing some public archeology. We have our own interpretive, staff here doing our Northern Plains technology to talk a little bit all about the tools that you need to survive on the plains,” Tait said.

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Co-executive director of Wanuskewin, Andrew McDonald, shared that the festival is equal parts education and entertainment. With visitors of all ages, there was something for everyone both outside in the park and inside the centre.

“Maybe you’re not familiar with some of the ways that people would have, survived here. It’s a little chillier today, and so we do talk about that in a number of different programs that we’re offering. But there’s also, opportunities to get out, be active, and have some fun,” McDonald said.

The co executive director added that the festival highlights winter traditions that have existed for centuries. McDonald shared how the event is a fun way to encourage folks to find enjoyment during colder days.

“Wintertime is a time for storytelling. It’s a time for gathering. And so this is the embodiment of that. I think normally we kind of get in our groove, we get in a rut and getting outside, maybe not as much. And so this is a real encouragement to see what else is out there,” McDonald said.

Trails, galleries and the tipi village were all open for visitors to explore. The event was admission by donation, which allowed many people to take part in the occasion. Tait shared a hope that those who came out to enjoy the festival left with a greater appreciation for the history of the land.

“It’s been a gathering place for over 6,000 years. Basically, as soon as people could live in this valley, they did. And so I really hope that they take home that sense of gathering, that we’re all treaty people. We’re all in this land together,” Tait said.