Volunteers prepare for weekend of dance, food, friendship at Hoobiyee, the Nisga'a new year celebration

This weekend is the start of the Nisga'a new year, known as Hoobiyee, and Indigenous communities from around the province will be gathering to share performances, enjoy meals and meet new friendsin Vancouver.

Hoobiyee is the celebration of the harvest moon, which the Nisga'a believe will foretell how bountiful their food will be for the year.

The free event takes place at the PNEForum starting Friday.

Hoobiyeehas grown significantly over the years and volunteer Keane Tate says it started at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship centre on Hastings Street in the mid-'90s with a small dinner and one cultural performance.

"Hoobiyee has grown into this amazing event where it's not only the Indigenous community here in Vancouver that comes to help celebrate the Nisga'a new year."

Now the event is expected to see 5,000 to 6,000people over the course of the two-day celebration according to Sheldon Martin, president of the Nisga'a Ts'amiks Vancouver Society.

"... In thecity, the difficulty is finding space to gather and finding the opportunity," Martin told On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko.

"We all have very busy lives and so carving out ...hours to gather and sing and dance and learn our culture is difficult at the beginning of each year, but as we slowly get into it and we prepare for events such as this, everyone looks forward to gathering weekly for those practices."

Each year the celebration expands, creating aspace for many bands to come and share stories and performances specific to their nation.

"With our growing relationships with the nations that reside here in Vancouver, not only the host nations but also nations who have made this city their home community, we've really established relationships with them and invited them over the years to share their cultural performances with us," Tate said.

Martin encourages everyone to join the celebration andshare "Nisga'a pride" and First Nations culture.

"We're very inclusive meaning we'll invite you out on the dance floor to feel the beat of the drum, to feel the Hoobiyee spirit," he said.

Performances start at 11:30 a.m. PTFriday at the PNE Forum in Vancouver, and will include a drum drillfeaturing 100drummersat5p.m.

On the Coast will be previewing the event Friday at 4:15 p.m. PT and will be on location at the PNE at 5:35 p.m. PT.

With files from On The Coast, RohitJoseph