Cree Hoop Dancer Wows Crescent Students

James Jones, a talented Cree hoop dancer dressed in colourful regalia, spins to the beat of rhythmic, drum-heavy music in Crescent’s Lower Gym. He holds a hoop in each hand and has one around his waist. Without skipping a beat, he brings them together and creates a butterfly, the hoops on either side of his shoulders gracefully flapping like wings.

The audience goes wild.

Mr. Jones visited Crescent on September 21 and spent his time educating Lower and Middle School students about Cree traditions and history, infusing his presentation with the joy and connection he feels to his community. His passion was infectious and captured the attention of every student in the room.

The visit marked the beginning of Crescent’s commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTC), a day when all Canadians come together to honour the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools on our Indigenous People. Throughout the week leading up to September 30, education on Indigenous peoples and histories will be taking place during assembly and Mentor Group discussions. Our libraries will prominently feature a selection of Indigenous-themed books. 

The week will be capped off with Orange Shirt Day on Friday, September 29, when members from across the Crescent community will wear orange shirts as part of their Number Two uniform. This is the tenth anniversary of Orange Shirt Day established by the Orange Shirt Society, a non-profit organization founded by Phyllis Webstad to support reconciliation events and activities. Crescent will be making a donation to this fund.